Just how bad are these cars?

[nickwaiheke]

I know this will get some pretty heated responses BUT here goes

Great to drive and I don't mind the fuel consumption but

Most leak
Brakes rubbish
Electrics flakey
Gearbox fragile
Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Patchy parts/aftersales support
list goes on

OK I can hear the flame mails coming in........

[anonymous-user]

Most leak
Some do, but it's mostly the door seals. Mine has never leaked

Brakes rubbish
True, but they can be upgraded easily enough

Electrics flakey
Mine's 100% reliable

Gearbox fragile
Not really, they can handle 1000bhp without modification. I think the key here is to use them often otherwise they can seize up - eg. the reverse gear lockout switch gets gummed up.

Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Not brilliant but they were never designed for UK road salt. Underseal costs about £350 to get done. P.S, have you ever looked underneath a LandRover?

Patchy parts/aftersales support
Depends on your dealer. Get either Monkfish or RapidGB to look after it and there'll be no problem

list goes on
No it doesn't


They are also full of character, cheap to repair & service and turn more heads than any beemer. Now they are cheap too; I guess you either love them or you don't.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 23 July 19:15

[chrispaull]

nickwaiheke said:

I know this will get some pretty heated responses BUT here goes

Great to drive and I don't mind the fuel consumption but

Most leak
Brakes rubbish
Electrics flakey
Gearbox fragile
Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Patchy parts/aftersales support
list goes on

OK I can hear the flame mails coming in........

If its so crap..............sell it
true petrolheads like a bit of fettleing to get things right...........

[anonymous-user]

TVR Moneypit said:

I guess that I'm in the love them camp

Errrrgh, Gay!

[Lewis07-Hitman]

I've had 35 cars in 24 years including Jags, TVRs, Cossies, Scoobys, Lotuses, Beemers and Rollers and I can honestly say it is in the top 3. Nuff said.

[S600VXR]

I don't think they are that bad, I had a small leak on mine but only because I didn't re-fit the door seal properly after upgrading the speakers so my fault but it was easily fixed, no G. Box issues and mines quite poky, servicing is no worse than other makes as its purely down to the dealer and as for rust.... DIY waxoiling sorts that out long term. Bang for buck you can't beat them and I get more interest and comments on mine than any other car I have owned by a long way.
Horses for courses though, if you want BMW or Audi build quality then by one but you will pay a severe premium to get the toys and anything like the performance I have... second thoughts audi don't do a car as fast as mine so cancel that!

[Lewis07-Hitman]

I've had 35 cars in 24 years including Jags, TVRs, Cossies, Scoobys, Lotuses, Beemers and Rollers and I can honestly say it is in the top 3. Nuff said.

[MyM8V8]

nickwaiheke said:

I know this will get some pretty heated responses BUT here goes

Great to drive and I don't mind the fuel consumption but

Most leak
Brakes rubbish
Electrics flakey
Gearbox fragile
Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Patchy parts/aftersales support
list goes on

OK I can hear the flame mails coming in........

C'mon Mate,

Do you really think that the Aussies can build cars? They're about as good as their beer, and why do you think they call that p**s. (That VB sucks and what do the 4 x's in that lager stand for?))

Good job they have great Chev V8 donks in them!

What we are doing here is buying into something more esoteric, like owning the fastes production pickup on the planet. Doesn't mean the doors or bonnet have to fit?

Although all the pundits say they are great value for money, viewed against the Europeans (and no, the English couldn't build cars either, I had an XKR that leaked like a sieve and Jag couldn't fix it) you still get what you pay for and that is why most petrolheads on here spend huge amounts of wedge improving them.

It amazes me why Vauxhall get a good thrashing for poor service etc on something they didn't even make or understand - you should try and get some sense from the average Holden/HSV dealer in New Zealand, I know, I tried, the ones I dealt with were next to fking useless.

Re the rust. Iv'e seen the underside of some Monaros over here and they look pretty disgusting. Because they don't use salt on the roads down under, I don't think they seal the cars. My ute's 3 years old and the underside looks like brand new. I will be using a sealant like Shell Ensis to protect it before the winter.

Other than that - Absolutely love them !!!

Edited by MyM8V8 on Wednesday 23 July 19:49

Edited by MyM8V8 on Wednesday 23 July 19:51

[Codefaster]

nickwaiheke said:

Great to drive

I agree, mine is great fun too. For everyting else, I have the Bora

[Ferb]

My Toyota is much a better car for quality than the Ute, but it not fitted with a LS1 V8, need I say any more

[AM04ARO]

All my issues have been due to 'development' of my car. Never leaked although will need to seal the underneath and repair the standard of the paint.

Pound per BHP its is a bargain and once you have between 5 and 600 BHP you have to start comparing prices with Ferrari and Lambo (performance rather than looks) and the costs are quite cheap.

Have had great service from Picadors, Monkfish and RapidGB.

It will always have more character than a eurobox thanks in part to the LS1/2!

Am taking it to work on Friday and am looking forward to it as an 'event' - not many cars do that IMO.

[AM04ARO]

Am driving to the Regional Office so not seeing customers (last customer I saw was a car dealer who wanted to buy it).

Have been 'spotted' there on the South West forum and most of my colleagues at work always want a ride, may oblige Friday

I do think that some people think I am a little odd in a bright yellow car that sounds like thunder but I don't care!

[Stigmundfreud]

nickwaiheke said:

I know this will get some pretty heated responses BUT here goes

Great to drive and I don't mind the fuel consumption but

Most leak
Brakes rubbish
Electrics flakey
Gearbox fragile
Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Patchy parts/aftersales support
list goes on

OK I can hear the flame mails coming in........

Or as I read it how stupid are you for buying a stter.

[DevilYellowCV8]

AM04ARO said:

I do think that some people think I am a little odd in a bright yellow car that sounds like thunder but I don't care!

Begining to think I was the only Yellow owner here to think that!

I've no issues with the car at all. Little things have crept up, they've either been sorted by me, the fishy boys or my dealer. It's all part of the experience of owning these cars. One of the last 'modern' cars you can do some work on yourself due to it's comparative simplicity. It really is a PetrolHeads car and by the far the best car I've owned to date and then some.

The compliments, thumbs up, chat in car parks/petrol stations and amazed staring by joe public and his kids really brings a smile to my face, so no matter what nasties that may come up in the future, it'll be worth it tenfold.

[nickwaiheke]

after 3.5 hours of attacking the discs with every tool I can lay my hands on....... I can now hear the engine over the noise of the discs so I love it again!!!

[Stigmundfreud]

nickwaiheke said:

after 3.5 hours of attacking the discs with every tool I can lay my hands on....... I can now hear the engine over the noise of the discs so I love it again!!!

despite how st they are?

[hammo19]

Ever since I went to Bathurst I've wanted one. I have waited 6 years to find the right one and did 4 weeks ago. For me it had to be a HSV nothing else would do. I will gladly put up with the problems to have a car that suits my personality - understated and unusual. I just love it. I could only be removed from it by a DBS or Bugatti Veyron simple as that.

[headhoon]

nickwaiheke said:

I know this will get some pretty heated responses BUT here goes

Great to drive and I don't mind the fuel consumption but

Most leak
Brakes rubbish
Electrics flakey
Gearbox fragile
Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Patchy parts/aftersales support
list goes on

OK I can hear the flame mails coming in........

It's called character mate

[tim the pool man]

nickwaiheke said:

I know this will get some pretty heated responses BUT here goes

Great to drive and I don't mind the fuel consumption but

Most leak
Brakes rubbish
Electrics flakey
Gearbox fragile
Poor rust sealing (or non existant)
Patchy parts/aftersales support
list goes on

OK I can hear the flame mails coming in........

Only had mine about 3 months, but loving it.
Doesn't leak (yes it does rain here been piising down this week)
Brakes are fine for normal driving, might upgrade after I take it to the track.
Electrics perfect
Gearbox all good so far
Rust? Not here...
Planty of dealers around here

I often wonder if there is a difference in the way the cars are used there and here.

Here they are really just a variation on the normal family car. Hundreds of thousands of V8 Commodores and Falcons on the roads. In England they are something quite unusual, so more likely to be bought by enthusiasts and on average used harder.

Also our road rules and enforcement are so draconian that I daren't put my foot down for fear of the car being impounded for "hooning" (yes that's a real charge)

[thesfg]

TVR Moneypit said:

AM04ARO said:

Am taking it to work on Friday and am looking forward to it as an 'event' - not many cars do that IMO.

Whats it like taking one of those to work or to client meetings?

I'm not on about the actual driving of it, more how other react?

Even though my Chimaera only cost me a little under £9000, I wouldn't dream of taking it to a client meeting, (unless they had a TVR too), for fear of getting jealous comments and the car park politics that go with it.

Then Holdens look pretty understated and I guess that most people dont have a clue as to what they actually are?

Clients love mine. It's a talking point. It is understated which normally catches people out, but then they normally get involved. Just make sure they're not too GREEN before you go otherwise it makes for a sticky meeting.

One of my clients buys the media for GM in the UK, so they find it most amusing when I turn up in Central London in my V8! Although a lowly media exec, they let me use the directors car park!

S'all good