RE: Holden Commodore: Spotted
Discussion
Since moving to Australia I’ve forgotten how special looking these Commodores would be back in blighty.
I owned a Monaro VXR briefly in the UK and loved it, got loads of attention from enthusiasts, especially during (the frequent) fuel stops. Not at all special in Aus though.
On a plus point they must be very reliable as they're so undertuned - there are so many of them on the roads here, often with 500,000KMs on the odo! They're usually piloted by a mechanically unsympathetic, high-vis vest wearing tradie with his arm out the window, driving about 1cm from the car infront. If they can't break one no one can.
If you're considering a purchase I would get it rust proofed...British winter is not what they were built for.
I owned a Monaro VXR briefly in the UK and loved it, got loads of attention from enthusiasts, especially during (the frequent) fuel stops. Not at all special in Aus though.
On a plus point they must be very reliable as they're so undertuned - there are so many of them on the roads here, often with 500,000KMs on the odo! They're usually piloted by a mechanically unsympathetic, high-vis vest wearing tradie with his arm out the window, driving about 1cm from the car infront. If they can't break one no one can.
If you're considering a purchase I would get it rust proofed...British winter is not what they were built for.
treeroy said:
What exactly appeals about this car? Why would one buy it?
There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
A Holden like this is no more made by Vauxhall than a Corvette is, despite the similar looks to an Omega. There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
treeroy said:
What exactly appeals about this car? Why would one buy it?
There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
I'm with you, things like a BMW 540i, Lexus GS430 & SAAB 9-5 HOT Aero all look far more appealing There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
OverSteery said:
treeroy said:
What exactly appeals about this car? Why would one buy it?
There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
A Holden like this is no more made by Vauxhall than a Corvette is, despite the similar looks to an Omega. There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
Anyhow, this thing has about as much appeal as an Omega (and not even a facelifted Omega). So if you like those, and big asthmatic engines, and like paying top dollar for them, this Holden probably appeals to you.
TonyRPH said:
Oh how I long for the day that PH embraces a better way of displaying pictures, rather than opening them in a new window every time.
This is so 1990's.
Adding lightbox type viewing code is absolutely trivial for a web developer.
sigh.
Good point - they seem to manage it on the classifieds no problem.This is so 1990's.
Adding lightbox type viewing code is absolutely trivial for a web developer.
sigh.
BFleming said:
OverSteery said:
treeroy said:
But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
A Holden like this is no more made by Vauxhall than a Corvette is, despite the similar looks to an Omega. ![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/JpPf8ehX.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/aShrPPHG" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/aShrPPHG.jpg)
This generation doesn't really speak to me much but the VE and VF series models really float my boat. Especially the wagons.
Behold the majesty of the HSV ClubSport R8 wagon:
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/PGL7Kikv[/url]
I believe the one above has a N/A 6.3 LS3 V8, the following generation has a supercharged LSA. Proper blue collar muscle cars, for better or worse.
Behold the majesty of the HSV ClubSport R8 wagon:
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/PGL7Kikv[/url]I believe the one above has a N/A 6.3 LS3 V8, the following generation has a supercharged LSA. Proper blue collar muscle cars, for better or worse.
I drove dozens, if not hundreds for cars just like that (slightly more basic versions with out rear spoiler and steel wheels but otherwise the same) when I worked for a hire company in Sydney.
They were great cars, very ‘Aussie’ big, heavy, not very complex but robust and reliable, sort of half American, half British.
If I fancied one here I’d have to try one with Brit spec tyres, just to be sure they weren’t as bad as they were in Sydney on cold / wet days!! They were laughable in the wet!
As for appreciating classic? I’m sure they’re very rare in the UK, someone went to a lot of trouble no doubt to have it shipped to the other side of the world, but apart from the metallic paint, alloys and spoiler (rear lights look like HRV item to me too) it’s a Boggo V6 which is the entry engine on that car, the posh ones were badges Calais (clearly whoever named them that had never been in the queue for the ferry and actually seen Calais) and the fast ones V8s.
Mechanically it’s supposedly similar to an Omega, but I got told off once by someone by claiming it was an Omega with different panels and bumpers, but the interior makes an Omega look like a Phantom, the plastics are very plastic and even brand new (the ones we drove usually had less than 2000kms on them) everything felt loose and flimsy compared to Euro cars.
I’m not sure what they’re like on fuel, it was all KMs per Ltr and power was in KWs but “thirsty and slow” probably not far of the mark - it usually several million miles to the next, well anything in Oz out of the cities anyway so they have autos with few gears and long ratios. I drove from Sydney to Brisbane and back in a few and they just soak up miles and hours, massive seats, lazy. Not sure it would work so well in that hateful queue in lane 3 on a Friday afternoon on the M4.
They were great cars, very ‘Aussie’ big, heavy, not very complex but robust and reliable, sort of half American, half British.
If I fancied one here I’d have to try one with Brit spec tyres, just to be sure they weren’t as bad as they were in Sydney on cold / wet days!! They were laughable in the wet!
As for appreciating classic? I’m sure they’re very rare in the UK, someone went to a lot of trouble no doubt to have it shipped to the other side of the world, but apart from the metallic paint, alloys and spoiler (rear lights look like HRV item to me too) it’s a Boggo V6 which is the entry engine on that car, the posh ones were badges Calais (clearly whoever named them that had never been in the queue for the ferry and actually seen Calais) and the fast ones V8s.
Mechanically it’s supposedly similar to an Omega, but I got told off once by someone by claiming it was an Omega with different panels and bumpers, but the interior makes an Omega look like a Phantom, the plastics are very plastic and even brand new (the ones we drove usually had less than 2000kms on them) everything felt loose and flimsy compared to Euro cars.
I’m not sure what they’re like on fuel, it was all KMs per Ltr and power was in KWs but “thirsty and slow” probably not far of the mark - it usually several million miles to the next, well anything in Oz out of the cities anyway so they have autos with few gears and long ratios. I drove from Sydney to Brisbane and back in a few and they just soak up miles and hours, massive seats, lazy. Not sure it would work so well in that hateful queue in lane 3 on a Friday afternoon on the M4.
Tuvra said:
treeroy said:
What exactly appeals about this car? Why would one buy it?
There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
I'm with you, things like a BMW 540i, Lexus GS430 & SAAB 9-5 HOT Aero all look far more appealing There are plenty of cheap saloon cars with similar punch. And they're probably more comfortable and more reliable. It does look unique though.
I parked next to a Monaro a couple days ago and I can kind of understand that, it's a muscle car. But this is a 200bhp saloon made by Vauxhall, I'm just not sure what the appeal is.
king VX S Pack to the UK? What a weird waste of money.captain_cynic said:
the V8 was only 6.2L producing 302 hp
The V8 was the Holden 5.0 in the VT and upgraded to the Gen III 5.7 litre from VT series 2 on until the last VZs that got the 6.0 Gen IV in Jan 2006 so they met emissions regs. This generation of car never got a 6.2 V8: Commodore didn’t get a 6.2 until VF series 2 which got the LS3.It looks like an Omega because it is, just wider. All Commodores from VB to VZ were based off Opel designs. VE and VF were unique to Holden.
TonyRPH said:
Oh how I long for the day that PH embraces a better way of displaying pictures, rather than opening them in a new window every time.
This is so 1990's.
Adding lightbox type viewing code is absolutely trivial for a web developer.
sigh.
On the contrary. Opening pictures in a new tab is by far the best way. That way I can keep it open while I refer back to the surrounding text, and I can easily control the size at which I view the picture. The latter is particularly relevant when the picture has a high pixel count; I can view it at its native resolution and scroll around with ease.This is so 1990's.
Adding lightbox type viewing code is absolutely trivial for a web developer.
sigh.
This is far more useful than the current trend of having a picture, often scaled to a small size, try to hover over the page.
PH, please keep it as it is!
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