Null's ultimate Dream Car Thread - A CV8 Monaro in Austria

[Null.Performance]

Here are a few cellphone pictures of my Monaros 'new' front end.
LHD converted headlights back in, black Holden badge on the grille, slim license plate frame designed to fit Austrian plates.

[Null.Performance]

berliner said:

Hi,

it's nice to see that the front is complete again. but ... the license plate frame looks pretty cheap and looks ugly too.
Sorry, my opinion.
How is the number plate attached in the UK?

How expensive was the headlight conversion?

Regards

Hey berliner,

I can totally see your point with the two pieces of license plate frame looking cheap right now - not perfectly centered and only held on by two screws at the moment. But that's because I have not decided on a final mounting position yet. I will mount them exactly where I want them to be once I get my Wechselkennzeichens, so it is just a mock-up for now, before I decide whether or not I have to drill new holes into the bumper. They are from a small Austrian company called ClipItEasy and they produce them locally, so that was a huge bonus point for me.

Once the Austrian number plate is on there, the backing plate becomes completely invisible, and due to the "frame-less" design, you will only see the four small hooks that actually hold the license plate. I will add a picture once it is done so you can get an idea of what I mean.

The UK number plate is held on by a completely standard UK-size license plate holder - I find it rather ugly since it takes up more of the Monaro's beautiful front end than absolutely necessary, so it has to go. I also cannot re-use them because the Austrian plates are 1 cm larger in height compared to the UK ones.

For the headlight conversion I paid close to 700 euros including shipping and insurance both ways. Quite expensive, but something that simply needed to be done.

[Null.Performance]

I dropped off the Monaro at my mechanics on Monday morning and just got it back from them.
Pedders quick rack, drop links, tie rod ends and a Mishimoto power steering cooler with custom piping are now installed.
One step closer to getting my car on the road

Edited by Null.Performance on Tuesday 28th April 18:20

[Null.Performance]

Fantastic news - The big day has finally come!
Seven months after I flew to the UK to buy my Monaro, the car passed it's government mandated exotic / foreign inspection ("Einzelgenehmigung") today with ZERO advisories on the very first try and is now the first ever fully legalized and roadworthy Holden vehicle in Austria!
I have been smiling the whole day and just cannot seem to stop - what an incredibly long, sometimes frustrating waiting game it has been

It took the poor guy at the office a full hour to go through all the vehicle data and documents I provided, and he had to enter every bit of vehicle data into the governments massive vehicle database by hand, since nobody has ever tried to legalize a Monaro in Austria before
Afterwards, two government technicians inspected and test drove the Monaro for more than an hour. Their inspection was somewhat similar to an MOT, just much more in-depth.
I had a good chat with the technicians afterwards and they were smiling from ear to ear, just like I was. They had never dealt with a Monaro, or any Australian made car before, and were really impressed by it's condition. They were very interested in getting to know more about the car, it's history, as well as my future plans with it. Genuine, like-minded petrol heads, who just happen to work for the government - who would have thought

I am currently in negotiations with my insurance company to get the car insured under their exotic/classic car policy programm, which would drastically reduce my annual premium. The stupid "private-individual-who-was-dumb-enough-to-import-a-used-foreign-car-tax" aka "Normverbrauchsabgabe" will also be paid tomorrow.
Guys, I am literally just a few more days away from being issued regular Austrian license plates! Once the plates are here, I can finally, and fully legally, drive my dream car on Austrian roads!

[Null.Performance]

It finally happened - the weather was nice enough today to take my childhood dream car on it's first legal drive on Austrian roads!
I filled up the tank with 98 octane, checked the tire pressures and had a wonderful time cruising a stretch of autobahn and some of the A- and B-roads around my hometown. Austrian autobahns are not derestricted, by the way - our speed limit is 130 kph / 80 mph. But you know, I just had to do one, or maybe a couple, on-ramp pulls from 50 kph to 150 kph
Oh my god, this thing is so damn fast

After what were basically the first 100 kilometers behind the wheel of a foreign RHD car in my LHD home country, I already feel brave enough to start tackling some twisty B-roads and mountain passes next - Let the good times roll!

He are some pictures from today:






Btw . I know my front plate is still mounted awkwardly
I have already come up with a solution that will allow me to mount our large Austrian plates to the Monaro's front end in a more elegant way.
Once my vanity plates arrive, I'll fix that issue permanently

[Null.Performance]

Finally a hint of summer in Austria over the weekend, so I jumped at the opportunity to go for the first long drive with the Monaro.
I visited some of my favourite scenic routes and it was total perfection. I am so in love with this car.

And I must say now I absolutely enjoy driving a RHD car in a LHD country, that's just the icing on the cake to top off the driving experience.

[Null.Performance]

Oh by the way, no more Vauxhall badges on the trunk

Edited by Null.Performance on Sunday 28th June 21:44

[Null.Performance]

Lincsls1 said:

^^^ Nice work.
Be sure to give us your verdict on the rack change, thinking about this mod myself.

After the first 500 kilometers of driving my Monaro, all I can say is the Pedders quick rack does what it is supposed to do, and more
Steering feel and feedback is great, making the car feel really tight and precise. There is a certain kind of connection between my hands and the front wheels now, which is very confidence inspiring and a ton of fun on curvy roads. Really love the way it handles now, it is SUCH a blast, loving every single minute and mile behind the wheel.
I honestly must admit, I never imagined the Monaro would be that enjoyable on twisty Austrian roads, but I am so glad it is.
I don't think I have ever mentioned it, but the last time my Monaro was at Walkinshaw Performance (September 2019), they replaced the radius rod bushings with polyurethane ones and put in new top mounts. Also keep in mind, I had new Pedders drop links and Pedders tie rod ends installed along with the rack. So there are a few variables to consider and I cannot say for certain how much of the handling improvement is down to the rack alone.

[Null.Performance]

The past 4 days were a total washout, but good weather is forecast for the upcoming week. If everything works out, I can hopefully take the Monaro on it‘s first extended road trip. Meanwhile, some pics from our last cruise:

[Null.Performance]

Lincsls1 said:

Stunning example of a CV8!
Do you plan to upgrade any further?

Thanks a lot
I am satisfied with the car handling, braking- and power-wise, it is very enjoyable to drive as is.
There are a few things on my to-do-list to get the car back in top notch condition and conserve it for the years to come. In no particular order:
- Professional multi step paint correction and full frontal paint protection film (hood, bumper, wings, headlights, mirrors)
- Refurbish the OEM wheels to get rid of minor curbing and paint flaking
- Get the stitching behind the rear headrests redone, it is starting to come apart
- Full underbody rustproofing

[Null.Performance]

SturdyHSV said:

If it lives outside, it may be worth considering a light tint of the rear window, as it's UV that degrades the stitching and then the expansion / contraction of the leather pulls it apart over time.

I tinted mine about 8 years ago after replacing the rear bench and it's always lived outside since and shows no signs of coming apart again.

Car looks brilliant, you have an excellent eye for capturing the shape of the car in photos

You madman, I don't think I could sleep very well if my Monaro would have to live outside all the time
It sleeps in a small underground parking garage a few hundred meters from my small apartment, until I decide the weather is nice enough and/or the desire to drive it is too strong to resist.

Now, let me explain what the fuzz is all about: I have lived in the State of Salzburg all my life, so having the Alps, multiple beautiful lakes etc right at my doorstep became normal for me -
But once you get older, you start to get a different view on life, I guess. Millions of tourists come here every year, mostly to experience the beauty of nature and the endless possibilities to enjoy the outdoors.
I realized years ago how lucky I am to be able to live (and drive my cars!) in this environment, where others decide to come to spend their sacred free time / vacation. So, I would not want it any other way.

But of course, now come the disadvantages of living in the Alps:
We get lots of rain all year round
We have winter / wintry weather (and tons of salt on the roads!) for at least 5 months a year, and temperatures can drop to less than -25°C.
Summer usually means frequent thunderstorms, often with a threat of hail, severe wind, flash floods etc.
Heavy windstorms are quite common in autumn
I guess you could say: When it rains, it pours.

So, as an Austrian petrolhead, if you want to keep any car, new, used or classic, for a long period of time, and don't want to loose it to the elements or rust, you of course do not drive it during the winter months, but more importantly you park it in a safe environment all the time.


Rules regarding tint are a bit strange in Austria - Nothing allowed on windscreen and front windows, but can be as dark as you want from the B-pillars back.
This asymmetric look does not work too well on most cars imo.
I have loosely thought about putting something like 3M Crystalline film on from the B-pillars back, which does not darken the windows noticeably, but keeps the heat and UV out.
Given that the car sits in a safe underground location when not driven, I am unsure how much added protection the tint could provide...
My cars interior is in remarkable shape for it's age, a real testament to the previous owner. It still smells like new in there after 14 years!
So I might do tints in the future just to give it that last bit of protection.

As always Sturdy, thank you for your valuable input and expertise, and glad to hear you like my pictures

[Null.Performance]

I took the Monaro and two of my buddies on a day-trip up the Rossfeld Panoramastrasse and for a hike around the world famous Königssee (King's Lake) near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
It is unbelievably beautiful there, and the roads are a joy to drive.
Although a bit crowded sometimes, if you ever get the chance, you should definitely come and see for yourself!

[Null.Performance]

RipGMH said:

Stunning scenery that must be enjoyed behind the wheel of a big v8!

Has me inspired for my first proper road trip, into Scottish Higlands!

You bet, the Monaro feels right at home here in the Alps, although it is so far away from where it was born
I am sure there are a lot of very enjoyable roads in the Scottish Highlands! Have a great time and save travel.
Please report back afterwards and post some pictures

[Null.Performance]

Enjoying summer sunsets with the Monaro. Perfect car, perfect scenery

[Null.Performance]

Good evening guys, I know it's been too quiet for a bit too long here lately
Well, my Monaro is running as good as ever and I still continue to take it for a loong (2 hours minimum) drive on some of my favorite B-roads every Saturday or Sunday morning.
Still feels as great as it did back in June, when I could legally drive it or the first time. I could not be happier, what a magnificent car this really is, feels right at home here in the Alps!
The two of us have covered 2700 kilometers / 1650 miles since June!



Well, this week, it ain't so pretty. One of the many perks of living in the Alps is the ever-present chance of inclement weather.
Weather has been nice enough all summer, can't complain too much, but by Mid-September, took a turn for the worse when the first (short-lived, thank god) cold spell with snow far below 1000m above sea level hit us. Now it is Mid-October and it is not looking good for us Austrian petrol heads.We are right in the middle of the second significant cold spell and it has been really windy and wet and far below 10 degrees since October 9th.
The mountains are covered in snow again and it currently does not look like we will catch a break soon...
This weekend will be the first one since the end of June where the Monaro will stay in it's underground parking spot, unfortunately.

There is still hope that I will be able to enjoy the car a few more times in 2020, please don' t get me wrong - I've got to make the best of it and I'll be sure to jump at every chance I get to drive it during the next couple of months! But it sure looks like winter is coming early this year, and I am not mentally prepared for it yet

Edited by Null.Performance on Wednesday 14th October 22:06

Edited by Null.Performance on Wednesday 14th October 22:28

[Null.Performance]

The past weekend was absolutely spectacular! Exactly 1 year after I boarded a plane to the UK
and made the life-changing decision to buy my childhood dream car, perfect late autumn weather enabled me
to drive more than 200 miles over two days, spend quality time with the Monaro AND some of the most important people in my life.
Went fossil hunting (just one of my weird hobbies) near the small town of Russbach am Pass Gschütt with my brother on Saturday,
and we even found a few nice examples, would you believe it? Have a look:



Then on Sunday, I took my best friend along for her first V8 experience ever. Never before have I had a passenger more enthusiastic than me
about the whole Monaro experience on board, so that was truly something special.
The Monaro is even more amazing when you get to enjoy it with people you love and who are into cars as much as you are!

Summing you one year of Monaro ownership in a simple sentence: I just love this damn car soo much!!!
It is literally everything I ever imagined it would be and so much more, how the hell could I survive the first 25 years of my life without it????
If those 200 miles turn out to be the last hurray before winter arrives, I am still a happy man knowing that they certainly were some of the best miles I have driven in my life so far!

[Null.Performance]

Hi guys, back with a quick little update:
My Monaro has been safely tucked away in the underground parking garage ever since November 8th,
with the exception of it's yearly '§57-Überprüfung' a few days ago (our equivalent to the MOT).
Passed with 0 advisories and 0 defects!

Come spring, I will get the wheels refurbished and mount a set of fresh Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires at the same time.
The Pirelli P Zeros that are currently on the car are from week 46 of 2016, so time for a change.
Can't wait to enjoy this car again, sometimes it really hurts to see it just sitting there in it's parking spot.

What an incredible journey it has been so far.
Thank you guys for being a part of it and sharing your knowledge with me, there is still so much I have to learn about these cars.
I hope you are able to enjoy the upcoming holidays with your loved ones. Merry Christmas!

[Null.Performance]

Thank you for your kind words, guys. Have a good one

[Null.Performance]

Bit of an "and-it-all-makes-sense-now-moment" for me today
As pointed out by John (mfp4073) in another thread, the VZ CV8 Monaro numbers in the UK are:

10 yellow
29 Odyssey
34 Black
35 Silver
34 Red

I never knew this, but as it turns out, when I was trying for years to find the perfect Monaro for me, I only ever had a pool of 44 vehicles to choose from!
34 red ones and 10 yellow ones. Or maybe even less, depending on how many of those 44 examples ever made are still around.
Now it feels even more special that I found what is now my Monaro!

Always knew exactly what I wanted: A VZ generation CV8 (non VRX), red or yellow, mostly original condition, manual and no sunroof (as were all UK models), and previously owned by a Holden enthusiast.

After saving up as hard as i could for many years to get the whole thing done before Brexit would possibly destroy my plans,
withdrawing a large chunk of my life savings from my bank account, the risk of loosing my job because I left with only a few hours notice before boarding a plane to the UK
with the insane intention of buying a car I only ever knew from video games, pictures and videos on the internet..
I still vividly remember, just after pulling into the driveway of my cars previous owner's cottage, that moment when first saw a Monaro in person, after dreaming about them since age 12...
Tears of joy were shed, what an amazingly beautiful car it was to finally be able to see with my own eyes...

Looking back on the whole experience now, after a little over a year of Monaro ownership, I can conclude that I have indeed found the one perfect example for me and I will keep it forever.
Right now, I certainly can't wait for spring to arrive, the car has been off the road for 3 months and counting, the withdrawal symptoms are getting more and more intense by the week.

The feeling that I get when I am behind the wheel on a warm and sunny Saturday or Sunday, when I am driving on a fantastic bit of road, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, in one of the most amazing automobiles ever built.
Working the 6-speed manual, rev matching the mighty V8, hearing that wonderful sound exiting through the original exhaust... When every bend I come across is better than the one I've just driven through
and the car feels right at home, even though it was designed, developed and built 15.000 kilometres away on the other end of the world...

And when I get to do all that with my best friend(s) in the passenger seat(s), spending quality time with the most important people I know...
Nothing else in my life even comes close. And it's those memories that last a lifetime.

[Null.Performance]

RipGMH said:

Null I love your recent write up - you’ve expressed perfectly what it means to want and own a Holden - Lions pride!

The Monaro is an amazing car because it’s not - by that I mean there are much better equipped cars, with more dials, options and choices, yet they don’t have the same thrillingly classic muscle car look and feel.

I’m from Oz and have loved Holdens my whole life. I’m lucky enough to own both a classic 1970 Holden (a four door of the same body line as the original Monaro) and a VXR Monaro. I find the VXR just as simple to drive as the 1970s car with the only added bonus of power steering, better brakes and of course air conditioning!

I look forward to every drive, and that’s what it’s all about.

Thanks a lot, much appreciated
I honestly have no idea as to how a 1970s Holden drives. Could you elaborate?

I do LOVE going to car shows and admiring at all the classic cars there, i have a soft spot for American cars from the 1950 and 1960s and pre-war vehicles, especially the early attempts at streamline cars.
Or anything sporty/touringcar-ish in general, no matter what time period it might be from. But my love for cars started out quite unusually, and to a certain extent it still feels a bit strange

Honestly, while I love seeing them at car shows, to this day, I still don't have too strong a desire to drive or own a car from lets say before the mid 1990s.
Automotive engineering peaked in the early to mid-2000s (just my personal opinion ofc!) and those where the cars that i admired the most growing up (like the Monaro).
Anything older that that to me I consider mostly crude and simple, cheaply made basic transportation.
Apart from the cars that were really expensive and/or luxurious from new ofc, or high powered, and good examples of those are often expensive and super rare here in Austria (thanks winter / road slat), so completely out of reach for me.

And to be brutally honest, before I finally had to get a car for work reasons more than 6 years ago, I mostly cared about the design of a car.
I still love automotive design and watch a ton of youtube videos from legends like Chip Foose or Frank Stephenson!
It might sound strange, but I also first fell in love with the Monaro due to it's design...

Parents, family and friends only ever had stty economy cars, and I hardly ever knew what a "good", let alone an amazing car with a bit of power drives/feels like, and the emotions those cars can evoke.
Getting my first car, a 2004 Volvo V50 with a 2.0 Diesel engine and a 6 speed manual changed EVERYTHING.
Will always remember the first test drive, that little wagon with 220k kms on the clock blew me away, so smooth, so quiet on the autobahn, ice cold AC, an amazing stereo system, super comfortable seats, ample power and FUN.
For the first time, driving felt like actual FUN to me. I loved how it handled the bends, how communicative the steering felt, how nicely the 6-speed was to shift.
It was a really well maintained example, previous owner was a Volvo mechanic, so that certainly helped.

I quickly started to care about this car as best as i could, startend to consume youtube videos about everything cars excessively (still do that, there is sooo much I still need to learn,),
taught myself driving techniques like rev-matching and hypermiling, learned to wrench and modified this Volvo to make it look and drive better.
I started to cut down on most other life expenses to be able to maintain and improve the Volvo, and ofc the desire to get a Monaro really started to grow with my new-found love for cars,
so for years I saved up as hard as I could to make that wild dream a reality, someday. The rest is basically history, as you know

I sadly had to part with my little Volvo in May 2020 due to rust starting to become an issue, but just a few days after I sold it I found an absolute unicorn of an unmodified
2006 Volvo V50 T5 AWD with an M66 trans and lowish mileage, and I knew I just could not let that one pass.
The test drive was even more amazing than the one with my first Volvo, the T5 engine and AWD simply take a car that I already loved to the next level!
Such a nice car as well, so much fun as a daily, I now enjoy every drive, every commute like never before, and it helps cure the heavy Holden withdrawal symptoms a bit.
After a few months, I felt I was bonding with the new Volvo too, so I got an underground parking space for it next to the Holden and I feel like I would not want to part with it for at least the next 10 years.

That being said, you can certainly feel in almost every aspect that the Volvo was built as a daily driver, built to make your life and driving easier in any possible way.
You hardly hear any wind or tire noise on the autobahn, the turbo 5 cylinder sound is quite subtle too, but the sound is pretty good when you drive it a bit hard.
And that is exactly how I want it to be, Same with the original exhaust on my Monaro, always classy and restrained under 2500 rmp but sooo awesome when you step on it or rev-match-downshift.

The driving pleasure in the Volvo hails mostly from the decent handling characteristics of the P1 platform the car was built on, and the 220hp of the T5 & AWD of course.
The Monaro however I feel was purely built for ultimate (long distance) weekend driving pleasure and nothing else. Also, just my personal opinion of course.
While you could certainly daily drive a Monaro, everything about what makes cars great is turned up to 11 on the Monaro for you and your passengers enjoyment and the emotions it evokes are INTENSE.
Manual everything, really puts you in control all the time.
Then of course there is the noise, the power, the torque, the incredibly planted feel in the corners for a heavy GT car,
and the upgraded brakes on my car which feel like you throw out a giant anchor anytime you step on them really hard.
Regarding the the long distance comfort it offers, I feel like the interior of the Monaro has a special vibe to it, even my passengers point that out all the time.
The more time you spend in the car, the more at home and natural it feels. And the harder it is to get back into a "normal car" after a drive in the Monaro

That is just one more reason I never drive it less than 80 kms / 2 hours at a time.
Oh, and I feel like you really have to wait half an hour for everything to get up to operating temperature to get maximum enjoyment out of the car, and you would not want to take the shortest route, like, ever,
because it is just so much fun, so that also basically disqualifies it as a dialy for me