potential new owner...

[Pauliezx]

Hi Guys,

I'm seriously considering buying a Monaro
and I want a heads up on any problems I'm likely
to encounter.

Insurance is not a problem, I currently have a Nissan 300zx
and was intending to go for a 350z but might now have an opportunity
at a monaro instead.

Is it easy to get parts for?
Easy for servicing - can it be done at a Vauxhall dealer?
Idea of MPG? i realise you don't buy a Monaro for fuel saving
but I've seen people quote 30MPG which i find a bit difficult to believe!

Are general running costs hideous?

Thanks for your help

[SOULCREW]

my bathurst is doing 12 mpg at the moment.


get an r8 instead.

[il-mostro]

I have a 2004 CV8 with slightly tuned 5.7 V8. The best i have seen at the end of an entire tank was 26mpg. My average is about 21-22mpg. Worst tank i had was 17mpg, but this was when i 1st bought it and was going a bit crazy!

[2blackhats]

In my experience insurance is generally pricier than for ricers. Paid £369 for my modded Mitsi 3000Gt against £540 for the Ro.
Servicing is cheap, MPG isn't. I average about 18mpg - 6 litre vxr. As I use the car as a daily driver, even in this feckin snow I converted it to lpg to ease the pain.

[007 VXR]

were are you based ??

i get about 18/22 mpg
parts are easy to get
sevicing is best at monkfish 140.00
not all vauxhall dealers can work on monaros

[snowwolf]

Have a drive of one and mpg/insurance/high road tax all go out the window you will want one regardless

Its easy to do most of your own servicing, oil/filter change is a doddle,
brake pads are also easy (but you will need to buy two 1.5 ton trolly jacks from halfords £35 each)

[anonymous-user]

Pauliezx said:

Hi Guys,

I'm seriously considering buying a Monaro
and I want a heads up on any problems I'm likely
to encounter.

Insurance is not a problem, I currently have a Nissan 300zx
and was intending to go for a 350z but might now have an opportunity
at a monaro instead.

Is it easy to get parts for?
Easy for servicing - can it be done at a Vauxhall dealer?
Idea of MPG? i realise you don't buy a Monaro for fuel saving
but I've seen people quote 30MPG which i find a bit difficult to believe!

Are general running costs hideous?

Thanks for your help

Parts aren't that easy to get because they have to come from Australia. You can get parts through Vauxhall but some are hugely expensive for no apparent reason. I don't think they keep that much in stock and only 'official' Monaro dealers are allowed to order bits, so don't walk into your local dealer expecting bits off the shelf. Some dealers will give you a puzzled look when you mention 'Monaro' and will type 'Movano' into their systems instead... Probably easier to use one of the established independant specialists such as Monkfish or Rapid who know the cars very well and have glowing reports on here. The car itself is mechanically quite simple and easy to service yourself. They are quite easy to tune up to around 450 bhp without major internal mechanical work, using 'bolt on' bits, and a remap. They are pretty much bullet proof with no major weakpoints - apart from the brakes which are only just up to the job on the standard models IMO. Plenty of people will quote 30 mpg - you might get showing on the trip computer whilst on a run driving like a granny, but 20 - 22 mpg is a more realistic average figure. They seem more economical whilst cruising at high speed - I got 26 out of mine whilst driving through Germany on the autobahn last year. What else is there out there that looks so good, will seat 4 in comfort, and will top 165 mph in standard form? Go fo it!

[pauliezx]

il-mostro said:

I have a 2004 CV8 with slightly tuned 5.7 V8. The best i have seen at the end of an entire tank was 26mpg. My average is about 21-22mpg. Worst tank i had was 17mpg, but this was when i 1st bought it and was going a bit crazy!

doesn't sound too bad, i'm getting less than 20 in my current car

[pauliezx]

007 VXR said:

were are you based ??

i get about 18/22 mpg
parts are easy to get
sevicing is best at monkfish 140.00
not all vauxhall dealers can work on monaros

Based in the south...Isle of Wight in fact
i had my doubts about local vauxhall dealers anyway

[pauliezx]

[quote=snowwolf]Have a drive of one and mpg/insurance/high road tax all go out the window you will want one regardless quote]

yep, i'm afraid of that lol...
just want to have a good idea if its a case of buying into
a load of trouble or if they are easy to run

[pauliezx]

GSE said:

Pauliezx said:

Hi Guys,

I'm seriously considering buying a Monaro
and I want a heads up on any problems I'm likely
to encounter.

Insurance is not a problem, I currently have a Nissan 300zx
and was intending to go for a 350z but might now have an opportunity
at a monaro instead.

Is it easy to get parts for?
Easy for servicing - can it be done at a Vauxhall dealer?
Idea of MPG? i realise you don't buy a Monaro for fuel saving
but I've seen people quote 30MPG which i find a bit difficult to believe!

Are general running costs hideous?

Thanks for your help

Parts aren't that easy to get because they have to come from Australia. You can get parts through Vauxhall but some are hugely expensive for no apparent reason. I don't think they keep that much in stock and only 'official' Monaro dealers are allowed to order bits, so don't walk into your local dealer expecting bits off the shelf. Some dealers will give you a puzzled look when you mention 'Monaro' and will type 'Movano' into their systems instead... Probably easier to use one of the established independant specialists such as Monkfish or Rapid who know the cars very well and have glowing reports on here. The car itself is mechanically quite simple and easy to service yourself. They are quite easy to tune up to around 450 bhp without major internal mechanical work, using 'bolt on' bits, and a remap. They are pretty much bullet proof with no major weakpoints - apart from the brakes which are only just up to the job on the standard models IMO. Plenty of people will quote 30 mpg - you might get showing on the trip computer whilst on a run driving like a granny, but 20 - 22 mpg is a more realistic average figure. They seem more economical whilst cruising at high speed - I got 26 out of mine whilst driving through Germany on the autobahn last year. What else is there out there that looks so good, will seat 4 in comfort, and will top 165 mph in standard form? Go fo it!

bit concerned that parts may not be easy to get,
might help to find a good place for servicing
and let them order parts in?

[Magic919]

What parts do you expect to have to buy?

[ferb]

I wouldn't worry about getting parts, general stuff is easy. I live on a island so I get my parts from Monkfish then fit myself or local garage can do the more technical bits if I can't.
Any other bits can come direct from Aus. Just need to weight slightly longer than a Astra ect because of distance only
Just buy one you'll love it

[stigmundfreud]

Pauliezx said:

Hi Guys,

I'm seriously considering buying a Monaro
and I want a heads up on any problems I'm likely
to encounter.

Insurance is not a problem, I currently have a Nissan 300zx
and was intending to go for a 350z but might now have an opportunity
at a monaro instead.

Is it easy to get parts for?
Easy for servicing - can it be done at a Vauxhall dealer?
Idea of MPG? i realise you don't buy a Monaro for fuel saving
but I've seen people quote 30MPG which i find a bit difficult to believe!

Are general running costs hideous?

Thanks for your help

having owned both the 350z and the Monaro, so long as the 350z is a UK car then get it. It is better in almost every way. As much as I like Monaros the 350z was far superior. Handling, brakes, comfort they are not even actually slower despite the power difference. Get the 350z unless you need 4 seats (which the monaros set up is not that practical anyway)

[S800VXR]

Ignore Stig! he has no taste. 350z's are for girls!! - maybe he should have kept his having seen his driving at the ring!!

Routine parts are no worse than any other car I find and its dead easy to DIY almost anything. After your 300 the Ro will look a doddle to work on when you look under the bonnet! My mate has a turbo Z and I cringe when he says he needs to work on or service it as its so cluttered under there whereas mine has a block, a SC and a set of headers - thats it really with loads of room around things.
Dealers are like any other make, shyte most of the time unless it spankers and you have bought alot from them in the past. Specialist indies like Rapid and Monkfish are good if anything serious needs doing which it most likely wont since its not exactly stressed with only 400hp from 6ltrs.

Choice between 5.7 or 6 ltr is down to taste and budget, both are good but I think the VXR model looks more modern but thats MHO only. R8s are nice too but thats 20k plus and then you will have to mod to offset the weight of them.

Drive one with a decent pipe and you will be sold! I was!

[anonymous-user]

If you want a better car, buy a second hand M3. If you want a car that will make you smile, get the Monaro. The 350z is for 'toilet traders'.

[stigmundfreud]

wormus said:

If you want a better car, buy a second hand M3. If you want a car that will make you smile, get the Monaro. The 350z is for 'toilet traders'.

you talk out your backside at times. The 350z is a lot better than the m3 in every way bar missing 2 seats. Better engine, better brakes, better handling. Its why I bought one over the M3 which was an ultimate let down

eta forgot the and the after backside sorry wormus

Edited by stigmundfreud on Monday 11th January 22:14

[after_shock]

Only thing ive found hard to get was a replacement LED 3rd brake light in the spoiler, was quoted ages for delivery from Vauxhall then rang monkfish after a couple of weeks thinking about it and they had just got them into stock!

Drive both the 350Z and the Monaro see which you like, hugely different cars to drive, had a 350Z traded in at the garage I work at and used it for a few days and to be honest was very little I liked about it, yes it handled better than the Ro and had better brakes but I just didnt like the car for some reason, loved the Ro second that drove one regardless of what shortcomings they have.

[Wolfracer]

after_shock said:

"...it handled better than the Ro and had better brakes but I just didnt like the car for some reason", loved the Ro second that drove one regardless of what shortcomings they have.

plus 1

Its one of those cars that the sum of the parts doesn't equal the whole - It comes out more!

[snowwolf]

Owning a Monaro/VXR is being a bit different, every Monaro/VXR all seem to different in their own way when you see them all in a herd

Jap cars are a superb Exotic you just can't beat them for refinements and reliabilty, but the Monaro is in a world of its own.