Talk me out of buying a Commodore.

[xe351]

you will be forever replacing the brake light globes - i havnt seen a vt/vy that both brake lights work. You will have to replace several fuel caps, as well as hoodlining and door rubbers. They do however have a large selection of go fast bits available.

[irlewy86]

the VX auto is sourced from isuzu, and isuzu dumped it for being cheap and nasty. Holden loves it but.

[Tiapan]

Originally Posted by Homer1

OK, DON"T BUY A COMMODORE!!!!! There you go

Get a Ford if you want a nice Aussie car or get a Japanese (other than a Camry!) or German car if you want your ride to last more than 2 years! :P

the VX IS a german car, google opel senator B

[Tiapan]

you have had 6 lasers!!! you re gonna hate an ss if your used to taking corners and shifting weight easily, the ss'e roll over onto there door handles every time you steer

[BA GT-HO]

This crossed my mind. (VX SS that is)

But you can pick up AU XR8 220's for 14 grand now, its just ridiculous bang for buck! They sound way better then the VX but have nowhere near the potential. The AU handles better (friend had a VY SS). Take both for a drive and see how you go!

[jakkes]

my mates vx was a pill of c@#$ I'm not a Holden basher but it was a very bad poorly made car
the interior just fell to bits as did the windows and every time i put my 16ft 351c ski boat on it you could feel the chassis moving around and the door rubbers skweeking
iv herd of the Utes not being able to open/close there doors when loaded up
as for the auto i had a 78 model fmx auto rebuilt to stock standard and it shifted way harder and faster then the vt/x auto

this is my real life experience with this model and ill say steer clear for sure!!

[Tiapan]

probally why so many WA teenagers have been killing themselves in them. they all think they are driving sports cars

[BAxtER]

get a rebel xr8 theyre are a lovely looking car, especially in blueprint

[Smoke Pursuit]

Lol i had a look at some VX SS's today online, they arent a bad car for the money, but be prepared to have some future costs with respect to diffs and engine problems.

[Falc'man]

The best advice you would get is from the people that actually own them ie Ask this question on a Holden forum, you'll get answers from those experienced with them. IMO, AU3 XR8 was a far better car. And for some reason, when I see any Commo after VT (and before VT for that matter), I think it has cheap look... fit for bogans.

[carazy]

A quick look on car sales shows some XR6T's in the same price range as the VX SS..
I say look harder and get the Turbo.. MUCH better car.

[T3man]

Most of the oil issues were sorted by the VX. However I would still buy the ute version before the sedan just in case. 'Cos you can carry a 44 gal drum of oil with you. However the utes are so low in carrying capacity that once the 44 gal drum of oil is in there is no payload left for your wife and luggage. Now that may be a good thing - or not.

Also the rear cross-member cracking and rear camber adjustment problems were mostly fixed by VX. Well at least for the sedans. However with the utes, when carrying the 44 gal drum of oil around, the probs can come back.

Another benefit of the utes especially if you buy an auto is that you will always have plenty of room with which to go and pick up the rebuilt exchange auto trans every 12 months or so when it needs replacing ... again, and again, and again ...

I'm not sure how expensive the autos are now for a rebuilt unit, but the power steering pumps are definitely only about half the price now that the aftermarket guys are cashing in on the demand for them.

Are you on good terms with your tyre shop? You soon will be, and this is a good thing because you will become such a regular customer (for rear tyres) that you won't even have to ask for a discount after a while. And, they will always keep at least two of your favourite brand in stock for you so there will never be any need to order a week before you need them.

Also, aftermarket go-faster bits are cheap and readily available - helping tremendously with accelerating the friendship with your local tyre shop.

Honestly, if I had bucket loads of money to be spending on fuel and repairs I'd go and buy one in a flash, but because I'm p!sspoor I'll have to struggle on with my AU "taxi."

[onfire]

Screw both of them, get a R33 GTS-T.. werd.

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by VippiN

Why SHOULDN'T I buy a VX GenIII SS Commodore?

Please, talk me out of it. Right now I don't see a better altenative in that price range.

5.7L Gen III LS1 V8 - 225kW @ 5200 RPM

Given your fleet of Lasers, you are most likely, while passionate about the car, not a passionate person for cars, as lasers are not renowned as an inspiring ride. Therefore, a car like an SS or an XR8 would be quite a change. If that is what you are after, go for it.

The only negative against the Gen 3 is the oil consumption issues, although I am less than impressed with the Clutch on a manual car, which is quick to slip if treated harshly.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

Cheers,
Mike

[BENT_8]

Some interesting reading so far!

If you go for the VX hunt around for a S2, they rectified the rear end geometry with this update so the tyre man might not see you as often.
The oil consumption is only on the occasional GEN3 and isn't as bad as made out to be.
What ever you do dont buy those crappy Altezza taillights that adorn most of the VT/X models now.
If it were me i'd look for a nice Calais with HBD kit.
I rescently bought a VT S1 Acclaim for the missus, it's a 6 on gas and i get 600+k's from a 76 usable litre tank(95Ltr) for around $30.
I wanted her to have an AU but they just dont compare in terms of looks and it was her choice so yeah!
We went against the grain and kept the standard taillights however upgraded to the S2 clear indicators and side repeaters. I put Kings lows in it to avoid the nasty camber probs when going lower and stayed with the 16" Calais wheels it came with, some dark tint and it looks quite respectable.
She does heaps of country driving and loves the ride it delivers.

BTW i like the comment that most have given reagards to VT/X's being a dime a dozen........ yeah like not every street corner has a BA/F XR6 on it in fact i think theres more XR's on the road than there is XT's, although the small red badge on the boot makes all the difference when looking from the front.

[meg]

other than the irs setup in commodores, the only real problem they suffer from is power steering leaks, cheap to fix but most people don't. The fore mention irs problem is that they fatigue and break the main crossmember, especially if they have been cained or driven on rough roads with hard suspension. they also need camber kits to be fitted to them as they always wear tyres on the inside edge. overall i like them and would be my pick over vt-vy, statesmans are rubbish! they are stretched out commodores and absolute rubbish to drive. they over hang front and rear axles too far and bottom out on everything especially car park driveways. Calais have always been a good option, but they are only auto from factory (may have been able to special order mAnual, i don't know) generally an SS has most of the options of a calais and the better ride/handling suspension setup. pleny of earlier HSV about for around the same price ($15k?) pick up a nice VR/VS senator with leather and all options. Finally like the falcon they are hard to sell, so make sure you bargain hard!

[sleekism]

First of all don't listen to people saying that Lasers are crap, the KF Laser in particular is one of the most fun cars you can ever drive and one of the most reliable (apparently if the timing belt it doesn't even cause any damage).

If you enjoy driving than I would steer away from the LS1.

I do a lot of surveying on heavy roads and I am absolutely sick of hearing the sound of a crappy LS1 exaust note-that is not the sound of a V8.

Every blue moon you will get a TE50 come by with an aftermarket exaust and that exhaust note is sex itself.

Go a TE50.

[Rev28K]

Hmm, asking the questions seems to indicate that you have some doubts about it yourself.

A friend is going to be selling their VZ Calais Gen III in a year or two and I’ve half got my eye on it for a tow car. While the 4spd auto and body/suspension wouldn’t be my first choice it will be going for a very, very cheap price and I know that the owner doesn’t thrash it. I’ve got other cars if I want to have fun and go hunt some apexes.

As I said not the first choice but at least parts and tuning knowledge shouldn’t be a problem.

[Tiapan]

yes i was going to say this too, TE50's are going at around 20,000 and i dare say will be going UP in price soon enough

[TUF_302]

Well i just brought a 1997 EL XR8 for just over 13g and it goes great! Best car ive ever owned!

[Tiapan]

ok to seal the deal i have here the list of defects in holden commodores 1997-2000.

i will only list the RECALLS and the importaint problems

RECALL= the fuel feed hose may leak, potential fire hazard.
RECALL= the powersteering hose may ruptur during conering
RECALL= the steering system is inadequate and may cause unpredictable steering
RECALL= the front suspension knuckles may break, causing unpredictable steering
RECALL= rear semi training arm may break, causeing loss of vehicle control
RECALL= front brake hose may bacome dislodged causing brake failure
(my fav) RECALL= Brake pedal may stop working XD
RECALL= the front side airbags may deploy when occupant is getting out of the vehicle
RECALL= the front seat motors may short, causing seat to catch fire (ROFL)

thats all i can be bothered typing now....it got a 3 out of 4 ancap rating so its quite safe

[DJM83]

If you want a GenIII get a VYI calais if they are in your price range or even berlina

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by BAxtER

get a rebel xr8 theyre are a lovely looking car, especially in blueprint

Rebel never came in blueprint

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by sleekism

.
I do a lot of surveying on heavy roads and I am absolutely sick of hearing the sound of a crappy LS1 exaust note-that is not the sound of a V8.

I've said in the past the LS1 sounds crap, but I've heard a few decent soudning ones as of late.

It's really quite subjective though. People think the Holden V6 sounds good. ***cough***

Actually I think that's a case of hearing loss.

[t2te50]

Mate you got to take the goggles off. Look at the time I did last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The motor has 150,000 km and still is like brand new, things been monstered ever since its rolled off production line.
Ls1's have bigger cam, head porting DISPLACEMENT and struggle to match this time STOCK. Speaks volumes of the inherent build quality in these things. 6,250 redline cutout.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by t2te50

Mate you got to take the goggles off. Look at the time I did last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The motor has 150,000 km and still is like brand new, things been monstered ever since its rolled off production line.
Ls1's have bigger cam, head porting DISPLACEMENT and struggle to match this time STOCK. Speaks volumes of the inherent build quality in these things. 6,250 redline cutout.

Yeay but it still looks like a Taurus on roids!

[FPV8U]

VXII SS is a good car, they looks good and thier Bolt on + Tune potential blows an AU XR8 Away, not to mention if your after a Manual, while the T56 isn't the nicest box atleast it will handle some power unlike the T5.

But really i'd drive both and see what you like they are both good cars.

[t2te50]

Taurus on roids???? might not win beauty contests but who cares when the thing is punching WAY, WAY ABOVE its weight division. Ask anyone in the know and they'll tell you what these cars are. The majority unfortunetly dismiss it at the first hurdle.

[philstoj]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

But really i'd drive both and see what you like they are both good cars.

Best advice!!

No point starting a thread and asking for what you should buy...

Originally Posted by t2te50

Mate you got to take the goggles off. Look at the time I did last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The motor has 150,000 km and still is like brand new, things been monstered ever since its rolled off production line.
Ls1's have bigger cam, head porting DISPLACEMENT and struggle to match this time STOCK. Speaks volumes of the inherent build quality in these things. 6,250 redline cutout.

If you read the magazines, yours wont even crack a 14... but then yours has been worked on, if you did the same to an LS1, it would run very low 13's all day...

A stock ls1, driven well will run 100 mph all day.

[phillyc]

Best reason not to buy an SS, easy, it's an XR6T!

There is a reason why the magazines believe this is becoming the next cult car and ravea about it! It's bloody fantastic bit of gear!

Better front and rear suspension, motor, automatic is light years ahead and a much stronger more durable body.

Try both, see what tickles your fancy!