Holden Commodore 1985 Problems

Peter Brock’s name will always be synonymous with Holden. The late great driver forged his relationship with Holden with a string of sensational race victories in the 1970s and will forever be remembered as a Holden hero. Never was the bond between Brock and Holden stronger than it was in the early 1980s when Brock set up his own car company and produced a series of race-bred road cars based on the Holden Commodore. There were many great HDT-branded Commodores, but one of the greatest was the ‘Bluey’, the born-to-race Group A Commodore built for the new international Group A racing rules in 1985.MODEL WATCH In 1985 Australia’s touring car racing changed from the home-grown rules that has been in place since the early 1970s to a new formula devised in Europe. The local rules had moved touring car racing away from the street by allowing manufacturers wide ranging freedoms to modify their production cars to suit the track, but the new overseas rules were more restrictive and they reintroduced the requirement to build at least a limited run of production cars to qualify for racing.The VK SS Group A was the first of these so-called ‘homologation’ specials Holden built during the Group A era. It was based on Brock’s HDT SS Commodore, which itself was based on the Commodore SL, the lightest model in the Holden range. All were painted ‘Formula Blue’, hence the nick-name ‘Bluey’ by Brock enthusiasts, and featured a Brock-inspired ‘letter box’ grille and a body kit derived largely from Brock’s previous Commodore racers.Inside it had special blue trim, full instrumentation and a Mono leather steering wheel.Underneath the Group A had a similar suspension set-up to that on Brock’s SS Group Three, with Bilstein gas struts and shocks, and SS springs. Like the regular SS it had a 14 mm rear anti-roll bar, but there was a much heftier 27 mm bar at the front.Brakes were lifted from the Brock SS Group Three, while the wheels were HDT’s 16x7-inch alloys and they were wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza 225/50 rubber.Under the bonnet sat a specially tweaked 4.9-litre Holden V8. Under the Group A rules the Commodore would have been heavily penalised with extra weight had it raced with a regular-sized Holden V8, so the engine’s capacity was reduced from 5.044 litres to 4.987 litres by reducing the stroke to squeak in under the 5.0-litre limit.The rest of the engine drew heavily on Holden’s past racing experience, and included cylinder heads modified by engine guru Ron Harrop, heavier L34 conrods, heavier Chev/L34 valve springs, Crane roller rockers, a lumpy Crane camshaft, Rochester four-barrel carb, matched inlet and exhaust ports, double-row timing chain, lightened flywheel, HM headers, and Lukey mufflers.All up it produced 196 kW at 5200 revs and 418 Nm at 3600 revs, an increase of 19 kW over the regular Holden V8 with equal torque. It was also a more free-revving engine and Holden lifted the red-line by 1000 revs from the standard engine’s limit of 5000 revs. Backing up to the new engine was a stock Holden M21 four-speed manual gearbox.Tested at the time the VK Group A would reach 100 km/h in around seven seconds, and cover the standing 400-metre sprint in 15s. It was quick for its time, handled and stopped exceptionally well, and looked great with an unmistakable Brock road presence.Under the Group A rules Holden had to produce 500 cars before they could race it. These were built on the Holden production line and then shipped to Brock’s factory in Port Melbourne where it was completed.IN THE SHOP Under the Brock skin it’s a Holden Commodore and subject to the same issues that afflict regular Commodores. Under the bonnet look for oil leaks around the engine and power steering. Inside look for wear on the light blue trim as it doesn’t wear well, and check the dash pad for cracks and distortions through exposure to the sun. The good news is that most owners treasure their cars and look after them accordingly. The most important thing is to make sure it’s a genuine Group A model and not a fake.IN A CRASH Safety was in its infancy when the VK Group A was launched, so it lacked the systems now taken for granted. There were no airbags, or ABS, and stability control was still years away from reality. In 1985 cars mostly fell back on body strength and crumple zones, while drivers had to rely on seat belts in a crash. But the VK Group A did have quite good, at least for the time, active safety with its responsive handling and good-sized disc brakes.AT THE PUMP With a highly-tuned V8 under the bonnet the VK Group A is never going to be a fuel-miser, but fuel economy is something few owners would care about. The VK Group A is a sunny Sunday car, it’s not likely to be driven daily, so fuel consumption is of a lesser concern to those who own it. It requires a high-octane fuel, and unless it’s been modified for unleaded it requires an additive. Expect to see economy figures of 15-17 L/100 km, but it depends on driving style.LOOK FOR • Classic Aussie muscle• Brock cred.• Authenticity• V8 performance• Responsive handlingTHE BOTTOM LINE A great Aussie classic muscle car built by a true legend of motorsport.RATING 85/100

The Commodore is turning 25. Graham Smith tells you what they are worth today as used cars.  The first Commodore was smaller than the previous Kingswoods but boasted European running and handling gear. It topped the sales charts and was Wheels Car of the Year for 1978. Poor build quality and rust problems make it difficult to find a VB in good condition today.  A facelift of the VB with updated six-cylinder and V8 engines. For the first time there was a four-cylinder engine available but it was disappointing.  A smart new shadow tone two-tone paint scheme was available for the first time on the SL/E and made it even more attractive.  But build quality problems and rust plagued the VC; it's hard to find cars in decent condition. Another facelift of the first Commodore, the VH had more engine upgrades.  With Holden's ongoing build problems, including poor paint, good quality VH Commodores are hard to find. Values range from $600 to $3400.SS was introduced as a limited edition model and remains the most desirable. Be careful of cars that have been thrashed. This first major facelift featured louvred grille, plastic bumpers and new rear quarter window. New models included the Berlina and the luxury Calais. The four-cylinder and the small 2.8-litre six were dropped and the 3.3-litre became standard.  The 4.2-litre V8 was dropped, leaving the 5.0-litre as the only V8.Performance models, the SS and SS Group 3, were built with Peter Brock's HDT operation and are the most collectable VK models, along with the SS Group A which was designed for the new Group A touring car racing. New front and rear treatment, new slim headlights and a lip on the boot lid were features of the VL.  The Holden six, a faithful servant since 1963, was replaced by a Nissan imported 3.0-litre six, prone to over-heating and head damage.The V8 was replaced by a turbocharged Nissan six which put out 150kW, until public protest brought the V8 back by late 1986.  The VL SS Group A, finished in Permanent Red, is highly collectable today.TWR became Holden's performance partner in 1988 and their first creation was the TWR VL SS Group A, better known as the Batmobile for its wild body kit.  The VL is popular with young drivers today but be wary of cooling problems with the Nissan engine. The Commodore was being soundly beaten by the Ford Falcon in sales. Holden responded with a bigger car.  Power came from a fuel-injected 3.8-litre Buick V6 with an optional 5.0-litre V8.The SS is a popular model, while the Durif Red SS Group A is the most collectable.  However, cut-price engineering and poor build quality mean lots of tatty VNs now. A facelift of the VN with attractive styling changes. The V6 was refined and the 180kW HSV 5.0-litre V8 became an option over the standard 165 kW V8. SS is popular for a sporty ride, with the Calais a popular prestige choice. With new front and rear sheet metal and new head and tail lights, the VR was an attractive remake of the VN/VP.  Holden introduced driver's airbag standard and ABS and IRS available across the range.  SS and Calais remain the most sought models but the value-packed Acclaim is a popular family car.The new 3.8-litre ECOTEC V6 engine was smaller, lighter, smoother and more fuel efficient than previous.  A passenger's airbag, and improved remote central locking with an immobiliser, were added. The third all-new Commodore struck a decisive chord with buyers. It was longer, wider and had a longer wheelbase and roomier interior with more legroom and width than any previous Commodore.  The American Gen III V8 replaced the Aussie V8 in the 1999 Series II update.Generally without major problems, although the Gen III V8 has been plagued with oil consumption and piston rattle problems. Styling changes were minimal but the V6 now had 152kW and better fuel consumption thanks largely to new electronics, and the V8 was up to 225kW, courtesy of a higher flow inlet manifold and new fuel injectors.Changes to the front suspension produced more progressive steering, which aided handling. Rear suspension improvements make VX II the better choice. The jury is out on whether the VY, with sharp edges and hard lines, is an improvement on the VT/VX. Revised steering package delivered more handling improvements.V8 power jumped to 235 kW and was standard on SS and new SV8 sports model. Auto transmissions were refined.  VY will continue to roll off the production line until the VZ is launched in 2004.