Holden Commodore Problems

The dizzyingly high prices being realised for the XY Falcon GTHO Phase III in recent times has led to a rethink of values right across the classic car market. While the Phase III HO has grabbed the headlines with cars selling well in excess of half a million dollars, other lesser Australian muscle car classics have also appreciated in its wake. When the price of the Phase III became beyond the reach of all but the very well heeled those who wanted a Phase III turned to the regular XY GT and its price escalated as a result.By the time it finished every local muscle car classic had increased in value and the search was on for any that had yet to really take off. The early classics, the Falcon GTs, Monaros, Toranas, Chargers and the like were pretty much out of the picture having already had, in some cases, some pretty hefty price hikes.It was in the later group, from the 1980s and early 1990s that there was some cars, like the VN Commodore SS Group A, that still had some potential to appreciate in value in the future.The trick was to decide which ones had the potential and how high the prices might climb. When selecting cars for their potential to increase in value it’s important to tick a number of boxes, namely, rarity, heritage and desirability. The VN Commodore SS Group A ticks all of those boxes. Just 302 were built, they were built for racing and they’re very desirable.MODEL WATCH The VN Group A was born out the need for Holden to go racing. The company had been a long-time supporter of touring car racing and held on through the 1980s when the local racing authority adopted Group A racing rules from Europe. Group A was conceived by European carmakers to promote the cars they were building and selling to the public in their home markets, it was much like the old Production car rules here in the 1960s and ’70s.One of stipulations of Group A was that any carmaker wishing to compete had to build a run of 5000 production cars, after which they could then spin off a special racing model. It too had to be built and sold to the public, but it could have a number of special features aimed at making it a better racing car.The VN Commodore SS Group A was such a car. It was the last so-called ‘homologation special’ Holden built for Group A before the rules were changed to the current Supercar V8 formula, which doesn’t require any special models to be built in production.The VN Group A story really began under the bonnet. The fuel-injected 5.0-litre Holden V8 was virtually all new from top to bottom and produced 210 kW at 5200 revs and 400 Nm at 4000 revs. Under full acceleration it would race from 0 to 100 km/h in just over six seconds and account for the standing 400-metre sprint in 15 or so seconds. To cope with the torque Holden engineers equipped the VN Group A with a six-speed manual ZF gearbox lifted from the American Corvette.The suspension was thoroughly reworked with higher rate front and rear springs, heavier anti-roll bars, and Bilstein shocks all round. Special Holden designed 17x8-inch alloy wheels were wrapped in 235x45 17-inch Goodyear Eagle tyres to give it the grip it needed.Compared to the Walkinshaw VL that preceded it the VN Group A was fairly subtle. The body kit consisted of quite modest spoilers front and rear, neat side skirts, but a power bulge in the bonnet and a sizable boot lid wing gave it a measure of menace. Holden also developed a special red to satisfy their dealers’ desires for the VN to recall the early red VL Group A, but added a touch of blue to make a little less vibrant.IN THE SHOP Few of the 302 VN SS Group A Commodores Holden built would have been driven daily as a regular VN would have been. Most will have been used for play purposes and left to sit in the shed for most of their lives. But leaving a car unused for long periods can be a recipe for disaster so look for signs of regular use. Just starting them regularly and driving them around the block is not enough to keep them in good order, they need to be driven for long enough to thoroughly warm up the engine, gearbox and diff, and operate the brakes a number of times.The best cars are the ones that haven’t done a lot of kilometres, but have been looked after none the less. Before handing over your cash make sure it is a genuine VN Group A, never assume anything, and check to make sure it has all of the special equipment it should have.IN A CRASH Built prior to the widespread use of airbags the VN Commodore SS Group A has to rely on its body structure and seat belts in a crash. But it has a competent chassis package, responsive steering, good brakes and tyres, so there’s every chance a skilled driver could dodge a collision.OWNERS SAY Jamie Boatwood’s father-in-law bought a VN Group A in 1993 and he and his wife inherited it when his father passed away. Jamie was with him when he bought it and was allowed to drive it on very rare occasions over the years. He says it looks fantastic and drives beautifully. The twin throttle body set up matched with the six speed transmission make it a really special drive, the beauty is you can just ‘cruise’ and enjoy the experience or give it a boot full and hold on. He drives the car probably every four to six weeks and the rest of the time it remains warm and cozy under its car cover locked away safely.Con Sarvanakis has owned the fourth VN Commodore SS Group A built for six years. He bought it from a mate after his VL Commodore Group A had been stolen. He says he wanted a car with power that handled well on the track. He also says he love’s the VN’s shape and the fact that it’s a luxury car that can be driven hard or gently.LOOK FOR • tough muscle car looks• rare, but useable classic• awesome performance• last of the supercarsTHE BOTTOM LINE A classic Australian muscle car that can be driven daily and will in time appreciate in value.RATING 85/100

It might be struggling right now, but the Commodore has been one of the top selling cars ever since it was adopted from Europe back in the 1970s.Smaller, more fuel efficient cars are the current flavour of the month, but enough Australian families still regard the Commodore as their ideal car.It’s got the size the average family wants, it’s got the handling and performance they like, it’s comfortable, and has the capacity to tow their boat or caravan.Its popularity can be measured in the ongoing success of the latest Commodore, the VE that has just won Wheels magazine’s accolade as the Car of the Year for 2006.While the VE is doing some pretty decent business the outgoing VZ has quietly entered the realm of the used car.At just two years old it is now the choice of those who can’t afford a new model, or aren’t prepared to pay that first slug of depreciation new car buyers have to endure.There are plenty coming on the market as fleets upgrade to the VE, which makes them a pretty tempting buy. To use a sporting cliché it’s in the buying zone.MODEL WATCH The VZ was the last in the line of Commodores that started with the VT in 1997. Almost 10 years old it was starting to look a little dated, despite being refreshed at regular intervals along the way.Still heavily based on the VT, which was a well designed car with clean flowing lines and perfect proportions, there was only a handful of minor cosmetic changes that distinguished the VZ from its predecessor.The major changes occurred under the skin in the form of a new V6 engine, new transmissions, new safety features, and a new sports model.After 16 years Holden decided it was time for an under-bonnet change and replaced the faithful old Buick-based 3.8-litre V6 for an all-new, all-singing, all-dancing, all-alloy V6 in the form of the locally manufactured Alloytec engine.The old 3.8-litre V6, with its cast iron block and overhead valves was regarded as old technology, but it had proved itself to be a pretty tough old nail over the years and produced a decent amount of torque with quite reasonable fuel consumption. The new 60-degree 3.6-litre Alloytec engine had plenty to live up to.There were two versions offered, the Alloytec and the Alloytec 190. Both boasted double overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder, but the 190 also featured variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust cams.The entry Alloytec engine produced 175 kW at 6000 revs and 320 Nm at 2800 revs, a substantial improvement over the 152 kW and 305 Nm the old ECOTEC engine delivered.While the Alloytec engine was livelier on the road if you were prepared to rev it the difference wasn’t that great if you appreciated the easy driving nature of the old engine.For more zip Holden also offered the Alloytec 190 in some models, which delivered 190 kW at 6500 revs and 340 Nm at 3200 revs.While both engines delivered more performance Holden also claimed they returned improved fuel consumption. On average, Holden said, they were two per cent better than the outgoing engine.Along with the new engines Holden also introduced new automatic and manual transmissions.The Alloytec 190 was linked to an all-new five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifting on the steering wheel; the regular Alloytec was bolted to an upgraded four-speed auto and didn't have the paddle-shifting feature.There was also a new six-speed manual gearbox, which could be linked to the Alloytec 190.While most of the attention was focussed on the new V6 the 5.7-litre Gen III V8 was also upgraded. It now put out 250 kW at 5600 revs and 470 Nm at 4800 revs.The Commodore’s safety arsenal was also boosted by the addition of Electronic Stability Program, ESP, which was standard on Acclaim and Calais.It was part of a larger package of safety systems that included ABS anti-skid braking, Corner Brake Control, Electronic Brake Assist, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, and traction control.The VZ range began with the Executive fleet model, and included the Acclaim and Calais, while there was now a sports model, the SV6, in addition to the V8-powered SS. Holden continued to offer two body styles, the sedan and wagon.IN THE SHOP It’s early days yet for the VZ, particularly for the new Alloytec V6 and auto transmission, but there are few reports of reliability issues.Owners question the performance of the engine when compared to their old ECOTEC V6s. That can probably be explained by the different nature of the new engine, which does need to be pressed to extract its performance. Even though the old engine developed less power it developed almost as much torque which made it a nice smooth driving engine. Owners who bought the VZ expected much more from the engine than it delivered.There are also reports of harsher shifting of the new transmission, but to date there haven’t been reports of problems with it.When buying make the usual checks for body damage, paint mismatching, scarred alloy wheels etc.Also look for oil leaks around the engine, transmission and power steering.IN A CRASH Dual airbags with the option of side airbags among a raft of safety features make the VZ quite a safe choice.The addition of electronic stability control adds significantly to the VZ’s primary safety.OWNERS SAY Mick Warne traded a 1995 Rodeo on his VZ Executive in 2006. He rates the driving position and visibility good, and says the Alloytec V6 and automatic transmission combination is a good mix for his use, which includes plenty of towing. He’s averaging around 9.0 L/100 km on trips and 11 around town, and also says the road holding is exceptional.Andy Webb and his wife updated to a VZ Commodore in 2005. While he says he likes the VZ, he’s disappointed with the performance of the Alloytec V6 compared to the ECOTEC in the VX they also own. Despite the increase in power Holden claims for the Alloytec he can’t measure any difference from his VX. He also thinks the VZ is slightly thirstier, so the only advantage he can see between the two motors is that the VZ only has to be serviced every 15,000 km compared to the VX at every 10,000 km. Overall, he says he hasn’t enjoyed the VZ as much as the VX.Up until 2001 David Rochford was a Falcon man, but had become disillusioned with his 1988 Falcon and chose a VX Commodore Equipe when he went to work for a new employer. He was more than happy with the choice, so much so that he bought the car for his wife when it came time to replace it. It was replaced with a VZ Acclaim, which he says has been a great disappointment. He says it’s noisier, the transmission shifts are harsher and the trim fabric isn’t as pleasant. His complaints to three Holden dealers fell on deaf ears. When he next has the change cars he says it won’t be to a new Commodore.LOOK FOR • Clean, elegant style• Room for the family• Plenty of safety features• Less refined that previous models• Reasonable fuel consumption• Less driver friendly than earlier modelsTHE BOTTOM LINE Good all round package for the family who goes and tows together, but less refined than its predecessor.RATING 70/100

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