New here. Looking to buy a Commodore. Not sure which one

[AussieCanuck]

Hi all.

I've been lurking on this forum for a few weeks. Up till yesterday I was the (proud?) owner of a 2006 Subaru Liberty. No mods. Just dark tints.

The car was ok to own but really lacked backseat space and overall grunt. I've got three kids who seem to be growing longer and wider by the day and, with a baby seat in the middle, there's just no space left for anyone in the back seat to feel comfortable.

On a recent trip to Cairns, where we ended up hiring a Commodore VE Omega, we came away feeling quite surprised by the space the car offered. The sloppy ride, however, is a different story

I'm seriously considering a Commodore, but not sure which one. I want to buy something around the 2000 model year mark, so about 9 years old. Not keen on new cars.

I've briefly looked at VT's and VX's on sites like carsales.com.au. There are some very clean and well kept cars out there for sale. Just wondering what I need to be on the lookout for, as far as known issues with these two models.

I assume Commodore engines and transmissions are strong and durable? Should I be avoiding 200k+ kms cars?

Any tips and advice on how what to look out for in a VT/VX Commie is highly appreciated.

[jakewaze]

shud start easily and run smooth from the start
even when cold there should be no hesitation from the engine under heavy acceleration
check for any knocks or ticks from the engine and avvoid a ccar with them
try and get one with good service history and you should have a good reliable car for 300+ kms
VX are a better model than the vt

[Grennan]

Yah if youre looking at the VT/X models I would definatly go with the VX SERIES 2. They fixed a number of faults in the Series 2, one of the bigger ones is the rear suspension setup. The Series 1 and the VT's suffered from really bad rear camber wear. The series 2 corrected it.

Other than that you really just gotta look for the usual things. Are you looking at the V6 - Ecotec (theres also the Supercharged V6) or the V8 - LS1?

[peninsulabands]

get a vy. vt/vx are outdated and the interior is horrible to look at.

[doms3]

If you want room in the back get a statesman-caprice,plenty of room in back

[sweefu]

hey mate, after selling the liberty you should have enough cash to get something a long LONG way away from 200 000k's
i'd go the VY also, if you had enough cash . better again than vx
a lot of them went at my local Pickles auction for 6-7grand each, all with around 100 000k's
so you should be able to pick one up cheap enough if you look hard.
goodluck mate

[greenfoam]

And to avoid the dodgy sloppy suspension find one with FE2 suspension (pretty common) all the S models have it and also alot of the standard models as an option

[TVR-190]

look for a wh statesman

you can find them easily for around the 10k mark now

[accentstencil]

look for a wh statesman

you can find them easily for around the 10k mark now

I agree, a ton of room in the back and a huge boot. Not to mention all the extras.

[michaelw]

I have a VX SII and the only problem I have had is the the fuel gauge sender unit was sticking, telling me I have 1/4 a tank of fuel when it was dry. Apparently this is a common fault. Otherwise the car has been fine.

Mike

[DavidPartay]

I can vouch for the VX series 2 as well, and I dont mind the interior in the slightest . That being said, the VY is definitely nicer inside and you could probably get a good deal on a VY or VZ these days if you don't want a Statesman or Caprice.

Also, I'm biased and I hate the 4 speed automatic transmission because it's a terrible gearbox, so make sure you get a manual .

[calais24/7]

vy mate if you have the money
and check the condition of the car serivice history etc. it it has makrs and scratches inside and out chances are it has been flogged around the paddock
if you arnt very mechanicaly mionded take it into almost any mechanics and pay around $70 for a general check the NRMA also does it. i reckomend it if you arnt mechanicaly minded and would save you many repair bills down the track mate
good luck and welcom to JCCC
cheers

[Tsunamix]

I Have a vt 2 acclaim and the only major fault is the rear camber.
Budget to fix - $800

I recommend low springs (not superlows) from king, a front strut brace, nolathane suspension bushes especially front radius rod to pull the suspension into a nice tight handling vehicle. You will get some sound transmitted through the chassis when you hit a pothole, but it will niot upset the front end. budget (with struts) $1600 (talk to greg at GSL - alot of it I did myself).

Add 235/4517 rubber and the front end really points well. - Budget $270 / corner for Falken FK452's, which at this size came second in the wheels 2008 tyre test, beaten by goodyear F1 eagles at $600 ? a corner.

An LSD in the bum is a definite bonus as if you kick a rear wheel free in the loose stuff, the tail end wag will give you whiplash. Slides out predictably but really snaps back hard.

Slotted rotors and police spec pads tidy up the braking and make it really really effective, although the pedal feel remains a bit wooden (isolated from real response messages about whats happening). It's progressive and easy to modulate, just wooden. Budget - $500 again talk to greg at GSL.

Engines are nearly unbreakable, if you look for the basics that you should be looking at for all engines. Start and run smoothly, while running lift the oil filler cap and feel for blow by (indicates warn seal rings). Rattle on startup is low oil pressure / volume, so if you hear this check oil level. If its full run away fast (bad oil pump and who knows for how long). Ticking on idle is dud hydraulic lifters.
Blue smoke on startup only is worn valve guides. Blue smoke under acceleration is worn oil rings.
Any engine under 150,000 is fine, taxi engines run 600,000 to 1 million between rebuilds.

Dont remove balance shafts

Gearbox - Auto. Largely a good box (4L60E) improved with corvette servo and stage 2 shift kit. I had mine fully rebuilt, with beast bands and beast stally (stock rpm) and I love it. Big ticket item though - $2500 for the lot.

Engine mods that are effective
Extractors and exhaust (Cheepie - $700-800 at Jack Beedhams in brisbane utilising a stock cat)
Hi ratio rockers $700 MACE
Manifold Insulator - MACE and couple hundred bucks - forget how much
Chip and throttleboddy less effective but TB adds response at small throttle openings. In fact it's TOO HARSH with factory tune at small Throttle openings with osize TB so MACE supply a de-tune with theirs - De-tuned at part openings not WOT.

Diff - Change to a 3.7 ratio if you live in the city. 3.5 if you live in the country. Budget $1600 fitted. can buy for $900 ish (LSD) on ebay but have to fit yourself - which is not too hard.

Raptor supercharges turn the 6 into a rocketship. It's on my list to do.

You should be able to get a VT2 for 6 grand in non base model spec. Watch for drivers seat side bolsters collapsing. Means your leg sits on a steel rail :/ Coulsen seats are bloody expensive. I'mlooking at replacing both front seat cushions with a full set of VE style leather and padding. Budget -$1200.

Thats almost the complete life of a VT 2. I think they are GREAT value. VX would not be much different, but VX2 had the rear camber issue fixed. They tend to be closer to 10 grand though, so I thought VT2 plus $800 was better value

Cheers

[GetToDaChopa]

That's a big post ^^^

Oh and Subaru Liberty would have been a nice car, should have kept it . Get VX SS if you can get one, those are niiice.

[rb26dett]

Does a camber kit require constant adjustments? If you hit a pot hole or something that would that put it out?