Need help with choosing a commodore

[busterwilliams]

Hey guys and girls,
wanting help on choosing a commodore for me, from pickles auctions, the hail damage listings.
I need a cheap car being my 1st, and one that is eligible for a P plater to drive so V6 and most.
just wanting to know some reliable models of the commodore and how much mileage i should be looking for, at these auctions i'm only aloud to look at the car, under the hood and inside, so any suggestions on what to look for would be very much appreciated if you guys could help me with this it would be wicked!
please help me out
buster.

[minux]

Whats your budget?

[Tsunamix]

VX / Vy Commodore.

I like the VT shape, but the VX has the better rear suspension. Ecotechs are nearly unbreakable. Handling and braking can be tweaked really nicely.

In a perfect world I would get another VT and put a VX rear cradle in it for the best of both worlds.

[mayes]

I would say either a VT II or VX for your first car, they should also let you start up and run the engine on the cars at auctions...

[Tsunamix]

If your budget is 10-12k Go VT series 2. Series 1 had more problems than the later series as usually is the case.

Manual is nice, but hens teeth. To make an auto really nice needs a 2.5K spend so if you can get a manual for less than 3K more than an auto (assuming both in equal condition) do it.

Your spend list afterwards would look like this -

King springs lows all round with sports shocks and nolathane bushes - $1k. Fitted professionally
Upgrade to slotted rotors and Police spec (or similair) pads $300 - fitted yourself
Front strut brace - $300 - Fitted profgessionally
Front caster links $150 - fitted yourself
Rear Camber kit fitted professionally $500 (or better still a VX rear member) to remove camber wear on rear tyre inner edges
New Propshaft center bushing $120 - fitted professionally
Full rebuild on 4L60E Incl stage 2 shift kit and coprvette billet servo piston $2300
3.7:1 LSD conversion from single pegger 3:08 to 1 (includes full rebuild, new seals and cones) $1500 fitted professionally
Upgrade to 17" wheels with 235/45R17 tyres (good tyre like Falken FK452's) $450 / corner fitted and balanced
Hi ratio 1.95:1 rockers from Mace, do at same time as Phenolic Manifold spacer set from Mace $1k fitted yourself
Set of 3 into 1 extractors and 2.5" single sytem, replaceing 2 into 1 cat converter with a 1 into 1 larger unit - $1200 prefessionally fitted.
Mace cold air cleaner box $250 fitted yourself (also break open plastic vent cover beside radiator)
Aftermarket 69mm throttle body from Mace, and a Custom Memcal tune from greenfoam $300 fitted yourself (do these together).

You should have a sweet running ride after all this, which chirps into second even with an auto box, runs low to very low 15's on the quarter, returns reasonable economy, hangs on in corners like all hell, and stops faster than a corolla into a brick wall.

These are all P plate friendly mods too.

Do suspension and brakes before anything else.
Do gearbox before you do engine, because flogging a warm engine will brake a standard gearbox (eventually)
Do diff whenever, but works best with gearbox and engine done.
Do NOT forget the wider rubber. The commodore is a heavyish beast, and without the larger contact patch, your handling goes.

After all this you will probably want to a drivers seat and a Raptor supercharger as well. I know I sure do :P

[sweefu]

If your budget is 10-12k Go VT series 2

At pickles for 12K you almost get a VE .. Last week at my pickles in the Not damaged auctions, a VZ berlina went for $7600. VE's go for around $14k. So should be looking at a decent VZ variant for that sort of money. VX's tend to go for up to $4k maybe $5k.

[Tsunamix]

Hey swee - wasn't implying that a VT goes for 12, just that if your total budget was 10-12 get a 4k VT and spend like in my list