10k to spend

[StevenzZ]

hey guys just after some opinions/suggestions

I got 10k to spend to by a car(will be MY first registered/half decent car) i am leaning towards something like a VT Calais with Tungsten paint or something along those lines, but just interested in what some of you guys think i should look at as well. I'm only on RED p plates in vic so i preety much cannot mod the engine whatsoever and cant drive a v8 so keep that in mind...it will be my daily driver, just want a nice clean street car.

just throwing it out there for some suggestions.

cheers.

[stocky]

buy a vs cheap. possibly a calais. same engine as the VT, just a lot lighter, and a good car just to thrash around until you grow out of it and buy a decent car later on

[davway]

10k could get you anything up to a povo pack VZ or you could spend as little as a couple of grand and get something a few years older but still clean.
depends what you really want and how much of that 10k you want to spend on your first car.
My advice is to consider insurance and not spend all of the money on a car.
having a bank balance and a clean car is more impressive than having the newest car and being broke.

[SIG-054]

VT/X Calais in tungsten would be sweet, ok maybe im biased on the colour

[walesy]

yeh i seem to like tungsten aswell for some reason :P

[Morton]

I'm with Stocky on this one. You can buy a really nice VN/VP/VQ for $3k, and drive it into the ground for a couple of years. Invest your change, then buy something better in 2011.

[DUK13Y]

VY exec for $6500. Use the money to buy a good exhaust and maybe a ss front to make it look good.

[Jo3_Blo]

Are you sure??? I didn't think vys were that cheap yet..........



Apparently you have a VH............why not stick with that for a bit?

[Reaper]

Nothing wrong with the VT's. Try to find a series II if possible.

Reaper

[Johnsy]

Vx series 2 calais.....

[TVR-190]

i assume you cant drive a supercharged car either.

go a VS Stato, can get a decent one with good k's for 7 grand

[Cobez]

Why not buy what YOU want to buy as opposed to the 3 million different types of V6 Commodores already listed??

You will be driving it, not everyone else.

[TVR-190]

as for the VT calais you can pick them up on carsales starting about 6k. so for 8-9 you should be able to get one with low kms in good nic

[DUK13Y]

Are you sure??? I didn't think vys were that cheap yet..........

I've seen a few around for about $7000 so you can get 'em down to $6500

[alien]

I'm with Stocky on this one. You can buy a really nice VN/VP/VQ for $3k, and drive it into the ground for a couple of years. Invest your change, then buy something better in 2011.

TRY 2012 or 2013. The Graduated Licence System in Victoria is now a total of 4 years instead of 3 (Thank god i had my licence before it came in)!

Under it, you can't have:

• An engine of eight or more cylinders
• A turbocharged or supercharged engine
• Certain high performance six cylinder engines
• An engine that has been modified to increase the vehicle's performance.

If your caught driving one it's a nice fine and 3 demerit points!

So with the 4 year period i'd suggest go the VT/VX which should last you longer than a VS and is a really nice car. My first car was a VR and now i've got a supercharged VY, i much prefer the VY's and hate driving the VR's but that could be due to the collision in it.

Remember though, your not even allowed to put an after market air filter on it otherwise they can get you under "increase performance". It's got to LOOK stock and if they suspect it's not it's off for testing at a cost to you! Mind you i think you'd be able to do the 2 hole mod in a VT/VX without anyone noticing depending on where you mount it

Although if you have the money and want to go VY, then that's an option too, really nice! Just remember you'll need money for insurance (if you go fully comp which with a VY you'll want it'll be at least $2000 [cheapest insurance i could find was RACV for my Supercharged VY]). Then youve got money for running it as well as maintaining it (services and tyres).

[pepstar87]

Why not buy what YOU want to buy as opposed to the 3 million different types of V6 Commodores already listed??

You will be driving it, not everyone else.

He did ask on a forum for suggestions on what he should get....

I do agree you get what you what, but see what people throw at you and see which ones you like.

I bought a VT Wagon earlier this year for only $5300 in good condition..
It does come down to what you want.

It is smart buying a cheaper car and saving the rest of the money to buy a better car once you have had this one for a couple of years and you're off your Ps and you can drive whatever you want, incl turbos, supercharged cars and v8s.

[Cursed CX8]

Im guessing that you want a car with luxury features. Given that you are looking at the calais. Dont get me wrong, the leather seats, elec windows, climate control etc are all good. They really serve very little purpose other than brag factor. Serious, do you need to know what exact temperature the car is? or have a 16 point adjustment on a seat? Nope, its just something that we convince ourselves we need and brag to our mates that we have. One thing ill note about the calais i used to own, and from what i have heard from owners of newer calais's and statos is that not only are they hard to get moving, but they are harder to stop due to the extra weight, and the handling can be quiet poor. One bonus to getting a Luxo model is that it is less likely to be thrashed and more likely to have its services maintained. The older calais's such as the vr/vs had the bonus of IRS and ABS, but from VT onward these were standard on the Execs also.

List some of the features you like. Then find cars with these features in the price range. Then narrow it down into cars you like. Next go to dealerships, take them for test drives and dont be afraid to take notes. Eventually you will find the balance of your needs.

My advice would be to not spend all of your cash. $10,000. Factor in insurance, now your around 18 so depending on where you live insurance may be up around the $2000+. Im with AAMI. Insurance on the VS calais was $1300 per year (im 18) and is $1375 a year on the VE SV6. I am zoned rural and also in a low crime area, so that helps. Put aside for rego, Vic being about $550 a year. Stamp Duty i think is about 4% of the purchase price. Ofcourse try to get the dealership to pay these. If going private sale see if they are willing to let you take the car, get a RWC and then transfer the reg. Most people will prefer to get the RWC then transfer before you pick up the car.

Now remember its a commodore, so it wil break down. So maybe invest in road side assistance. Here in vic RACV do a "free to go" offer which is cover free for the first 12 months of license, and $36 for the second year. Its saved me a few times.

Good luck

CC

[alien]

Classified Calais does raise a good point about the calais and luxury models. Just remember too that there's more electrics in these cars thats likely to break! I've worked on so many berlinas and calais because of electrical faults, and havn't really had many vehicles of the exec range (in VP/VR for example) come to me with electrical problems.

RACV is good with Free 2 go, i signed up when i was 18 and now i'm 19 i'm just a member and havn't noted a car so i pay nothing, but i have no emergency assitance. Which is ok because i'm always doing something on my car so know it's going to work. One time i had no fuel, but i could walk 500 metres to the servo to get some, and i've got many mates in the area if something does go wrong. But hey, it's free for the first year so why not take advantage of it!

[Cursed CX8]

alien, free to go you dont need to note a car for assistance. When you ring them they ask your rego and mark it down as a callout. But it covers you for any car you are in, passenger or driver for 5 callouts a year

[alien]

That's in the first year, or how it used to be. The second and subsequent years you have to nomintae your car and it only covers that car!

[Cursed CX8]

oh ok, fair enough. I should probably do that then

[Jo3_Blo]

You guys have raised some very valid points.


I still wondering why not stick with your VH, provided it's not giving you too much trouble.

And wouldn't the cops also be a bit less likely to pick on you in an old VH than a newer VN-VS. Maybe VT.

[Cursed CX8]

I still wondering why not stick with your VH, provided it's not giving you too much trouble.

VN-VS seem to be a very typical P plater mobile. Probably because they are cheap to buy, cheap to fix (well cheap each time you fix then, not cheap when you have to fix them weekly) and cheap to modify. They are unfortunately also a stereotyped hoon car. Which is a shame, because they really are not all the quick or powerful.
The VH probably isnt a very practical car for todays conditions. The suspension is substandard, the bushes are most likely stuffed, the brakes were bad from factory and now 25 years later they wont have improved. Not to mention that there are not safety features at all.

Being a P plates im the first to admit that we (the p plate community) will make a share of road mistakes, whether its just a loss of concentration or a stupid maneuver. Id like to know that there is ABS to help get me out of trouble, and if i cant get out of trouble then there are crumple zones and airbags.
That said, these features are good, if you are the type of driver who believes they are great and wont need them, then please spend the money and get the airbags. Your far too confident. Atleast get a car with crumple zones.

One thing i forgot to mention earlier is the cabin visibility in the VT onward models. The VN-VS had great visibility and only small blind spots. The newer models dont share this. If you like to see out of the car, then think twice about a newer car.

One social issue i can think of with the VH is its lack of air con. There is nothing worse than going to pick up the misses on a 35c day with no aircon. You get there, your sweaty and by the time you get to where you are going your suicidal

[50LTRv8]

The thing is though if you don't like stuff to go wrong, we should all go back to cars that don't have stuff like ABS, cruise control and power steering. I for one like my toys.

I would go for the VT S2/VX Calais with a V6. They have a much nicer interior than the povo models and look good lowered with a nice set of wheels. Parts are cheap off ebay and JC for that matter.

The only thing that has happened to my calais is the power window switch ($90 and 5 min to fit a new one) and aircon vacum issues (all fixed in a couple of mins)

Just try and keep a bit aside when you first get it just incase you need to buy a couple of parts and pay for unsurance.

[MikesCalais]

VT series 2 calais in tungsten. thats what i was looking for when i first got my car, i had to settle for the blue... The series 2 in the vt has the problem with the lights fixed n couple other little things, as series 2 always do have little improvements, plus the boot garnish and wheels look nicer :P

its an absolutly fantastic car, its a joy to drive.. youll be able to pick one up with half decent k's on it for under 10gs so you'll have some cash left over for any future mods, but its a calais, so you dont HAVE to mod it up, it looks classy enough and it has everything you could really want, electric front seats, power windows, dual zone climate control, chrome interior door handles, woodgrain dash (either love it or hate it, i love it! its a great look), plenty airbags, traction control etc etc etc it just goes on and on...

yeahh im bias though, but i dont regret it