My First Ute!

[dannydub]

Hi all!

I landed in Perth on the 3rd February from the UK. I have a years working holiday visa and staying with my Brother and his wife. I've been over to Perth a couple times before and always loved the Utes! Just over a week after landing I bought my first 5.7 V8 Ute and I love it!! It's had a little bit of work done (lowered, wheels) but the guy I bought it off had to take it over the pits due to a loud exhaust so now it's running a standard system. I'm looking at changing it to a bit of a throatier sounding one but not sure what to go for? Any recommendations would be excellent! Also if anyone is in Perth and fancies meeting up, give me a shout.

Anyway, here's some photos

 

[Risky]

As I've said in my previous post, look at shipping it to the UK when you go back home. UK prices on Holden utes hold their prices extremely well.

Have you contacted Not_An_Abba_Fan yet regarding exhausts? http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/member.php?u=28347
He'll have you sorted with a good system.

If you need parts, Hit your Holden Dealer spares section first, then hit the wreckers, eBay etc. Holden still carry a fair bit in stock.

It's a great ride you have there so look after it well.

 

[dannydub]

That's if I go home haha. I've looked at shipping costs which aren't that expensive but I think the registration and insurance would be a problem in the UK.
I've contacted Not_An_Abba_Fan. In the process of sorting something out.
I spent 3 hours yesterday afternoon cleaning the outside. Polished it for the first time and came up so well!
One question though, the drivers door check strap is really noisy. How easy are they to change?

 

[Risky]

Well if you ever go home, take it with you. I don't know how much rego & insurance are in the UK but from what MANXSS has told me there's only 26 utes in the UK. They fetch very high prices. I've seen one online for £17,000 ($32,000) for a VY SS. I don't know how much you picked yours up for but I'm guessing it might be worth it selling it in the UK.

The google search function on this site is a great help as topics such as the check strap have been covered before & it saves doubling up in threads. Trust me it's helped me immensely when I was doing up my ute.

http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/vr-vs-holden-commodore-1993-1997/171027-drivers-side-door-check-strap.html
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/vt-vx-holden-commodore-1997-2002/231086-drivers-door-issue.html

You'll have to post some interior photos.

Enjoy :yeah:

 

[dannydub]

That's mental money! It very might well be worth exporting it to the UK! I wonder if theres a limit on how many you can do a year?

Cheers for the links mate! Really appreciate it.

I'll grab some interior photos soon and some new exterior ones now it's been polished

 

[Risky]

No sweat mate.

I don't know how many cars you can export a year but there is a market for Aussie cars in the UK. I have friends in the US that love our utes. There's a company in Colorado that specialises in changing them to left hookers Left Hand Utes USA.
Don't ask me the if, buts & why's that we never really exported them to Europe or North America as that is a long story in itself.

The best thing to do is while you are here (for ever how long) is find out what you want to do to it & replace any worn/broken items. Before restoring my ute I spent hours here trawling through threads & on other sites on bits & pieces.

I love looking at other owners rides to see the work that they've put into them & learning on the way.

 

[dannydub]

Yeah it's very strange they never made it to Europe or the States. Fuel prices, insurance and road tax would be so expensive on a 6 litre V8 in England! Bloody rip off.

Good idea! I'm not shy with a spanner and was always working on my cars back home. Think I need to invest in a jack as the only thing that needs sorting i'm aware of is the check strap. One other thing that isn't important that needs doing is the hard lid locks. They are there but with no key and no arm. Just annoying more than anything and I don't really want to spend $70 on a pair of locks!

 

[MANX SS]

Nice Ute!
I see by your pictures you are just a few suburbs up from where I used to live (Ocean reef).
As Risky says there are aprox only 26 utes in the U.K . I'm not sure how accurate that is but the guy that told me has his ear firmly to the ground and he has a ute himself and breaks wrecked Monaros for spares.

 

[Risky]

Surely insurance must be at an okay price in the UK. You have BMW's that are cheaper to buy than here & the insurance can't be that much.

Bones, if I could & had the cash I would be sending utes to the UK along with other Holdens. We'd make a ton of money there including spares. Even Statesman & Caprice would find a market.

dannydub, just get a new set of locks. $70 is cheap enough & you'll have peace of mind.