Need peoples opinions VZ Calais Alloytech or V8?

[lad79]

Got the third bub on the way and looking for a newer safer car, been looking at VE model etc, but just cant get past the VZ Calais sexiness, gotta be the best lookin calais since the VSII (IMHO).

Thing is I want something with a fair amount of balls, i've had a Turbo TX3, Turbo VL, Supercharged VS etc. So should I got a VZ six or eight in Calais guise, either model will certainly fitted with CAI, Extractors and suitable exhaust.

Basically is it worth goin the V8 and living with the fuel economy, over the 6 with same mods?? I do a bit of towing at times but mostly this will be my first serious V8 and want some grunt to suit.

Looking at carsales, carpoint, drive etc. There is bugger all difference in purchase price, and I've been offered a Phantom Mica VZ 5.7 with 38,000klms for $24k, which is why Im really considering it.

From peoples experience -

A: How much power should I expect from it with CAI, Extractors, Exhaust etc ($4k budget).

b: is it gonna be that thirsty I have to become a pirate and steal a oil ship(above 15l/100l avg)

c: will the standard driveline cope(dont want a high stally etc, been there, and mrs dont like it)

d: has to handle decent, ie springs, shocks, sway bars etc as max mods.

e: cars gotta stop well too, lotta roos up where I am in Heathcote vic. Thinking DBA rotors with QFM pads.

f: car needs to be a reliable daily driver




Any feedback, opinions, recommendations welcomed. This is my first newer Holden, after driving 4 modded(some pretty quick) Magnas for past 8yrs.....


Luke

 

[adamc11]

A: Exhaust, extractors, intake = $2000 (roughly). OTRCAI (over the radiator) = $350-$700 (a few optiosn here, plastic, alloy, fibreglass). Tune = $1000 (roughly, cheaper for mail order tunes). That comes in less than 4k and you are looking at about 220-240rwkw (as opposed to the stock 170-180rwkw.

B: If you get a tune, and drive real nice, you are looking at 8.5L/100km on the hwy, and anywhere between 12-15L/100km (minux on JC gets about 11L/100km!!!). Thrash it and you looking at 18-20L/100km.

C: Yes it will cope with the above.

D: Yes calais will handle fine with those suspension mods. Might even come with a swaybar stock i think.

E: Spot on. DBA or RDA rotors with the QFM police spec pads are cheap and will give it a huge improvement over stock.

F: The LS1 is a great engine. Will be fine. You'll love it.

Lol @ Magnas . Getting the above mods, will give it heaps more pull and you can't beat the V8 roar . Not too sure if the last of the calais came with the 6L engine (i think they did, as opposed to the LS1 which is 5.7L), but if you can afford a 6L then you will get even more power again.

Edit: And yes it is worth going for the 8 over the 6. You don't need to drive the 8 hard at all to get anywhere near the same performance as the 6.

 

[andyman]

definetly go v8, if you open up the intake and exhaust as you intend to, get a good and proper tune done and you will get v6 economy,

alloytec is a good engine, but there is nowhere near the amount of performance mods that the gen111 has, alloytecs also generally sound poo with a cheap exhaust

 

[lad79]

Sweet guys, exactly what I was hoping to hear. Whoa 8.5l/100ks on the HWY???(i know roughly and driving like a old lady etc) But damn thats awesome! Damn magna(modded) is currently on about 10.5l/100klms). When you say driving real nice, mostly my long dist trips(80% of long trips) are between Heathcote and Wagga(Sth/Wstrn NSW) up the hume, cruising bout 115-120kph. And 95% of our driving in total is HWY.

When you guys say "Tune" does that mean the 5.7 ECU is programmable for basic mods? If so, does that include cams?
Say I achieve 230odd RWKW would 14sec 1/4mile times be realistic?

Hehe I knew i'd get a lol@ Magnas somewhere in there... hahaha.
Adamc11 - Can you recommend a decent shop in W/NW Melb to tune, exhaust etc?

Thanks again guys.

Luke

 

[adamc11]

Sweet guys, exactly what I was hoping to hear. Whoa 8.5l/100ks on the HWY???(i know roughly and driving like a old lady etc) But damn thats awesome! Damn magna(modded) is currently on about 10.5l/100klms). When you say driving real nice, mostly my long dist trips(80% of long trips) are between Heathcote and Wagga(Sth/Wstrn NSW) up the hume, cruising bout 115-120kph. And 95% of our driving in total is HWY.

When you guys say "Tune" does that mean the 5.7 ECU is programmable for basic mods? If so, does that include cams?
Say I achieve 230odd RWKW would 14sec 1/4mile times be realistic?

Hehe I knew i'd get a lol@ Magnas somewhere in there... hahaha.
Adamc11 - Can you recommend a decent shop in W/NW Melb to tune, exhaust etc?

Thanks again guys.

Luke

Didn't realise you were in Melbourne. You will definitely get better than 10.5L/100kms if you tune it doing hwy kms (cruising that is).
Basically there are 2 ways you can go about this... first of all, there are 2 types of tunes... maf and mafless. Tunes can be done for whatever (cam, nos, turbo, twin turbo, supercharged etc). What you want to get is a mafless tune. Secondly, you can get a mail order tune or an actual dyno tune. Basically, a mail order tune is a tune which will work with your mods and give you better economy and power, but isn't as good as a dyno tune, which is pretty much a tweaked mail order tune which is tuned exactly to your car (your car is placed on a dyno and they tune it then and there). I paid $350 for my mafless mail order tune from Enhanced Automotive on these forums (it was a special at the time, usually about $500) as opposed to a $1000 dyno tune. The reason i did this was i wanted more power and economy but at the time i hadn't done all my exhaust & intake mods, so it would have been a waste getting a proper dyno tune and changing parts after it. What you want to do is do all your mods, and then get a proper dyno tune.

Now, that said, their are plenty of reputable places that can tune in melbourne and also do exhaust mods. GMM, CSV, Horsepower Factory.
I paid $350 for my fibreglass intake from CSV (sunshine).. he installed it for me then and there free of charge. An OTR intake is a MUST.
I got my exhaust done at Muffler Magic in Greensbourough.
As mentioned, tune was mail order from Enhanced Automotive.

I had it dynoed on a dyno dynamics dyno and i pulled 250.3rwkw from a mail order tune... great results.

Now do your research as to what parts to get, but i would recommend a twin 2.5" exhaust system with Pacemaker Tri-y's (good for mid range low-mid range power) but if you plan on camming it, get Pacemaker 4 into 1's (better high end power). Couple that with mangaflow hi flow cats, and a cat back exhaust (redback, x-force), as well as an OTR intake (highly recommend CSV's intake, really good and cheap) and a tune and your car will fly compared to stock.

I guess the other road you could go down would be getting a cam package for about $3,000 (enhanced automotive do a drive in drive out package at this price) instead of exhaust system and OTR. This includes a mafless tune and all part and labour. This would give you good power (i think someone with a VY clubby on these forums did it and got about 250rwkw, see my ride section) and not as much noise as full exhaust system.

Either way, ideally you should get a full exhaust, intake, cam and tune (inc. in cam packages usually) and this would give you about 270-290rwkw.

Where in melb are you located? Your more than welcome to have a drive of mine, i think your mind will definately be made up... v8 :thumbsup:

Edit: See bold word

 

[Lumps of cheese]

Yeah go the 8, you won't regret it.

 

[SAV_117]

only one thing needs to be said here and thats 8

 

[CANYONERO]

tuned V8 is just as cheap city driving as a V6 and better fuel economy than the V6 on the highway. well that what i found with my ecotec and my LS1.

man i would be spewin if i bought the V8 first, didnt like the economy so i sold it to get a V6. that would be a massive let down....

 

[ashbox]

go the v8, only probis you'd have the 4 spd instead of the 5spd. i have an sv6 with the same motor the calais would have.

i personally should've gone the 8 but in saying that i'd want a manual. if i went the vz calais i'd stick with the 6 just because of the extra cog in the auto.

but i do to a certain extent regret getting the 6.

if you went the 6 i don't think there is much in them tuning wise, you don't seem to mkae the same amount of power and fuel economy but then again i use 9lt/100km in the city, haven't really had a good run in the country without driving it hard.

either way get a strut brace and it will help if you driving in hilly areas. and its cheap from holdens

 

[vy-346]

Sweet guys, exactly what I was hoping to hear. Whoa 8.5l/100ks on the HWY???(i know roughly and driving like a old lady etc) But damn thats awesome! Damn magna(modded) is currently on about 10.5l/100klms). When you say driving real nice, mostly my long dist trips(80% of long trips) are between Heathcote and Wagga(Sth/Wstrn NSW) up the hume, cruising bout 115-120kph. And 95% of our driving in total is HWY.

When you guys say "Tune" does that mean the 5.7 ECU is programmable for basic mods? If so, does that include cams?
Say I achieve 230odd RWKW would 14sec 1/4mile times be realistic?

Hehe I knew i'd get a lol@ Magnas somewhere in there... hahaha.
Adamc11 - Can you recommend a decent shop in W/NW Melb to tune, exhaust etc?

Thanks again guys.

Luke

Low to mid 14's stock as a rock easy mate.