Need honest opinions regarding VH SLE

[saladine1]

Please post your opinions regarding this issue.

I've bought a two tone VH SLE (Venetian red over silver).
Originally was a Trimatic but owner has put in an Aussie 4 speed and VL Turbo diff.
Engine is original 5.0, 173,000 k's. Interior original.

Now here's the thing. I don't know if I should return to original running gear or go out and modify engine/driveline with injection and T5.

Please, give your opinions regarding my predicament..should i modify or restore to original.
What would happen in the case of collectability later on...etc.?

I'm going to post this question in a few forums to get broader feedback.
Thanks.

[simmons001]

I'm a big fan of original, but going back to a traumatic? ewww

I'd upgrade as you suggest, but just try to keep it as stock looking as you can, especially in the interior i.e. use original Holden shifter, gear knob etc. Perhaps a later model leather shifter boot rather than the rubber ones they used in the manuals of that time? (from my poor memory) Try to keep the modifications as "stock" or original looking as if they came out of the factory but modify away would be my suggestion.

just my 2c

[oldschool 2]

keep it stock and enjoy the 80s classic

[greenfoam]

Injected 5 litre gets my vote, there was a time and a place for a pollution hose filled bays and those times are gone. In the bin is where all that crap belongs

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

I'm a big fan of original, but going back to a traumatic? ewww

Nothing wrong with a trimatic. We have a VC with one behind an injected 5L that goes hard.

It depends on what you want to do with the car. Do you want an original SL/E or do you want a car that looks good and goes better?

[shiftySLE]

Go original, there was a good write up about them in the Unique cars about how rare they are getting. Not saying they will match monaros any time soon but you wont get many classics from her on in with the plastic fantastic models. If you go injected, keep the original motor and find a trimatic to wrap and leave in the shed.
If you want serious power, build it right with a carby fed. Look at the serious cars on the drag strips, injected isn't always as good as people think. It's good for the people that like to plug a computer into instead of getting their hands dirty and trying different carby setups and all the good stuff.

[Reaper]

Nothing collectable about a VH other than the HDT ones. I think it will be a fair old wait for them to match the monaros. I'd go with an injected motor myself.

Reaper

[Troy711]

Reaper is on the money... it's not going to be worth anything stock unless you keep it for a million years. Make it something special

[SIG-054]

Inj 5 litre or stroker with a tough stalled auto behind it

[shiftySLE]

how do you figure, a decent one is already around the $4000 mark when they were a dime a dozen 12 months ago, on the same note, you can pick up a VZ for $9000 which is 4 years old. Its the way things are now, cars of that era are picking up, cars now are throw away, being that there is a almost a 10 year gap between the monaro and commodores, 10-15 years ago the monaros were not worth as much as they are now. As for injected motor, why? How many commodores are on the road now, how many VB-VH's are there, for a car that is so popular and there are so little good or original ones left (and i do like all of them) I think the first three models will go up in value.

[excalibur]

take the old 308 outand keep it and put an injected motor in. If they do end up being a collectetable then you have all the original running gear to pit back in later on. Seems pretty simple to me

[shiftySLE]

take the old 308 outand keep it and put an injected motor in. If they do end up being a collectetable then you have all the original running gear to pit back in later on. Seems pretty simple to me

on the money.

No-one ever knew at the time a car would increase in value or we wouldn't hear the words, "I had one and if only I knew they were going to be worth that much, I would have kept it", It wont pay you to sell the original running gear so dont modify the bosy too much if at all, keep the old engine and do what you want with it, personally, I like carby motors, mechanical, not half mechanical and half computerised, unlesss you are talking about fuel economy, but from talking to a few people at the top of companies like Shannons and organisers of car shows, I am taking their advice and keeping mine as well as looking for another one (SL/E's and HDT's). My VZ on the other hand, they just laughed, HSV is the only way to go with the current shapes.

[Reaper]

how do you figure, a decent one is already around the $4000 mark when they were a dime a dozen 12 months ago, on the same note, you can pick up a VZ for $9000 which is 4 years old. Its the way things are now, cars of that era are picking up, cars now are throw away, being that there is a almost a 10 year gap between the monaro and commodores, 10-15 years ago the monaros were not worth as much as they are now. As for injected motor, why? How many commodores are on the road now, how many VB-VH's are there, for a car that is so popular and there are so little good or original ones left (and i do like all of them) I think the first three models will go up in value.

A shitter HG Monaro is around $30k. Fair old difference! Early Monaros have Bathurst heritage which gave the name plate great cache all thru the 70's whilst the first Commodores to have any sort of direct race heritage was the VK Group A. The blue ones are worth megabucks but that hasn't translated to any other VK model what so ever. Can't see that having any effect on the VH either.

Reaper

[greenfoam]

The VH SLE is and will be the most collectable factory early Commodore apart from the VL turbo. But it will never be worth much, I don't expect it to ever be worth more than a HQ premier is or a HK-G premier

[Reaper]

The VH SLE is and will be the most collectable factory early Commodore apart from the VL turbo. But it will never be worth much, I don't expect it to ever be worth more than a HQ premier is or a HK-G premier

I'd rank the HDT SS Group III as the most collectible VH myself.

Reaper

[SL/ENUT]

If its factory 5 litre, it is worth more than its smaller 4.2 litre jobby. If it was me, rip out the original donk, keep it though and make the sl/e a sleeper.

Oh, the most collectable factory early girl Commodore won't be the VH SL/E, it will be the VB/VC versions, specially factory 308 models. I haven't included the HDT/Brocks, cause they are of a different breed

[shiftySLE]

yeah I agree they wont be a gold mine but I still think they'll will rise to a decent amount, in the end, I like the shape more than any other so I'll be keeping it for a while, if they go up in value , good stuff, if they don't, I still have a car that I enjoy looking at. The interior is comfy as and reminds me of some Egyptian palace, everything (except console and dash) is covered in velour. I definitely agree with the HDT side of things, but not all cars get the dollars only from race heritage. My thing is, I like having the last of the chrome bumper Commodores.

[greenfoam]

If its factory 5 litre, it is worth more than its smaller 4.2 litre jobby. If it was me, rip out the original donk, keep it though and make the sl/e a sleeper.

Oh, the most collectable factory early girl Commodore won't be the VH SL/E, it will be the VB/VC versions, specially factory 308 models. I haven't included the HDT/Brocks, cause they are of a different breed

We will see in the future, but I'm 100% sure a two tone VH will allways be worth more than a VB or VC SLE

[Lumps of cheese]

As everyone has said, injected 5 litre is the go.

[shiftySLE]

We will see in the future, but I'm 100% sure a two tone VH will allways be worth more than a VB or VC SLE

Yeah I have to agree with this too but as with GT's and Monaros, it will have to be original, mock up SL/E's without matching numbers to the paint job or interior wont do it.

[Drewie]

Keep it original, forget the value thing, we get so many compliments on our VC which is as it left the factory, not many good original ones left.

[SL/ENUT]

Commodore VB SL/E 310 Pack | Australian Musclecar Sales

Thats a VB SL/E 310 pack, thats huge money in my books!

[xstatic]

When anything starts to get rare the price tends to increase

thats not just with cars either but yeah i highly doubt it will ever be as collectable as a monaro but in 10-20 years when theres hardly any of em left the will become more desirable.. problem u do have is the green over silver will be more collectable cause there was fewer made.

cheers

scott

[xstatic]

oh yeah go the injected 5 litre but keep the orginal running gear in the shed

[bigmicky22]

keep it stock nice vh sle are getting hard to find they will be worth big bucks soon