VL for first car?

[m00n3y]

hey guys im looking at getting a VL as a first car and i will admit, i dont know what to expect with them. Dad thinks he knows everything about them cause he had one about 8 years ago. So any help on buying one or if you know of a cheap on in qld.
thanks

[dan_man31]

best bet try carsales, tradingpost , even ebay , look for rust in usual spots around windscreens, boot (under carpet and rubbers) low klms help try and get the best history about the car possible if u can get the full mechanical checked out by racq or a mechanic so u know ur buying quality , get a test drive dont rush

anything im missing guys ?? probably dont spend anything over $3500 unless its mint condition with a grandma driver , or completely new gear rebuilt or worked. they usually arent worth that much unless its had a respray maybe.

hope this helps

Dan

[harry3]

the VL was a popular model and the 6 cyl japanese motor coukld do 120 mph when new

however its much more complicated mechanically than the model before which had no fuel injection or computer, but had worse petrol economy
none the less they usually dont rust apart from the areas mentioed
d, use a magnet to check for plastic rust repairs around the screen and back window

the plastic on the car is often brittle from the sun and breaks easily especially if the top half of the steering wheel cover has come away from the core, this indicates it was left out in the sun alot
with a low ground clearance, VLs dont like bush bashing, check if power steering for a plastic tube cross tube on the rack to equallise air which is often missing having been knocked off, if so expensive repairs may be due to dirt in the rack

the metallis colors are all in poor condition, about $2 to $3 thousand from a private owner is average with a bit more for a genuine low milage one
on the 6, a cracked head can result from incorrecr filling of the coolonfg system, learn how t0 do it right and check it isnt cracked now
the milage readers often break or register wrongly

get dad to drive it and say if it feels as good as his

[Sabby]

hey mate
y
im on my L's and i got myself a vl for first car.
its great to have and runs very nice
the rb30 engines are bullet proof. they are very strong but coz they have alloy heads you have to make sure they dont over heat.
also check for oil leaks under the car. if the remain seal is leaking thats pretty expensive to fix.
u can get state roads to come out and do a pre-road worthy check to see if its ok. its about 200$ or so

i had to go thru alot to get my first car.
i looked at 3 VK's and 2 vl's

by far go the vl.

[GLD-086]

VLs are great cars.

I've had mine for 3 and a half years and while it has had it's problems, I've loved every second of owning it.

Driving on a decent road and it doesn't feel 20 years old, that's for sure.

Mine has rust in places, but has a straight body, which I think is more important, as rust can be easily repaired.

[limited_edition_vl]

a couple of threads down u said u owned an s1 and an s3?? now im confused

[m00n3y]

no there parents cars, they now own a magna but still have the s3, the s1 died!

[SeaComms]

Also, if looking at an auto, make sure you drive it around long enough to warm up, then try and find a hill to take it up at over 60ks so that the lockup clutch in the torque converter kicks in under some load. If it shudders when trying to lockup it is not cheap to fix - but if the clutch falls apart its a new gearbox time....

My daughters was like that but just disabled the clutch and all good - I had an '86 model back in '89 and the lockup clutch blew halfway from Sydney to Canberra - stopped very ungracefully on the side of the road awaiting a flatbed to tow it to Gundagai..... Little peices of clutch plate were forced into all the oil galleries and cooked the tranny.

[Gavin_LP]

Yeah my VL is my first ride, and I'm loving every second of it! Yes I must say heat issues are rarely a pain. But overall they are one of the greatest Commodores!

[MikesVT]

I reckon they would be a pretty nice first car. As long as you can find one that doesnt have too many kms on it.
Also don;t go buying one thats 10grand
If you can I'd say go a newer model, but if you have you heart set on a vl, i reckon go for it!

[Holdfast]

I like Vl's.

I got mine from my Father Inlaw about 9 years ago and I'm sure he wishes he'd never sold it as it's been a good car.

VL's are easy to look after but as they get a bit older you will be sure to spend a few dollars on parts, so it may pay to have a bit of an idea of the history of the car before you purchase it.

If the history is non existent then get an inspection done before you buy.

As the other blokes have said check for rust; you'll find that if they haven't had rust repairs done then you may get a few leaks into the boot or front windscreen the rest of the car seems not to be affected by rust too much.

Check out the engine and if it's super clean becareful water could of got into the electrics and this can cause problems especially the bearing in the distributor and or Crank Angle Sensor.

I wouldn't pay anymore than about $2000 for one even if it is in good condition, the parts are expensive and if you don't have a clue about tuning etc and have to rely on professional repais then you could end up paying a lot of money to keep your VL running beaut. Having said that don't be put off because if you do get problems then we can help you out.

A manual instead of an Auto would be nice; I only say that because it's easier to do up a manual transmission than an auto. But again if you are a bit handy then you could always pull out what ever box you have and get it reconditioned if something happens to it after purchase.

Here's a few things that may go wrong with a VL commodore that has done about 370, 000 km

Door lock problems. (Easy to replace & fix with SOLEX locks)
Window winder problems. (Easy to fix, Wreckers)
Replacement of suspension components. (Easy to replace)
Replacement of brake Discs and Rotor Pads (Easy to replace)
Replace Fuel Pump and Filter (Easy to replace)
Coil (Simple Task)
Alternator (Simple Task)
Starter Motor (Simple task)
Rotor and Distributor Cap (Simple task)
Power Transistor (Very simple Task)
Crank Angle Sensor (Simple)
Bearing in the Distributor (Easy to replace, always replace the $6 bearing when you replace the Crank Angle Sensor)
Radiator (Very Simple)
Fan (Easy)
Water Pump (Easy but time consuming to the novice a workshop manual required)
Timing Belt (For first timers challenging, need a workshop manual)
Changing spark plugs (Difficult to remove the plugs under the fuel rail, patience and correct extensions required)
Tuning (Easy to tune but you should consult a workshop manual for the computer codes, what they mean and where to trouble shoot) A good timing light is a great help.
Exhaust system (I'd get the professionals to instal any faulty components.


Have a really good look under the car and ensure the fuel tank is in good condition, check that there's no damage etc.

Check the front lights; if they are original GM lights you may find that some of the reflective stuf has degraded or that the lens are cracked.


All, in all the VL's a great car and although I've highlighted common problems for many other cars and indeed new cars please expect some expenses because most Vl's now have about 340 000 to 390 000km for average use. Check the lower doors and body with a magnet for rust repairs and any seat covers should be removed to reveal damage to the upholstery especially on the drivers side.

[bradcad]

All as mentioned are great points. One thing I have to say though, if you are a bit of a hoon, UPDATE THE BRAKES and any suspension as you can, especially ensure bushes are always kept in good nic.

Every single, and I mean every single VL I ever saw in a wrecking yard had front end damage. I believe the motor was just too strong for the brakes and suspension, hence the VN had rear disk brakes.

Excellent cars to work on, and to learn about fuel injection as they are a truly simple system to work on.

[vks]

vk's or vn's not 2 fond of the vl's dunno y jus sumthin bout em.

[cactoid]

buy mine :-)

http://www.calaisturbo.com.au/showthread.php?p=1249824

[1991_Vn2nV]

All as mentioned are great points. One thing I have to say though, if you are a bit of a hoon, UPDATE THE BRAKES and any suspension as you can, especially ensure bushes are always kept in good nic.

Every single, and I mean every single VL I ever saw in a wrecking yard had front end damage. I believe the motor was just too strong for the brakes and suspension, hence the VN had rear disk brakes.

Excellent cars to work on, and to learn about fuel injection as they are a truly simple system to work on.

Motor too strong for the brakes? Nah man. Although the VN has rear disc brakes, my old VL would outbrake it. The disc brakes are tiny, and for a car thats 3 seconds quicker 0-100 than the VL (auto vs. auto) the brakes are far from adequate in the VN.

The VL is a great first car, something you can give heaps fairly safely. For a first car, the N/A VL 6 is great to learn in and give you experience before you step up to a 5L or a turbo or a quicker/more powerful newer model commodore.

Plus they are a great looking car stock and really are a cult car. Something you can be proud to drive.

[dan_man31]

1988 vl commodore executive or sl with rb30 mate just bought a lancer and needs to sell the vl quick to pay off the loan will accept $1500 if ur keen email me unregistered

Danmanmac@yahoo.com.au

and ill give u pics and details if needed

[dan_man31]

All as mentioned are great points. One thing I have to say though, if you are a bit of a hoon, UPDATE THE BRAKES and any suspension as you can, especially ensure bushes are always kept in good nic.

Every single, and I mean every single VL I ever saw in a wrecking yard had front end damage. I believe the motor was just too strong for the brakes and suspension, hence the VN had rear disk brakes.

Excellent cars to work on, and to learn about fuel injection as they are a truly simple system to work on.

update the brakes anyway the vl's are fast but if u drive like a dick in any sort of car ur gonna get damage the v8's came out with 4 wheel discs as i assume they need the extra stopping power but as long as u maintain the disks and drums they should be efficient enough, unless of course ur looking to break land speed records with ur $3000 vl..

its in the wet that you probably need to watch out light in the arse they wanna slip all over the show but i do agree with the suspension thicker treads might also help to gain some control.

Dan

[GLD-086]

vk's or vn's not 2 fond of the vl's dunno y jus sumthin bout em.

Not everyone likes them, but some of the reasons I've heard are stupid.

[Gavin_LP]

My VL had 130,000km. I bought it for $1200. I ended up spending an extra $400 on brake caliper, windscreen wipers etc. Oh and I need the CV joint replaced lol.