VN SS advice pls

[D.I.T]

Im keen to buy a VN SS but want to know a little more about them before i take the plundge.

What can you guys tell me bout them? what do i need to look out for?

Any comments are appreciated

[samuels]

Im keen to buy a VN SS but want to know a little more about them before i take the plundge.

What can you guys tell me bout them? what do i need to look out for?

Any comments are appreciated

obviously knocks and clunks...high K's don't matter i have seen VN's with a million K's on them and still going strong,run your fingernails under front windscreen and rear screen,lifting seal up enough for you to see under for rust,also check and make sure it's actually an SS ,if it's manual check for bearing noise,mainshaft noise,and clutch functionallity,if auto listen out for rattles and weird gear shifting,look under car,make sure everything looks good under there.making sure that you check panhard rod bracket as i have seen some dodgy panel beating repairs on these if the car has ever had a smack up the rear.....yeah just give it a good going over,anything that looks unusual to you,question them about it

[CAM05L]

all u need to know is that they are f%$kn sic!!! buy one, a good one, u wont regret it

[88GreenVN]

The VN SS is based on the executive with some better trim options. Not much else was different internally. Most of the stuff for the SS was on the out side. The SS didnt even get the L3 dash! Just a tacho. I dont think there was any engine mods to speak of.

[Reaper]

Im keen to buy a VN SS but want to know a little more about them before i take the plundge.

What can you guys tell me bout them? what do i need to look out for?

Any comments are appreciated

The VN's biggest issue is that most of the bodies are nearly warn out. They were loose to begin with and time has not done them well. If you can find a good one that isn't rusty then go for it. At least they are quite cheap for something that can really go.

Also maybe look for a VP. They were better built to begin with and had a ton more equipment than the VN's. Also the VP SS had IRS. I have a VP GTS that is for sale if you are interested (pm me for details or see the for sale section).

Cheers,
Reaper

[AirStrike]

The VN SS is based on the executive with some better trim options. Not much else was different internally. Most of the stuff for the SS was on the out side. The SS didnt even get the L3 dash! Just a tacho. I dont think there was any engine mods to speak of.

Interior will have different trim, 4 speaker stereo, Calais seat bolsters with velour sides if a SII, SS badge on the crash pad, lvl 2 dash, fog light switch.
Exterior will have foglights, front skirt, 2 piece side skirts, rear skirt, 3 piece rear spoiler, 15 alloys, finned front calipers, 80/85lt tank, etc.

[AirStrike]

The VN's biggest issue is that most of the bodies are nearly warn out. They were loose to begin with and time has not done them well. If you can find a good one that isn't rusty then go for it. At least they are quite cheap for something that can really go.

Also maybe look for a VP. They were better built to begin with and had a ton more equipment than the VN's. Also the VP SS had IRS. I have a VP GTS that is for sale if you are interested (pm me for details or see the for sale section).

Cheers,
Reaper

Having IRS is a bad thing In the VP range (just ask greenfoam) finding rims is a nightmare as is lowering, so think about that if you plan to mod it.

[1vngal]

You forgot the FE2!!!!!

[AirStrike]

You forgot the FE2!!!!!

Yeah that too

[Hillerus]

Having IRS is a bad thing In the VP range (just ask greenfoam) finding rims is a nightmare as is lowering, so think about that if you plan to mod it.

I have a VP SS with IRS, its lowered on VY R8 18' rims, a Pedders camber kit, Kings Superlows, Boge Shockabsorbers, and I have not had any scrubbing/clearance issues whatsoever. What sort of problems are other people having?

[AirStrike]

I have a VP SS with IRS, its lowered on VY R8 18' rims, a Pedders camber kit, Kings Superlows, Boge Shockabsorbers, and I have not had any scrubbing/clearance issues whatsoever. What sort of problems are other people having?

Getting after market rims is a drama. Scrubbing isn't a drama untill you start to go wide rims and a low ride height. Mate had tons of dramas on his VP Clubby with a 19" rim with a 245 width tyre with ultralows, I can run the same without a drama.

[Hillerus]

I actually think that Holden/HSV make some really good rims and I have never considered going an aftermarket rim on any Commodore I have owned.

The factory IRS setup IS pretty ordinary, especially once its lowered, unless you run a Camber kit of some description. You can get coil-overs for the rear now which seems to help if you wanna go real low, but if you wanna do that, you're almost best off going air bags.

[Reaper]

Having IRS is a bad thing In the VP range (just ask greenfoam) finding rims is a nightmare as is lowering, so think about that if you plan to mod it.

My GTS was low enough from the factory and handles **magnificently**. IRS is not something I would necessarily pay extra for however in most cases it's fine and definitely not as bad as some make out.

Reaper

[JD]

i think with how cheap vn ss's go for these days the biggest problem is the previous owners

so make sure its not thrashed to ****

[88GreenVN]

I figure once a really nice type of car is affordable to me its too old or clapped out. So find a car that has some problems (not covered up) that you know how to fix. But things like rust in the back window could be very costly as is a motor or tranny. But things like brakes and steering racks and trim are all basicly cheap items. So go for a car that has a good motor/trans/no rust.

Also may add here that if it has a LSD - it probable wioll need fixing as they are . well . not that strong.

[AirStrike]

i think with how cheap vn ss's go for these days the biggest problem is the previous owners

so make sure its not thrashed to ****

Mate to be honest 99% of SS's have had a hard life No one buy's an 8 just to cruise around in.

I figure once a really nice type of car is affordable to me its too old or clapped out. So find a car that has some problems (not covered up) that you know how to fix. But things like rust in the back window could be very costly as is a motor or tranny. But things like brakes and steering racks and trim are all basicly cheap items. So go for a car that has a good motor/trans/no rust.

Also may add here that if it has a LSD - it probable wioll need fixing as they are . well . not that strong.

If you look hard enough you can find good ones. I paid $8000 for mine which is up towards the higher end of the price scale, but mine had 170,000K's on the clock, only two previous owners with the last one owning it for the last 10 years and he had always garaged it and was also a mature owner so not as hard a life.
You just have to sit down and be realistic about it, after all they are at least 15 years old now.

[baz1]

hey airstrike

mine sounds similar to u. mine's grey ss manual, was my nanna's since new and done just under 200 000 km's. only driven sundays so she could get to town do get the shopping (lives bout an hr out of farming town).

u reckon mine be worth bout 6000? just tint, cd, exhaust, intake and immaculate interrior, frsh paint stock wheels etc? thinkin bout selling it but dunno what to start price at.

know where to get a fog lamp?

[AirStrike]

hey airstrike

mine sounds similar to u. mine's grey ss manual, was my nanna's since new and done just under 200 000 km's. only driven sundays so she could get to town do get the shopping (lives bout an hr out of farming town).

u reckon mine be worth bout 6000? just tint, cd, exhaust, intake and immaculate interrior, frsh paint stock wheels etc? thinkin bout selling it but dunno what to start price at.

know where to get a fog lamp?

It's only worth how much someone is willing to pay. I would start higher as you can always come down in price.
Good luck with the foglight!!! They are the bane of all VN SS drivers. Hard to find and when you do they are worth **** loads.

[minux]

Theres a Phoenix 91 SS down the road, manual done 110,000 original K's. Im just waiting for the old bastard who owns it and drives it max once a week to die so i can buy it from deceased estate

[baz1]

haha minux u champ

cheers airstrike, yeh wheerevr i been for fog lamps they trying n spank me for one

its only the lens so im not even that fussed if it works...spewin

[AirStrike]

The original ones are made by hella, maybe contact them and see if they still make them at all.

[baz1]

also im i th only ss with smaller tank?
its an '89 model and never been swapped or anything

[JD]

Mate to be honest 99% of SS's have had a hard life No one buy's an 8 just to cruise around in.

some more than others though.

[AirStrike]

also im i th only ss with smaller tank?
its an '89 model and never been swapped or anything

Being an early model you should have the LARGER one. SI SS's had the 85lt one, where as SII (like mine) have the 80lt one.

[D.I.T]

THANKS GUYS,

I have found a couple of nice SS's to have a look at on the weekend. Hopefully they havent been too thrashed they both have low km's and arn't advertised in any newspaper or websites.

Does anybody think the NRMA or RACV check's are worth getting done?

Cheers
DIT