The VN's and Ps are leaving planet Earth

[greenfoam]

I noticed lately that there are very few VN's on the road right now, 5 years ago they were the most common car. Now I've been counting cars and VT are the new VN, p plate weapon of choice. I'm a little sad about this but I guess that means VNs will turn the corner now and become classics in the comming 10 years

[azzfox]

they WERE the p-plate weapon of choice, now they are mostly written off and now the VT is taking their place under the guillotine

[88GreenVN]

I can feel "Classic" comming on here! Long live the VN's

[YMY-88U]

oooh, makes me wanna keep mine after i get it intercooled, but yeh i have noticed p platers driving more vts now then the older commodores, id say its because they are starting to get very cheap
i was going to upgrade to a VTll 5.7l calais next year but id say theyll be the next vl turbo, everyone p plater and his mate will have one, maybe ill go for an older tonner or something, a car that really turns heads

[cruzncommo]

im doing up a VN SS, VN v8s hold their value damn well

[RockyVX]

nice. I think your all probally right about the VN/P being the "old" P plater, being replaced by the VT. But I might add that up here in Rockhampton, the VP has suddenly increased in numbers. Im guessing that all the old P Plater Repaiarable W/O's have been brought up here for resale to the unknowing dumbass cow ****eys with cash under the belt. after all, all the other cars that are any good up here are already driving between rocky and the mines

[1991_Vn2nV]

As I told ya greeny... The VP is the 3rd lowest build holden model to date as far as I know...

Lowest produced was VB with 95,000...
Then HX with 110,000
111,000 VP's...

VN was 215,000 or so though.

That compares to 303,000 VT's... or 485,000 HQ's

So im sure especially with the way VN/VP's are treated they will be a classic one day.

Im sure 88GreenVN would have some more accurate production numbers, im just going on Southgate Holdens figures.

[stocky]

i dont see why VTs are the p plater weapon of choice. "yay, lets all go do fully sick burnouts in the slowest single pegger v6 ever made by holden" not to mention how ****ing retarded they look when only the back springs are lowered, as most p plater VT drivers seem to do. and i really hate VTs that are dumped and have no spoiler. reminds me of a ford taurus

[1991_Vn2nV]

Yeah VT's are ****... But they are the next VN... They look **** when not looked after and in stock form, just as VN's do.

I'd say a VS is the current weapon of choice.

[Morton]

You see, at least there's split opinion about the VN/VPs. Some people think they look gorgeous, and some people think they look ridiculous.

EVERYONE -knows- how ungainly the VT looks, so there really isn't any room for argument hahaha

[1991_Vn2nV]

The thing that ruins a VN in stock form is the grey bumpers... all they need is some colour coding An SS is heavenly, as are the group a and SV5000.

The SS was the only decent looking VT, and mayyyyybe senator? The VT clubby etc. are not nice!

But again..you go to VX and its a different story, they're a muchh nicer car.

[Lost_Pete]

Interesting thread.

My view is that;

1. VN/VP are getting old and plastics, rubbers and numerous other parts are in need of replacement or are quite brittle. Basically it is at least 16 years old. While parts are still available it does get a bit tedious always fixing those annoying broken and worn bits. For example fuel lines, suspension bushes, door seals, window seals, dashboard bits, roof linings, power steering leaks, exhaust mounts, alternators, radiator hoses etc etc.

2. The cost of some repairs is becoming a high percentage of the value of the car. This leads to "low cost" fixes or the cars being sold for scrap. Even desirable mods such as suspension or mags and tyres or sound systems is a high percentage of the car value.

3. Even minor accidents run a high chance of the car being written off due to the cost of repair versus the value of the car.

4. From a parent's point of view I would prefer my offspring in a safer car. i.e. One with air bags and a reasonable chassis or at least one that doesn't bend the body shell when you corner.

5. VT onwards are basically a "current" shape. Basically a bit more money buys you a much younger car which should be less trouble for your average person.

So I am not surprised in your observation however I see more P platers in VR and VS rather than VT onwards.

[azzfox]

Basically it is at least 16 years old. While parts are still available it does get a bit tedious always fixing those annoying broken and worn bits. For example fuel lines, suspension bushes, door seals, window seals, dashboard bits, roof linings, power steering leaks, exhaust mounts, alternators, radiator hoses etc etc.

Do it once, your set for another 16 years

[88GreenVN]

The cycle happens all the time as a car ages past its use by date - from 12 to 15 years.

The VN/VP was still one of the biggest leaps forward in car manufacturing in Australia at the time. Yes some bits are a pain to replace like the hood lining....... But talk to a Ford owner with a 1988-93 Ford and the head problems the motors have. I know some people that have put 3 heads on their motor and not done 200,000kms at the time.

My VN wagon has been to most places in Australia that you can take a sedan and has over 330,000. Mostly easy to fix (with the aid of JC Forum and the bunch of dedicated Holden people on it)

Dont worry Greenfoam - the VN/VP's will be around for a long time yet - there will be at least 3 (I have 2 and you have 1).

Lowest Holden production model was the TA Torana with 11,304 units.

Lowest single mass produced model is the VG ute with 5690 units
VQ next with 9396

VP was 111949 and the VN 215180. That included 150 test bodies made in Japan and shipped to Australia to produce all the test mule VN's.

And for info the HX was 110669 & VB was 95906

[PaRaDoX]

wooo ill keep my SS till its a classic !, considering the VKis starting to be a classic now :P just a matter of time

you mean dipship p platers weapon of choice , single spinner v6 with random stickers on the back "drifting" fully sik hektickly because they have a rwc uleh seen alot of cars destroyed this way :P

[VLDavo]

vn and vp 5Ls were the p platers weapon of choice.. but with most of the new bans on high performance cars its made people have different choices...

and in my opinion id rather drive around in a comfy vt with 100 thousend less kays then a vn or vp v6

[greenfoam]

Well in Victoria P platers have never been allowed to drive VN 5 litres since red P's came out a million years ago. Calais excluded I think but yeah they have been on the banned list since day dot.

Something else is that time has proven that the lightest car is allways the prefered weapon of choice on the drag strip. No matter where you go in Australia, Toranas rule the drag strip with a few Cortinas and Capris thrown in to keep the Ford guys happy. you can put as much power as you want into a new Commodore but the average 2007 Torana is a 12 second car or better you never see a Torana slower than a 12 these days. One day VN's and VPs will average quicker then VT's VX's or even VEs, chances are they will all be running LS1's or something better than that but they will still be the choice car just because they are lighter (If there's no VB-VLs left and probably not because they go rusty much better than VN's)

[Morton]

Oooh yea, VN/Ps have such a big weight advantage it's not funny. Besides, you feel a lot less guilty ripping a VP apart than you would feel mutilating a VY

[slo_firo]

Lowest single mass produced model is the VG ute with 5690 units

ahh just as well i keep mine in good nick....... shes done 480,000 and still gos mint, its still the oringinal engine but had a overhaul at 250 km i was told, i have replaced just about everything on it so far suspension wise + added an aero kit

[minux]

Ahh got to love P Platers, they can make normal production run commodores worth money. Keep writing them off boys.

Seriously though, i'd prefer a stock VT over a stock VN for obvious reasons, in fact, i'd prefer almost any model of VT over any model of VN, excepting 1 or 2 HSV's.

[88GreenVN]

ahh just as well i keep mine in good nick....... shes done 480,000 and still gos mint, its still the oringinal engine but had a overhaul at 250 km i was told, i have replaced just about everything on it so far suspension wise + added an aero kit

Soo it's just run in then. Only 20,000kms to the half mill party.

It's much harder to tell how many VP/VR utes were made becuase they were included with the sedan/wagon production numbers.

Anyway the VG's will still be on the road with 1,000,000 kms on the clock I would guess - With so many interchangable parts the VG's will be around for a long time yet.

[Emackulation]

Yeah, one of the main reasons I purchased my car over a VR/VS clubby was due to the build factor. So many VR/S clubby's were built. Whenever I see a GTS on a car sales site, they often asking over 20k for it. Makes me happy.

[1991_Vn2nV]

4. From a parent's point of view I would prefer my offspring in a safer car. i.e. One with air bags and a reasonable chassis or at least one that doesn't bend the body shell when you corner.

Have you driven a VT? The chassis is horrible and having a firewall thats simply glued in doesn't help. Thankfully the commodore cup uses VS bodies still

[greenfoam]

The VT-Z is supposed to have even worse body/front end flex than the VN-S. Sammy had to jack his up under the K-frame to fit the factory swaybay on (that gave him something like another 1.5cm width on the car at the strut towers! on a brand new VZ).

Anyway airbags are good :P, I don't think much of the rest of the car though, they feel just the same to drive as my VP to me, except fat and slow

[Cobez]

Come down to ferntree gully, i think all the VN's and VP's in melbourne now live here.