Just picked up a VN 5ltr Calais (Comments?)

[BEGME2]

Hi all, I missed owning a 5ltr so I flogged off my Jap-Spec SSS Pulsar on the weekend and bought this...

Details are as follows

- V8 5ltr
- Reco auto with stage 1 shift kit
- Gas Research LPG conversion (Throttle body)
- HSV chip (+ OEM chip spare)
- Extractors + sports exhaust
- LSD rebuilt, 3:45 diff gears
- 19s
- Pedders suspension
- VT front brake upgrade
- CAI
- Full leather
- Momo steering wheel
- Full respray








I'm going to change the tail lights as I'm not a fan of the tinted jobbies and neither are the cops.

I think I'll change the diff gears to 3:9 too, 3:45 feels pretty average, especially by comparison to my old VR 5ltr.

Car needs a service and tune I reckon and a dyno on gas.

I think I'll probably change the wheels too, though they look better in person than they do in the pics.

Maybe a set of Internationals or Signatures could be a good replacement?

[Smallies]

Nice looking car mate, and nice things you have planned.

How many k's has it done? (like it even matters with these cars anyway)

Personally i like them tintedlights with that colour car - but thats probably just me.

Let me know when you get rid of them and ill buy them off ya lol.

And the wheels, well theyd probs look better if they were tucking under the guards a bit more. I haven't got suggestions for a new set of wheels as im still toying with ideas myself and can't decide.

Nice ride man - Take care of it.

[VPplayer]

Wow what a beast. By the looks of it the paint job is tops, rims suit it very well. I would keep the tail lights as they are, suits the car. All round looks perfect

[Renno]

For some reason those rims suit it, as does the tailights!....weird i know

Id definately look into colour coding the door handles and look into getting some Vp Calais Chrome window surrounds to match the series 2 chrome in the moulds.

[flyen]

love it mate...
simple but effective..
i think the wheels are ok...

wack a cam in it and will be tuff as!!!!

[TheClutchFryer]

i love all vn calais, especially yours because iv never seen one that colour. hope it treats you well.. oh yea the wheels suit it.

[levymetal]

because iv never seen one that colour

what



looks pretty nice, how much did you pay for it?

[TheClutchFryer]

Hey, iv got a VZ 06 175kw ute and iv recently replaced my exaust system with extractors and a single 2.5" system with high flow cats. now my check powertrain light wont go off. i thought it may have been the o2 sensors so i replaced them, but the dam engine light wont go off.. wat do i do?

[TheClutchFryer]

srry wrong place to send message... how do i make my own post any1. im new to this

[skruba]

i like it do vp calais wheel spats fit? if do put them on bit more tuk personally like rims

[levymetal]

i like it do vp calais wheel spats fit? if do put them on bit more tuk personally like rims

they fit, but they don't match with the bumper/trolley strips and look silly. the chrome is in a different location and moulds are different.

[BEGME2]

Thanks for all the kind comments guys!

Smallies, the car has done 240,000klms but only has 60,000klms on the clock because the cluster was replaced with a brand new one from GMH after the LCD had a bleed out. Happy to sell you the tinted lights as soon as I pull them out mate The height of the rear is ok but I reckon the front is higher than FE2 and it at least needs to be dropped down to the tops of the tyres to even it up and tuck the front wheels a little.

Renno what do you mean by the door handles? the are already colour coded.

flyen, I plan on doing a engine rebuild in about a year and I'll probably go with a Crane 284


I have it booked in for a dynotune this coming Friday afternoon. I think the timing might be slightly out, the exhaust set up is a bit lame so that's also holding it back. I'll see what the dyno tells me and I might even put the standard memcal back in depending on the differences. The LPG idles a little low for my liking but after Friday there should be a massive difference. I had this type of gas system before and they're very good at producing good power.

I'm thinking I might put a set of VY R8 wheels. Signatures have been done to death and I've gone off the Internationals idea I think, time for something a little different. Either that or keep what I've got, maybe keep what I have and spend more on the engine LOL

[BEGME2]

Didn't end up dynoing the car today, we road tested it with a Microtech A/F Meter instead. We corrected the LPG mixture and base idle after some screwing about which included replacing the GasResearch computer that operates the throttle body's gas injector and also adjusted the little LPG computer thingy that controls the petrol/LPG at start up. Car is running much smoother and LPG power basically matches Premium Unleaded power now

Tomorrow I'm off to suss the brakes out as I'm not overly happy with the pedal pressure and I'm also picking up a genuine set of headlights and genuine standard tail lights for it.

The height of the front is driving me insane, I reckon it's standard height I don't think it's even FE2, the back is fine though.

So many things to do and so little time/cash

[skruba]

it would b tuff as wif the wheels tukn the ass and do silver pinstripe calais style rear lights
skruba

[Menace38L]

It looks mean as nice calais mate!!

[BEGME2]

Thanks Menace38L

Skruba I had the car on the hoist today and looked at the front springs, they seem to be standard height Pedders so they'll have to go or have a date with the 9"grinder The back of the car tucks nice so I'm leaving that as is, but I want the front guard to sit level with the top of the tyre or base of the tread pattern. I'm undecided about running Calais style striped rear lights and garnish, I worried it might spoil the look of the car.

Brakes are all sorted after 6 long hours work today. Pulled the calipers off and the dust seals looked a little dry and the movement wasn't great on the slides or pistons so we stripped both calipers down, washed them, sand blasted them, painted them and then rebuilt them. Also removed both rotors and skimmed them because they weren't running true. Gravity bled the brakes and took the car out on the street and the pedal still felt mushie like before we recoed the calipers. Came back in and bled the brakes with the air operated thingy and the old school way and we got a fair bit of air out of the rears but the pedal was even worse. By now we'd both had enough and we were starting to crack the shits so we gave it one last try and gravity bled all 4 calipers at once for about 15minutes topping the master cylinder up as needed. We tightened the bleeders back up and I checked the pedal and thank Christ it's better than ever.

I don't know why the pedal was so bad before and after the caliper reco but I'm guessing it had something to do with the previous owner not bleeding the system right when he replaced the booster, anyways all fixed now and I have sexy looking brakes

[BEGME2]

Brakes are working well now thank god. Gas tune is a little rich in my opinion so I'll be heading back for a proper dyno tune next time round. In the mean time I'm going to clean out the throttle body and gas convertor and see if that helps at all with the slight flat spot I sometimes get.

Have to get the RWC ASAP and my usual guy can't help me so looks like the 19s have to come off and the tail lights etc, what a stuff around for parts that are going straight back on LOL I have the parts but I'd rather pay extra to be able to leave them on than have to frig about.

Once the roady is done I'll lower the front and get the exhaust done too

[GetToDaChopa]

The colour is really nice, but i would personally change the wheels. But hell of a nice car.

[BEGME2]

Thanks mate, the wheels are funny, people either love them or hate them, there's no middle ground LOL.

I reckon they'll look better when the front sits lower but I still think I'll swap or sell them so I can make the car "my own", it feels like it's someone elses because I've added no personal touches yet.

[Jo3_Blo]

Looks good mate.

Wheels don't look to bad actually........but each to their own.

[matty88]

Eyyyy Damo

Love the Commodore man

VT Calais Internationals ftw

[NEDWOB]

the brakes come up a treat and overall its a neat calais bar the wheels but pics dont do them justice.

[BEGME2]

Thanks meanvn. Matt I think I'm over the Internationals idea now, I'm leaning more towards VY R8 Maloo rims which are the shadow chrome version of the VY R8 or maybe VT SV 99 rims which are champagne and the same as the VX SV 300 but they're silver. VE SS / SV6 wheels are also an option but I think I need to get someone to photoshop them on my car and suss out the look.

VY II R8 Maloo Wheels
VT SV99 Wheels
VE SS / SV6 Wheels

I know they are only 18s but the ride should be better I guess and tyres will be cheaper when it comes time to replacing them.

My rims are brand new as are the tyres so maybe I could even find someone interested in swaps

[markER717]

Great color there mate, got any interior pics?

[BEGME2]

Sorry about the picture quality I haven't had a chance to take better interior pics yet