Buying a VS Commodore

[Kierab]

Hey

Didn't know really where to put this so i hope heres okay?

Anyway, soon ill hopefully be buying a VS commodore, not my first car but ive got pretty sick of my old one.

Just wondering about kilometers, what do you reckon is too many on the odometer, ive seen heaps around the 220-240 range but this seems a little high for me.

Any advice would be appreciated. (km's on your car when you bought it would give me a good idea as well)

Cheers =] =]

[keygen]

mine had around 180,000k's . it's up to around the 240 mark now .

[SMURFTEC.]

I'd be checking the history of the vehicle mate, if its got routine log book services I'd be more inclined to go for something like that, you have to bear in mind the age of most of the VS' going around are 10-15 years old and a figure of 240thou works to out to be average annual KM's, maybe look for something with a reconditioned engine or something? But if the cars in good nick inside, out and engine wise, dont let the k's scare you too much.

[HamaTime™]

Bought mine for $5k with 204,000. Had brand new tranny, harmonic balancer, pulleys etc...Immaculate condition!!!

[axemurderer101]

i bought mine with just under 100 000 and now its at about 120 000ks

[alex2_s]

There are a few around owned by the elderly etc complete with dash mats etc in tip top condition with minimal kilometres

Just look for the common things going wrong with age, sway bar links, coolant temp sensor, steering rack free play & leaking, the transmission, history of regular oil changes, engine mounts, how it idles/drives/handles etc

[hako]

As above plus make sure the coolant is bright green(brown/muddy/clear=reject).....transmission oil is bright red (brownish/burnt=reject)....engine oil clear to slightly brown (dark brown=maybe ok thick black/milky=reject). Eyeball along all panels for ripples. Take a small mirror to look under doors and engine parts as a smart detailer will clean an engine so it looks new BUT only details what is immediately visible so use the mirror!
There are some really good low mileage cars out there that are always garaged. Good Luck.

[Kierab]

sick one, thanks heaps for the inputs.

Thanks Hako, ill defiantly look out for those things

big thumbs up!

[Kierab]

1 more question, where did you guys buy your cars, because right now im more looking at carsales, drive.com those kinda websites, is it worth going to a dealer or are they always gonna be shi*ty cars?

[Demonica]

Personally I'd stay away from dealers. On top of what the car is worth you are paying their fees etc on top of it. Go private and if you don't forget to do a revs check and vehicle history. There is a link on carsales.com you pay $25 and you can see the complete history of the car including if it was a repairable write-off at on stage plus if there is any money on it.
I think around the 200 000km is good. My aunt has a Vn calais she's had from new and has now done 600 000kms only had to replace the computer. Good luck!!

[Kierab]

Thanks for the advice mate.

[MrWooFarkinHoo]

Hi, bought mine (VR exec with ABS and FE2 it is BT1 ex cop car though 6 cyl for detectives me thinks as burgundy colour and blacked out speedo) around 10 years ago with 108000 on the clock - due to it's history I suppose had to put a reco engine in about 5 years ago with 187,000 on clock and it has done 6000 km's since - thank god for company cars. Am now rebuilding suspension etc but in answer to your question personally the more history of the car you have the better to make an informed decision.

[hako]

I've bought a few cars for my kids lately and found Carsales, Carpoint and Drive (in that order) to be pretty good. Newspaper classifieds are outdated now. Car dealers have to make a profit so I always buy private....and knock at least 20% off for your first offer.

[VSHeaven]

A VS exec in excellent condition with 150,000k should bring around 3k+. However, they are getting pretty rare now with those k's but that will give you something to work off. As stated, a service history on your purchase plus a thorough inspection will be extremely helpful. Look for a rear main leak as well. You will most likey have to replace one or all of these if you own it for some time, but some most likely some would have already been replaced. Fuel pump, crank angle sensor, radiator, heater tap, stabiliser bushes, fan speed resistor. None are overly expensive to replace but are a pain when they fail. Good luck with your purchase and post some pics if you end up getting one.