what model to buy

[jacommo]

hey fellas, im new to the holden scene
im on my P's and in the market for buying a VT but unsure what model specs and series are better than others. i live in SA by the way

iv been looking at 1999 standard VT acclaim with only 116,000km on it for $6000 with service history.
is this a good price, or would i be better off getting a series 2 or sumthin.

[jacommo]

bump

are series 2 any better than series 1

[VjamesY]

bump

are series 2 any better than series 1

hey, dont know much about VT's, but anyways,

its much better spending that bit more and getting the series two,
most problems with the series one are usually solved or fixed in the series 2 and series two are usually better quality.

[jacommo]

cheers, what year did the series 2 begin, and was it only the series 2 made after that date or did the series 1 overlap. (if that makes sense)

[MikesCalais]

series 2 im pretty sure were from '99, and yes, its MUCH better getting a series two... the most annoying problem i reckon with the series 1 VTs was that the light globes would go out very frequently... and a few other problems were fixed in the series two... plus. the series two looks nicer with the clear indicators all around

And i would go as high up the range as possible (e.g. the highest spec for ur price range)

[00vxsc]

apparentlly series 1 had camber issues with the rear treads, search the forums.

[jacommo]

thanx for your input fellas, iv only got bout 6 grand or sumthin to spend and dont really want to buy 1 over 180,000km so il hav a look around.

[00vxsc]

borrow a few more grand and get a L67, phew this things roar just in stock form, cant wait to get a smaller pulley anda Zorst.... on mine!

[whatever3690]

i picked up my 02 VX equip with full electrics and 165,000 on the clock for $7000 with 12 months rego under my name... i think the way the car market is going at the moment you would be crazy to spend that much on a 1999 VT regardless of it having less kms.
If it has been driven around in a city those ks are nothing spectacular but if its from a rural town then its good... Mine was owned by a lady living out of town somewhere so all my kms are highway kms.
All in all, if its a stock VT i wouldnt wanna be paying more than $4500 - $5000
Check out RedBook it will help you out and give you a pretty good guide.

[00vxsc]

i payed $7800 for a 00 VX berlina supercharged with less k's than that vt you are talking about, and this thing is pretty much immaculate apart from a few stonechips. best thing is, it was owned by a older couple.

[jacommo]

cheers, wow, wheres the best place to look for buying a commodore?

[Trevor 062]

I'd say try & haggle it down to $5000.. It doesn't sound too bad to me,
It's 1999 model so it is a series 2 & with only 116000klm on the clock klm's are not too high,
it's an Acclaim model which gives you a bit more jazz than the Std Exec model.
What colour is it & what's the interior like..
It's only a 10 year old car, so you would think it's worth $6000..
Ring up insurance comp & find out market value.

[danja]

Series 2 of any car is better than the Series 1. If you can afford it, get it.

[jacommo]

thanx, some commodores advertised dont mention there series even if their made in 99 or later so i just assumed it was series 1.
the colour of the acclaim is blue, i havent physically looked at it yet, just on internet

[bezz]

Those guys above saying they got such and such a car for a cheap price are from the eastern states. Generally cars tend to be a bit more expensive around here. As for series I vs Series II, unless there has been a major revision to the car (engine change etc), I would still opt for a series I if in better condition than the series II. The small issues that were corrected on VT series II's mentioned above would have been fixed in the series I anyway at one time or another over the last 10 years of servicing and repair.

To put it in perspective I just sold my series I vt with 215,000km on it for 6k... the main selling point was that it was clean and in good condition throughout. The guy that bought it off of me was tossing up between mine and a 2000 model vt for the same price, and chose mine due to the way it was presented.

[jacommo]

yer i think adelaide's a bit more expensive cos lower population therefore fewer cars..... but dunno.

whats reliability like in these cars, dont laugh, but i currently drive an 89 bits.r.missing. colt , reliable not really, i hav to run it on premium for f$^k sake just to keep it going lol, dam carby.
what average fuel consumption does these cars compare too

also what r the visual differences between S 1 & 2

[Slippy_Trippy]

Series 2 usually have a little more power and less problems due to refining the design. Plus in the VTs you get the clear lights with colored bulbs which looks purdier in my opinion.

My Series 2 Acclaim was $8500 which included on roads and transfer costs. It had 150k on the clock and has Driver, Passenger and Side bags, Tow bar, ABS, Traction. Out of curiosity was this all the extras for the acclaim?

-Slippy

[jacommo]

cheers again, lookin forward to be a holden owner soon

[danja]

This site is usually good for finding out the SI/II changes for Commodores:
Unofficial Holden Commodore Archive

Generally speaking, SII's have minor aesthetic changes (indicators, lights, grilles, etc), and fixes to known problems (eg VT SI boot leaks were fixed in SII as I recall).

Occasionally there have been powertrain upgrades too, such as the VT V8 changing from the 5L to the LS1, or the VZ V8 going from LS1 to the 6L engine.

In all cases the SII is "refined" in one way or another, sometimes in a big way, sometimes not. Bezz is right that given the choice between a mint SI and a crapped out SII, the SI is probably a better choice, but all else being equal, the SII will be a better car.

[00vxsc]

hey check out carsales.com, there is a vt 's' supercharged in SA for $7000. tiger mica it is, dunno how many k's are on it?

[jacommo]

cheers, il hav a look at em

[jazza15]

Series 2 VT commenced 06/99. Many parts revisions for the series 2, whih you will find when you call up holden asking for parts. Go for at least the series 2, because the series 1 tail lights look shit :P

Rear camber problems were prominent in SOME models from VT to VX series 2, where the camber problem was fixed for every car. Not every VT/VX Series 1 had it, some had/have it worse than others, so it is something to look at when you go for an inspection.

As for which model you want to go for, well it completely depends on what you want.
Sports driving, get a manual, get an S Pac.
Luxury, get a Berlina, or a Calais if you are picky and want those few subtle extras and are willing to pay the premium for the badge, by that i mean Calais are generally a fair bit more expensive than Berlinas with not much more features than the Berlina.
So which model you buy depends on what you want and how you are gunna use your commodore.

[whatever3690]

Those guys above saying they got such and such a car for a cheap price are from the eastern states. Generally cars tend to be a bit more expensive around here.

I live in rural VIC (Albury/Wodonga) with a population of 120,000 people. I think expecting to get a VT for under 5,000 is very possible.

[VTCommy]

just buy the trading post mate... i paid $5300 for my VT executive series 2... had 154 on the clock.... excellent condition. just look around and you will find the perfect car