New Bloke from Perth

[Big_Simmo]

Just thought id start off by saying G'day to everyone.
Names Simmo and this is my first car ive ever bought.
I got a 03 VY Calais with under 150,000kms just for 9K even though it does have a couple of scratches and a couple of dents from people opening car doors into it but ill get that sorted in the next few months.
She is completely bog standard at the moment but over the next 6 months once im able to work again that will change
The few minor mods im thinkin of are;
- Stero
- Rims
- Dark Tint
- Exhaust

In all honesty i dont know the first thing about cars as bikes are more my scene but after a near fatal crash in march 09 and 1 head injury later it looks like cars will be my only fun from now on
Any other simple ideas i could do to spice her up a bit??

I just attached a few photos of her as she sits atm

[Sean880]

Welcome Simmo.

A nice choice of car for the money.

As it is a VY with 150000 kms on the clock I would not throw a whole lot of money at it with modifications because, for starters, you won't get much , if any, of it back when you sell.

The best and cheapest thing you can do now to "spice it up" is to "detail" the car thoroughly inside and outside(including the wheels/ tyres) so you bring it up to as higher standard as possible given it's age and use. Also clean up the engine bay. It's a lot of work but the results are worth the effort.

If it were my car I would forget a stereo and exhaust mods and keep the money for necessary maintenance items which are going to crop up. In the Perth climate a window tint is a good idea - almost essential I would say. Other than that I would look at getting a nice set of wheels and tyres when the current tyres are at least 70% worn. These cars look good with 18 inch wheels if it is a good design(and the tyre costs in 18 inch are quite reasonable for quality units) so I would not spend the money on anything bigger.

Importantly, I would be checking the service records for the car to see what has been done and what needs doing. It's important to keep these cars properly maintained if you want good service life out of the car and decent reliability. For starters at least change the engine oil, oil filter - and change the engine air cleaner filter which is probably clogged with dust. I would also be having the cooling system flushed out and the coolant replaced and having the brake fluid bled out and replaced. Maybe all these items have been done recently. If so good but if not get them done. With a few tools, a decent jack and a set of car ramps you can easily do all these items yourself. Just make sure you use the correct spec products which are covered in the owner's manual (under "Specifications").

Cheers and enjoy the car.

[Berlinarator]

Welcome to JustCommodores Simmo.

Sounds like you picked up a real bargain there mate. Looks pretty tidy. Glad to hear you're getting back on your feet after the accident.

This should probably be in the my rides section, but congratulations on the purchase anyway. Good luck with the mods, keep us posted!