General Description
Started life as a taxi until her retirement in 2008. was sold to a panel beater in 2007 where she stayed in the Auckland Co-Op taxi fleet as a loan car. Was withdrawn from taxi service 6 months later and when she was robbed of parts for another Statesman and was going to be wrecked. I purchased her to $2,500 and spent at least that again on replacing the parts, <front bumper, Bonnet and right front guard. at that time she had 598,798 K's on the clock with the original engine. I replaced the water pump and thermostat to take care of the over heating issue. I then replaced the exhaust from the single outlet to a VX sedan SS unit that had to have some mods done to get it to fit with the original body being a bit longer than the sedan. Fitted a K&N air filter reducing the fuel consumption from the lower 17/100 to high 13/100. On a trip I can get down to 8/100. the orgianl engine and gearbox lasted to 661,000 K's before she had a heart trans plant with a replacement VX unit from a station wagon that had done 198,000. That engine sadly lasted only 45,000 K's before she run a bearing and I had to give her another engine from a unknown model that I have been told has done only 130,000. Had a few issues with fuel pump and electrics which I am hoping I have sorted now. It has taken 3 months to get to the bottom of that issue alone. The cross member had to be welded up as it had a crack in the back of it where the power steering rack mounts, on both sides. This has been fond on several Holden V8 Commodores when the rack has come adrift from the cross member completely in some cases. Traveled 708,000 now in this car. I love the size and the fact that it is very roomy inside. great for my wife to travel in as she has had cancer so she needs some comfort. As much as I have spent more than the car is worth, I could of sold it at anytime and the replacement I could of got could have bigger problems so it money well spent in my opinion. All cars have issues at some point, some bigger than others, but at the end of the day i knew with the very high mileage it was going to be a happen sometime.
