1999 VTII Commodore S Supercharged

[c2105026]

haha...well....front end inspection was....interesting!

ball joints, tie rod ends and steering rack boots are all knackered - all good, available as a kit
car is sitting 15mm lower on drivers side than the other - new springs needed
bushes seem ok but may as well replace them if everything is coming out....

 

[wraith]

Sounds like a money pit and worth maybe $500. Good lesson for every one never buy a car sight unseen. Good on you for persisting but I think your nuts for wasting so much time on a VT

 

[jesterhead]

My VX is supercharged. They perform very well eh, in fact it goes harder than our old 5 litre SS!
I'd recommend doing a cooling system overhaul - flush it out, new thermostat, new coolant etc. Simply because these engines can be a pain in the arse to work on and a dodgy cooling system will cause all sorts of problems, so it's worth getting that particular job out of the way early for peace of mind. The thermostat housing is located underneath the SC inlet and there's also a couple of bleed nipples through the system that you need to know about. I'd also go as far as to jack the front of the car up during the process as well - these engines will hoard a lot of air pockets so that'll help them all come up to the surface.
With the differential, you might just get away with re-sealing it and squeezing in some fresh 85W-140 LSD oil. Had a similar problem with my super six - it wasn't leaking but it was making a hell of a racket during tight turns (going in and out of my driveway and at intersections etc). So I just changed the oil and it's been quiet ever since.
The front end issue may go hand-in-hand with your brake issue. Commodore brake discs seem to warp easily over time which causes shuddering. Either fork out for a new pair or have them milled straight. It would pay to check the suspension, steering, tyres and wheels for warping as well. Given the dodgy panels you found it most likely has been pranged on that side. After those checks, go and get a wheel alignment. In fact, the tyre guys could probably check out the underbody for ya while they're at it.
With your AC, as you said just have a gander at the wiring. Another thing to keep in mind is that with a vehicle this old the AC system might have had some of the refrigerant escape out of it over the years. So even if the compressor is functional you may not get that cool refreshing air that you roasting aussies desperately need
As for the rest of the work like your seat and exterior rubbers, it's pretty self-explanatory. Just remember to disconnect the battery if you're planning on yanking out the seats. There's usually seatbelt pre-tensioners as part of the SRS systems. Disconnecting the battery will avoid the airbag light staying on after you've disconnected and reconnected the seat plug.
Happy hunting, mate

 

[commodore665]

No, I am not ever wanting to build a concourse condition vehicle, just one without major damage or defects. Indeed on the other side I'm not painting there are touched up scratches and stone chips I'm leaving in to maintain some sense of originality. The colour is white without a clear so I figure if the rest of the car is polished (its needed!) that removes that issue as you can match to fresh paint. You can always blend as well into adjoining panels.

Action plan for today:
- Oil change, coolant change, and inspect front end
- Air filter, plugs, leads
- Drain and refill diff and take it for a spin to see if noisy diff goes away

nice looking VT , once it's tidied up , and you've done the above service items , it'll be good , it'a amazing what a service can do for a car .

 

[Calaber]

Sounds like a money pit Ji UI I'mand worth maybe $500. Good lesson for every one never buy a car sight unseen. Good on you for persisting but I think your nuts for wasting so much time on a VT

Wraith

A VT2 mightn't be a particularly collectible car yet but I can recall spending a bomb on an EH in the 70's when they were a dime a dozen. Look at what they're worth now.

It's still going to be a cheap car after a complete suspension rebuild and a clean and reliable VT is still a nice drive.

I had a VR Berlina with over 250k that drove beautully but had a harsh ride on rough roads. I completely rebushed the suspension front and rear for less than $150 and the transformation was astonishing, particularly for a high mileage car. It was a great car and a lot of pleasure was derived from owning and driving a ten year old car that looked and drive so well. Its value as a sale didn't matter. It was a sound car that didn't break the bank and owed me nothing.

@ C3PO. Definitely rebush the front and rear. It's worth the effort and cost.

 

[c2105026]

Ok so I changed the diff oil and put in some stabiliser....nup. It seems that a reco diff is on the horizon

Current plan of action is this week I'll order all the bits and pieces to rebuild the brakes and suspension, just to get it safe to drive. I'll do that mechanical work in the school holidays when I have a bit of time off. I am hoping the AC is just a refrigerant issue and that some o-rings and a re-gas will put it right. I have already ordered the seat base and seat pocket.

So the shopping list as follows:
- new front and rear discs and pads
- new control arms complete with bushes and balljoints
- new tension rod dampers
- new tie rod ends and steering rack boots
- new set of springs (struts themselves seem to be fine).

 

[harrop.senator]

If the springs are sagged i highly doubt the struts will be any good. Unless they've already been replaced but with the rest of the suspension condition I doubt it. Before changing the springs I'd order some strut top bearings as they're bound to all come out individually. You'll then either need to pick every one up off the floor and repack them or pay twice the price at a store to get them instantly. Kyb are a good replacement jap made strut and around $80 ea or monroe are the oem supplied brand to replace them with.

When you pull the springs push the piston all the way down and wait to see how long it takes to come back up if its slower then a second two max they're gone. They usually seem to last 100-150k tops.

 

[c2105026]

Thanks - just ordered everything. Struts too, I figured if I've got the struts out of the car may as well replace them. $1000 total.

 

[Calaber]

That's not much when you consider just how many critical parts are being replaced.

 

[c2105026]

Yeh I was impressed with my efforts. The VT-VZ is now at the ripe age of 13-20 yr old when there is a big demand for spare parts, and an even bigger industry supplying the demand. Competition is high and as such prices are low. Just now I ordered a power steering reservoir, hoses and rocker cover gaskets for about $90 delivered (these are all leaking!)

Rough breakdown:
Discs and pads (191)
Struts (230)
Springs (320)
Control arms (complete, with bushes and balljoints) (130 a pair)
tie rods (65)
Radius rod bushes (50)