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My 2000 VT SS Gen3

Zhac

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VT SS Gen III M6
Hey fellas! First thread/post. Figured I would start by showing you all my baby haha.

Model: Holden VT II SS (2000)
Colour: Tiger Mica
Engine: LS1
Gearbox: 6M (T56)
Diff: 3.9.1 LSD
Suspension: Standard FE2
Rims/Wheels: VT SS
Brakes: Stock
Interior: Stock
Body/Engine Km's: 239,000 KM

Iv'e owned this thing for 11 months now, and it's also my first v8. Snagged it for a great price from an older bloke (at 233,000 Km's) that had owned it the previous 16 years! He bought it near brand new (less than 10,000 Km's), im guessing the first buyer offloaded it quickly with fear from piston slap and oil issues etc. This car has been very well looked after. I was actually amazed the first time I saw it in person and test drove it. It doesn't leak a thing, engines silky and quiet for an LS, and body has very few scratches/chips. It does drink a couple hundred ml of oil between each service, but not enough to worry me.

Mods before I got it:
3.9 Diff Gears, and full diff rebuild (have receipt from previous owner, done at 222,000 Km's)
Pacemaker Headers (Can't exactly remember what type, but I think they are try y's)
Twin 2.5" Exhaust. Hurricane I believe. I do love the sound, only slightly noticeable at idle, but the loud pedal f****** screams! No drone either.

Mods/Things done since I bought it:
Removed all mudflaps, plastic window protectors etc
LS6 Intake Manifold + Injectors
GM Ripshift (Race Version)
Direct Clutch Services HD Clutch Kit. Just a single plate organic (will go to something stronger when needed), this thing is only just bedded in, but the bite is phenomenal.
New, decent tread all round.

Mods to be done:
OTR and Mafless Tune will be done in a few weeks.
Then all bushes, and lowered springs/shocks/camber kit etc,
Upgraded brakes
New Tint and power window/rails etc. I want my windows dead silent hahaha.
Monaro Headlights

Then that should keep me happy till I decide wether im with it for the long haul or not. If so ill want to rebuild/cam it. A blower would be sick aswell, but we will see.

Also want to remove the towbar and rear wing, replacing the rear bumper without a towbar hole (mine was factory fitted) and a bootlid without spoiler holes. This car will also be resprayed in the same colour when the time is right.

I can't upload any of my photos from the day I got it, they are to large to upload, all of them, and I only have a couple pics of it from then. It was just more grandpa spec than it looks now haha.

Sorry for the iPhone quality pics, you get the jist though. Stock and clean, how I like it!

As it sits currently:

Tidy Tips and Ass!.jpg
19.jpg
Back end shot.jpg
Mean Front End.jpg
 
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afstruct

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Repaint ? , looks pretty dam good in those photos . Really like that colour. If you end up doing a blower you won't know the car , huge amount of fun even on a stock car and with the exhaust and those diff gears you've got = even better. The low down grunt in any gear especially the positive displacement screw type blowers like the harrop, love it.
 

Zhac

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VT SS Gen III M6
Repaint ? , looks pretty dam good in those photos . Really like that colour. If you end up doing a blower you won't know the car , huge amount of fun even on a stock car and with the exhaust and those diff gears you've got = even better. The low down grunt in any gear especially the positive displacement screw type blowers like the harrop, love it.

Thanks mate, I just absolutely love the Tiger Mica aswell, just stands out so much and looks great on the VT's.

Yep you are not wrong, the paint is actually really good considering the age of the car, its the clear-coat thats going to start falling apart on me. The drivers side mirror is actually just starting to peel now, but I'm in no rush to do it. I'll wait until it really needs it, and do it properly.

As for the blower, I still haven't had the chance to drive a blown LS, but I know it will really get the thing moving haha, particularly lower down in the RPM's, which is why at this point I want to steer clear of massive cams and/or turbochargers. I like immediate power haha.

Thanks again!
 

afstruct

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The dreaded clear coat. My vs maloo is Botanica and it's notorious for clear coat peeling, it's got a few small spots starting to. Yeah valley type give you more low down grunt where as the scroll type like the vortex will give you more up top.
My peak torque is now at about 2300, so 80 kms in 4th gear becomes 110 pretty quickly. But just the overall throttle response is just so good even straight of idle.
You'll find that the normal otr intakes won't fit the harrop supercharger but because the intake kicks off to the side because of the throttle. The later models with electronic throttles can or do run straight intake
 
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Zhac

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The dreaded clear coat. My vs maloo is Botanica and it's notorious for clear coat peeling, it's got a few small spots starting to. Yeah valley type give you more low down grunt where as the scroll type like the vortex will give you more up top.
My peak torque is now at about 2300, so 80 kms in 4th gear becomes 110 pretty quickly. But just the overall throttle response is just so good even straight of idle.
You'll find that the normal otr intakes won't fit the harrop supercharger but because the intake kicks off to the side because of the throttle. The later models with electronic throttles can or do run straight intake

The clear coat really is a bummer isn't it. My previous car was a VX S in gold (real gold, like yellowy gold, can't remember the actual paint name), and that thing had about 75% of the clear coat missing. Thing looked bloody terrible haha. Thanks alot for the blower/otr info aswell mate, appreciate it! I still have alot to learn about FI.

I Managed to find some decent-ish full body shots today, and also a pic showing the clear coat disintegrating on the drivers side mirror. Also a nice pic from the day I bought it (photo #1), and a very average engine bay photo too.

On another note, the cars going in next week for a completely new tail-shaft setup. I'm getting slight clunks upon quick acceleration and deceleration, and shifting from 1st,2nd and occasionally 3rd if it's not a perfect shift. According to my mechanic (who I'd near trust with my life) its the CV joints and rubber couplings that wear away, and i'ts a common problem for basically all commodores. Apparently the new shaft he is going to fit eliminates majority of the rubbers, and is rated for higher hp, so it won't wear/break on me again/ever. After that, im heading down to Sydney to get this thing a good tune, really, really needs it.

Anyway, here are the pics. I just loooove this thing ahaha!
5 Resized.jpg
VT SS Engine Bay Close-Up Resized.jpg

Side On At Carwash Resized.jpg
Hello Sexy Resized.jpg
Stance Resized.jpg
 

gtrboyy

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With that mileage probably want valve springs done so it'll rev out nicely when up it.

Stock springs fairly soft that get worse with age so ask tuner if better off getting them done now.
 

afstruct

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Yeap, know the gold color your talking about. Yeah clear coat =****, although with my maloo previous owner repainted gaurds, bonnet and bumper but it would seam only in acrylic =soft so lots of stone chips on bumper and now quite a few on bonnet, hopefully if I keep it long enough in a few years a time a repaint.
Maybe I'm going blind but I still can't see the clear coat peeling , it is a shame because the overall condition looks fantastic, even the original mags look in great condition.
The vt ss front just looks so right especially in those photos of yours.
I'll have to keep that cv info in mind for mine.
Another one to be aware of is the rear k frame bushes, especially once you start putting more power through it, just done them on mine, you will know when their gone, and now I've got a harrop diff cover which hopefully I'll install soon and then get a wheel alignment and it'll be handling all good again.
Yeah thought about getting a OTR intake and modding it to fit but it's a fair bit of work so maybe I'll just get an air box off to the side.
I really do need to up it and do this and the exhaust, it's just that it's such fun as it is and being so discreet.
 

Zhac

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With that mileage probably want valve springs done so it'll rev out nicely when up it.

Stock springs fairly soft that get worse with age so ask tuner if better off getting them done now.

Thanks for the tip mate. I've been warned about the valve springs and of course lifters so I will definitely be talking to the tuner about them and see whats recommended. If I cam it though, obviously valve springs, lifters, pushrods, DR timing chain and Oil pump is a necessity and will be all done anyway, particularly with an engine with so many Km's as you say.

Yeap, know the gold color your talking about. Yeah clear coat =****, although with my maloo previous owner repainted gaurds, bonnet and bumper but it would seam only in acrylic =soft so lots of stone chips on bumper and now quite a few on bonnet, hopefully if I keep it long enough in a few years a time a repaint.
Maybe I'm going blind but I still can't see the clear coat peeling , it is a shame because the overall condition looks fantastic, even the original mags look in great condition.
The vt ss front just looks so right especially in those photos of yours.
I'll have to keep that cv info in mind for mine.
Another one to be aware of is the rear k frame bushes, especially once you start putting more power through it, just done them on mine, you will know when their gone, and now I've got a harrop diff cover which hopefully I'll install soon and then get a wheel alignment and it'll be handling all good again.
Yeah thought about getting a OTR intake and modding it to fit but it's a fair bit of work so maybe I'll just get an air box off to the side.
I really do need to up it and do this and the exhaust, it's just that it's such fun as it is and being so discreet.

Hopefully your paint holds out for you till you decide to repaint! The prices actually hurt to hear when your looking for a top quality spray. I will be holding mine out as long as I can also. Being a perfectionist and having slight OCD is a pain haha.

If you look closely in pic #4 at the top of the drivers side mirror you can just see it peeling away. Its nothing super severe but enough to erk me when the rest of the car is basically pristine. The rims are literally like new apart from one having very, very minor gutter rash from the previous owner.

I agree, the front end has such a simple yet pretty look to it. I think the VT/VX shape is starting to come back into fashion in a way, as most cars built these days are sharp, square and OTT. The roundness of the VT is just so easy on the eyes haha and people have a second look because of it. Kinda made me happy I didn't go VY/VZ which was the plan when I started looking for an LS. The VY's are soooooo common at the moment...They look great I admit, but when everyone and their best mate has one, they don't seem as special, and it's harder to make them seem slightly different to each one you see.

Ta! I do plan on replacing every bush through the entire car soon, probably at the same time I lower it slightly. Can definitely feel the age/wear when cornering at a decent speed. Thanks again for the helpful info mate!
 

VS 5.0

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If you look closely in pic #4 at the top of the drivers side mirror you can just see it peeling away. Its nothing super severe but enough to erk me when the rest of the car is basically pristine.

Can't get just the mirror repainted ? Shouldn't cost too much.
 

Zhac

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VT SS Gen III M6
Can't get just the mirror repainted ? Shouldn't cost too much.

I have actually considered doing that. The problem is it's just so common for these sort of colours to fade and have the clear coat start to peel. Honestly, even in the great condition the car is in, how well it's been looked after and how clean it looks in photos, sadly im actually expecting the rest of the car to start to peel (particularly the roof and bonnet as it's typically the first to go clear coat wise) within the next year or so. Just from touching the paint (I detail cars for a living), I can tell the clear is about to start falling apart all over the car (it's not slippery/smooth but quite rough and sand papery). It's something I expected when purchasing the car in this colour, and from that era. Paint and clear from Holden was just terrible back then.

Also, I've recently moved house, and annoyingly have no garage/shed for it either (hoping to sort one for it soon, and don't wanna spend a cent on paint until it's got a garage to be parked in as I live right on the coast). I know it probably seems crazy to most, but i'm just leaning towards waiting till the whole car is in dire need of a full spray, doing it once and right, and then I never have to worry/think about it again unless some ****head dings or scrapes me.

We will see what happens though, it might start to erk me enough that I could just bite the bullet and get the mirror done on it's own soon, that's if it gets really noticeable and my OCD starts screaming at me every time I look at my car haha. For now though I can handle it...just hahaha.
 
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