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Need to figure easiest/most affordable way to a LHD VX. :)

VXeu

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Hi there!

I'm in Europe and I have been a fan of Australian muscle cars for the longest time. I just like how driver focused and simple they are.

So I of course love Commodores. :)

I'm a huge fan of HSV. I would love to drive a HSV here in Europe. It would definitely be a plus over the dime a dozen M5s and AMGs. Here they are pretty common. They are also complex, hard to run, expensive everything and I'm truly bored of them.

So for the longest time I have been trying to devise a way to get my hands on a HSV. My favorite HSV is the VX Clubsport or GTS. Hence why I'm posting in this section. I just like the styling so much. I think both the VT and VX have aged so gracefully. I like the cleaner lines. So a VX Clubsport or GTS would be perfect! Would love to go on road trips around Europe eating up M5s.

But after thinking long and hard, I think this will never happen. Because as far as I can tell, there were never any LHD VX HSV made.

I have gone as far as thinking of importing a VX HSV from Australia and seeing if I could find a crashed Pontiac GTO in the U.S. and trying to buy the LHD bits to convert a VX HSV to LHD. But I think that would get crazy expensive and might not even be possible. I read something about the firewall being different and glued to the car.

So the next best thing might be a VX Commodore where I could upgrade it to HSV as close as I could from here. For that there are sources. I could buy a Chevy Luminas SS from Middle East. Or even a Commodore from Brazil, where I found out they imported VX cars and sold as Chevrolet Omegas.

But this way I would sure have mods ahead to get close to a VX HSV.

The ones from Brazil were the V6s only and all automatic. So I would only go that route if I couldn't find a Lumina SS in the Middle East, which seems difficult. Very easy to find VY cars and later there. Don't see many VX. But in Brazil I found several VX.

But even the Lumina SS I have only found automatics. Not sure if they ever got manuals there but seems rare, if they did. I can't find a single Lumina of any year model with a manual there.

So at a minimum, I would be looking at a transmission swap. Or transmission + LS swap if going with a Brazilian car.

Many here who I have spoken to don't understand it. Why not just buy a M5 or AMG? Or even just a Chevy SS or Pontiac G8 from the U.S. if I so want a Holden. Or just do with 2 doors and put up with driving a RHD car in LHD traffic and buy a Monaro from the UK, if I so want a third generation Commodore. But I really love the VX HSV 4 door saloons. I also don't think it would cost as much as a Chevy SS imported here. The Monaro is great but this is to be my daily driver and I want a 4 door.

So I would like to ask you, who have the privilege of having these cars widely available in your backyard, am I totally off base here? Or what I'm proposing is feasible? I know with money all is possible. But I'm not some eccentric millionaire. :)

And if feasible, what would be the simplest or most affordable way to a LHD "HSV" VX car, based on your experience with these cars? Transmission swap no problem? V8 swap? All maintaining the traction control and other electronics?

I guess the body kit for the looks is easy to find. I found several sources on Ebay Australia for example. No idea if the shipping will be killing though.

If the mechanic upgrades and looks upgrade is doable, I guess the hardest part will be the interior. I doubt I would ever be able to upgrade to an HSV interior from here. But I could live with that, since a HSV VX LHD never existed.

It would be great to hear your opinions.

Thanks for reading through. :)
 

mpower

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I'll tell you straight without batting an eyelid as a former owner of a VX Clubsport.

Monaro or Chevy SS are much better options IMO. As is the VE based Vauxhaul VXR8.

Chev Lumina in Saudi Arabia is also an option. That was LHD if you are set on the VX.

Body kits aren't as simple as you think, same with decals - for that era they are usually cheap copies.

But dude, seriously get a Chevy SS.
 

VXeu

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Hey, first thanks for reading though it all and replying. I was concerned nobody would read the long post. :)

I understand the advantages of a Chevy SS. Being a much newer platform. But what are the advantages of the Monaro? I thought it was basically a 2 door 3rd generation.

The Chevy SS would probably be 60 grand by the time I had it imported and taxed here. They have gone up in the US and are selling for mid to high 30s. And I don't even love the looks. I think it looks too much like any other Chevy. I prefer even the looks of the VXR8 prior gen.

But my heart is on a VX. :)
 
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mpower

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Monaro, as you have noted already has LHD variants so potentially easier to source in it's V8 spec - there's also an HSV variant.

Trim levels are higher, my VXII Clubsport was based off the Berlina - so everything is lower spec creature comfort wise - don't get me wrong i liked it but the Monaro is nicer to drive as even the entry ones are based off Calais spec (think electric seats, dual zone climate etc). Mine are both the same generation btw. Windows down driving wins in the Monaro too as you find that you don't get a faceful of wind as you do in the 4 door (just something you probably wouldn't think of unless you drive it).

If you prefer the styling that's fine, I will say this though - literally everything else about the VF platform over the VT one is so far ahead it's not even really a fair comparison. If it sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of it it's because I am. The VE or VF platforms are considerably better cars.

Curious, have you driven any of them?
 

the_boozer

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Being a lazy pessimist myself I think import a Chevy SS from the US will get you a better car. Convert a Brazilian LHD to a HSV you'll have to buy 2 cars the best lhd car you can find and a hsv and you'll still find bits that wont interchange and spend weeks swapping everything over you must really love holden the never was is hard to do alot of work to do it nice at least if you import a Chevy SS you could put total price on that. Not buy 2 cars allow random guess $20k ,to swap everything over then blow the budget 3 months before the car sees the road.
 

figjam

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Agree with getting US Chev SS, or a Pontiac G8, or a Pontiac GTO. The VE based range is miles ahead of the VT – VZ range.

Although I have a Monaro, it is basically a Commodore in a party dress, with chassis engineering and safety aspects from the early 90s. And some of that chassis engineering is ugly engineering, compromised from bits and pieces from Opel and Vauxhall. But it does have the ‘heritage’ appeal to Australians that non-Australians do not have.

If you do go with a faux LHD HSV VX, it will involve a lot of farnarkling to produce an orphan bastard child that nobody will recognise.
The Chev or G8 or GTO, it may be an orphan but at least recognised for what it is.
 

_R_J_K_

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Get a Vauxhall Monaro VXR from the UK or somewhere else in Europe. Don't know how common they are, but that would be your best and easiest option although RHD. They come with all the HSV parts bar the badges. A mentioned before you'd be far better of looking into a Chev Lumina.
 

VXeu

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Monaro, as you have noted already has LHD variants so potentially easier to source in it's V8 spec - there's also an HSV variant.

Trim levels are higher, my VXII Clubsport was based off the Berlina - so everything is lower spec creature comfort wise - don't get me wrong i liked it but the Monaro is nicer to drive as even the entry ones are based off Calais spec (think electric seats, dual zone climate etc). Mine are both the same generation btw. Windows down driving wins in the Monaro too as you find that you don't get a faceful of wind as you do in the 4 door (just something you probably wouldn't think of unless you drive it).

If you prefer the styling that's fine, I will say this though - literally everything else about the VF platform over the VT one is so far ahead it's not even really a fair comparison. If it sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of it it's because I am. The VE or VF platforms are considerably better cars.

Curious, have you driven any of them?
No, unfortunately I have not driven any of them. But I have driven American V8s from the same era as well as the Opel Omega and liked it. So I'm thinking I will like the Holden V8s even more.
Back to Monaro advantages, if compared to the Chevy Lumina SS, which is also V8 and LHD, the standard non HSV has any advantages? I really need 4 doors.

About spec, I always thought any HSV was based on the highest spec Commodore. How far up in the spec hierarchy is the Commodore SS?
 
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