The key for me is to start with the powerful car and make it more powerful. An N/A SS is not a powerful car
Some HSV are powerful but because they are in principal a tuner car they’re still hamstrung by the engineering of the donor car which isn’t efficient at getting its power to the ground and therefore for all that power the HSV’s aren’t necessarily quick.
This is the type of argument that can go around and around in a perpetual circle, what to use as a base for mods, an entry level vehicle or its premium variant.
I’ve been down the mod route with both Holden and HSV a number of times and these days I simplify it by starting with what I think looks the best and follow it up with how much I’d like the luxury bits and pieces.
Others may see a cheaper starting point enables more funds to purchase higher grade aftermarket parts and it can be done over a period of time as finances become available.
If I was after a sedan I’d go the HSV as I prefer the look.
If it was a Ute then I like the front of the Maloo but not the back where I think the Holden looks much better.
And given the only reason I a buy a Ute these days is to take our Golden Retriever to the beach as it’s rarely driven for anything else, a Holden with a soft Tonneau cover is a better option than the Hard Lid Maloo.
A few years back I was going to buy a Maloo and looked into changing the Sail Plane and the other bits around the rear screen over to the SSV stuff but after realising the mucking around required to have it painted and fitted then find a safe place to store the hard lid I decided it was all too much trouble and have gone Holden for Utes ever since.
Everyone can offer you advice but really you are the only one that knows what you’d prefer and as far as resale goes, they all take a big hit but eventually if they do become popular as a classic then it’s the premium models that will be sort after.
