Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

Tones VX SS Mod Thread

Tones

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
199
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Age
50
Location
SA
Members Ride
VX SS SERIES2
I hope this is in the right place,

Well, I thought it was about time to start a build thread.
Two Reasons,
1, Because I've done a fair bit to the car and it seems a good way of keeping track what I've done.(Getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be)
2, I've been laid up with a bad back for a while, and have just had surgery, so I have plenty off time on my hands while I mend.

I first purchased my car around December 2011. My first V8, and nearly 40. I have always loved Holdens thanks to the influence of my old man and a good friend who raced cars, bikes and all sorts. From the time I was very young he always had a car that invoked feelings of desire. So when he had one of his cars up for sale in 2011, and I was finally in financial position to buy it, I snapped it up.

Edit: My memory is slowly coming back to me, I did in fact own a 308 VL Berlina about 14 years ago, but my ex wife got that which is probably why I was so keen to forget it.

When I first bought it, it was fairly stock. Apart from,
- Full stainless exhaust with Ceramic Coated Headers.
- Base model HSV brake upgrade.
- Pump up Monroe rear shocks for towing.
- Tuned by Bryan Hester and Dyno'd Taking it from 199.5 RWKW up to 220.8 RWKW.
- Alloy Wheels.

Since then I've done a heap of work to it, but I will add a new entry for each item, just for me, so it's easier to track.
Some pictures from when I first bought it -

leftearly2_zpse16b28d0.jpg

topleftearly_zpse6be2bc5.jpg

DSC_3160_zpsa3439598.jpg

rearearly_zpsf9fafbe6.jpg

DSC_3157_zps0966e60f.jpg
 
Last edited:

kangavxss

New Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
486
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Location
Adelaide
Members Ride
2002 VX SS
Good one m8..Yours is almost a clone of mine before i changed a heap of stuff and except yours is a manual which i wish i had sometimes. Enjoy your new wheels and future upgrades..
 

Tones

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
199
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Age
50
Location
SA
Members Ride
VX SS SERIES2
Thanks Kanga.
I do like those Thunder? wheels. Been looking around myself for some, but now i'll have to find something else. Haha.
 

kangavxss

New Member
Joined
May 14, 2011
Messages
486
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Location
Adelaide
Members Ride
2002 VX SS
Thanks Kanga.
I do like those Thunder? wheels. Been looking around myself for some, but now i'll have to find something else. Haha.

Cheers. If i could have a spare set i would get the standard silver as that goes good with white. Got the grey Thunders just to be different and all matches up with my dark grey and black interior...What other mods have you done to date?
 

Tones

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
199
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Age
50
Location
SA
Members Ride
VX SS SERIES2
Just about to start listing them now. It's been 2 weeks yesterday since my spinal surgery, and still another 4 weeks before they will let me go back to work.
So, I thought I'd put some of that time to good use, and plan to list all the mod's I can remember.
Cheers.
 

Tones

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
199
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Age
50
Location
SA
Members Ride
VX SS SERIES2
So, The very first thing I did when I got the car was to remove the Altezza rear taillights. I know some people are in to them, but I just couldn't stand looking at mine any more.
I don't have pics of them, but I'm sure most people know what they look like. Decided to put original lights back in. Personally, I think they look pretty "clean".
A few weeks after that, I realized the rear right speaker was not working. I could have replaced it with an original one from the wreckers for $5.00, but I thought bugger it and replaced all 4 with some decent Pioneer ones. The difference was amazing.

After dicking around with FM transmitters for iPhone and MP3 players etc, I thought it was time to replace the head unit. Mate at work had one for sale at a good price, so I snapped that up.
It's a good unit with blue tooth, usb, aux in, card reader etc. It also has hands free with a mic that I placed on the steering column shroud, just under the cluster.
More importantly, it's got a great sound. which is why I haven't rushed out and installed a sub. (but will do at some stage)

HeadUnit1_zps88be8043.jpg

DSC_3078_zps8a28a9c0.jpg


Crikeys! I can't believe I went soooo long with that rear ride height.
 
Last edited:

Tones

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
199
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Age
50
Location
SA
Members Ride
VX SS SERIES2
A little while after that, the car started to misbehave under brakes and occasionally steering. So I took it to Pedders for their $29 check (or whatever it was), and as expected when at Pedders, Lots needed fixing and they gave me a quote for repairs $1800 odd. And that was just for example RH Lower control arm bushes, LH Inner tie rod ends etc etc.
So i thought Rather than replace a RH of this and a LH of that, I would give it a go myself and replace parts in "Pairs". Got most parts of eBay and went about replacing them.
IMG_0654_zps26a2bf42.jpg

IMG_0653_zps3ddc4605.jpg

IMG_0652_zpsac0ccac8.jpg

IMG_0651_zps37b5185a.jpg

IMG_0656_zps092c115a.jpg

IMG_0655_zps669ff122.jpg


It wasn't until I went to replace the inner tie rod ends that I noticed steering fluid in one of the boots. Fudge, need a new steering rack. Rang heaps of places in SA, Recon ones ranged dramatically in price, some being like over $200 dearer than the one I ended up getting. Exchange steering rack with 12 months warranty.
So, eventually, I ended up with a brand new front end. the only thing or bush I didn't replace were the sway bar bushes. (the ones up the front, not the sway bar links), even replaced the front struts with Monroe GT Sports.
Would I attempt it all again?, Probably. There were some pretty tough bushes to get in, two I had to take into a suspension place to get pressed. There also was a fair bit of fiddly sh!t. But in the end I ended up with a solid front end at well over half the price of getting someone else to do it.
After that, I decided I would do as many repairs myself as I was able.
 

Tones

Donating Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
199
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Age
50
Location
SA
Members Ride
VX SS SERIES2
Thanks EYY,
I thought that I had in my first post, but obviously not.
Hopefully the next ones are OK.
I didn't notice your reply until after I posted. I will have a read through it now. Thanks.
 

Dirbatua

AWOL!
Joined
Apr 6, 2003
Messages
3,910
Reaction score
167
Points
63
Age
36
Location
S/e Victoria
Members Ride
VX SS Series 2
hahaha, another White VX SS appears on the forums, seem to be a few coming in these days, least yours is manual :p *hint hint* Kanga :p

And i can see its got the VY Shifter Knob on it to replace the Ugly VX one too.
 
Top