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VE SS questions

Furyfire

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Hi guys, I'm planning on upgrading to a VE SS (maybe not at the moment but very soon once things settle down...)

I've got a few questions I hope some of you passionate owners can answer so I can narrow down which year and which series to get my hands on.

I wanna buy one with 120k on the clock max with a budget of $18k. So I'm thinking a series 1 my9.5/my10. Any advice on these particular versions? Do series 1 have any issues like they do with the sv6s? Are the my9.5/my10 good cars or should up my budget and aim for something newer?

I'm not fussy on the better interior with the series 2. I wanna buy a V8, simply because it's a v8.
 

VECalaisV8Wagon

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Nothing in particular just make sure it has a good service history.
AFM in the autos may be a problem if you decide to put an exhaust on it. (Drone in 4cyl mode) I got an AFM disabler in the end.
Good cars, you will love the V8.
 

vr304

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If it’s a series 1 with the L76 engine then the lifters (afm ones) are known to be problematic, series 2 got the L77 engine with revised lifters to fix this your other option is the earlier series 1 with L98 engine my 06/07/08 which doesn’t have the afm crap
 

Furyfire

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If it’s a series 1 with the L76 engine then the lifters (afm ones) are known to be problematic, series 2 got the L77 engine with revised lifters to fix this your other option is the earlier series 1 with L98 engine my 06/07/08 which doesn’t have the afm crap
Hmm interesting, thanks for the info. No known issues with L98 engine?
 

krusing

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Hmm interesting, thanks for the info. No known issues with L98 engine?

If you get a Series 2, you are able to use E85 and/or E10,
especially when petrol is much dearer ie: $1.60 p/l, E85 hovers around $1.43 p/l[ well it does in Melbourne],
so you have the best of both worlds,

As for the comment AFM Crap, everyone to their own,
I deliberately bought my VE Series 2 Calais with a L77 because of the AFM,
I did my home work, and I have the best of both worlds of using a std fuel or a ethanol fuel,
when others are paying a lot more at the pump.
Fuel economy is great on city driving and long trips, as it drops to 4cyl mode when not under load.
I have the AFM, and is just efficient to what a V6 is, if not better,
It all depends upon the weight of the right foot on the accelerator,
In a nut shell, best car I have ever bought, smooth as silk,
or you gave the grunt under the foot if needed, and love driving it.

If you wish to change the exhaust,
there is a small mod that kills the drone when the AFM goes into 4cyl Mode.
Again, best of both worlds.
 
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vr304

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Hmm interesting, thanks for the info. No known issues with L98 engine?
Some of them have lifter failures also but definitely not as prevalent as the L76 all of the LS series of engines have some failures of lifters and oil pumps, not every single engine of course but those are known issues across the LS engines. I’ve had my 07 VE SS with L98 engine for about 3.5 years and haven’t had any issues apart from the radiator top hose spigot breaking off but that’s a VE thing in general regardless of engine
 

timd29

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210,000k on my l98, just a dead injector, otherwise smooth running.
 

glennho

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2006 SS L98 118k,slight wobble in the harmonic balancer other than that not a problem in 10 years
 

krusing

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I have 176,000 k's on the clock, purchased it in June 2013 with 17,000 k/s on the clock [ex: GM Executives Car],
little bit of lifter noise in the morning, which is not a bad thing,
because soon as the oil pressure is up it quietens downs, which is a good thing, because I know the oil pump is working.
Little bit of harmonic balancer wobble, but I guess you would expect that at 176,000 k's.
Otherwise been driving it for 7 years, as mentioned before, love driving it.
 
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