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VE SS-Vish in Q8

Kooji

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I've been lurking on these forums for well over 2 months now, in the run up to replace an ailing Nissan Pathfinder. Last week, I paid for my first ever Holden - heck, first ever "relative muscle" car.

Hailing from the dunes of Kuwait (commonly referred to as Q8), I am hopefully taking delivery tomorrow of a Nickel 2007 Commodore SS Premium (read more below for what the heck that means). In this country (as elsewhere in the Middle East), the Commodore sells under the Chevrolet Lumina nameplate, so it's a Lumina SS. The reason why I constantly refer to it as SS-Vish will become apparent below - which is the entire point of the post. I just wanted to illuminate to you guys down under how peeps in the ME always get shafted somehow, particularly when the dealer thinks the customer is a total dimwit.

The Lumina S (the equivalent to the Commodore SV6) comes with the old-school, 241bhp V6 (the same as the one that goes in to the Omega). The Alloytec V6 isn't even an option. I haven't even started on the other options. But that's a totally different post.

Now, the SS comes in two trims: entry and premium. There is no SS-V.

The "entry" Lumina SS is identical to the Aussie Commodore SS minus the following:
1. Black cloth seats
2. No rear parking sensors
3. No passenger airbag
4. 18" rims that look like those on the SS-V

The "premium" Lumina SS is identical to the entry Lumina SS, except it has:
1. Two-tone leather seats
2. Rear parking sensors
3. Curtain and passenger airbags
4. 18" rims in the same style as the Commodore SS
5. Sunroof

The big blow came when I was told I could only have the S, SS entry or SS premium in 6-speed manual or - aghast - 4-speed slush. A little perspective: in Q8, manuals are unheard of. If you buy a manual, you risk not being able to ever fix it (even at the stealership), and you will certainly never be able to sell it. Both autos and manus sell at exactly the same price.

I opted for the premium Lumina SS (they only had a couple of entry 2008 SS, and a couple of premium 2007 SS for nearly $500 less). It cost me around AUD37,000 (how is that from a price perspective btw?). I'm extremely happy about my purchase, sans the 4-speed tranny which certainly put a damper on everything, knowing full well that I'm getting a slush box that is at least 2 years old (or does anyone know something I don't?).

My concern is: how is the 4-speed tranny likely to affect performance? I know it'll certainly affect fuel consumption, but fuel here isn't too much of a problem (we pay the equivalent of AUD0.27 per liter).

Also, the first thing I'd like to do to her is to convert my Lumina into a Commodore. I'd like to rebadge her in Holden colours (except the steering wheel because that may involve changing the whole steering wheel and voiding warranty). Where can I find the parts needed (grill, rear deck lid badge)?

Anyway, will keep you guys posted on my first impressions - pics to follow for sure.
 

AttaBoy

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It would be great to see some pics of that beast. Nice buy!!!
 

dufus

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Sounds good, defiantly whack up some pictures. As for the parts your best bet is probably getting them strait from Holden or from ebay.
 
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naf33n

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as always ebay is your best friend. maybe even swap front grilles with someone on here. alot of people seem pretty keen on the chev badges.
 

Kooji

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Thanks for the tip. Will defo take pics and check on here for a swap. Now if only I can get my hands on a workshop manual. I've done a search and it appears the only ones around are on CD (and they cost a small fortune).
 

dufus

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Now if only I can get my hands on a workshop manual. I've done a search and it appears the only ones around are on CD (and they cost a small fortune).

Unfortunately that expensive CD is your only option at the moment, as far as I know there aren't even any workshop manuals for produced for VZ's yet.
 

Kooji

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How likely is that I can fudge my way through the grill installation without the CD? I'd say I'm a medium-ranked grease monkey.
 

naf33n

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very simple. two screws and a couple of clips. no need for the cd if thats all you want it for
 

Wagon_Wheel

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Good to see another person proud of owning a holden, and not the other way (ie ppl badging holdens as chev's, even though they are holdens..... and yes i do realise the motor is chev but thats not the point :p)
Get some pics up, and i'd definatly say ebay and holden direct would be the best place to get parts.
What exactly did you want to convert back to holden?
Is it all the same body kit and everything or is it slightly altered?
 

Kooji

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Naf33n;

Thanks for that. For the time being, I'm hoping that's all I'll need to do, but I generally prefer to have the CD for anything else that comes up.

Wagon_wheel;

At this point in time, I'd like to change the front grill assembly and the rear decklid Chevy badge. As far as I can tell, the body kit is exactly the same as the one on the Aussie VE, but you guys can help with this once I have pics up.

Right, first impressions: I took delivery of my car yesterday night, and drove about for nearly 50-60km. Please note that my comments reflect my own opinions only.

Exterior
Much sexier in reality than pics. Much sexier on the road than in the showroom. Much sexier when it's yours :) The car is perfectly proportioned, the roofline is perfect for a car of this length (vs. other cars where the roofline sits too high).

Am not too sure about the pale amber indicator lights: maybe a light bulb change for a richer shade of orange?

The rear roof-mounted stop light was all fogged out from the inside, but the dealer assured me it'll go away in the sun. We shall see.

I don't know how you guys get it in AU, but she came with Yokohoma rubbers, and I'm not jumping up and down with excitement about that. It appears my particular car had been sitting about in a warehouse somewhere for a while, so the rubbers will have to go (already spoke to dealer, said not an issue). I'm thinking of paying a little extra and getting Michelins or Goodyears - seems like the Dunlops are a sure bet (judging by what I've read on these forums). Any recommendations?

Interior
Very well appointed, very well designed (everything within easy reach). A little plasticky in some areas (ashtray, center console arm rest actually sounds horrible), but otherwise, an acceptable compromise for a car at this price point.

Love the dash texture - not the cheapo Japanese faux leather crap.

So far, I can't seem to find my ideal seating position (am 6"2), but I can tell it won't be a problem for long.

Seats look more supportive than they really are (side bolsters could be a little firmer, but I guess they're the way they are to accommodate longer journeys). Hand brake takes getting used to - it's so close to the seat I sometimes worry it'll scrape the leathers when I push it down.

A-pillars very imposing, but it actually feels reassuring, and it will take some time to get used to them. Am not too worried about those.

Sunroof works like a champ. Although I prefer an infinitely variable control for opening and angle, the number of stages that come predefined are more than acceptable.

Overall fit and finish: very good for a car at this price point. Very little NVH (so far).

Performance
I haven't actually done any empirical testing, and I probably won't for a very long time yet, but I can feel the power locked up in there. I had absolutely no sensation of speed, and had to check my dials more times than I'd like to make sure I wasn't overspeeding. The throttle tip in is very well adjusted for a engine this size, and the linearity is perfect and entirely natural. Brake feel is average - I'd like to improve that so that the bite comes in sooner (easily remedied with new, aftermarket calipers). Steering well weighted, no problems there.

Handling
Near perfect. Really. I was driving an 08 BMW 320i for the last few days, and I can say that Holden has done an exceptionally good job with the VE. Body roll is acceptable because sometimes it helps to tell you how far you're pushing the car. Road surface doesn't carry into the cabin and steering wheel unless you really should know that the road surface is that bad. Minimal pitch and yawn on take-off and hard stop. Very happy here.

Infotainment
I managed to pair my mobile without a problem. Works like a charm. Trip computer is still a little unsure of itself (car has only done 80km so far), and tells me half a tank will take me 100km (average speed 19.2km/h so no surprise really). Managed to change nearly all the settings, except not sure if the "beep on lock" should happen on the first time I lock or on the second time after the car has already locked.

The system is straight-foward with zero frills. Perfect for a daily driver.

Overall impressions
I couldn't be happier. I'm a particularly picky driver and owner, so I'm very impressed with Aussie output :) It's very well engineered, and obviously very well thought out. You can tell on some cars when they wanted to meet production deadlines or when the parts were pulled out of a parts bin. Not on the Lumina. If all goes well, I believe I can live with this car for a very long time.

Pics will follow in the next few days.
 
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