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VP Calais ride quality

gohrdrgomad

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yep i am sure these were a nice riding car from new. My Calais had been altered with cut front springs and super lows in the rear. Shocks were stuffed and the sub frame bushes were flogged out.
I tried new shocks and new standard King springs but didnt seem as good as i remembered an other VP excutive i had owned.
Currently I have VZ V6 front springs with the Standard King springs in the rear. Combined with replacing the Sub frame bushes the ride quality is not too bad. Why the VZ springs/ simply because i had them on hand and thought i might as well try them.
It may well be the the standard FE2 springs would be the best option for the car. Something I will definetly try if I can pick up a good second hand set.
Not having a go at you about fittin what you have on hand as it serves a purpose, but in fitting a bitsa this, bitsa that doesn't give you ride/handling charactoristics = ballance. Other components to consider are sway bars, you'll sort it out.
 

BlackVXGTS

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...Something I will definetly try if I can pick up a good second hand set....

Pity you are not in AUS. I still have the 48k kms FE2 bits from my VS Calais wrapped up and laying around under the house.
 

losh1971

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Pity you are not in AUS. I still have the 48k kms FE2 bits from my VS Calais wrapped up and laying around under the house.
How would they go on a ute that does sometimes carry a 1/2T load? They would lower it, yes?
 

FBEKEJEH

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Not having a go at you about fittin what you have on hand as it serves a purpose, but in fitting a bitsa this, bitsa that doesn't give you ride/handling charactoristics = ballance. Other components to consider are sway bars, you'll sort it out.

Thing is i paid up for a brand new set of King springs front and rear with new shocks all round thinking i would make the car ride like new but it didnt work the way I expected, so now I am experimenting with different options
 

FBEKEJEH

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Pity you are not in AUS. I still have the 48k kms FE2 bits from my VS Calais wrapped up and laying around under the house.

Yip thats exactly what i would like to try now, I am sure I will find some in kiwi land at some point.
Car is a long term keeper so I dont have to have everything done straight away , good things take time.
 

gohrdrgomad

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Thing is i paid up for a brand new set of King springs front and rear with new shocks all round thinking i would make the car ride like new but it didnt work the way I expected, so now I am experimenting with different options
l herd that king springs are firmer than genuine standard, some shops in Aust recomend a monroe strut/shock to suit. Give monroe a call with the spring ID it might help with possibilities. You can possibly order fe2 genuine at holden spare parts in nz? I renued genuine fe2 complete suspension about 1 year ago in Aust
 

losh1971

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I'm not a fan of Kings, I find them too harsh. They seem to loosen up after 12 months or so but when new I have found them not great.
 

VPRob

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Interested to hear that the chassis bushes were what made a big difference to the ride quality. I put in new rubber strut tops and strut inserts a while ago but ride has always been on the harsh side. Standard height, 15 x 7" rims.
Mechanics just shrug and say they always were a harsh ride. They probably are thinking (somewhat correctly) that I am trying to manufacture a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Are original rubber chassis mounts available or do we have to go to poly? What's the effect of poly?
 

FBEKEJEH

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l herd that king springs are firmer than genuine standard, some shops in Aust recomend a monroe strut/shock to suit. Give monroe a call with the spring ID it might help with possibilities. You can possibly order fe2 genuine at holden spare parts in nz? I renued genuine fe2 complete suspension about 1 year ago in Aust

That confirms what I am thinking the King springs are firmer than the originals.. aimed at better handling i guess.
 

FBEKEJEH

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Interested to hear that the chassis bushes were what made a big difference to the ride quality. I put in new rubber strut tops and strut inserts a while ago but ride has always been on the harsh side. Standard height, 15 x 7" rims.
Mechanics just shrug and say they always were a harsh ride. They probably are thinking (somewhat correctly) that I am trying to manufacture a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Are original rubber chassis mounts available or do we have to go to poly? What's the effect of poly?

yes can still buy the original rubber bushes from Holden at a price, i see there are generic ones on Ebay in rubber as well , dont know what they are like though. I would definetly recommend the rubber bushes if possible.
The rubber chassis mount bush must be absorbing a lot of the impact from rough road surface and mismatched patches.
The car is nice on asphalt roads but we have a lot of harsh bituman and chip here.
 
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