VT Berlina - Mods and Faults

[vsdreamer]

Hey guys, another noob to the forum.

Quick overview, im 16, got my L's, have a Lancer but want to get rid of it cause it dies on hills and i want a bigger car with more power. I am an absolute Holden nut, my father converted me when i was little showing me all his old cars - HT Monaro's and Toranas (dont stop hearing the complaints on how he wish he kept them) and now im looking for a commodore of some sort.

Anyway, my dads mate has a cheap VT Berlina which im really interested in, nothing special just has a new head unit and its on gas which is good because check out chick 16yo pay isnt exactly amazing.

I was wondering, do these things have certain issues that go wrong specifically around 200,000 kms? Like im not going to be up for some huge bill for timing belts or something? It has new tyres and recently had a service but just wondering if it needs anything else major soon.

I was also wondering, what are cheap DIY mods you could do to something like this where insurance wont hammer me? I was thinking little things like interior LED's and maybe calais international wheels to make it look a bit better and clear blinker lenses on the side and rear. Any more ideas?

Just want to know what im in for before i get out the cash haha.

 

[hotrod]

cars are money pits , doesn't matter which one you get , my vt berlina on gas and has 240,000km on it , its pretty reliable , most common faults I came across is : , inlet manifold gasket need replacing , engine mounts , steering rack , angle crank sensor , extension housing seal on transmission and my gas regulator , most of the stuff just ware and tear over time .

 

[s_ikari2015]

VT Berlina is a good car. The Gas system will require regular maintenance and inspection on its own to maintain certification. The V6 engine is solid and hard to kill.

Automatic transmissions may start to slip around those kms , but usually a fluid and filter change will sort that out.

Power steering racks and pumps develop leaks and can usually be rebuilt with a kit, but if not, refurbished replacements are usually available.

Engine idler pulleys are also a common failure point, but can be checked for noise with a stethoscope or piece of tubing in your ear. If there's a grinding sound it's better to have them replaced. The pulleys are cheap and it's good to replace the belt too at the same time if you're not sure how old it is and it's showing any signs of age like small cracks or frayed edges.

The climate control (if fitted and not just standard air con) sometimes develops vacuum leaks and so it only blows on demister or randomly changes. That can be expensive to fix as the whole dash pretty much may need to come out, not just the fascia parts.

Interior mods are relatively easy, just look for all the screws if something isn't coming off easily. Painting the dash surrounds (fascia) is common. Internationals are a great look in my opinion. Definitely go the clear indicator lenses too, and use "silver" indicator bulbs if you can get them.

 

[Jxfwsf]

Where to start, I'm with ya on holden's, they're a dime a dozen when it comes to commodores so parts are cheap, easily accessible and cheaper if you're mechanically minded.

Sadly, from 0km's vt's have a major issue with the rear IRS, given the years and amount of km's on the clock it'll need some $$$ spent on the rear bushes (atleast put an aftermarket camber kit in so the rear toe can be adjusted), it'll most likely just go through rear tyres which will add up after a while, you can buy cheap tyres but they will not last as long as better branded ones which over time costs more money.

The springs if original and once again given age/km's could also be sagged and lost their tension, this will not help the rear irs problem.

Shock absorbers will probably be lacking once again due to above conditions (rears are simple but fronts are 1 piece in the strut which is not cheap)

If auto then it's probably getting to the point of needing major attention on the trans (get it checked by a transmission specialist)

Power steering pump, power steering hoses, rack ends, tie rod ends, front wheel bearings, front sway bar link rods/bushes and front caster rod bushes will probably need attention if they haven't already been replaced.
Centre bearing on the tail shaft is another common one.

Rear main engine seal/plate would be a good to place look with the car on a hoist, any signs of coolant leaks/corrosion running down from that area on the inspection plate would indicate a big hit to the wallet.

Normally fuel pump would be on the list to be replaced but being dual fuel not so much of an issue as you won't be completely stranded if it decided to pack it in.

Inlet manifold gasket if it hasn't been done would be a great idea to do it now, radiator hoses, heater hoses, thermostat and heater tap on the same list.

O2 sensors & tps if original are worth changing as well, but they won't completely cripple the car if they fail so can be on the to do later list.
Crank angle sensor is a common problem but it's luck of the draw if the original last for many more years or you replace it with some aftermarket one and that fails in 6 months..... harmonic balancer condition added to the list.

If it's cheap enough and you get a mechanic to look over it thoroughly before handing cash over and none of the above are about ready to replaced then sure, while getting someone to check it they will pick up more minor things that are not expensive but if there's a vx s2/vy around for the same price with the same or less km's on the clock then it'd be a better buy.

(this list is actually fairly small compared to other vehicle brands on the road with the amount of km's and age)