My Down Under Transport

[Negative Creep]

Not sure if this is really shite, but will post anyway. I'm in New Zealand for the next 12 months so needed some means of getting around. There's a really weird mix of cars here with a lot of 70's and 80's stuff still knocking around and in remarkably good condition. If you want to spot shite then you're in heaven. Anyone I had to go halves with the mate I'm traveling with (he's on here as Uncle Silvia) so the end result had to be somewhat of a compromise. If I'm honest we wanted something that wasn't available in the UK so restricted our search to the Holdens, Fords and numerous obscure large Jap saloons. So for a fraction over £2000 we picked this up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a 1994 Holden Commodore Berlina (the luxury one) so that means 3.8 V6 and rwd. Sadly it is an auto but big cars with proper gearboxes are very hard to find over here. It has an HSV kit but isn't one, hence why I wasn't so sure on it (kindof says replica to me). Still it goes fairly well and handling is pretty decent for a car this size. Really wanted a Ute but that wouldn't be so practical. Enjoy!

[VWPowered]

window louvre ftw

[Lukas]

It´s based on the Omega A/Senator B-plattform, isn´t it?

[STUNO]

that quite a nice one. I though you had bought a V8 by the looks, but you have got a good classy car. Whats with the FCW plate? thats a newly registered car, or has the last owner kept the plate that was on it?

[Milford Cubicle]

Looks vile, nice buy! It reminds me of a Mk4 Escort fitted with a Cosworth bodykit.

[mnde]

There's a really weird mix of cars here with a lot of 70's and 80's stuff still knocking around and in remarkably good condition.

Get snapping then! I Like the new transport.Mark.

[STUNO]

has the last owner kept the plate that was on it?

Yep, a quick check showed its previous plate as BADAD1

[r.welfare]

Must admit I didn't warm to the VZ Commodore Executive I had as a hire car in Oz three years ago, but one is still a sensible buy given the ubiquity of them and the simple engineering.

[Betaphile]

It´s based on the Omega A/Senator B-plattform, isn´t it?

Yes, but until VE, standard Holden operating practice was to pull together quite a different car using the worldwide GM parts bin - so the platform is stretched and widened, and the Euro rear suspension ditched in favour of a locally-engineered and locally-built (cheap) live rear axle. The 1997 VT was the first Commodore ever which dumped the live rear in favour of retaining the same rear suspension layout as the donor Opel (semi-trailing arms from the Omega). I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of these things - the OHV Buick 3800 V6 (more parts-bin poaching) is a pretty unrefined donk and the four-speed autobox is worse - mega-clunky and off-the-pace even when it was new. But congrats - it's deffo shite these days and they're pretty tough, so it shouldn't go wrong - if it does you can raid any scrapyard in the country for a bazillion scrap examples.