My Modified V8 Holden Commodore (aussie car)

[holden_stroker]

hey everyone, the only worldly passion i have above audio gear is cars..

Most of you probabaly wouldnt've heard of the Holden brand before, but this is the most common car here in Australia!

below is my beloved '98 VT commodore.

a bit about it..

Model: '98 VT calais

Colour: Raven mica - B171

Bodykit: VT HBD

Engine Type: 5lt

Engine Mods: Ported, flow benched and shaved heads, slightly shaved and match ported inlet manifold, cleaned up T/B, 276 custom grind wade cam, flame hardened lobes, heavier valve springs, aftermarket timing chain, 8mm leads, NGK plugs, K&N filter, higher flowing fuel pump, adjustable fuel pressure regulator.

Power: unsure as yet.

Exhaust: Pacemaker tri-Y extractors, twin 2.5" into 2 X high flow CAT's, H-pipe, 2 X highflow redback mufflers, single 3" in stainless from the diff back - all custom. chrome exhaust extension.

Gearbox: 4-spd auto.

Diff: Tight LSD with 3.45gears.

Brakes: DBA ventilated, cross drilled and slotted, bendix ultimate pads, red calipers.

Suspension: Pedders 6142 touring springs, front, pedders 6419 touring springs in the rear for cruising, AND king spring KHRL-46SSL in the rear end for shows.

Wheels/Tyres: 19" advanti fluid rims.

Interior: Retrimmed in cream/white leather and royal blue highlights, custom calais stitching in seats, removed map pockets, custom manual looking gear boot, silver bullet dash surround, light blue style dials with white needles, centre compartment lid, chrome gear selecter and handbrake buttons.

Other Mods: Painted engine and rocker covers, rolled guards, HSV front quarter panel badges, debadged bonnet, resprayed front end, genuine monaro headlights and tail lights, vx garnish, chrome exterior door handles.

Stereo: Eonon dvd/mp3/usb/bluetooth head unit, 7" Eonon flip out screen, infinity reference front splits, pioneer 420w 6 X 9's, boss 4channel amp, pioneer 4ch amp, distribution block, alpine amp controller in dash, alpine V-12 monoblock amp, 2 X alpine type - R 12" subs, custom enclosure with perspex and neons, custom made carpeted false wall, fire extinguisher mounted to wall, 4G wiring kit.

Build Period: on-going.

Cost: more than what its worth

Future Mods: slowly chipping away at various things although a few things i have to get done are...
-replace all chrome strips with new items, and respray the entire car...
-twin exiting exhausts one each side
-3.7 or 3.9diff gears
-big brakes
-TT V8 (not for a while)

let me know what you think, i've spent a lot of time and money (im only 20) playing around with this car.

also welcome to any questions

and heres a movie of it accelerating

 

[Davemcc]

I wish we could get cars like that here. Well, we can but they are all very expensive Bimmers, Mercs, or the Caddy CTS-V etc. In Canada, we never got the option of the Monaro/GTO. Where does your car fall into the general price spectrum of vehicles over there? Is this a car that the average working guy with a family could reasonably afford or is it limited production? Finally, what did you run at the dragstrip?

Sorry for all the questions, but it seems like you wouldn't mind talking about your car.

 

[masak_aer]

I wish we could get cars like that here. Well, we can but they are all very expensive Bimmers, Mercs, or the Caddy CTS-V etc. In Canada, we never got the option of the Monaro/GTO. Where does your car fall into the general price spectrum of vehicles over there? Is this a car that the average working guy with a family could reasonably afford or is it limited production? Finally, what did you run at the dragstrip?

Sorry for all the questions, but it seems like you wouldn't mind talking about your car.

I had seen those in Asia, it has been a long time fav family sedan. It's still kicking after long years, mid-price car.

 

[pzaur]

Holden autos are actually available in the US, just under limited re-badging as a Pontiac G6, G8, GTO. Sweet looking cars and I love the sound of the exhaust! Not whiny!

Holden Wikipedia Entry

-pat

 

[j_garcia]

They've stopped selling the Monaro/GTO already. For whatever reason, it didn't sell well.

 

[darien87]

Sweet ride. I've got an aunt that lives in Perth. I keep trying to find an excuse to visit her. I've always wanted to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

They've stopped selling the Monaro/GTO already. For whatever reason, it didn't sell well.

I heard that the main the reason Pontiac stopped producing the GTO was that it wouldn't pass the current US safety standards and they didn't have the next version ready. I don't know how true that is but poor sales surely didn't help. Has anyone else heard this?

SBF1

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Hi holden stroker,

Nice car...

and your screen name can have more than one meaning...

I have this need to be with my wife all of a sudden!


SBF1

 

[Seth=L]

When was the new Pontiac GTO introduced in the US? OP says his is from 1998 from what I gather.

 

[holden_stroker]

beleive it or not this is what most people over here drive! its your most common family sedan, on the same level as your ford falcon.

this cost me 19k when i first picked it up almost 5years ago now, but i've spent probabaly about 15k on it. looking around now you can buy a standard VT calais (top of the line commodore like mine) for about the 10k mark, although it wouldnt have half the stuff mine has...

for the latest models and priceing head to their website www.holden.com.au - they also offer a stage above this as well which they name "HSV". very worth while checking out their website as well www.hsv.com.au

mine runs about a 9.79 down the 1/8mile. havnt had it to the 1/4 yet.. way too much wheel spin, but on a good day with traction it should ran a 14second pass.

to give you an idea on car prices, you can pick up a new mercedes C180 kompressor for about $80,000AU i think.

 

[emrliquidlife]

beleive it or not this is what most people over here drive! its your most common family sedan, on the same level as your ford falcon.

this cost me 19k when i first picked it up almost 5years ago now, but i've spent probabaly about 15k on it. looking around now you can buy a standard VT calais (top of the line commodore like mine) for about the 10k mark, although it wouldnt have half the stuff mine has...

for the latest models and priceing head to their website www.holden.com.au - they also offer a stage above this as well which they name "HSV". very worth while checking out their website as well www.hsv.com.au

mine runs about a 9.79 down the 1/8mile. havnt had it to the 1/4 yet.. way too much wheel spin, but on a good day with traction it should ran a 14second pass.

to give you an idea on car prices, you can pick up a new mercedes C180 kompressor for about $80,000AU i think.

Ohhh man. I bought my C230 Coupe in 2002 for 34,000 USD. Full leather, just about all the options except nav and Bixenon. Ouch. And I have the 2.3l Kompressor engine that is in the SLK.

E

 

[holden_stroker]

his is how it looked when i first picked it up.. can get this kind of thing for about 10k AU now.. less than a set of krell speakers were going for on ebay

Ohhh man. I bought my C230 Coupe in 2002 for 34,000 USD. Full leather, just about all the options except nav and Bixenon. Ouch. And I have the 2.3l Kompressor engine that is in the SLK.

E

we are getting ripped off here!!

all that imported stuff is deer as.. thats why most people go for the holden and ford, the locally built stuff.

 

[race4aliving]

nice car. I bet it's a real Q Ship.

 

[j_garcia]

A lot can be done with that motor...A buddy of mine had a Camaro SS and it ran mid 11s with just a few modifications. He took me for a spin in it one time; very fun

 

[holden_stroker]

A lot can be done with that motor...A buddy of mine had a Camaro SS and it ran mid 11s with just a few modifications. He took me for a spin in it one time; very fun

actually, its a different motor!

mine has the holden, aussie built 5lt engine, thats been around since the late 80's. (block is similar i believe to right back in the 70's!).

the motor you speak of, which came out in the series II model of my car, is the american 5.7lt LS1. these thing can really be tuned up and its a walk in the park to get 200rwkw out of them with a simple exhaust and tune!

 

[j_garcia]

5LT is like (or is the same as) the LT1 then? Still a good motor...but not quite the same beast as the LS1.

 

[Davemcc]

I heard that the main the reason Pontiac stopped producing the GTO was that it wouldn't pass the current US safety standards and they didn't have the next version ready. I don't know how true that is but poor sales surely didn't help. Has anyone else heard this?

SBF1

I've heard this. The GTO was a stopgap solution for GM to have a V8/RWD car in the lineup. There were a number of changes to certify the car for the US, including moving the location of the gas tank. But US crash standards have already caught up with the design of the already aged platform. Sadly, the conversion of the Holden to a Pontiac also turned it into a pretty bland, boring looking car that was near universally panned by the automotive press and failed to sell very well. I think the GTO is scheduled to reappear on a new platform sometime soon.

 

[highfihoney]

Wow,did you know that your drivers compartment is on the wrong side of the car

 

[holden_stroker]

5LT is like (or is the same as) the LT1 then? Still a good motor...but not quite the same beast as the LS1.

urrgghhmmm... no.. still a different, totaly different motor. holden 5lt was australian made and only used in aussie vehicles. its not one that came from the states like the ls1.

one of the best sounding EFI V8's around by the way

 

[Davemcc]

Is this a 304ci motor? It's hard to find much info on it.