A Success Story: A Salute To The VT-VZ Holden Commodore (1997-2006)

[mikmak]

Well done BBDOS CV8. A fitting tribute!


....and From Oz, I also found the original coupe concept a far better resolved design with the wrap around rear end. Thats not to say i wouldn't jump at a production version

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by from oz

Call me crazy but my dream after the Monaro was released was to buy one and convert it back to this...



I love the original tail lights; the blue/black paint and the chrome headlights. Just the whole damn thing really.

Very Nice.

Great read. Holden is interesting to me because of the RWD. I knew nothing about Holden 2 years ago. The power of GMi.

[ChevroletRevived]

Wow, very informative read. You really spent a lot of time on this. It's a very nice piece of writing, good work.

[JoeT]

Originally Posted by from oz

Call me crazy but my dream after the Monaro was released was to buy one and convert it back to this...


I love the original tail lights; the blue/black paint and the chrome headlights. Just the whole damn thing really.

Your not the only one. I like the idea of buying a series one V2 and giving it the VT treatment.

[Odin]

I would love a monaro that looked like the original concept too

[mang01]

What was the Opel badged VT-VZ please?
There seems lot in here that is either extreme insider knowledge or speculation - I just had to wonder when I read "1964 EH" and "1972 HQ" - both of which were released in the middle of the year earlier than stated (hey, we're not in the US and don't use their model year system). There were other things too.
But otherwise a cracking read and well done.

[BBDOS CV8]

Actually I'll have to retract the Opel claim - I found a referrence to it being sold in South America on one site. With a bit more research it appears however that the Opel Omega was locally-assembled from KDK and imported complete and may have survived past the demise of the German model, as there are referrences to a 2.0 litre four as late as 1998. That can't be the VT. I've edited the article to reflect. I've seen a picture of a VE recently badged as a Chev Omega - but I think that's a recent development. The other brands, yes - without question.

A lot of the article is my impressions and memories of what I read at the time so is subject to the foibles of relying on memory. I tuned out of Holden for a long time - really only got interested again when the VT Coupe Concept appeared at the SIMS. I always read articles in the daily press about them.

First to admit some info here is only as good as some of the sources, which appear on the inner-mess free, so make your own judgements about their worth. But I do know people in the trade who were and are across the issues, and have driven all these cars at one stage or another through my work. When I was at Repco Clutch we had one of the first each VB SL 3.3 4-speeds and 253 SL/Es off the line, which I got to hoik the gearboxes out of about a dozen times each, trying different clutch specs and then got to test drive. We had Brocky's clutchplate out of the Repco Around-Oz trial car sitting on our chief engineer's desk for a long time. Roger Moore, the engineer I worked for, was mates with Murray Carter and personally made clutch plates for Moffat's RX7 and several other touring car and racing drivers.

The old man's got a LPG VR auto, I've got a VY-Series III CV8 and a close friend has a VS manual Acclaim. I've also been driven for about a 1,000km in someone else's VX SS plus as I said I've driven or been driven in every major revision Commodore since the first one. I got to drive a VL with the Nissan motor for about 1,000km through Victoria for work (quickish but scary-bad handling) before the wiring in the steering column arced and it was replaced with a EA Falcon - which was flawless but still a complete steaming pile. That must have been early '88 because they were both current hire cars.

The article is opinion but certainly not meant to mislead. I wouldn't go making bets on it or stake your life on it. But it is as right as I could make it. it's hard with Holden because even within one series specs could change and of course many options and model levels appeared.

The Monaro stuff I've seen and read so many times I'm pretty clear on it.

[bouda]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Very Nice.

Great read. Holden is interesting to me because of the RWD. I knew nothing about Holden 2 years ago. The power of GMi.

What he said!

[hq308]

Good article!

As an addition I think it's also worth mentioning that VT is the second highest selling Holden model ever (after HQ which was just shy of 500,000 sales ) overtaking EH sales (around 260,000 from memory) which was previously the second highest selling model.

[Stormin]

Originally Posted by BBDOS CV8

Actually I'll have to retract the Opel claim - I found a referrence to it being sold in South America on one site. With a bit more research it appears however that the Opel Omega was locally-assembled from KDK and imported complete and may have survived past the demise of the German model, as there are referrences to a 2.0 litre four as late as 1998. That can't be the VT. I've edited the article to reflect. I've seen a picture of a VE recently badged as a Chev Omega - but I think that's a recent development.

The VT onwards were exported to Brazil as Chevrolet Omegas.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by bouda

What he said!

I'm this close [ ] to moving down under.

[mang01]

Originally Posted by BBDOS CV8

Actually I'll have to retract the Opel claim - I found a referrence to it being sold in South America on one site. With a bit more research it appears however that the Opel Omega was locally-assembled from KDK and imported complete and may have survived past the demise of the German model, as there are referrences to a 2.0 litre four as late as 1998. That can't be the VT. I've edited the article to reflect. I've seen a picture of a VE recently badged as a Chev Omega - but I think that's a recent development.

Originally Posted by Stormin

The VT onwards were exported to Brazil as Chevrolet Omegas.

Okay it is interesting to know all that anyway - I think the Opel brand was used more in Argentina than Brazil where Chevrolet was used but interestingly the late 60's Opel Rekord was the Chevrolet Opala - sort of a corruption of the name Opel perhaps?

[RedVee8]

I too love the original VT Coupe.

It was the car that re-fired me up to Holdens, after a period of 'a cars a car' when mortgage and kids were hitting the wallet. I can't remember being as taken with a car, as an adult, as with this concept and the subsequent production Monaro.

[vt6banger]

The Holden 308 was revised into a smoother and more powerful motor – the ultimate development was the 180Kw 5000i which was a 304c.i. homologation special for Australian touring car racing.

the 304 had a standard output of 165kw in the vn with 180kw in vn clubsport,which bumped up to 185kw in vr/vs clubby. 200kw in sv5000 and 215 in the vn ss group a. vr/vs senator could also be optioned to 215kw as they were stroked to 5.7, but didnt get twin throtts.I think the highest output for the 304 was 220 in the vt, which was a roller motor i think. not bad considering the vn ss group a had 4 bolt mains and twin throtts

[hq308]

Originally Posted by vt6banger

the 304 had a standard output of 165kw in the vn with 180kw in vn clubsport,which bumped up to 185kw in vr/vs clubby. 200kw in sv5000 and 215 in the vn ss group a. vr/vs senator could also be optioned to 215kw as they were stroked to 5.7, but didnt get twin throtts.I think the highest output for the 304 was 220 in the vt, which was a roller motor i think. not bad considering the vn ss group a had 4 bolt mains and twin throtts

I think he was refering to the standard (non-HSV) 304's as the VT 5.0l engine had a standard rating of 179kw, the HSV 304 was 195kw and the 5.7 HSV was 215kw, the first of the LS-1's was 220kw. All VT (Holden) V8's had a hydraulic roller cam as well as sequential fuel injection as far as I know.