My eagerly awaited VXII SS

[V8ERUS]

Well boys, I have driven a VTI 5 litre around for a year after getting ripped off big time (long story, my own fault), whoever owned that poor thing before me, flogged the living hell out of it, makes me sick to see a car treated in such a manner, along the way it cost me $4000 to fix up to it's current state, but now it's trade time, and the replacement being a VXII SS, at last I will be a true LS1 member :) and hopefully happy driving memories once more. :burnout: Hasn't had a rebuild, and has a clean service history. I'm eager to get into it :evil:

[mavss]

Congrats V8erus. Make sure to post pics when you get your beast.

I've had my VXIISS since new & it still brings a smile to my face whenever I drive her.

Have fun & drive well.

[enemyss]

Good on ya!
I have a vx2ss and found it had a new motor in it! Car has done bout 70000 when i got it and motor bout 10000km so im pretty happy with that and ive had no probs not that im expecting any! nice car and i reckon their the better looking shape over the vt and vy ss. Hope it goes well for ya

[dominik]

I second that... post some photos when you get her. The VXIIs are a great package and as enemyss said the VX shape really does look nice and is being kept alive by the Monaro. When I went shopping around for one there were a lot in white, a lot of autos... but I had my heart set on a phantom M6 so I was persistent. In a perfect world, what color SS are you hoping for?

[xshore]

mmm LS1, I lovem. I told my gf that last night and she was like "I know" hehe. I recommend doing a pcm reset when you get it. Takes 10 mins including warm up and it makes if feel silky smooth like new. oh and congrats on your purchase.

[V8ERUS]

Actually can I run something past you guys.
When I initially started the beast up (it was wedged in between another car on the left, and a building on the right) the rebound noise sounded a bit like a diesel engine (I was sitting in the car with the driver's side window down, on the building side), albeit very low key, but because I listened to that piston slap recording (in another thread) of another LS1, I noticed it, can hardly hear it though, not as bad as that recording. I presume this is normal? It isn't bothering at all, it wouldn't even be a burden to live with.
I proceeded to test drive the SS down the freeway :) for a few kilometres (as the dealer is right beside the freeway to Brisbane) and pulled over, listened to the idle inside the car (nothing), pulled up the bonnet, and it was quiet as a mouse, couldn't hear a thing. This car has no Engine changeover or rebuild history with Holden by the way, checked it out. I presume this is normal for these Gen3's? Other than that, it is immaculate in every way.
And yes blokes I will post some pics up when I get a chance in this thread. It is a white coloured one and only has 61000 km's on the clock.

[aftahours]

Good to hear mate, you won't be able to get over the difference between the two cars. ;)

[dominik]

Actually can I run something past you guys.
When I initially started the beast up (it was wedged in between another car on the left, and a building on the right) the rebound noise sounded a bit like a diesel engine (I was sitting in the car with the driver's side window down, on the building side), albeit very low key, but because I listened to that piston slap recording (in another thread) of another LS1, I noticed it, can hardly hear it though, not as bad as that recording. I presume this is normal? It isn't bothering at all, it wouldn't even be a burden to live with.V8erus, I'm no mechanic so by all means ask around and find out as much as you can, but I've heard a moderate-to-noisy 'ticking' sound (lifters?) on every LS1 started cold, mine included. Let it idle for a minute to get the oil circulating before taking off and it should be just fine. Trust me, you'll know hardcore piston slap (like the recording you mentioned (http://www.pistonslap.com/photos.htm)) when you hear it. If the noise is more of a 'knocking' sound and doesn't go away once the engine has warmed up there's obviously a problem. Changing the brand/type of oil can make a difference, otherwise an engine rebuild/replacement is in order.

[V8ERUS]

Dominik

Yeah no mate it is as quiet as a mouse after a short time, like I said I presumed it is normal operation noise, it was hardly noticeable anyway. Might be a good one I am thinking.....hoping :) after my ordeal over the last year with getting ripped off and all.

Thanks fellas for the replies, I am driving down to the dealer now to do the trade.

[V8ERUS]

Well here are a few digital shots just taken at lunchtime, glare is a bit of a pain, but anyway, it's just another SS, like so many others here.

http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/v8erus/100_0738.JPG

http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/v8erus/100_0739.JPG

http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/v8erus/100_0741.JPG

Anyhow it is immaculate really, low k's, good service history, everything basically my last car wasn't. It doesn't have any piston slap/croak, it does sound a bit like a diesel engine though in close confined rebound noise, (maybe some slight ticking, sounds like lifters, but probably no worse than my Holden 5litre V8's) no extra noise though. Was very happy with it's highway performance :D, far better than the Holden 304 mills I have owned.
Now I just need to get validated :(

[IIV8II]

Congrats! I look forward to teh day when I can do the same!

gee, there must be yarn behind the 5.0 that you have... care to enlighten us?!

[Ralph1]

Thats a nice ride, clean lines. Can we ask the $$$ figure.

[jeff3205]

Very nice! Reminds me how good those VX SS wheels look when pristine and with the balancing weights behind the spokes rather than hooked onto the rims. Hmmm, maybe I should spend some $$$ to get the gutter rash on my wheels fixed ...

[V8ERUS]

IIV8II - Ok i'm gonna make a fool of myself here, but too bad, may teach someone else a lesson to learn from as well. Cost me only $6500 (approx. $4000 repairs and $2500 loss on loan) ultimately, but the worry it caused is priceless, there is no money value on the stress it caused especially at time of purchase and the legal proceedings. I don't even know why I did it at the time, I put it down to brain explosion. I had sold my trusty and much loved VSII Exec V8 6 months previously, and I had been looking for a VT 5 litre for months and this one came up in Melbourne area (was Dec 2003), Wallan for that matter DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM WALLAN. (out of RACV check range mind you) I could also name these mongrels, they are a racket for sure, they have multiple other cars for sale I have noticed in trading post and carsales.
Cut a long story short, did the REVS and WOVR check - nothing there, checked with the cops - nothing there, was gonna fly down and have a look, but then my mate talked me into just getting it shipped up. I had seen quite a few digital pics of it at that stage.
So I had it shipped up, and when it turned up I knew it had been flogged and was a hoons car, the more I looked the more I found. The "claimed" 67,000km's showing on the odo did not match the condition of the car at all. Rang a lawyer immediately and tried to sue, (rang Holden at this stage, found out it had 128,000 km's on it 2 years previously, serviced at a Holden dealer down there) but would have cost me in excess of $10000 to subpoena info etc to prove fraud from Vicroads.
Carpet had cigarette burns through it, seats were ripped, passenger side seat was missing the back, underside had extensive damage, sump on gearbox and engine was badly dented, and there was overspray still on the passenger side in areas. Later found the pretensioner for the airbag etc needed to be replaced, front seatbelts were frayed, holes in centre console, gearbox needed to be rebuilt, engine had new sump and pickup, power steering rack etc replaced, some remaining gashes in front tie rail fixed, passenger tower seam was rebogged up, the boot area was just a mess, didn't even have a jack or tool and the logbooks were missing suprise suprise.
There were other little things also, I added it all up to around $7500 to fix it all up to be a normal decent car, I only spent a proportion of this to get it on the road and use it when I needed to.
The bad thing about all this was I paid nice teen thousands for this car in the first place, wouldn't have been too bad if it was around the $5-$7000 mark, because it could have been done up ultimately. Anyhow last straw was a week or so ago, my mechanic confirmed the worst, that he believed the bearings had been chewed through to perhaps the second harder layer, the motor was very noisy on startup and rattled a bit, then once it was warm wasn't so bad, but still ticked slightly. I decided to cut my losses and get rid of it, had put up with it for a year, and i'm glad I did, wasn't too bad a trade in the end....thank god. So there you have it, a short summary of my previous VT 5 litre :)
Bottom line is, you may think you are getting ripped off from a dealer by $5000, but it is worth it let me tell you, compared to the risk of a car being stolen or just a heap of crap hidden up like mine (thank god it was all legitimate, I have seen cases of poor people lose their entire car for $30000+ because it was totally rebadged and the crooks posed as the actual owner of the vehicle with fake licence etc). Also you have more legal rights/options as opposed to a private sale, due to statuatory state law. Also I would always ring the manufacturer and check out it's previous service history with them, no matter if from a dealer or not, also a RACQ (or similar) check over, before I ever parted with hard earned cash ever again for a car.

Ralph1 - the VXII cost me $26000

jeff3205 - the rear passenger is the only mag I have with a blemish, has a few scratches on it, I may try and get it fixed, the spare is immaculate like the rest.

[BigFella]

hey congrats man, i wanted a VX II SS but i thought it was pointless as the old man has a black m6 one. So i got the 2002 VX calais 5.7. Love it heaps and driving both is great fun. I love the VX shape so much, i still am not a big fan of the VY-VZ.... i love it so much my next car will be a VX 2 senator....but the series 2 senators are so hard to find but worth the wait!

Cheers Jimmy :)

[V8ERUS]

Good on ya Bigfella, and thanks for the congrats. Good to be in a decent car again, and a Holden to boot ;)

[BEN 189]

congrats mate. i just bought a VX SS last week and i love it.

[IIV8II]

jeez V8ERUS, that's some story... :eek:

[V8ERUS]

Thanks Ben 189 I appreciate it.

IIV8II tell you I definitely know how to buy a car now, learned the hard way of course unfortunately, but I won't be the last to get ripped off in this fashion, and certainly wasn't the first. I just wasn't vigilant enough, and for once I was desperate and trusted that a**ehole (who knows one of those pricks could be on this forum too) down there, and was burnt, the very first time I started to trust people. :bash: ahhh not everyone is like that, but it pays to check everything you possibly can.
Just as well the exterior looked ok still, hell i'll post a picture of the VT :) I still have one here. I put the "V8" badges back on it too, made it look a little less dodgy. Looked ok with the 17"'s on it, they were all tardy though anyway. Just was flogged probably by some little rich boy down in Melbourne somewhere.

http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/v8erus/100_0132.JPG