When would you let go of your V8?

[payaya]

Just thinking if fuel prices keep going up and head towards the $2.00L mark when do you think you will bail out on the V8 scene?

Fuel price is not a massive concern for me at the moment, but driving around in a 4 cylinder for a couple of weeks has made me realise how much money im spending just on fuel!

[OUTAtheBloo]

Its something ive been thinking about for a while, but not about selling the V8, but getting a little cheapy 4 to drive to work. Very hard to give up a car that you have spent alot of money buying and moding to where you want it, then basically giving it away. I cant see myself doing it, anytime soon.

Dan

[payaya]

yeah gotta have the weekend car!

Im just shocked at how little petrol those 4 bangers use.

[OLS108]

just buy a cheap Dunga to get to work...

Better yet Car pool:yup:

[Fabio's CV8]

Such a good question.

Looks like some of the responses here have hit it right on.

There's a couple of things to consider.

1) If you sold you won't get much for it as the market wouldn't be as strong for a V8 now. So there's no point selling.

2) You wouldn't buy another one as you know fuel is expensive etc, you would have to mod again. Lastly but not leastly the ones who have a better half will not allow us to get one as there would be mortgages and kids on the way lol.

2) Get a daily and keep the V8 for the weekender.
Alot of people are doing that now. Got a Corolla for my daily. :)

[Chris5.7ltr]

NEVER!

Although they say you should never say never.

[Daz Vx Clubbie]

I don't think i'll ever let go of a V8. Im always going to have something with a bit of Grunt in the shed otherwise id go insane :eyes:

I am looking at getting a dunga to get to work and back though. As due to living in the hills im finding front of my Clubby is getting cained by stone chips plus i'll halve my fuel bill as well. Id prefer to save my car for weekends when I can enjoy it.

[mad.ed]

I only got my ls1 in february this year, after a long spell from V8 power. Went thru the "i,ll get rid of my 8 and get a 6cylinder "syndrome , only to find out that vt v6 isnt much more economical than the ss that im driving now .So from previous experience and pain , no definately wont be getting rid of the v8.Kind of feel sad now , worst decision ive ever made was getting rid of the vs 5l berlina wagon, for a "cheaper to run" v6.

[Danv8]

Me give a up a V8.


Never!
:yup:

[Azza]

I'm close enough to work to ride my pushy save on coin and the greenies love me on the week days:bravo: It's the weekends they hate me:evil:

[Carby650]

Most people have already covered this off but I bought the missus a new Barina Dec last year to get to work and back. The VY is now a weekender. We are using half the fuel we used to use and even things lik tyres are heaps cheaper. I can replace 4 tyres on the Barina for the price of one on the SS.

[Tez82]

Would never give up the V8... Never thought I would get use to the power and performance over a V6 but nothing compares :D

However when I am over it, most likely go for a BMW 530 or something like that :p

[Black_vtss]

Hey guys,

Good idea on getting a daily 4 bannger, but by the time you purchase it pay 3rd party insurance and rego etc.... it'd take a long time to work out as a better option financially. Long term would be rewarding though.

[tuff304]

if fuel gets to 2 bucks a litre i will more than likely catch public transport.
my second half would not be impressed if i wanted to sell my v8 as just before i bought it she said "I don't ever wanna hear about you whinge about petrol". Si I'll be keeping it for a long time :)

[SiLENCE]

my GF drives a ford laser.. if it gets too ridiculous i know what will be racking up the K's

[Holden Nut]

Never. I would just try to drive it less. Walk/Ride/Bus/Train where possible and make sacrifices elsewhere.

[Capt.LS2]

I will always hang on to mine but will prob buy a cheap 4 banger to get around like a Corolla. I just know the moment you sell it you will have regrets! It's always nice to have a weekender in the garage ready to go :bow:

[Souljah]

This is where living at home, paying no rent and having an apprenticeship that gives me a pay rise each year pays off! :p

[fyreblade2000]

I would give up a V8 for a V10 or V12!!!!!:yup:

Seriously though I am putting my faith in Modern research and development to either:

1. Further improve on Fuel economy
2. Develop a fuel replacement or additive to "Cut" Fuel i.e methanol
3. Develop a synthetic fuel. ( Actually I believe a German Scientist did develop a formula for synthetic fuel in WWII but apparently the Allies bombed the Labratory where the scientist and the formula was located and he died and the formula was lost).

Until then I will always have a V8 in my garage!!! or until i run out of money!

FB2K

[Souljah]

3. Develop a synthetic fuel. ( Actually I believe a German Scientist did develop a formula for synthetic fuel in WWII but apparently the Allies bombed the Labratory where the scientist and the formula was located and he died and the formula was lost).
If that formula really did exist. You think the Allies didn't know about it?

[fyreblade2000]

If that formula really did exist. You think the Allies didn't know about it?

I can't remember the full details but, I don't think they (allies) knew about it. (The destruction of the Lab where the scientist and formula was probably a mistake).
But they (the Allies) in particular the US and Soviet Union WANTED the ROCKET system Germany developed (V-1 Rocket).

When Germany surrendered at the end of WWII just about all the German scientists involved were brought back to the US to further the development. (The Soviets got the scraps of the V-1 system).

My guess the syntheic fuel formula was a "by product" of the development of the V-1 Rocket

Imagine if they didn't bomb it that bloody Lab !!!:bash:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb

[Febs]

When they prise it from my cold, dead hands.

[RARASV8]

won't be selling mine in a hurry, will be given to my 3yo for his 18th birthday 11/10/2020. hopefully petrol is still around.
the fuel bill atm is lucky to be $40 a week
i'm lucky as my current work vehicle is not only a MERCEDES V8 BUT HAS 2 HAIRDRYERS HANGING OF IT................














pity its a bloody DIESEL:vpo:

[Savannah]

When I'm a little grey haired old lady.

[pah]

Now is the time to buy a 2nd hand V8. It's NOT the time to sell one.

Red Book car valuations say my car is now worth about $18k - $20k.
http://www.carsales.com.au/pls/carsales/!cs_content.valuation_search

If I have to put up with SAVAGE depreciation over the first three years of ownership, I'll minimise the pain by owning the car for at least 6 years. Even if an LPG conversion doesn't increase the resale value of the car, the initial SAVAGE depreciation will drop off over the next few years. I enjoy driving the car and I can live with 14L / 100 km's around town so there's no major drama at the moment.

If a $25k price drop over 3 years to a resale price of $18k is the sort of poopy retained value we can expect from a V8 Holden, it should certainly cause us to think very carefully about buying a new VE!! In my opinion, Holden needs to do something PRONTO to improve the fuel of it's VE range, not only to increase sales, but also to look after customers by enhancing resale value. The current Wheels magazine indicates that Holden is working on fuel saving devices. That might help VE Series 2 buyers but it's not much use to people buying the current VE V8 without DOD or Direct Injection.

I agree with the comments above. Buy a dunger to get from A to B and keep the Gen III / Gen IV for weekend runs and where it runs best - the open road.

Apart from that, fuel injected LPG set-up are bound to become more popular. How long before somebody offers an LPG performance setup? Somebody is bound to respond to the concern over fuel prices and interest in LPG by offering an LPG conversion complete with a performance PCM edit. If and when that happens, it would be sad to have let the Gen III go for a song.





PAH

[Carby650]

Apart from that, fuel injected LPG set-up are bound to become more popular. How long before somebody offers an LPG performance setup? Somebody is bound to respond to the concern over fuel prices and interest in LPG by offering an LPG conversion complete with a performance PCM edit. If and when that happens, it would be sad to have let the Gen III go for a song.
PAH

I'd go LPG on my SS in a flash except for the fact that it takes up so much of the boot space. Part of the reason I own a Commodore is for things like boot space. With 2 kids you need that space when you go away for a long weekend or even a sunday picnic. Need room for the esky and all the kids shit.

[FatBoy]

I bought an old early 90's 2.8 diesel Hilux 4WD which costs not much more than a 4cyl to run - sure it's slow but it has enough grunt to tow our boat and the RX-7 around without any dramas...

I'm hunting around for an LS1/LS2 at the moment and it certainly is a buyers market. One small sacrifice i will make is i'll get an auto so the missus can drive it if necessary if i ever sell the Hilux. Her return trip to work and back is less than 20kms, whereas i do more than 60kms... At the moment she has an '02 Astra and it is unbelievably good on fuel.... :confused:

[BLACK 346]

I bought an old early 90's 2.8 diesel Hilux 4WD which costs not much more than a 4cyl to run - sure it's slow but it has enough grunt to tow our boat and the RX-7 around without any dramas...

I'm hunting around for an LS1/LS2 at the moment and it certainly is a buyers market. One small sacrifice i will make is i'll get an auto so the missus can drive it if necessary if i ever sell the Hilux. Her return trip to work and back is less than 20kms, whereas i do more than 60kms... At the moment she has an '02 Astra and it is unbelievably good on fuel.... :confused:

I still miss my 94 Hilux 2.8 4x4 (traded it on the SS in 2001).
No matter how hard or soft you drove her (in 2wd), she returned
10l/100 and was by far the most reliable car I have ever owned :yup:
Now I just jump in the wifes Forry if I want to halve my fuel bill for the day.

[pah]

I'd go LPG on my SS in a flash except for the fact that it takes up so much of the boot space. Part of the reason I own a Commodore is for things like boot space. With 2 kids you need that space when you go away for a long weekend or even a sunday picnic. Need room for the esky and all the kids shit.

Fair point, but the BEST LPG conversions are dedicated gas aren't they? This eliminates the need to compromise the tune between petrol and LPG (at least it did in the past. Not too sure now that the LPG runs PCM controlled injection. In any case, a dedicated LPG setup means that the gas bottle might fit into the petrol tank hole after it's removed. If petrol hits $2 / L, a conversion to straight LPG might be a worthwhile alternative.

And tacking onto my previous point. If I keep my VY for at least 6 years, it'll be worth so little come upgrade time that I'll be able to justify keeping it as a weekend / fun car. My next car might be a 2.5L WRX or a diesel Golf, leaving the Gen III for long trips. Who knows? I might spot a good supercharger at a good price over the next few years.




PAH

[BLKVYHSV]

I could never get rid of the SS!! Been there with the smaller cars and i couldnt compare the power back to the V8. I will always be a V8 man wutever the prices of fuel are!!

[aftahours]

I don't think I would ever get rid of my v8 because of fuel prices, I would just drive it less. The missus owns a corolla, I'll just steal that for work aswell. :P

[payaya]

From reading all your posts, I come to the conclusion ya all pretty well off, and can afford the second car or have access to another car when need be.

I guess people who cant afford the petrol, wouldnt have a V8 anyway!

I guess the poeple on tight budgets, where their 6 Cylinder is a fuel eater, and downsizing to a 4 Cylinder could give them that little bit extra to spend elsewhere. Sometimes even spending $50.00 when their werent meant to put them out more than most think.

[Speedy Gonzales]

From reading all your posts, I come to the conclusion ya all pretty well off, and can afford the second car or have access to another car when need be.

I guess people who cant afford the petrol, wouldnt have a V8 anyway!

I guess the poeple on tight budgets, where their 6 Cylinder is a fuel eater, and downsizing to a 4 Cylinder could give them that little bit extra to spend elsewhere. Sometimes even spending $50.00 when their werent meant to put them out more than most think.

Its called prioritising ones finances, some people like to spend on cars, some on their partner or family, some on food, some on bills, some on mortgages and on financial products, some on electronic gizmos etc etc etc

Isnt it funny how ppl say you have money when you do mods to your car, but these are the same ppl with mortgages, children and family to support, drive a V8 as a daily and having a bitch and whine? Hello, no one forces you to have those things, its YOUR choice!

[payaya]

Im in fianance, and I can tell you that a lot of people are worse off than you think. Their income is budgeted to the point where even spending an extra 5 dollars on something you dont need, unbalances all your finances.

We have taken people to Court for not paying their residule debts. Some of the cars repo'd are exotics worth $200k+! We do an examination on their finances, and sometimes we have no choice but to accept $5.00 a week. They have no option to prioritise their income.

[KPWISHN]

I will never give it away. Until there is a machine we can drive that gives as much fun for your dollar, I will be driving V8's.

If you work it out, you wouldn't save bugger all in dollars worth per year using an economical car. Maybe a couple of thousand at the worst.

The fun factor is what it's all about. :headbang:

[Speedy Gonzales]

Im in fianance, and I can tell you that a lot of people are worse off than you think. Their income is budgeted to the point where even spending an extra 5 dollars on something you dont need, unbalances all your finances.

We have taken people to Court for not paying their residule debts. Some of the cars repo'd are exotics worth $200k+! We do an examination on their finances, and sometimes we have no choice but to accept $5.00 a week. They have no option to prioritise their income.

And whos problem is that if one cant manage their own finances? No one to blame but the person staring at you when you stand in front of a mirror.

There is choice, no one forces anyone to get into debt, there is ALWAYS a choice.

[kazido]

Never!!! ....or until they run out of all fuel on the planet, which ever comes first! haha

Maybe convert it to electric if that ever happens.

[payaya]

And whos problem is that if one cant manage their own finances? No one to blame but the person staring at you when you stand in front of a mirror.

There is choice, no one forces anyone to get into debt, there is ALWAYS a choice.

Ok we last week repo'd a Porsche 4WD was sold at auction for $180000.00. So obviously this person was pretty well off. I dont know what happened but one who was once wealthy not is broke. He cost cutting here and their will help him put his life back on track. The reason why we have process servers, liquidators etc is because of people hitting unexpected financial strife.

Another example is a mate being a mate, lent his car to his mate. Mate ends up letting one of his mates drive vehicle. Car was totalled and both die. He was working, and because of his mates death couldnt work anymore, and slowly debts built up. He ended up filing for bankruptcy. See stupid situations happen all the time.

Crap happens, and its a fact of life, bankruptcies are an everyday problem.

Of course your not forced into taking out loans but you never expect the unexpected.

Who here when taking out finance for a motor vehicle who expect the above example happen to them?? none.

To a lot of people every buck counts.

[shrapnel]

I'd rather convert my LS1 to run on coal or photosynthesis than give it up.

[Ghosn]

I'll be selling my V8 to buy a bigger V8, although petrol prices will hurt my sale.

[spank]

NEVER, they will have to pry the keys out of my cold dead hands first

[LS1VT]

After watching the new VE on tv today justs makes me wanna go and buy a 6.0 v8.

[SSV8pilot]

I have a VE SSV on order - had a VY SS which I sold a year ago and have been driving a S/C VX for a year.

I have missed my V8. However - just picked up a commmuting van - 1984 Suzuki carry van for $880 - will do half the week in this and half the week in the SSV and drive the SSV for fun on the w/e.

Insurance on the van $160 - rego same as any car. Over the year I will still make a saving on fuel costs - extend out tyre wear on the SSV and keep the klms down to a reasonable number.

Hopefully - that keeps me in a V8 for a bit longer!!

Funny how people react differently when you drive a çrappy'"car versus something like an SS

[Speedy Gonzales]

Crap happens, and its a fact of life, bankruptcies are an everyday problem.

Of course your not forced into taking out loans but you never expect the unexpected.

Who here when taking out finance for a motor vehicle who expect the above example happen to them?? none.

To a lot of people every buck counts.

And that Mr P is the difference, those who dont plan ahead and dont expect the unexpected.

[payaya]

so you have planned for all unexpected circumstances and have a backup plan for all???

Your one worked out individual maybe you can give a hand to GM?

[Speedy Gonzales]

I know what works for my situation, if you are truly concerned you wouldnt be asking me and instead be talking to your accountants and financial planners :)

[payaya]

yeah you probably know what works for your situation because it will not always work.

Im not concered just curious how you believe life is so straight sometimes.

[Speedy Gonzales]

Just thinking if fuel prices keep going up and head towards the $2.00L mark when do you think you will bail out on the V8 scene?

Fuel price is not a massive concern for me at the moment, but driving around in a 4 cylinder for a couple of weeks has made me realise how much money im spending just on fuel!

You My P are the one bitching and whining with the above quote, rather than being concerned of what others are doing and trying to keep up with the Joneses, concentrate on what you are trying to do, if you are financial inept, talk to someone who is a professional at what they do.

[AussieTone]

Has anyone given any thought to the new range of turbo hatches. Maybe something like tha Astara SRI Turbo or the HSV VXR will be a natural progression from the V8 if the current trend of fuel pricing continues or indeed worsens.

I have never even sat in one of these let alone driven one, just interested in opinions of thos who have.

I remember going through this in the late 70's when cars like A9X's, L34's, Monaros etc could be bought for a song. This only lasted a couple of years before returning to normal however I feel we won't be so lucky this time around. High fuel prices I believe are here to stay and will only get worse.

[mad.ed]

I'll be selling my V8 to buy a bigger V8, although petrol prices will hurt my sale.
yeah funny that, i was just looking thru the local classifieds and spied a vy ss,had a thought about trading the vx ss and the vt on it.lol

[payaya]

dude I raised a valid point as this is a discussion forum. If you did not find the topic worth replying to, dont!

The price of petrol has been widely discussed on the news for a very long time now. If you dont think this is a good enough reason to start a thread relating to this problem then sorry for wasting your time and bandwidth.

Obviously stuggling families mean nothing to you. You dont look at the broader picture and just blame the individual for them being in the finanical situation they are in today.

[andrewdisco]

I don't really understand this 'drive a dunga during a week ' idea ?

firstly, they don't use NO fuel they just use less fuel... so lets save $2500 less a year in fuel... that's means it will take a few years to pay for a half decent little four cyinder (once you factor in purchase price, transfer fee's, extra rego and insurance every year etc).

So why not just spend the extra and get to enjoy your nice v8 every day of the week ? as the net difference between the extra fuel and a 2nd car isnt that great...

I can understand for people that do more than average km's a year... but for the average bloke i dont think it's that bad.. or just get LPG and it will for less than an astra anyway ?

I dont think i'd waste this much on a car if i was only going to drive it on the weekends...

total cost of my car for the last year was $26k... if i only drove it weekends... maybe it would have been $20k. Alot of money for just a weekend driver...

[Fabio's CV8]

dude I raised a valid point as this is a discussion forum. If you did not find the topic worth replying to, dont!

The price of petrol has been widely discussed on the news for a very long time now. If you dont think this is a good enough reason to start a thread relating to this problem then sorry for wasting your time and bandwidth.

Obviously stuggling families mean nothing to you. You dont look at the broader picture and just blame the individual for them being in the finanical situation they are in today.

Im with Payaya on this.

Speedy this is not a financial advisory thread, its also not about making life changing decisions (as you put it). As Payaya says S**T HAPPENS!

No matter how much things may go up the creek, you may love your vehicle and try as hard as you can to keep it!

[Davothegreat]

Have those of you considering more economical forms of transport for during the week thought about getting a bike? If you want to cut your fuel bill then there's a cheaper way to do it plus have some fun at the same time.

[Fabio's CV8]

I don't really understand this 'drive a dunga during a week ' idea ?

firstly, they don't use NO fuel they just use less fuel... so lets save $2500 less a year in fuel... that's means it will take a few years to pay for a half decent little four cyinder (once you factor in purchase price, transfer fee's, extra rego and insurance every year etc).

So why not just spend the extra and get to enjoy your nice v8 every day of the week ? as the net difference between the extra fuel and a 2nd car isnt that great...

I can understand for people that do more than average km's a year... but for the average bloke i dont think it's that bad.. or just get LPG and it will for less than an astra anyway ?

I dont think i'd waste this much on a car if i was only going to drive it on the weekends...

total cost of my car for the last year was $26k... if i only drove it weekends... maybe it would have been $20k. Alot of money for just a weekend driver...

All good points bloke.

- LS1 on Gas? NO!

- I didn't pay for my daily, and no I couldn't afford to buy an extra one. I would just pay the extra cash and drive the monaro as a daily.

- The best way is to try and get a hand me down. Although the chances are rare you got yourself some wheels to run around in.

I notice a huge saving from driving a 4cyl comapred to an 8 cyl and my drive to work is only 20 mins each way.

- You are correct, we are spending all this cash and the car just comes out on the weekend.

I suppose there is no real right or wrong answer hey...

[BigHead]

Would anyone here consider LPG gas injection as a viable alternative?

[LumpySS]

id never let my ute go,but im spewin i sold my zx7 bike 15 months ago,the only reason for that was in vic its almost the same to register a bike as it is a car so it had to go,just couldnt afford my car the missus car and the bike for reg and insurance ,but im seriously gonna look at anotheer bike if fuel gets to the $2.00 bloody dollars a litre.

[shrapnel]

Have those of you considering more economical forms of transport for during the week thought about getting a bike? If you want to cut your fuel bill then there's a cheaper way to do it plus have some fun at the same time.

I know that would be my option. But the problem the only bike I would go for is Triumph Rocket III (http://www.triumph.co.uk/australia/2488.aspx) which is 2300cc so I'm not sure if there would be any fuel saving :lmao:

[mad.ed]

Have those of you considering more economical forms of transport for during the week thought about getting a bike? If you want to cut your fuel bill then there's a cheaper way to do it plus have some fun at the same time.
Yes i sure have, especially after watching the GhostRider videos all weekend ,Turbo Hayabusa anyone?.

[mix_vt_cal]

Well, seeing as I only bought it a month or so ago, not anytime soon! ;-)

I'm still enjoying driving around, listening to the sweet sound of the Gen 3 with Pacies and full twin 2.5 zorst.

I've spent the last 10 years or so driving an 82 VH Wagon with a 3.3 litre six and trimatic. Talking of priorites (as previous threads were) that was how paid most of the mortgage etc. Been many years since I had a fun, fast car to enjoy, and I've certainly missed it.

Speaking of fuel economy, I'm getting better economy from the V8 than my old 6 cylinder wagon - the old Varijet carbies never were good for economy....

Seeing as how I bought recently, the car has depreciated enough that I could justify the purchase price.
By the time I sell it, it won't be worth anything (sorta like my VH now).

Cheers,

Mike.

[Brendan]

I'm not to worried about fuel prices so far - I only do about 10-12k a year, have a 99 VTII with 85k on it.

If I was doing more k's I'd probably think about it, had my first $100 tank fill the other week, now I just fill up when it's half full, only costs half as much then.

[Alex81]

I'd leave it in the shed and drive my wifes camry if it got that bad as resale is crap and would hurt more to sell it as i would only go out and buy another because it missed it

[gaz vyss]

Have you guys considered the CPI factor? I just ran some figures and when I first started work (many years ago) 10% of my wage went into fuel for the week. Now only 8% of my wage goes into fuel each week. And yes I have allowed for distance. But get this..... when I first started working, my car was a bloody toyota corolla and now I drive a supercharged V8 !!

I have have had around 14 cars and 6 motorbikes (of which 4 were brand new). These ranged from economical 4 cyclinder cars, 2 cylinder motorbikes thru to varying chevy V8's, holden V8's, a couple of Firestorms and everything in between. The point is
a. i bought a V8 for the power and torque,
b. i bought a second hand V8 because it was a lot cheaper than a new car.
There have been some good valid points made here but I disagree with geting a cheap banger for weekdays as you will not recoup or make a big enough difference (unless you already have one or got one for free).:)

[dcandhisholden]

dude I raised a valid point as this is a discussion forum. If you did not find the topic worth replying to, dont!

The price of petrol has been widely discussed on the news for a very long time now. If you dont think this is a good enough reason to start a thread relating to this problem then sorry for wasting your time and bandwidth.

Obviously stuggling families mean nothing to you. You dont look at the broader picture and just blame the individual for them being in the finanical situation they are in today.

Struggling families..?? I thought the thread was about to what level we can sustain paying these prices before they sell their V8 pride and joy? Not too sure where stuggling families fits into this as somehow I can't see struggling families either now or 2 years ago rushing out to buy a big V8 - and if they did so (or are doing so now) they should of had a look at their priorities first and do a little thing called budgeting to make sure they could have put food on the table. Yes anyone can lose their job, yes anyone can get hit by a mack truck, yes anyone can experience hardships - but that affects a lot more than your capacity to put an extra few bucks worth of petrol in your car. Filling up your car may be the least of your worries in those extreme situations.

My view is pretty much the same as the guys here, it's a means to entertainment and something which I'm pretty passionate about ... So i'm happy to pay an extra $ 30 a week in fuel. How many people are happy to play golf every weekend with all the membership, green fees, clubs and other expenses. Or eating out every night? Or playing pokies? Granted a V8 is a commitment which is ongoing and you can stop playing golf anytime - but still. How many people got caught up in the housing boom a few yrs ago and did all these renovations or bought elaborate things for their house and now face the prospect of higher interest rates? Each interest rate increase means more $$$ each week. Which means every homeowner is more or less in that predicament as people owning thirsty cars. So I can't help but feel that you're just trying to spread doom and gloom to those who love their V8's just to antagonize?

Happy to stand corrected though...

[Wonky]

I'll be selling my V8 to buy a bigger V8, although petrol prices will hurt my sale.

Ditto!! (see http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=60400)

[payaya]

Struggling families..?? I thought the thread was about to what level we can sustain paying these prices before they sell their V8 pride and joy? Not too sure where stuggling families fits into this as somehow I can't see struggling families either now or 2 years ago rushing out to buy a big V8 - and if they did so (or are doing so now) they should of had a look at their priorities first and do a little thing called budgeting to make sure they could have put food on the table. Yes anyone can lose their job, yes anyone can get hit by a mack truck, yes anyone can experience hardships - but that affects a lot more than your capacity to put an extra few bucks worth of petrol in your car. Filling up your car may be the least of your worries in those extreme situations.

My view is pretty much the same as the guys here, it's a means to entertainment and something which I'm pretty passionate about ... So i'm happy to pay an extra $ 30 a week in fuel. How many people are happy to play golf every weekend with all the membership, green fees, clubs and other expenses. Or eating out every night? Or playing pokies? Granted a V8 is a commitment which is ongoing and you can stop playing golf anytime - but still. How many people got caught up in the housing boom a few yrs ago and did all these renovations or bought elaborate things for their house and now face the prospect of higher interest rates? Each interest rate increase means more $$$ each week. Which means every homeowner is more or less in that predicament as people owning thirsty cars. So I can't help but feel that you're just trying to spread doom and gloom to those who love their V8's just to antagonize?

Happy to stand corrected though...

How about people who have had their V8 since the VT days? Petrol was cheap but its getting expensive now.

Yes unexpected hardship can effect you more than your pocket, but one of the main symptoms of this is no money.

Look, I dont mind the whole petrol thing, I work in the city, so with the peak hour, so i would never see good fuel consumption figures.

I never complained but driving my sisters car into the city did show how much money i was wasting.

I never implied that the average V8 driver is doomed and should throw their car into a scrap heap. I just wanted to know what everyones opinion was on the higher fuel prices.

I dont see why people are getting so upset over this subject. I implied that higher fuel prices means more of a burden on some families. Would the higher fuel prices effect their vehicle ownership in the future. I was curious. Im being critisied for even mentioning this subject when clearly there is a trend for motorist to buy small CC cars??? Looks in europe and asia, econoboxes is the better seller.

In relation the the interest rate hike, you have no option if your a home owner, theres nothing you can do about it. You cannot exactly change to a smaller bank and receive a lower interest rate. Even if you do without negotiation the difference is not much. For such a large commitment you would have started with the bank with the best offer anyway.

[warlobo]

If we are to believe the 'peak oil' hype, with fuel escalate to be $6 a litre by 2010 according to the 'experts', which is why 100's of millions are being spent exploring alternative fuels.

The average punter shouldn't be fully aware of this until 2008 or thereabouts I reckon, and as mentioned the resale values have already dropped to some degree and buying a fresh one after this date wouldn't seem be the wisest option so current owners (myself included with 2 x LS1's) might as well thoroughly enjoy them now and get some km's under the belt before disposing in '08ish' as this may be the last period of V8's as we have come to know and appreciate them???

[Speedy Gonzales]

Im with Payaya on this.

Speedy this is not a financial advisory thread, its also not about making life changing decisions (as you put it). As Payaya says S**T HAPPENS!

No matter how much things may go up the creek, you may love your vehicle and try as hard as you can to keep it!


On the contrary Fabio :wave: ( btw hows things up north? ), it is about finances, Ill say the word, money.

Why do people buy insurance? Why do people have super? Why are there hedge funds or for that matter, why do people even invest in schemes which cater for negative outcomes? It all ties down to finances, clearly the gent is Q the cost of running his said vehicle, those who dont have done the sums :teach:

Yes shit happens, but you can take steps to avoid it. Dont you think those of us who are not passive have thought it through concerns regarding family, health and job contingencies? If you dont think it through, whos to blame, or rather, more importantly, whos in deep shit?

I disagree with you, it is about finances, if you cant afford to run a large car, you shouldnt even be in the market to buy one, period. Those who do contrary to this well, like to live by the roll of a dice. As said by Mr P, repossesion can be such a joyful experience.

dcandhisholden - Couldnt have said it better

[Fabio's CV8]

I disagree with you, it is about finances, if you cant afford to run a large car, you shouldnt even be in the market to buy one, period. Those who do contrary to this well, like to live by the roll of a dice. As said by Mr P, repossesion can be such a joyful experience.

Yeah but your missing the point bloke.

If people can't afford to buy one then 99.9% of the time people would not buy one, and if they did then I agree with you. Quite a silly move.

BUT, lets think about this.

You have a V8, you have a family, mortgage etc.
Expenses start to grow....
You are the man of the house, you are going to try and keep everything you can untill the authorities come in. I know I would.

[lumina ss]

Ive been doing a little research on the whole lpg LS1 issue. At the moment it appears the Parnell distributed LPG vapor injection setup is probably the best.you still retain petrol and as far as I can see it should have no affect on the "tuned" petrol output. As for the space issue Im prepared to pay 170 bucks for a space saver spare rim from svu and cop up the couple of hundred for the tyre. that should enable the use of the donut tank with out eating up all the boot with a full size spare.

I would prefer to go liqued LPG injection, and there is one company that has done a trial LS1 however it seems they are stalled in the financing stage, so who knows how log that will take, the other company in melbourne that were attempting to design a set up have dropped the ball. Its a pitty because LPG liqued injection has the potential to give power increases due to the cooling effect on the incoming air.

[VT-099]

I don't think I could ever sell the Munro, I will however be closely watching alternative fuels.

When a decent flux capacitor or nuclear motor comes out I'll be the first to put my hand up for an engine transplant :jester:

[Baddaz]

Just thinking if fuel prices keep going up and head towards the $2.00L mark when do you think you will bail out on the V8 scene?


Never Long live the V8:bravo:

[Hellbent]

they will have to use extreme force to remove the weapon
as i grasp for my last breath. :nopity:

[BLQWN]

What? and break a family tradition...NEVER!


Drive them less....maybe

[Holdendriver]

I know I have said this before but we been through this before in the '70's with the so-called energy crisis of the time, and again sometime in the '80's.
Seem to remember when we were earning around $180 a week petrol was .65c or so a litre. ( not exact figures look em up on google if you want precise ones!)

If petrol was to be the price it is in the UK (about 2 quid a litre) then maybe, and I stress maybe, there would be a case for getting a riceburner, but I wouldn't!

Oh and Speedy Gonzales, you are dead right mate, with your attitude it is highly unlikely that people will get into a financial predicament, like my parents used to say, Plan Ahead for problems.

But my kids are like the rest of em, borrow to the hilt and squawk when the smallest change puts em behind the 8-ball, instead of living within their means.

Cheers,

[OPPYLOCK]

I worked for an oil company for 10 years and the thing is they make so much money that they control economies and the release of new technology. Do you really think an industry that makes trillions of dollars is just going to roll over and die because a scientist developes a car that can run on water, er I don't think so. There have been far more efficient ways of powering vehicles for decades but their no. 1 priority is making money.
When they have got as much as they can from us with fossil fuels they will just shift to new technology and believe me they will find a way to make us pay for it.
When will I give up my V8?
When they make a hybrid or electric that has equal power, tourque, weight and sound to a modern V8. I don't think this is too far off.
Just for laughs did you know a Toyota Prius makes 400nm at idle!!!

[VT LS1]

Sell the 8? not in the near future. May look a getting a bike (motor) to get around on and see customers. Just use the 8 on wet / cold days, and for a bit of fun.

[warlobo]

My 2008 theory could be way off the mark.. judging by 60min story last night and if the media picks up on it and hammers the point home? Who knows the truth.. certainly is a lot of money involved either way so we'll never hear the truth thats for sure..

[Haze_V8]

I will never, ever, without exception sell my Monaro. It will be mine to the grave.

The cost of petrol is more than offset by the driving experience.

The only issue I have is of an environmental nature - we should be responsible and if there are alternative fuels/technologies that will cut down on fuel consumption and be better for the environment, I will support it 100%.

[AndrewW]

Its OK, we can all stop stressing, fuel is going to drop to $1.15 by Christmas ...

http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,20275804-462,00.html

And for anyone who believes the contents of that 'news' story, I've got a lovely bridge for sale ...

[kryten2001]

dude I raised a valid point as this is a discussion forum. If you did not find the topic worth replying to, dont!

The price of petrol has been widely discussed on the news for a very long time now. If you dont think this is a good enough reason to start a thread relating to this problem then sorry for wasting your time and bandwidth.

Obviously stuggling families mean nothing to you. You dont look at the broader picture and just blame the individual for them being in the finanical situation they are in today.

At the risk of sounding non caring, the only people to blame for financial ruin are those who bring it on themselves.

Can't afford a V8? Don't buy one. Can't afford to own a car? Get a better job.

It might sound harsh, but nobody 'thanks' the government for anything. If anything, they blame them for just about every ailment that exists.

I'm not having a go at you personally mate.

Funny how people who are "broke" can still rustle up a few hundred a week for booze, smokes and "interest free" junk.

Back on topic though... I drive a bunger to work ($1000 heap of crap, which is absolutely 100% reliable) and the Monaro stays in the shed.

Fuel can go to $5.00 a litre for all I care. I'd be more concerned about the flow-on effects of inflation, rather than what it cost me to fill my tank.. Anybody who buys a loaf of bread or a carton of milk can see quite plainly that things are getting out of hand.


Yeah but your missing the point bloke.

If people can't afford to buy one then 99.9% of the time people would not buy one, and if they did then I agree with you. Quite a silly move.

BUT, lets think about this.

You have a V8, you have a family, mortgage etc.
Expenses start to grow....
You are the man of the house, you are going to try and keep everything you can untill the authorities come in. I know I would.

Don't confuse being able to get one, as being able to "afford" it. Finance companies/car yards are always selling stuff to people who are on (or are beyond) the fringe.

Pretty reprehensible for sure, but I still lay the blame at the people who sign up for the money. Just because the banks are happy to lend, doesn't make them responsible.

Besides, within reason, nobody can have a cry and say they're victims. Inflation is a reality, and there are steps one can take to hedge against it. This is what others were alluding too. Take care of yourself financially, and hedge where you can.


I know I have said this before but we been through this before in the '70's with the so-called energy crisis of the time, and again sometime in the '80's.
Seem to remember when we were earning around $180 a week petrol was .65c or so a litre. ( not exact figures look em up on google if you want precise ones!)

If petrol was to be the price it is in the UK (about 2 quid a litre) then maybe, and I stress maybe, there would be a case for getting a riceburner, but I wouldn't!

Oh and Speedy Gonzales, you are dead right mate, with your attitude it is highly unlikely that people will get into a financial predicament, like my parents used to say, Plan Ahead for problems.

But my kids are like the rest of em, borrow to the hilt and squawk when the smallest change puts em behind the 8-ball, instead of living within their means.

Cheers,

The one (huge) difference between now and the 70s though, is that people are VERY sensitive to interest rate changes. This is due to the huge level of household debt at the moment.

The problem with central banks all over the world at the moment though, is that they can't lower rates (lest their currencies crash), and they can't raise them - as the world will be plunged into a depression.

Pretty screwed really. Thank the central bank for printing up US$ bills at a crazy pace and banks happy to lend to just about anybody.

Who remembers when it was nigh-on impossible to get a $1,000 visa card?.. These days most people have half a dozen.

[JNP304]

Thank the central bank for printing up US$ bills at a crazy pace and banks happy to lend to just about anybody.

Who remembers when it was nigh-on impossible to get a $1,000 visa card?.. These days most people have half a dozen.

This is very true. The marketing these banks/lending institutions do is massive now. I get a few letters a weeks from different organisations like American Express ect offering Gold Cards ect. I have had GE ring me twice practially begging for me to borrow money! Do I plan on a holiday soon?, am I getting married? ect, they tried to plant the seed as to why I should borrow more. I firmly said NO. But there are people that would not say no, living beyone there means. Its fact that most people spend 110% of their income. So its fact that when interest rates/petrol rise ect people go under. With so much focused on image these days its not hard to see why people are living beyond their means to keep up with the neighbours ect. Its all about self control, planning ect.
Driving a v8 to me is a lifestyle choice, its not just A/B driving its an outlet and a passion. If it costs it costs, im not happy to give away money to oil companies but im not going to sell it up for next to nothing to drive a 4cyl to save $2000 a year.

[C4B]

When would you let go of your V8?
Tomorrow @ 3:00pm (that's when I pickup my new Turbo Diesel Pathfinder).

BUT:
I still have my GTS, so I'm not actually getting out of V8's, I'm just reducing the fleet by 1.

[kryten2001]

This is very true. The marketing these banks/lending institutions do is massive now. I get a few letters a weeks from different organisations like American Express ect offering Gold Cards ect. I have had GE ring me twice practially begging for me to borrow money! Do I plan on a holiday soon?, am I getting married? ect, they tried to plant the seed as to why I should borrow more. I firmly said NO. But there are people that would not say no, living beyone there means. Its fact that most people spend 110% of their income. So its fact that when interest rates/petrol rise ect people go under. With so much focused on image these days its not hard to see why people are living beyond their means to keep up with the neighbours ect. Its all about self control, planning ect.
Driving a v8 to me is a lifestyle choice, its not just A/B driving its an outlet and a passion. If it costs it costs, im not happy to give away money to oil companies but im not going to sell it up for next to nothing to drive a 4cyl to save $2000 a year.

There's simply too much money (liquidity) in the system thanks to low rates and oversupply from the central banks.

This has lead people to borrow to the hilt, and the only way to fix it is to raise rates and have the liquidity tightened up. Problem being, is the little man (re: unsuspecting "consumer") ends up paying with his shirt!

By all means, enjoy your V8 (I love mine), but don't grumble when the general economic environment makes it hard to make ends meet. This problem has been brewing in the wind since the late 90s, and most people are only making it worse for themselves by overfinancing and overspending.

[SSV8pilot]

Geeze.. a good thread but getting seriously depressing.

Lets face it, beers gone up, foods gone up, mortgages have gone up. Do we stop drinking, eating and buying houses. We just adapt.

Dont like paying higher prices for fuel - still like driving v8's - so just need to adapt.

You only live once.

[RED R8]

When would you let go of your V8?
Tomorrow @ 3:00pm (that's when I pickup my new Turbo Diesel Pathfinder).

BUT:
I still have my GTS, so I'm not actually getting out of V8's, I'm just reducing the fleet by 1.

I'm with you last week we took delivery of our new Jeep cherokee CRD my V8 is and will remain FOREVER but at least we have one econimcal car rather than two drinkers.I personaly don't smoke or drink (much) so my habbit is turning fuel into noise and tyre smoke I will feed my kids less food and tell my wife to buy less shoes before the LS1 go's.:bravo:

[Super Snake]

When Hell freezes over !:flamin:

[CarlFST60L]

When i can afford a V12 :bravo:

[hallster]

Just taken the family to the snow and averaged 9L/100km from Sydney.

Also been doing a few work trips to Canberra and getting similar result. One of my work mates has rex and doesn't get any better on the open road with similar driving

[IH84DS]

NEVER

As long as there are still 4 cyclinder turbos or the jap crap on the roads, then there will always be a need for bigger, faster, tar tearing V8's to keep them all in line...

Besides the way the fuel prices are going, people are going for smaller cars... which leaves shinny brand spanking new V8's at an affordable price ;)

[chevypower]

got rid of mine - V8s were fun when fuel was cheap enough to fill the tank on a V8 for $40, go out and cruise all night and it wouldnt cost that much, i was spending $150-200 per week on fuel. V8s are dead as far as i am concerned, i dont want one if its just gonna sit in the garage and is only there for bragging rights. Hopefully this website will still be here, when LS1 and LS2 have no relevance in a new world of technology. www.gmelectricmotors.com.au ?

[loudvtss]

Guys I found this in the Age today. The article talks about petrol price to be about $1.15 at xmas. Had to look twice. Who knows if it's true or not but there's always hope....

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/petrol-at-115-by-christmas/2006/08/28/1156617257697.html

[UCNUNV]

yeah just saw that on Channel 10 on the newsbreak. 25cents cheaper they think by xmas, rather than getting out of the v8 scene maybe its time for H&C packages...

[blksswagon]

Iv'e only had the ls1 for 9 months.Is more fuel efficent than the V6 i traded.Petrol could go up to $3 a litre and i wouldnt sell it.I love it.It also helps when ya missus has a 4 cyl barina that we both go to work in.Save the ss for the weekend.:driving:

[RED R8]

got rid of mine - V8s were fun when fuel was cheap enough to fill the tank on a V8 for $40, go out and cruise all night and it wouldnt cost that much, i was spending $150-200 per week on fuel. V8s are dead as far as i am concerned, i dont want one if its just gonna sit in the garage and is only there for bragging rights. Hopefully this website will still be here, when LS1 and LS2 have no relevance in a new world of technology. www.gmelectricmotors.com.au ?

Get a real job then we will welcome you back once you realise paying a little more for fuel to drive a proper car is really worth it.:stick:

PS: Change your username to "No power".

[chevypower]

ouch that really hurts Dazyvyss - you drive a HOLDEN and brag about how rich you are to other people who drive Holdens... you really must be a moron - all i am saying is after 10 years of driving fuel injected V8s, i dont think its worth forking out $12000 a yr in fuel, and rising to $15,000 a yr soon and it will get higher and higher - if you were wealthy you would value money more too, you sound like a cocky middle class worker who wants everyone to think he is rich - i am sure you avoid driving your V8 and dont do 60,000km a yr in it cos you cant afford to,- go and increase your car loan and get a VE Clubsport, you will feel better about yourself

ouch that really hurts Dazyvyss - you drive a HOLDEN and brag about how rich you are to other people who drive Holdens... you really must be a moron - all i am saying is after 10 years of driving fuel injected V8s, i dont think its worth forking out $12000 a yr in fuel, and rising to $15,000 a yr soon and it will get higher and higher - if you were wealthy you would value money more too, you sound like a cocky middle class worker who wants everyone to think he is rich - i am sure you avoid driving your V8 and dont do 60,000km a yr in it cos you cant afford to,- go and increase your car loan and get a VE Clubsport, you will feel better about yourself

ouch that really hurts Dazyvyss - you drive a HOLDEN and brag about how rich you are to other people who drive Holdens... you really must be a moron - all i am saying is after 10 years of driving fuel injected V8s, i dont think its worth forking out $12000 a yr in fuel, and rising to $15,000 a yr soon and it will get higher and higher - if you were wealthy you would value money more too, you sound like a cocky middle class worker who wants everyone to think he is rich - i am sure you avoid driving your V8 and dont do 60,000km a yr in it cos you cant afford to,- go and increase your car loan and get a VE Clubsport, you will feel better about yourself

[JNP304]

$15000 a year on fuel? Man you must do some kays. At $1.50 thats 2.5 tanks per week. Damn leaded foot Chevypower. No need to flame dazza. Sounds like your still bitter because your missus made you sell the v8. This website is a community for Ls1 and Ls2 lovers (thats an 8cyl engine) So if you want to have the nick chevypower and pretty much call everyone in here an idiot for "wasting" money on v8, you should go to www.gmelectricmotors.com.au. Saying V8`s are dead in an enthusiast website and then crying when you get flamed? Fair go mate. For most of us its a lifestyle choice, not A/B driving. In reality its only $1500-$2000 more a year than a 4cyl even less for a 6cyl! Most people spend more than that on golf membership or gym ect. The fact that we (v8 lovers) want to spend it on driving a v8 is our personal choice not for you to call us all idiots.

[RED R8]

$15000 a year on fuel? Man you must do some kays. At $1.50 thats 2.5 tanks per week. Damn leaded foot Chevypower. No need to flame dazza. Sounds like your still bitter because your missus made you sell the v8. This website is a community for Ls1 and Ls2 lovers (thats an 8cyl engine) So if you want to have the nick chevypower and pretty much call everyone in here an idiot for "wasting" money on v8, you should go to www.gmelectricmotors.com.au. Saying V8`s are dead in an enthusiast website and then crying when you get flamed? Fair go mate. For most of us its a lifestyle choice, not A/B driving. In reality its only $1500-$2000 more a year than a 4cyl even less for a 6cyl! Most people spend more than that on golf membership or gym ect. The fact that we (v8 lovers) want to spend it on driving a v8 is our personal choice not for you to call us all idiots.

My point exactly just put nicer.
I have been driving a 2.0 hyundai sonata for 4 weeks waiting for my car to be repaired and I can tell you the 4cyl economy is crap so far the car has averaged 12.5 L/100ks my old v6 jeep averaged 18 L/100ks my Ls1 is now around 14 L/100 ks so go and join your GE electric girly club and leave us enthusiests to enjoy what alot of us work hard for.And I would love to know what you drive now and why you still visit a dinosaur V8 forum.

[SENATOR_VX]

Chevy & Daz you both have good points.

I drive my VX Senator every day for work and love every minute of it. In the last 2x Years though it has been getting worse with the amount of K's I am now doing.

This means that like you Chevy, My monthly fuel bill as I worked out last night off my statements is $934.00 a month. ""' Faaaaarrrrkkkkkkkkk""

"BUT"
I have just been through the whole think about selling thing and as of this morning the best price they want to give me is $18K for a 01 VX Senator Signature with every option plus a shit load of work that POWERTORQUE have done to it.
The general retail secto don't want to buy our cars.
So back to the point of the thread, when to sell? I have now come to the conclusion that like a lot of others express on here. V8 is a passion, like your football team or your car brand.

For mine I have just decided to keep my pride and joy and get a reliable 4 cylender to visit clients in for work. Keep the beast for when I chose to get it out and go for a run on the weekends or events.

Refinance the balance on the car to reduce monthly payments now that I have paid most of it off. Buy a 4Cyl approx 4K save $550 Month in fuel pays for the 4 cyl within a year including rego etc.

There is another option for anyone else considdering the same scenario.

[NickS]

When would I let go of my V8 ... when the new one is ready :D

[chevypower]

yeah ok fair point, and yeah i do a tonne of kms - i love cars with power and until now it hasnt been an issue for me, fuel prices will increase and if people want their cake and the ability to eat it (to have your V8 and drive it) hopefully Ethanol and bio-diesel will meet that need, or what i was referring to before, can we have power and torque (the benfits of a V8) without it necessarily coming from an 8 cylinder I.C.E.? But at the moment it looks like its gonna be an 05 Barina and 06 Astra Diesel for us. The Barina i picked up which will go to my wife to be uses half the fuel of the VT - we wont compare the power.

[Justice R8]

When would I let go of my V8 ... when the new one is ready :D

I agree with Nick.

[SENATOR_VX]

PS: in adition to my above post,

When I am talking about the fuel saving, a big factor of this is having to use 98 BP Ultimate or better. Where a 4cyl mainstream car will only require regular unleaded and be more economical on the gas also. Hence the savings of sparing the V8 and having both cars.

Once you have had a V8 you never really want to go back. So this is the best option at the moment, for ME anyway.

enjoy.

[Blown Monaro]

Bury me in my 383 blown Monaro and throw my two GSXR's and KX500 in on top :goodtime:

[JNP304]

Thats good for you Chevypower. You will save a fair bit of dosh. And the Astra Diesel looks like a good machine. But I was just pointing out that you cant flame people fro driving a v8. And also people like VX Senator that drive a 4cyl during the week and have the v8 for the weekend. Im sure its not just for "bragging rights" as you said. Im sure its becuase he loves his v8 and does not want to have to give that lifestyle choice up. Not to mention the pricing bath we would all have to take to sell out v8`s now. Id love a V8 diesel VESS with 700nm on tap from 2500RPM. But until that happens ill be holding onto the Ls1. If your part of the Ls1/LS2 community then support it.

[SENATOR_VX]

Bury me in my 383 blown Monaro and throw my two GSXR's and KX500 in on top :goodtime:

Now that is the idea! Nicely said. :) :woohoo:

[RED R8]

yeah ok fair point, and yeah i do a tonne of kms - i love cars with power and until now it hasnt been an issue for me, fuel prices will increase and if people want their cake and the ability to eat it (to have your V8 and drive it) hopefully Ethanol and bio-diesel will meet that need, or what i was referring to before, can we have power and torque (the benfits of a V8) without it necessarily coming from an 8 cylinder I.C.E.? But at the moment it looks like its gonna be an 05 Barina and 06 Astra Diesel for us. The Barina i picked up which will go to my wife to be uses half the fuel of the VT - we wont compare the power.

OK we now understand your situation and yes I have now bought the mrs a turbo deisel I just beleive that we will always have V8's and hummers etc that consume more fuel than the average but company's like holden will always produce large high powerd cars Why? because there is a massive market who buy them because we love them and we do make sacrifices in other area's but I will always have a V8 the only change will be that my next one will be a 6 litre not a 5.7 and holden will produce these motors and spend millions making them more powerful and less polluting burning less fuel to keep all parties happy.:doh:

[SENATOR_VX]

OK we now understand your situation and yes I have now bought the mrs a turbo deisel I just beleive that we will always have V8's and hummers etc that consume more fuel than the average but company's like holden will always produce large high powerd cars Why? because there is a massive market who buy them because we love them and we do make sacrifices in other area's but I will always have a V8 the only change will be that my next one will be a 6 litre not a 5.7 and holden will produce these motors and spend millions making them more powerful and less polluting burning less fuel to keep all parties happy.:doh:

The technologies are getting better and better and the fuel economy is genuinely getting better.
As an example the Chryslers etc with the variable cylender technology. (Which has been around for ages though not in many production cars.) Run on 4 cylenders until it is reqiured to fire up all 8. don't know a lot about it but these kind of technologies are no doubt going to find their way into the big v8's.

And as said, there is always going to be a market for V8's. Lets face it, I love my HSV and the whole basis of HSV which is getting stronger and stronger is nearly all based on V8's and the sale there of! Has to be something behind this phenomenon. "" Adrenalin, Noise, Power, fun, etc etc, "".

[EddieVE06]

Hi All

Possibly I very hard question to answer but was wondering whether anyone has had a v6 and or v8 commodore either now or in the past. If so can anyone say roughly the difference in fuel consumptiopn between the two. I know everyone drives their vehicles differently but has anyone got any info. My dilemma is I had a VY SV8, loved it, worked it and loved it even more. Sold that and am now interested in the VE but not sure on the SV6 or SS. If it really comes down to 2 or 3 litres per 100km then I'd be happy to forgo the extra bucks.

Thanks

[SENATOR_VX]

The out of the box V6 Vs V8 IE SV8 V SS are not much different in fuel economy. I also looked at these via Zupps at Aspley yesterday.

There may be a fair difference after you have had some fun with the mods though. That is always going to be the differentiation I think with these going forward.

[peber]

Hi All

Possibly I very hard question to answer but was wondering whether anyone has had a v6 and or v8 commodore either now or in the past. If so can anyone say roughly the difference in fuel consumptiopn between the two. I know everyone drives their vehicles differently but has anyone got any info. My dilemma is I had a VY SV8, loved it, worked it and loved it even more. Sold that and am now interested in the VE but not sure on the SV6 or SS. If it really comes down to 2 or 3 litres per 100km then I'd be happy to forgo the extra bucks.

Thanks

I have no experience with the new alloytech v6, but I had an ecotech V6 for about 5 years. The fuel consumption wasn't that much worse when i went to a Gen3. That said, i don't exactly baby my cars around, so the ecotech used to average upwards of 16l/100k, and the gen3 sits around the 19mark (thats just city-peakhour type driving).
On the freeway the gen3 is better than my ecotech was.
I expect the consumption in the gen3 will be a little better when i get a tune as it seems to run quite rich right now.
Reality is, if you give it a gutfull it will drink the fuel.

Since i changed jobs a couple of months ago i only drive the car on weekends now, so the usage is back below 19L/100 because i'm not stuck in heavy traffic all the time.
We use the Mrs' echo when going to the city etc, because its a whole lot cheaper to run, and because its small, it doesn't seem to get doors opened on it in carparks!

[andrewdisco]

When would i let go of my v8... after i got sick of poor build quality, old technology, poor fuel consumption, ridiculous depreciation and dodgy outter suburban performance tuners than rape and pillage their poor holden loyal customers because their cars were so shit stock that they had to bring them in to have them turned into something enjoyable to drive.

This reached cut off point for me yesterday - after owning 6 holdens on the last 12 years I'm finally saying enough's enough. Now driving japanese.

My HSV was an absolute joke stock.. for a $70,000 car on the road you would expect much more. 3.5 years - $35,000 depreciation - a car that rattles and clunks and $5000+ a year in petrol. Then there's the year i spent calling the tuner trying to get lpg installed on it and given the run around, and also the hassle i went through trying to get the initial work done by the first tuner fixed...

I've now got something as quick and driveable as my 'tuned' ls1 and I didn't need to take it to any 'tuners'.

Anyway, goodbye holden, it was good while it lasted, I'll miss your comfy seats! :p

[Orion]

When would i let go of my v8... after i got sick of poor build quality, old technology, poor fuel consumption, ridiculous depreciation and dodgy outter suburban performance tuners than rape and pillage their poor holden loyal customers because their cars were so shit stock that they had to bring them in to have them turned into something enjoyable to drive.

This reached cut off point for me yesterday - after owning 6 holdens on the last 12 years I'm finally saying enough's enough. Now driving japanese.

My HSV was an absolute joke stock.. for a $70,000 car on the road you would expect much more. 3.5 years - $35,000 depreciation - a car that rattles and clunks and $5000+ a year in petrol. Then there's the year i spent calling the tuner trying to get lpg installed on it and given the run around, and also the hassle i went through trying to get the initial work done by the first tuner fixed...

I've now got something as quick and driveable as my 'tuned' ls1 and I didn't need to take it to any 'tuners'.

Anyway, goodbye holden, it was good while it lasted, I'll miss your comfy seats! :p

Talk about poor timing :) Right when Holden release a vehicle that addresses all your biggest concerns you pull the plug. Ah well, Sianara... enjoy the new drive and try not to think what you're missing next time a VE Clubby thunders past.

[jerrel]

go and increase your car loan and get a VE Clubsport, you will feel better about yourself

What is wrong with a loan?
If no-one in australia had a loan we would go into a recession.
Loans make the world keep spinning.
You cant possible say that you never had a loan?

[andrewdisco]

Talk about poor timing :) Right when Holden release a vehicle that addresses all your biggest concerns you pull the plug. Ah well, Sianara... enjoy the new drive and try not to think what you're missing next time a VE Clubby thunders past.

I reckon i'll be missing an 1800kg 6 litre v8 with no fuel saving technology and a new low in Australian manufacturing build quality and a torque curve that can't match most of the new turbo's for drivability ?

Oh... and 50%+ depreciation in 2 years ?

I hope for holdens sake they are great... but build quality has NOT been increasing in the Australian car industry, it's been tapering off.

[Danv8]

Yeah we had a jap 4 potter for a while it was the mrs's anyway.
Mazda SP23 hatch. Unfortuantly it was a POS and spent most of its time going to the dealers for warranty fixes it was a lemon. But when it was going ok it was a nice car to drive and quiet easy on the fuel other than that it belongs on the scrap heap.

[BLACK expreSS-V]

I reckon i'll be missing an 1800kg 6 litre v8 with no fuel saving technology and a new low in Australian manufacturing build quality and a torque curve that can't match most of the new turbo's for drivability ?

Oh... and 50%+ depreciation in 2 years ?

I hope for holdens sake they are great... but build quality has NOT been increasing in the Australian car industry, it's been tapering off.

Hi Andrew,

Good to see your are still stirring.

What are you planning on getting? I thought you might have been a Typhoon F6 kind of man?

Cheers
John (hondaman who had the 450x on dirtbikeworld forum)

[JamesL]

When would i let go of my v8... after i got sick of poor build quality, old technology, poor fuel consumption, ridiculous depreciation and dodgy outter suburban performance tuners than rape and pillage their poor holden loyal customers because their cars were so shit stock that they had to bring them in to have them turned into something enjoyable to drive.

This reached cut off point for me yesterday - after owning 6 holdens on the last 12 years I'm finally saying enough's enough. Now driving japanese.

My HSV was an absolute joke stock.. for a $70,000 car on the road you would expect much more. 3.5 years - $35,000 depreciation - a car that rattles and clunks and $5000+ a year in petrol. Then there's the year i spent calling the tuner trying to get lpg installed on it and given the run around, and also the hassle i went through trying to get the initial work done by the first tuner fixed...

I've now got something as quick and driveable as my 'tuned' ls1 and I didn't need to take it to any 'tuners'.

Anyway, goodbye holden, it was good while it lasted, I'll miss your comfy seats! :p


If you don't mind me asking, what kind of car did you get ?

[raYd3n]

I love drivin my V8 on weekends, wouldnt give that up for nothing....worst comes to worst i will buy a cheap boonga for work if fuel reaches 2 bux plus:love:

[andrewdisco]

Hey John, yes still stirring... it's my release when i get frustrated with something :p

I test drove the STi, rex's etc and I couldn't give up the v8 for any of them.. oddly enough at the end of the day i actually settled on a girls car :p... Mazda 3 MPS (190kw - 1390kg - 10ltr/100km - torque from 2000)... first car i've driven that actually made my 300kw clubby feel boring when I got back in it.

To be honest I love the holden v8's... don't think that I don't. But it takes time and money to get them really nice and by the time you hit 60,000kms they've rattled themselves into peices and you have to sell for a massive loss and then start all over again.

I wanted to get my HSV onto LPG and get it cammed up etc and try to have the best of both worlds... but then it was still going to be worth nothing in a couple of years and I would have to keep dealing with tuners (that were quite unexperienced in this area -i.e LPG + cams etc) to try and get it to where i wanted it. Also I would have ended up with less boot space than a hatch back... which would have been counter productive.

If you've got the patience, the money and like a large car and don't do alot of city driving then the v8's will still work for you... it's just that none of those things really describes me anymore.. ~$700 a month for fuel and insurance on the HSV was getting too much for me as well.

The other thing to factor in as well is future values could get considerably worse. If fuel rises another 30 cents, you'll see the amount of sellers in the market double and buyers halve... it could just take one decent hurricane to set it off like last year ?

[Oztrack Tuning]

One thing for certain to keep the LSX engined cars not wasting fuel - make sure its had time spent on its economy in the tune. Lots of the models have bad settings for economy that can be easily be improved. The ones that seem to be able to gain the most in economy are VT-VX and Adventra/Crewmans - but all can be improved in economy. Lautrays LS1 made Melbourne to Sydney on a tank at an average speed of over 100kph 34.9MPG.

You might not be able to do anything good with WOT fuel economy but you can make them cruise much better. It also makes no difference maf or mafless - its just a matter of having the right settings put in.

[Speedy Gonzales]

Private buyers proof of the pudding, without car manufacturers talking up their marketing shite

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=19729&vf=2

[payaya]

One thing for certain to keep the LSX engined cars not wasting fuel - make sure its had time spent on its economy in the tune. Lots of the models have bad settings for economy that can be easily be improved. The ones that seem to be able to gain the most in economy are VT-VX and Adventra/Crewmans - but all can be improved in economy. Lautrays LS1 made Melbourne to Sydney on a tank at an average speed of over 100kph 34.9MPG.

You might not be able to do anything good with WOT fuel economy but you can make them cruise much better. It also makes no difference maf or mafless - its just a matter of having the right settings put in.

Bit of a headache working out MPG isnt it??

Fair enough if we filled up by the Gallon and traveled by the mile???

[andrewdisco]

I had both my LS1's edited by different forum sponsors and never really got below 20/100 in city driving. I think that could have been improved on, but that's what i mean about the time and energy factor with these cars...

[Jphdg]

So here is my summary:

1). Bought an old sh!tter on diesel: Local diesel run about saves me heaps on fuel, brings the insurance down on the clubby to the extent I have both cars insured for 'less' than the original cover for the clubby alone as a daily driver. (Covered as limited driving) That gives me a few hundred to put to the rego of the second car, so owning the second car costs bugger all really as I do all the maintanance on it myself.

2). Peace of mind from dumb arse theifs and people who like to damage your pride and joy. If someone scratched or put a dent in the sh!tter, who cares.

3) Get to enjoy my V8 more on weekends or going out somewhere nice or just when I take it out for a spin. Also stays clean out of the weather.

4). I have a clubby with low milage and still in perfect condition for years to come.

5). You can make bio-diesel and further save on fuel costs with the local run about.

So I am confident and happy with my choice of action. It is working very well for me so far and I continue to keep, appreciate and enjoy my V8. That said also, where the clubby is not practical or advisable to use (getting fire wood etc) the old sh!tter does the job just perfect.

[OneManEmpire]

I loved the comment about converting the car to photosynthesis!

Here's what I do. I drive the Nissan weekdays, and burn rubber weekends.
Simple. The Maxima does 10.5 to the 100 in the city, and the munro does
25 - 45 litres to the hundred in the city, so I'm much better off keeping it this way...

Here's something I just found. Folks in Melbourne may be interested:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/creative--media/fancy-a-free-car-drive-away-no-more-to-pay/2005/06/27/1119724551833.html

I love the weekends!! :evil:

[Holdendriver]

Bit of a headache working out MPG isnt it??

Fair enough if we filled up by the Gallon and traveled by the mile???

Yeah but we ain't all kids here.
For those of us that were bought up before metric, upteen litres per hundreds of kays sounds ridiculous, not to mention that MPG is at least understandable.

Why the hell don't we use KPL?

[swst]

I wont let go anytime soon, My 2002 Grange averages 13-14l/100km mixed driving, and down to 10.9 on a (fast) trip! I reckon its great for a big car.

If you want power, youll use petrol, doesnt matter what kind of engine/aspiration you have.:teach:

[brettarmst]

When there are 2 many 4 pots blocking up the right hand lane and driving a V8 is no longer fun !

[Rustle]

petrol seems to be going down (for now), wouldn't mind hearing a ls1 in a car converted to hydrogen.

but even now i wouldn't get rid of it

[LS1WPN]

I would never give up a v8 becues of petrol i'd just buget it into my wage lol

[STATEYOLDFELLA]

I have always been a performance car freak and an avid V8 lover.
Most of us know what we are buying in relation to economy before purchasing our baby's.
Like many others I would rather get a 4cyl 'box or a decent m/bike and let my girl sit at home resting up for "days off" driving.
I am much happier driving something I like that is comfy and grunty rather than squeezing into a shoebox.

[Oztrack Tuning]

34.9MPG Melbourne to Sydney is 8.18L/100km over a great distance - this was accurately measured as well - both km and L.

[ace185]

I have just gotten back into a V8 after 4 years of owning 1997 Subaru Liberty GT Twin turbo Wagon. The Sub was a great car - but used more gas than my VY SS A4! It is great to be back in something with more room and that great V8 sound - so I can't see me getting ride of it anytime soon !!

[Aus8]

The SS has gone but it wasnt because of fuel, I had to buy a house before the market went mental and now driving a company BA with fuel card. Both of these make up for no more LS1.

Aus8

[vyss2ute]

I love my V8. There is no feeling quite like having 250kw+ under the right foot at your disposal. I would never give it up. I compared the fuel consumption on a couple of trips that me and the missus have made and no joke on the same trip in her little VIVA we used 2 full tanks (97L) to cover 947km. The ute used just over 2 tanks (126L). 21L difference, the whole of $25 difference.
The ute pulled out and over took the road trains that we frequently encountered without the need to push it past 3grand in 5th. Meanwhile the little VIVA had to rev its tits out to make up enough speed up to overtake, with the neddle often hitting the 5grand mark. The VIVA took ALOT more effort to get upto speed and overtake, meaning MORE fuel had to be used to make the power. Where as the ute, with its torque and 4 more cyl, did it effortlessly.
So are V8's really that bad on the juice??? Not in my books. Maybe around the city, with ALOT of stop, start driving, but why would you want to drive a shoebox around?

V8's till 2888!!

Put it this way, would Steve McQueen be a tuff hero bloke if he used a Corolla in "Gone in 60 Seconds"???????? :limpy:
No.

'Just my 2 cents'
Adam

[Aus8]

Dont forget the Viva is a tin can though (aka daewoo).

Aus8

[GOT ANOTHER ONE]

having had a massive 22kw from a 2 cylinder 617cc Daihatsu in the early 1980's I am never going back. My handivan 4spd manual would sit on what sounded like 5000rpm (no tacho in the car) at 110 max flat out! I would get out of this tin can buzzed about.

A V8 provides effortless, comfortable crusing and reasonable economy on the highway. I love the tall 6th gear for gentle economical cruising. In the days of high fuel prices, all those magazine reviews saying 6th is too tall seem strange to me, if you need to pass or go up a hill, change down no problems.

Having had three V8 holdens now, it seems that our regular interstate trip gets easier with each new model, we travel further in the same elapsed time as we are not as fatigued from mechanical vibration and a bouncy ride.

:thumbsup: :wave:

[clubzls2]

Well my clubby is gone but not because of fuel issues.
The v8 and modding game catches up with you eventually,both financially and physically.
Im well and truly over it now.I will return to the fast bike scene after a 12 month self imposed good behaviour bond has expired.
Dont think i will ever come back to Holden V8's after my last experience.

[Savannah]

A V8 provides effortless, comfortable crusing and reasonable economy on the highway. I love the tall 6th gear for gentle economical cruising. In the days of high fuel prices, all those magazine reviews saying 6th is too tall seem strange to me, if you need to pass or go up a hill, change down no problems.

Having had three V8 holdens now, it seems that our regular interstate trip gets easier with each new model, we travel further in the same elapsed time as we are not as fatigued from mechanical vibration and a bouncy ride.

I agree. The Clubby is a great interstate cruiser. There's a marked difference to the S & the SS that we previously had. They were great cars for long distances but not like this one. Weird as this sounds I'm also convinced that the kids are better behaved as well.

Savvy.

[VYBerlinaV8]

The cost of petrol doesn't bother me at all. I only drive 8 - 10 thousand km a year, and get a tax deduction anyway.

Petrol won't go much higher in the short term, Australians are already starting to reduce their use.

[SSV8pilot]

May be today - I have an SSV on order - getting sorely tempted by the SV6 for all sorts of reasons - mainly fuel and resale..any advice?

[NickS]

May be today - I have an SSV on order - getting sorely tempted by the SV6 for all sorts of reasons - mainly fuel and resale..any advice?
I frequently drive 6 cylinder Holdens (rental cars) ... don't do it. My happiest days in my car are when I pick it up from the Qantas Valet parking after driving a 6 cylinder for a few days, there is nothing quite like a V8.

[Danv8]

I frequently drive 6 cylinder Holdens (rental cars) ... don't do it. My happiest days in my car are when I pick it up from the Qantas Valet parking after driving a 6 cylinder for a few days, there is nothing quite like a V8.

So much truth in that.
I took my mrs away for a nice romantic weekend (yeah I know ball and chain);).

But we didn't take the Calais we took her V6 Camry by the time we arrived to our destination and for a night of lovin the dull boring Camry took all the power out of me.

In other words

Watched tv instead.

I am never going to under estimate the power of a V8 ever again.
:lol: :doh:

[NickS]

But we didn't take the Calais we took her V6 Camry by the time we arrived to our destination and for a night of lovin the dull boring Camry took all the power out of me.

In other words

Watched tv instead.
:lmao: You see, this is why you need to get your Mrs a V8 too :yup:

[Danv8]

:lmao: You see, this is why you need to get your Mrs a V8 too :yup:


Yeah thats why the SSV is on the list of goodies for next year.
:)

[chevypower]

yes there is nothing like a V8

not even this Hybrid electric mini which puts out 480kw and 3000Nm at the wheels, while getting 3L per 100km has any chance against a V8 (1500km per tank)

http://www.gizmag.com.au/go/6104/

I want one!!!!

[jerrel]

yes there is nothing like a V8

not even this Hybrid electric mini which puts out 480kw and 3000Nm at the wheels, while getting 3L per 100km has any chance against a V8 (1500km per tank)

http://www.gizmag.com.au/go/6104/

I want one!!!!

sounds pretty good, pitty its a prototype, it would probably cost a few mill to buy it off them.

[payaya]

might be not much of a difference between 4 - V8 in some circumstances, but try driving peak hour and only peak hour. Your looking at about 10 litres difference for 100kms. So $12 buck difference.

If your more freeway less peak hour then i guess the differnce is debateable.

[SSV8pilot]

Looks like I'm sticking with the SS-V- order confirmed

[HBDBerlinawagon]

World oil reserve inventories going up,price of oil going down.

Possible we could see $1/Ltr again rather than $2/Ltr.

The way my Berlina wagon goes through it I certainly hope it gets back to $1/Ltr.

Currently getting 20L/100Kms.Only on city driving though.

d

[Evil LS1]

One I only average 8000km a year and 2 I don't pay for my fuel and three I do 85% of my driving out of the cuty so the economy pretty good anyway, so I'd only sell it to get something with more power be it turbo or V8.

[andrewdisco]

I think doing 8000km a year you prob wouldn't mind if you were averaging 40l/100...

I'm doing 20,000kms a year @ 20/100... which sometimes equates to $5500 when the fuel prices are high... I think more than 5k a year on fuel starts to become a bit silly.. but i guess it depends how mcuh you make and what you're willing to spend.

[spanks]

Will never bail from the V8 scene:dance: