Commodore dead by end of 2016?

[VL Executive]

I was drivivng behind a VK calais 5.0 to work this morning. It has been a while since ive seen any old commo's on the road.

I was blown away by how tiny the car was in comparison to todays 'small' cars.....

I reckon its a good feeling too. I was coming back home from a 100 km highway trip, when for about 40 of those km/s came across a very good, original condition VC SL/E 5.0. Just sat and cruised with it, doing 100 - 105 km/h. With the occasional squirt when overtaking slower vehicles. The 5-0 sounded good when he opened it up too. The old VC still held its own as a nice highway cruiser. Ended up parting with it when I had to go onto another highway. But yeah it was a good travelling companion, It is getting rare to see the older 1st gen Commodores on the roads, especially highway runs. That was 4 years ago and have not seen it or another one since.

[Woodchukka]

Commodore was based on the Opel Royale and while a "big" car in Europe it was mid sized here when compared to the Kingswooods/Falcons of the day (78/79)

For some reason Holden decided to ditch the IRS of the Opel and put a live axle in (think they failed at the Wilpena Pound test ground from memory) it's since bloated to the Full Size whale we all love today

(I miss my old VB)

I have a book somewhere and the results of testing the VB were sent to Germany and they said test again as the results from testing showed too much flex in the body when the same results were sent again they came out and after they were taken over the test route they said you can't do that with our car so it had to be engineered to suit Australian conditions (and drivers ). I wonder where that book is...?

[VH-COM]

Whats the difference in vehicle weight of the base models?

Mazda 6 = 1462-1593kg
VE = 1,690–1,825 kg

[Plenty]

VE 4903 long, 1899 wide, wheelbase 2915, height 1471. Combined fuel consumption 8.9 l/ 100km
Mazda 6 - 4865 long, 1840 wide, 2830 wheelbase, 1450 high. Combined fuel consumption 6.6 l/100Km

VE rear hip room 1472mm, rear shoulder room 1499mm, front shoulder room 1501mm, cargo volume 496l
Mazda 6 rear hip room 1419mm, rear shoulder 1435mm, front shoulder room 1399mm, cargo volume 470l

Even though the Mazda is almost the same exterior, VE is packaged better with larger internal dimensions.

On a side not our mate Joshua Dowling has tried to back out of his slagging of the Aussie icons.

Have a read HERE

[Angeldust]

Im kinda lusting after a VB-VC -VH, 253 (4.2ltr) auto, full pollution gear stock 100kw (or was
it 88kw? im unsure) V8 slug.

There's a certain beauty in having such a large engine, with such a pidly power
figure and so so performance by todays standards. Its kind of like the reverse
of having a 'real' performance pack model ie VC HDT Brock etc. I like...

[Angeldust]

We need another "V8 'till '98" campaign lol.


"Commodore till 2024" ???????? lol

[Evman]

This should be the next Commodore IMO

[Angeldust]

maybe this 'should have been' the next commodore (ie VE/VF)

[Jag530G]

VE 4903 long, 1899 wide, wheelbase 2915, height 1471. Combined fuel consumption 8.9 l/ 100km
Mazda 6 - 4865 long, 1840 wide, 2830 wheelbase, 1450 high. Combined fuel consumption 6.6 l/100Km

And a VT Commodore was 4882mm long, 1,824mm wide, 2,788mm wheelbase, 1,424mm high, 1,551kg base model.

So the new Mazda 6 is wider, higher and on a longer wheelbase than a VT and only 17mm shorter? Bloody hell!!!

Cheers, Matthew

[Smitty]

Commodore was based on the Opel Royale and while a "big" car in Europe it was mid sized here when compared to the Kingswooods/Falcons of the day (78/79)

For some reason Holden decided to ditch the IRS of the Opel and put a live axle in (think they failed at the Wilpena Pound test ground from memory) it's since bloated to the Full Size whale we all love today

(I miss my old VB)

oh my..how history gets distorted

The Aussie original Commodore was to be based on the Opel Rekord from around 1975/76 but it was found that the GMH engines would not fit
so the longer nose from the Opel Senator was stitched on..and we got the VA Commodore. Styling clinics gave it the thumbs down
(the 4 headlights in the design were a loser apparently) so we also the Rekord 'flat' headlight and what we all know now as the VB Commodore.

The Opel Rekord had a solid rear axle and in Opel spec caused problems when outback testing, with their shockers wearing out/stopped working
which punched the shocker thru the rear shocker tower..which also fractured the boot floor. Mods were made and the Australian rear axles
suspended via a new 5 link setup (which fitted into the modded.. read strengthened Rekord bodywork) for the Commodore we got.

The Opel also used a steering box setup mounted on the chassis just into front of the firewall (like a HG Holden) and that, also during Outback
durability testing, caused the chassis on the Opel test mule to break . The Opel had a double wishbone front suspension which also failed in testing
and GMH elected to use the Senator front strut suspension (which came with the Senator's long nose bodywork anyway)

You mention the Opel Royale. There was no such vehicle. However the Opel Senator was sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Royale

hth...

[IJ.]

oh my..how history gets distorted

The Aussie original Commodore was to be based on the Opel Rekord from around 1975/76 but it was found that the GMH engines would not fit
so the longer nose from the Opel Senator was stitched on..and we got the VA Commodore. Styling clinics gave it the thumbs down
(the 4 headlights in the design were a loser apparently) so we also the Rekord 'flat' headlight and what we all know now as the VB Commodore.

The Opel Rekord had a solid rear axle and in Opel spec caused problems when outback testing, with their shockers wearing out/stopped working
which punched the shocker thru the rear shocker tower..which also fractured the boot floor. Mods were made and the Australian rear axles
suspended via a new 5 link setup (which fitted into the modded.. read strengthened Rekord bodywork) for the Commodore we got.

The Opel also used a steering box setup mounted on the chassis just into front of the firewall (like a HG Holden) and that, also during Outback
durability testing, caused the chassis on the Opel test mule to break . The Opel had a double wishbone front suspension which also failed in testing
and GMH elected to use the Senator front strut suspension (which came with the Senator's long nose bodywork anyway)

You mention the Opel Royale. There was no such vehicle. However the Opel Senator was sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Royale

hth...

My Apologies, I was in the UK at the time and just use Opel/Vauxhall interchangeably thanks for the correction..
(actually got to drive a Royale while I was there as a cousin had just bought a new car)

[seldo]

oh my..how history gets distorted

The Aussie original Commodore was to be based on the Opel Rekord from around 1975/76 but it was found that the GMH engines would not fit
so the longer nose from the Opel Senator was stitched on..and we got the VA Commodore. Styling clinics gave it the thumbs down
(the 4 headlights in the design were a loser apparently) so we also the Rekord 'flat' headlight and what we all know now as the VB Commodore.

The Opel Rekord had a solid rear axle and in Opel spec caused problems when outback testing, with their shockers wearing out/stopped working
which punched the shocker thru the rear shocker tower..which also fractured the boot floor. Mods were made and the Australian rear axles
suspended via a new 5 link setup (which fitted into the modded.. read strengthened Rekord bodywork) for the Commodore we got.

The Opel also used a steering box setup mounted on the chassis just into front of the firewall (like a HG Holden) and that, also during Outback
durability testing, caused the chassis on the Opel test mule to break . The Opel had a double wishbone front suspension which also failed in testing
and GMH elected to use the Senator front strut suspension (which came with the Senator's long nose bodywork anyway)

You mention the Opel Royale. There was no such vehicle. However the Opel Senator was sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Royale

hth...

Smitty - didn't the Rekord body also get an additional 50-60mm added longitudinally down the centre of the body?

[Smitty]

Smitty - didn't the Rekord body also get an additional 50-60mm added longitudinally down the centre of the body?

no..not to my knowledge

it was talked about when GMH went to VK (got that from LeoP) but widening? it never eventuated until VN
yeah..VN which is a widened VL body with VL front suspension

[Jag530G]

Smitty - didn't the Rekord body also get an additional 50-60mm added longitudinally down the centre of the body?

As per Smitty's comment it was the VN that was wider than the Omega A, but it wasn't widened down the centre it was added at the sills, hence why the VN has the tippy toe look, basically narrow VL suspension under the wider body.

BTW Smitty thanks for you comment, I've always wondered why we were lucky enough to get rack and pinion steering in the Commodore when the Opels didn't have it, now I know!

Cheers, Matthew

[Angeldust]

The VT-VZ had the most body styles and drivelines available then any previous model commodore or holden.
(sedan, coupe, wagon, ute, crewman, statesman lwb, + the AWD variants and HSV's.)(3.8 V6, 3.8S/C V6, 3.6 V6, 5.0 V8, 5.7 V8, LS1, LS1 C4B, LS2, L98/L76)
AT this point in time things were looking good for Holden. Then the GFC hit.

I love these cars. The VZ would have to be my favourite model commodore. Im my opinion its the perfect balance between size/weight/engine capacity, with the 6.0ltr variants taking the cake. The VZ clubbie still has a better power to weight ratio than the current VE GTS (only the w427 beats it). I will be intrested to see what the mass of the VF will be and hence its power to weight ratio. The VE is like an orphan at the moment..

I think the VH had/has? the record for the most amount of engine/driveline combo's available in the single model.