Road-testing the 1980 Holden Commodore | RetroFocus

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  • Опубліковано 23 лют 2019
  • In this episode of 'Torque' from July 1980, Peter Wherrett road-tests the Holden Commodore.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 553

  • @petercasasola2432
    @petercasasola2432 3 роки тому +42

    Clear, concise and above all, realistic commentary. Lacking in today's world.

  • @markl5990
    @markl5990 5 років тому +138

    Peter Wherrett really was a great presenter - clear, concise and knowledgable.

    • @grantsnell6782
      @grantsnell6782 5 років тому +4

      Did you know he lived his last years as a woman and then died of prostate cancer?
      Weird eh?

    • @ronanrogers4127
      @ronanrogers4127 5 років тому +11

      Grant Snell ...it’s pretty well known. Not so weird either.

    • @ArtVandelayOfficial
      @ArtVandelayOfficial 5 років тому

      he was a closet gay

    • @grantsnell6782
      @grantsnell6782 5 років тому +1

      @@ronanrogers4127 Yeah sorry, I hadnt heard that before and was a bit taken aback.

    • @lugnuts8167
      @lugnuts8167 5 років тому +4

      Great presenter with consideration to flies interrupting the shit out of gm engine critique.

  • @nakedlakedip57
    @nakedlakedip57 5 років тому +309

    Back when you could buy a house,
    Pay for a holiday with cash.
    Policing was not a taxed revenue
    raising corporation government owned.
    When you could walk down the street
    find a job that was permanent full time
    What a sad wreck we have become now.

    • @frankdux6930
      @frankdux6930 5 років тому +10

      Agreed.

    • @rocky0utcrop459
      @rocky0utcrop459 5 років тому +46

      Back when Australian child mortality rate was 13 per 1000 (3.5 in 2017)
      GDP per capita was $10,988 USD ($55,693 in 2017)
      Life expectancy was 74.3 years (82.5 in 2017)
      Back when homicide rates were 22% higher
      I really hate how much longer we live and all the extra money we make.
      The access to information and data we have now is just terrible!!

    • @DeathBaseTURBO
      @DeathBaseTURBO 5 років тому +36

      @@rocky0utcrop459 We might be earning more but what about the increase in prices for living now days?

    • @rocky0utcrop459
      @rocky0utcrop459 5 років тому +18

      @@DeathBaseTURBO More good news! GDP per capita adjusted for PPP (Purchasing power parity) was at $24.4k in 1980, which now sits at $46.4K!! Australia is a fantastic place to live!

    • @markmark5269
      @markmark5269 5 років тому +52

      @Sam Turner - absolute nonsense, Australians are more in debt, higher real unemployment, and more people living week to week than ever in modern times. Australians have less disposable cash than ever, and your GDP figures are nonsense out of context.
      Medicines and surgery advance, that's why mortality rate goes down and life expectancy is up (I just had 'standard open heart surgery last month, my heart was stopped for an hour while they operated, and 3 days later I was walking a bit), but the fact is the CSIRO and medical science in general are less funded than ever.
      The only people who say Australia is a great place to live are the people that have never lived in another country, you're ignorant and brainwashed, as I was for my first 40 years there.
      Enjoy going to work tomorrow because YOU HAVE TO, or else.

  • @fullboost
    @fullboost 5 років тому +115

    Cheers for uploading these great old videos 👍 This was my first car 😊

    • @GlowingTube
      @GlowingTube 5 років тому

      Me too!

    • @Dale-sj6ru
      @Dale-sj6ru 5 років тому +1

      Me three! But I had the 4 cylinder version, its was terrible...

    • @simonknowles4267
      @simonknowles4267 5 років тому +1

      Me too....wishing I still had it

    • @jdabel1
      @jdabel1 5 років тому +1

      Me too. I had the VB 2.85L. Great 1st car.

    • @johna8509
      @johna8509 5 років тому

      I had the 4 cylinder too... Auto :(

  • @rocketrod1444
    @rocketrod1444 5 років тому +21

    The good old days. My VB wagon had over 600 k on the clock when i sold it in 2002. Cheers for the great vid.

  • @johnfitzpatrick2469
    @johnfitzpatrick2469 4 роки тому +5

    I remember how proud it made me feel to have the VC. Thank you abc for the memories...

  • @Hungry_Hunter
    @Hungry_Hunter 5 років тому +24

    I wish there were a similarly intelligent articulate human who could assess and test motor vehicles today in the same impeccable manner as Peter . Sadly this is not the case but more on that later......

    • @chippytwo7920
      @chippytwo7920 3 роки тому +1

      I wish that to.their should be a!

    • @jetstream454
      @jetstream454 3 роки тому +1

      There are too many to list mate, but mainly on UA-cam

  • @fredsalfa
    @fredsalfa 5 років тому +13

    Remember driving my dads car when I was 18 it was so smooth and comfortable at the time.

  • @richardvb5221
    @richardvb5221 5 років тому +18

    Loving these videos, thank you. Presenters today could learn more than a thing or two from Peter.

    • @TCFan25
      @TCFan25 Рік тому

      Except his woeful dress sense

  • @darrenwalsh6965
    @darrenwalsh6965 5 років тому +5

    Great show back in the day, and some great road tests as well. Thanks for uploading.

  • @geoffphillips5872
    @geoffphillips5872 5 років тому +9

    1979 was the year of the VB Commodore family sedan. I bought one for $10,250.00 but there was an 8 weeks wait for its build. Real estate sales was my profession, & the average price of Brisbane houses was $18,000 at that time. The brakes always locked up on heavy braking. It wasn’t the missus that cost so much, it was a new car.

  • @thtupid
    @thtupid 5 років тому +12

    Yeah this is how you review cars. Not biased by the stats. Just purely driving the car.

  • @leokimvideo
    @leokimvideo 3 роки тому +16

    Milk crate grill design, so Australian so epic

    • @1969cmp
      @1969cmp 3 роки тому +3

      ....to keep the Galahs out....

    • @freeagent8225
      @freeagent8225 Рік тому

      My favourite grill was the honeycomb XB grill.

    • @perpetualgrin5804
      @perpetualgrin5804 Рік тому +1

      My favourite is the XB Falcon, looks tough😅.

    • @Tobi-ln9xr
      @Tobi-ln9xr 3 місяці тому +1

      Its a German car...
      a rebadged Opel Senator/Rekord.

  • @tedtates
    @tedtates 5 років тому +13

    2:11 that 1980's sense of humor still funny 39 years later

    • @theradiogram87
      @theradiogram87 2 роки тому

      Are u sure it's at 2:11? Because he wasn't making a joke there.

    • @alexshepherd
      @alexshepherd Рік тому

      “By the same token, it doesn’t achieve very much, so perhaps we should go and do something more important”. Love it - exactly how I feel watching this video :D

  • @themessenger5868
    @themessenger5868 3 роки тому +4

    This was my first car in 1987... I just loved it ! Boy did I want that VH SS.

    • @petersnushall7293
      @petersnushall7293 3 роки тому

      My holy grail was a VH SLE with 253 and manual trans. Always regretted not doing one. Reckon I would still have it now..... cars these days are boring, efficient appliances!

    • @themessenger5868
      @themessenger5868 3 роки тому

      @@petersnushall7293 I have a mate with a VH SLE 253... Low K's Auto...Aren't they just beautiful cars in and out !

  • @blackdiamondmarine
    @blackdiamondmarine 5 років тому +10

    this guy is just the best!

  • @martintaper7997
    @martintaper7997 3 роки тому +8

    My mum bought me that digital watch he was wearing, one of the early LCDs, lasted me decades.

    • @gilesflower
      @gilesflower 3 роки тому +3

      I'm still wearing my LCD Seiko that I got for my birthday, 4 years after this video.

  • @Mark_Ocain
    @Mark_Ocain 3 роки тому +6

    I had a 4.2 litre version of the VC SL and I loved it to bits...drove it into the ground in fact LOL

  • @trewqpoiutl9774
    @trewqpoiutl9774 5 років тому +4

    So refreshing to see honest car reviews..even though cars reviewed have been recycled many times over..you never see negative reviews from so-called professionals. We know the reason for that..thanks.

  • @imbetterthanyouis
    @imbetterthanyouis 3 роки тому +5

    had years of fun in a VB , VK and a VN

  • @davidrowlands1876
    @davidrowlands1876 4 роки тому +4

    Purchased a vh v8 sle (top 30) in 1981. Still have the car today. Speaks volumes for their quality and endurance.

    • @Flying_GC
      @Flying_GC 3 роки тому +1

      The fact that there is actually none on the road anymore shows how poor these Opels were. A babied one owner is not a representation of the model as a whole. They were junk.

    • @davidrowlands1876
      @davidrowlands1876 3 роки тому +3

      @@Flying_GC Mate it was/is anything but babied. The NT is my base and this car toured our part of the world at very significant average speeds (no speed limits in its day) for hundreds of thousands of klms. My business was in agriculture, a lot of the driving was off the blacktop where bulldust would flow over the bonnet like water with zero dust penetration - cabin or boot. It did it tough trust me. Klms travelled is nudging the million with one engine rebuild 100,000 klms ago. Exceptional l would say!

  • @I4NI_
    @I4NI_ 2 роки тому +2

    this guy is needed in 2020

  • @T1000AX
    @T1000AX 5 років тому +5

    these clips are great

  • @peternicholson233
    @peternicholson233 3 роки тому +2

    Anyone else enjoy watching the background houses and cars?

  • @ramblingprose6603
    @ramblingprose6603 3 роки тому +6

    6yrs later they just bought a datsun engine

  • @thewholls7176
    @thewholls7176 4 роки тому +4

    The 1978 Commodore was a copy of an Opal called Rekord and it was about 90% similar regrettably it wasn’t until about 2006 when they developed the “billion dollar baby” called the VE
    Now that Commodore in actual fact fully locally designed and built and not long after that they went broke very sad indeed
    But even going back to 1948 with the FX people bang on about that being an aussie car it was an American Chevrolet from General Motors that was very slightly tweaked
    Having said all of that the 1978 and early 80s Commodores every time I see one I’m so surprised how small they are when I was a kid they felt like giant machines but they’re really mid-sized

  • @timdingleakajacksparrow2748
    @timdingleakajacksparrow2748 3 роки тому +2

    My Dad was a Motoring Writer also , He was friendly with this guy , Dad used to bring home new cars all the time , my mates were envious 🤔⁉️I wish I had some of those cars now 👍💰💰

    • @benjaminwilson7490
      @benjaminwilson7490 3 роки тому

      I agree Tim, my Dad worked for Philip Morris as NSW State Promotions Manager and was always bringing home SLR and L34 Toranas, Commodore Irmschers, anything that GMH has that was interesting, including full MHDT mock-up A9-Xs that he would drop us off at school in. Most of the kids thought my dad was Peter Brock. Great times.

  • @BlairSauer
    @BlairSauer Рік тому +7

    Those blue motors were marginally better than the previous red motor. Not as good as the crossflow six that powered the Falcon. Shame we don't have good old fashioned decent and fair motoring journalists like Peter wherret anymore. He made a lot of sense and gave both criticisms and credits where they were due. His assessments were fair and unbiased. What a great car journalist he was.

    • @TheEwanMC
      @TheEwanMC 8 місяців тому +1

      Both inferior to the Chrysler slant six.

    • @BlairSauer
      @BlairSauer 8 місяців тому +3

      @@TheEwanMC yeah good point. However Chrysler got rid of the slant six in favour of the hemi six with the introduction of the VG series valiant in 1970. Hemi sixes were great too. The six pack hemi six on the VH Valiant Charger and Pacer sedan was an absolute screamer. Also the six pack engine was offered as an option on VJ Valiant Charger and mainstream valiant sedan models. Electronic ignition was offered on hemi six with the introduction of the VJ Model. First Australian car maker to do so. It was offered on V8s as well. The hemi six in my mind would be the best non crossflow engine ever made.

    • @TheEwanMC
      @TheEwanMC 8 місяців тому +2

      @@BlairSauer yes, I recall Chrysler marketing their ELB (Electronic Lean Burn) which was one of the first first onboard auto computer controllers.

    • @BlairSauer
      @BlairSauer 8 місяців тому +2

      @@TheEwanMC Yeah that was on the last gen valiant, the CM which was released in 1978.

    • @bigkev78
      @bigkev78 7 місяців тому

      @@TheEwanMCslant six was gone by the time crossflow came out though….

  • @dougharrison7844
    @dougharrison7844 5 років тому +7

    It's amazing how good that old snotbox can look these days with some tasteful mods, and I never realized how much this Peter looked like Brocky.

  • @Scorp308
    @Scorp308 5 років тому +7

    I had the VK with 5.0 litre engine. Okay, so it used more fuel but it was a joy to drive.

  • @NoobNoob1986
    @NoobNoob1986 5 років тому +24

    About time ABC realised it can entertain people on the internet.....

    • @MrLunithy
      @MrLunithy 5 років тому

      Can they??!!!! ..... wow !! who'd have known were where you all this time!!!!

  • @canusdominici
    @canusdominici 3 роки тому +22

    Could you imagine today's reviewers driving like this? They would've spun out and rolled at the first corner, too busy looking for Apple Carplay.

    • @JJVernig
      @JJVernig 3 роки тому +5

      Yeah, or during tapping the dashboard how hard the plastic is...

  • @carebearsremovals3639
    @carebearsremovals3639 2 роки тому +2

    Holden.
    Hope our luck don't end now H O L D E N

  • @shoominati23
    @shoominati23 5 років тому +7

    I loved the handling of the early commodores (in good condition obviously) just the right balance between firm and comfortable

    • @blammy15
      @blammy15 3 роки тому

      And importantly, no need for power steering!

    • @Mechknight73
      @Mechknight73 3 роки тому +4

      You'll always hear some ignoramus say, "it's just a rebadged Opel!" Holden began with the Rekord body with a Senator nose (so it would have room for the inline 6 cylinders) They immediately did away with Opel's recirculating ball and nut steering (similar setup to what the Kingswoods had) so they could drop V8s in them with no issues. They ran this prototype around Lang Lang "just to see how much work needed to be done." The short answer: a lot! in 1500 km, the grille fell out of that first prototype. Withing 4000 km, the car had to be scrapped. A later prototype snapped in two at the firewall. It was at this stage the Holden engineers got really serious. They added internal braces, changed the composition of interior fabrics, upgraded the suspension and the brakes, barely a single component on it was unchanged from the Opel specifications. Yes the outer skin has a lot in common with its German cousin, but that's about where the similarities end

    • @Mechknight73
      @Mechknight73 3 роки тому +1

      @Willie Peter That's because Holden literally will flog a prototype until it breaks, they want to know how low the breaking point is. A rebadged Opel would never survive what they put their own through

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому

      @@Mechknight73 well said.

  • @myuncle666
    @myuncle666 5 років тому +2

    Great car the Holden Commodore. My dad had the VC model running for over 10 years

  • @7071t6
    @7071t6 3 роки тому +4

    I remember the Holden VB commercial when they had it in drive then reserve completely burring the rear tyres, lol:) Basically doing roll backs non stop, that's the commercial for the VB, now not sure if it was aV8 or 6, think it was a six?

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому +1

      It was a 6. They were testing the transmission & drive train for vulnerability. Trimatic proved more reliable than the falcon auto.

  • @hatmcjones
    @hatmcjones 3 роки тому +2

    please upload more of these

  • @TheEricroberson
    @TheEricroberson Рік тому +1

    Classic I miss the 80s

  • @ashtincampbell6038
    @ashtincampbell6038 3 роки тому +1

    These videos are awesome cheers iv never seen this show funny seeing these cars newish lol .

  • @leomellier3629
    @leomellier3629 6 місяців тому

    Very blunt, on point and looking back now he has really pointed out the things I didn’t want to hear about the cars that I collect. Regardless of what he did in is personal life his views and knowledge about the automotive industry are very important and maybe if the big 3 had of listened in the 1970s we would still have them.

  • @quicksilver2510
    @quicksilver2510 3 роки тому +13

    Why Holden came out with a 4 cylinder version of the Commadore is beyond me.

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому +7

      A function of the fuel crisis, the belief was smaller engines were the go.

    • @huckcast7175
      @huckcast7175 2 роки тому +5

      What about 1 + 1? Is that also beyond you?

    • @rogermouton2273
      @rogermouton2273 2 роки тому +1

      Yeah, the fuel crisis was the reason. 4 cylinder cars were very popular at the time due to high fuel prices and GMH thought they could cash in. Problem was they couldn't get their hands on a decent engine, and basically chopped two cylinders off their archaic six. Total dog.

    • @closertothetruth9209
      @closertothetruth9209 Рік тому

      these were sold in the europe my friend said they were not received well comparing to their local cars.

    • @BlairSauer
      @BlairSauer Рік тому

      Those Starfire fours weren't much good. Really it was a Holden 2850 six cylinder engine with two cylinders lopped off it. It was a joke.

  • @Clintreid75
    @Clintreid75 5 років тому +4

    Thank you for uploading, I love watching these episodes of Torque! Good cars the early Commodores but unfortunate they had a poor crash rating.

    • @gogogeedus
      @gogogeedus 5 років тому +1

      you can blame Opel for that.

    • @samkaur4098
      @samkaur4098 5 років тому

      Tell me about it.My VC Commodore SL/E came off second best with a telegraph pole.The car was written off.There was not one straight panel on the car after the crash.The police said I was lucky to be alive.Though I did buy the next model (VH SL/X) after that accident and managed to keep that one straight.Love watching these old car tests with Peter Wherrett.

    • @Clintreid75
      @Clintreid75 5 років тому

      Sad but true...

    • @blammy15
      @blammy15 3 роки тому +1

      EVERY car from that era fails modern crash standards

    • @dunxy
      @dunxy 3 роки тому +1

      Crumpledores!

  • @nowhere529
    @nowhere529 2 місяці тому

    I had a VC for a while, handled beautiful and the old 202 was smooth.

  • @mickwinters8484
    @mickwinters8484 4 роки тому +3

    My first Commodore was a VB after owning only Toranas, should have stayed with me Toranas!

  • @kangurski
    @kangurski 5 років тому +2

    quite enjoyable.

  • @GhostsnGoblins
    @GhostsnGoblins 4 роки тому +2

    My mum have a VC commodore back in the day with the 1.9 4 banger star fire motor 3 speed auto it was gutless.

  • @v88dicky32
    @v88dicky32 2 роки тому +2

    We got a version of this in the UK at the time, called the Vauxhall Senator. Came with the 2.8 straight six, and was a nice car for its time. It looked just the same, although it was made by GM Opel in Germany.

    • @tomnewham1269
      @tomnewham1269 2 роки тому +2

      The story of the commodore is that GM wanted every brand to have the same car world wide. Holden chose the Opel Rekord for their family car however the front end wasn't large enough to accommodate the Holden straight 6 so Holden came up with the Commodore which was a Rekord with the Senator front end.

  • @leonotarianni2604
    @leonotarianni2604 5 років тому +4

    Handling, roadholding and ride aside the VC Commodore in 1980 was a car that really was powered by an outdated agricultural underpowered and thirsty six that directly dated back to the 149/179 Red engined EH Holden released in August 1963. Simply not good enough for a car of this calibre.
    Holden should have bought Chryslers 4.0 and 4.3 Hemi ELB sixes once Chrysler Mitsubishi dropped the CM Valiant in 1981 and used them in these Conmodores .
    Peter Wherrett' s analytical and objective approach was fantastic and it was well described in the doco......other men wouldn't have perhaps been so gentlemanly like In their description of the engines.

    • @petergoodwin2465
      @petergoodwin2465 5 років тому +2

      True ,the hemi was the best 6 cylinder made .The holden and ford 6 is an old design. I'd just buy a valiant, cheap in those days because of the stupid Ford verse Holden crap .

  • @turbotrana
    @turbotrana 3 роки тому +2

    My dad completely cooked a red motor where the orange colour on the engine changed to a darker red . Fixed the hose and filled the radiator and ran for years with no problems.

  • @montinaladine3264
    @montinaladine3264 5 років тому +2

    Peter says, I think, "a manufactured Australian car" and completely forgets to mention where it actually came from. The VB was a modified Opel Rekord (GM Germany) with a longer nose grafted on from the Opel Senator to accommodate the 6 cyl (the Rekord was a 4cyl) and strengthened front suspension and body mounting. Although they forgot to strengthen the back area and with the V8 and towbar fitted, more than one owner found what happened towing a heavy load - the rear actually almost broke off, until they patched it up with heavy steel bars. Do a Google search for Opel Rekord and see how almost identical it is to the VB. Holden couldn't or wouldn't design a world class platform so they basically stole one from another European GM subsidiary , changed a few things and put in their archaic 30 year old tractor engine and clunky 4 speed. Notice they couldn't even come up with their own names: Commodore and Senator, both stolen names. The 5.0 litre SL/E version was probably one of the best all rounder cars available in Australia at the time and for many years. As long as you could handle the relatively small cabin space and the very 70s colour saturation schemes of the luxury models (eg ALL red or ALL green interiors).

  • @Djr67
    @Djr67 4 роки тому +8

    He thinks this is a under powered, wished he would have tested a 4 cylinder Commodore

  • @blammy15
    @blammy15 3 роки тому +2

    Peter Wherrett is wrong about the engine being 20 years old. Yes, you could say it is even older than that, as its design dates back to Holden's "grey" motor" of 1948, but the VC Commodore marked the first appearance of the new "blue" motor, which featured many changes to the earlier "red" motor (which first appeared in 1963) which was what the previous VB Commodore had. The blue featured a 12-port head (up from the 9-port design with siamesed ports that the red had), counterbalanced crank, heavy duty conrods, a new 2-barrel carburettor, twin-branch exhaust manifold, etc. Yes, still an OHV non-crossflow design and sharing the same basic dimensions, but a much smoother motor (although still far from a BMW straight-6 etc) than the old red.

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому

      I've been reading your comments, you know your stuff about Holdens.

    • @foxxster3565
      @foxxster3565 6 місяців тому

      He said 25 years old. IN ITS CURRENT FORM. EVEN OLDER BLAH BLAH… so yes he did say it was even older than 25 years.

  • @rogerevans936
    @rogerevans936 5 років тому +7

    Was just thinking about the amount of work that GMH Elizabeth provided for supporting industry like myself over the years. ( Transport operator). The amount of freight I moved in to that plant over 30 odd years . Overhead. Conveyor equipment for the product line for an engineering company, granulated plastic for bumper bars, door and window sills from Silcraft at Golden Grove, heavy gauge wire to Bridgestone Edwardstown for making steering wheels just off the top of my head.

    • @craigmc3614
      @craigmc3614 5 років тому +1

      I never saw a South Australian Police Ford Falcon of any description ever! Funny that...They refused to use them! All SA Police used were Holdens and Valiants! I think WA Police used Fords but SA Coppers were religiously committed to GM and Chrysler!

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому

      @@craigmc3614 Holden plants located in that state.

  • @wolfydan121
    @wolfydan121 5 років тому +3

    Was my first car with a 253 in it then put a 308 in it loved it

  • @thejattlord
    @thejattlord 3 роки тому +4

    That's what Australia looked like 41 years ago.

  • @V8VRUte
    @V8VRUte 5 років тому +6

    VH was my favourite commodore. I still love driving my LS3 VF, but damn, I wish I'd never parted with my old VH

    • @V8VRUte
      @V8VRUte 5 років тому +1

      @charlie I've chopped plenty of them myself when I was involved in speedway, plus I've chopped up plenty of falcons. I'm a mechanic, so know both falcons and commodores extremely well, and would still take a commodore over a Falcon.

    • @petermapstone9684
      @petermapstone9684 4 роки тому

      Yes mate, I hear you. I have a VeSS but rallied a VH SS back in the day. Cried when it was sold and realised what I had done.

  • @rustykilt
    @rustykilt 3 роки тому +2

    ...Peter was a brilliant presenter and master of the car review... he led the way for intelligent and honest criticism and will be remembered s a leading light in an industry full of BS.

  • @bron2078
    @bron2078 3 роки тому +8

    Crazy to think Holden kept revising just the same engines right up until it's end. The latest Acadias used the same Alloytec motor from 2004 and were being sold in 2019. Imo they left innovation too late and got left behind.

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому +1

      That might be so but a 237kw acadia can move its arse..

    • @TheAllEngineering
      @TheAllEngineering 2 роки тому +3

      That and relying on poor quality Daewoo factory produced vehicles for much of their range. They were charging a Holden price for cheap poor quality vehicles. Eventually the public woke up and that led to the demise of Holden.

    • @jay-uo2bi
      @jay-uo2bi 10 місяців тому

      The Acadia used an engine from more than a decade ago? I did not know 😮
      GM/Holden is a joke.

  • @clayyates6822
    @clayyates6822 3 роки тому +2

    Late 80s my dad had the 308 cop car model in nz, brand spanking new😍.. I'd steal the keys and start it👌

    • @Rob-fc9wg
      @Rob-fc9wg 2 роки тому

      A very desirable car indeed.

  • @lundsweden
    @lundsweden Рік тому +1

    I knew someone who had one of these, brand new with a 4 cylinder Starfire (Misfire) engine and 3 speed Traumatic transmission.

  • @middlecovemotors2474
    @middlecovemotors2474 5 років тому +2

    More Please.

  • @gogogeedus
    @gogogeedus 5 років тому +5

    He is right the 6 cylinder motor was a fuel gusler , but it was a good car all round handled like it was on rails, most stable car on the road, safe as a church, well as safe as the nut behind the steering wheel.

    • @gogogeedus
      @gogogeedus 5 років тому +3

      @Chris Alexy I have been in a vk 5litre doing 220kph plus and it was very stable, a lot more stable than others that couldn't even go that fast.
      they had a great front end arrangement, the McPherson strut and the type of caster rod they used worked well.
      a lot of European cars had those big fat rubber bushes on the control arms that got soft and started to make the front ends wonder, really puts you of them, but both the commodores and later model Falcons had good front end designs and its an important issue when you have large distances to travel like we do.

    • @blammy15
      @blammy15 3 роки тому +2

      @Kristof Alexy you obviously have no clue if you think the early Commodore was just a rebadged Opel Rekord. As for comparing the handling of the early Commodores to a Ford Falcon, the AU Falcon wasn't released until 1998, 18 years AFTER the VC was released (and 20 years after the VB). You should be comparing it to the XD Falcon, which although it was designed and released after the VB Commodore still featured a leaf spring rear suspension (which Holden abandoned with the HQ back in 1971) and was an absolute boat which the Commodore ran rings around n regards to handling.

  • @fatTony666
    @fatTony666 5 років тому +3

    My first car a red manual vc ohhh the memories

  • @samkaur4098
    @samkaur4098 10 місяців тому

    I had the six 2.8,3.3 V8 4.2 and 5.0 litre in the VB Commodores.I miss them so much.

  • @chippytwo7920
    @chippytwo7920 3 роки тому +1

    nice work bud

  • @donny-ho1bm
    @donny-ho1bm 5 років тому +1

    This was my 2nd car.but an auto.did make a modification to it.took out the economy gauge an put in a taco.which was standard in the sle commodore.my first car was a hz Holden ute ..308 v8.now I got a Vt commodore.as Barret said they need to change the engine.v6.they just get better.

  • @frankmat
    @frankmat 3 роки тому +2

    My first car was a '79 VB 3.3L commodore with the red engine. My brother bought the '80 VC 2.8L commodore. Driving his VC felt like driving a go-kart compared to the VB. Severely under-powered.

  • @craigmc3614
    @craigmc3614 5 років тому +8

    What about the 3.3 litre 6 cyl? That thing really went. I think it was called the 'blue motor' as opposed to the previous 'red' motor which was used in the HZ Kingswood SL as well. I can still remember my dad in his VC out accelerating an XD at the traffic lights to go from a duel lane to a single lane where there was some roadworks and we were running late to pick my mum up and we went right past the XD (and he was really trying) good old VC Commodore!

    • @ESP351
      @ESP351 4 роки тому

      The XD was a lot heavier though.

    • @blammy15
      @blammy15 3 роки тому +3

      This is the 'blue' motor. The model Commodore they are testing here is the base model (the 'L') which came with the smaller 2.85L engine; the 3.3L was an optional extra, or standard equipment on the better-equipped SL (amd SL/E)

    • @franzchong5889
      @franzchong5889 2 роки тому

      they detuned the old torana and hz 3.3's for these.66kw or 71kw if what I read from road tests from that era on the VB.I knew a guy who had one of the early ones when he and I were working as pizza delivery guys in 2006.the uc and hz holdens made do with 81 or 88kw units.

  • @vinorob
    @vinorob 3 дні тому

    I used to love my old Commodore. Traded in an old EH to get it from an old Kevin Dennis dealership in Richmond.

  • @purplehazeffc
    @purplehazeffc 5 років тому +14

    Same. I had a VB with the same size "173" Red motor, with the 4 speed manual from late 1989 til 1994..
    Agree it had no power & wouldn't rev past 4500rpm.. But damn they were reliable

    • @lppools
      @lppools 5 років тому

      2.8l equals 186

    • @IceMan-il7dx
      @IceMan-il7dx 5 років тому

      Too many useless gadgets today.

    • @purplehazeffc
      @purplehazeffc 5 років тому +7

      @@lppools That is incorrect.
      The 173 is 2.83L. While the 186 is 3.05L
      Any online conversion will show that

    • @SpectreOZ
      @SpectreOZ 5 років тому +2

      The 2850 173Ci engine was very sluggish, okay for the smaller Torana but not a Commodore, I ended up putting a Mild Stage 2 3.3L in my VH now that went well indeed 👍

    • @TheHeretic435
      @TheHeretic435 5 років тому +1

      My 18 year old e39 5 series is reliable. I need more than that from a car lol

  • @fredsalfa
    @fredsalfa 3 роки тому +4

    Our family had the auto version of that Commodore. It was quite a good car no problems with it like the manual version Peter is testing here.

  • @paulhayman3942
    @paulhayman3942 3 роки тому +2

    The car manufacturers should have listened. More to Peter and took his advice serious the commode would be a great car equal to BMW M3 coupe

    • @patrickbateman6885
      @patrickbateman6885 3 роки тому

      Not Commodore, but Holden were close to brining back the Torana about 12-13 years ago however the GCF stopped it from happening but if it hadn’t Holden would of built the Torana which would of compared very much so to an M3. It would of had the V8 from the Commodore and also a V6 twin turbo both of which would of been very comparable in power, the weight distribution would of been 51-49 or even the perfect 50-50 which the E90 3 series had. I currently own a 2011 E90 323i and over the years I’ve owned nearly every Commodore with my last being a WN Caprice which let me tell you on the inside was nearly as good as my 2011 323i however the cheap plastics just brought it down a bit. In short, the VE/VF really were the poor mans BMW but could of had the potential to be one or beat them at a cheaper price.

    • @ronsmith6041
      @ronsmith6041 3 роки тому

      Anybody who knows anything about cars knows BMWs, Mercedes, and Volkswagen´s are pieces of shit, unreliable and are for people with self-esteem issue's.

  • @jasonstefani8276
    @jasonstefani8276 5 років тому +1

    I don't know why this appeared in my recommended videos, but I'm glad that it did. But what is the red targa top he's driving during the intro?! It's driving me nuts!

    • @pauldewar626
      @pauldewar626 5 років тому +3

      Fiat X1/9

    • @jasonstefani8276
      @jasonstefani8276 5 років тому +2

      @@pauldewar626 I now know that due to research I've done. But thank you nonetheless for responding.

  • @jasontroy4723
    @jasontroy4723 3 роки тому +2

    Around the 8:30 mark he states that this commodore has the making of really good cars . I drive a vf calais 6.2 ltr 6 speed and he was right .

  • @MAte925
    @MAte925 7 місяців тому

    When did they get the 3.3 litre version?

  • @thecondorchannel6846
    @thecondorchannel6846 3 роки тому +1

    anyone else watching this in 2021?

  • @zealman79
    @zealman79 3 роки тому +2

    Look at the body roll on the straight 😂

    • @dunxy
      @dunxy 3 роки тому

      While not so marvellous today, compared to a HQ it was a big improvement!

  • @801_adventure_trek4
    @801_adventure_trek4 Рік тому

    That GM 2.8 six was put in everything here in the states. It was also put in the jeep Cherokee before AMC developed the bulletproof 4.0 straight six…the base 4 cylinder had more power and was fuel injected and didn’t have head gasket issues 🤣

  • @bluecent
    @bluecent 5 років тому

    Just wondering why the original theme music wasn’t used? A licensing issue?

  • @FreedomForAll2013
    @FreedomForAll2013 3 роки тому +1

    This man was so ahead of his time! He called the nissan rb30 and 3.8 buick before it ever happened! They stayed with the 3.3 until the VL where for the 1st time, all commodores got a 3.0ltr electronic fuel injected nissan 6! The 3.8V6 was even better! And when turbocharged the 3.8 will beat most cars! The 250 crossflow 6 the fords had was much better than the 3.3 and 2.8 the commodore had

  • @user-kl9vq9os4w
    @user-kl9vq9os4w 9 днів тому

    He didn't mention the lane keeping assist, the traction control or the bluetooth connectivity.

  • @JohnSmith-fp8il
    @JohnSmith-fp8il Рік тому +2

    I have owned VZ and VE commodore V6 utes and they both had notchy, clunky, slow shifting manual transmissions. It looks like Holden never fixed that problem although the engines, suspension and handling were pretty good.

  • @aussie8114
    @aussie8114 3 роки тому

    A great presenter.

  • @JohnnyBGood544
    @JohnnyBGood544 3 роки тому +1

    I had the VB commodore sedan red 1979 one 202 Auto

  • @mikenolzeynolan4635
    @mikenolzeynolan4635 3 роки тому

    Wow looks like a gemmy from a distance on the front end

  • @wickedleeloopy2115
    @wickedleeloopy2115 4 роки тому +1

    The same 13-17 L/100 from a 2.8L enging today would be out performed by a diesel... yet we could afford to drive more back then.

  • @rogerevans936
    @rogerevans936 5 років тому +17

    A West German Opel with a Holden badge

    • @kdegraa
      @kdegraa 4 роки тому

      ROGER EVANS I thought it was a design from Yugoslavia.

    • @indiekiddrugpatrol3117
      @indiekiddrugpatrol3117 4 роки тому

      @@kdegraa who told you that?

    • @Jo_Wardy
      @Jo_Wardy 4 роки тому

      An Aussie built car but styled from European cars. It basically Side product with Holden HZ. HZ Holden was like the main aussie car and Torana and commodore and Gemini were like side products.

    • @blammy15
      @blammy15 3 роки тому +2

      FAR from being an Opel. Yes, it was based on the Rekord but these literally fell apart in testing (they could not handle the tougher Australian conditions) and Holden had to do a LOT of work strengthening the chassis etc, and there is no interchangeability of mechanical parts or panels - basically completely different cars which only look similar.

    • @cj-fh4nx
      @cj-fh4nx Рік тому

      Holden engines, steering and suspension

  • @kurts9085
    @kurts9085 3 роки тому +1

    Interesting to hear even back in 1980 the 185 engine was feeling underdone even with the blue motor update. The 202 with the 3 speed trimatic wasn't any better, both barely had enough power to run what was meant to be a family car. Funnily enough the black EFI motor was a quantum leap ahead of the old carbureted versions from reports at the time, interesting it only saw the light of day in VK Berlinas and Calais for about 2 years only!

    • @jb7591
      @jb7591 3 роки тому

      The red, known as the black motor by the time of VK, was at the end of its life cycle. Having said that the injected 202 produced 20nm more torque than the Nissan 6 that replaced it.
      Btw, he was testing the 173 (2850) not 185.

    • @jamesfrench7299
      @jamesfrench7299 Рік тому

      Very smooth running motor.

  • @davidorama6690
    @davidorama6690 5 років тому +7

    VB-VK my favourite Commodore sedans.

    • @samkaur4098
      @samkaur4098 5 років тому +1

      Yes I still love these models too.But I love VB-VL models.I would kill for a good one now.Just awesome and simple cars that handled well for there time.

    • @wilson2455
      @wilson2455 5 років тому

      @100% reality My first car was the VB 253 (red) V8 auto. A great car. Next door neighbour worked for GMH so the V8 auto was tuned to perfection. Swapped the standard carb. for a double barrel Webber. Made a huge difference in throttle response. Also, put 'sport' strut inserts in front, ++ handling !

    • @wilson2455
      @wilson2455 5 років тому

      @100% reality The neighbour 'tweaked' my trans to perfection. Solid shifts instead of the soft/fluffy stock shifts. I found the Webber suited my needs, so stuck with it. 253 purred like a kitten !

  • @totalrecall8385
    @totalrecall8385 5 років тому +7

    But GM did revise the red motor they painted it blue and then black in the vk series with injection in the berlina and calais.

  • @bmwm3681
    @bmwm3681 3 роки тому +1

    How simple was life back then...... was only 1 year old.... 😂

  • @youtubehandol
    @youtubehandol Рік тому +1

    wow.... 13/17L per 100 even back then.
    My 2018 motorcycle does 10.5 L/ 100km, and my Mazda 2 daily, 9.8L per hundred.
    We barely advanced in 40 years.

    • @freeagent8225
      @freeagent8225 6 місяців тому

      My 81 Z750 got 20km/l. I wasn't a fast rider that's why I'm able to write this😅.

  • @7071t6
    @7071t6 5 років тому +1

    VB SL/E V8's were the best, better than the VC, but better agin was the VH and then the VK, with the digital dash set up and always in the V8's. :) HAD VK Calais and a VH SLE as well. )

  • @gogogeedus
    @gogogeedus 5 років тому +6

    the gear linkages on the old Aussie 4 speed were pretty agricultural.

    • @captainkaos754
      @captainkaos754 5 років тому +2

      The old m20 m21s weren’t that bad if used as they should be. Peter was used to Bmw and Mercedes. None of those cars were as reliable OR easy to work the interior trim fell to pieces the leather cooked itself in Australian sun and the spare parts prices were a joke. The Aussie six would run on rubbish oil and rusty water and still keep going and if you needed parts they were chump change.

  • @yaho760
    @yaho760 3 роки тому +1

    It also sold in south korea as mebsina daewoo... mebsiba... mebsina... OMG

  • @scootyroddom1391
    @scootyroddom1391 3 роки тому

    miss the old CD :(

  • @morphix007
    @morphix007 4 роки тому

    i thought maybe you found one recently and filmed a review now

  • @iDrive123
    @iDrive123 5 років тому

    Did the floor pan crack?

    • @captainkaos754
      @captainkaos754 4 роки тому

      No but the door handles snapped of the xd.

  • @lordcaptain73
    @lordcaptain73 3 роки тому

    Holy heck his opening lines 🤣

  • @fordlandau
    @fordlandau 5 років тому +3

    Check the skinny tyres. The clunky steel wheels. And an ancient engine with a carburettor !