If you go forward to the 'future' Biff, that will be worth a mint! Hang on to it (which I'm sure that's your intentions) IMO they are the best sounding V8's! Cheers
Lovely example of the VN Calais V8! Still remember as a kid being taken to Geoff Brady Holden and being blown away by these!! My uncle had a rare Calais V6 Manual.
I remember my neighbour back in 1990 buying a VN SS with the 304 engine & the same colour as Glen's Calais. That 304 put a smile to my dial when I took it for a drive!
Awesome car. I've owned my Phoenix red VN executive 5 spd manual v6 for 15 years. I laugh at the haters who say they are a shitbox , I laugh because my VN hasn't given me any problems. Still on original drive train at 460k on the clock.
Yeah same as my v6 , idle is terrible. But heaps of smooth power threw the 5 spd.and at 100ks its only reving at 2000,so has heaps more to go. I've had it upto 140ks once and it felt like it still wanted more, the loud pedal was only halfway down.
I love to see these 100% original examples still around. My dad had the exact same one (model, colour and engine), that I learned to drive in. Very fond memories!
Bought my original 5 speed VN V6 wagon end of 2020 as an 18 year old for my second car, absolutely love it and have been spending a bit too much making it the best it can be since then, V6 is super reliable and goes pretty well with a manual behind it but wouldn't mind a manual 5l in it someday, these are the oldest affordable 'classic' Holdens you can get and with some work they can be pretty comfortable
Man this brought back memories. Had a Calais exactly like this one. 89 model, same colour, 5 litre with a little cam, factory velour interior and factory sunroof. Other then my vh sle's it was easily one of the best cars I've had
I was of driving age when the VN came into production , yeah as a 17 year old at the time I knew I would never own one. But as the years progressed I did own a very knew VS then a VT which I just didn't like. But two weeks ago I brought a 2001 VX equipe in almost ammaculate condition for seven thousand dollars. But the kicker is , it's only got 88,000 on the clock. I'm just saying if I went after the VN back in the day , I might not have ended with the vx I have now.
The car that put Holden back on the map. As much as people like to bag the VN, the truth is that if the VN wasn't every bit as great as it was, there'd be no VT, no VE/VF, no export programs, no new Monaro, etc, and HSV would've been but a very short footnote in Australian automotive history. I remember I was about 4 when I first saw a VN for the first time, I believe not long after they first came out, one day when we were shopping. I already liked cars, and specifically Commodores (I loved my grandfather's VL), but the VN was the first car that I saw at such a young age that made me really think, "That is COOL." I knew it was a Holden, like our WB, and a Commodore like my grandfather's VL, but this was something new, and something really cool. Finally got one back in 2018, I remember having never driven a VN before, I was a tad nervous about driving one for the first time, "don't meet your heroes" and all. Luckily, its every bit as great as I'd dreamed.
@@SirHumphrey498 The VX is an outstanding car, have one myself, but the VT was where the next evolution of the Commodore started, and not only introduced a new level of refinement for local cars, and also opened up new export markets
My first car as a p plater! It was rough, loud and too low! 5L auto No cat’s and a single gutted muffler it read 134db and could be heard 5km away! $300 a week in fuel! And that’s when it was about $1 cheaper!
I love the VN, the v8 ones were great and s pac v6s, bigger brakes help them. But would only own a VQ caprice or Calais v8, and in the HSV's, group a, sv500 or sv89, or HDT Aero
Aussie designed and built. The basic 5 litre engine was introduced in 1969. It was originally 308 ci, but downsized slightly to 304 in 1985 to comply with Group A race requirements. As stated it was re-released in 1989 with fuel injection. Holden used Chev engines during the late 60s / 70’s, but they didn’t return until the LS1 in 1999.
A shame that the VL was one of the last good classic Commodores from the 80’s. Always seen the VN as the Michael Jackson of Commodore.More plastic instead of classic, visual wise..
Yet others see the VL as a rehashed, tired, old design trying to be new again with plastic add-ons and a boot spoiler. Even a Holden designer of the VL, Phil Zmood, admitted that
Why Holden went away from the rb at the last min and fitted the V6 in just madness..Japan's performance and reliability was way in front of anything Australia had..imagine if Holden went with the iz and 1uz package.. look at the celsior compared to anything Australia had.. I mean at the end for both Holden and ford they folded from products that was just junk
Well they had to do something. Bit of a rush job though, front track from the VL, noisy rough engine, horrid interior with a steering wheel the size of a HD. It was just plain awful to drive.
When the VN came out, it was bigger, styled very differently, and was FAST! But......it was bland, had an awful dashboard, and the engine made a bloody awful sound. Also........ quality issues. In the VN's defence:- it sold well and postponed Holden's closure by about 25 years. I drove an HG Kingswood and VK Commodore wagon at the time of the VN's release, and being a single guy, felt no requirement to upgrade. Although I've never liked the VN, I did love the V8 VR and VS Caprices that were loosely based on the VN. I lost interest in Holden once they became full importers, and now run Toyotas. Not Australian........but rock solid quality.
Mighty ugly. Worst looking Commodore ever built. Except maybe for that thing they put a Commodore badge on in 2018. It's not as bad as Ford's AU,but it's as close as they got.
Not everyone will agree with that! The smooth aero VN was a breath of fresh air after the chintzy VL, especially the Calais with its silly half-covered headlights
@@glenntorrens8988 I don't think you'll find too many who think the VN looks better than the VL. I'll take those silly half covered headlights over these sillier half covered rear wheels any day.
@@stevo184 Is that number supposed to impress me? The most popular car on the market today is the Toyota Hilux. You think people are buying those because they look good? The most popular sedan is the Toyota Corolla. Mmmmm those lines. Muppet.
My first car as a p plater! It was rough, loud and too low! 5L auto No cat’s and a single gutted muffler it read 134db and could be heard 5km away! $300 a week in fuel! And that’s when it was about $1 cheaper!
Still got my vs ss with the 5.0 lt engine.
Only got 50k on clock!
Sweet sound from the classic 5.0 lt engine.
If you go forward to the 'future' Biff, that will be worth a mint! Hang on to it (which I'm sure that's your intentions) IMO they are the best sounding V8's! Cheers
I got the 5ltr Berlina wagon VN .....love it
Lovely example of the VN Calais V8! Still remember as a kid being taken to Geoff Brady Holden and being blown away by these!! My uncle had a rare Calais V6 Manual.
I remember my neighbour back in 1990 buying a VN SS with the 304 engine & the same colour as Glen's Calais. That 304 put a smile to my dial when I took it for a drive!
Yes these engines do make people smile!
Love the VN, especially the SS Atlas Grey.
Awesome car. I've owned my Phoenix red VN executive 5 spd manual v6 for 15 years. I laugh at the haters who say they are a shitbox , I laugh because my VN hasn't given me any problems. Still on original drive train at 460k on the clock.
@@hkmonaro8153 yeah the v6 idles as smooth as my Victa, but driving it no problem. 5th gear sits on 2000 rpm at 100. And has heaps more to give.
My first car I bought in my early 20's, and it was absolute garbage, ended up with VH 253 4 spd after that, and that was way better
champion car! But there were issues when this series was new...as we say in the vid, most of the worst/problem cars are gone now
Yeah same as my v6 , idle is terrible. But heaps of smooth power threw the 5 spd.and at 100ks its only reving at 2000,so has heaps more to go. I've had it upto 140ks once and it felt like it still wanted more, the loud pedal was only halfway down.
I love to see these 100% original examples still around. My dad had the exact same one (model, colour and engine), that I learned to drive in. Very fond memories!
I owned a VN Calais blue over silver, grey leather interior, modified 5.0L V8. Went well.
Sold it in 2003 for $5,000 sadly.
I sold my 1990 S pack yesterday. Always loved the VN and will cherish the time I had with her. Great cars.
Bought my original 5 speed VN V6 wagon end of 2020 as an 18 year old for my second car, absolutely love it and have been spending a bit too much making it the best it can be since then, V6 is super reliable and goes pretty well with a manual behind it but wouldn't mind a manual 5l in it someday, these are the oldest affordable 'classic' Holdens you can get and with some work they can be pretty comfortable
you're right, even after 30+ years these 'Big' VNs make comfy freeway/highway tourers
Man this brought back memories. Had a Calais exactly like this one. 89 model, same colour, 5 litre with a little cam, factory velour interior and factory sunroof. Other then my vh sle's it was easily one of the best cars I've had
Agreed. I had one as well. Put a 3" straight through pipe on it. Best car I've ever owned. Regret selling it to this day.
Love the VN.. it was a leap forward for Holden
4:00 watched this part a few times, such a unique sound.
These little reviews deserve to be longer!
Need to do one of the VP range and the VR to VT 5.0 to mark the end of the iron lion
VT is on the list... it's 25 years old right now so plenty of interest in them
Lovely car Glenn, the sound of that V8 is addictive.
yes, it is!
Would be better without the music
The Vn was the 1st decent sized commodore , an what impressive stance it had in its debut
From memory, the front doors on the VN could be straight swapped with the Opel Senator (Opel version of the VN anyways)
I'm not so sure about that, the book project VN says panels are different.
No it couldn't. The Opel was shorter and not as wide as the vn while styling was similar (GM dictated this), they are very different cars.
I was of driving age when the VN came into production , yeah as a 17 year old at the time I knew I would never own one. But as the years progressed I did own a very knew VS then a VT which I just didn't like. But two weeks ago I brought a 2001 VX equipe in almost ammaculate condition for seven thousand dollars. But the kicker is , it's only got 88,000 on the clock. I'm just saying if I went after the VN back in the day , I might not have ended with the vx I have now.
ive got one of the first 88 calais made with only 150k but its a V6 i would swap my left nut if it was born a V8
I had this exact same car except the V6 version with a 2.5" exhaust. Loved that car! ❤
had one here in nz love cars from australia
The car that put Holden back on the map. As much as people like to bag the VN, the truth is that if the VN wasn't every bit as great as it was, there'd be no VT, no VE/VF, no export programs, no new Monaro, etc, and HSV would've been but a very short footnote in Australian automotive history. I remember I was about 4 when I first saw a VN for the first time, I believe not long after they first came out, one day when we were shopping. I already liked cars, and specifically Commodores (I loved my grandfather's VL), but the VN was the first car that I saw at such a young age that made me really think, "That is COOL." I knew it was a Holden, like our WB, and a Commodore like my grandfather's VL, but this was something new, and something really cool. Finally got one back in 2018, I remember having never driven a VN before, I was a tad nervous about driving one for the first time, "don't meet your heroes" and all. Luckily, its every bit as great as I'd dreamed.
wait on , you mentioned the VT , VE and such but you forgot to mention the greatest commodore of them all ,,,,,, the VX
@@SirHumphrey498 The VX is an outstanding car, have one myself, but the VT was where the next evolution of the Commodore started, and not only introduced a new level of refinement for local cars, and also opened up new export markets
@@davidshepherd265 I'm on your side David , I just love the VX
@@SirHumphrey498 The VX2 is regarded by many as the best of the VT-VZ generation (build quality; features etc) but that lineage began with VT
Couldn't agree with you more on this one Glenn, I've got the same as your VN. But its the Sister that noone wanted to date, as mine only has the 3.8.
Thats a nice VN Calais.
My first car as a p plater! It was rough, loud and too low! 5L auto No cat’s and a single gutted muffler it read 134db and could be heard 5km away! $300 a week in fuel! And that’s when it was about $1 cheaper!
Gorgeous cars!
A bit of a break from the "bommidore!"
There's more crusty Commodore content coming soon!
@@glenntorrens8988 Haha good!! ;)
I love the VN, the v8 ones were great and s pac v6s, bigger brakes help them. But would only own a VQ caprice or Calais v8, and in the HSV's, group a, sv500 or sv89, or HDT Aero
The mighty VN
The music was a little intrusive. In a car video, we want to hear the car. If we want music, we'll watch a music video.
fair feedback, we did our best to make sure the V8 roar wasn't smothered...
@@gtbeetles2421
Fair enough. 🤠👍
Ultimate bogan special
feuggenoafmate
I’m a slurry for a dirty 5L VN 👌 up the boats
I think that means you like 'em!
Is that 5 liter actually Australian or is it based off a chevy motor
Aussie designed and built. The basic 5 litre engine was introduced in 1969. It was originally 308 ci, but downsized slightly to 304 in 1985 to comply with Group A race requirements. As stated it was re-released in 1989 with fuel injection.
Holden used Chev engines during the late 60s / 70’s, but they didn’t return until the LS1 in 1999.
cant half tell those door trims have been of once before lol
Great old V8. got a VT roller in my HZ premier
1 of the only 4 commodores to have an Australian motor loo
A shame that the VL was one of the last good classic Commodores from the 80’s. Always seen the VN as the Michael Jackson of Commodore.More plastic instead of classic, visual wise..
Yet others see the VL as a rehashed, tired, old design trying to be new again with plastic add-ons and a boot spoiler. Even a Holden designer of the VL, Phil Zmood, admitted that
Mount sugarloaf 👌
Why Holden went away from the rb at the last min and fitted the V6 in just madness..Japan's performance and reliability was way in front of anything Australia had..imagine if Holden went with the iz and 1uz package.. look at the celsior compared to anything Australia had.. I mean at the end for both Holden and ford they folded from products that was just junk
VN…where I used to work we had a whole fleet of them, very ordinary cars…very ordinary.
Any bigger and it would need more wheels under it
Well they had to do something. Bit of a rush job though, front track from the VL, noisy rough engine, horrid interior with a steering wheel the size of a HD. It was just plain awful to drive.
The V8 VNs are fantastic machines, the v6s are worthless piles of shit but I did see a couple of them at a car show yesterday.
you might find a good tidy V6 will always find a home too
@@glenntorrens8988 Hopefully to be converted to V8.
When the VN came out, it was bigger, styled very differently, and was FAST! But......it was bland, had an awful dashboard, and the engine made a bloody awful sound. Also........ quality issues.
In the VN's defence:- it sold well and postponed Holden's closure by about 25 years.
I drove an HG Kingswood and VK Commodore wagon at the time of the VN's release, and being a single guy, felt no requirement to upgrade. Although I've never liked the VN, I did love the V8 VR and VS Caprices that were loosely based on the VN.
I lost interest in Holden once they became full importers, and now run Toyotas. Not Australian........but rock solid quality.
had one of these bouncy castle fucken shit
Mighty ugly.
Worst looking Commodore ever built.
Except maybe for that thing they put a Commodore badge on in 2018.
It's not as bad as Ford's AU,but it's as close as they got.
Not everyone will agree with that! The smooth aero VN was a breath of fresh air after the chintzy VL, especially the Calais with its silly half-covered headlights
@@glenntorrens8988 I don't think you'll find too many who think the VN looks better than the VL.
I'll take those silly half covered headlights over these sillier half covered rear wheels any day.
@@glenntorrens8988 i prefer vn over vl also
Well, at least 215,000 people must disagree because that's how many they sold
@@stevo184 Is that number supposed to impress me?
The most popular car on the market today is the Toyota Hilux.
You think people are buying those because they look good?
The most popular sedan is the Toyota Corolla.
Mmmmm those lines.
Muppet.
ƤＲＯ𝓂Ｏ𝕤ᗰ
Haha not even 100% Australian
Shit box then, and still is lol
Mmmm, look very bland to me, both inside and out.
vn looks plain
The VN was a heap of shit. The only thing it had going for it is that the EA Falcon was an even bigger heap of shit.
Once your done, drop it off at my place thanks.
My first car as a p plater! It was rough, loud and too low! 5L auto No cat’s and a single gutted muffler it read 134db and could be heard 5km away! $300 a week in fuel! And that’s when it was about $1 cheaper!
Hahaha me too. My neighbours loved it. They had no choice.