Hi guys and girls,

im just considering purchasing a VL Calais off a workmate, im just wondering a few things about it (im no mechanic)

what should i be looking out for with this model, any flaws etc?
any good installs that people know about/have pictures of/or plans for
i would even settle for a history lesson while im at it

Thanks for that,

Knighty

p.s. and a little off topic (rather than starting a new thread), whats the easiest way to search for a certain model car, seeing as how all the commo's are 2 letters, it makes it a bit hard searching for it (from what ive found so far, i could even be doing something wrong)

http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/

personally, I wouldn't get a VL turbo, but, how much is he asking for it? what condition? how many kms?

the VL's seem to rust, around the front and back windows, as well as surface rust.

One of the major flaws it has is the predudice it carries (which is one of the major reasons why alot of people get them). I dont mind the look of them when they're looking 'smich' but seriously an aussie car with a rice steamer?! Its a contradiction yeah?

its going to have a little surgery done before i get it. there is a 5sp manual goin in to replace the auto.
he is only asking around 500 for it.

and in case a couple of people are wondering, no, i am not lebanese . the reason i am looking at this car is that there is only 1 other in town, so just to do something different. and i like the old commodores

whats wrong with it?

Nothing any old car doesn't have, quite a few k's (mostly highway too and from town) and the age of it.

and the fact he is a good mate. if he sells me a lemon, ill push it over him if i have to

Getting parts for the VL is almost impossible, unless you have one or two shells that you can strip parts off. They are close to non existant in wrecking yards. Plastics are brittle and break easily, they are easily stolen, very expensive to insure for that reason. Mechanically they are a bastard to work on, tend to have extremely nasty electrical gremlins that only happen when you are driving it and never when the mechanic does. All the sensors tend to be faulty and hard to find to replace. The windows rust around the sills, front and rear. The drivers and passengers seat get loose backs after time. The indicator stalks break easily... The CAS is prone to stop at any time and die, even when only days old and leave you stranded... geeze the list goes on!!! They are a neverending pit of money. But for some reason, most people that own them love them. I know I loved mine, no matter how much money i threw at it, or how pissed off it made me I still loved it... Sold it 3 years ago... even with all the problems, i'd get one again... i dunno why, but i would....

you would be extremely lucky to get a reasonable condition non turbo for $1000.

so, whats wrong with your mates car that he'd sell the whole thing for about the same price the engine alone is worth?

a 1987, Manual, Turbo, VL Berlina sedan, has a redbook value of $1900 - $4200.

i know they aint cheap, thats why im not saying too much yet. but i know he has a thing for killing his brain cells, and he is almost permanantly off his tree

still, either way i would be using the car for a project car, so i can learn a bit more in another industry. i have a VS that i drive everywhere, so this would live in the driveway as a bit of a hobby.

besides, the powers that be say that i cant have a fun car (i.e. turbo, v8, nice powerful one etc.)

VL are old.. and the turbo's are all whipped. For $500 I wouldnt expect it run for very long, bank on replacing everything mechanical.. but if you want it for a project whatever, have fun. Or even better, to wreck you'd make your money back on the headlights alone.

Anyway standard Commodore fair.. look for rust around the front/rear windows, around the rear wheel arches and in the boot.
Look for ripples (buckles and warps) in the boot floor.. shows a mechanical fatigue of the body (IE. its shagged).
Check the rear axel closely for movement.. the borgs in the VL's never lined up properly anyway, and it gets worse over time (ever heard a VL death rattle past ? Thats why).
If its got a dose pipe, avoid it. Dose pipe setups are so bad for the mechanicals.. especially the turbo. Hop on CalaisTurbo.com and search for "dose damage"
Check for shaft play, and burning smells, drips of oil/coolant around the turbo. And listen for "fully Hoover spec" turbine noise. All spell new turbo time.

Have fun with it. I dunno what advice to give.. either you're buying it for a clean shell, or for good mechanicals. If its dead-set shagged out in both, then break it for parts and use the funds from that for a better one ?

i was thinking of using it for an investment, might downgrade it to an old one tonner and play with that instead

either way, once they have been looked after well i have seen them going for over 20 grand so im hoping its a worthwhile purchase.

shall see when im closer to affording it

Those ones going for 20grand have had 4 or 5 times that spent on them mate, they aren't just $500 base car with 5 or 6 grand slapped at it...

some of them are... but then the owners have smoked so much pot they dont know what they're doing anymore when they ask $15000+ for them.

just to throw someting out there, there is a VU ute going arounf with an RB30 block mated to an RB26 head..

in a VU ute??!?!?!?!?!


crazy awesome

Im with eVL I had a VL turbo SL Station wagon 5 speed manual. Worst car mechanically i ever owned - yet my favorite car of all time.

Blew the gear box 3 times - $1500 - 2500 a go it wasnt a cheap hobby.
It attracted so much police attention it wasnt funny (and no it wasnt slammed - it sat at stock height with custom coils that were solid as a rock - so solid whiteline wouldnt warranty the strut brace that snapped because they blammed the stiffness of the coils)
I reacon in the 13 months I (subjectively) held a licence whilst owning that vehicle I was pulled over probably 45+ times.
Anything from being accused of robberies (hey theres no doubting I was a shaddy character when I was younger but i can garruntee i never was involved in robberies - the most i stole was a few pint glasses, an out door setting and a sofa from the local pub and random peoples letter boxes and water features in front yards on drunken walks home from the pub.) To being accused of drag racing monaros whilst filling up with fuel (WTF?)

Be prepared to do crank angle sensor, spend money on getting the touch buttons working, cut copious amounts of rust from the windscreen and rear window. and thats just the begining.

But if it is a turbo you'll have a crap load of fun and undoubtedly will find yourself facing the wrong way on numerous occasions especially in the wet

Go check calaisturbo.com

you too can be hEKt1k bR0!

i unintentionally managed that in the VS, good thing it doesn't ever rain in victoria

i spose the fun side of things is the main reason, but id also love to have a car that is unique, there are too many VN-VT commodores with p plates in the window in town, and i just wanna do something different.

the fact that half the cops here cant tell the difference between a straight 6 and a v8 probly wont help my cause.

www.calaisturbo.com.au

That will solve all your questions...

A VLCT for $500 I highly doubt it... And if so, it wouldn't run

Parts for a VL are in abundance, so I'm not sure what you guys are talking about... It's the original GM parts that aren't made anymore, but there are plenty of aftermarket (non genuine) parts for sale

VL's are a 20yo car, clearly they are going to have their problems

+1

$500? are you he doesn't want $5000?

i have seen unregoed ones for $2000-3000

check the boot seal for rust but more importantly the front windsreen because if that leaks it will leak onto your computer and cause all of hell to break loose

WhiteKnight is from swan hill so $500 does sound cheap - BUT possible.

He isnt in melbourne or sydney where they fetch rediculas money.
Also being in the country and not a coastal area rust "shouldn't" bee too much of an issue.
Certain parts arent made after market - or atleast weren't about 4 years ago when I had my VL SL wagon with an RB30ET backed by a MX-7. Gearbox is one area where you'll struggle for parts. I ended up the last time rebuilding my box with parts from the R31 Skyline MX-7 box which was "slightly" different - this caused a clash when running std oil so I changed to a blend with auto trans and used redline oils only. This solved the noise issue - hopefully for the next owner it solved the issue completely other wise he'd be up for a rebuild of 3rd & 4th soon

get a val...

$20k will get u a RB26 VL that runs 12's.. reliably. - however that should have a pair of $2k rims on it, with $1k + worth of interior + stereo + suspension mods $2k, and engine $15k+

Its funny how different area's have different stereo typical cars. Cause here in Sydney 99% of P platers drive VL's. So the kids driving VN/P/R/S/T/X etc are the outcasts lol