Bloody Holdens!

[NCR600]

I run a 2002 model SS ute. In general it's been quite good, although now it's got close to 100k on the clock it's starting to get a bit rattly (probably due to the hard springs fitted by the previous owner)

It's only had 2 problems, but boy have they been big 'uns.

The steering rack fell off, because whoever fitted the extractors re-used the lock nuts. Fortunately this happened on a dead straight road near Narranderra, and I discovered it when after overtaking a slower moving vehicle, it was a major struggle to fight it back onto the correct side of the road. Fortunately one bolt dropped out first and I had a small amount of left steering available and was able to limp the 20 ks into Narranderra, where after not being able to turn right into the servo, turned left into a side street where the other bolt dropped out onto the road when I stopped. Cost me 20 bucks for some second hand ones from the local wrecker, and a case of beer for the local mechanic who drove me out there and let me borrow his hoist. The tow was free from the NRMA. A new pair of undies was purchased to replace the ones I'd been wearing and looked like the starting line at Oran Park.

This morning, the bloody thing caught fire. Passengers side window switch fused, melted all the plastic and filled the cabin with smoke in short order. Didn't need the fire extinguisher that I don't carry with me (this was in the driveway) but I grabbed it just in case.

It appears that this was the only problem, but it's a worry that the appropriate fuse didn't blow before it got hot enough to ignite the plastic.

The replacement switch isn't getting in till 2 o'clock, so today it's cost me $157 dollars for the switch, a day's pay and my sanity trying to get the door trim off (1.5 hours, although if you'd done it before probably about half that)

I'm going back to bloody old Alfa Romeos!

 

[brisneyland]

I'm going back to bloody old Alfa Romeos!

From the frying pan into the fire?

It's a bit disconcerting that a relatively new vehicle could do things like that.

 

[danv]

Holdens never struck me as having the best build quality. Espeically the interiors and electrics. flimsy shit. Pretty much none of the interior electrics (radio, lights, windows etc.) work on my mate's 96 sedan. To be fair they don't exactly clean it or treat it nice or anything, but still.
The engines don't seem to give out easy though.

Can't wait to sell my commodore and get a cruiser

 

[McPete]

Can't wait to sell my commodore and get a cruiser

Just make sure you get a turbo or a petrol. The Standard diesel doesn't like hills. Or traffic. Or anything really. Awesome cars otherwise, my Ex-RFS 80 Series is one of my favorite cars of all time.

As for your flamin' Holden... Well, I'm looking at replacing my Landie with either an 80s Jag XJ6 or a 70s Triumph Stag. I'll show you some catastrophic faults mate

In all seriousness, you'd not think that would happen, on a flagship product like the SS ute. That's just another reason why I am flat out not buying a Holden for the foreseeable future.

 

[NCR600]

In honesty the steering rack problem had nothing to do with Holden, it was caused by bodgy tight arse exhaust fitters re using a lock nut. When I got back to Sydney the dealer I bought it off fixed it with new ones, and were very concerned with the whole deal.

I put Loctite 290 on them afterwards and they haven't dropped out yet after 70,000 ks, and I don't suppose they ever will!

The fire is much more of a worry. I don't know why it happened, but all that appears to be wrong is the fused and melted switch. I'll replace the appropriate fuse with a new one incase the one in there is a bodgy one, but apart from that I dunno what else I can do.

I've had 2 old Alfas. They had their problems, but dropping a steering rack and catching fire weren't part of their catalogue!

 

[dcrofty]

As for your flamin' Holden... Well, I'm looking at replacing my Landie with either an 80s Jag XJ6 or a 70s Triumph Stag. I'll show you some catastrophic faults mate

If you're going to get a jag at least get one of their V12's. Then you know that most of the time you will have an 8 cylinder powerplant.

 

[brisneyland]

Well, I'm looking at replacing my Landie with either an 80s Jag XJ6 or a 70s Triumph Stag. I'll show you some catastrophic faults mate

Lucas The Prince Of Darkness really has his teeth into you.

 

[Arete]

My dad used to work with an old guy who was a Jag fanatic who liked to tinker with them on the weekends.

After a while he got sick of the Jag constantly having problems, so he traded it in on a Lexus. 6 months later he was back in the dealership trading the Lexus on a Jag stating "It's boring, nothing goes wrong with it."

Or so Dad tells it.

 

[dhd]

I've had about 10 Fords, 3 Holdens, a smattering of Subaru and Toyotas and other jap stuff. And I had two Alfa GTVs.....which by far surpassed all the others put together for problems.
eg:
Drivers door fell off while going around left hand hairpin (I shit you not!).
Rear disc brake rotor fell off. (inboard).
Myterious electrical fault that left me stranded on Hume Hiway.
Door handle broken off in hand.
Bent valves (Titanium shafts=mega $$$$)
There was about 38 other small things but the upshot was I might as well have just burnt my pay packet each week cause it all went to fixing something on the car. In their defence though, I have never owned a car since that was as much fun to drive....Think Go Kart on the street kinda fun.

 

[danv]

Holdens never struck me as having the best build quality. Espeically the interiors and electrics. flimsy shit. Pretty much none of the interior electrics (radio, lights, windows etc.) work on my mate's 96 sedan. To be fair they don't exactly clean it or treat it nice or anything, but still.
The engines don't seem to give out easy though.

Can't wait to sell my commodore and get a cruiser

haha, aforementioned mate just told me today that his engine blew up. Again.

 

[BM Epic]

This sounds very familiar,holden engines tend to be pretty reliable units,same with the chevs,they will use oil,rattle etc,but they keep going.
As for the rest,they are rubbish in every way,they are about ten years behind in interior quality(fabrics,plastics etc.).
The wiring and electrics also are suspect.
Ford kills holden for interior and finish,holden just gets them for horsepower!
There new ad's for the ute i must admit,makes me want to buy a ute.
The 01 turbo deisel patrol will have to do,160 thousand km's and not one problem,and i drive it hard from new(beach driving ,rock climbing,snow driving,emergency snatches more times than i care to remember.)And it still comes back for more!

 

[slip]

NCR - have you noticed it feeling a lot more tired/loose/driven as time goes by? Hard to explain, but most of the Jap performance gear I've driven still felt tight if looked after, but the VY SS manual I drove a couple of times, and every other performance Commodore for that matter have really shown their usage. You could just feel that they had been driven.

 

[NCR600]

NCR - have you noticed it feeling a lot more tired/loose/driven as time goes by? Hard to explain, but most of the Jap performance gear I've driven still felt tight if looked after, but the VY SS manual I drove a couple of times, and every other performance Commodore for that matter have really shown their usage. You could just feel that they had been driven.

I recently replaced some bushes in the front end which tightened it right up. Mine's had some pretty extensive suspension work done by the previous owner though, and feels pretty sharp anyway. The shocks are starting to get close to be replaced/rebuilt, so I'm looking at something a bit trick under there to see if i can make it even better.

In reality, and in comparison to stock FE2 suspension, mine's pretty good in that department. It rattles a bit, but what 100k care doesn't have a few odd rattles here and there?