1982 Holden Commodore SL/E from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

Radiator hoses both replaced

Battery was dead when I got it from the dealer, cheers guys

Front discs were worn out

Carburetor (Varajet II) faulty - no choke

Fuel pump, pressure regulator and fuel lines all needed replacing

Several electrical problems

Drivers-side window arm broke recently

Exhaust manifold is warped and leaks.

Mufflers and exhaust needed replacing.

Auto transmission leaks fluid.

I used to own an Honda Prelude, and after you spend 110 on a radiator hose I decided to get a cheap runabout. However this car hasn't recently proven to be all that cheap. I've only had it a short time and all those problems have now been fixed bar the carbie.

Parts for this kind of car, and insurance, you'll find are EXCELLENT, and labour on these cars should be fairly cheap, if a mechanic is going to charge you a lot for labour, tell him he's dreaming.

The 202 blue motor is a very strong engine, producing a lot of enjoyability, and traction around corners is tight and sweet.

Brakes leave a lot to be desired, but considering they're still using drum brakes at the rear they aren't too bad.

Economy is shocking, specially with a bung Varajet II carby. The carby on mine at the moment needs a rebuild, and is chewing as much fuel as the 253 V8. These carbies are prone to going sour. Luckily the auto choke from the VK carby was a clean fit to my carby which was missing it.

Another thing to watch with these cars is the exhaust manifold. Holden designed they're 202 blue to burn hotter than the previous model, for emission standards, and in turn heats up the exhaust manifold (cheap cast iron) to the point at where it warps, creating a nice little vacuum leak, and a lot of noise. The best thing to do here is to replace it with a set of extractors, they cost more, but will inturn do a lot more for you than you'd first have thought.

The dash is prone to going, the speedo is rarely acurate, and the electrics all over are prone to falling apart. Best thing to do here is get the whole electrics re-tuned. Take it to any auto-electrical shop and they should be able to help you.

As soon as I can improve economy on this little beast i'll be happy, as she is a cheap runabout, but like with all old cars, they need a little spending on to start with.

I have always said I prefer the manual choke over auto choke.