Commodore VZ 2005 Recommendation

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  Some Human on 09/07/2019 - 22:38

  +12

  My recommendation: don't buy it.

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  [Deactivated] on 09/07/2019 - 22:42

  Those are just the things he's told you about. I can see easily 3-4k for a mechanic to fix all those, especially considering "engine oil leak" could be anything from an inconvenience to a disaster.

  Why do you want a Commodore anyway? Buy a car for the same price that's more practical and more comfortable with less issues, more features and better economy.

  • 

    ssquid on 10/07/2019 - 04:11

    +2

    Any mechanic charging that much to fix all those problems should be ashamed of themselves.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 10/07/2019 - 16:48

      Sure, if they all turn out to be simple fixes. Labor is expensive. Parts are cheap for these cars, sure, but you still have to pay for them. If everything that needs doing turns out to be on the time consuming and expensive side of things, it's not going to be cheap.

      An "engine oil leak" could be a $14 gasket and 1hr labour, or it could be a $14 gasket and a day labour depending on where it is. Again, that's without mentioning anything else that could be wrong with the car. Why not just buy a sorted one for a similar price? Not like it's a small market with no options.

• 

  mskeggs on 09/07/2019 - 23:17

  +3

  I drive a VZ Calais (cost $4400), and it is a great car if you aren't stuck in traffic (it is quite comfortable in traffic, but you won't enjoy the fuel bills).
  97,000kms is very low, and doesn't really square with the wear you're describing.
  And it is really, really unusual to have a seller describe these sort of (largely) non-visible issues. I would be suspicious that there are more problems and the car has been thrashed. Nice bodywork doesn't allay those concerns, and is almost always a huge red flag when buying secondhand. Ideally, you want the old lady owner who drove it gently once a week, then go source your body flares from the wreckers…

  There are heaps of Commodores around, and it is very easy to find one that has been cared for at around $4k. I think you can reasonably expect to get 250,000km+ from a VZ if it is regularly serviced, so one with 100-150k kms is quite a reasonable prospect. Consider too, that things that kill a fancy Euro car at 150,000km are more cheaply repairable on a Commodore. If a replacement transmission for a 2005 Mercedes is $7000 it kills the car. If it is $1500 for a Commodore it might be worth considering. Tires are cheap, clutches are cheap, starter motors are cheap, basically, Falcons and Commodores are the cheapest cars to fix with consumables because they were the biggest sellers and spare parts were made locally. And there are so many around you can easily source parts at the wreckers. My first car was a VB commodore, and I was able to wander into the wreckers and find a replacement door in the right colour, because there were so many on the lot.
  Not quite the same these days, but still cheap and relatively easy to fix.

  My v6 does under 10l/100km on the highway, but hits 13L in traffic. If I plant the foot, even the v6 has a lot of go. A similar vintage Honda or Toyota will be less thirsty, but cost a few thousand more to buy , cost more to buy parts for, and be less enjoyable to drive. I love Toyotas, but economical motoring is very cheap in an old Commodore if you aren't doing a lot of kilometres or are doing mainly highway miles. There is a reason backpackers who want cheap over anything else are heading around in old Falcons and Commodore wagons. They are also reasonably safe for their vintage, although I understand they score poorly for pedestrian impact, so be careful.

  One issue I don't have is a concern about reliability. If the motor blew up tomorrow, I would just go buy another - happy I still came out ahead of the depreciation compared with a new car, but when I was young and $4k was all I could afford for a car I was very picky about finding one that would keep going for a long time.

  • 

    Rockets84 on 10/07/2019 - 10:16

    This is why I drive a 14 year old 04 VY Berlina and have no plans of upgrading until it develops a problem that's not worth the cost of fixing. It's been very reliable mechanically, I just get it serviced when required by a good old school no bullshit mechanic I was able to find. Got 160K on the clock but it's spotless inside and out except for the common drivers seat hole that commodores of the era develop. Got a quote to fix it but it was a tad expensive considering the cars value. Insured for red book value. I've upgraded the cars stereo head unit to a current Sony XAV-AX200 that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. An off the shelf Aerpro kit was able to take care of all the harness adaptors, brackets, fascia's etc for a pretty straight forward DIY job which retained the steering wheel control functionality. Got a better "infotainment" system in my 14 year old car than a VF.

    My old man has a saying "buying a car is like flushing your money down the toilet". He's right, cars are money pits.

• 

  AdosHouse on 10/07/2019 - 00:51

  +1

  Contrary to what mskeggs above has said, most of these can easily be on a low kilometre car.

  Engine oil leak Depends where it is coming from, but gaskets can die with age.
  Engine & Gear mount a bit worn These are hydraulic filled on the commodores and will die with age. Aftermarket ones are generally solid.
  Castor Rod bushes worn both ends Again fluid filled and will die with age. Fairly easy to change, but have a BIG breaker bar if they are original.
  Coolant Flush Well yeah, and I'd do that on ANY second hand car I bought
  Battery and Bonnet loose I don't understand how the battery is loose unless they lost the securing piece. Bonnet loose, again depends what that means. Bonnet is only connected by the 2 bracket arms, 2 gas pistons, and the front latch.
  Front brakes due So freaking easy to do on Commodores.
  LH tie rod end has movement and needs replacing. Tie rods are cheap and not that difficult to replace, but best done by a professional to ensure steering alignment.

  EDIT: I would also check how the suspension is doing. It's old, springs may be sagging, and shocks worn.

• 

  ssquid on 10/07/2019 - 04:08

  Main problem with VZs is that the engine is a bitch to work on due to being mounted 90 degrees different from how it was intended - takes half a day (if you're lucky) just to change the damn thermostat.

  • 

    brendanm on 10/07/2019 - 13:39

    Takes under 2 hours to change the thernostat.

• 

  brad1-8tsi on 10/07/2019 - 08:14

  +1

  Any old car will need work but $3.5k is probably $1.5-$2k too much.

  Engine oil leak

  Probably needs a workshop. Could be simple. Could be a rear main seal. My BILs VZ had an almost permanent oil leak despite the dealer "fixing" it 6 times. Probably 3 out of 3 spanners difficulty.

  Engine & Gear mount a bit worn

  You'll need stands and a trolley jack. 2 spanners difficulty

  Castor Rod bushes worn both ends

  Never looked. Can't say.

  Coolant Flush

  I'd do the engine oil, diff oil, transmission, power steer (assuming hydraulic) and brake fluid as well. 1 spanner

  Battery and Bonnet loose

  probably needs a bracket. 1 spanner

  Front brakes due

  Count on needing rotors and probably the slider pins & boots. 1 spanner

  LH tie rod end has movement and needs replacing.

  Easy job. Needs alignment afterwards. 1 spanner

  There's up to $2k of work there depending on the engine oil leak issue. That's normal with an old car.

  I hope you like paying for fuel. We averaged 15L/100km in our VY & VE

• 

  Bid Sniper on 10/07/2019 - 08:24

  +1

  If you cant DIY then double the cost of the car to cover those repairs, and whatever else (brakes, tyres etc…), then add cost of tools. If you're asking if it can be done, I suggest not to before a gearbox or car itself lands on your head.

  Get something 2010 on, Japanese or Korean.

• 

  Seraphin7 on 10/07/2019 - 09:25

  I literally just sold a 2004 VZ with 82,000 on the clock for $1,000 with no mechanical issues whatsoever. I'd be suggest something in the $1k range, not the $3k range.

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  Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 10/07/2019 - 13:33

  rather cheap

  always for a reason.

  has some nice bodywork

  a bodykit? so it's likely been thrashed.

  a list of mechanical issues

  Run.

  Is this your first car?

  Buy a corolla.

• 

  Beanvee on 10/07/2019 - 13:39

  Do you have an idea of the extent of the faults? May want a mechanic to do a check for you.
  My 2003 VY Commodore @ 95,000km has most of the same issues, I've gone through two mechanics who said the same thing: they're common commodore issues and minor enough that they won't need action for a while.
  Been on my service reports for years now.

• 

  brendanm on 10/07/2019 - 13:41

  Pretty much every alloytec leaks oil from the timing cover.

  How is the service history?

  These things also stretch timing chains quite often, especially if under serviced.

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  Euphemistic on 10/07/2019 - 17:14

  +1

  Unless the body is immaculate and something original (ie not just another SS copy) then find another one either cheaper or being in need of no immediate repairs.

  There are a million commodores around and they should be very cheap if 10yo.