Jarrods Holden

[spauldj3800]

Guess its time I made a proper thread for this..

Name: Jarrod
Model: VR S pack
Colour: Genesis Blue Mica
Bodykit: Standard S pack bodykit, SS Bezels & Foglamps, Manta grille
Engine Type: 3800 BUICK
Engine Mods: S/C 6 CAI, BMC Panel filter, Top Gun leads, worked heads, Platinum plugs
Power: 101 RWKW. (March 2007)
Exhaust: Hi Tech headers, 2.5 inch exhaust, no resonator
Gearbox: 4L60e automatic..for now
Diff: 3.08 LSD
Brakes: Stock rear, VT front, Slotted rotors
Suspension: Kings SSL all 'round, Whiteline adjustable Panhard bar, Pedders Strut Brace, Whiteline rear sway bar
Wheels/Tyres: 19x8.5 Speedy Cheetah, Maxxis MA-Z1 tyres
Interior: SAAS steering wheel, Statesman seats
Other Mods: Colour coded rocker covers, fire extinguisher mounted in boot
Stereo: Fusion 6x9s (Rear), 6.5 inch splits (front) JVC head unit
Build Period: Since May 2005

What it looked like at the beginning. This isn't my car (I didn't take any stock pictures), but its close.

17 inch AMG Akuzas

SS foglights installed

Dyno sheet

Lowered

New wheels, 18 inch Holden By Design J Series

Custom number plates, new indicators, Manta grille, red wall tyres

New seats, out of a VS Statesman (local luxury model)

Engine bay after a detail

New wheels...again. 19x8.5 Speedy Cheetah

Since the last pictures were taken, I've fitted some suspension bits and a limited slip diff.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this car, I couldn't bear to part with it. I'm going for a euro-inspired Grand Tourer theme with it.

Being an S pack, the best of the Holden sixes (in 1994), I think I will keep the V6 in it, with some serious upgrades. Forced induction of some kind, and a T-56 6 speed manual will eventually find their way underneath this car.

I hope everyone likes it!

 

[spauldj3800]

Freshly waxed today; doesn't usually sit that low in the back, but the boot is full of tools, tents & tyres for a track day this weekend.

The rear end; I centred the exhaust tips in the cutout (they were down low and to the left of where they are now.) You can also see my boot mounted fire extingusher.

Some wheels & tyres removed from a car 10 years ago, not fitted to a car & kept in storage since. Nice and hard, pumped up to 40 psi I should have no problems losing traction.

And some better pictures of the interior. The dash is a tad dusty - that will be wiped clean with some Armour All tonight.

 

[Paulie]

The manual conversion over the auto will be mint.👍 As always your car looks great, I wish my Ute was in such good condition, damn country living.

 

[spauldj3800]

Thanks! Kinda helps that its only covered about 6000 kilometres in the last twelve months.

 

[old mate]

do you drive it? haha yeah my vs ute is nowhere near that condition. looks nice as.

i love the wheels you have on it now, my favourites.

 

[Paulie]

do you drive it? haha yeah my vs ute is nowhere near that condition. looks nice as.

i love the wheels you have on it now, my favourites.

I have the same wheels on my VR Ute. But I had them before Jarrod did, so he's the copy.

 

[old mate]

haha they are classic wheels anyway.

 

[spauldj3800]

do you drive it? haha yeah my vs ute is nowhere near that condition. looks nice as.

i love the wheels you have on it now, my favourites.

Thanks! I try to get it out on the weekends, weather prevailing. I think I'll tuck it in the shed for a little while now though, get the cover out. Just need to give it a dust off first.

I have the same wheels on my VR Ute. But I had them before Jarrod did, so he's the copy.

Haha, its hard not to copy someone when modifying a Commodore.

Some pics from the weekend, taken by a mate. Car got exceptionally dusty.

 

[Paulie]

Great pictures! Is this a Powercruise event? That's what it looks like.... Did you win any of the drags during the cruise session? From the cars I normally see at Powercruise, I can't imagine either of our cars fairing too well, although it would be lots of fun. And look! There's you, driving.

 

[spauldj3800]

Great pictures! Is this a Powercruise event? That's what it looks like.... Did you win any of the drags during the cruise session? From the cars I normally see at Powercruise, I can't imagine either of our cars fairing too well, although it would be lots of fun. And look! There's you, driving.

I won against a VN SS, R31 Skyline and an LJ torana. Pretty much got trounced by everything else.

 

[Paulie]

Well the SS is a nice little accomplishment, it's always nice when you beat the more powerful version of your own car.

 

[spauldj3800]

Small update - I've had a spare intake manifold kicking around for a little while. I've already port matched it to the gaskets and smoothed out some casting marks on the inside.

Hit it with some paint today, came up pretty well I think.

 

[Paulie]

That'll look good on the car.👍

 

[Paulie]

Hey Jarrod if you don't have it already check out the new issue of Street Commodores. Although it's actually a VS, there is a 480rwhp VS Ute in there, turbo V6. Absolutely schmick car, it might give you some inspiration for your future plans.

 

[Boffin]

How many ks under it? I bought a commodore the other week. Its a tad newer, but I am scared that it is maybe a tad too travelled. Its still a first car and all, and people say if I take good cae of it it'll give me at least 300000ks of happy motoring...

 

[Paulie]

My car hit 230,000km the other day. Alloytecs are very different motors though Nibbers, the longetivity of those motors is not very well practiced yet. My car is still running strong as anything, although it does need new plugs. The other thing is I don't know how my car's life was before I got it, it belonged to a builder and the tray was very obviously used very heavily for carrying stuff, so it's probably seen a fair amount of load and stress in that sense before it got to me.

 

[Boffin]

I'm actually more concerned about the logevity of the 'box. Being a 5spd means it will be changing more than a 4...

 

[Paulie]

I'm actually more concerned about the logevity of the 'box. Being a 5spd means it will be changing more than a 4...

I can't tell, but generally speaking autos seem to be getting much better, the 6spd autos in BF Falcons on are infinitely better than the old 4spd for running costs.

 

[Boffin]

Oh yeah...performance and economoy wise its great, and its smooth as.

Maybe I'm being over precious of my new baby....

 

[spauldj3800]

Mine has around 243 000 kilometres I think. It was very clean on the inside when I pulled the heads off, could still see the hone marks on the bores and they weren't lipped.

I'm guessing you have the Alloytec? VZ SV6 by the sound of the 5 speed auto comment? I've heard mixed reports on them, some issues included timing belt stretch. I don't know who services your car, but I'm sure if you do it by the book, it will be fine.

Keep it in mind though, I havent been light on the pedal in the past when I drive mine. I just keep it well maintained.

 

[kayman]

Nice Manifold!!!

 

[Caio_Reinhardt]

Nice ride there mate

 

[spauldj3800]

Installed some MACE Engineering 1.9:1 high ratio roller rockers.

Bit more poke in the top end, definitely more urge.

Bought a new daily driver to replace my venerable Pulsar. VS Commodore S pack utility, 5 speed manual. Gave it a good tidy up and its turned out pretty well.

An itermittant high speed misfire and a pesky coolant leak in the blue car, however, were continuing to drive me nuts.

So, whilst perousing the local classifieds one day, I found, and purchased, the below.

SS Commodore. V8, 5 speed manual, new heavy duty clutch and only 135 000 kilometres. A young bloke gave it a bit coming out of the pub one night, straight into the back of a parked car.

His loss, my gain.

A few days later;

Near new struts and springs too.

Pulled all I needed off the shell, and sent what was left to scrap.

Started to get a bit more serious with my car.

Going..

Going..

Gone!

Farewell, old friend..

When the shops open again afyer Christmas, ordering a cam for the V8, looking at a Crane H276. The largest cam I can run off standard compression Matching it up with a Rollmaster adjustable timing chain and a Chiptorque tune.

 

[Grayfox]

Did you go through 3 sets of rims?

I saw a curved 5 spoke alloy, flat 6 spoke alloy(I think is best for the car) and then the black ones

And was that 101KW or 140HP from a 3.8l V back in 07?

Was something wrong with it? as that seems way too low for a 3.8l V6, my 1.8l I4 civic has the same HP rating.

Would like to see the performance for the new V8 that you now run.

 

[Dennisch]

Did you go through 3 sets of rims?

I saw a curved 5 spoke alloy, flat 6 spoke alloy(I think is best for the car) and then the black ones

And was that 101KW or 140HP from a 3.8l V back in 07?

Was something wrong with it? as that seems way too low for a 3.8l V6, my 1.8l I4 civic has the same HP rating.

Would like to see the performance for the new V8 that you now run.

Those are pretty normal specs for a GM V6.

And for the V8 swap. Justice for the car!

 

[Paulie]

Did you go through 3 sets of rims?

I saw a curved 5 spoke alloy, flat 6 spoke alloy(I think is best for the car) and then the black ones

And was that 101KW or 140HP from a 3.8l V back in 07?

Was something wrong with it? as that seems way too low for a 3.8l V6, my 1.8l I4 civic has the same HP rating.

Would like to see the performance for the new V8 that you now run.

Those would probably be stock power figures at the rear wheels, my VR for example has 175rwhp and my friend's has 255rwhp N/A, it's incredibly easy to extract more power from them since they're so restricted from the factory.

Intrigued that you bought a 5.0L, I guess if you're doing most of it yourself..... otherwise it'd be cheaper to just buy an SS I'd have thought.

 

[spauldj3800]

Did you go through 3 sets of rims?

I saw a curved 5 spoke alloy, flat 6 spoke alloy(I think is best for the car) and then the black ones

And was that 101KW or 140HP from a 3.8l V back in 07?

Was something wrong with it? as that seems way too low for a 3.8l V6, my 1.8l I4 civic has the same HP rating.

Would like to see the performance for the new V8 that you now run.

Yeah, the car was near stock when it was put on the dyno. I was pretty disappointed myself. The auto sapped a fair bit of power though.

Yes, three sets of wheels. The first set were pretty much an impulse buy, I grew tired of them fairly quickly, but only being 17 I couldn't afford anything else.

The next set, the 18s, we're cheaper to buy with good tyres off a friend than buying new tyres for the wheels I had,

And when I saw the 18's in a local shop, I couldn't resist. I have always liked black centred wheels, and I think they suit it well. They are staying.

Those would probably be stock power figures at the rear wheels, my VR for example has 175rwhp and my friend's has 255rwhp N/A, it's incredibly easy to extract more power from them since they're so restricted from the factory.

Intrigued that you bought a 5.0L, I guess if you're doing most of it yourself..... otherwise it'd be cheaper to just buy an SS I'd have thought.

I'm doing all the work myself, and I'm selling all the parts I don't need. It should work out cheaply.

Plus, I'm far too attached to this car. Easier to just buy an SS? Sure. But I couldn't brin myself to sell this one.

 

[Paulie]

Do you regret buying the roller rockers at all now you've found a 5.0L to go in? Any plans for the V8 yet? I don't really want to ever sell my VR Ute either, but in order to make it something special I might be sacrificing daily useability and reliability, I was actually hoping the next Commodore to come out eventually gets either a turbo V6 or a Gen V V8, and I'd be looking at that since I get a discount with Holden now being employed by them (and 4 other makes, minor detail). That or a Holden version of the Cadillac ATS.
I approve of the VS Ute, very tidy and extremely hard to find a manual.👍 I'd dare say judging by its demise and the pursuit rims, that SS wasn't living a good life anyway, lucky the engine is going somewhere good.

 

[spauldj3800]

Well yes, I sort of wish I didn't get the rockers, but when I got them I wasn't really planning on the V8, it just happened. The rockers were sort of a catalyst, if anything. It was just about one of the last things I could do to improve power without tearing the engine down.

The auto was a bit sad, and if I was to replace that, I'd have to change the loom. If I'm going to change the loom, I may as well put a better engine in.

Well, that's the way I was thinking anyway.

 

[spauldj3800]

Wow, been a long time since I have been in here..

Lumpy cam arrived:

Rebuilt the front suspension myself, and nothing even exploded:

The 304 looks pretty good inside - the cam is in and degree'd up, the Welch plugs have been done.

And just dummied it up, to see what it would look like.

Motor in:

And the first start up video, straight out of the extractors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svkhe7idZFo&feature=youtu.be

Need to charge the battery, hook up the radiator hoses, the rest of the exhaust, fill it with water and run in the cam.