Faults:

With the age of the car, it's not so much "what's gone wrong", but what has needed to be replaced as a safety necessity - in this case, just about everything in the time that I've owned it, excluding the A/C compressor and the windows.

Typically, the timing chain slackened off, the diff-centre needed to be rebuilt and with the performance options that I made for the vehicle, the starter motor needed to be replaced a few times. With the compression ratio being higher than standard, I switched to a Bosch reduction-drive starter, the one used out of the TN and TP Magna.

General Comments:

Without modifications, this car was powerful and very comfortable to drive, and not bad for blowing off other 4 cylinder vehicles of smaller stature (with the occasional straight-6 falling victim to its power).

With modifications (and this is a very modifiable car, with some parts harder to find than others), Twin Weber carburettors, Genie Extractors, sports exhaust, lowered 1.25" all round (and those are just for starters), it handles better than on rails and can take sweeping bends at well over 100 km/h without even thinking of stepping the rear wheels out. It brakes like a dream, the take-off is superb (especially with a modified cam) and it doesn't spin the wheels unless you want it to.

To date, this car has dragged off 10 consecutive VL-Commodores (some stock, most modified - automatics are a little harder to beat and throw in a greater challenge). This car hasn't done any quarter-mile times as yet, but it has gone from 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds in 2nd gear @ 5900 RPM.

All in all, this is a very reliable car, which cost a bit to modify (about $15,000), but once the goals were achieved, the results have more than paid off.

Faults:

New starter motor.

Ring kit and bottom ends.

Half of the dash was missing.

General Comments:

Great first car, not much work to be done to beat Commodores or Fords.

Needs more room in the back seat, but nice in the front.

Faults:

Only thing that has gone wrong with the car was a blown motor. I blew the big-end bearing required a complete rebuild. That was my fault, in no way the cars.

The car is now in perfect condition and has had a lot of money spent on it recently. $2500 for motor rebuild, $500 of new tyres last week, $200 on brake pads, $500 of tuning.

Modifications start tommorow with the car being lowered and an exhaust fitted. Only problem with the car is it's grey and needs a new paint job.

General Comments:

The car is very reliable, quick for what it is. I've managed to drag off some VL Commodores, one Civic, a Lancer VR-X, 12A RX7 and more. All drivers of other cars were stunned.

It handles well, has brilliant brakes, is very comfortable, good looking, and a quick car. Pity it doesn't like to rev... With my new motor I have run a 17.5 second quarter mile time at 124 km/h. The engine was only 1500 km's old at the time and very tight. With more km's, a better launch and an exhaust I might be able to pull of a 17.0 or so.