1987 Holden Camira SL/X 1.8 single point fuel injection from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Good ride and handling, not powerful, poor build quality

Faults:

Nothing while we had it. The person we sold it to claimed the ECU died the day after we sold it to them (hmm).

General Comments:

The car handled and steered quite well. Ride comfort was also good. The worst thing about the car was the build quality. It looked a little shoddy even when new, although the car never let us down.

The turning circle was too large, non power assisted steering was good at speed, but very heavy when parking (like most front wheel drive cars).

The single point injected engine was too gutless; earlier and later models had multi-point injection, for more power. A 2.0 model also became available later on for a much needed power boost. Although the car was pretty good when new, I wouldn't want an old one due to the car's poor reputation.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 25th June, 2015

1987 Holden Camira SLi 2000 2.0 litre efi from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Great, I would certainly buy another if they were available new

Faults:

Very little has gone wrong with the car actually. I jumper started our tractor some years ago with it, which damaged the ECU, and it had to be replaced, but the book did warn against that. I see that as my fault.

I did notice a pin head of rust at the millar strip of the rear windscreen, but I got that fixed at that stage, then I fitted an electronic rust preventer, and no rust ever since.

Apart from general wear and tear at reasonable stages, there simply have been no problems.

Overall a great car. I am very impressed.

General Comments:

At present it has 371,000 km on it, and the head has never been off it. I wonder whether the long life Nulon I used when it was new has any bearing on the engine reliability. The gearbox has never been touched, it still has the original engine pipe, however the rear muffler has been replaced twice.

I have fixed whatever went wrong immediately, and it shows in the car.

I have had it 23 years, and I plan on keeping it. Only 700 were built, and I can't recall seeing another SLi 2000 on the road for near 5 years now.

It is kept under a cover all the time, and the battery on a trickle charger, and taken out only a day or two a week. In all honesty, it is not quite in showroom condition, but it is certainly not far from it.

The car is very good performance wise; even now it accelerates rapidly for an 85kw engine.

The interior space is perhaps its greatest downfall, yet for a large male to be able to drive it with reasonable comfort, makes it tolerable in this area.

It is the sort of car that I could confidently hop in and drive 900km from Queensland to Sydney, and know that nothing would plague me mechanically.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th August, 2010

24th Feb 2011, 03:11

We also have an SLI 2000. It is a great car, and we have also never seen another one on the road.

Would anyone know where we would find how many were built?

16th Mar 2012, 08:17

Paid $18000 for one of these piles of junk in 1988. Timing chain broke, rear shocker collapsed, boot and tail lights filled with water, constantly blowing fuses, oil and coolant leaks, speedo noise, and the fuel gauge never worked. Lost $9000 in 18 months.

Traded this Camira lemon on a new Hi-lux, which has now done 720,000 trouble free kms. Have also had a 2005 Commodore SV6, which was a great car. I can tell you exactly why there are few SLi 2000's left!

15th Aug 2014, 23:50

No Camira has ever had a timing chain, or cost $18000, are you sure you know what you're driving?

1987 Holden Camira 1.8L Fuel Injected from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Never buy a camira, they're a waste of money

Faults:

Pretty much everything has gone wrong with this car. It has needed a whole engine rebuild. I have had it for at least 2 years and still have not got it running. A lot more problems have occur-ed since I have got it.

Opened up the engine at 170000km and needed full gasket set into it.

Compression Leaking into cylinders, Valves not seating properly, crack in-between valves.

Paint has gone down due to sitting outside for a very long time.

General Comments:

Haven't driven it yet so don't know too much about it yet...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th February, 2008