1986 Holden Commodore Berlina 3.0L from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Adequate performance, excellent reliability
Faults:
Positive Crankcase Ventilation hose had a hole and the fuel regulator vacuum hose fell off. I was using 22L/100km for a while.
Valve cover gasket is starting to weep.
Broken bolts in exhaust manifold.
Left rear transmission mount broken.
Ignition barrel is worn fairly badly and needs replacing. You need to manually turn it backwards after starting so the air conditioning, radio, wipers, etc will work.
Tachometer sometimes doesn't work at first, you need to tap it before it goes.
General Comments:
I was very impressed with it, seeing as it's 16 years old. Previous owner had tinted the windows, put a 2.5 inch exhaust and mags on it. It is immaculate inside and worth a lot more than the $4600 purchase price.
There's nothing major that is wrong with it and the minor problems could be attributed to irregular servicing.
Driving in it is very comfortable. The driver's seat is fully adjustable and includes lumbar support.
It is a very big target for car thieves. My car was broken into, and it was saved only by the immobiliser I had fitted.
Insurance costs are ridiculously high for me (17 male). The cost of comprehensive insurance is half the purchase price of the car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd July, 2002
30th Jul 2003, 17:51
I suggest get a steering lock. My experience has been that the thieves will see that and forget about it.