Ripper's buying a new car (and other plans)
 

Guys, it's time for me to join the bogan brigade.
My wife was due to give birth on tuesday with our 2nd child, but as yet, she hasn't gone yet. With a 2nd kid brings the problem of the Astina not being big enough.
So I'm looking at buying a family car probably a VT-VX poverty pack commodore (as I don't like the AU falcons). My wife isn't a very confident driver, so the car will have to be an auto, and I've been given strict instructions that it will stay in the same condition as when I bought it, ie, no mods.
This now leads to the good part: My wife told me that I'm allowed to have a project car, to keep my sticky fingers off the family car! So I thought instead of selling the Astina, and starting again on a project car, I've sweet talked the missus into letting me keep the Astina (cause it is half done already) and using that as my project car. This means I can put it up on blocks, pull it apart, and if I so desire pull the engine out, and not have to worry about it for a family car.
I'm leaving my job next year and hopefully getting into the oil rig industry after that, so I will be earning a considerably higher wage, so I can spend some more money on the Astina. If I have enough spare cash I would like to turbo the Astina, but it would be a full rebuild job, all done properly the first time, but that is just a pipe dream at the moment. :D

Ripper

sounds like fun.

shame about getting a commodore, but oh well ;)

will be looking forward to watching the project car evolve

Yeah should be interesting, although the down side....... We're moving back to Tassie cause our families are over there. I'll have to come across for the odd cruise with the melbourne boys.

forged rods
9000+ RPM without troubles.

just go all out and make the most powerful NA 1.8L astina going around =)

Sweet, that means we've got somewhere to stay when we do a tassie cruise heh

Good to hear you're keeping the shopping trolley though! :)

Yeah, but I like the pssssht of a BOV :rolleyes:

you can buy ebay kits that play a recording of the pssssht for you when you close the throttle :P

haha

good luck with it
=)

This is the car I'm looking at getting. Just took it for a test drive, is in immaculate condition, like new. Drives really well, no rattles, squeaks or anything, and for the price, I'm pretty much going to buy it.

are you going to get an inspection done first?

I probably should........:D

Yeh definantly get an inspection.... best thing to do is ask to take it to your mechanic.. or ask for an RACQ inspection - that'll give you a rough idea of the condition of the critical bits...

Even though i'm not personally a fan of the commodores - my old many had a VT II (his first commodore in a long while after owning people movers as we got to be a reasonably big family), and they go well.... reliable, enough grunt to tow a trailer to the dump should you ever need to and big and roomy for long drives... for a family car, can't go wrong really - especially given that you have the astina to turn into a crazy weekend car ;)

Acclaim, Holdens own Volvo.
Something that any Australian mechanic can service and get parts for, an OK land barge ;)

didnt the gen 3 engines all die at 20,000 k ?

Yes, they litter the sides of the roads.
The Acclaim principal does not allow V8s.

Mmmmm, crazy astina, urghhhhhhh **drools**
I'm not a big fan of the commodores either, but I am even less of a fan of the AU Falcons, and I'm a ford man from waaaaaay back. Just hope none of my cousins see me in the Holden! :p :p

please dont mention the words cousin and tasmania in the same sentince :P

Well guys and girls, a bit of an update to my plans.
As per the original thread we were going to be moving back to Tassie, but now plans have changed. I've decided to stay in the Navy another 2-3 years at least, and rack up my long service leave. As I've been down here for 2 1/2 years now, I can't stay down here forever, so as of the end of May, I will "keep it real" for AstinaGT in the Northern Territory. I'm moving back to Darwin, after being away for far too long! As far as I know I'd be pretty much the only active astinaGT member in NT, although hopefully when I get up there I'll contact a few, and see if I can get some more members recruited.

personally i dont really have anything against holdens and fords like it seems so many people in the car scene do!

so i dont have any problems with your choice of car, and hey, itll suit you nicely!

but outta curiousity, why did you choose a commodore over a magna and all the other "family" sorta cars out there?

Well, before you go we'll all have to catch up or something.

You're lucky that NT actually seems to have a decent car scene now ;)

Tom: I don't really like the magna's (and neither did the wife) for the budget I had, they are even more grandpa-ish than the commodores!

Dan: For sure, we'll have to organise a get together sometime soon. maybe you could even get the Astina out!! So could Pr1mo for that matter!

haha lets not go there shall we :P

why not mike?

I reckon before I go we have a meet/photo shoot somewhere, maybe the docklands like the mx-6 one last year, or something similiar.

can I make a sugestion on the Commy

I'v dealt with heaps and here are my picks

berlina or optinoned up exec - dont' buy exec ever. Acclaim is not bad but sometimes a equipe or similar is better. Always get series 2.
Go for a 3.8L V6 any of the Vt onwards are really reliable and easier on the service then the Falcon. - The falcon until Ba eats leads.

as for the astina GO for it

Hey rodhog, I bought a VR commodore about 5 months ago, I dragged this thread back up more to tell people I wasn't moving back to Tassie, but moving to Darwin instead. :)

you bought the right one imo of the early ones - I got one as well for my brother.

did notice the dates, sorry. But hey whats wrong with darwins it's great place.

Tassie>Darwin! :p

haha my car aint insyred atm thats why im not going anywher in it. dads series 2 vt Berlina is having ecu problems at the moment! needs a new ecu control unit or somethign like that as all the warning lingts come on in the car.

ahha engrish is goood :p just cause your a pop star doesnt mean you can make ya own language...

get it right. im a pro tennor not a popstar. check my website foo!

Nothing wrong with Darwin, I love the place, I lived up there for 4 years. Just a hassle getting anything car related up there, as you pay a fortune for freight on most things.