The impossible dream: Cool but cheap cars?

[MattyParticipant New ZealandVS Equipe of Doom View build HERE Member since: April 10, 2015 Posts: 44]

Warning: Long-winded P Plater-spec thread follows.

I am in the horribly unfortunate position of being a responsible father who wants the best for his kids, so I’ve sent my son to a private school. However, while I earn enough to do this, I don’t own a company, so I’m not able to write off things like expensive cars as tax dodges. Unfortunately, most of the other parents at the school own companies, so they can.

Cars spotted at the school dropping kids off so far:

– 3 x Aston Martin DB9s (how embarrassing for them, caught wearing the same car…)

– Lamborghini Gallardo

– Maserati Quatroporte

– Ferrari F430

– Some big-assed Bentley coupe

– Numerous Porsches

– Any number of new/late model BMW Ms, AMGs, Audi RSs and Range Rovers for those not quite so dripping in funds

– Nissan GTR

– A smoky, creaky, dented 1996 Holden Commodore Equipe with damaged bumpers and peeling paint and moo-spec exhaust

Guess which one’s ours.

 

Now my son’s becoming aware of the concept of public shame. We have an M35 Stagea that’s mildly less cringeworthy but it doesn’t exactly reek of Cool. I see this as a good opportunity to get a new car or do something fun with the Commodore, but sadly the budget isn’t huge, call it $20K. Clearly I can’ t compete with Fezzas, Lambos, Astons and the like, so I’ve been racking my brain thinking of something “cool because different” to do that won’t break the bank and won’t shame my son into becoming an Emo/vegetarian/Left-wing voter.

 

Anything Ford is out of the question, as my children are politically opposed to them due to Henry’s implicit backing of the Nazi regime during WWII (btw my kids are 8 and 6), and an R32 GTR is also out because my wife blames them for the downfall of Group A Touring Car racing in the early ’90s. Yep.

 

So that leaves options like:

– Building a lumpy-as-fark-mate Holden V8 and jamming it into the Equipe of Doom, so it’ll be ugly but sound cool. Note: Performance is a distant secondary requirement.

– Getting a VS-era HSV GTS/Senator and making it mint with a mild enough cam to sound orright.

– Getting a WK Stato and tarting it up a bit.

– Getting an 80-series Cruiser and rocking up on 35s, looking at the Euro drivers with disdain for being a bunch of prissy nancy boys.

– Restoring something old, maybe a Jaaaaag or Rover SD1 V8, and relying on old school charm for a point of difference.

– Moving my son back to public school and using the spare funds to buy something actually decent.

 

So…if your starting point was $20K and a shitter of a VS V6, what would you do? WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

1. Stop trying to compete with something your not

2. Stop trying to please others.

3. Private school over priced junk.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  cava454.

[MattyParticipant New ZealandVS Equipe of Doom View build HERE Member since: April 10, 2015 Posts: 44]

Perhaps I disguised my desire for a new project too well…

I should point out I don’t give a damn what the other parents think, and while I like Fezzas etc I’d never want to own one because a) while I could afford to buy one I couldn’t afford to maintain it, b) my mother-in-law also drives my cars, badly, and c) my wife is an accountant, meaning any expenditure on depreciating assets requires justification, hence the smaller budget.

I’m just trying to think of projects that are “different” yet practical and “cool” enough not to embarrass my son when he’s dropped off at school in it.

Maybe I’m too tired to explain properly. Meh.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  Matty.

[VS 5.0Participant Perth WAVE SSV Z Series M6 View build HERE Member since: March 31, 2015 Posts: 118]

Black stockies and a canon on the VS…..troll those pretentious pratts.

The other $19,900 you can spend on beer.

[KroozerParticipant Forbes, NSW91 VN SS View build HERE Member since: February 19, 2015 Posts: 336]

Cherry Black GTS! 

[EJ DUDEParticipant Perth1963 EJ Special View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 39]

The key to being cool is not trying to be cool.

Without sounding like a peanut, take my EJ for example, once done it’s just be as it left the factory floor just slammed.

bench seats, column shift, 57hp worth if grey motor, drum brakes, no seatbelts, 13″ steelies  and a sun visor. won’t cost me a cent more than 20k, probably around 17 by the time I’m done.

no fasts, no bling, no big wheels, fancy brakes/suspension or custom interiors. No f*cks given. It’s what I like, and it’s totally opposite to all the new fancy expensive stuff, doesn’t even compare.

if old isn’t you’re thing tho and you’re deadset of the VS, you can’t go past a fresh White paintjob, a solid cammed 5L with a hi-rise, drop tank, convo-pros and a whole bunch of nitrous. With a purge to impress the kiddies at school pickups……

[Slow355Participant Victoriahectic spec 355 vs ss ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 322]

cava454 wrote:

1. Stop trying to compete with something your not 2. Stop trying to please others. 3. Private school over priced junk.

Lol coming from a plumber that is rich, private schools have there merits. Who gives a shit what others think and if your son is embarrassed about it, end of the day in a few years he will hate you for the next ten years.  But if u had 20k there is plenty of stuff to choose from. Maybe a vt monaro etc. Or you could go euro etc.

munch munch ls1s for lunch
Best 1/4 mile 13.1@105mph 60ft-1.8sec Reaction time .8 sec 0/100-4.8sec

[MattyParticipant New ZealandVS Equipe of Doom View build HERE Member since: April 10, 2015 Posts: 44]

Kroozer: Very high on the list if I can find one. They’re hovering around the $15K mark at the moment here, so that plus $5K to tidy it up is a high possibility. I know $15-20K would get me into a VY SS (bear in mind Commodores are overpriced in NZ) but my wife loves the VR-VS shape, as do I, and the simpler the better since I’m the mechanic.

EJ Dude: That sounds awesome, and old school is the other leading contender. My only issues with it is parts availability and relentless tin worm. I can fudge my way through the mechanical stuff but body work is definitely not my thing.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  Matty.

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

I looked at the list of cars above and I realised your problem…

WTF school did you send your kid to!?!?

[EJ DUDEParticipant Perth1963 EJ Special View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 39]

If I can offer you any advice, stay the fuck away from vs HSV’s or any commodore older than VZ with more than 100,000kms

i had a mint cherry black vs gts, 120,000kms and as close to perfect as you can get. I loved it but f*ck me newer cars aren’t build to last, it became a headache in the end. After 15yrs every piece of rubber or plastic started failing, hoses, seals, gaskets, but I was constantly replacing it all. It takes the fun out of it. I sold that car for 17k, which was definetely the higher end of what anyone would pay, it was a great example, and a near on perfect car, but after forking out around do 5K in maintainence over the previous couple of years it lost its charm for me. Which is why I decided to use that budget to pretty well tear apart and rebuild a car from scratch knowing everything perishable will be new and reliable for years to come.

IMO from experience I’d rather spend 20k rebuilding a vs equipe into a fast reliable car that stops and handles well and is 100% reliable, than 20k on a hsv if the same vinrtage.

wt the end of the day, other than a motor, bodykit, and different colour paint/trim, they are the same car, and they age the same and require the same maintainance. One is just 1/10th the price for 2 less cylinders.

if vintage tickles your dick bust bodywork doesn’t, what about a tidy 308 vb/vc/vc or vk if plastic bumpers are you’re thing. They aren’t too hard to come by in rust free neat condition for very reasonable prices. Plus they still maintain that ‘I’m a classic so I don’t give a shit’ vibe.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Couldn’t be more off the mark mate.

You must of brought a dud that just looked shiney on the out side….

Absoutly nothing wrong with a car from VN-VZ with over 100k on the clock that’s been looked after.

Got ot a VR with nearly 170km and a VZ with 185km. Non are remotely showing any signs of what you stated.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by  cava454.

[Dan811Participant SE Melbourne02 Monaro M6 LS1 View build HERE Member since: March 4, 2015 Posts: 124]

EJ DUDE wrote:

If I can offer you any advice, stay the fuck away from vs HSV’s or any commodore older than VZ with more than 100,000kms

WTH???

I sold my 2004 VZ sv6 with 270,000 kays on it, and other than a tailshaft donut and a clutch, nothing ever needed replacing?? It was bulletproof as long as you serviced it regularly.

I reckon I went through one set of spark plugs, and that was about it… even the manual gearbox was good, interior was looked after, and the seals etc were fine. I still miss that car…..

[Author]

Posts