Holden Commodore (VL): Difference between revisions

The Holden Commodore and Calais (VL) were a range of mid-size cars manufactured between 1986 and 1988 by the General Motors (GM) Australian arm, Holden. The VL series was the final update of the first generation Holden Commodore architecture, heralding imported straight-six engines from Nissan of Japan.

The total build number for the VLs was 151,801.

Design

The VL Commodore represented a substantial makeover of the

For the VL, Holden implemented rectangular headlamps as opposed to the square-type fitted to earlier models. For the top-of-the-range Calais model, the design incorporated the use of semi-retracting headlight covers, the first for a production Holden. This had been previously attempted on the never released Torana GTR-X which featured fully retractable headlights. Interestingly the Calais covered headlights were the same as the regular VL Commodore headlights.

Major changes were made to the

Six months into its release a 150 kW (201 hp) turbocharged RB30ET version of the Nissan engine was released. The Garrett turbo unit was fitted inside a water-cooled housing to ensure longevity. The engine received new pistons which lowered the compression ratio, while an updated camshaft was used to reduce overlap. The allure of the Commodore was quickly established particularly when the top speed was 200 kilometres per hour (124 mph) and then extended to 220 kilometres per hour (137 mph) with the addition of the Garrett turbocharger. In addition stopping power for the turbo models was upgraded to larger brakes and Girlock finned alloy front calipers. The Australian Police commissioned the turbocharged models as their "interceptor" Highway Pursuit cars of choice. These interceptors were denoted by "BT1" in the model code on the Body & Option plate attached to the firewall.

GM also sourced a Jatco electronic four-speed automatic. Those that opted for a manual received 5-speed Nissan gearboxes. The turbo and non-turbo variants designated MX7 and MF5 respectively.

Irrespective of transmission, Power was sent to the rear wheels through a Borgwarner 28-Spline (Turbo variants) /25-spline open center (non-turbo variant) with a 3.45 or 3.23 Final Drive ratio with a Limited-Slip version available as an option. This was taller than the ratio offered in the Nissan Skyline (3.70 Manual, 3.889 Auto) which utilised the same power plant.

The

The 5.0 litre V8 was released in October 1986, it still featured the familiar Rochester four-barrel carburettor, not electronic fuel injection (EFI). Now adapted to unleaded fuel, this V8 5.0 litre was boasting both more power and torque than its predecessor, now at 122 kilowatts (164 hp) with 323 newton-metres (238 ft⋅lbf). GM had fitted the V8 with larger valves carried over from the previous Group A engine.

EFI did however, make its V8 debut in the VL Commodore in the evolution version of the

Specification levels

Introduced in Commodore SL, Executive and Berlina variants, the VL vehicle line also included a luxury Calais model.^[2] However, this was known as the "Holden Calais" as opposed to the "Holden Commodore Calais".^[3] A limited number of Calais station wagons (198 ever produced) were offered from March 1988 through to production end in August of the same year. Holden released the Calais wagon late in the VL's model cycle only to reduce their excessive stock pile of wagon bodies. These wagon-bodied Calais offered the same engine options available to sedan buyers: the standard straight-six, the turbocharged version of the same and the V8, and were specified with the same equipment fitted to the Calais sedan.^[4]

• 
  1987 Holden VL Commodore Vacationer station wagon.
• 
  1987–1989 VL Commodore Royale sedan (New Zealand).
• 
  Holden VL Calais Sedan
• 
  Holden VL HDT SS Group A
• 
  Holden VL HSV SS Group A

The V8-powered models were introduced in October 1986.

Speced up models the GTS and Royale were also available but only in New Zealand.[9]

Commodore SS Group A

The Commodore SS Group A was heavily modified by Holden's official performance tuner, originally the

This was the last Group A Commodore produced by the HDT after Holden sensationally ended its relationship with Brock and the team in February 1987, after Brock had begun fitting a device known as the "Energy Polarizer" to HDT vehicles, including the VL SS Group A. Brock claimed that the Polarizer, a small box with crystals and magnets encased in an epoxy resin, aligned the molecules around the car and "made a shithouse car good". Regarded as pseudoscience by Holden and the vast majority of the Australian motoring community, a new VL series "Director" model was released by Brock in February 1987 which incorporated not only the Polarizer but also a new independent rear suspension system developed by HDT without Holden's approval. Holden ended its association with Brock as he had refused to supply a Director for test purposes and Holden was therefore unwilling to honour warranties on any cars thereafter modified by Brock's HDT operation. Holden's decision to end its relationship with Brock ended the HDT being their 'factory' team, an association which started in 1969.

After dumping the HDT, Holden formed the Holden Motor Sports Group in late February 1987 and signed Roadways Racing (Allan Grice) and Perkins Engineering (Larry Perkins) as their factory backed teams for the year, with both Grice and Perkins Commodore's wearing Holden Motorsport logo's, though both Perkins and Grice claim that the support was almost in name only and they received no financial assistance from Holden. Ironically, in late 1986 before the Holden-HDT split but with the relationship already fraying due to Brock's fitting of the "Energy Polarizer" to HDT modified cars, Brock had predicted that Holden had become weary of the HDT's growing independence and wanted to start its own specialised vehicle operation (ultimately Holden Special Vehicles) and the Holden Motor Sports Group. Up until the split with Brock and the HDT, this was denied by Holden who claimed they were happy to continue their on-going relationship.

Motor racing

Touring Cars

The SS Group A was twice a winner during the inaugural

The HDT spec Commodore's second win in the 1987 WTCC was at the

The cars were assembled at the Dandenong plant and modified at HSV's then new headquarters located in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton.

The SS Group A SV was only available in one colour, Panorama Silver, named after the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst, in New South Wales, Australia. The original production run was expanded from 500 to 750 models. It was produced by Holden Special Vehicles in 1988. The car was assembled at Dandenong, Victoria (Holden) and modified at Clayton, Victoria (HSV).

Due to its high use of plastic in the

Special connecting rods, crankshafts, and pistons were fitted as well as a custom exhaust, however the big news was the now fabled Walkinshaw twin throttle body inlet manifold. This was specially developed for the group A, featuring a sequential setup with a smaller and larger throttle body. This was fitted with a restrictor plate on the larger, secondary throttle body, which actually let less air through than the smaller throttle body. Some reports have indicated that as much as 50–60 horsepower can be gained from the removal of the restrictor plates.

The Group A SV was made as a limited run of 500 from March 1988 to November the same year, but HSV decided to make 250 more due to demand. These were slow to sell, some examples only being sold several years after the VL ceased production, and some were modified in appearance by the dealers in an effort to get them out of the show rooms.

Unfortunately for Holden and the new HSV, the SS Group A SV was actually released to the public after the VL model's successor the

HSV SV88

The HSV SV88 was

During 1986, Peter Brock's HDT Special Vehicles were instrumental in engineering the final fitment of the unleaded version of the carburetted V8 into the new updated Commodore, delivering 126 kilowatts (169 hp). This motor in standard Holden form was still down on power compared to the Japanese-sourced Nissan turbo six-cylinder.

Soon after the release of HSV's Walkinshaw, May 1988 saw the release of yet another pleasing SV derivative—the limited edition Calais based "SV88" which was a vehicle built for the luxury buyer. In a completely different arena to the "Walkinshaw" Group A homologation special, which was based on Holden's SL, The SV88 was based on the top of the line Calais and thus came equipped from the factory with better sound deadening and did not require SV's refitment of the Calais standard options. The SV88 also did not utilize the Group A motor and instead came equipped with the familiar Rochester quadrajet powered 4.9-litre, which was up-specced using left over HDT internals to produce 136 kilowatts (182 hp) and 355 newton-metres (262 lb⋅ft).

Interior in the SV88 was HSV sports leather and velour in light blue, with optional car phone and or mobile fax available for order. The body kit on the SV88 consisted of slat type grille and a rear deck spoiler combination. Like the Holden Calais, the SV88 Calais was actually painted in two tone "Dorward Blue" over "Jewel Midnight" and separated with a unique red pin stripe.

Motor racing

The Group A SV, according to reports, should have made its track debut early in the

HSV owner

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holden Commodore (VL).

• "The HSV Classic Programme" (PDF). Holden Special Vehicles. November 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2000. Retrieved 1 February 2009.

• Bebbington, Terry (1998). 50 Years of Holden.
  ISBN 0-947216-59-6
  .

• Darwin, Norm (2002). 100 Years of GM in Australia.
  ISBN 0-646-41476-3
  .

• Davis, Tony; Kennedy, Alistair; Kennedy, Ewan (February 2007). "The Holden Heritage - 13th Edition (Part Two)". GM Holden. pp. 93–95. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2010.

• Wright, John (1998). Heart of the Lion: The 50 Year History of Australia's Holden.
  ISBN 1-86448-744-5
  .