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Holden Commodore VC
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1980 - 1981 |
Country: |
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Engine: |
Starfire-4, 6 cyl. & V8 |
Capacity: |
2.85/3.3 ltr. 6; 4.2/5.0 ltr. V8 |
Power: |
101kW 202 & 179kW 308 |
Transmission: |
4 spd. man; 3 spd. Trimatic &
3 spd. Turbohydramatic 350/400 |
Top Speed: |
142 kmh (202 motor) |
Number Built: |
95,906 |
Collectability: |
n/a |
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A model update from the VB, the VC's main improvement
was the introduction of the "Blue" engines.
The new engines represented a considerable re-design
of the trusty
"Red", and now featured 12 port heads
and a two-barrel carburetor with new manifold.
The V8's
also got new heads, along with new inlet and exhaust
manifolds and electronic ignition. The 253 4.2 liter
V8 was also fitted with the four barrel Rochester
Quadrajet carburetor, previously reserved for the 5.0
liter engine.
Changing the rocker cover color from red
to blue was obviously an attempt to draw attention to
the changes now under the bonnet of the VC.
Probably a good thing too, as the exterior changes were
very mild and, for the casual observer, difficult to
detect.
The VB's slat grill was replaced with a "crate"
style grill on the VC, and unlike the VB it was attached
to the front structure of the vehicle instead of the
bonnet.
The Holden badge was moved from the top centre
of the grille to the middle of the grille, while the
word "Commodore" was placed on the curb-side of the
grille and the curb side of the boot.
The model name was also set into the rubber protector strips
on the front doors, while the "Commodore L" model replaced
the simple "Commodore" as the base model.
It is somewhat unfortunate that the VC
is best remembered for the lamentable 4 cylinder version.
Having a reasonably large family car with 4 cylinder
economy was worthy of merit, but simply transplanting
the Starfire-4 into the Commodore was a flawed exercise
from the beginning.
The power to weight ratio was so
bad that any savings in petrol were quickly eaten away
by the driver having to thrash the engine to keep up
with traffic. This cost the poor owners of the 4 cylinder
Commodore at both the petrol pump and the mechanics,
and then again come trade-in time! Some motoring commentators
of the day re-named the "Starfire-4" the "Misfire-4".
Strangely, it was not the principle of fitting a Commodore
with a 4 cylinder engine that was flawed, simply the
execution in lopping off 2 cylinders from the aging
2850 6 cylinder engine. The Commodore 4 offered better
interior space and handling than its rivals, such as
the Sigma, Corona and Datsun 200B. It should have been
a much better car, but the lack of power was always
going to keep if from winning the hearts and minds
of most.
One other point worthy of noting was the backward step
taken when the SL/E's tachometer was ditched in favour
of the "fuel economy gauge" as fitted to the lesser
models. But at least the audio system now featured
Dolby and auto-reverse. |