Car Australia October 1988

EA vs TN vs VN!

Once I get the scanner working....

But until then, I'll just type out the conclusion.


Before we ever embarked on this test we knew the Commodore was going to be a force. What we didn't know was that the Falcon would be dispatched so easily and quickly. For all its advances over the XF the EA remains more than a little disappointing in the cold hard light of 1988.

The Commodore on the other hand is still not perfect, but Holden has struck much closer to that elusive bullseye with a vehicle that has the performance, handling, comfort and user friendliness that family car buyers of the 80's have come to expect. And the really impressive thing is the Wa the bog standard Commodore Executive accounted for one of the hotshots in Ford's new linesup, the Falcon S.

And that leaves us with the Magna, which in spite of it's relative performance deficit manages quite well thanks very much. well enough to blitz the Ford and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Commodore on anything but a racetrack.

Yes the Commodore is the ultimate winner with it's superior on-the-limit handling and flexible, grunty engine. But it remains that any family man who doesn't need to tow a boat or accommodate 5 large adults still has no excuse for not buying the Mitsubishi.

Performance.

Commodore 3.8 auto exec 5 speed:

Top Speed: 208kmh

400 metres: 16.1

Falcon S 3.9 multi point 5 speed:

Top Speed: 200

400 metres: 16.3

Manga SE 2.6 EFI 5 speed:

Top Speed: 183

400 metres: 18.0

LoL TWO of the crudiest cars ever made in australia the EA and the VN. cant see how either of them could win agasint the Magna

LoL TWO of the crudiest cars ever made in australia the EA and the VN. cant see how either of them could win agasint the Magna


Pure cubic inches and not an ounce of class between em :D

It's not the size that matters Old Fart....... :shock:

ea's and vn's still do a real skid brian ol mate.

pretty funny to see a 80's model falcon/commodore is still faster than the automatic 380 or 3rd gens :doubt:

It's not the size that matters Old Fart....... :shock:


:silenced: :silenced: :silenced: :silenced:

The biggest problem with the VN Commodore was the body. That thing is ****ed.

The VN Commodore was awesome when it first came out, and can still beat a lot of new cars coming out today. Was a very good performing car for its time. Had a few build quality issues, as most new generation cars have. The design of its body was far superior to the TN Magna. The TR Magna had a better exterior design imo but that didn't come out for 3 years after the VN first arrived.

Yes well the VP Commodore wasn't that much better, infact, if I had to choose I'd go a VN over a VP. The VP rear looked weird (namely the boot garnish), where it looked much cleaner and sexier on the VN.

Still, I love my Holden Commodores (with the exception of the VT/VX).

Yes well the VP Commodore wasn't that much better, infact, if I had to choose I'd go a VN over a VP. The VP rear looked weird (namely the boot garnish), where it looked much cleaner and sexier on the VN.

Still, I love my Holden Commodores (with the exception of the VT/VX).

Boot garnishs are easily replaceable. I wouldn't sacrifice additional tuning of the engine (the series 1 engine was responsive but very coarse), smoothness and quality over a boot garnish, but whatever floats your boat.

The VT/VX series is my favourite series of all Commodores and were the most popular too. Weird that you like all Commodores except for them.

Boot garnishs are easily replaceable. I wouldn't sacrifice additional tuning of the engine (the series 1 engine was responsive but very coarse), smoothness and quality over a boot garnish, but whatever floats your boat.

The VT/VX series is my favourite series of all Commodores and were the most popular too. Weird that you like all Commodores except for them.

Well, my future project will be involving either a VN Commodore or a VS Stato. I'm talking huge, if I go with the VS Stato I'm gonna be making it a convertible :) If I got the VN, i'll throw on a Group A kit and dump it on airbags, 20" chromes and what not.

The VT/VX series just looks horrid to me, they're a pretty damn reliable car and very nice to drive. I believe the VT is/was the biggest selling Commodore of all time, so it's clearly popular. I just don't like the look of it too much. Again, the rear end just looks out of place a little. Front end with a clubby front bar and I'm in heaven.

Well, my future project will be involving either a VN Commodore or a VS Stato. I'm talking huge, if I go with the VS Stato I'm gonna be making it a convertible :) If I got the VN, i'll throw on a Group A kit and dump it on airbags, 20" chromes and what not.

The VT/VX series just looks horrid to me, they're a pretty damn reliable car and very nice to drive. I believe the VT is/was the biggest selling Commodore of all time, so it's clearly popular. I just don't like the look of it too much. Again, the rear end just looks out of place a little. Front end with a clubby front bar and I'm in heaven.

fair enough. I would go for the VS stato if you aren't sure. But if you decide to do a VN, I would recommend going with a VP instead because the parts are interchangeable anyway, but the VP was a better built car with less problems. "VN Vengeance" from the StreetCommodores forum was a 10 or so second car, but they had to stop I believe because the VN just had too many engine problems If i remember correctly (not sure).

fair enough. I would go for the VS stato if you aren't sure. But if you decide to do a VN, I would recommend going with a VP instead because the parts are interchangeable anyway, but the VP was a better built car with less problems. "VN Vengeance" from the StreetCommodores forum was a 10 or so second car, but they had to stop I believe because the VN just had too many engine problems If i remember correctly (not sure).

Yeah I'm a member of SC myself. I forgot to mention both will have engine transplants, forget that stock ****. If I was going to go all out on doing this, the VS Stato will be chopped into a 2dr convertible, 20" chromes, LS2 dropped in it, airbag suspension, scissor doors.

The VN idea will be LS2, 20" chromes, airbags, GrpA kit. Clearly the Stato idea will cost almost double what the VN would, but both sound nice in my opinion.

LS2 dropped in it

That's what I'm talking about! 6 litres of ~300kw grunt!! Damn that thing will be DEADLY

I'd love to have a stock VP with a LS2. 100% original on the exterior. Ultimate sleeper!

That's what I'm talking about! 6 litres of ~300kw grunt!! Damn that thing will be DEADLY

Yeah, plus other engine mods, don't want to get too far into detail. I have to have money first, ahahaha :P

Following info is is not really needed as a transplant is in your plans but the sieries 2 VN's had identical V6's to the VPs.

My mate has a VN series 2 LE 5speed (nothing special, diferent interior cloth and hub caps..lol). He got the motor rebuilt not to long ago as it was worn down and it now makes a lazy (tuned for economy) 140rw-kW...not bad for $5,000 spent on an old 3.8 (inlcuding cost of LSD being fitted).

Was the altimate sleeper. But he had to fit larger wheels due to the VT SS brakes now on the car. So once the wheels where on it looked funny so a full whiteline kit is being fitted tommorrow..lol

Guys.... this is the Aussie MAGNA Club..... talking Commodes is , god knows where. Uranis?

Guys.... this is the Aussie MAGNA Club..... talking Commodes is , god knows where. Uranis?

SOrry, I'll stop at one post lol

Guys.... this is the Aussie MAGNA Club..... talking Commodes is , god knows where. Uranis?
lol gees calm down

some people might find it interesting

The biggest problem with the VN Commodore was the body. That thing is ****ed.
Being based off an Opel design it shouldn't have been - probably poorly executed by Holden (much like Camira)

Guys.... this is the Aussie MAGNA Club..... talking Commodes is , god knows where. Uranis?
It's interesting to see where the Magna fits into all of this :)
The TN Magna by the time the VN/EA falcadore came out would have been in a 3 year old body - the VN/EA being more modern should have been a better car.

Being based off an Opel design it shouldn't have been - probably poorly executed by Holden (much like Camira)

I'd say it was poorly executed by Holden.

and tessa403, I don't really see the problem in discussing a Commodore considering the original post (by you) was related to Commodores as well.

Remember, the Opels weren't designed for anything approaching our road conditions. I don't think any car really can be...