I have seen a few of these in Australia and I thought it was someone putting commodore badges on there as a joke but I didn’t realise they are actually commodores. Now the ZB makes the Ve looks good
@@nonrasputin9260 yeah I was gonna get one as my first car because if I crash it it wouldn’t be the end of the world because I know the ve’s have a lot of issues
I hired one of these ZBs when i visited NZ a couple years ag. It was an RS 2.0L. Absolutely loved it. Im a Ford and was ready to hate it. Also had a RS wagon as a loan vehicle here in Tas. Was also good. Then the local Holden dealership had a ZB Calais instock, tried to buy it but it sold to quick. Drove so well
For sure, I was dubious at first but after a test drive, I found it to be a decent car. It may not be an Aussie Commodore, but, in its own right, it’s a good vehicle. Cheers mate
The only reason that ford and holden fans thought these "drove so well... is because they 90% of the time never drove a proper vehicle that drives better. These were nasty, just like the astra.
Have just recently bought one myself and is good to have some ideas on what it's likely to look like under the roof lining. Now will be more of a strategic fix rather than exploratory. Love the video.
Myself and my mates visited NZ in late 2019. Our hire car was the turbo 4 cylinder Commodore. The dash rattled like crazy for a car with I think around 10,000k's but we got it up to an indicated 240kph somewhere between Te Anau and Queenstown. Absolutely gave it a caning and it took it in it's stride. I'd have one but I'm not into big cars. Chur chur!
@@jasonswift7098 Think what you like. I have a picture with the speedo needle touching 240, although speedos are out by some margin. I don't know why you call bs when the car clearly will do it. Enjoy your day, work on being less negative.
These ZB things were a disaster here in sales in Australia. So much so that Holden were so embarrassed, that they quietly sent the unsold stock to the triple island Aotearoa who couldnt get enough of them. What a wasted opportunity where a LS or a Turbo 6 as an option could have really flexed that chasiss (or broke it). The Commodore brand died after the VF finished up. What a awful shame and conclusion to an iconic Aussie marquee.....
The v6 they had in it was the biggest engine they could fit, a v8 literally wouldn't fit. Holden wanted to put the twin turbo cadillac v6 in it but again it wouldn't fit
Obviously the Euros havent heard of the term shoe horn, think 8s into LH - LX , VB - VL, Sierra 8, Capri Perana not to mention the Torana and TC - TF Cortina 6s and the list goes on, all factory offerings if im not mistaken. Didnt Holden rejig the VB Opel chasiss to accept the Holden V8? If a Manufacturer wants it in, it will happen. Who wouldnt want a near 1000 - 1200 kg nimble V8 offering from the factory. Probably why so many LS powered MX5/Miatas get built, done right they are great cars to drive. Any thoughts.....
I remember seeing these brand new in January 2018, the dude at the dealer loved them and was so hyped, I just couldnt understand why they rebranded it the commodore as the insignia was already avalible here...
At that stage mate, they probably all believed these would fly off the shelf and the dealerships would at least have something to sell. Precovid days mate, a different world eh
I recently bought a 2020 LT lift back. Assuming that the bad rap they got caused severe depreciation so got it for a good price. The last Commodore I had was 2009, admittedly quite old now, but the ZB leaves it for dead in all ways. Shame they’re no longer made. I wonder how many of the knockers have driven one.
Hahaha what a small world that is the same cop car that pulled me over on the eta in taupo. Had a yarn to him about the car cause it was one of the first ones In taupo. I worked at Ebbetts in Taupo and remembered servicing it many years ago!
@@nonrasputin9260 I'm an ex Holden tech, I purchased an ex cop car years ago. They were generally cheap, spec'd with the good suspension (FE2 SS/SV6 suspension back then with the Ozzie commodores) and well serviced with no shortcuts or cheap parts. No "chip or tune" as some people touted, they'd just been driven hard so felt a bit peppier. In general they were a good buy, with a couple of programming changes for steering wheel switches functions, blackout switch etc & few holes in boot, roof, trims to fix.
@@boatnz5374thanks for the info, you guys did an awesome job keeping the police fleet on the road, especially considering the hammering these vehicles took!
@@kiaoraaafor the Holden side of things? Yeah, I tend to go that route, as the gm stuff needs regular service, which govt cars get, whereas a ford Barra can put up with a few extra kms between services. Euro can be hard to work on and expensive parts wise.
Its kind of surreal that its a Holden that never set foot in Australia. Having said that....back in the day (70's) they used to make Holdens in NZ. But I think a lot of the parts were shipped over from Australia for those so not really the same thing.
Hey, would you be able to help me with the part one of the cables in the boot goes into. It is missing on my excopa zb. I heard it is a sensor to dedect the key for remote access to the car. The local dealer was a bit clueless when it came to sourcing that part. Thanks in advance.
You can try contacting them direct, but, I’ve had more luck getting it through the seller if it’s from an auction, prior to the auction itself. Cheers mate
Heya mate, most of them I do, after making sure there aren’t any issues with them etc. I still see the odd one driving around every so often, which is kind of cool, cheers
Kia Ora non Rasputin! I’m close to owning an LT, I’m wondering how you got the complete history of this particular vehicle, did you do your own research?
Kia Ora mate! For this particular one, as it was ex-police, and the cars are owned by a lease company, the records kept are pretty complete, I asked for them prior to buying at auction. The other parts to the story were pieced together through news stories, paperwork found in the car, online records of vehicle movements etc. If you are buying one of these, regardless of who from, ask for all of the service records, what’s been replaced, what needs replacing and then get it looked over. Some of these get oil leaks over 150,000kms, some of them chew out the turbos, so make sure you scan the car for any error codes. Best of luck!
@@nonrasputin9260 hey matey thanks for your reply! I am also buying an ex police, all I know from goggling is that it was a frontline vehicle in Wellington. Unfortunately the dealer that I’m getting it from doesn’t have the repair records, however the owner of the vehicle itself might (he is unfortunately out of the country). Once I look at the vehicle again will have a thorough look for any paperwork found inside, thanks for the tips 😉
It wasent too bad, just need to follow a sequence and not rush it. Just take off the grab handles, the sunshades (Don’t forget to unplug them as the mirrors are lit), the sunglasses holder, and carefully unplug any wires. You’ll need to loosen the pillar covers to get it all back in. Getting the roof lining in and out I found was easiest diagonally through the rear left door, with seats down. Hope this helps mate
@@nonrasputin9260different steering tune as well, plus the Opel/Vauxhall variants had smaller engines, and only a six speed transmission (eight speed if it had the 2L AWD drivetrains)
we used to have a Ex police xr6 turbo it had a lot of problems that's the reason we don't have it anymore it was a fun car to drive if we had the time to fix it we would of.
Gosh, our police haven’t had fords as frontline cars for decades, it’s been pretty much the Holden’s for a long time…. Were the turbo xr6’s used for highway pursuit?
I was chatting to a highway patrol officer at a family gathering a few months back and she mentioned that the worst mistake to make as a second car buyer was to buy an ex highway patrol vehicle. She said back when they used SS Commodores and XR6 Turbos they would often run through a WHOLE SET of brakes in ONE SHIFT!! She said the pursuit vehicles are driven harder than criminals driving stolen cars. Coming from a highway patrol officer of 20 years this absolutely blew my mind. Of course the police are generally prone to exaggeration... still food for thought.
I've had a couple of Ex police cars now, a VF evoke and VF SV6. Both of which have held up super well, SV6 being highway patrol. I have test driven a ZB LT or two and was amazed by how fast they are. Loooooads of torque. Ive got a civillian spec ZB RSV with the 3.6 too
Brilliant cars the lot of them, loads of cops say they miss the VE and VF Commodores as they could take the harsh treatment of frontline work. Even though the ZB may not have been a decent seller, it’s still a real decent car on a bunch of levels
Highway patrol don't use sv6 ever😂,think you've told a fib or 2 of the previous owner😂edit I know they we're part of the Ning fleet never Highway patrol
@@2304-x3syeah no idea what you’re on about. I bought it fresh from the auction, and have pictures of it as a highway patrol car lol Just google Nz police Highway VF commodore, they exist
Fast lol 😂 I gapped one that was an RSV on the motorway with my nissan note e power nismo that's a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder hybrid with 110 hp those Holden's are slow as hell
@@shanematekuare2726Don't lie........you aren't buying one for drifting. Don't talk crap , you don't even know what a drift car is. You know these are only fwd or 4wd?
@@nonrasputin9260 probz why there dead cheap now ohwel ill just stick to my fgx falcon ive never had any problems with the car over the 5 years of ownership
It's a shame they released them here as the Commodore, because they really aren't bad at all. They certainly drive nicer than the previous models, especislly the VRX. I love the extra tech too, although I don't find it anywhere near as comfortable as the VF, but in saying that, I found the VF far less comfortable than my old VT and my sisters very recently puechased VY.
@@Ash_Simoreally mate? Obviously what I was getting at was that spinning your tyres in the wet is no yard stick to measure anything, except maybe acting like a teenager. I mean my daily 2019 2.5 Camry can spin in the wet and that thing is slow as balls.
There was a huge following for the brand and I think in some ways, those followers were delivered something they felt dodgy not align with their perception of the brand eh
i didnt want one as a holden fan got a company car real good car still wish was rear wheeler a 2.0 turbo charged rocket and actually engineered for Australian roads by Holden!
Yes, that would have been decent for sure, as you say, still a good car, but, there are things that could have been addressed to capture the fan base eh
at the end of the day they are in bussiness to sell cars..they tried something different to starve off the need for the general publics mass switch to suvs.. the rising costs of fuel was a factor and the Gm decsion to end the v8 they couldnt afford billions to research a new vehicle generation.. it was a worth a shot. it was actually a very good car..just wasnt a demand.
Been hot Ks and they service them,but they get rolled bowled and arseholed.Cops have put to put instructions how to change a tyre tells you something.,..
For sure, these things get subjected to some “spirited” driving…. I look at it like, if it was broken it got fixed, if it dident break it’s been battle hardened
@@nonrasputin9260 well thats a better and more accurate statement right there, go with that. I think saying fairly lowish km's isnt a statement of the condition of the car.
@@nonrasputin9260 I was glad the Falcon name was laid to rest when the factory closed. The only way the Falcon should ever come back, is as a rear wheel drive, 6cyl minimum, with a V8 option.
I really don't get the hate of many Australians towards the Holden. The Opel Insignia is a very good and also reliable car and the most successful and highest sold Holden commodore in the 80s, was also "just" a rebadged Opel Senator.
It’s a complex thing eh, there’s a lot of passion and emotion around the Holden brand (and Australian Ford) in the southern hemisphere. Opal wasn’t a big seller down here prior to the last Commodore, so, a lot of Holden fans felt abit betrayed by GM, firstly for closing Holden (for whatever reason) and secondly for trying to serve up a foreign car under an Aussie iconic brand. It’s a decent car for the most part, but the timing and branding were maybe a bit off for the public
These things in police here in SA where not suited at all...they used spit diffs at high speeds of transmission use to drop gears....AWD system in these were and are bad.... Worse story I heard was an officer was an red and blues heading to a job and the diff blew sending them into a spin at 100km/h and skidding off into bushland...
Not too sure why everyone keeps calling it a Commodore?? It's definitely not or built an hour away here in Adelaide by holden so not commodore!! But it is a re-badged Opel Insignia built by General Motors Opel Germany!! Nothing to do with Australia and Commodore!!!!
I know exactly where the old front bumper for this is sitting, saw it last weekend when I was down in Taupo. I'm driving an ex-cop VF Evoke wagon. Bloody brilliant car especially for the money I paid for it.
Really? The bumper from when it was damaged all those years ago? I’m amazed! The old evokes are pretty good all right, loads of features and comfort for a low price
The NZ police tore their cars to pieces compared to what the south Aussie police did to theirs. You reaaally have to look in my car to see where the lights and radios were installed in my ex police car
They have gotten better, the VE’s especially and VF’s had quite a few modifications to get the gear in, but for sure, you can definitely spot an ex-cop car over here a mile off. Cheers mate
Yeah I did have to change the thermostat once but that happens in all cars after a certain time period sometimes not just depending how lucky you get. I’ve read some horror stories about timing chains on the gm v6 but I think they fixed the problem with using two chains now instead of 3
@@stevendoust6658 For sure, on the previous V6's, especially the VZ's and up, chains can stretch, especially so if the maintenance schedule is not maintained. Thats bad luck with the thermostat, but in saying that, its always been something that wears out, regardless of the car. Good stuff mate
It is not a real commodore. The VF line of Holden commodores were the last of the real Aussie commodores made in Australia. These are German made opel bs - nope,I’d never own one.
Maybe give one a test drive, you never know man, you might end up really liking it eh… but yes, you are right, this isn’t an Aussie designed vehicle, sadly
So not a Holden commodore, and not even a GM, its an Opal. I would say try to get a real one from Australia, but as the land of the driving undead the police here probably crush them now, and even if they didn't Holden no longer exists as a real company; so any REAL holden interceptor class would likely be quite a lot more expensive as a rare car now.
Vauxhall Insignia for UK, Opal Insignia for EU, Holden Commodore for Australasia and Buick Regal for the USA, basically the same car under the badge eh…
O for oh my god these are a total piece of shit. this killed holden in australia, I remember seeing new versions just being scrapped at a scrap metal shredder here in australia. had a look inside total garbage.
Badging the Insignia as a Commodore was a horrific crap on the name & brands history, a FWD car with No V8 option bearing the name of historically RWD cars that had V8 options from gen 1, is just Not Ok. Like it's a perfectly good car and I'd have no problem with it if they'd just called it "Holden Insignia", But it is Not a Commodore.
These should have never gotten the commodore badge, was a spit in the face to the legacy the iron lion built. Give me a 30yr old mang mang vn over this anyday.
@@nonrasputin9260 being in Aus they're not too hard to come across, I understand NZ would be harder, specially with the import laws at the time those model commies weren't as popular as the 4 door jdms like the cefiros, vr4s, aristos etc. (edit) now I think about it, didn't the early 90s model commies come with some wierd 2lt single cam engine in NZ?? With the zb tho i've only ever seen one of these in the flesh. I thought they were a myth. Surprised no-one has slapped a LS in one for Summernats yet tbh.
We had some pretty weird combos, I remember a friends dad had an early Commodore with a 4-cylinder in it and this huge economy gauge where the rev counter should be, so that may have been it! (Gutless as). They ran the zb in the Supercars, so yeah, surely it wouldent take too much to v8 one up for street, especially considering how reasonable they are to buy at the mo, for us at least, as they are retired from the police fleet in favour of the skodas…
Rebadged Opel 4banger FWD steer tugger.
😂 😂 steer tugger!! Cheers mate
And still twice as good as the VF commodore
you mean arse dragger
@@user-vk4vd7vr5t is it though? Yeah it’s better in several areas but it should be, it’s a much newer car. Twice as good is a stretch
@@rwd323 have had both. The 2.0T was way better than the 3.6 V6 in the VF2.
V8 VF is still a notch above though performance wise
I have seen a few of these in Australia and I thought it was someone putting commodore badges on there as a joke but I didn’t realise they are actually commodores. Now the ZB makes the Ve looks good
Grab a VE while you can, they are getting rarer by the day…
@@nonrasputin9260 yeah I was gonna get one as my first car because if I crash it it wouldn’t be the end of the world because I know the ve’s have a lot of issues
What’s your dogs name?
@@juststuffwithwolfe4482such as?
ves are the best commodores though
I hired one of these ZBs when i visited NZ a couple years ag. It was an RS 2.0L. Absolutely loved it. Im a Ford and was ready to hate it. Also had a RS wagon as a loan vehicle here in Tas. Was also good. Then the local Holden dealership had a ZB Calais instock, tried to buy it but it sold to quick. Drove so well
For sure, I was dubious at first but after a test drive, I found it to be a decent car. It may not be an Aussie Commodore, but, in its own right, it’s a good vehicle. Cheers mate
The only reason that ford and holden fans thought these "drove so well... is because they 90% of the time never drove a proper vehicle that drives better. These were nasty, just like the astra.
You identify as a Ford? What are your pronouns?
Typical Ford fan, likes the unreliable failure
Haha, watched this go though the “damaged” auction and was tempted to place a bid, happy to see it’s gone to a good home
Cheers mate!
Have just recently bought one myself and is good to have some ideas on what it's likely to look like under the roof lining. Now will be more of a strategic fix rather than exploratory. Love the video.
All good mate! More material on its way… cheers!
Myself and my mates visited NZ in late 2019. Our hire car was the turbo 4 cylinder Commodore. The dash rattled like crazy for a car with I think around 10,000k's but we got it up to an indicated 240kph somewhere between Te Anau and Queenstown. Absolutely gave it a caning and it took it in it's stride. I'd have one but I'm not into big cars. Chur chur!
😂 😂 great effort!!
Yeah in your dreams buddy.
Good times 😂
yeah bs mate.
@@jasonswift7098 Think what you like. I have a picture with the speedo needle touching 240, although speedos are out by some margin. I don't know why you call bs when the car clearly will do it. Enjoy your day, work on being less negative.
They drive really well. Was impressed with a hire one in Oz
Good stuff mate!
These ZB things were a disaster here in sales in Australia. So much so that Holden were so embarrassed, that they quietly sent the unsold stock to the triple island Aotearoa who couldnt get enough of them. What a wasted opportunity where a LS or a Turbo 6 as an option could have really flexed that chasiss (or broke it). The Commodore brand died after the VF finished up. What a awful shame and conclusion to an iconic Aussie marquee.....
They are still fairly rare over here, with the exception of cop cars, but yeah, it’s definitely a shame the brand ended the way it did eh
The v6 they had in it was the biggest engine they could fit, a v8 literally wouldn't fit. Holden wanted to put the twin turbo cadillac v6 in it but again it wouldn't fit
Obviously the Euros havent heard of the term shoe horn, think 8s into LH - LX , VB - VL, Sierra 8, Capri Perana not to mention the Torana and TC - TF Cortina 6s and the list goes on, all factory offerings if im not mistaken. Didnt Holden rejig the VB Opel chasiss to accept the Holden V8? If a Manufacturer wants it in, it will happen. Who wouldnt want a near 1000 - 1200 kg nimble V8 offering from the factory. Probably why so many LS powered MX5/Miatas get built, done right they are great cars to drive. Any thoughts.....
@xbgtfella except holden didn't re-engineer it it was a direct rebage
Marque.
I love these ZBs so much 😍
Good stuff man!
Ehy
Why?
Worst cars ever I smoked an RSV one with my nissan note e power nismo with a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder hybrid engine on a rolling start lol
Love your work brother 💯Keepin it real.
Thanks mate, I appreciate it!
I remember seeing these brand new in January 2018, the dude at the dealer loved them and was so hyped, I just couldnt understand why they rebranded it the commodore as the insignia was already avalible here...
At that stage mate, they probably all believed these would fly off the shelf and the dealerships would at least have something to sell. Precovid days mate, a different world eh
I recently bought a 2020 LT lift back. Assuming that the bad rap they got caused severe depreciation so got it for a good price. The last Commodore I had was 2009, admittedly quite old now, but the ZB leaves it for dead in all ways. Shame they’re no longer made. I wonder how many of the knockers have driven one.
They are a good car eh, and a lot of the bad rap I don’t think is that deserved, to be fair. Loads of technology and bang for buck 👍
Hahaha what a small world that is the same cop car that pulled me over on the eta in taupo. Had a yarn to him about the car cause it was one of the first ones In taupo. I worked at Ebbetts in Taupo and remembered servicing it many years ago!
Far out, it is a small world! Just serviced it the other day, oil still looked mint!
@@nonrasputin9260 I'm an ex Holden tech, I purchased an ex cop car years ago. They were generally cheap, spec'd with the good suspension (FE2 SS/SV6 suspension back then with the Ozzie commodores) and well serviced with no shortcuts or cheap parts. No "chip or tune" as some people touted, they'd just been driven hard so felt a bit peppier. In general they were a good buy, with a couple of programming changes for steering wheel switches functions, blackout switch etc & few holes in boot, roof, trims to fix.
@@boatnz5374thanks for the info, you guys did an awesome job keeping the police fleet on the road, especially considering the hammering these vehicles took!
Would you buy Skoda if they sell it on turners?
Even I have my limits…. No, There isn’t much that I like about the Skoda eh
So only Holdens previously owned by government?
@@kiaoraaafor the Holden side of things? Yeah, I tend to go that route, as the gm stuff needs regular service, which govt cars get, whereas a ford Barra can put up with a few extra kms between services. Euro can be hard to work on and expensive parts wise.
Its kind of surreal that its a Holden that never set foot in Australia.
Having said that....back in the day (70's) they used to make Holdens in NZ. But I think a lot of the parts were shipped over from Australia for those so not really the same thing.
That’s true, but in saying that, the first Holden Commodore was based on the Opal Commodore, so I guess in a way it’s gone full circle eh
Hey, would you be able to help me with the part one of the cables in the boot goes into. It is missing on my excopa zb. I heard it is a sensor to dedect the key for remote access to the car. The local dealer was a bit clueless when it came to sourcing that part. Thanks in advance.
Hey mate, chuck us an email: sweetrasputin22@gmail.com with a pic of where the sensor is located
Good stuff, how do you get access to the custom fleet service history?
You can try contacting them direct, but, I’ve had more luck getting it through the seller if it’s from an auction, prior to the auction itself. Cheers mate
@@nonrasputin9260 thanks mate
Great work you know how to bag a bargain.
Cheers mate!
Hi there. Love the channel. Do you sell the cars you rehabilitate
Heya mate, most of them I do, after making sure there aren’t any issues with them etc. I still see the odd one driving around every so often, which is kind of cool, cheers
Cool. Do you have a website for the cars that you sell in after getting them back on the road? Keen to get one of those rejuvenated commodores.
@@ajwootten I normally sell them online if I do, which city are you located in?
I thought i read COMMODORE in the title but must have been mistaken
It’s what the badge says on the boot, so it must be eh?
@@nonrasputin9260 nahhhh
Where do you find these im trying to find VF2 for cheeps?
If you’re after one for cheap and aren’t afraid to lowball, Facebook marketplace is good, otherwise, keep your eye on the auctions
Kia Ora non Rasputin! I’m close to owning an LT, I’m wondering how you got the complete history of this particular vehicle, did you do your own research?
Kia Ora mate! For this particular one, as it was ex-police, and the cars are owned by a lease company, the records kept are pretty complete, I asked for them prior to buying at auction. The other parts to the story were pieced together through news stories, paperwork found in the car, online records of vehicle movements etc. If you are buying one of these, regardless of who from, ask for all of the service records, what’s been replaced, what needs replacing and then get it looked over. Some of these get oil leaks over 150,000kms, some of them chew out the turbos, so make sure you scan the car for any error codes. Best of luck!
@@nonrasputin9260 hey matey thanks for your reply! I am also buying an ex police, all I know from goggling is that it was a frontline vehicle in Wellington. Unfortunately the dealer that I’m getting it from doesn’t have the repair records, however the owner of the vehicle itself might (he is unfortunately out of the country). Once I look at the vehicle again will have a thorough look for any paperwork found inside, thanks for the tips 😉
It’s also receiving an AA inspection prior to purchase, so that I’m not buying a lemon 🤣
Hey mate, drop me an email re service records sweetrasputin22@gmail.com
Hey mate i have one of these, Did you find a tutorial on how to remove the roof lining? Or is it pretty basic, i dont wanna damage it =) TIA
It wasent too bad, just need to follow a sequence and not rush it. Just take off the grab handles, the sunshades (Don’t forget to unplug them as the mirrors are lit), the sunglasses holder, and carefully unplug any wires. You’ll need to loosen the pillar covers to get it all back in. Getting the roof lining in and out I found was easiest diagonally through the rear left door, with seats down. Hope this helps mate
Its great and very brave that you call it a Commodore.
Hey cheers mate!
you should put the highway pratrol stickers back on
Golly, I’d end up pulling up the wrong person eh… citizens arrest! 😂
Nah leave the stickers off but put light bars on the dash front and rear instead. Freak some people out!
Sold as an Opel Insignia here in Europe Imagine all the BOLD Boys and Girls that were in that car
The mind boggles
How different are these Holden badged Insignia's to the Opel/Vuaxhall examples.
Other than the badge and the suspension being tuned to Aussie preferences, nothing really eh
Bet Aussies and Kiwis hate these not a true Commodore even though they were related to Opel/Vauxhalls anyway I think. @@nonrasputin9260
@@nonrasputin9260different steering tune as well, plus the Opel/Vauxhall variants had smaller engines, and only a six speed transmission (eight speed if it had the 2L AWD drivetrains)
we used to have a Ex police xr6 turbo it had a lot of problems that's the reason we don't have it anymore it was a fun car to drive if we had the time to fix it we would of.
Gosh, our police haven’t had fords as frontline cars for decades, it’s been pretty much the Holden’s for a long time…. Were the turbo xr6’s used for highway pursuit?
I was chatting to a highway patrol officer at a family gathering a few months back and she mentioned that the worst mistake to make as a second car buyer was to buy an ex highway patrol vehicle. She said back when they used SS Commodores and XR6 Turbos they would often run through a WHOLE SET of brakes in ONE SHIFT!!
She said the pursuit vehicles are driven harder than criminals driving stolen cars. Coming from a highway patrol officer of 20 years this absolutely blew my mind.
Of course the police are generally prone to exaggeration... still food for thought.
@@zacman8472that’s intense, especially since they would have been decent pads too
I've had a couple of Ex police cars now, a VF evoke and VF SV6. Both of which have held up super well, SV6 being highway patrol.
I have test driven a ZB LT or two and was amazed by how fast they are. Loooooads of torque. Ive got a civillian spec ZB RSV with the 3.6 too
Brilliant cars the lot of them, loads of cops say they miss the VE and VF Commodores as they could take the harsh treatment of frontline work. Even though the ZB may not have been a decent seller, it’s still a real decent car on a bunch of levels
Highway patrol don't use sv6 ever😂,think you've told a fib or 2 of the previous owner😂edit I know they we're part of the Ning fleet never Highway patrol
@@2304-x3syeah no idea what you’re on about. I bought it fresh from the auction, and have pictures of it as a highway patrol car lol
Just google Nz police Highway VF commodore, they exist
@@2304-x3slol what a load of crap, do some research
Fast lol 😂 I gapped one that was an RSV on the motorway with my nissan note e power nismo that's a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder hybrid with 110 hp those Holden's are slow as hell
I never would've pulled over if I'd known those things were 4 cylinder 😐
😂 👍
Think I'll get me one for drifting nice review thanks.
All good mate, cheers!
@@nonrasputin9260 I'm gonna watch some of your older stuff now looks eduCartional and about cars my family loves.
@@shanematekuare2726legend! Hope you enjoy mate, more content on its way, thanks for watching!
@@shanematekuare2726Don't lie........you aren't buying one for drifting. Don't talk crap , you don't even know what a drift car is. You know these are only fwd or 4wd?
I dont mind the ZB but if i was to own one id get the vxr model
Sweet as man, be wary of the rear diffs on the awd models as they fail regularly
@@nonrasputin9260 probz why there dead cheap now ohwel ill just stick to my fgx falcon ive never had any problems with the car over the 5 years of ownership
@@FgxguyI’ve done a few fgx builds, if it’s not giving you any issues, I’d say stick with it, those barras go forever
The only thing "holden commodore" about it is the badges 😄 cool watch tho, keep up the content!
Hey thanks mate, will do! Cheers
Das ist ein Holden Commodore! 😂
It's a shame they released them here as the Commodore, because they really aren't bad at all. They certainly drive nicer than the previous models, especislly the VRX. I love the extra tech too, although I don't find it anywhere near as comfortable as the VF, but in saying that, I found the VF far less comfortable than my old VT and my sisters very recently puechased VY.
Sounds like if you had a VY with apple CarPlay, you’d be sweet as!
I hope you got it really cheap at those kms
It wasent bad, about 1/2 the price of a non-cop ZB
It doesn't look Holden until you look front on and barely then
If you squint and turn your head real quick, it looks Commodorish eh
Saddest check engine reason ever, not enough boost
It is pretty sad eh, it seemed a bit unnecessary
My bro in law has a ex police car, im thinking its a vs or vy, had it got many years now, still going strong, although has a 5.0 in it now
That’s pretty sweet, harder to come by nowadays!
They used to have a designated car yard in Wigram CHCH that sold them, throw on a full spoiler kit and boom, all set@@nonrasputin9260
2018 with 265,000k is low k? 😮
I guess comparatively eh…. Ive had other excop cars with 300’k +…
New Zealand government couldn’t even afford the v6 versions, shame.
Govt can’t afford the gas or the price of replacing rear diffs on the awd models that fail after 70,000kms
the interceptor you speak of is a ford, and that aint even a holden mate
She’s the ducks guts
They know how to spin the wheels in the wet.
That’s true man, lucky there is traction control or the torque steer would be scary 😉
my first car, a '78 KE55 Corolla 1.5ltr, could get into second in the wet, not a good yardstick.
I agree. A 70s model Corolla isn’t a good comparison to a modern day FWD vehicle.
@@Ash_Simoreally mate? Obviously what I was getting at was that spinning your tyres in the wet is no yard stick to measure anything, except maybe acting like a teenager. I mean my daily 2019 2.5 Camry can spin in the wet and that thing is slow as balls.
A 100 hp hiace can spin it's tyres in the wet wake up buddy 😂
Thats not a pursuit vehicle, here in Oz it would be a GD runabout.
Here in Nz it is man. When the VFs were around, the evokes were the frontline cars and the sv6’s were for highway pursuit
They were a good looking vehicle hey?
Not bad not bad 👍
reading the copious volume of negative comments I propose its been mistaken for a commodore, when in fact is possibly a commode door
😂 😂 😂
Still have a red one in tga
True? there are a few left, but not many in service eh
255K is fairly lowish K's ??? lol
Hahaha I’ve had higher 😂
As much as these models were introduced into the v8 supercars, publicly they were a disappointment, they took away the V6 and even the V8.
There was a huge following for the brand and I think in some ways, those followers were delivered something they felt dodgy not align with their perception of the brand eh
I own one it's a vxr and I love it , drive one it might change your thinking 😊
I’ve never tried the v6 zb commodore, to be fair, the 2L turbo is pretty decent in its own right eh 👍
The Australian public may have bought it if not badged as a commodore. Very poor decision by Holden.
You could be right eh
i didnt want one as a holden fan got a company car real good car still wish was rear wheeler a 2.0 turbo charged rocket and actually engineered for Australian roads by Holden!
Yes, that would have been decent for sure, as you say, still a good car, but, there are things that could have been addressed to capture the fan base eh
at the end of the day they are in bussiness to sell cars..they tried something different to starve off the need for the general publics mass switch to suvs.. the rising costs of fuel was a factor and the Gm decsion to end the v8 they couldnt afford billions to research a new vehicle generation.. it was a worth a shot. it was actually a very good car..just wasnt a demand.
Been hot Ks and they service them,but they get rolled bowled and arseholed.Cops have put to put instructions how to change a tyre tells you something.,..
For sure, these things get subjected to some “spirited” driving…. I look at it like, if it was broken it got fixed, if it dident break it’s been battle hardened
Didn’t realise these came out of Opel Germany
Yes, good car, but not being made in Australia did not help its popularity eh
265,000klm bloody hell, In Oz 120,000klm and they are off loaded
klm?
😂 this is New Zealand mate
This model is why I bought a falcon no regrets
Fgx?
Can’t really call that a Holden
@@Tristananger12345 fun fact, if you pull the holden badge off the grill, there’s an Opal cutout…
I cant really agree with 'fairly lowish km' when its pushing past 250k. Low Km is 100k for a 10+ year old car.
I’ve had cars with waaay more kms that were in worse shape
@@nonrasputin9260 well thats a better and more accurate statement right there, go with that. I think saying fairly lowish km's isnt a statement of the condition of the car.
No hate when I first seen one of these on the road I really questioned wtaf I was looking at
Hahaha I’m sure you weren’t alone judging by the other comments
Nevermind the hurricane
It was a bit suss eh, I was beginning to think I’d lose my mint fence!
Zb is not a Holden don’t give Holden a bad name
Holden themselves added this to the lineup and put their badge on it, perhaps they thought the fan base would be cool with it?
@nonrasputin9260 we weren't cool with it mate, the Commodore finished with the VF.
I think the company that owns it has more say over it than some guy in the youtube comments...@@JBLegal09
Uploaded 3 hours ago meaning around 3am on the 29th of Jan 😂
😂 😂 😂 You got me! once you start editing, it’s hard to stop eh
Very enjoyable. I think I'd have left the aerials on just for fun.
Naughty naughty boy being up that late 🧏♂️
255000 klms is ok. One suggests there is many more idling hours not accounted for.
Being an ex-cop car, I'd say definitely, but, at least there is the surety that it was serviced on time throughout. Cheers mate
The ZB was not a commodore. Im a Ford guy but the last real Commodore was the VF.
Das ist eine Commodore! 😂… in all seriousness though, the same fate did not occur with the falcon name eh in the case of ford.
@@nonrasputin9260 I was glad the Falcon name was laid to rest when the factory closed. The only way the Falcon should ever come back, is as a rear wheel drive, 6cyl minimum, with a V8 option.
Who gave this Kiwi a cop car :P
😂 😂 😂 👍
I really don't get the hate of many Australians towards the Holden. The Opel Insignia is a very good and also reliable car and the most successful and highest sold Holden commodore in the 80s, was also "just" a rebadged Opel Senator.
It’s a complex thing eh, there’s a lot of passion and emotion around the Holden brand (and Australian Ford) in the southern hemisphere. Opal wasn’t a big seller down here prior to the last Commodore, so, a lot of Holden fans felt abit betrayed by GM, firstly for closing Holden (for whatever reason) and secondly for trying to serve up a foreign car under an Aussie iconic brand. It’s a decent car for the most part, but the timing and branding were maybe a bit off for the public
These things in police here in SA where not suited at all...they used spit diffs at high speeds of transmission use to drop gears....AWD system in these were and are bad....
Worse story I heard was an officer was an red and blues heading to a job and the diff blew sending them into a spin at 100km/h and skidding off into bushland...
Jeez, that would be terrifying man!!! I have heard the awd diffs do fail on the v6 models, even at 70,000kms, so, not awesome…
Not too sure why everyone keeps calling it a Commodore?? It's definitely not or built an hour away here in Adelaide by holden so not commodore!! But it is a re-badged Opel Insignia built by General Motors Opel Germany!! Nothing to do with Australia and Commodore!!!!
🇩🇪 German Commodore 🇦🇺
Swear i saw a VF cop car recently
There’s still a few floating around eh
Opening pic in the rain,, had r/f paint and it is an Opel so not much of a car
Yes, you can see where the damage on the right front was repaired by the police some years ago, cheers mate
I know exactly where the old front bumper for this is sitting, saw it last weekend when I was down in Taupo.
I'm driving an ex-cop VF Evoke wagon. Bloody brilliant car especially for the money I paid for it.
Really? The bumper from when it was damaged all those years ago? I’m amazed! The old evokes are pretty good all right, loads of features and comfort for a low price
Having a Commodore badge on these is a disgrace.
Yeah, I think Holden were trying to think outside the square to try and salvage the brand, dident really pay off eh
If this was a car for me I'd put a v8 engine in it to make it worth the while having a Holden
Fair enough mate, pretty few and far between getting a v8 wreck for a donor… I’m on the lookout though… cheers
The NZ police tore their cars to pieces compared to what the south Aussie police did to theirs. You reaaally have to look in my car to see where the lights and radios were installed in my ex police car
They have gotten better, the VE’s especially and VF’s had quite a few modifications to get the gear in, but for sure, you can definitely spot an ex-cop car over here a mile off. Cheers mate
Sorry mate, not a Commodore in any way except the badge, front wheel drive. Just sell it and buy a real commodore.
Gotta try them all mate, just to know eh
no shit i have a photo of me standing in the roof of this while its in the ebbit lot in taupo
Sweetrasputin22@gmail.com keen to see bro!
Holden: our new car is fwd and no V8!
Public: no
Yes, there was a bit of the missing piece there......
My ZB V6 is Bulletproof
The i4’s and v6s in the ZB are pretty troublefree eh
Yeah I did have to change the thermostat once but that happens in all cars after a certain time period sometimes not just depending how lucky you get. I’ve read some horror stories about timing chains on the gm v6 but I think they fixed the problem with using two chains now instead of 3
@@stevendoust6658 For sure, on the previous V6's, especially the VZ's and up, chains can stretch, especially so if the maintenance schedule is not maintained. Thats bad luck with the thermostat, but in saying that, its always been something that wears out, regardless of the car. Good stuff mate
Nah mate, that's the last of the Vauxhall/Opel police cars.
That ain't a Holden 😂
Kind of like a distant cousin that married into the fam? 😂
It is not a real commodore. The VF line of Holden commodores were the last of the real Aussie commodores made in Australia. These are German made opel bs - nope,I’d never own one.
Maybe give one a test drive, you never know man, you might end up really liking it eh… but yes, you are right, this isn’t an Aussie designed vehicle, sadly
they are actually nice cars just shouldnt have called them a commodore haha pleanty of power aswell@@nonrasputin9260
smoked a few of these in my ef civic hatch 😂
😂 😂 👍
Why say vin number ( vehicle identification number number) you probably say atm machine and PIN number as well 🤣🤣🤣
Hahahaha must be a kiwism mate, i may or may not say the other two as well… 😂
I seen people with Old holdens leave them police cars behind never get caught 😂 car was to fast for the later model
…..and now it’s Skoda station wagons….
So not a Holden commodore, and not even a GM, its an Opal. I would say try to get a real one from Australia, but as the land of the driving undead the police here probably crush them now, and even if they didn't Holden no longer exists as a real company; so any REAL holden interceptor class would likely be quite a lot more expensive as a rare car now.
Who knows man, these may be worth a ton in the future….
@nonrasputin9260 good value for scrap metal 😂
@@lexman8678😂😂😂
The nail in the coffin !! Compare it to a vf ....... then bud Light did something similar
I’m a lion red guy myself… 🍺
That is NOT a Commodore.................
For sure it is mate, it’s a Deutschland Commodore!
So basically a vauxhall Insignia the older commodore was a decent car this modern shit is just junk
Vauxhall Insignia for UK, Opal Insignia for EU, Holden Commodore for Australasia and Buick Regal for the USA, basically the same car under the badge eh…
oh dear that kiwi accent haha stets instead of stats. Well done mate
Hahaha and that’s my accent toned down! Cheers mate, much appreciated
@@nonrasputin9260 haha enjoy the car I have a 2.0l as well this thing flies. Love it. take care
O for oh my god these are a total piece of shit.
this killed holden in australia, I remember seeing new versions just being scrapped at a scrap metal shredder here in australia. had a look inside total garbage.
It’s not for everyone, especially after the VF….
Badging the Insignia as a Commodore was a horrific crap on the name & brands history, a FWD car with No V8 option bearing the name of historically RWD cars that had V8 options from gen 1, is just Not Ok.
Like it's a perfectly good car and I'd have no problem with it if they'd just called it "Holden Insignia", But it is Not a Commodore.
Fair enough mate, I mean, it was pretty polarising amongst Holden fans for sure, personally I like it as a car eh
Honestly i just wanted to see the ex cop car not how to work on a pos🤦♂️
Hahahaha 👍
dont even call it a commodore
👍 👍 👍
Mmmm, smells like bacon
Can’t have bacon without eggs bro 🥓 🥚
These should have never gotten the commodore badge, was a spit in the face to the legacy the iron lion built. Give me a 30yr old mang mang vn over this anyday.
Legacy wise, I totally get it. If you can find a mang mang in decent enough condition these days you’re pretty lucky though eh
@@nonrasputin9260 being in Aus they're not too hard to come across, I understand NZ would be harder, specially with the import laws at the time those model commies weren't as popular as the 4 door jdms like the cefiros, vr4s, aristos etc. (edit) now I think about it, didn't the early 90s model commies come with some wierd 2lt single cam engine in NZ??
With the zb tho i've only ever seen one of these in the flesh. I thought they were a myth. Surprised no-one has slapped a LS in one for Summernats yet tbh.
We had some pretty weird combos, I remember a friends dad had an early Commodore with a 4-cylinder in it and this huge economy gauge where the rev counter should be, so that may have been it! (Gutless as). They ran the zb in the Supercars, so yeah, surely it wouldent take too much to v8 one up for street, especially considering how reasonable they are to buy at the mo, for us at least, as they are retired from the police fleet in favour of the skodas…
Yeah nah that ain’t a commodore
It’s certainly insured as one mate…. It is pretty euro though eh?
The last holden ever made was the worst holden ever made. God created shit holden made it move
I rekon the Sunbird was up there on the crap score rating too
Thats not a commodore
German Commodore man!
so todays police need instructions on how to change a wheel! that's pathetic....
😂 😂 😂
Stop tagging yourself over an opal it's not a Commodore
🇩🇪 Das ist ein Commodore 😂
Those zb's ain't commodores
Heya mate, GM Aussie thought it was eh