 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Family Sedan |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Last Modified: 11-09-05 |
|
|
|
Oh what to get, on one hand there is the safety of a front wheel drive sedan with a small amout of power for crusing around town as the shopping cart. Yeah ok who am I kidding I hate front wheel drives, Except when it belongs to a Volvo 850 T5-R, 2300cc 5 cylinder turbo, which from the factory is set low on 17inch alloys and low profile tyres. This car moves. Boasting only 177kw at the fly wheel it really gets off its ass, as a sedan with heaps of leg room this car has all the Europian comforts including heated front seats. It corners like it's on rails, it stops on a dime amd it looks fantastically subtle when the Police try to have a closer look. Basically anything else I'd give to my mother to drive.
Now for rear and 4 wheel drive sedans.
Lancer Evo's, Imprezza WRX STI's, Nissan Skylines, Nissan Bluebirds, Mitsi Galant VR4's.
Then you need to start looking at the local V8's, they sound good, they tow well but they need more time to get going. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
1995 Volvo 850 T5R |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Mitsubishi Galant VR4, a V6 24v QOHC 2.5ltr Twin Turbo 4WD sedan boasting 205kw (actual is closer to 220kw ), it is offset with larger than normal spoilers front side and rear. With plenty of leg room for all both front and rear it is the ideal family sedan, 4WD safety, and plenty of power which launches it from 0-100km/h in just 6.3 seconds. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Family Sedan we finally purchased was based on $$$$$ and timing. Due to the window of the 200sx being broken and getting the last piece of glass left in the country before a 3 week wait was required, we decided to purchase a car as a "Work Hack". We ended up with a NZ New 1995 U13 Nissan Bluebird SES, not so much of a "Hack". The Bluebird is a 2000cc 5 speed Manual transmission 4 door sedan as shown below. It's not super fast but it's Nissan and easy to get parts for locally. |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
SOLD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Out with the Old, in with the New. The Nissan Bluebird served it's short life well but being a front wheel drive was never fun while towing or getting away at an intersection uphill on a wet day, Soooo.................
Welcome the new Sedan, a Nov 2002 Holden Commodore VY SS Series 1 with full black leather interior painted in Hot House as shown below.
The new car has a 5.7 ltr V8 producing 235kw @5200 rpm, 465Nm @ 4400 rpm (factory specs), the car has a big bore exhaust fitted with both catalytic converters removed which increases power to approx. 260kw and 480Nm, the motor is connected to the rear drive via a 6 spd manual transmission that allows open road travel at 100km/h with only 1500 rpm on the Tacho.
In addition to the sports exhaust I have had a 2100kg (braked) towing pack fitted to the car, the pack includes the towbar, rear light cable and plug connector and more importantly full rear suspension upgrade to stabilise the car while towing.
All in all, this is a very nice car with plenty of room for people in the back even when I have the drivers seat set up for my lanky legs and a great tow vehicle for the 200sx. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Left & Below: The new SS commodore with the 2100kg tow kit fitted, big bore exhaust system and 35% tints to all windows except the front. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Right & Below: Having very little love for Holden's competitor, I have fitted the perfect accessory. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Below Left: The stats for th 260kw Clubsport for the series 1 VY Commodore
Below Centre: The stats for the 235kw series 1 SS Commodore
Below Right: The stats for the New BA XR6 Turbo
All stats collected from the November 2002 Motor Magazine |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Does anyone else notice that the lowest powered car here is the fastest?? Ya gotta love the SS,
Being that the above stats are based on a factory spec engine at 235kw, it beggs the question: How fast will the SS be with the big bore exhaust fitted??
Factory Standard power pushes the car from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.82sec as noted above, the exhaust will increase power, but by how much??
Since I was having some work done on my other car I thought I had better check out what sort of difference a big bore makes on the SS. I put it on a dyno expecting the 235kw (176.25rwkw) at the motor to be about 250kw (187.5rwkw) with the exhaust (rwkw based on a 25% average power loss through the drive train).
The dyno sheet is attached below. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Left: The dyno sheet from the SS, substantially more power than expected. No cold air intake or pod filter has been fitted yet. |
|
|
|
|
|
Based on 25% power loss, 213.9rwkw puts the car at 285.2kw. The same as the series II Clubsport R8 with the advantage of the SS weight, this is a V8 to look be careful of.
With the unexpected power jump I will have to explore what other changes will do for performance. |
|