The Commodore Community - Part 2, extended.
From Mod Mania
Task 2: Consumer Communities 2 – reconfigured by Jarrad Flowers
THE COMMODORE COMMUNITY – Originally by Matthew Mejak
Cruising down the long winding road on a hot summer’s day, the wind blowing through your hair and listening to some feel good tunes. Spending time with your friends and loved ones at the beach while relaxing and enjoying the tasty food you have just prepared on the barbie. It’s no doubt that this is a great Australian tradition and much of these times have been shared with the iconic Holden, more specifically, Australia’s family car the Commodore.
The origins of the Commodore can be traced back to 1948, when the original Holden 48-215 (or FX as it came to be known as) was introduced to the Australian consumer. From this, Holden grew, then producing the FJ sedan in 1953. Other models that were less iconic were produced after the FJ (such as the FE, FC, FB, and the EK) before Holden introduced the EH Holden, now starting to become a rarity – sought after by collectors. In 1968, the HK Holden Kingswood was born – paving the way for the Commodore to later be developed. The production of the Kingswood was taken to the 80s, the WB Kingswood to be the last of the production. By now, Kingswood sales had dropped, and the introduction of a smaller and more fuel efficient vehicle was well underway – which was the Holden Commodore in 1978, just prior to the Kingswood being phased out. [1]
Interestingly, the current luxury Statesman, using a long wheelbase Commodore for its development, was also once taken from the Kingswood platform to become a luxury Kingswood, known as a Statesman. This shows the way in which the commodore took the place of the Kingswood in the Holden line.
The Commodore introduce in 1978 was the VB Commodore – cementing Holden’s place in Australian society, adapting to its changing needs. From there the rest is, as they say, history. The Commodore thrived in Australian society, until 1988 when the VN commodore was introduced. It was completely face lifted from the prior models; however cost cutting meant that the same chassis was used from the VL Commodore. The VN did not do the brand any justice. A contributor to this was the development of using a new engine in the car that was being adapted from front- to rear-wheel drive for the VN after using the Japanese Nissan engine (which was much more sturdy and well-regarded) in the VL. The car was hastily slapped together, riddled with unrefined decisions and problems. It wasn’t until 1993 that Holden began to rise once more with the totally re-designed VR Commodore.
Still to this day, the amazing flexibility of this car ranges from models such as Sedans, Sports Wagons and Utes; and is still strongly supporting people from families, businessmen and tradesmen respectively. However, even though all these people use this car in their everyday operations there has been a particular following from young drivers sporting “P-plates”. The affordability of a 90’s model Commodore, due to the large amount of sales in the past, makes the car a “cheap and cheerful” choice for the young male. Powered by a generous Buick V6, there is plenty of power to the rear wheels – which is a large contributor for the association of the Commodore with hoon driving. A quick search of “Holden Commodore” on YouTube yields hundreds of videos of burnouts, drifting, fishtails and generally stupid behaviour in these family sedans. The official police hoon report for Victoria states that 51% of impounded cars for hooning were Holden– 74% of them being Commodores compared to 16% Ford and 9% Nissan. 28% of the impounded cars were impounded for doing burnouts. [2]
Due to the popularity of the commodore amongst young drivers, typically male, it has developed a large following in Australian society, with groups that gather around the car. The Australian media recognised this, developing the “Street Commodores” magazine in the early 90’s. Unlike no other car magazine before, this one was solely dedicated to everything Commodore. Today, this magazine has gained an almost cult following, where many enthusiasts worship it to a holy extent, as they learn how to customize their cars to the best of their ability or, more so, their budget. Every month the new edition is released showcasing a number of individual’s prides and glories, currently the 181st issue is on sale.
With the following of the magazine being so successful and the age in which we live and operate, Street Commodores decided to go digital, starting a website and forum. This webpage then sparked the creations of other commodore websites such as Just Commodores, V6 Supercharged and Extreme Holdens. Together, all of these pages allow fans to discuss topics such as Do It Yourself modifications on a range of different model commodores from distinct eras, post up their cars into galleries, have the chance to receive and give feedback about different mods, sell and buy various components from both new and used sellers and just to provide a forum that allow enthusiasts to talk about Holden in general. Most of this activity is done through forums which users sign up to in order to participate. Many users sign up simply to get information on modifying their cars. The main modifications that drivers do to their commodores are typically done with personal taste in mind, however some extremists will endeavour to spend as much as their budget allows. Although, the modifications that are more commonly seen are:
- Enhancing the car aesthetics by swapping factory wheels and tyres for larger, more personalised wheels. Often using wheels from newer model commodores to put onto older models. Wheels may also be chosen to change the “ride” of the car. Larger rims make the car drive firmer on the road than stock. - Replacing the factory suspension with lowered springs or sports springs, often also creating the need for camber kits and new shock absorbers. - Fitting a “cat-back” exhaust to the car, enhancing the exhaust note and flow of fumes from the engine out of the car. - Modifying the factory interior components by painting them to match the exterior colour, or possibly re-trimming them in leather or other desirable materials.
Often, this develops from personal-touch modifications to enthusiasts having a desire to fully customise their car.
This could involve the total redevelopment of the car’s interior. Extremist modifiers can go to the extent of a total overhaul, both on the exterior and interior of the car. Experimenting with different colours on the console, steering wheel, seats, floors, door panels and windows; the owner puts their own ‘flavour’ or ‘feel’ to the car. The sound system is also a major factor in modifying the car as people go to extreme lengths to impress and receive respect. This normally involves adding a new head unit with touch screen capabilities, new speaker restoration, DVD screens – sometimes with the additions of a PlayStation or XBOX gaming system, and, most importantly the boot layout. This arguably makes or breaks the overall custom commodore. Here the owners add their unique layouts with the inclusion of TV screens, speakers, fibreglass shells and the addition of subwoofers.
Exterior modifications often start with subtle touches, removing badges or swapping them (disgracefully placing Chevrolet badges on VY-VE model Commodores). The modifiers can then go further, with the addition of bodykits to enhance the appearance of the car. Paintwork becomes a major focus, either opting for a subtle option, such as factory colour with a slight pearl tinge or a totally custom re-spray. Two-tone has had a revival on VY-VZ Commodores. Lights, callipers, door-handles and other areas of the body are also often painted.
Besides only visual modifications, many enthusiasts will attempt to add power to their Commodore through a variety of engine modifications. Common modifications include:
Extractors: Many owners decide to replace their existing extractors with high performance parts with tuned lengths. These help "extract" the exhaust gases out of the engine: the faster the extractors can do this the more fuel/air mix you can suck in and therefore the more power the engine can produce. They also improve overall exhaust flow. By coupling extractors with a full aftermarket exhaust system, the car is able to “breathe” better. (Q & A Forum Page 28-03-11 http://oldholden.com/ node/55391)
Cold Air Induction/Intake: By introducing this device, it allows lower temperatures of air into the car’s engine. The CIA works by forcing more air into the engine. The more air the engine has, the better it “breathes”. This modification improves throttle responsiveness and fuel efficiency – adding more air into the air/fuel ratio of the combustion chambers.
Engine Chipping- By owners chipping their car’s engine it changes the fuel mapping, which provides the engine with different levels of fuel/air mixture to increase the power across all driving ranges. The outcome of this alternative is that a chip will provide most engines with a peak horsepower increase of about ten percent. (Make it fast, make it faster article,-28-3-11, http:/www.epinions.com/content_2639503492) Other popular modifications that owners decide to perform are to put either a turbo- or super-charger on their commodore. Both turbo and superchargers work on the same principle; mechanically force more air into the engine and more power will be the result. Turbochargers use the exhaust gases to power a propeller that sucks in more air. Where as Superchargers are driven by a belt or chain directly from the engine that end up providing the same desired result. With some turbochargers running on 20 PSI, these allow the cars to exceed power readings of 300 plus kilowatts. (Make it fast, make it faster article, 28-3-11, http://www.epinions.com/content_2639503492) Enthusiasts often bicker over the turbo vs. Super-charge option, stating that one is better than the other. Commodores typically take superchargers better – as the fitment is easier than that of a turbocharger to the engine type. Whereas a Japanese car – often already having a turbocharger – easily takes a larger, more powerful aftermarket add-on.
Some even go to the extent of using Nitrous Oxide. Nitrous Oxide provides more power not by combusting itself in the cylinder, but by providing more oxygen for combustion. With the addition of extra oxygen, extra fuel can be added to dramatically increase power. Nitrous oxide kits generally provide a specific amount of additional power, ranging from 25 kilowatts to perhaps 200 or more. (Make it fast, make it faster article, 28-3-11, http://www.epinions.com/content_2639503492) (All images are from www.streetcommodores.com.au)
Modifications can be done according to many different genres. For example, a car modified to become a “sleeper” means that visually it will appear stock, however will have a highly worked engine putting out much more power than stock. The modification genre of “sex-spec” originating in Sydney (of course) is typically centred on large chrome wheels, exorbitant amounts of visual modifications including leather re-trims and two-tone paint jobs and other attention-getting modifications. Currently, modifiers are opting for retro options such as venetians in the rear window, white-wall tyres (or “flappers” for non-illegal white walls) and very, very low ride height. Achieving this low height can be done using Holden Barina springs, although this makes the car un-roadworthy and causes it to “bump steer” as it rides on the bump stops in the suspension.
As the enthusiasts continue to modify their cars, they look for places where these can be shown – either for their aesthetic value or to display the power that has been added to the car. Events are held that attract the Commodore denomination that include the Summernats and the Easternats. These events have competitions, such as burnout competitions, drag racing, track racing and showing of cars. Other events such as Cruise for Charity offer driver’s the chance to spend time simply driving their cars to a place and showing them, with proceeds going to a good cause.
Modifying commodores is not only about having your car produce the most power it can or making the biggest burnouts. It’s a passion that many people fall in love with and continue doing their whole life, to this day there are still many older drivers that can proudly say that the only car they have ever owned is a Holden. As many events and car meets are arranged across Australia, people just love being with in a community by sharing their passions, and the iconic Australian Commodore helps them do that.
[1] http://www.holdencampaign.com.au/anniversary/story.html#/eighties/ [2] http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=8983
