Comments on: Holden cruising to build “smaller” car

By: Jim Bowling

Jim Bowling — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:53:49 +0000

You obviously have the manual version. I bought a 1988 Camira Executive Automatic 2 years ago and have been plagued with transmission faults ever since. The cruddy torque converter lock down switch (which acts as am overdrive in top giving 4 gears) locks the trans in top when it gets too hot. Consequently when you have to stop at the lights, the car stalls as it is still in top and wont change down. Fine. Restart the car and put into drive….problem…still in top gear..car wont take off unless you put it into neutral, rev to 4000 revs and slam into low…big wheelie and you are off..until the next set of lights. The only other option is to push the car off the road, open the bonnet and wait up to an hour till it cools down enough to drive. I have fitted a transmission cooler to it and it improved the situation for 4 months. Now it is back to square one. I have about a 6-8 klm range in summer before it breaks down..sadly the engine is great..the rest is crap.

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:33:44 +0000

I haven’t “promised” anything.. I was just suggesting that when Holdens plans to make a small car were announced that I thought it would be more logical for Holden to build a medium sized car like the Torana instead of a car that was already being built in other countries around the world.

Because duplication /replication of cars in factories [particularly in the US] is one of the reasons GM is in the financial situation it is ATM.
As time went by and the plans were finally approved However; it turned out that the they will building the Cruze instead of the the Torana or Insignia.

Having said that Where’s the Supra that Toyota have been promising car enthusiasts – for the last 10 years?

By: Tomas79

Tomas79 — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:13:11 +0000

HEHEHE, So True, DAN!!

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:05:59 +0000

Tomas, don’t forget a HSV badge on the Cruise as well

By: Tomas79

Tomas79 — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:54:35 +0000

Hey Wheelnut, where is that TT-36 Torana you been promising?
Too bad it will most likely be a Daewoo cruze with go fast stripes, and maybe a racing inspired gear lever!!

By: JEYKL & HYDE

JEYKL & HYDE — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:37:47 +0000

i’m kinda with you andrew…

daewoo as an “own brand”,couldn’t see even holden dealers selling them,that name is a badge of shame here..not so in korea but.

the opels will come but,know that on GOOD authority.don’t know how the new 65c aussie dollar will play out yet though

torana,sandman,i tonner…luv em but can’t see it happening…still luv ya wheelnut…hope ya right.

By: Andrew M

Andrew M — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:33:21 +0000

wheelnut,
where do you get your info from??

it all sounds like a wish list to me.

where did you read opels are back here at the start of next year and that daewoos are going to reclaim their badge in australia??

if the sandman happens, it will only be a limited run.
i doubt holden will because it would cost them more than its worth.
they couldnt even sustain the Tonner, and it would have had more sales than what the sandman would hope to achieve

on the cruze……..
if they want it to sell here, they need to give it a name people are familiar with.
bring it as a vectra or something. if it is to have an instant impact here, it needs an identity the public is familiar with

By: Frenchie

Frenchie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:59:02 +0000

Whatever they build my fear is that it will go like the locally built Vectra 1998-2000. The idea there was to build 25000 Vectras for Japan and 5000 for local market.

Holdens only sold 10000 to Japan once they found out it was made in Australia. They sold there 5000 here in OZ, but this small number didn’t help save this car.

Funny thing I heard is that the car was a better build quality.

By: MPG

MPG — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:21:10 +0000

Camiras good ? are you kidding?? I did my mechanics apprenticeship at a Holden dealer when they were about and every mechanic would almost cry if they had to work on one !!!!! I have worked on some bad cars but Camiras were even worse than Cortinas…….much worse. My cousin bought one af the last ones built and it was no better. The back window popped out when he was driving it home from taking delivery !! Oil leaks, rattles clunking suspension, breakdowns, electrical problems…….had it all the Camira !! Actually sounds just like a Commodore !!!

By: Frontman

Frontman — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:30:21 +0000

Camira 1.6 was shyte, but the final versions were actually a good thing. Just that the damage was already done. Kinda like Magna.
But back on topic, small cars went out because the market didn’t want them and Japan was a cheaper source. This time round though they are the flavour and they do not attract the same sort of Tax penalties going into places like Thailand and Malaysia (you know those FTA Countries that have heavy taxes on all the current cars made here because of their size). This means things like Focus and Cruz (or whatever) are actually looked at favourably