Holden Monaro CV8 - Our Shed

By: Mark Higgins

Date: 13.07.2019

Now Higgo can drive Big Red more often and that's what he's doing...

November 22, 2017, was a special day for me. It was the day I put my name on the ownership papers of a red 2002 Holden Monaro CV8 with 18,300 genuine and documented kays on the clock.

After being grilled as to what my intentions were with Big Red and giving answers obviously pleasing his original owner, Shirley Matheson, money and keys changed hands and off I drove, happy as a pig in the proverbial and ever since I have doted on him like a newborn.

March 5, 2019, was a milestone day for Big Red as he clocked over 20,000kms. I had been resisting driving him to put off this moment, but after it rolled over I felt kind of relieved.

| Watch the video: Mark's CV8 Monaro

The swoopy silhouette still works

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As with birthdays, Big Red didn’t look, feel or drive any differently after and now I felt I could drive him more often, which I have, racking up almost one thousand kilometres in no time. Together we have been across the mountain range to the west of Brisbane a couple of times and to the Sprintcars at Archerfield Speedway.   With the passing of 20,000 kilometres it was time for a check-up at the local Holden dealer. In a deliberate move on my part I took Big Red to where he was originally sold and serviced as I wanted continuity.

| 2019 Market Review: Holden Commodore SS/Monaro 1989-2008

He caused a bit of a stir when he lobbed on the dealership forecourt and was given celebrity status.  Apparently not many CV8s frequent the workshop with such low miles on the clock.  While the young mechanics discussed what mods they’d inflict on him the more experienced wrenches tut-tutted silly thoughts and marvelled at Red’s pristine condition.

Seventeen years old and this is all the Monaro has travelled

After a couple of hours it emerged with a clean bill of health, well almost. The rear main seal is weeping. Nothing too alarming for now but it’s a root canal-like operation to fix that will lighten my wallet around 1200 bucks. The service guys claimed a lack of use as the culprit.  Other things I was told to look for apart from ageing door rubbers and boot seals are leaks from the transmission and diff, once again through lack of use, drying out the suppleness of the gaskets. So if that isn’t recommendation enough to get in the driver’s seat more often, then nothing is. I have a feeling the next few thousand kays won’t take that long to achieve.

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