A surprise message and a quick overnight trip to a distant coastal town fixes Glenn Torrens's daily driver dilemma
Remember a few issues ago, I mentioned wanting an inexpensive, nothing-special, reliable daily driver? And how fellow Unique Cars contributor Morley tipped me onto a cheap, front-yard-find Holden Berlina wagon?
After I’d fixed its engine, put plates on it and driven it for nearly a year, I realised with its age and tidy condition, the V8-optioned 2002 VX2 Holden Berlina wagon we dragged from under gum trees was now a bit too special to leave in railway station and pub car parks.
I was, again, searching for an inexpensive nothing-special daily driver so I could save the Berlina V8 wagon (that I’d bought as an inexpensive nothing-special daily driver) for the future.
Anyhow, about six weeks before the Berlina V8’s rego was due, ding-ding, I received a message on my phone.
“Hi GT,” the message began (I’ve long since lost the actual message but this is the vibe of it). “I know you’re into cars and already have a few projects but I’m wondering if you’re interested in another one.
“My daughter has an older Commodore wagon with an engine problem. The engine was going to be expensive to fix so instead she bought a new Mazda. Apart from the engine the car is in good condition.
“If you’re interested, I’ll send some pics…”
Happily I replied: Yeah, send some pics.
I reckon wagons are terrific. My brown 1979 VB Holden Commodore SL wagon (now sold) was a car that made me smile and my ’89 Mitsubishi Pajero wagon is a fun weekend camping classic. And I obviously enjoy my two-decade-old silver Berlina V8 wagon as now I’ve shedded it until it is eligible for H-plates.
I guess if anyone ever kidnaps me and ropes me to a chair in a dungeon (like what happens in Hawaii Five-O or a James Bond flick) and starts punching me: ‘Sedan or wagon, babooz? Choose wisely or you will die!’, I’d spit ‘wagonnn’ before inevitably slumping forward, unconscious…
An ambition I’ve had for a few years is to build a nice early Commodore wagon powered by a later-model EFI Holden 5.0-litre V8. In fact, I own the engine: This was the plan for my brown Commodore wagon before I decided it was too nice to modify. So for three years I’ve been casually looking for a 1980s Commodore wagon with a damaged or missing motor that I wouldn’t feel bad about repowering with my fuel-injected 5.0-litre V8.
So some bloke offering me an older Commodore wagon with a junk motor that I could own for not much money seemed perfect: I’d drop in my EFI V8 and as they say in kids’ books, I’d live happily ever after!
Later that day, ding-ding-ding, a few pics arrived. As I’ve just explained, I was expecting pics of an old Commodore wagon, maybe with some surface rust, a few surfie stickers on the windows and a mismatched door or mudguard… typical of what you’d expect of a broken-down shitter that some bloke is offering for next to nothing.
Imagine my surprise when the pics were of a far newer Commodore Sportwagon!
I could hardly believe it but for me, wanting an unremarkable daily driver, this was the perfect car at the perfect time. The car was in a coastal resort town 700km away but I hired a car float and dragged that Sportwagon home.
With a second-hand (but full service history) V6 engine from a crashed ute (thanks, Darren!) installed by my local mechanic (thanks, Juddy!) plus two new tyres and a few other bits ’n bobs, for around $6k, all-up, I had a tidy daily driver.
It’s boring white, it’s a lowly V6… it’s a nothing-special, inexpensive, reliable daily driver that I can’t fall in love with!
From Unique Cars #457, Jun/Jul 2022