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Holden SS ute Series II: Long-term update

words & photos - Joshua Dowling
There’s a new arrival in the family, and one nervous parent
discount new cars Get the best price on a new Holden Holden SS Ute Series II
Long-term Update

Writing about cars for a living is no war posting. We’re fortunate enough to sample everything from cheap runabouts  -- which I love to drive because, more than any other vehicle, they truly show how far the automobile has come -- to top-end supercars (which define progress at the other end of the spectrum).

Don’t believe me? Here’s just one example of my odd obsession with economy cars: a couple of months ago I was offered a $400,000 Audi R8 to drive from Sydney to Bathurst to go and watch the 12-Hour race, but I took a $13,990 Micra 1.2 instead. I have nothing against the Audi. The V10 is an awesome machine (to paraphrase Borat, the V8: ‘not so much’). It’s just that I hadn’t spent enough time behind the wheel of the cheapest Micra.

It was an absolute hoot (except for the lack of cruise control) and I still don’t know how Nissan does it for the money. It has a better ride and handling combination than the Mazda2 and I just love the 1.2 three-cylinder engine that sounds like a four. No wonder it nearly won Car of the Year. I rent and/or borrow one whenever I can.

The only downside to liking economy cars is that – even though they are the most practical and economical form of personal transport this side of the bicycle – they’re not very masculine. Everyone thinks you’re driving your mum’s/sister’s/girlfriend’s mode of transport.

It’s the same when you’re driving a peoplemover (love the Hyundai iMax, just wish it had side impact airbags) or a European convertible, or a yummy mummy SUV.

All this brings me neatly to my point… After all, this is supposed to be about a Holden SS Ute Series II.

Every now and then I want to get in a car that is an expression of me, and which I just love to drive. A five-metre long, two-seater, 6.0-litre V8 ute with an empty tray is the complete opposite to a compact, space-efficient, economy car – and nor is it ideal for someone who lives near the inner city. But I don’t care. I love ‘em. (Plus they’re handy for loading zones).

Which is why I chose a Holden SS Ute Series II to live with every day, although it more like my weekend ‘Ferrari’ at the moment.

For the record, however, there is one subtle difference with this long term test car and most others: I paid for it.

What few friends I have left after buying my fourth Holden or HSV ute in six years, think I’m mad given my access to ‘free’ cars. But they don’t understand. Do fashion writers have to wear the hideous clothes they review in parades? Of course not… They turn up in something fashionable yet comfortable. The SS ute is my shirt and jeans. Actually more like shorts and a T-shirt.

As you might expect, few motoring writers put their own hands in their own pockets to lay down cold hard lease repayments on a new car. As it happens, there are a few of us here at Carsales HQ that do have the burden of a four-wheeled pet in the family.

Don’t worry, we’re all driving around in clean, free cars most of the time, but my point is that when you’re paying for a car yourself, it focuses your attention just that little bit more. Suddenly insurance and registration increases – and minor dents and scratches – really, really hurt.

It also staggers me when motoring writers flippantly advise readers to simply ‘spend several thousand dollars more and get the better model’ when reviewing a vehicle. They are clearly separated from reality.

I know this because when I go to buy cars with family and friends they can’t suddenly stretch another $3000 to the next top model… A budget is a budget.

I got reminded of this when choosing my SS ute. I lust night and day after a $65,000 HSV Maloo (the anniversary edition with GTS 20-inch wheels), but I have a beer budget. Make that a home-brew beer budget. I couldn’t even stretch to a $47,500 SS-V, let alone the $50,000 Redline edition with Brembo brakes and polished chrome 19-inch wheels. (Incidentally, no-one else is paying these RRPs either. Most Holden dealers are tripping over V8 utes at present. I’ve seen a couple of 2010-build Redline utes on forecourts and online for $42,990 driveaway, about $10,000 off full price. This year’s build can be had for just $1000 or $2000 more.)

Alas, it was the base SS ute for me (RRP $42,490), but I added a few luxuries.

As much as I love the metallic grey, bright yellow and dark red that came with the Series II update in late 2010 (similar to the colour of the Peter Brock ‘Polariser’ VL Commodore Group A anyone?), car wholesalers and Holden dealers keep telling me that black and silver are in the most demand on the used market. So I went for metallic black paint ($495) and also ticked the box for leather seats ($1250). These will be magic words when I eventually sell, apparently: “black, manual, factory leather”.

I was going to get the cloth seats (the Series I pattern looked awesome), but the Series II fabric looks like a primary school uniform. Journalists don’t get to see this fabric often as most press cars seem to be optioned with leather.

I also ticked the box for the optional full-size spare wheel ($350). It should be standard, but Holden (and other companies) are removing spare tyres to take cost out of the cars. Ditching the spare also put some Commodore models in a lower inertia class for the fuel economy cycle test – so it saves 0.1L/100km on the label but makes bugger all difference in the real world. Yet another example of how we are being conned by regulations.

The urge to pay for Holden’s inbuilt navigation system ($990) was resisted. I figure I won’t get that money back when I sell the car because most blokes who are in the market for a second-hand SS ute will be happy to suction a portable device on the windscreen.

I did regret not ticking the box for one option, however. The Audi-style flip key. I completely forgot. The regular SS gets the standard, letter-opener key. If you order a flip key when you order the car it costs only $90, but as a spare part after delivery it costs $250. Not worth it at this time, I reckon...

To soothe the pain I treated myself to a HSVi steering wheel ($515). Having gripped so many HSV wheels over the years, the skinny ones on regular Commodores feel dead ordinary. I got the one with the golf ball pattern on the grips. Looks good, feels great.

So what I ended up with is an SS ute that hopefully at a glance could be mistaken for an SS-V. You’ve really got to be eagle-eyed to spot the difference. The SS-V gets projector headlights, 19-inch wheels, leather gear shifter and alloy pedal covers. The SS gets conventional headlights, 18-inch wheels, a rubber gear lever and rubber pedal covers. (Bizarrely, most blokes ditch the machined alloy wheels and quality Bridgestones and fit aftermarket 20s with sub-standard tyres).

I ordered the car in late 2010 but asked the dealer to lock it in as a 2011 build (to help with resale value).

As it turned out, my car was built on the Holden factory’s first day back from the Christmas break. This was a mixed blessing. I got my car sooner than I expected, but was hoping the factory at Elizabeth might have had the cobwebs blown off it before my ute went down the line.

The guys in the paint shop liked my car so much they gave me extra paint – at no extra charge. The edges of the doors have a thin rib of paint along them, like a line of corduroy, and there is a stalactite of black paint on the leading edge of the bonnet, almost as big as a Tic-Tac (see photos).

I’ve not bothered to get either fixed because I haven’t had the best of luck with Holden warranty repairs in the past. My previous VE SS-V ute (perhaps I shouldn’t have ordered it in ‘Voodoo’) went back to the dealer three times to repair rain-water leaks (carpet replaced), suspension knocks (strut tops replaced and link rods adjusted), and a roof creak (which resulted in damage to the paint as they tried to remove and refit the garnish around the rear window).

Oddly, despite these apparent paint defects, my car was given a clean bill of health at the end of the production line and delivered to the dealer as fit for sale.

I even took a photo of the OK stamp from the paint shop, which was a bad idea because now I’m wondering if all the other OK stamps for other aspects of the car are in fact okay. I guess time will tell.

There were a few other surprises. I didn’t realise my black leather seats were in fact grey in the centre section. I also didn’t realise there were grey highlights introduced in the dash on Series II models. I should have paid more attention in the press conference.

I didn’t like the grey at first, but now believe the designers have made a welcome change, to give it a more upmarket appearance. At least the seats match the dash and doors.

The other thing I learned is that the subtle creak in the roof above the driver’s head when you hit a bump in the road or enter driveways (possibly because of slight movement of the garnish around the rear window) is a trait, not a fault. My previous VE ute did exactly the same thing, but I won’t be taking this one back to get repaired.

I also learned that the Holden production line must have mixed up their washer buckets. Some of the washers in the ute tub-liner are black like they’re supposed to be, while others have corroded, presumably because they’re the wrong type (see photos).

Still, not even that could take the shine off my new car, although I did take it straight to a paint protection specialist.

POLISHING UP

Infinity Auto Protection is like a day spa for cars – it does the auto equivalent of putting cucumber over your eyelids and washing your face with mud. Except the crew there doesn’t use mud but rather a special sealant for the paint that gives it a mirror finish.

There’s no zen-like music in the background. Or a water feature… It’s a narrow den in a back lane that does some of the best tidy-up work in the business.

The Glassplexin Infiniti uses is a polish that effectively wraps the car in a clear shell. The theory is dirt and grime sits on the clear layer, rather than sinking into the paint. It lasts for years.

I’m not normally a fan of paint protection. Indeed, I usually warn against it. But I’ve seen the results of this stuff on two cars I’ve owned previously and swear by it.

For the record, I paid rack rate – but it’s not cheap ($500-plus, depending on the size of the car and if it’s new or weathered) but all you need to do afterwards is hit it with a hose. When it’s clean, it’s like looking into a mirror. Well, a black mirror.

You can even watch the treatment over the internet (it takes up to 12 hours) thanks to a camera in the roof of the workshop; the owner Vee Jay also gives you before and after photos so you can see his handiwork.

The finishing touch: we removed the naff E85 badge on the tailgate. It’s got SS badges all over it, why would I want people to think I’m saving the planet? Besides, I’m not putting E85 anywhere near my ute, it’s 98 octane or nothing.

With only a handful of kilometres on the clock the ute’s engine feels tight -- almost a bit lumpy through the rev range. Apparently this has something to do with new catalytic converters that meet the latest emissions requirements. I’m told it’ll get smoother with more miles under its tyres.

In the meantime I have plans to make the ute breathe a little better, brake a lot better and get rid of the praying mantis rear suspension. Why do they look so low on Holden’s website and advertisements, but not in real life?.

Yes, it’s fair to say I’m obsessed. It takes me longer to walk anywhere after I’ve driven somewhere in my ute – because I keep looking back at it.

If I’m not careful I’ll walk backwards into a pole one of these days. You’d think I’d be over it by now. I mean, how many black utes do you see in a day? Plenty.

The difference is, this one’s mine. And I’ve got plans to turn it  -- as best I can -- into a poor man’s Maloo.

A note regarding long-term Tests
The Carsales Network aims to make your choice of vehicle easier. Hopefully, our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend more time in a vehicle. These longer term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, or from time time they involve a longer commitment – such as JD’s purchase of the SS.

Even if a purchase doesn’t take place, long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, pay for the servicing and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers an added insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

Our recent long-termers have included the Volvo C30 DRIVe, Suzuki Kizashi XL and Lexus IS350.

 Powered By Motoring.com.au Published : Thursday, 2 June 2011
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