I Bought And Rebuilt A Wrecked Exotic Car You’ve Never Heard Of (1000 Miles From Home)

[@tavarish]

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[@joeconti2396]

STOP. SUPPORTING. THIS. SHIT. BRAND.

[@TheOriginalAndysGarage]

Are you sure that doesn't have air ride in the back I saw the red bags inside the springs that's what I put in my car to lift the back end up pulling a heavy trailer

[@Jk-yb1ve]

Please leave the Chevy badge be American

[@donaldjackson4456]

Bro what are you gonna do about new Florida law??????? No modifications allowed on cars. Im seeing so many vids of cops in Florida pulling people over left and right. Taking some peoples cars and impounding them. 😢

[@noobKiller-h2i]

You ever hear of a shelby lancer? Pretty cool car, supposedly it’s supposed to have a top speed of 130 mph, I got a 1987, good condition, but I’m doing some work on it, just thinking of cars most people never heard of and remembered it, thing stopped running tho, wanna help me find the problem?

[@SoWereDoingWhatNow]

In Australia putting a Chev badge on a Holden is a crime. Whoever owned this before you had no friends.

[@giggygiggy1393]

No friends and or absolutely thrashed the crap out of this ute.

[@mintcars5676]

100% true

[@Bellbellbe05]

agreed he should but a holden badge back on

[@dubstrippin]

Fingers crossed he reads and responds to this comment

[@ronstucker3550]

The HSV's had the leftover G8 bumpers on them.

[@Andojr]

lol weird swing my old car on video in the USA.. treat her well.. I owned this in 2015 and sold it in 2017. Has a crow cam kit in it

[@maxdabator]

Everyone needs to thumbs up this comment so he can see it haha I’m sure old mates got some stories

[@Gray-beard]

Tell us more @Andojr

[@shanefraser7764]

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🍻🍻🍻🍻🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿

[@croweater6814]

Did you put the Chevy badges on it?

[@commodorewagons9048]

My dad owned it after you

[@justins852]

Keep the purple… change badges back to Holden / Aussie spec, headlights run white globes and Parkes and sort out the mechanicals, new exhaust, get seats redone and that’s it as it’s perfect

[@junkieshere]

Do a left drive conversion as well so whoever wins it can take it out very often.

[@KinqOfStance]

Add Pro-Charger 2?

[@corroded]

Holden badges are a must, purple has to stay.

[@DividingLight]

As the proud owner of a purple car, welcome to the club, and we hope you stay for a long time

[@kingkaiser7732]

How do you “run” headlight globes ya flop.

[@oggyoggy1299]

Congratulations! From Australia. Having a ute you are now known as what we call a “bogan”. And having a purple one lifts you straight into the upper echelon - you are now widely regarded as an absolute flog.

[@jerrymoore1967]

What would that mean in the US?

[@alexmurphy9919]

​@@jerrymoore1967 bogan means a tough guy who deserves respect. Flog - is like the GOAT. As far as I've got from friends from Australia

[@chilledburrito]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@alexmurphy9919Yeah… nah lol The direct translation of Bogan to American is basically Redneck, and Flog is basically another word for Wanker, if you guys use that. Your Aussie friends must’ve been shitting you.

[@banjoford1214]

@@alexmurphy9919and thats what we would call taking the piss.

[@raxebenji9801]

@@alexmurphy9919 💀

[@trongytrong5845]

Mixed up tyres, blow diff, and Chevy badge means it was owned by a bogan and thrashed

[@qbi4614]

Aha, was not its first burnout

[@commodorewagons9048]

It got treated badly after we sold it

[@jasonportch716]

The oem diff centres in these are turd from new 😂

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Its a Bogandore,, that describes them all

[@alainbasstard5782]

Only Bogans drive Purple utes.

[@frozenragu]

1000 mile shakedown at 90mph, rubbing tyres, high from oil fumes and sleep deprived 😂 in a skittish VE ute. Making the Aussies proud mate

[@AB7F9]

😂 Kiwis too!

[@FURNACE_YGO]

Yeah but doing 160 kph in Australia over 1000 miles he would have no license left

[@firestormrick]

He’s on point there Tavarish

[@scryla2000]

I like the way you think!!👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@baileyelliott1373]

👏🤣

[@mmmarcd]

Part of me giggled at the thought of a Holden Ute being described as an 'exotic' car :D

[@Jacopski]

And a "mid sized truck" hahahaha

[@omarwaheed22]

Literally 😂😂😂😂 we have the other variant here the caprice and seeing him call it that is hella funny lmao

[@GK-gr2mx]

I’m not even Australian and was like wtf

[@borlean4691]

im from Europe, for me its as exotic as it gets lol

[@michaelgraham3485]

I guess I now own an "Exotic" car pmsl

[@matthewraudszus5425]

Bro, actually started crying at the end. Thanks for not only showing goofy trucks but also having heart. Way to be.

[@chilledburrito]

Not a truck, American trucks are goofy to the rest of the world. I’m being a bit of a buzzkill but damn.

[@SaddleLight]

4:35 man owns a P1, a 675 LT and a Porsche GT2RS and he is calling a Holden Ute the coolest car in the whole entire world… goals

[@Lacksunderwear]

They are cool

[@alekso.6428]

Each car has soul, specs and look... doesn't have to be a million dollar one to enjoy or love

[@breakupgoogle]

he is a man of taste

[@SaddleLight]

Wasn’t knocking his taste at all, it’s cool to see how excited he is about it.

[@xyz-ur1zh]

Ya because none of them work

[@joeshore6003]

As an Aussie living in Indiana who owns a commodore back home, watching a video about a commodore being rebuilt in Indiana is incredible.

[@willflage-yeats3847]

Look at Travis man he’s the man! He owns a fair few and has a Holden event in his yard every year

[@dynamo1796]

It’s hilarious “exotic car” my guy this car and the bogans who own them in Aussie and NZ couldn’t be any less exotic 😂

[@Sweetlyfe]

The cops fill their quotas of fines for these, all holden Commodore’s are cop magnets. I drive a Holden Ute but it’s a rodeo, it sat for 3yrs after my work car was out of action. I used a smart charger on the battery and and it started straight up. It only needed wiper blades for its roadworthy certificate so I could register it and be road legal.

[@noneofyourbusiness4801]

There’s a really nice white Holden Ute SS that I’ve seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. Looks so awesome!

[@bloodyrobchan]

in australia if your holden has a chevy badge you need to give yourself an uppercut haha

[@Nathan.t140]

honest bro its gay asf

[@lsfd208]

And every American with a chevy ss or a g8 put a holden badge.

[@SunTingWong]

Mental gymnastics love Australia.. Ray Gunn proves that

[@MrRob221984]

@@SunTingWonghey we’ve apologised for Raygun on several occasions. And I fear we’ll be apologising for raygun for several more Millenia.

[@Rando_66]

I'm loving playing spot the Aussie in the comments, I think we've all mentioned how hated people are for the Chev badge on a Holden

[@MediocreSix]

Purple stays. Put the Holden Badges back on her. For engine specs, check out another one of Australias greatest engineering triumps, the Vauxhaul VXR8 Bathurst Edition.

[@NoodleIDK13]

Bathurst......... Racing engine? Maybe.....

[@toopoor815]

So this is how Japanese people feel watching foreigners get excited over our regular traffic

[@chilledburrito]

Shit that’s the perfect analogy 😂

[@DuncanLovett01]

Hey Freddie, a little hack for you, you can hold down the left hand scroll button on the steering wheel as you insert the key and start it the center screen will go into engineering mode and show you obd data, just scroll with the roller wheel. Happy motoring mate.

[@DirtySlapper99]

I seen a Holden suburban the other day and still Holden lion on the front

[@reecedownie8972]

I see an FG XR8 Ute. ❤

[@stevejamieson1613]

You can also hold down the two instrument cluster dimming control switches and it turns off all interior lighting except for the speedometer. Very handy for long night time trips

[@travisswanson3449]

Real life Holden hacks. Love it.

[@mattcossel29]

Interesting.. i wonder if this works on my WM Caprice?

[@shawnwitchey4]

The USA Holden community is something special. Travis and Kelly are both huge hearts to this car scene. There is nothing like the Holden community. Thank you all for everything!

[@vicbittertoo]

Glad you like the Aussie ute experience, bit smaller than your trucks so easy parking, etc, as a younger single bloke you usually have a single cab, when you have a family get a dual cab, sorta like a reverse mullet haircut, party in the front, work in the back :) Now you just need to learn Aussie style burnouts :):):)

[@AllahWhoSnackBar-is9dg]

It makes me smile to think that even though Holden as a brand is dead it still means something to people. And not just in Australia. So happy for you to have this beast, an awesome car once you rebadge it with the lion.

[@chilledburrito]

I hope something similar to Holden comes back in Au. Would never be the same but, one can hope.

[@Darryl_Frost]

as an Aussie, I can't get my head around calling a Ute a truck LOL.

[@A_Vodka]

Well its because american bigg ass utes are borderline trucks

[@lotharney1196]

​@A_Vodka they're still not big enough to be called a truck.

[@ea2ar]

It's because America has a classification of car called "light truck" ​@@lotharney1196

[@A_Vodka]

@@lotharney1196 well yeah its still a utility vehicle

[@lexcantshoot]

Used to call my Navarra my 'truck'. For me it was an affectionate nickname cause I felt super manly (was a 23 year old girl) in it, so I guess it makes the Americans feel extra manly? But I would never something with no ground clearance a truck xD.

[@jessehopper8996]

Just an FYI from Australia to the rest of the world. While calling this type of vehicle a "Ute" is indeed accurate, "Ute" is not a term that ONLY refers to that type of vehicle. It is a shortening of "Utility Vehicle" and we use it to refer to any form of vehicle with a tray, tub or flatbed instead of a boot (trunk) and sometimes back seats. So the vehicles that you call Trucks or Pickups, be it a massive American Yank Tank like the F150s, Rams etc, or a toyota hilux, Nissan Navara, MAzda BT-50, Volkswagen Amarok, or whatever else you have these are all "Utes". The reason for this is that the term "Truck" in Australia refers to the vehicles used for commercial scale haulage and not for consumer/tradesman vehicles.

[@tazziedevil9585]

100 percent

[@Gino_567]

ok nerd

[@maccasbogus7698]

Shut up he's right ​@@Gino_567

[@Sweetlyfe]

@@Gino_567Yeah nah Gino that’s not nerdy, that’s just some basic information. But obviously it’s a little bit beyond you, but just maybe you accidentally learnt something mate.

[@100StepProgram]

Love Australia and how our words encompass so many things, chips and utes are a good example lol.

[@Hijohnb3333]

As someone who knows Travis and has been lucky enough to hang out in his garage, I can say Freddy found the coolest dude. Travis is a genuine and kind guy. Definitely the nicest and most interesting guy you’ll ever meet!!

[@rexthed0g]

A cool car to have in The States.......but did anybody else notice the R8 Wagon in the container???

[@Tunna-m7c]

For the importer

[@evilZardoz]

YUP!

[@jimmy8747]

Yeah, hard to get excited about a commodore Ute when there’s a clubby wagon sitting right there

[@coolhandluke1503]

The white one? Yeah seen it

[@Davidm1956]

Yep!

[@mattjoss2013]

As an Australian watching this, this is the coolest thing on your channel. Thanks for bringing joy mate!

[@VinnyTheChin11]

The coolest POS u mean then your right.

[@Garbo4973]

@@VinnyTheChin11 Dont be a dick.

[@mrambitous562]

​@@VinnyTheChin11 what colour is your P1 Vinny?

[@VinnyTheChin11]

@mrambitous562 buddy i run a full time online business for 5 years now. I am happy with my german nazi cars. I got everything you want.

[@Imbigjill]

@@VinnyTheChin11 so i guess you're the average shitbox enjoyer

[@jemhenshaw5020]

Love the channel and this video, you have a big heart and appluade you 100% I'm a parent of a child with additional needs and it warms my heart that people out there see us and our children and care,much love and respect from the UK

[@techo61]

53:09 that's a leaf caught in the fan housing. In the Australian summer sun we leave our cars parked under trees for the shade (to catch gum tree branches and all the leaves in the state). 1:08:22 1) roll the fenders to clear the tyres. 2) colour match the front left fender. 3) toss the Chevy bowties & replace with Holden badges. 4) put a new set of rings in it to clear the oily grey smoke billowing from the exhaust.

[@adamsteele8768]

but the bowties add 20hp, ask any bogan lol

[@user-tb2pd9ve8i]

And Huntsman spiders.

[@sonycans]

I am surprised@@user-tb2pd9ve8ithere was no Huntsman as there were ants in it. Probably hasn't checked the visor.

[@rossbrumby1957]

Rolling guards is for butchers- repair the damage done by the oversize wheels and fit correct size wheels. Because pump up shockers are so 70's. Holdens were always gouging wide tyres since day one.

[@KaliSticksss]

I can just imagine him driving the car and a fuckin huntsman crawls out from the visor😂😂

[@easperts8220]

Firstly, Chevy Bowties need to go and replace them with Holden Badging. Secondly, Swap the front for a HSV front bumper & add a whiny supercharger

[@toddrasmussen13]

Yup. Keep the color, have the engine refreshed and put a blower on it.

[@JTRtv]

Fuck that, remove all the holden badges, rebadge as a Chevy elcamino SS using classic elcamino badges

[@johnnygeorgopoulos4072]

Whipple GenVI 3L, definitely not the LSA Eaton

[@tylerandersenandthegang]

I agree, it looks like a Chevy Aveo from straight on with that chevy bar grille

[@TenchiFox]

Absolutely this. The purple on black is a great look, a Holden isn't a Holden (especially if you're upbadging it to an HSV) without a tremendous supercharger yowl. I would suggest also doing something different with the hood, it's a little smooth and boring for how shouty the rest of it is lol.

[@stevemumbling7720]

I bought a brand new Holden SSV ute back in 2008 thinking I would keep it for the warranty period. I bought an extended 6 year warranty. It's still my everyday drive today, I love it and will likely never get rid of it. I never thought I would own an 'exotic' vehicle, so thanks for that.

[@daveparer10]

Same here, ‘09 ve ssv ute, 140k km and drives as well as it did day 1

[@1nvisible1]

*That's the nicest home **_Go Cart Track_** I've ever seen.*

[@MattJelonek]

It’s only exotic as it’s not common in the US of A. Take it to Spain or China and it’s also exotic. Thats its definition. In Australia, not so much but give it a few more year - 50 and it’ll be a classic but never an exotic.

[@stevemumbling7720]

@@MattJelonek I know, it was a tongue in cheek comment.

[@----.__]

As an ex-Aussie this made my day. I've got a V8 Vantage for the weekends and a BMW daily, and quite often I find myself wishing I still had my old VE Calais I had in Oz. People in Australia always knock the cars as bogan mobiles, but in terms of value for money you can't go past them. A whopping 6 litre V8, all leather interior, and V8 super car body styling all for around AU$16k for a good condition car, you can't go wrong. You'll never forget that rumble as you cruise, or the snarl as you give it a boot full, with a good exhaust and a lumpy cam you'll get women pregnant just driving by them!

[@itscrikey]

Night Train Automotive was a shop in Melton, Victoria and according to Google it is closed permanently. Considering it is from Melbourne's West, the mismatched tires and rims, I can guarantee that SS has been driven HARD.

[@tavarish]

I think the fact that the diff was missing teeth was a pretty dead giveaway :)

[@KaldekBoch]

Are we thinking "Fully Sik" type driver or "Aww yeeah maaate give it a limi bash"?

[@tbillington]

Definitely been a skid pig during it's lifetime

[@itscrikey]

@KaldekBoch I was actually thinking "stolen recovered", Freddy could throw the VIN into VicRoads rego check and see if had been reported stolen.

[@AndrewFarag]

assuming the ute is also from Melton, it was probably stolen half a dozen times too 😂

[@JTRtv]

That color is incredible. You absolutely have to get Jack or somebody to paint match that fender. You cannot change the color of that car!

[@LSD123.]

You obviously ain't an Aussie...

[@dougbadboss3983]

Freddy, you have absolutely knocked this out of the park , especially for your Australian and Kiwi subscribers. I spent the whole of the episode torn. That Ute is so iconic here, and to see it leave these shores is a little upsetting but very exciting as you have it. And then, at the end of the video, to see what you want to use it for is totally amazing. Please, please do Tyler and that iconic Ute the special Freddy treatment they both deserve. I'm so looking forward to seeing what you have in store for them both. I've been a subscriber to your channel for years, and this adventure really has me hooked now. You're a good man, fella, and thank you for the experience of watching you guys having fun building amazing dreams!

[@cliffweaver123]

find a postal worker, a rural postal worker

[@NgatiPorouKrishnasingh]

As a kiwi this is not exciting to see, you must be a Bogan for saying that, jdm all dayyyyyyyy

[@petero7130]

Here here

[@DMurphy802]

I had a caprice PPV with the 2.92 rear end. I ran out of road going 175 and about 5500rpm. This is literally my dream car- I took a picture of every single one I saw when visiting Australia!!

[@josecaparroso577]

1 hrs vid, to make me cry at the very end....is amazing to see how kind and great human being you are Freddy.

[@leroybryant619]

Man I was thinking the same thing, I’m trying to donate right now

[@gostonko]

As a VE ute owner this makes me proud :') That baby looks like she's done a few skids.

[@craigs71]

At least the steering wheel is in the right side 😉 Regards from the UK.

[@PoniesNSunshine]

Screw the steering wheel, it's a left hand manual?!?! Pretty much theft proof in the US 😂

[@tomtom1541]

​@@PoniesNSunshineit's actually not that hard. I've got a 1994 Mustang export with a manual transmission. And it's right hand steering, so left hand manual.

[@chrisferguson1911]

...but not the proper side.😏

[@Smokey7186]

​@@chrisferguson1911 rhd is the right side. Usa is wrong for that

[@chrisferguson1911]

@@Smokey7186 Nah, our auto manufacturers got that correct.

[@JustinWeber-i3r]

Aussie here and me along with 26M others knew exactly what the EXOTIC car was. Even aussie newborns would know having heard the engine noises from inside the womb at Summernats or Bathurst. One piece of sound advice, If you choose to put a spoiler on the front, don't drive it in towns with "spoon drains" (desert town flood mitigation). A quick glance around and there are dead spoilers everywhere. Good Luck and don't drink drive! (It's washing powder)

[@pheonixfps9248]

Hey Freddie, I've spent a fair amount of time on these things. Get the engine looked at, I'm concerned the engine rings are gone, or on the way out. Get rid of those shocks and springs, throw some Shockworks gear in. Those shocks and springs are garbage, and they're not good quality at all. They're literally just off the shelf budget replacement parts here. Put an Eaton Truetrac rear centre in it. A 228/232 or 232/234 with a 114LSA cam suits these things really nicely. Fix the exhaust, Hurricane, Manta and Redback make replacement bolt in systems and headers. Harrop make bolt on blower kits. Also do a timing chain kit, and a Melling 296 oil pump.

[@alexxbru]

1000000%

[@JonsMG]

^^ This is the way

[@sudsy2us]

Check out that motor it was smoking.. paint it black it would awsome in black.

[@steveww07]

it doesnt need a high volume pump sorry.

[@pheonixfps9248]

@@steveww07 wrong.

[@davestewart1656]

I was in New Zealand, casually hooning up a mountain in a 1996 Corolla DX when a Maloo mystically materialized in my rearview. It came out of literal nowhere, effortlessly passed me on the right and was gone in a flash. I'm confident that it did in fact stay on the road and not tumble down the mountain because I could still hear it for a few more minutes, but I never saw it again.

[@RoadTripAu]

I remember something similar in the late 90s in my 93 Corolla XL, the old 1.3L ones they built in Thames Heading to Matamata one night, someone in a VS hauled right up behind me just as the straights ended. Came from nowhere so I reckon they'd been going a little bit quick on the straights. Didn't make it past before going up the hills on the windy road, and after a couple of minutes I couldn't see the lights behind me anymore. Didn't think much more about it. Those Kiwi built corollas had tuned suspension in them and that car was one of the grippiest cars I'd ever driven, let down a little by a wheezy little engine on the hills but I was able to take the corners very well in it. A little while later as we rolled into Matamata about 50km later, this VS finally caught up again. Probably had an Ecotec in it but even those boogie when they want to. These days I drive an old Ecotec powered VX Commodore which is a great ride and handles well, but no way would I try the same shit I used to do in the Corolla in it lol

[@dakotakavana]

Cool stories guys

[@louisbarningham]

Nice to see fellow kiwi’s on this video, kia Ora from Auckland😊

[@graemerowe264]

I was casually driving up a hill one day in my maloo and remember going past a 1996 DX Corolla.

[@shaunthiel2821]

Being an Aussie it was great to see you love this car. But please do it justice and put the Holden badges back on. Thanks mate.

[@Jacky5299]

It's only a badge!!

[@SVPearler]

​@Jacky5299 oh no it's not.

[@Jacky5299]

@@SVPearler yeah my mistake, it's a red neck stamp!!

[@jackgarry22]

@@Jacky5299 wrong

[@derrickwilkie5611]

What a gay lion pretty ugly badge some would say !!

[@keeva3143]

As an Aussie owning a VE.G8 catching this video has made my day! Congrats on buying this Aussie icon and I'm looking forward to seeing the end result. Well done, mate. Well done!

[@jermbug2000]

Travis is an awesome guy. I met him at a gas station here in Indianapolis while he was gassing up his UTE. Talking with him while admiring one of these took me back to my childhood when I saw my first Hummer.

[@BifsieOfficial]

What does a UTE have in common with a Hummer?

[@jermbug2000]

@csorrows in the early 90s you would see Hummers in movies and on tv but seeing one in person was like seeing a UTE in person. So that's what a hummer and a ute has in common to me.

[@dooley9621]

Have fun getting parts for it. We can't get them here since Holden shut down so it is going to be real hard for you. There are wreckers here for Holdens but not sure what they will have now days. You can buy aftermarket parts still. If you get stuck there is a parts store here in Western Australia called SSS Auto Parts and they carry all aftermarket panels and such just give them a call. Hope this helps.

[@Ultimate-auto]

Hey Tavarish, we would like to donate a OEM HSV Build plate to this build, please get in contact so we can get it engraved with your requirements and shipped out from Australia. Thank you

[@KeithA-c8v]

@tavarish ^

[@Chris.swafford]

Yes, he must have HSV plate!

[@budhschnell9192]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@MonaroTravels]

But this is a Holden SS not an HSV?

[@johnt.848]

100% illegal.

[@jack11224]

Australian here, I can assure you that VE commodore has been thrashed.

[@SixOFiveSix]

Yep different set of wheels on the back says it all 😂

[@jack11224]

@SixOFiveSix The location of the tuner that tuned this car says it all too 😂, no joke... most likely the location of where the car lived.

[@francistaylor1822]

Yeah, as soon as I saw the windscreen note, said - yes some yob was doing burnouts. No suprised engine is faultless at all

[@dumbasses_R_us]

100% mate. Probably belonged to a P plater who had it seized by the police and sold at auction

[@bacobetts8179]

Well that was always the way in Australia. The cars are owned by people who love them and even upgrade their running gear. Then they are traded for a newer model. And as they age their prices drop. And before they come up again. That’s when a bogan buys them. And simply trashes them. As soon as I saw the different wheels on the rear. I went bogan burnouts. Hence the diff was stuffed. Couldn’t afford to fix it. Sell it.

[@lukehamilton5142]

165km/h!!!! Damn, that car is NOT used to doing those speeds steady. Unless it was used in the Northern Territory... Thanks for giving this fella a new lease on life! And for sharing the journey :)

[@justinsecomb8069]

I like how the title is “exotic car you’ve never heard of”. Pretty sure I saw 4 of them in the bunnings carpark today while I was in getting my snag.

[@aulzhoefer]

They were stolen.. the only utes you see in the road are either stolen or about to be..

[@AndrewChandler-zp6nf]

Yeah i saw a coupley of them today down woolworth's

[@quinngerlinger7347]

I saw 37 of em today easily

[@OhioRider82]

Maybe he meant “exotic car everyones heard of, but me” 😂😂

[@caseycameron5370]

He is American though

[@simonjosegirbau]

Don’t sell the all silver wheels. They are off a VE HSV (not sure what model exactly but I think they’re off a Clubsport) and are quite desirable and worth money! Awesome seeing you workin’ on one of our rigs!

[@markwesierski2669]

Aussie SS owner here. Loved this video that's one hell of a bargain if I'd seen it that price I would of snavelled that myself haha

[@MrJames_1]

Don't know why I watched a ute video but you seemed so excited to get one! On my last trip to the US, I was pretty excited to see a few Holden SS sedans and the Holy Grail, a Monaro Coupe. BTW, it's a ute and always will be. Back here in Oz, they are trying to palm off dual cab pick-ups as utes which is sad. Even sadder, as you would know, both Ford and Holden no longer make them (with the Holden brand being knifed by GM). PS. It's not as cool as a lowered burnout ute but I've always liked the extra long wheelbase dual cab utes :)

[@kathrynpalmer238]

That ute was trashed by the previous owner, proper bogan machine with the Chev badges 😄 On the question of how fast it will go, these V8 utes used to be raced in Australia, there was a series that literally used the road cars (modified with race grade safety features), they go 300kph. They were off the rails, miss the series so much! BTW - Def have to keep the Morpheus Purple, it is so rare.

[@xxillicitxx]

These sort of cars are the reason P platers can't drive V8 anymore 😂

[@AB7F9]

Keep the colour, polish. paint the guard. Roll the back guards. Pull the engine, rebuild and dress up. Rebuild diff.Get holden badges, Go a light tint on the windows. Done.

[@SHMIKSKE]

And a blower

[@petero7130]

Here here

[@briandoughty1784]

Totally agree,

[@rossbrumby1957]

Toss the oversize wheels and repair the damage theyve done to a future classic. Also toss the catch can- theyre illegal in aust for the reasons of what it's doing- gassing the driver.

[@allangibson8494]

Ring HSV and get a set of badges… (Holden Special Vehicles is still in business (separate company)).

[@andrewh2593]

Brilliant tactic to expand sub count. Just look at all the Aussie comments. Dude knows what he is doing. Respect.

[@comecorrect8365]

Glad he helped you out with the import. Super cool dude always willing to share some knowledge.

[@efhatch2134]

Helping out people like you do is one of the major reasons why I watch you sir. Keep it up.

[@nocheesenome]

My heart it a flutters hearing how stoked you are with a car I see 20 of minimum a day. So sad that Holden shut down as the world will never see another car like it. 🇦🇺Proud dad moment right there🇦🇺

[@chrismaxwell5687]

I'm a Aussie living in Geelong (Victoria) where the UTE (Utility) was first produced by Ford Australia. I proudly own a Commodore VS V8 SS Sedan and agree, the Chev badges have to go. Make it a GMH, Yes an Australian Holden which is now iconic since GMH closed is doors on their Aussie made brand that we here all love. Thank you Tavarish for a awesome series of video's and I'm a huge fan of Mat Armstrong in the UK. Keep up the great content cos you have a huge fan base in Australia... Cheers.

[@BobHadababyitzaboi]

That makes no sense cause Holden is the Australian branch of Chevy so how could Ford have produced it?

[@Weetbix1969]

the first thing i thought was Get Rid of the Chevy Badges - and I'm a kiwi! it seems sacrilege to have those badges on there (also not into the whole Ford Vs Holden thing ) but really this is an Aussie vehicle and always will be.

[@Dissentient]

Hi, Random Aussie here. Was great to see the smile on your face once you got it out of the container! I never understood why the USA said no to utes. Most people I speak to love the Aussie Ute and wish they were more of a thing in the USA.

[@trustmeimdefinitelyqualified]

Not a tune up, it's called a service in Australia! That's why we call our "gas stations" servos, short for service station owing to the fact they used to actually have a servicing garage attached, not just sell you overpriced cheap quality oil! EDIT: Also just noticed the Falcon ute at 42:41 - get yourself a XR6 Turbo ute - if you love this you will love an xr6t ute!

[@s4ss.m8]

Noticed that, FG tho.. they need more H series!

[@mattyguff1]

Yes please

[@Brynn_Wood]

Servo or Service Station because they used to be full service as in there were attendants that pumped the petrol and cleaned the windscreen for you.

[@glenjarvis4844]

Yet another Aussie here. Loved seeing this Ute get the love it deserves. It’s an absolute icon. I also like that this was the Tavarish version of a Vice Grip Garage video. Fixing up a troubled car in a short timeframe and driving it 1000 miles home. Bonus actual vice grip as a the trunk properlator fixer.

[@OneIdeaTooMany]

The good thing if you buy cars from NSW is that you can get REALLY good repairable cars that are listed as statutory write offs. The insurance company determines whether it's a statutory write off and it's mostly based on cost to them for repair and not just structural damage. Other states i think some write offs (non statutory write offs) can be repaired and eventually put back on the road but NSW no longer allows repairable write offs. For the car, fix the blow by, keep the purple, fix the blower motor, fix the tyres, fix those interior controls, supercharge it, upgrade the audio system, and put a damn holden badge on it.

[@wt29]

Nope, stat write-off is a government thing, not insurance. It specifies things such as salt water immersion (or fresh water beyond a specified time, suspension damage, airbag deployment etc. You can have a non-insured vehicle added to the WOVR. What I don't understand is why the rules are different in other states.

[@commodorenut]

Totally agree. That poxy aftermarket HVAC controller is an abomination. The stat write off advice is spot on. NSW has some great repairable cars, that are stat write offs. Only problem is I think you need a licence to buy them at auction these days, so a yank would need a local middle man. Sometimes it’s not even the damage that causes it to be written off. A guy at work had a 2 year old Koleos that was hit in the rear just hard enough to do $5k damage to a car worth $20-25k. Didn’t even smash the rear glass in the hatch. Can’t drive it because the fumes come into the cabin from under the tailgate. They were going to fix it, but the wait on parts was > 3 months. The policy included a hire car during repairs, and at $75/day for more than 3 months, you can see how that value quickly adds up and writes off a lot of decent cars. They paid him out, and I’m sure it will be sold, fixed with 2nd hand parts and flipped for profit.

[@azamatbogatov1600]

Thanks to the lebos - nsw no longer has reparable write offs! Back in the day they used to buy from pickles, do cheap fixes and sell them! Stuffed it up for everyone!

[@Edam-Channel]

The main issue in NSW was rebirthing.

[@keithmcbean4062]

If you want to deepen that note of the ute. Put a pair of 2 foot hot dog exhaust mufflers under the middle portion of the exhaust. You'll be surprised at the sound difference. 😊

[@1970GenXer]

Hi from North Queensland Australia 👋 I would keep the original colour, like anything collectable the more original, the higher the value. My family own a Penal & Paint / Smash Repair shop, I'm not sure if this will cause a problem in your paint process, but just in case you are not aware. The Northern & Southern Hemisphere's paint is different, especially here in Australia, it's because of the amount of more Sun protection we need in our paint. If you want the same used on that Ute, I'm sure any of the Suppliers here would be happy to get it too you.

[@johnnydrummer7739]

That color is fucking gorgeous! 💜

[@1970GenXer]

@johnnydrummer7739 yea I love it. I use to have purple Mitsubishi 380, one of my Son's still has it, he loves it.

[@MattJelonek]

You sure? Most of the Holdens and Fords from Commodores to Territories that I see have shit paint 10-15-20 years on! Those of course not taken care of that well but the Magna and 380 have the same issues… but funnily enough the Camry’s I see are fine… I think 🤔

[@1970GenXer]

@@MattJelonek you definitely would of get damage if you don't look after it. But there was a lot of cars that had to be re-sprayed, because they were sent over painted with paint for European Countries. And yes, the 380 did have that problem, I never bothered to check into for the 380. I gave it to my Son. Yes, the paint different Mate 😏

[@bazwaterboy522]

I owned the UK Saloon version of this back in 2007 (VXR8). It is the best car I have ever owned and it put a smile on my face every time I drove it.

[@bazwaterboy522]

*Sedan=Saloon for folks accross the pond. 🙂

[@ALLRNDCRICKETER]

Clubsport R8 in straya

[@zacseaton1301]

im an australian and didnt feel the need to correct small mistakes or misconceptions about such a niche topic especially when trying to explain it to the greater population of your viewership, can you pat me on the back hahaha great video man love the fact youre dabbling in single video gratification

[@HugeMitch]

Travis is the GOAT! Seemed really excited about the project, went above and beyond to help... Just seems like an all-around awesome guy. Loved this video!

[@ItsHammer]

1st order of business, dump the Chevy badges and get the proper Holden badges on there. 2nd, keep the purple. 3rd, make it as mechanically sound as absolutely possible. 4th….make it an absolute menace.

[@Lacksunderwear]

Menace = supercharger?

[@Heyitsallgoodman]

​@@Lacksunderwear sounds like it 🎉

[@PoopDeckSwabber]

Keep the Chevy badges since everyone is crying about them.

[@ShockingPikachu]

Mechanically sound as you can make a thrashed car owned by a bogan yeah lol

[@habhdyst722]

​@@PoopDeckSwabber 🫵🤡

[@Martopia77]

The colour of this car alone tells me that this has been abused more than a backpacker hitchhiking through the outback!

[@sparky4878]

They’re not subtle. On my old street someone had one in lime green. Not a car for shy and retiring types.

[@Martopia77]

@@sparky4878 Yeah im in the UK, cant say there are many but I have seen them from time to time, Subtle was not the design spec.

[@DingleBerryMTB]

Its a stock colour.

[@Martopia77]

@@DingleBerryMTB Thats criminal........ but I guess thats fitting :)

[@michaelw1412]

😅​@@Martopia77

[@_Zekken]

3:30 "This is the Same Engine as you'd get in a Corvette, a Chevy SS, or a G8" Today I learned that this Holden Commodore has the same Engine as a Holden Commodore, and a Holden Commodore. Awesome!

[@goufr3540]

What will be a big help, is that most of Holden uses over the shelf GM parts. For this Ute, its drivetrain and main mechanics are pretty the exact same to GM units using the same. Most of the differences then just come to body and interior.

[@aarongood5496]

SS actually has the 6.2 LS3, G8s have the 6.0.

[@bikedirt4wd154]

Tavarish, I'm Karl from Australia, Queensland, Mackay and I reckon you should repaint it the same purple colour, turbo it, which will mostly likely cause you to put an after market exhaust on it (which will sound incredible) and cam it. He'll never want to get rid of it with the tub and great storage space

[@josettechrystall9290]

Oh man - I’m in tears now. Keep the color it’s just so cool. Make it tow, but definitely put on the supercharger. that car was made to do everything from burnouts, racing and tow the family fishing boat or caravan. Honor its Aussie history and make it the everything car it should be.

[@CW-yp9jo]

Looks like it’s been doing plenty of burnouts lmao. It’s been ragged half to death already.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

It’s an American car…

[@bobrockmann7521]

@@Tobi-ln9xr ermm... No, it's not. It's a Holden. So... Must come from the Land down under.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

@@bobrockmann7521 Holden is also an American brand. It was set up by GM.

[@OliverNihill-xr8fi]

in holdens testing's for the vt holden literally told the testers to do burnouts

[@FiregemProductions]

Hey Freddy. Been a fan since your first Lamborghini build. Just wanted to say that I’ve spent literally thousands of hours on KZbin and have never sat through an hour long video and been as entertained as this. Fantastic work on this, and you’re a great guy for doing what you are. Keep it up.

[@thecatandseanshow]

The hvac controls are aftermarket to allow the head unit. The factory head unit incorporates the hvac stuff.

[@paulsz6194]

Looks shit. Would have been better off pulling out and fitting a head unit out of a ‘07 Berlina or Calais , keeping the stock look.

[@TheDarkhorse82]

@@paulsz6194 well i mean the p.o put chevy badges on it

[@gavtriple6]

Keep the purple… they’re already great towing machines but u might want the original suspension back in it, supercharged seems like the most obvious choice & get those chev badges off of it. 😂 But u should definitely get yourself another one if you’re giving this one away. At the beginning, I saw the white 317 LSA wagon in the container… what was that for?

[@DailyAutoFix]

For long drives at night - the Holden has a special 'night mode' which only leaves the speedo turned on and turns off any other lights. Simply hold the two brightness buttons down above the headlight switch. To turn it back on, just hit the brightness up button.

[@clinttube]

Yea and if it's the same cluster software (looks like it is) as my G8 GXP 6-speed you can select in the settings whether the tachometer also stays lit or if it's speedo only. Late night road trip can probably get away with either but since he's got a stick he probably wants those RPMs too. What'll be interesting is how the aftermarket head unit and (I think also aftermarket) HVAC controls react to that. I bet the head unit dims or goes to daylight mode, but don't know about that HVAC controller. In the stock GXP's at least, EVERYTHING that's lighted is unlit in night mode and actually pressing any button anywhere on the dash relights everything - doubt that part will work with the aftermarket stuff.

[@Mu4dD1b15]

@@clinttube I had the same thing on my saab 93. It had a manual but honestly when you're freeway cruising you really don't need the tach so I didn't care. I still miss my GT. I got rear ended last memorial day and insurance totaled it.

[@clinttube]

@@Mu4dD1b15 Right Saab were the originators (or at least popularizers) of the night panel. I used to work at a Saab dealer and gained a lot of respect for them as super fun cars especially the manual Aeros despite the "english professor" stereotype they had sometimes. Sorry to hear about your car's demise; I've had a couple taken from me via not at fault accidents and it sucks.

[@johnowens2392]

As an Aussie this car is an Australian Icon!... probably built in Elizabeth South Australia. Definitely get the Holden badges put back on ! 10k was a bargain for it !! well done! I feel though that it has had a hard life! been thrashed! Good luck to whoever ends up with magnificent car!

[@OzOneAu129]

The Chevy SS, Chevy PPV cop car and Pontiac G8 were re-badged Holden commodores from Australia, your Ute will all share the same parts and it is possible to put a LHD Pontiac dashboard in your Ute. Sincerely an Australian.

[@cyclone-g2z]

Why the hell would anybody want to do that?

[@paulvenn4447]

@@cyclone-g2z because it's the only spare parts he might be able to source in the US?

[@thomaswilkie1168]

Came here to say the same thing lol. It's not its own model of car, it's a cut back Commodore with a tray instead of a backseat and boot 😂

[@omarwaheed22]

It’s either a commodore or a caprice is as well btw, they’re all the exact same cars in diff shapes lmao

[@omarwaheed22]

@@thomaswilkie1168I see what u mean but judging off the headlights shape it’s reminding me of a similar car we have in Saudi called the lumina, and then it’s “bigger” brother is the caprice which is the same thing too in essence

[@gypsy83jay]

Mate I have worked on and driven a heap of these. Glad you picked a classic

[@Danieldillon]

That’s my buddy Tyler, thanks for spreading the word Freddy…we are all excited to see what happens next!

[@dennylafoss]

I feel like a phone call to Mighty Car Mods needs to be made for this one

[@kvack6858]

They wouldn't touch it

[@Rando_66]

We know that Jack is a fan of them ... colab time

[@Jye_Cassidy]

Get MOOGS in!

[@larry074]

​@@kvack6858 they have threatened to Ute a couple of times. If i remember correctly. 😂

[@nzallround4723]

​@@kvack6858 yes they would wdym

[@DjDestinyChicago]

It GM sold these here as an ElCamino, they would’ve sold like crazy

[@08Cruiser]

I totally agree! But when did Chevrolet ever listen to the general public? Like…never!

[@adr1974tony]

GM did make these and showed it in Detroit as a Pontiac Sport Truck. Unfortunately Pontiac was shut down and sales of these never came to fruition.

[@NZstylz-r7v]

They didn't because it would of tanked GM truck sales and it's cheap no major profit like they get for there overpriced full size trucks they sell now.

[@johnnygeorgopoulos4072]

​@@NZstylz-r7v but they're not a truck, they have no load capacity nor trailering ability to speak of, they're cars with the ability to throw regular stuff in the back, not hauling pallets of shingles, or concrete. GM is just dumb AF.... when they showed the Pontiac, everyone freaked and wanted an El Camino, most of us "car guys" knew about GM's Holden already and already knew about the Ute and knew, or should I say, we thought, a Chevy badged Holden Ute was coming to us as a new El..... and it never did.... stupidly....these would've sold like crazy....hell, most if not all the Holden "special" cars, the SS's , VE, VF, HSV whatever, especially in their awesome available paints, if they were straight "Holdens" with left hand drive would've sold like crazy sold on a Chevy lot....but nope....we only got the Pontiac G8 GT for a few years, and the regular G8 was a V6, and the GT was just LS based with one output level, never any performance upgrades or nothing, especially no blowers like the Holdens got

[@jcat96]

They were about to rebadged the ute as a Pontiac, and it was ready for sale... But then 2008 happened

[@calvindeboer1106]

Good ep, so cool to see a ute in the states. Keep the colour, change the badges back to Holden and maybe upgrade the front guards (fenders) and bumper to VF series 2.

[@TheFancyCashew]

“Boy are my arms tired” love the Rick Glassman reference.

[@itscrikey]

Keep in mind that a lot of LS in Australia get tuned to 98 octane fuel, get the tune checked out ASAP

[@OPTIMUS6LTR]

93 Octane in the states is equivalent to our 98 they use a different octane rating system

[@clinttube]

I saw a sticker in the video that said "98 Octane tuned" so while you're correct, it's actually just a 93 octane tune stateside. AUS uses RON octane scale like the Europeans, so 98 RON = 93 octane U.S. fuel.

[@chrishall8142]

His English mate found that out with his Audi

[@johnhopkins4920]

Keep in mind that octane numbers differ in the US from the rest of the world. I believe 98 AUS/EUR octane petrol is 93 US.

[@itscrikey]

Ah ok, I had no idea that the RON system was different over there.

[@nikothecrazygreek]

As a former GTO owner. This is your coolest build

[@Xitlerwinniethepoohdictator]

Put the Holden badges on it brother. Get the fender lips rolled. That will stop the fenders rubbing on the tyres.

[@MalcomJohn87]

I’m from Australia and a ford guy but u made this SS look and go good very proud of what you have done these are a very reliable car and thanks for everything you have done.

[@AndrewChandler-zp6nf]

I'm from New Zealand and also a Ford guy that is gutted there will never be another HOLDEN or proper AUssie FALCON

[@FLaSH_88888]

We need more of this type of content. Top notch, Thanks Tavarish!

[@faraztabatabaie2255]

Love that your doing this trip solo T, bit of down to earth auto KZbin-ing, bit sick of unrelatable expensive builds. Loved jacks Evo build. Else's lexus build. Just attainable stuff that most viewers might have or had you know now.

[@lukefarnell8990]

G'day mate! The same colour again, and don't worry about Super charger, just freshen up the motor, (the rings are shot,) port the heads, up the comp, change the diff to 3.9s find a 225/235 @50 110 lobe sep cam ,1,3/4 headers are good twin 3 inch exhaust tune it on the best pump fuel you guys have ...

[@DrainCleaningAUSTRALIA]

This is the same model as i use for work! You little ripper!

[@OPTIMUS6LTR]

Bruce ya Legend always popping up on videos!

[@davidbarnsley8486]

Same as mine too Bruce mine is silver

[@AndrewChandler-zp6nf]

Is it a vx vy vz ve ? I get them mixed up all the time 😂

[@Shayjizzle]

@@AndrewChandler-zp6nf This one is a Series 1 VE

[@AndrewChandler-zp6nf]

@@Shayjizzle cheers mate I thought it might be Wish GM never shut down HOLDEN and that FORD AUSTRALIA was still around building FALCONS

[@sifisoabaqedusemkhonza3428]

Even in South Africa people still use their Ute as a daily but they were released under Chevrolet. So people who had enough money went straight to Australia then they bought their Holden Ute SS and man those things were crazy machines❤🎉🎉

[@michaelmaritz5255]

In South Africa 🇿🇦 we knew it as a Chevrolet Lumina. 😂🎉

[@rickyjackson5160]

Air filter also

[@joshobrien2870]

In the United States a Chevy lumina is just a car!

[@scifiknut]

​@@joshobrien2870I remember the Lumina model name used in NASCAR in 1989 and/or 1990. So, the model name has *some* pedigree 🙂.

[@joshobrien2870]

@ yes it was a pace car as well as a NASCAR

[@YG-nq9yc]

Sa in the comments, in sa they're known for driving into crowds. Its a shame though, there isn't many on our rds and it wasn't a high risk vehicles (in terms of car jacking)

[@chrishowe4481]

I have a gxp hsv 2010 VE HSV HOLDEN MALOO UTE 6.7 ltr walkinshaw LS3. Now being a GXP. This was the model that was supposed to go to the states Like the G8. I’ve done some major upgrades and tasty mods that pumps out 1500 rwhp. Mine in voodoo blue And she sounds insane. Glad you liked and had fun in yours. They’re truly something to experience for sure.

[@orangejuicepony6881]

I like how you just glossed over the FG Falcon Ute sitting in the background. The VE/VF Commodores arch nemesis.

[@dumbasses_R_us]

I've got one with the factory LPG Barra that was slightly built by Ford to run on LPG. It doesn't beat a V8, but it gives them a run

[@MrSexyPsycho]

Ford Fanboys getting upset that noone gives a Fark bout their falcon

[@Hmmm-c7y]

the Bf mk2 is better than the FG

[@moai3392]

@@Hmmm-c7yit just isn’t though

[@LSD123.]

The Ford shits all over the Holden...

[@GaryLaaks1]

I love the purple. We have the odd couple of guys in my town that change the Opel badges of their vehicles to Vauxhall badges. Yea we all know its the same car but that's just silly. That said, I think you would want to keep the Holden badges on this SS. If you want to change to Chevy then you also need to put the Mrs on the right hand side (Swop the peddles and wheel pointer to the other side). Kudos for giving the vehicle away mate. In my country (South Africa) vehicles are incredibly expensive due to extremely high taxes and the cost of living here is getting ridiculous with less than 7% of the population paying tax whilst almost 40% of the (working age) population on some form of government pension. Its a breath of fresh air watching what you guys get up to on that side of the big pond. Regards and keep up the lovely episodes.

[@bicyclist2]

Please get this fixed right. I don't like any GM products, but this is an exception. I remember that Doug D did a review of a Ute a few years ago. Please keep up the good work. Thank you.

[@richardraby6266]

Sounds really wicked, Id buy it just for the noise! But I couldnt help noticing the smoke its making, so my recommendation is rebuild the motor.............. Keep it that snazzy plus rare colour and Put an original Diff with the correct ratio back in the rear end. Richard

[@sinformant]

This is one of my favorite colors a car ever came in from the factory, along with lava red and inola orange

[@royjonker110]

Its a Holden ute , pure Aussie muscle. And the Chevy badge is a crime against Holden

[@BBEDI0110]

Not pure Aussie!! It's a Chevy engine.

[@SunTingWong]

GM power parts bin special.🤣

[@IraqVet0608]

It’s no different than the GTO and G8 being labeled as pontiacs. We all know they are holdens

[@SunTingWong]

@ Mental gymnastics…. They are GM parts bin specials, nothing more.

[@deleted.6743]

@@BBEDI0110no it isn’t a Chevy engine. It’s an LS. By your reasoning the old Holden engine was also a Chevy

[@KC-ug4zn]

I’m glad to see you’re much happier man. Truly made a positive experience in your videos. Way to go