Opinions on V8 Soarer

[Adoom]

I have lost my mind apparently.
I have come to the time in my life where I am sick of driving a cheap old car as my run around.
I am thinking of buying a UZZ30 V8 Soarer(It has coilspring instead of airbag suspension as opposed to the UZZ31).
I figure I need to spend $7000-9000 to get a decent one with low'ish km.

Old car:
Noisy, worn out, stuff rattles cause half the clips are missing, can't tow racing car, no stereo, no aircon, looks like crap, needs work I don't have time to do.

Newer more $$$$ car:(V8 Soarer?)
Can tow racing car no worries, has stereo, has aircon, has electric everything, is comfy to drive, not worn out, doesnt need work. Its an auto but it has to be, for the towing. Reliable cause its a toyota. Its a V8 and that makes it cooler!!

It has been suggested that I look at falcodores. But I don't like the look of them(They are ugly and oversized). How reliable are they compared to a japanese car?

I have yet to find one local to test drive. I may change my mind completely when I do.

Any suggestions?

[xsspeed]

I have had a 1995 falcon station wagon, and now have a 2004 futura wagon. I have nothing but praise for them. They do chew gas but they work hard when needed. I just kept it serviced and had no problems at all.

Mum has a 1996 falcon, had in family since new, never missed a beat, and towed all sorts.

Torque rules, tall 1st gear in auto's does not but you get over that/learn how to get around it.

I can't comment on a soarer though.

[Stott69]

folks have had fords for the last 3 family cars, they got us from A to B

[Adamal]

Thats not a circle, its an elipse.

This is a circle:


One thing going for the Soarer is that I don't think I've heard anyone say bad things about them. The 1UZ is a really good engine.

[Eddy1612]

i think $4000 will get you a decent one.

Good engine too

[Mr.Phreak]

You'll probably be hard pressed to find a low K UZZ30 these days, most of them are early models, although they're not worth anything these days anyway, so you might pick one up cheap.

Pointless comments.
Most tow bars I've seen on Soarers aren't really something I'd want to tow a laden car trailer with
There's no rear seat to speak of, so I hope if you have any crew that they're midgets or have their own car.
There's no boot space to speak of either, so I hope you can fit most of your spares/tools etc on the trailer.
Yeah, it has aircon, but there's a good chance the display will be bleed so you have no idea what it's actually doing. And could probably do with a recharge like most imports of that age.
Electrical everything is nice, til something breaks....
The 1UZ, while an engine I love, is nothing that special in stock form especially the sound.
The brakes aren't that flash, so I'm hoping your trailer is braked (Would hope so anyway)
If you're towing, you'll need to fit a decent tranny cooler, trans runs damn hot normally.
And being reliable isn't always a good thing, means that people quite often just ignore things unless they fail a warrant or it stops working.

Not trying to put you off or anything most things aren't that bad to sort out, but I just wouldn't spend your whole budget on just the car.

[thegreatestben]

Celsior!

[Adamal]

I'd say Mr.Preak's comments aren't as pointless as he suggests, and TGB's suggestion is also good.

Celsior has boot space and it probably more practical for towing!

[Leon]

What will happen to the rear suspension when you put a laden car trailer on the back? I've seen a few cars point the nose at the sky and get 12 degrees neg camber the second you put a trailer on them.

A Soarer would be a nice driver, certainly nicer than a Falcadore. But, I'd think you could get a Falcadore cheaper, and it might be more suitable for tow hack purposes.

Dstrb bought a Falcon wagon in very immaculate condition and low km's for not much money. Though he did then also go through and replace much of the ignition system, and is also contemplating a trans cooler.

[rollaholic]

if you must get into a falcodore i would recommend the commy, the build quality seems to be a little better in my experience. though the commodores in your price range do have a tendency to chew out the inside shoulder on the rear tyres unladen, a big trailer will obviously exacerbate this.

personally if i were looking for a dedicated tow vehicle i would be on the hunt for a 1kz powered surf, plenty of towing power and plenty of room inside too - both for people and gear. plus solid rear axle for the towing win!

most autos are not designed for prolonged towing of heavy stuff, so a trans cooler, regular trans fluid changes and holding it in a lower gear for uphill grinds will be a must. though i dont see why you wouldnt want a manual?

[edwagon]

if you must get into a falcodore i would recommend the commy, the build quality seems to be a little better in my experience. though the commodores in your price range do have a tendency to chew out the inside shoulder on the rear tyres unladen, a big trailer will obviously exacerbate this.

Im not sure if 'build quality' is applicable to aussie cars! They're probably as bad as each other for as loosening up and falling apart as they get old, but Id probably take the ford for engine longevity (or at least ease of repair!)

What would worry me most about the commy is their sensitivity to trailer loading - Ive twice seen the vy shape get a serious case of trailer sway and its bloody scary. We were towing cars down to taupo when the guy with the commy got the shakes - he and another guy swapped trailers and all was well, so the first trailer wasn't that badly out of balance, but obviously just enough for the holden irs to object.

I like the soarers and did a fair but of towing with my manual jzz30 - it had plenty of brakes (bigger than the uzz), they're reas heavy and do sit on the road nicely, but as has been mentioned above, has bugger all room for gear and when they're stock, are marshmellow soft and have no more usable power than a falcadore.
Unfortunantly its the same with aristos, tiny boot and wrong sort of power for towing, but baller looking......

IMHO If you want a stylie cruiser then get a soarer, if you want a towtruck then get a falcadore or better yet a lateish double cab hilux or similar

[rollaholic]

my build quality comment was comparing apples to apples... ie falcons to commys. they are obviously about 10 years behind the japs and living in a different world when it comes to style. the falcon 6 does seem to be sturdier than the commy v6, but i think i prefer the LS1 over fords older v8s. havent had much experience with the newer stuff yet to comment, but those are out of the OPs price range anyway.

i couldnt stand to own one personally, was just commenting on my experiences as a mechanic

[edwagon]

my build quality comment was comparing apples to apples... ie falcons to commys. they are obviously about 10 years behind the japs and living in a different world when it comes to style. the falcon 6 does seem to be sturdier than the commy v6, but i think i prefer the LS1 over fords older v8s. havent had much experience with the newer stuff yet to comment, but those are out of the OPs price range anyway.

i couldnt stand to own one personally, was just commenting on my experiences as a mechanic

Hey yep for sure!!
Wasn't at all an attack on you (not even sure now why I quoted your post )- and your 'get a surf' comment is spot-on.

I have changed so many commodore frostplugs, ecotec big end bearings and uncountable coilpacks etc that I always wonderd about the engines, and then when the first of the vts rusted out their chassis rails I finally stopped making excuses for them decided they were junk!
Mate from a ford dealership assures me that the falcons arn't any better, but I have owned a couple and been lucky, although I'm in no hurry to go back to one!

[Adoom]

Celsior!

Hideous. Just look at that giant grill.

[Mr Revhead]

check out turners and see what low kay late 90s falcons are going for
thats what id be after

[Adoom]

IMHO If you want a stylie cruiser then get a soarer, if you want a towtruck then get a falcadore or better yet a lateish double cab hilux or similar

I'm really after a stylie cruiser that has no problem towing the racecar/trailer 140km to Manfeild once a month......
Getting a falcodore or a ute would be great for towing, but mind numbingly boring the rest of the time.

[Adoom]

i think $4000 will get you a decent one.

Good engine too

Do you mean a Soarer? Where can I get one for $4000? I've looked on tardme and anything that price has done over 200 000km. The engine will be fine, but everything else will be shagged.

[Mr Revhead]

late 90s XR6 can be had for under 10k these days

[Adoom]

Does anyone know someone with a 1UZ soarer in wgtn that I could take for a drive?
Most of the Tardme ones are in Orklund

[nobody]

i think $4000 will get you a decent one.

Good engine too

Do you mean a Soarer? Where can I get one for $4000? I've looked on tardme and anything that price has done over 200 000km. The engine will be fine, but everything else will be shagged.

This one doesn't look too bad: 149,000kms, 1991, dark blue, $4,750 Buy now- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Toyota/Soarer/auction-194568263.htm