FEELING BLUE

GLENN TORRENS SUFFERS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SET-BACK WITH HIS ALMOST-FORGOTTEN 1980 VC HOLDEN COMMODORE SL/E PROJECT

-  GLENN TORRENS

01 This is the VC Commodore SL/E the day I bought it. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, it hasn't progressed much since!

I'M NOT being lazy, I promise. Since I bought this 1980 VC Holden Commodore SL/E from a suburban backyard, I've put a shed-find 1989 Mitsubishi Pajero back on the road, pulled a rusty green 1979 Holden Commodore V8 from a paddock and resurrected it, rebuilt a '68 VW Bug from a bare shell to a tarmac terror; saved a tatty '92 VP Commodore V8 sedan from certain death, worked a bit on my '75 VW Super Bug race car project, tinkered with a '90 VN Holden Calais V8... plus re-roaded another Pajero, and another 'patina' Commodore, and another, and another, and bought two more wagons and a sedan as future projects.

02 The Holden six has turned blue, and it's not because it is cold.

Lazy? Let's call it 'distracted... My juggling of my project cars often makes my mates laugh.

Plus, since 2017 when I bought this VC Commodore SL/E, I've spent the equivalent of a year, in total, working away from home - from Hobart to Meekatharra; Margaret River to Fraser Island which during those treks, chopped any chance of a couple of hours of work in my garage each evening.

But no matter what, this poor old Commodore SL/E sitting naked, stripped of its dignity, is a real shame.

Soon after I bought it, I disassembled its interior and doors with the intention of a relaxing and rewarding six-months-of-weekends restoring the body and paint.

03 VP Calais alloy gives the Commo a glimpse of glamour!

With the odometer showing just 57,000km, the 3.3-litre six-cylinder engine and Trimatic seemed in good condition so remained in the car.