Holden Commodore 1982 Problems

YOUR car was developed to run on leaded fuel, so you should use premium unleaded with an additive such as Valvemaster or Flashlube to protect against valve recession. I recommend PULP because your engine has a relatively high compression ratio and will probably need the 95 RON of PULP.

LEAKING inlet manifolds were a constant problem with the post-exhaust emission V8 engines, but the manifold on your car was a new and much-improved one as part of the XT5 engine package. Though it's worth checking, it would normally result in a rough idle and possible oil leakage along the faces that mate to the heads. If your engine is running smoothly with no sign of roughness I'd look inside the carburettor and check the float height is correctly set. If your problem is cold-starting, adjust the choke two notches richer. That might be enough to fix it.

I assume the VH Commodore is a six, which was a new updated XT6 version of the venerable pushrod Holden six. While it was improved over the previous versions of the engine it was still quite inefficient even by 1982 standards. The Trimatic three-speed should have plenty of life left in it, but check the oil and make sure it's nice and red. Also make sure the shifts are smooth and precise with no sign of flaring on part or full throttle. Check the body for rust, particularly in the lower sections of the front guards, the lower sections of the doors, around the rear side windows and around the tail gate and rear window. The Camry has lots of life left in it, but it is near the mileage where major servicing could be needed. The Camry is most likely to be in better condition overall than the Commodore, which can be expected to be riddled with squeaks and rattles in the body.