| Holden Camira |
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The first Camira, the JB, was introduced in 1982 to replace the Torana , with a major trans-Tasman marketing campaign. A wagon version was introduced the following year, and its bodywork was exported to Vauxhall in the UK for the Cavalier estate. Some Camiras were also exported to Right Hand Drive markets in Southeast Asia , such as Indonesia and Singapore . The Camira was '' Wheels '' magazine's Car Of The Year for 1982. While superior to most other cars of the day in terms of handling and ride, the 1.6L 'Camtech' engine was somewhat underpowered and the Camira suffered from a litany of quality control issues which included smoking engines in early models, substandard paint and overheating problems in air-conditioned cars. This tarnished the name of the Camira from the start. The second version, the JD, released in 1984 , featured a more aerodynamic front end without a conventional grille. In New Zealand , however, the second generation Camira, known as the JJ Camira, was a rebadged version of another 'J-Car', the Isuzu Aska from Japan . This was because the JB Camira had fared badly in New Zealand, although the wagon version from Australia was retained and assembled locally. The last model, the JE, was introduced in 1987 , featuring a high performance version of the sedan, memorably only available in red. Interestingly, the "high performance" flavour, badged "SLi 2000" was powered by the same Family II Generation II engine fitted to all other JEs, hence providing no extra performance. With the JE model, Holden finally sorted most of the Camira's problems, and matched a strong 2.0L engine with the Camira chassis. The engine also saw service in the Nissan Pulsar and was produced for years after Camira production ceased for export markets. Unconfirmed reports attest that over three million variants of the Family II Generation II engine were produced, in 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 L configurations, the 1.8 and 2.0 L variants being fuel injected. As a side note, the Pulsar 1.8 contains the same internals and related equipment as the Camira, with one main exception, the block casting. The external engine mounts are better placed (most likely at the insistence of Nissan engineers), and hence result in longer engine mount life. The poor engine mount design was further worsened with the later fuel injection developments, which resulted in increased power and correspondingly increased stress on the Camira's rubber mounts. Many Camiras suffer mount breakage, especially when driven roughly. Overall, the engine in all its flavours sans the 1.6 L variety are well regarded and respected, with individual Camiras clocking up over 300,000 Km without a rebuild. JB, 1982 - 1985 The JB model the first Camira produced. There was no JA model. It was initially well received, winning Wheel's Car of the Year award in 1982, however as the real world has a habit of doing, several major flaws were revealed, notably the lack of drainage holes in the doors, resulting in premature rusting, an underpowered 1.6 L motor and lack of adequate fan cooling resulting in overheating in Camiras fitted with air conditioning. There was only one motor, the carburettered 1.6 L naturally aspirated transverse inline four cylinder delivering approx. 63 kW. The initial transaxle offering was four speed. A three speed automatic with lockup torque converter was optional on the base model, but standard on the Executive and SL/E. Models: SL: Spartan, no A/C or Power Steering, though it is possible to find some driving around with dealer fitted A/C SJ: Sporty version, however contained cosmetic upgrades only SL/X Few extras, one of the more common variants after the SL, also released as the Executive, as common with the Holden Commodore SL/E Top model, came with A/C, Power Steering, Power Mirrors and cloth trimmings standard, Power windows and Central Locking were optional. Alloy rims were standard, with the pattern reflecting that of the VH Commodore SL/E rims. These rims are somewhat coveted by Holden Gemini owners, as they are interchangeable with the Gemini, which did not come with an option for rims. JD, 1985 - 1987 The JD model saw significant improvements, though it brought along some gremlins of its own. The differences were at first only cosmetic, but soon after (a matter of a few months after release), the engine was reworked to 1.8 L displacement, upgraded to multipoint fuel injection and mated up to a five speed transmission. The multipoint injection brought peak power up to a respectable 83 kW, which, combined with the good handling characteristics (predictable understeer, with a slight snap to oversteer on coming off the throttle), provided a somewhat entertaining package to drive. However, during mid 1986, new regulations required that all cars built in Australia run on unleaded. This forced another hasty reworking of the engine (all variants prior to this ran leaded), during which Holden was operating at a loss. The result was backwards step. For reasons unknown, Holden dropped the multipoint injection back to a single point, akin to a carburettor, and altered the tuning of the engine to suit. Power output was back to the 60 to 65 kW range. Surprisingly, Nissan still continued to use the engine at that time, and many underpowered Nissan Pulsars built during this time are still running around today. Both variants of the engine were powered by a Delco Engine Management system. This caused problems of its own, as with age, the fine tolerance of the circutry and componentry have a tendency to fail unexpectedly, and on failing, the engine will cease to operate, or operate with a crippling loss of power due to incorrect tuning and fuel delivery. Models: SL, SL/X, SL/E: As JB SJ: Deleted, the SJ was unique to the JB only JE, 1987 - 1989 The JE is generally considered to be the best of the bunch. It was the last model produced before the Camira was replaced (see Button Plan). Power issues were finally resolved permanently with the introduction of a 2.0 L multipoint fuel injected unleaded four cylinder engine, delivering 85 kW at 5200 rpm. Engine computer failure was still an issue however. Styling changes were minor from the JD, but compared to the JB, the body had a much more modern shape. Models: SL, SL/X, SL/E: As JB SLi 2000: Unique to the JE, it was a "sports" pack based on the SL/X. Major differences were the addition of side skirts and a small spoiler and distinctive orange / silver pin striping. In somewhat of a marketing ploy, the SLi was only available in Red, with a 5 speed manual transaxle, and with a grey interior unique to the SLi. COMMON ISSUES All models suffered from some common issues. Firstly, manual models had a clutch firewall cracking issue, where the clutch mount would tear the poorly designed firewall mounting structure. This is easily rectified or prevented early on, but advanced stages of cracking are difficult to repair due to the awkward location and welding requirement. Rust is evident in almost all sedan models underneath the rear windscreen. The reason why is unconfirmed. On wagon models, rust is usually evident in the bottom of the tail gate due to the lack of water drainage. On models fitted with a manual transmission, the gear shift is at time difficult and temperamental. This is a common "feature" of the Camira, and the operator may take some time to get used to it. Furthermore, there are unconfirmed reports that the manual transmission sufferes from excessive end float / bearing wear. On models fitted with an automatic transmission, the lockup torque converter switch malfunctions and keeps the torque converter locked in 3rd gear when slowing down, stalling the engine upon the car coming to rest. This is due to the poor durability of the plastic switch. It is easily replaced. Most Camiras by now have had their engines rebuilt or tinkered with. When removing the sump, care must be taken not to damage the sump gasket, as aftermarket cork replacements have a horrendous reputation for leaking profusely. The same can be said for the cork replacement for the rocker cover gasket. The water manifold at the back of the engine is made of a hard PVC and can split after many heating / cooling cycles, necessitating replacement. END OF PRODUCTION With the 1989 model year, Holden replaced the Camira with the Apollo , a rebadged Toyota Camry . This was a result of the Button Plan introduced by the Australian government which encouraged a reduction in the number of Australian car-makers and models. Holden most likely would have welcomed the move, as the Camira had gained a bad reputation from the early JB models. In New Zealand, the Holden Camira was replaced by the Europe an-sourced Opel Vectra , which was subsequently rebadged as a Holden, and is now also sold in Australia. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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