Holden Camira

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Holden Camira
Manufacturer:	General Motors
Production:	1982 – 1989
Predecessor:	Holden Torana
Successor:	Holden Apollo
Class:	Mid-size
Body style:	4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Platform:	FF J-body
Engine:	1.6 L Camtech I4 1.8 L I4 2.0 L I4
Transmission:	4-speed manual 5-speed manual 3-speed automatic 3-speed auto/w TC
Related:	Chevrolet Cavalier Isuzu Aska Opel Ascona C Vauxhall Cavalier

The Holden Camira was a medium-sized family car produced by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. It was Holden's version of GM's J-body family of cars, which also included the Opel Ascona and the Chevrolet Cavalier.

Contents 1 History 2 JB (1982-1985) 2.1 Trim levels 3 JD (1985-1987) 3.1 Models 4 JE (1987-1989) 4.1 Models 5 Common issues 6 End of production 7 Used Car Safety Ratings 8 External links

[edit] History

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 wagon. 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 1.6 L '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. 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 Nissan Pulsar's 1.8 L engine contains the same internals and related equipment as the Camira's 1.8 L engine, with the main exception being the block casting. The external engine mounts are better placed on the Pulsar (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.

[edit] JB (1982-1985)

The JB model was 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 litre engine and lack of adequate fan cooling resulting in overheating in Camiras fitted with air conditioning. There was only one engine, the carburettered, naturally-aspirated, transversely-mounted 1.6 litre 4-cylinder engine delivering 64 kW. The initial transaxle offering was a four-speed manual. A three-speed automatic with lockup torque converter was optional on the base model, but standard on the Executive and SL/E.

[edit] Trim levels

• SL: Spartan, no air conditioning or power steering, though it is possible to find some with dealer-fitted air conditioning.
• SJ : Sporty version, 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 air conditioning, power steering, power mirrors and cloth trimmings as standard; power windows and central locking were optional. Alloy wheels were standard, with the pattern reflecting that of the VH Commodore SL/E wheels (however using a four spoke/four stud design rather than the Commodore's five). These wheels are somewhat coveted by Holden Gemini owners, as they are interchangeable with the Gemini, which did not have the option of those particular alloys.

[edit] 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 manual 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 petrol. This forced another reworking of the engine (all variants prior to this ran leaded petrol), during which Holden was operating at a loss. The result was a 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 down to 63 kW. Surprisingly, Nissan still continued to use the engine at that time, with an output of 79 kW. 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 circuitry 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.

[edit] Models

• SL, SL/X, SL/E: Same as the JB
• SJ: Deleted, the SJ was unique to the JB only

[edit] 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. With the JE model, Holden finally sorted most of the Camira's problems, and matched a strong multiport fuel-injected 2.0 L 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. The 2.0 L engine delivered 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.

The Automatic Transaxel in the JE, the Turbomatic-125C, sported a lockup-torque converter.

[edit] Models

• SL, SL/X, SL/E: These versions were identical to the JB-series versions.
• Vacationer - this was a special edition, using a 1.8-litre engine.
• SLi 2000: This version was unique to the JE Series versions. It was a "sports" package based on the SL/X. Major differences were the addition of side skirts, a small spoiler and distinctive orange and silver pinstriping. 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.
• Formula: Again, this was unique to the JE Series versions, as with the above model. Like the SLi 2000, it was based on the SL/X model, but did not have the skirting or pinstriping. Buyers did have the freedom to choose the colour, however all versions had manual transmission and all had 'Formula' seats.

[edit] Common issues

All models suffered from some common issues. Firstly, models equipped with a manual transmission 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 tailgate 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 driver may take some time to get used to it. Furthermore, there are unconfirmed reports that the manual transmission sufferes from excessive end float and bearing wear.

On models fitted with an automatic transmission, the lockup torque converter switch malfunctions and keeps the torque converter locked in third 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.

The engine management computer is notorious for problems. Cracks in the circuit board will often cause the engine to stall (at speed) if the board bends, for instance through heat expansion.

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 hard PVC and can split after many heating and cooling cycles, necessitating replacement.

[edit] 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 carmakers 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 European-sourced Opel Vectra, which was subsequently rebadged as a Holden, and is now also sold in Australia.

[edit] Used Car Safety Ratings

In Australia, the 1982-89 Holden Camira was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "significantly worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash.[1]

[edit] External links

• Camira Lover's Website
• Holden Camira and Piazza Unique Cars & Parts