When Dave and Tracy purchased this Torana GTR XU-1 they were unaware of it’s long rallying history.

Back in the mid-1960s and early ’70s, when muscle car fever gripped the world, American car giant General Motors searched for ways to bring a smaller-bodied performance car to Aussie buyers. Sure, there was a range of Holden Monaros on offer with optional V8 engines to suit just about every petrol-head’s dream, but the problem was that this Camaro-sized coupé was just too expensive and beyond the reach of many mainstream buyers. To capture Australasia’s burgeoning youth market, Holden needed a smaller, cheaper performance package.

Its efforts came to fruition in October 1969 with the release of the first Holden Torana GTR. Part of the six-cylinder Torana range, the GTR boasted the 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine from the base model Holden Belmont, albeit slightly modified. The good news was that the Torana GTR, with its four-speed manual gearbox, disc brakes, extra instruments, fluted front guards and alloy spoked steering wheel (pinched from the Monaro) was $100 cheaper than the base model Monaro. However, the problem was that many young drivers who would have parted with vital parts of their anatomy in order to park a GTR in their driveway faced hefty insurance premiums; a major deterrent for those seeking to own such a car.

Unknown to all except for a few industry insiders, an even greater temptation was already well underway. Holden’s secret weapon, codenamed XU-1, would be fitted with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, breathing through triple Stromberg carburettors, and would also include a front air dam and rear ‘ducktail’ spoiler to distinguish it from its single carburettor siblings.

The GTR XU-1’s Race Debut

Three months prior to the official launch of the GTR XU-1 in August 1970, the new Torana had already made its circuit racing debut. Only six weeks later a dozen GTR XU-1 Toranas lined up on the grid at Australia’s greatest motor racing event – the Bathurst 500. The intention was to win Class C outright, but in the hope that the bigger V8s – in particular the Ford GT-HOs – would require more pit stops during the race, there was much speculation concerning the possibility of a first-up victory for the new car.

However it wasn’t to be, and the fairytale ending that Holden had hoped for never eventuated. The XU-1 was fortunate enough to take out a Class victory, but only just.

The following year, although it denied any motor sport involvement Holden continued to develop the XU-1 with modifications that clearly indicated its intention to make it a more viable competition car.

In September 1971 the LC XU-1 was announced, a much improved version of the ‘raw’ original version. But across at Ford the bar had also been raised, and Bathurst that year was a wake-up call for Holden when the GT-HO Falcons stole the show once again, leaving the fourth-placed XU-1, driven by Colin Bond, in their wake.

The story was a little different on the dirt when Bond took out the first four Australian Rally Championship rounds in XU-1 Toranas, leaving the drivers of lighter, less powerful Escorts and Datsuns scratching their heads.

The restyled LJ Torana GTR XU-1 released in January 1972 brought with it minimal external changes. As expected, all the attention was focused under the bonnet. The engine’s capacity had now been stretched to 3.3 litres and it had been pumped out an extra 22kW. The engine power increase was combined with revised spring settings and a faster ratio steering, making the car much more competitive.

A run of 200 Bathurst Specials was released in August 1972, followed a year later by a final upgrade and 150 Bathurst XU-1s with revised cylinder heads and manifolds, a different fan, flywheel and rear axles.

It was, however, Holden’s year at Mount Panorama in 1972 when a young, fresh-faced Peter Brock crossed the line in first place in his Holden Dealer Team LJ Torana XU-1, winning by a margin of five laps. The car ran faultlessly all day, testament not only to Brock’s superb driving talent, but Holden’s tenacity in developing an alternative to the V8 Monaro.

Raced, Rallied, but not Rolled

In 1973 Hugh and Heather Armstrong purchased our featured Torana GTR XU-1 from Masterton Holden Dealer, T Wagg & Co. As it turned out, Guy Wagg’s association and support of the Torana was more than he ever envisaged when he sold the car.

Twelve months later it was fitted with a roll cage, a 1/8th plate with 20mm box section sump guard and full harness seat belts, while the fuel tank was raised into the boot in preparation for Hugh Armstrong’s first rally event, a round of the Marlborough Rally Series. With John Fellingham as co-driver, the Armstrongs set off from Masterton and drove the Torana all the way to and from Timaru for the event. With no service crew, they started in 115th position and finished in a respectable 12th spot.

As the Torana was still their only family car, the pressure was on to keep it running as Heather, a nurse, needed reliable transport to travel the 20-minute journey to work and back. At this stage, Hugh and Heather had mustered an enthusiastic and dedicated service crew – Brian Agnew, Bruce Agnew, Brian Grey, Bic Nolan, Squid O’Brien, Roy Jowett, Brett Findlay and Tony Skilton – all of whom invested their annual leave, money and spare time. The subsequent success of the XU-1’s rally career has been attributed to all of them.

In 1975 Hugh and Heather entered the car in the International Rally that travelled from Auckland to Wellington. Hugh was teamed again with co-driver John Fellingham, one service crew member and one set of tyres to last the entire event. Heather joined in as second member of the service crew and was so impressed by the overall performance of the team that, by the time they reached Taihape, she lashed out and spent her $200 housekeeping allowance on a new set of tyres to replace the almost slick set that had lasted so well.

On that event, Hugh started the XU-1 in 105th position and finished 10th, a massive effort in anyone’s language.

Heatway Rally

In 1976 Hugh and Heather spent some time working in Australia to earn enough money to compete in the 1976 Heatway Rally. Hugh and Heather dedicated their life to rallying, pouring every single cent into their XU-1 to keep it as competitive as possible. In fact, after two years of marriage they still slept in single beds pushed together, as there was no money for such luxuries as a double bed.

Whilst in Australia they visited George Sheppard, Colin Bond’s co-driver, who prepared cars for the Holden Dealer Rally Team. On George’s advice Hugh managed to bring back a full set of springs for the XU-1 in order to help improve the car’s understeering issues.

Hugh lined up for the start of the Heatway Rally in 1976, this time with Heather as co-driver, three sets of tyres, and no sponsorship for the event. According to Heather, it was unusual to see women participating in rally events in those days.

They drove the car from Masterton to Dunedin for the start of the rally and headed off in 26th position. Hugh and Heather turned out to be a formidable team, eventually finishing in sixth place.

The winner that year was top driver Andrew Cowan, driving an Avenger. Rally cars were getting smaller and smaller each year, and Cowan was heard commenting that he didn’t know how Hugh managed to keep “that tank” on the road.

As it turned out, that tank was the first car on the road for the last special stage of the rally.

At last, with the generosity of the people of Wairarapa, Hugh and Heather collected a few sponsorship dollars and the Torana XU-1, number 25, was labelled the ‘Spirit of Wairarapa’ in time for the 1977 Heatway Rally. Co-driver Dave Murie teamed up with Hugh in the cockpit, as Heather was pregnant with their first child.

Hugh drove a little too hastily during a stage known as the Coast Road, between Wainuiomata and Featherston Road – a stretch renowned for its treacherous and challenging conditions. He holed the sump when it came in contact with the cross member. Parked up, they realised that the contents of the sump had spewed over the grass, and the trusty service crew was quickly on hand to weld up the offending hole.

The team still held seventh position overall when, on the first special stage heading out of Gisborne and after driving all night, the engine ran a big-end bearing. The crew hustled from the end of the stage to where the car was parked up with tools in hand but sadly, the Torana wasn’t able to be repaired in time and was loaded onto a trailer for the very first time. This would be the last rally for the XU-1. The motor was repaired and the car sold.

Hugh and Heather reckon the support and enthusiasm from the local Masterton community and help from other supporters was fantastic, and many people still remember the car today. They also point out that between International events, the car was driven at local National Championship rounds (even winning one) and many local car club events by both Hugh and Heather.

The Torana still holds many fond memories for the Armstrongs, remembering that its other role was as the family car, when it always proved reliable and fun to drive. The only dent it ever received was when the car was brand new and Heather hit a plough whilst reversing out of the yard, unfortunately with Hugh and a couple of stock agents watching. The damage was very minor, just a small ding next to the fuel cap.

Heatway Survivor

Today the Torana XU-1 leads a much more pampered life thanks to current owners, Dave and Tracy, who are very proud of their XU-1 as it is today; it’s come a long way from the sad state it was in when purchased.

Dave and Tracy bought the Torana in 2002. In the late ’80s a couple of their friends had bought Toranas so they became interested, vowing that one day they would own a Torana together – Tracy having previously owned one back in the ’80s. The interest faded in and out of their minds until 2001 when yet another friend purchased a GTR, refuelling their passion to own one of these distinctive Aussie classics.

Eventually, Dave and Tracy discovered our featured 1972 Torana GTR XU-1 advertised in Trade & Exchange and residing in Huntly. Together with a couple of friends they went off on a journey to investigate. When they arrived at the owner’s address the only person at home was his 10-year old son, who proceeded to show Dave and his friends the car. The young boy explained that lots of people had seen the car and his dad just wanted it sold.

Dave’s first impressions were not favourable. The old Torana looked tired and neglected and was jacked up at the rear, with unflattering 14-inch alloy wheels and a very low budget tomato red paint job. None of the chrome had been put back on the car and bright red seat covers obscured the badly torn upholstery.

Dave remembers pulling aside the upholstery on the doors to reveal the original Baroda Silver paint. Recalling that a friend had purchased an old Torana many years before, only to find that a new front end had been grafted onto the car, Dave decided he needed to check whether this car hadn’t been similarly repaired. So when the boy was not looking, Dave took a screwdriver to the paint in about six places revealing the original silver paint lurking underneath, much to his delight.

However, even after ascertaining that the GTR hadn’t been messed around with and not wanting to make any rash decisions, Dave returned to Auckland to further ponder his find. A couple of days passed and, after numerous discussions with Tracy and friends, he decided to make an offer. The couple couldn’t believe it when their offer was accepted, and promptly travelled back to Huntly to seal the deal – driving the Torana home on Fathers’ Day, 2002.

The Rebuild

Four months passed and the registration had run out, so the decision to get rid of the tomato red paint and go back to the car’s original silver was made. One thing led to another and, as happens with most 30-year-old cars, the estimated time and money required for the rebuild far exceeded the original budget. Sourcing parts proved difficult, and Dave even purchased two XU-1s just to get hold of replacement panels, before reselling the parts cars.

During the early days of the rebuild Dave found himself constantly trawling through eBay seeking hard to get parts, and he also travelled twice to Ballarat in Australia – which hosts the largest swap meet in the Southern Hemisphere – in pursuit of new old-stock parts. On another trip to Australia Dave had an entire exhaust system fabricated in Melbourne and sent to Sydney – which he picked up at the Muscle Car Masters’ Show and carried back to Darling Harbour on the train. For some strange reason, Tracy and their son, Jesse, did not want to sit next to Dave during that journey. He says he will never forget the strange looks and questions he got from fellow travellers.

Uncovering the Car’s History

Dave and Tracy’s magnificent GTR XU-1 was built in November 1972, being the 1311th GTR and/ or XU-1 built at Holden’s Adelaide plant. The car is now restored to its original form – apart from the alloy wheels, which are 13 by eight-inch and 13 by nine-inch Group C rims. Interestingly, these rims are the same as those used by the Holden Dealer Team at Bathurst, and only 20 sets were ever made in 1973.

Three and a half years after the purchase Dave and Tracy attended their first car club event in the restored Torana, proud to finally have a vehicle worthy of displaying at the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours.

Dave and Tracy were completely unaware of the Torana’s long rallying history at the time they purchased the car, and it wasn’t until a panel-beater pointed out the roll-cage bolt holes that they decided to delve deeper into the GTR’s past.

But Dave didn’t discover the Torana’s motor sport history until one day, while returning from a job in Wellington, he stopped off at a car yard located in the old Tram building in Sanson that specialises in classic cars. Gary Price, the owner of the yard, remembered the Torana being raced in the ’70s and was able to point Dave in the right direction to uncover its full history, which by now we’re all well aware of too.

1972 Torana GTR XU-1 – Specifications

Engine Holden six cylinder, in line
Capacity 3300cc
Bore/ stroke 92.1mm/ 82.5mm
Valves Two per cylinder, overhead
C/R 10:3:1
Max power 142kW (190hp) at 5600rpm
Max torque 270Nm at 4000rpm
Fuel system Triple Stromberg sidedraught carburettors
Transmission M21 four-speed manual
Suspension F/R Independent via coil springs/ live axle, coil springs
Steering Rack and pinion
Brakes Disc/ drum

Dimensions:
O/all length 4386mm
Width 1600mm
Height 1346mm
Wheelbase 2540mm
Kerb weight 1032kg

Performance:
Max speed 210kph
0-100kph 8.2 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 13.5 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 237. Click here to check it out.

For some enthusiasts, a totally original classic car is the ultimate – as we discovered when we met the owners of this virtually untouched Holden.

I have to say that in my opinion, one of the best aspects of our classic car hobby is the infinite array of opinions, passions and tastes relating to customisation, personalisation and restoration of anything from Austins to Zephyrs or Alfas to Ferraris. The beauty is, of course, that there’s no right or wrong answer – it’s whatever you choose to do with your car and that’s fine as far as I’m concerned.

As you can well imagine the team here at NZ Classic Car gets to see it all – from bespoke to everyday classics and, indeed, even some cars that may not suit our individual taste – but the most important thing is that the owner generally is proud of what he or she owns and, more often than not, their enthusiasm and commitment is undoubtedly infectious.

As for me, I’m passionate about anything that’s original. The more original, particularly when it’s oozing historic patina, the more excited I get and I cringe at the thought that someone may decide to repaint, restore or refurbish such a gem. And that brings me to our feature car, first spotted at the Kumeu Hot Rod festival earlier this year.

It wasn’t the sort of thing I was expecting to see at Kumeu, but for me this glorious, original HR Premier Wagon stood out like the proverbial. At first I looked around it a few times trying to pick fault with it, trying to figure out whether or not it had been repainted or re-upholstered, and quickly came to the realisation that, with less than 27,000 miles (43,452km) on the clock, this gem was more than likely as original as it gets. My next mission was to try and track down the owners, which was rather like looking for a needle in a haystack, so I left my business card under the windscreen wiper. I was pleasantly surprised when my cell-phone rang about an hour later. The owner, Matthew Sinton, was on the line and he told me he would wait by the car for me. To cut a long story short, he and his partner, Mireille Verdonkschot, confirmed their car was indeed every bit as original as it looked and yes, they would be interested in allowing us to feature the HR in the magazine.

Oz Passion

When we caught up with Matthew recently, we quickly discovered that he was about as passionate as it gets when it comes to all things original. Cars, especially the Aussie variety, have featured heavily throughout his life and he recalls the eight-car garage full of tools, an original Ford XE LTD and a Holden HZ V8 ute used for towing, all belonging to his granddad who passed away in 1986.

Matthew became more and more interested in cars during his impressionable Intermediate and High School years as his next-door neighbour was none other than well respected muscle car guru Dave Loose. Besides the fact that Matthew was matey with Dave’s son, Dane, it was inevitable that he found himself drooling over Dave’s American car collection – which included a 1963 Corvette roadster and a pastel yellow Ford pick-up which Matthew remembers catching fire and burning out on the street the morning he left for his third form camp. Matthew thoroughly enjoyed spending time in Dave’s garage, and whilst he was never allowed to touch anything, he was content just to look and listen to the sounds of V8 engines.

A few years later, and the first car Matthew remembers driving was a manual V8 Range Rover straight from his learner’s test. Later on, his trusty Triumph MkII broke down on the very day of his restricted driving test, so he had to use his mum’s 1984 Walkinshaw Rover Vitesse. He had never driven it before and, considering the fact it was the real deal with the manual ’box, with more than twice the power of the Triumph, Matthew soon discovered the V8 snarl was too much to leave alone and on future occasions he would borrow it whenever he was allowed to.

Growing up, Matthew remembers his father always enjoyed a V8 as well, and in 1988 bought an ex-Forestry Service Land Rover wagon and had it rebuilt as a double cab ute (the first in New Zealand). Matthew’s father fitted it with a manual V8; just gone through the whole restoration process again and the Land Rover really is his favourite means of getting around even today – Matthew reckons he might ask to be buried in it! It was built by Forward Specialties in Henderson and the original owner, Eli Friedlander, used to drive Matthew to school on his way to work in an original green HT Holden sedan.

Also worth mentioning is Matthew’s uncle Lloyd – more of a friend than an uncle – who owned a string of Alfa Romeos during the ’80s and ’90s. The first one Matthew remembers was a white 1750 GTV from the ’70s which was a beautiful car even when standing still. His last one was a 3.0 manual Cloverleaf that was very rapid too, and Matthew always enjoyed his days out in the Alfas before he could drive, although the car that probably influenced him the most was a Valiant VG 770 V8 that belonged to his best mate’s parents. It’s probably fair to say the English car theme inherited from his parents hasn’t stuck with him at all, but the joy of car ownership definitely has.

On Two Wheels

Another passion that consumed much of Matthew’s time during his early teens was cycling, and by the time he was 16 years old he’d been selected for the Junior World Cycling Championships, in which he finished fourth. He then spent the next 10 or so years in the NZ Track Cycling Team, travelling and representing NZ as a professional athlete in several world championships as well as the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. In fact, one of the reasons for choosing our photo-shoot location was that not only does Matthew’s grandmother live close by (she loves the HR) but it’s also where he spent quite a bit of time riding his BMX as a kid, thinking that one day he’d be at the Olympics.

After the Manchester Games Matthew finished riding competitively and pursued a career with the New Zealand Fire Service, and in 2003 he purchased an original VG Valiant Hardtop complete with original 4.0-litre (245ci) Hemi engine. After only a few months of ownership Matthew was made a cash offer he couldn’t refuse, when a prospective purchaser literally walked into his work with a bag of money and asked if he could buy the car. Matthew accepted the offer but reckons it was one of the good ones that got away, and he’s regretted it ever since.

He searched around for another VG Hardtop and eventually found a Regal 770 V8 auto which he bought. Unfortunately the car wasn’t as good as he’d originally thought, and he ended up selling it after about one year of ownership. The next car was a very original, numbers matching 1969 VE Valiant sedan with the original 3.7-litre (225ci) slant six engine and manual three-speed transmission.

According to Matthew it was a great car, and he decided to carry out a mild restoration to make it perfect. Tony Kemp of Waitakere Collision Repairs removed the minimal amount of rust from the rear guards and firewall and touched up the paintwork, whilst the cracked dash crash-pad was replaced and the sunburned tops of the back seats were reupholstered by Brett Southey at Waikumete Auto Upholsterers.

Matthew drove the Valiant for four years as a daily driver, and much to his and Mireille’s delight, the car was voted the ‘Best Australian’ at Kumeu car show in 2008. A stint in the South Island later that year meant the Valiant needed to be sold.

Premier Classic

Two years later, and back in Auckland, whilst trawling through the internet Matthew and Mireille discovered a gorgeous-looking Holden HR Premier wagon and wasted no time driving to Whangerei that same day to look at it. It was everything they were looking for and fitted their criteria perfectly – right hand drive, Kiwi new with original black plates, numbers matching and seemingly unrestored. The automatic transmission was a bonus too.

The Premier features the 3.0-litre (186ci) six-cylinder engine and the optional Powerglide two stage automatic. The HR came standard with a three-speed manual, and for the first time Holden offered a floor shift four-speed manual Opel gearbox as a special order.

Holden’s flagship, the luxury Premier, boasted the same features carried over from the HD range. The interior leather trim included lots of buttons, and another first, artificial wood trimming on the top of the door trims, covering the console and on the dash and steering wheel. The Premier also featured optional metallic paint, an optional vinyl roof in black or white on the sedans, and stainless steel trims around the wheel arches. Also fitted were stainless steel trim plates between the taillights on both sedan and wagon.

The tricky part of this story is that, unbeknownst to Matthew, Mireille went back the next day with panel-beater Tony Kemp, who thoroughly checked the car from top to bottom, giving it the tick of approval, and after clinching the deal, drove it back to Auckland. When Mireille arrived at the Henderson Fire Station one night in the Premier, when Matthew was doing a 24-hour shift, you can imagine that it was a total surprise for him to see the car that had been very much on his mind for the previous few days out the back in the staff car park.

Since owning the Premier, Matthew and Mireille have discovered it had been previously owned by an advertising/ movie set company. Another past owner was Tony Bishop, the former president of the Early Holden Club, and they have visited his widow, Gai, to show her the car. She was rapt to see it again. With less than 27,000 miles on the clock the Premier ticks over and runs like a new car, and is regularly serviced by Mike Marinovich from HM Motors in New Lynn. Mike was introduced to Matthew by mutual friend Doug Rankin, and has now become a friend himself. Mike picks the car up on his way to work from their home so he can drive it from cold, treats it as if it were his own and keeps it running like a Swiss clock according to Matthew. In fact, over the last year they have driven over 3200km and the HR is, in Matthew’s words, “getting better and better.”

Mireille also likes to get behind the wheel, and they can often be seen heading towards Puhoi on a fine Sunday afternoon. Matthew and Mireille are continually surprised at the number of strangers offering their business cards, wanting to be the first to know if the Premier is ever up for sale. Also, they often get approached by people from all walks of life who stop them at traffic lights, petrol stations and even the vege shop, either having owned one or their parents having owned one, and can’t believe it’s not rusted out; all of them have many happy memories or learned to drive in one.

As far as Matthew and Mireille are concerned, this fabulous example of Australasian automotive history deserves to be driven, not hidden, and as I said earlier, there are no rules in this great hobby of ours.

1966 HR Holden Premier Station Wagon - Specifications

Engine: Holden six-cylinder, inline
Capacity: 3048cc (186ci) 
Bore/stroke: 92.1 x 76.2mm 
Valves: Pushrod and rocker activated OHV, two valves per cylinder
C/R: 9.2:1
Max power: 94kW at 4200rpm 
Max torque: 245Nm at 1600rpm
Fuel system: Bendix-Stromberg-single barrel downdraught
Transmission: Two-speed Powerglide 
Suspension 
Front: Coil spring independent with short and long control arms
Rear: Semi-elliptic, leaf springs 
Steering: Recirculating ball/PAS
Brakes: Power assisted drums – single system hydraulic 
Dimensions:
Overall length - 4577mm 
Width - 1778mm 
Wheelbase - 2692mm
Height - 1486mm
Kerb weight - 1298kg 
Performance:
Max speed - 140kph 
0-100kph - 15.3 seconds 
Standing 1/4 mile – 19.5 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 248. Click here to check it out.

Everyone has a story to tell about their trusty old Holden — particularly so when that Holden is the iconic EH.

Ever wondered how the team at NZCC determine each month what car should grace our cover?

There’s no science to it really, although certain events throughout the year — for example Targa, the Ellerslie Concours or perhaps a theme or anniversary (like our recent Mini 50th) — can influence the car we choose.

Given the fact that this month’s cover car needs absolutely no introduction at all is reason enough for it to be there. After all, it’s truly a Kiwi icon, part of our landscape, and holds a special place in the history of New Zealand motoring.

We’re talking, of course, about the EH Holden — the eighth Holden model produced since GMH commenced production in 1948. Aussies welcomed the new model with open arms, buying 250,000 of them in just 18 months, making it the fastest selling Australian car ever.

The EH was introduced to New Zealand in September of 1963 and was an instant success with Kiwis, with its new look roofline and clever styling making it more appealing from almost every angle than its predecessor, the EJ.

Adding to this new ‘power swept’ styling was a completely new six-cylinder engine, which came in two sizes — 2.45-litre (149ci) or 2.93-litre (179ci), dubbed ‘red engines’ simply because the blocks were painted red, replacing the old ‘grey engines.’

The new ‘red engines’ boasted a shorter stroke, larger bore and higher compression, offering a healthy 33 percent increase in power for the smaller 2.45-litre engine and a whopping 53 percent increase for the larger 2.93-litre in-line six-cylinder engine.

Not only were the new ‘red engines’ more powerful, fuel economy was greatly improved as well, thanks to new, highly efficient combustion chambers, higher rear axle ratios, and the increased 8.8:1, compression ratio. The new engines were also equipped with a seven-bearing crankshaft contributing to a real advance in smooth, quiet operation. New over-square design and higher-quality materials for all components made sure the new Holden’s engine would provide longer, more dependable performance than the previous Holden ‘grey engine’.

Flagship

“There’s no feeling quite like the feeling of going first class” — that was the slogan used when the magnificent EH Holden Premier Sedan was first introduced as the new addition to the Holden line-up.

Praised for its increased power, smooth responsiveness and improved economy, the new 86kW (115bhp) 2.93-litre engine was teamed up with the Hydra-Matic automatic transmission as standard equipment.

Both Premier (sedan and wagon) models included luxurious appointments such as individual contoured front seats, genuine top-grained leather upholstery, centre console housing for the heater-demister, deep pile carpeting, an electric windshield washer and wide, centre arm rests for rear seat passengers.

Feature Car

Like her car, Sheryl Boyd was created in the ’60s. She has no recollection of any Holdens in her family while growing up, but has fond memories of an Austin Cambridge sedan, an Austin panel van of some kind, and a Commer van, but there were definitely no Holdens in the neighbourhood as she recalls.

Growing up in Kelston, West Auckland, Sheryl decided at a fairly early age that the EH was her favourite model early Holden, similar to an EJ but, for her, the shape and style of the EH had that extra something and was very appealing.

Her passion for EH Holdens was later confirmed when, during an episode of the TV show Outrageous Fortune, Pascalle West named the EH Premier as her favourite car — say no more!

Sheryl first joined the Early Holden Club of Auckland (Inc) when her son was just two years old — he is now 18. Their car at the time was a modified EH Special complete with alloy wheels, and she was therefore an associate member — club criteria for full membership is that the car to be original, not modified.

Not long after joining the club, Sheryl was given a set of original wheels and tyres by some club members and was told — “When are you going to take those Reeboks off and put some sneakers on [the car]?”

Sheryl remembers only a few female club members in those days, as car clubs were more a ‘male thing’ then, she says. She still enjoyed club activities immensely, just as she does today, taking great pleasure in interacting with other club members and their cars, appreciating that their club is a car club first, before it is a social club.

Luckily for Sheryl, more female early Holden owners have joined over the years.

Presidential Holden

In August 1997, Sheryl bought this magnificent EH Holden Premier from the late Early Holden Club president, after deciding between it or an earlier FC Holden. But — as the EH was her favourite model, plus she felt more confident driving and maintaining a ‘red motor’ rather than a ‘grey motor’ — the decision was really quite simple.

She also liked the fact the EH Premier was amazingly original, and was even running on cross-ply tyres when she bought it. This was, in truth, the car Sheryl had wanted to own for a very long time.
Originally, Sheryl’s EH Premier was brought into the country by an elderly lady in Queenstown during January 1964. Unfortunately for her, she soon found she was unable to drive it, and put it up on blocks. Apparently she had to wait a year before being able to sell the car — information passed on to Sheryl by the Holden’s third owner, Ross, who also hails from Queenstown.

Sheryl has since learned that her car was always in the southern South Island region until September 1994, when it was purchased by the then president of the Early Holden Club who brought it to Auckland.

Since buying the Holden, Sheryl has attended the Holden Nationals in 2005, in Invercargill, driving it all the way there and back. As she had the original ownership papers before going to Invercargill, Sheryl was able to track down and contact two of the Premier’s previous owners. She had actually been delving into some of her own family history, and felt that her EH also has a history of its own, and the original ownership papers were the perfect way of contacting some of its family.

Sheryl met up with Ross in Queenstown and Albert and Eunice in Alexandra whilst on her southern journey. Ross and his father owned the car from 1969, and in 1971 used it as a taxi at their Queenstown taxi company before selling it in1972 to Wright Stephenson & Co Ltd, in Alexandra.

Albert, one of that company’s mechanics, had maintained the Premier while it was owned by Ross and his father, and he ended up buying the car for himself and his wife, Eunice, to enjoy. They sold it in June 1994.

When Sheryl caught up with these past owners, they were very happy to see that ‘their’ EH was still on the road, and it brought back wonderful memories for them — they each shared some fascinating stories about the car during their ownership.

Sheryl’s son and daughter also accompanied her on the trip to Invercargill. Amazingly, Sheryl’s daughter met her partner while on that trip — and he just happens to be the son of the person Sheryl bought the EH from! The mother of her daughter’s partner is a longstanding member of the Early Holden Club, as well as club magazine editor and a dear friend. As Sheryl says — “There’s no escaping it, Holdens are in our family one way or another!”

Her son has been around Holden-dom for most of his life and, according to Sheryl, is a walking encyclopaedia on most, if not all, things Holden.

Active Member

Nowadays Sheryl is an active member of the Early Holden Club, and has been club secretary since 2007 which, since 2008, encompasses the membership secretary role as well. She loves meeting potential new members and their cars, which tends to be a case of knowing members by the car they own first, then their name.

Sheryl has learned so much about early Holdens since being a member, as the club includes models from the 48-215/FX through to WB, including Toranas but excluding Commodores, Camiras and Geminis. She admits to knowing her Holden alphabet (early models of Holden in order), and if you lift the bonnet of an early Holden she’ll recognise instantly what’s in the engine bay, which can’t be said with her current daily driver — a 1997 VS Berlina Commodore station wagon.

Although her EH is not a daily driver, Sheryl loves driving the Holden every couple of weeks to work and most definitely on monthly club runs, or any other time she feels the urge to drive something classy. She tends to drive it more often during the summer months, enjoying a different kind of air-conditioning to that in the VS Commodore — winding the windows down instead of keeping the windows up and turning on the air.

Sheryl’s also resisted the temptation to give her EH a name, although some club members have called it the ‘Kettle’ — until she had the radiator re-cored in 2006 the car had a tendency to overheat on long trips. It also took her a few club runs to learn that the needle on the fuel gauge didn’t have to reach E (Empty) before the car would run out of petrol. Although she can happily say that this hasn’t happened for a long time now.

Chosen by Brock

During Sheryl’s time as a member of the Early Holden Club of Auckland, she and other club members have had the chance to be part of some exciting opportunities. Peter Brock drove her car when the club was asked to supply some vehicles for filming of an episode of Love That Car. Peter Brock chose a few of the cars from those that were there on the day, one of them being Sheryl’s Premier.

As luck would have it, the owner of the car had to be with Peter while he drove it up and down the runway at Whenuapai Air Base, following the cameraman lying in the back of a van with the door open in front of them. Sheryl thinks the car owner had to be with Peter for insurance purposes — either way, she didn’t mind at all. At that stage her EH was still wearing cross-ply tyres and she decided to give Peter some helpful hints as he drove, telling him about how the tyres can catch in ruts on the road and, if you’re not careful, pull the steering wheel to the side. Then she realised who she was speaking to. What on earth was she doing! Brockie was very gracious and understanding, and didn’t have a problem with Sheryl sharing her experience of cross-ply tyres with him. He actually said that for classic car purposes she should keep the cross-plys on the car. However, for safety reasons, they didn’t stay on for much longer and were soon replaced with radials.

I enjoyed spending time with Sheryl. It was clearly obvious that she is the kind of person every car club needs, the heart and soul, the organiser, the person who is always first on the scene and the last to leave once everything’s been done and cleaned up.

She is pleasantly down to earth, and her EH Holden Premier is truly a credit to her, as she has done everything in her power to ensure its originality has been retained. She reckons that in New Zealand nearly every family can say that they’ve owned a Holden at some time, whether it was dad, granddad, uncle Jim or whoever, and we tend to agree.

Once upon a time Holdens may not have been considered classic, but they have certainly attained this status over the years, especially as there isn’t as many early Holdens around as we used to see.

1964 EH Holden Premier – Specifications

Engine: Six-cylinder, in-line
Capacity: 2.95 litre (179ci)
Bore/stroke: 90.5 x 76.2mm
Valves: Pushrod and rocker activated o/head valves, two valves per cylinder
C/R: 8.8:1
Max power: 86kW  (115 bhp)
Max torque: 237Nm
Fuel system: Bendix Stromberg-single barrel down draught
Transmission: Three speed Hydra-Matic
Suspension: Front: coil spring independent with short and long control arms Rear: semi-elliptic leaf springs
Steering: Recirculating ball/power assisted
Brakes: Power assisted drums

Dimensions
Overall length: 4511mm
Width: 1727mm
Wheelbase: 2667mm
Height: 4549mm
Kerb weight: 1197kg

Performance
Max speed: 156kph
0-100kph: 14.1 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile: 19.8 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin

This article is from Classic Car issue 239. Click here to check it out.

Tim spends time on the Waitara Riviera with John Hastie and his favourite Holden model, the well-loved EH

When I was asked to compile a section on my top 10 everyday classics for our for our 2008 Yearbook I went on a search for the favourite Holden car models so as to include the popular Australian marque among my choices. Almost all the Holden aficionados I consulted told me the EH could not be left out, and that it was quite likely the best loved classic Holden of all time.

I visited websites and delved into various library books on Holden cars and these, too, backed up the commonly held belief that the EH has stood the test of time as a real candidate for all-time favourite Holden.

Oddly though, the only time I had made a close inspection of an EH Holden was whilst writing about John Antill’s racing EH for NZ Classic Car some years ago. This car is now owned and raced by Wanganui’s Shane Hobman.

More recently an opportunity arose to go for a cruise in an extremely original EH, still driven weekly by Vintage Car Club members John and Valerie Hastie. Not only was the Hastie’s Holden a prime example of a classic EH used regularly, but it had been in the family for decades and had also once been their family car. In short, this was indeed one of the well loved EH Holdens of New Zealand that owners had hung on to because it was simply too good to be retired or sold.

I have always liked the curves and rear tail-light section of the old EJ Holdens, but had never really made much of an effort to find out about the EH model which followed, and the differences between the two beyond a bodily style update.

Reading books and talking to Holdenophiles soon put me on the right track to seeing how the EH was a very important step in the escalating history of the Holden brand.

Power Swept Styling

On August 26, 1963, when the new EH Holden was trumpeted, the initial glance from reviewers and the general public showed up the more squared-off rear end replacing the EJ’s curves, a changed rear roofline and rear windscreen.

The body revamp was described at the time by Holden publicists as being Holden’s ‘Power Swept Styling’ (both the EJ and EH Holden cars displayed some of the styling cues of both British GM Vauxhall design and US GM design by Oldsmobile and Chevrolet of the period, but with a definite visual character of their own).

Engineering-wise, however, the change from the EJ to the EH was dramatic. Under the bonnet sat the first all-new Holden engine devised in 15 years. This was the now legendary ‘Red Motor’, an over-square, in-line six-cylinder powerplant available in 2442 or 2933cc (149 or 179ci) capacity. The latter was a powerful and rugged six for its day, producing 86kW (115bhp) and making 53 per cent more powerful than the old ‘Grey Motor’ found in the previous EJ model. Fitted into all Premier sedan and wagon EH Holdens, it eventually became available throughout the whole EH range. Identifying a 179-powered EH Holden is easy due to the chequered flag badge on the boot.

In sporting terms the EH Holden is renowned for the arrival of the first factory produced hot Holdens, and perhaps the instigation of the Australian Holden versus Ford power competition that continues to this day.

The S4 version of the EH, also known as the 179M or EH225 M-S4 in some Holden circles, was the first EH to ally the 2933cc six with a manual gearbox in an express desire by the top brass at Holden to win the 500-mile race at Bathurst. A young Dick Johnson, later to be a well-known Ford driver, was an early S4 racing exponent as was Brian ‘Yogi’ Muir, and Stormin’ Norm Beechey.

In New Zealand, the EH was a common sight at our own long distance events such as the Wills Six-Hour (later known as the Benson & Hedges 500) held at Pukekohe, driven by Ralph Emson and a few other Holden pedallers.

Riverbank Ride

In contrast, John and Valerie Hastie are no race drivers, preferring a more leisurely application of the EH Holden’s torquey six. In fact, when I was taken by John for a languid cruise alongside the banks of the Waitara river in the Hastie Holden I heard several old time stories about family adventures in the trustworthy EH.

The straight-six burbled away rhythmically, and I leaned back in the sturdy but comfy seating as John reminisced through his Holden memories, all the while allowing the smooth Holden Hydramatic auto-box to select the best cruising gear.

John has owned four Holdens throughout his life including his first, a 1957 FE, once used as a taxi by New Plymouth’s Brian Gilbert; an EH wagon purchased in Stratford, and a 1994 VR Series I which John feels doesn’t compare well with the old classic Holdens.

“My father had an FJ,” John explained, “and when I was young I used to drive that thing full-out, but it helped me develop a liking for the Holden brand. The EH though is my all-time favourite Holden, as everything seems to be in the right place and the vision is great in them. I’m also impressed by the engine and the transmission, which works so well, how it operates and what it has stood up to!”

If anyone has tested an EH it is John; he has towed caravans and carted family members on many trips in the EH, including long journeys from Taranaki to Wairoa and beyond with a caravan in tow.
The South Island has also been targeted by the Hasties, with the Holden providing dependable transport.

“I have only had a few things happen that were not part of the plan with the EH,” John said, “it did boil over once when I was towing the caravan over the Wairoa ranges when I was right down in low gear. Another time I had a bit of a hair-raising moment when I accidentally took a wrong turn, and towed the caravan down to the base of a hydro dam near Rotorua without booster brakes. It was so steep that my children wanted to jump out! But I can’t say that the EH has ever let me down — not even a flat tyre.”

Extras

A very original EH, John and Valerie’s car only sports a few extras that readers may notice in the photographs — these include special vertical frontal bars where John attaches a ‘bug-catcher’ or stone guard for long trips or VCC outings in the countryside.

The Hastie’s EH Holden has now done 217,261km (135,000 miles), the last 8000km after a full rebore and service.

In his lifetime, the newly retired freezing worker has seen the Waitara meat-works, where he was employed for 35 years, change ownership hands through Borthwicks, Waitaki and AAFCO, as well as many different Holden models arrive and pass by through the showroom windows, but the single machinery item that has stuck fast in this man’s changing lifetime has been the venerable EH Holden. For John Hastie and many others like him, it seems the EH really is the ‘keeper’ — the essential classic Holden.

EH Holden 179 Special – Specifications

Engine Six-cylinder in-line
Capacity 2933cc (179ci)
Bore/stroke 90.50 x 76.2mm
Valves dohc, four per cylinder
Max power 86kW (115bhp) at 4000rpm
C/R 8.8:1
Valves ohv
Carburettor Bendix-Stromberg single-barrel downdraught
Suspension Front independent, coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers; Rear semi-elliptic springs and telescopic shock absorbers
Brakes Drum/drum
Track F/R 1384mm/ 1384mm
Years built 1963-1965
Production 256,959 (all EH models)

Dimensions
Wheelbase    2667mm
Length    4511mm

Words & Photos: Tim Chadwick

For Bruce Johnson of Wellington, the acquisition of this award-winning Monaro was the final realisation of a boyhood dream

I can clearly remember the very first HQ Holden I ever saw. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, it was the first HQ Holden to be unveiled in Auckland, sometime in the early ’70s. I don’t recall the event to be perfectly honest, it may have been the Easter Show (when they actually had stuff on display), or a car show of some description, but the fact remains that I can remember the car as if it were yesterday. It was a white HQ Kingswood with a very red interior — everything from the carpet to the dash, steering wheel, column shift, bench seats and headlining was bright, bright red. The only thing that escaped the red paintbrush was the rubber on the pedals and the face of the speedometer.

What a car, it was as if a space ship had landed as crowds of curious onlookers gathered around to see the latest and greatest in automotive wizardry from Australia.

The new HQ made the earlier HK, HT and HG models look rather agricultural by comparison, and it was set to become arguably one of the most widely used and reliable workhorses ever produced in Australia.

As a teenager, I gained first-hand experience of just how robust these cars were. Friends of my parents owned a farm, and I would cycle from Howick to Mangere on weekends and holidays to earn extra cash by helping out. It was great fun, getting to drive tractors, trucks and farm bikes was a real buzz; and it was a lot more fun than the old Raleigh 10-speed. The farmer had just purchased a new HQ Holden, actually it wasn’t too dissimilar to the one I saw at the show some months earlier. As is the case with most farmers, machinery of any description is to be used to the limit, not hidden away in a shed somewhere gathering chook droppings, and the shiny new HQ was no exception.

The car was used to cart everything from the weekly shopping to hay bales, dogs, young calves and literally anything else that could be squeezed into it. I recall seeing it buried deep into a hedge one day with only the taillights faintly visible through the branches. When I asked what had happened, I was told that it was parked there to fill the hole in the hedge to stop the cows from escaping onto the road!

I remember thinking to myself how tough these cars must be built to withstand such abuse. And that particular Holden took it for many years without ever missing a beat.

HQ Monaro

The HQ Monaro was also introduced in mid 1971, available in three two-door hardtop models, which included the Monaro, Monaro LS and Monaro GTS. In early 1973, a Monaro GTS four-door sedan was introduced.

A completely new generation body design emerged with the HQ series, including the new Monaro LS (Luxury Sports) model. There were no six-cylinder versions of the Monaro GTS on offer, just the 253ci (4146cc), 308ci (5047cc) V8s or the top level GTS350 coupe.

The standard engine capacity was increased in the base model Monaro to 173ci (2835cc), whilst the Monaro LS offered drivers an extensive range of power options ranging from the tried and tested 202ci (3310cc) six-cylinder workhorse through to the American 350ci (5735cc) V8 engine.

The HQ Monaro was a monumental step up from the previous model, the HG, which was considered to be already ahead of its time. With its distinctive slanted front and a blacked out, sporty-style grille, purists reckoned the HQ Monaro was the first truly mean-looking sports saloon to have ever been manufactured in Australia — a strategic move considering it beat the Ford XA Falcon to market by a year or so.

The rear of the car, with taillights neatly recessed into the rounded chrome-plated bumper, was directly derived from the American Pontiac GTO, a design that Holden chose to include throughout the entire HQ range. Also incorporated into the new design was a controversial, larger rear window and a squarer rear-quarter window, thought by many to be not as sporty-looking compared to the earlier HK-HT-HG series. However, it is often now considered one of the best-looking body designs to come out of Australia.

Prior to 1973, the HQ Monaro GTS was void of any exterior body stripe ornamentation and the 5.7-litre V8 engine was, rather disappointingly, less potent than in previous HT/HG versions, especially when connected to the optional Turbo-Hydramatic three-speed automatic transmission. In an attempt to distinguish the new Monaro from the humble Kingswood sedan, Holden introduced sporty, bold and contrasting bonnet and boot lid paint-outs in 1973 coinciding with the release of the HQ.

Unfortunately for Monaro fans, the GTS350 reserves were slowly but surely eroding away. This lead to the deletion of specific ‘350’ decals on post-1973 cars, meaning that all Monaro GTS coupes and sedans were externally labelled with a generic HQ series ‘V8’ boot lid badge.

With HQ production ending in 1974 it also spelled the end of the GTS350 engine option, which was quietly and unceremoniously deleted.

Four Door Connections

Well, you’re either a Ford or a Holden man from boyhood, and Bruce Johnson reckons his feet have been well and truly planted in the GM camp from a young age. During his teenage years Bruce became firmly Holden focused, especially when it came to the Monaro and in particular the four-door variant as opposed to the two-door models, somewhat at odds with the mainstream who seem to think the four-door cars were not the real deal.

Bruce realised his passion for the HQ when he honed his driving skills in a relative’s 1971 HQ Belmont, and constantly yearned to own one from that time. However, a sensible approach to car ownership and a lack of funds meant Bruce had to compromise with a series of less charismatic ’60s and ’70s runabouts — the sort of plain-Jane cars that most of us have probably endured at one time or another.

Fortunately, Bruce acquired a company vehicle at a relatively young age and had one from then until starting his own business in 1987. It wasn’t long before he managed to purchase his first new car, a 1987 Commodore VL 3.0-litre which. according to Bruce, was “a bloody great car — even with its Nissan motor.”

Bruce admits his wife doesn’t quite share in his passion for cars, but this has never deterred him from continually trading his cars up or down over the years. However, the urge to own a mint classic HQ Monaro refused to go away.

Even a busy family life raising four children as well as a growing business — along with two HSV Clubsports, a 1995 185kW model and a 2001 255kW example — did little to dampen Bruce’s views, and he remained firmly focused on that elusive HQ Monaro.

Eighteen months ago his long held ambition was finally achieved — hitting the age of 50 apparently being the spur that finally pushed Bruce into seeing if he could get what he truly wanted. Happily, his mission was successful.

The Dream

Bruce had some fairly definite ideas regarding the HQ Monaro he wanted, and not any old car was going to do. The car Bruce was after had to be totally original and unmolested, definitely four doors and finished in Duchess Gold Metallic with black stripes, just as he remembered and yearned for as a 16-year-old. Engine capacity was not important, as condition was going to be the deciding factor.

The search would not be easy as Bruce soon discovered, with many of the so-called ‘concours mint’ condition cars he examined turning out to be nothing like what their owners had portrayed them to be — to many, ‘mint’ was more akin to the sauce you put on your roast lamb.

At this stage Bruce became somewhat deflated by the whole idea, and thought the only way he would get what he was after was to jump the ditch and go through the drama of bringing one back from Australia.

However, as luck would have it a friend told Bruce about a nice clean car that was for sale in Auckland, and he decided to travel up from Wellington with his wife to have a closer look.

Bruce clearly remembers driving a rental car out to Kumeu and sighting the car for the first time — even at a distance of 50 metres, he recalls looking over at his wife and saying — “It’s mine!”

On closer inspection the HQ Monaro was everything Bruce had been searching for and was beyond anything he had looked at previously, or since for that matter, and the car’s appearance and condition was obviously the result of much love and patience.

Early Auckland Holden Car Club members Tracey Smith and partner Mike Bell owned the car, and starting with a superbly original Monaro, they had painstakingly and meticulously restored and reassembled the HQ piece by piece. Bruce can’t sing their praises highly enough.

This four-door HQ GTS Monaro was first registered new in Mount Maunganui, and has had a number of owners who have obviously continued to look after and care a great deal for it over the years. The interior of the car is the same as when it left the GM-H plant in 1974, totally original, while the Monaro’s 253ci (4146cc) V8 motor and running gear are as tight and true as the day it first rolled off the production line.

Tracey and Mike’s passion, commitment and desire to restore this real head-turner was evidenced when they cleaned up virtually everything at the 2007 Holden Nationals.

Naturally, it was a massive wrench — for Tracey especially — to part with the car, and more than a few tears were shed when it was loaded on a transporter and sent south to Wellington.

Bruce knew he had indeed brought a seriously good car, an opportunity confirmed by boyhood mate and rebuild guru, Mike Baucke (no stranger to the pages of NZCC), owner of The Surgery in Wellington. Once the car arrived in Wellington Mike cast a professional eye over the Monaro, checking it out from top to toe. He cleared up one paint imperfection and declared it one of the best private rebuilds he had seen, big praise from someone Bruce utterly respects in the restoration industry.

Bruce’s pride and joy is his weekender — but only if the rain’s not out. It’s not hard to believe that this magnificent HQ Monaro attracts hoards of admirers once it’s parked up — never too far form Bruce’s sight — although he admits to being a lot more relaxed about driving it nowadays than he was when he first acquired the car.

Bruce gets a real buzz watching people pull over for a better look, wondering what’s in their thoughts, maybe reminisces about the Monaro they, or someone they knew, once owned.

Bruce is firmly of the mind that he is only the current caretaker of this beautiful machine — the result of ticking one of life’s boxes and the achievement of a boyhood dream.

1974 HQ Holden GTS Monaro – Specifications

Engine Holden V8
Capacity 253ci (4146cc)
Bore/stroke 92.1 x 77.8mm
Valves Two valves per cylinder/ohv
C/R 9.0:1
Max power 138kW (185bhp) at 4400 rpm
Max torque 355Nm (262lb/ft) at 2400 rpm
Fuel system Twin barrel Bendix-Stromberg carburetor
Transmission Tri-matic automatic
Suspension F/R Coil spring independent/ four link with coil springs
Steering Recirculating ball/power assisted
Brakes Power assisted disc

Dimensions:
Overall Length 4762mm
Width 1880mm
Wheelbase 2819mm
Height 1349mm
Kerb weight 1429kgs

Performance:
Max speed 183kph
0-100kph 11.1 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 18 seconds

This article is from Classic Car issue 222. Click here to check it out.

Gerard recalls the time when he was seduced by a luridly-coloured Torana XU-1

Ringwood Shopping Mall car park — a bland outer suburb of Melbourne — and it’s April 1992. I’m striding back towards my rental hack when, out of the corner of my eye, I see it. The sight hauls me up in my tracks, heart thumping, as I soak up the beauty of its curvaceous purposeful lines and, approaching slowly, I admire its wonderful gaudiness.

The lurid, orange-coloured LC Torana GTR XU-1 time warps me back to my boyhood when I hung over fences at Pukekohe and passionately watched my heroes do battle.

A proper inspection of the Torana at Ringwood is curtailed by the immediacy of weighty shopping, and a none too wildly car enthused partner. However, that ‘spiritual encounter’ galvanised something within me. Yes, it was late — I was 37 at the time — but not too late. I wanted one of those beasts and the chance to drive it like I stole it — it was time to finally fulfil my boyhood dreams despite being on the fringes of middle age.

Back in New Zealand, the bank account predictably didn’t offer much optimism to support my new resolution. Financial constraints, however, were not going to deter me as I tottered on the brink of a male midlife crisis. A swap advert in Trade & Exchange netted the perfect catch — a genuine Dolly Yellow 1970 Torana GTR XU-1, which I promptly exchanged for my bland 1982 Skyline coupe.

Jason, the XU-1’s previous owner, had sunk a disproportionate amount of funds into the car but had run out of enthusiasm or cash, or both. At any rate he needed a more suitable (read comfortable) machine for courting young women. He’d been happy to take over my quick but soft, cruise-control-style Skyline.

Aussie muscle

I have a deep abiding love for Aussie muscle cars of the ’60s and early ’70s — Monaros, GTHOs and Chargers — but none more so than for the XU-1. This probably stems from a David and Goliath mind-set — with the Torana being the more complete racing package in terms of power-to-weight, braking, fuel consumption and tyre wear. The opposition Falcons and Chargers ran heavier, bigger engines which, while faster at the outset, suffered quicker tyre and brake wear and more fuel stops.

We should all endeavour to realise at least one of our childhood dreams; especially essential for an obsessed petrol-head Kiwi. Deny this and the legacy of regret could last a lifetime.

Anyway, with the previously mentioned car exchange done, I drove my piece of motoring legend home in a euphoric state — largely oblivious to the Torana’s less than perfect state of health.

In the cold light of the following day, I’d realise that a few problems needed immediate attention — namely the brakes, valve gear and a horribly cobbled-up exhaust system. As well, the Torana’s triple carburettors were well out of sync.

But with the XU-1 safely ensconced in my garage, I broke out the Johnnie Walker and celebrated the realisation of a boyhood fantasy. It was the real deal — an absolutely original car with matching engine and chassis numbers. True, it was a bit rough around the edges but it was all there. On the plus side the engine and drivetrain were in rude health having just been refurbished, but the old bodywork wasn’t quite so sharp. The ordeals and torments in store occurred to me only briefly through the ensuing alcohol haze.

It was 1992, and I’d just purchased a 22-year-old much-thrashed classic in need of work. Never mind, the moment was exquisite.

Vanishing point

Enter one Doug Bremner — mechanic to legendary Torana XU-1 racer of the early ’70s; Ralph Emson. Emson was a long-time racer, at one stage in partnership with four-times NZ Saloon Car Champion, Paul Fahey. They ran an outfit called P&R Motors in the 1960s.

At the time of my XU-1 purchase, Emson was running a business in Takanini tacked onto a motorcycle shop I frequented. Ralph’s advice to me was to get in touch with Doug — “He knows XU-1s like no-one else.”

Doug, no mean steerer himself, had been a past NZ hill climb champion several times in his flat-six Corvair-powered VW Beetle in the ’60s and ’70s. He agreed to do some work on my car. It was a nice feeling having the Torana magician on the case.

The initial plan, once the machine was roadworthy, was a fast blast to Wellington. Up over the Desert Road, through the Rangitikei hill country and down along the Foxton straights to the capital city — a nostalgic revisiting of many childhood journeys in early Holdens.

Unfortunately, as a kid, I’d seen too many of those American road movies (bad acting but great muscle car action) and fancied myself in the lead role.

Characters such as Barry Newman played in his doom-laden quest in Vanishing Point. In that movie, Newman set out from San Francisco in his white 1970 Dodge Challenger only to become quickly embroiled in a desperado vendetta with the cops, and anyone else who got in his way. His efforts to evade capture and the continued destruction of vehicles cast Newman as a somewhat dubious hero.

Road warrior

Doug’s verdict on the XU1 was a heartening thumbs up. Having repaired the aforementioned ills, plus the driver’s door window cog — a part which proved elusive to find — Doug pronounced the car in good shape and in very original condition, with the exception of a few body panels. The carburettors were retuned and Doug suggested that reconditioning the triple side-draught Strombergs would be a good idea. Unwisely, I elected to postpone acting upon Doug’s wisdom in this area.

Fortified in the belief all was well, I rumbled out of Auckland in the depths of winter 1992, Wellington-bound. However, there is nothing quite like a lengthy run to discover shortfalls in a freshly acquired car that would be undetectable on a sunny Sunday afternoon run. While the sun shone I hammered away in good humour, revelling in the XU-1’s rocket-like acceleration and mowing down entire queues of slower traffic. The Desert Road proved to be an exhilarating ride as I enacted outlaw-on-the-run fantasies and indulged myself fully in the pure pleasure of the machine.

As Hunter S Thompson, the great creator of gonzo journalism, wrote in his cult classic book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — “Here indeed was a machine eminently suitable for highway work.”
South of Waiouru, ominous dark clouds signalled a change in the weather and my euphoric mood. Single-speed (slow) wipers and a poor demisting system did not equate with the awesome power at the disposal of my right foot. I gained a renewed appreciation of modern automobile technology.

Yes, I was having difficulty seeing where I was going! Oddly, I don’t ever recall my celluloid heroes having to put up these types of setbacks. Another nagging irritation was the need to strain against the fixed location seat belts to flick the dash wiper switch on and off in the drizzle. It was clearly time to stop and take stock — and indulge in a few recollections.

Winning at the mountain

It was known as Standard Production racing, but there was very little that was standard about these vehicles. As modifications were not allowed for machinery competing in the all-important Bathurst races between 1968 and 1972, an era of factory-built race cars was spawned. The performance limited edition specials built by Ford, GM and Chrysler’s Australian subsidiaries have since become legends. Each corporation endeavoured to outdo the others in their efforts to produce a road-legal machine capable of winning the annual duel at Mount Panorama.

It wasn’t long before a similar category was set up to race these cars in New Zealand, with many of the leading drivers and car companies importing Aussie muscle cars to do battle on Kiwi race tracks.

Race fans had a fierce loyalty to their favourite marque — be it Holden’s Monaro GTS or Torana GTR XU-1, Ford’s various GT Falcons and Chrysler’s Pacer and Charger R/Ts.

The era was a visual symphony — lurid, electric colour schemes with plenty of blacked out panels, stripes and badges. The interiors were always coal-black. The flavour was very much that of the pony car movement that had been initiated by the Mustang — but now transplanted to Australasia.

To a young boy of 15 in the Pukekohe paddock, these cars reeked of charisma, power and excitement. Remember the pit scene as a kid at a big race meeting?

We’re in a line of traffic still waiting to park in some perimeter paddock, the circuit seems miles away and I’m aching to be there. The sweet aroma of high octane racing fuel is intoxicating, the excitement is running in my veins and tingling up my spine. Somewhere in the distance there’s the urgent crescendo of racing engines being tweaked. The cacophony of raucous fours, the howling sixes and magic V8 thunder draws me like a magnet.

I am beside myself with anticipation as we enter the arena, a kaleidoscope of vivid colour and aural assaults. Everything seems larger than life, mechanics and crews cluster around name drivers in earnest consultation. I hover, trance-like, soaking it all in. The saloons have the greatest visual impact in their gaudy colours, brash sign-writing and huge tyres.

Kiwi Toranas

I see a name driver’s XU-1 Torana and choke up with passion and yearning — the beauty of its menacing presence. The black vinyl cavern-like interior where my hero fights his noble battles from the gladiator’s seat, protected by a roll-cage, full seat harness, fire extinguisher. All reminders of the perils of his pursuit.

My favourite local XU-1 driver was the redoubtable Richard ‘Paddy’ Brocklehurst. His LC XU-1 was bedecked in the classic yellow and black just like mine. The date was early 1971.

Other leading local XU-1 punters of the time were, Jimmy Palmer, Kerry Grant, Ralph Emson, Roy Harrington and Merv Neill, to name but a few. Pukekohe, with its long back straight, was a track that favoured V8 power and didn’t help the six-cylinder XU1 despite its handling and braking advantages.

At the March 14, 1971, Saloon Championship meeting, Brocklehurst was right on form claiming pole position with a time of 1.20.2s, just shaving out the Robbie Francevic’s big McMillan Ford-sponsored Falcon GTHO which closed 1.20.4s. Jim Richards was third fastest in his Monaro GTS at 1.21.2s.

Other leading contenders included Frank Radisch (father Paul Radisch) in a Monaro GTS and Spinner Black in a GTHO. Behind the four V8s were the three other XU-1s of Ralph Emson, Roy Harrington and John Murphy.

In the race Brocklehurst led bravely in his XU-1 and gallantly fought off the four V8s breathing down his neck for several laps. I watched transfixed, willing him on as he was overwhelmed on the long back straight. However, he swept back into the lead under braking. Francevic was forced to brake earlier, to slow his heavy car for the tight hairpin bend at the end of the straight. Eventually, on this occasion, Robbie got ahead and just held on until the chequered flag, but it was a close thing with Brocklehurst harrying him all the way.

The other three XU-1s filled sixth, seventh and eighth positions behind the V8s of Richards, Radisch and Black. Brocklehurst’s drive had been a superb effort and has remained etched into my memory to this day.

The Torana XU-1s greatest moment was, of course, Peter Brock’s epic win with his LJ 202-powered car, over Allan Moffat’s Phase 3 GTHO at Bathurst in 1972. Brock went on to a glorious victory, the first of an unprecedented nine wins, but it remained the XU-1’s only success in the Great Race.

Back to reality

Having broken my journey to recall my favourite Torana memories, I was brought back to reality by the thought that the critical factor with an engine running two or more carburettors is that they should all open and close in close synchronisation.

When they don’t you — or, more correctly, me — are going to engage in some strife, especially when you’re 645km from home base. Yes, the beast’s triple Strombergs chose this moment to decide that the carburettor reconditioning Doug had advised was now required! A tuning shop in Wellington quickly reset the jets, and I set forth with everything crossed for the return journey.

Around the middle of the North Island, once again on the Desert Road, the Strombergs relapsed. Then the steering wheel worked loose! It’s a nasty experience when you have to keep going, when some carbs are opening and others are closing at the same time and all the while you’re trying to hold the wheel in place. I made it back to Auckland with the sense that the expedition had not been a complete success, and I resolved to prepare more thoroughly for my next XU-1 adventure.

A complete body restoration was, I felt, in order, so I embarked on the hazardous business of finding someone skilled enough to do a quality job. Throughout the winter of 1994, the ongoing saga with the panelbeater continued, like a scene from the movie Groundhog Day. There were various hold-ups and explanations to justify lack of progress, but every time I turned up at the shop, the Yellow Streak was always languishing in a dark corner.

The long awaited Xmas excursion was looking dubious, though the Torana was finally completed in the nick of time, at the cost of a stroke-inducing budget blow-out.

The last thrash

Financially I was going down the gurgler, strapped for cash and with a broken relationship, I borrowed a wad of bucks ($600) from the old man then pointed the ‘Yella Terra’ out of town.
Another Hunter S Thompson quote; “You can only stay on the throttle for so long.”

I entered the true spirit of the classic machine on this journey. Sensing my time was nearly up with the XU-1, I headed out for the big thrash and covered as much twisting blacktop as I could.
The bone-jarring race suspension and uncomfortable vinyl bucket seats of this early spec XU-1 were aspects that always appealed rather than detracted from the car’s allure. Later versions had slightly softer suspension but with this baby, hitting any reasonable-size bump thumped your head into the roof. You really knew you were driving a race car.

Its handling, regarded as good in its day, would now be seen as abysmal and it had a tendency to sledge and drift in corners. I found this very reassuring, whereas today’s sporty cars stick like glue and then break away without any warning.

All went well until I got to Wellington. What is it about this town? I’d just arrived and the beast developed an electrical fault that seemed to be beyond the resources of local auto electricians to diagnose. The prospects of getting the engine running on all six cleanly were not looking good.

The mighty 186 ran beautifully on the run south, gutsy and crisp, but now I was in the capital it was banging and missing as effectively as one of John Banks’ political tirades.

Once again, I had strayed from the script and got away from the golden race track memories of my boyhood. While I pondered life’s evil reversals with the hood raised, a young petrol-head offered to check the Torana’s HT leads. Rather matter-of-factly, he stated that one was no good. “Replace it and you’re away mate!” So much for the experts.

Spirits lifted — and the mill blasting beautifully — I hammered through the Rimutakas and down into the Wairarapa, lights ablaze. Driven on by a demented urge to keep covering ground fast after the frustrations of the capital, I wound down to make a pit-stop in Woodville.

In a contemplative mood I supped on a large, cold one in the aptly named Railway Hotel, a fine old colonial edifice. My mind was drifting, as I reflected on the yellow machine lurking outside in the sunlight. My thoughts recalled the legendary American driver, Dean Moriarty, hero of ultimate beatnik writer Jack Kerouac’s classic ’50s escapade, On the Road. Momentarily, I entertained wild delusions of being a kindred soul with the famed paranoid non-stop, cross-country desperado driver. Yeah, wouldn’t it be great to jump in a car and drive at insane speeds for days on end, with no particular destination?

“You can only stay on the throttle for so long,” repeats in my head. Damn right! I had a few more days out on the edge before this show is done.

Relentless

The rocket-ship was running like magic and felt as if I were driving relentlessly anywhere that it’d take me. Windows down, mirror shades on, the hot summer air rushing in and the backcountry sucked into the slipstream. I was having dangerous delusions of my superb ‘steerer’ skills.

Out of Bulls, on the road to Wanganui, looming up fast in my rear view I spotted a twin-cam FX-GT Corolla. I was definitely holding him up through the twisties and as we come onto a long downhill straight, the FX hung alongside me for a few moments. But there’s no substitute for capacity. A delicious moment, as I observed the rapidly diminishing Corolla.
The beast, as a young nephew of mine aptly named the XU-1, always drew attention wherever we went — some unwanted.

More often though, the car drew cult-like admiration from young Holden worshippers — those not born when the XU-1 first turned a wheel in anger. At the other end of the spectrum were the veteran enthusiasts.

There were a few more vignettes to play before the curtain finally came down on this heroic chapter. As my personal life continued to unravel, word of my odd and crazily irresponsible antics started to leak out. A run to Port Waikato with a crate of DB in the boot saw an ill-advised speed attempt. Just south of Tuakau on the Port Waikato road, dropping down a hill the road runs straight as a die across the valley floor for several kilometres. With my two young nephews in the machine, a genuine 172kph (107mph) was registered on the speedo with the team roaring encouragement. The telegraph poles were screaming by like a picket fence and keeping the bouncing, yawing machine tracking straight was a grim business. Bloody stupid really.

Another brain-disengaged blast was a ride out to Auckland’s wild West Coast beaches. The Scenic Drive run through the Waitakeres was the ultimate challenge in the twilight days of this era. I was lucky not to rearrange myself — or anyone else for that matter — on that run.

The final parting

With my life changing, I no longer had a garage so caring for a rebuilt classic car was becoming a problem. The writing was on the wall, and it was time to pass the beast on to the next foolish dreamer. Life has such weird twists — I’d thought that the XU-1 would be with me for years, but now it felt right to flick it on. Anyway, I couldn’t bear to watch it deteriorate.
This action also safely side-stepped any thoughts about testing long-harboured delusions of being a heroic racing driver. The classic saloon category was thus spared from my awesome domination and uncanny car control. It also allowed me to avoid the harsh probability that I would probably be hopelessly inept as a race driver. Yes, fantasy is a lot safer than reality — but much less fun.

Anyway, 1995 was the end of my road with this thoroughbred. A procession of car fairs and adverts finally dredged up the right person — another passionate young man under the watchful tutelage of his classic racing father. It was a deeply moving experience seeing the XU-1 heading off to a good home, destined to return to the race track for which it had originally been created.

I was left with the wonderful memories. Out on the open road, gunning that superb engine, front end rearing under fierce acceleration as I’m slammed back in the seat. A cursory eye on the tacho, straight arms gripping the thin-rimmed steering wheel. Poised to snatch another cog via the stubby shifter. Lashed down low in the vinyl bucket seat, ready to hurl the beast through the next sequence of curves. Petrol-head heaven!

Owning the XU-1 gave me a licence to revisit wild boyhood dreams. It had been time to go out and play, as I’d wanted to do when I was 15. All things have a beginning and an end, but the legacy of my journey with the Yella Terra will remain with me forever.

Words: Gerard Richards Photos: Terry Marshall/Gerard Richards

While researching for a book on Kiwis’ passion for Holden cars, Tim caught up with two North Taranaki families with shining examples of Holden wagons from the crossover period from Kingswood to Commodore

At the end of the ’70s Holden went through one of the biggest periods of change in product direction. The big Kingswood era of the ’70s, based on the original and popular HQ model dating back to 1971, was gradually phased out in favour of a smaller German Opel-based car, which was to be the original basic Holden Commodore of 1978.

Long favoured by farmers and later by surfers, Kingswood wagons in top condition are now hard to come by, as many of them have led faithful but hard-working lives and no longer exist, or are in shoddy shape. The same goes for many of the earlier Holden Commodore wagons, worked hard and then scrapped or traded up for newer models.

I’ve never been much of a wagoneer, but while researching for a new book I was recently enlightened about important wagon models from Holden’s change of direction at the tail end of the ’70s. I received a tip-off about one of the last big Kingswood wagons built, now residing in North Taranaki, as well as a lead on a family using a very original, and now rare, early VH Commodore wagon in New Plymouth.

I had never given the old plain versions of the VH the time of day, but rarity and originality were about to shine a new light on what is now almost a vintage GM wagon.

People in New Zealand who had been driving Holden HQ variants, and developments throughout the 1970s in Kingswood, Statesman or Belmont form, were intrigued towards the end of that colourful decade as to what would replace the popular but aging Australian GM family car.

Opel Ascona

Scoop pictures in magazines such as Modern Motor and Wheels eventually confirmed the rumour that Holden was about to downsize, and buy in the GM Euro sedan which was essentially the Opel Ascona/Vauxhall Cavalier from Germany and England.

One couple which drove to a Holden dealership in their HQ Holden wagon at the start of 1980, looking to buy one of the new VB Commodores, was Ted and Noelene Roberts, then living near Te Awamutu as fruiterers. “We drove the HQ wagon that we had at the time to Ted Rogers Ltd of Te Kuiti to look at a VB Commodore,” Ted related. “We took it on a test drive south of Te Kuiti to where Colin Meads lived, and then back into town, and I didn’t think that much of it. I didn’t think the Commodore drove as well as my old HQ!”

A little deflated, the Roberts’ then noticed a brand new ‘last of the line’ V8 HZ wagon gleaming in gold up on the stand at the Te Kuiti dealership.

“The Premier HZ was on the stand brand new,” Ted continued, “so I asked for a test drive of that one and went on the same sort of test drive out to the old Meads farm and back. We said, ‘You can keep your new Commodore, we’ll take the Premier!’”

“Plus we got a bunch of flowers,” Noelene added with a smile. “A bloody great bouquet!” exclaimed Ted, holding his arms wide like a fisherman describing his catch of the day, and still beaming about one of the best motoring decisions the Roberts family had ever made.

Although the Roberts’ now rare factory V8 HZ Premier wagon was registered as new in early 1980, it was built in late 1979 and now, as we almost round off the first decade of the 21st century, the golden Holden still looks brand new and is quite likely one of the best examples of this wagon model left in the world. Although the old HQ wagon they used to own was often loaded to the gunwales with berry fruit during their day-to-day job, the HZ was never used for such a task, and as a result the interior of this old Holden is pristine.

Midget car racing

They were involved in midget car racing though, and did use the HZ for towing racing midgets to speedway circuits such as Rangeview at Matamata, Waihi Speedway circuit (in an old quarry) and the Palmerston North Speedway. This was a role the HZ fulfilled with ease, utilising the full torque of its 5.0-litre (308ci) GM V8. Ted filled me in on the rare Premier. “Most of the HZ wagons at this end of the production run came out with the 253 [4145cc] engine, not the 308 like this one, and there are other rare things too, the tombstone seats for instance are rare, and so is the automatic Turbo-400 gearbox. Most HZ wagons had the ordinary Holden automatic box.” As a brief passenger in Ted and Noelene’s gold Premier wagon I felt as if I’d been transported back to the ’70s and was riding in something brand new from the period, and as you can see from the photographs, I was more or less doing just that! The HZ with the famous 308 engine burbling away quietly felt solid, strong and homely.

Ted has had a few Commodores of later models down through the ensuing years since the early 1980s, many clocking up long kilometres after Ted moved into the rural real estate business.

“The HZ is a great old car, but I have also had some Commodores too for day to day running,” Ted said, “and I can say that the Calais which came out with the Nissan engine was the worst of them, while the best Commodore we’ve owned was the fuel-injected VH.”

Scarce SL/X wagon

After enjoying Ted and Noelene’s hospitality and, of course, their now rare Holden model, I ventured off to a New Plymouth address not far from my own to check out a family who had favourable and happy tales of motoring in a now scarce 1984 VH Holden Commodore SL/X station wagon in very original form.

Ross ‘Rosco’ MacKay has a Torana project on the go and also works for a Holden dealership and so, given his ownership of a VH Commodore, I thought he must know what he is talking about. However, it was the full family of wife Andrea and children Rachel and Callum who piped up and told me what a comfortable and nice car the old early Commodore was to travel in. The family accompanied me to a brief photo-shoot at New Plymouth’s Mt Moturoa, part of the city’s old volcanic underpinnings. While looking closely over a Holden model that I had never really inspected before, Ross brought me up to date on the MacKay’s Holden.

“This car is one of the special SL/X wagons powered by the 3.3-litre six. It’s got power steering and the Holden Trimatic three-speed automatic gearbox. The set-up includes a Strasbourg-Varajet twin-barrel downdraught carburettor.” Not only was Ross quite enthusiastic about the old Commodore, but he was also keen to point out that at the time of purchase the low kilometre VH was a bit of a find after he had caught wind of it coming up for sale.

This example was originally sold new from Baillie-Farmers Ltd, the Napier Holden dealership, before making its way over to Taranaki.

At the time that Ross first heard about the VH no one really wanted it, but now the car gets admiring looks from Holdenphiles and younger people who grew up with these early Commodore wagons as family cars.

The original VB-VC-VH era Commodores are known as the ‘compact Commodores’, from the days before the model name grew in stature to rival the legendary HQ models of old, in both size and status. Of course drivers like Peter Brock, John Harvey, David Oxton, Trevor McLean, Robbie Francevic and others put the SS model into motorsport history, but the ordinary everyday versions have all but been forgotten, though they gave good service to Australian and Kiwi families during day-to-day life.

Some readers will be happy for them to remain obscure, while others will no doubt think recognition for the Holden wagons of the late ’70s and early ’80s is long overdue.

There will be those who favour the Opel-based Commodores, and those who long for the days of the HQ-HZ range. Whatever your preference, in the case of the Roberts and MacKay families, the old Holden wagon lives on.

Words & Photos: Tim Chadwick

Dave Sturrock always dreamed of having an Aussie Group C car; the dream came true, but not as he had imagined¦

Introduced in 1967 by GM Australia, the Torana model name was chosen from the aboriginal word meaning ‘to fly’, which in its race-oriented versions it most certainly did. It is surprising that the A9X Torana isn’t an international holy grail for collectors, though one must remember the Torana is indigenous to Australia, and only familiar to the relative few who watched the Australian touring car scene in the 1970s. It is one of the most desirable sports saloons ever, but outside the colonies little is known about this muscle-bound sports sedan.

In Europe and the States the Camaros, Mustangs and Falcons were masters of the big-banger series on the tracks, and only where pure agility came in could the Escorts, Capris and BMWs steal their limelight. Down under the Holden team had already worked out that given sufficient grunt, a small-bodied car could come close to out-manoeuvring the big V8s on every track; and if that was the case, why not put a V8 in there anyway, and finish the job off?

The Torana A9X is to the ’70s what the Cosworth Sierra RS500 was to the ’80s, only much, much rarer. If Ford had fitted a 5.0-litre V8 to a Capri in Europe the car would be a million dollar collector’s piece. Luckily, we have the A9X to ourselves. Sure, a real A9X Torana is highly sought after in Australasia, but it is somewhat of an enigma on the world scene.

Naturally, nearly all the real A9X Toranas are mothballed because of their value, but the door is open to collectors and racers to make their own replicas, and many have.

One of the latest examples is the gorgeous tangerine-coloured SS coupe of Dave Sturrock, built to race amongst the competitive Central Muscle Car series, and the Torana is already looking very fast straight out of the blocks.

Texas tech

Dave Sturrock has always had a passion for the Australian rules Group C racers. Peter Brock was, naturally, his hero. The big flared arches and spoilers that he watched on TV and read about in magazines were what turned him on, and one day he would have his own Group C VK Commodore to drive on the road.

There is many a slip twixt cup and lip, and in Dave’s case the entire mug-full ended up on the floor before he arrived at the masterpiece you see here.

Dave trained as a Jaguar technician at Ken Stout’s on the North Shore, and after his training he did his big OE and ended up in Dallas, Texas. To his delight he found that good Jaguar mechanics were like gold dust, and he was paid big money to staff the local Jag dealership. Kiwis are highly sought after because of their breadth of knowledge and application, so Dave was in a really good position. While he was in the US he went drag racing in a Pontiac Firebird, and did a NASCAR driving course.

He returned to New Zealand and worked for race engine builder Randall Edgell and driver Nigel Arkell of Roger’s Boat Shop, doing a bit of kart racing on the side, always maintaining the dream to build his Brockie VK.

He then met Shelley May, a NZ bare foot water ski champion in the late 1980s, and between them they started a business — MSI Imports — wholesaling water sports gear from the US. The business became very successful, and their O’Brien brand is the key sponsor of his muscle car challenger.

The VK project

With money in his pocket, Dave decided it was time to achieve his dream to own a Group C Commodore. He was also watching the fledgling muscle car series and fancied a go at it. Why not put the two together and race a VK Group C replica?

He went to see Willie Van Wersch in Winton, Australia, who had around 20 Aussie tourers for sale. The real Brock car had just been delivered back from the UK but was out of his league price-wise, and there was an ex Alan Jones/Warren Cullen car there for AU$20,000, but it was very sad and Dave decided not to buy it — a decision he regrets.

Dave eventually returned to New Zealand empty-handed, but soon located and purchased a standard VK and all the glass fibre extensions that he needed. Mark Herbert was tasked to study Aussie V8 Supercars so he could put together a four-link rear-end similar to those cars. A 4982cc (304ci) V8 with fuel injection heads was obtained from a VR that had been in a fire, and, with everything in place, they set about building the car.

Torana turns up

Dave was watching more and more muscle car races and getting itchy feet — he wanted to be out on the track now! Taking a break from the VK build, he visited a Christchurch boat show around three years ago. Whilst there he discovered a very attractive Torana SS (just like the one in our July 2004 issue) in a local trader magazine. The Torana already had a V8 installed, along with a Bond alloy roll cage. It had been brought in from Australia in the mid-’80s.

Dave got the owner to bring it along to the boat show, and once he had driven it Dave thought, “Sod it, I’m going to buy that and go racing now!” and drove it back to Auckland’s North Shore.
After four races he rediscovered his need for speed. He knew he had the basis for a great Muscle Car series entry, sold the VK and set about building an A9X replica on his newly acquired SS Torana three-door, which meant setting out a mammoth programme of work for the Torana.

It won’t have escaped your notice that Dave is a perfectionist, and the bare metal restoration of his Torana reflects that. Whilst he has had the A9X in mind, Dave doesn’t make any pretence that this car is a genuine car. It’s an SS Torana, originally fitted with a straight-six, but he bought it with the V8 already installed.

Race prep

Race preparation was handled superbly by Mark Herbert, including the fuel system installation and chrome-moly roll-cage. Because the car is not intended as an exact replica, Dave has been free to make some compromises in the interests of cost and reliability in order to make the car a better racer without the huge cost of replicating the original parts. Weight is now down to 1255kg, helped by a Perspex rear screen and a superb carbon fibre dashboard; the first attempt at a constructing such a dashboard by North Shore boat builder Mark Luxford.

Dave has purposely stayed away from electronic displays, preferring the look of traditional dials, albeit matched to the car’s colour scheme. The beautifully crafted cable runs and electrics were done by North Shore auto-electrician Conrad Timms.

In the business district the Holden 308 engine has been stroked, and had a thorough going over, starting with a billet steel crank, Carrillo rods, roller rockers and a 51kW dry sump system to keep the works fully oiled. Dave uses the massive experience he has gained over the years to build his own engines — they are good and strong, and he always uses Glen Jennett at AJ Automotive Engine Reconditioners for all his machining work.

The gearbox casing is a Ford top-loader with a Phitzner close-ratio four speed dog ’box kit fitted inside, feeding a Ford nine-inch differential.

The fully floating axle has 12-inch Wilwood ¨discs on each end, to complement the 13-inch Wilwood stoppers on the front, the bias being controlled by a Tilton pedal box.

Dave had originally intended to run the car to Auckland Muscle Car rules — which don’t allow modifications to the pedal box or suspension, and require cars to run road tyres. He was able to achieve pole position in the first round of that series, but he has found that he prefers to run in the faster Central Muscle Car Group 1 Series run by Steve Hildred, and whilst the car is very standard compared to some of his competitors in that series, the Torana still achieves regular top four placings.

Rae’s help

With Hoosier 275/40 ZR1 tyres mounted on his Simmons rims, this Torana is capable of a respectable 1.05 at Pukekohe.

Dave gives credit to Johnny Rae for the track speed he has achieved. Having gone through the same issues, Johnny gave Dave the benefit of his experience, saving considerable development time and avoiding blind alleys with the Torana, bringing it up to speed virtually straight away.

A few laps around Pukekohe in the car left me under no doubt that this is already a very well sorted car, in part due to Dave’s implacable standards. Its sits very firmly on the circuit but does not get too upset by Pukekohe’s new bumps. It has plenty of grip, and with a fabulous power and torque to weight ratio, coupled to nimble handling, the car is incredibly fast but does not seem to require man-handling round the circuit.

The Phitzner dog ’box gives quick, predictable and trouble-free changes and the brakes pull it up fast, straight and true. Dave is clearly a mean pedaller too, with the NASCAR and karting experience helping a great deal.

I watched Dave giving the car very creditable top four placings at the March Formula Libre Grand Prix meeting against some top dollar racing cars, and there is potential still to come. The car’s rear suspension geometry is still standard, and most of the panels still steel, meaning that with enough development Dave will be able to run with Paul Kirwan’s mighty Camaro, and he’ll be able to give Paul a hard time at the tight circuits like Taupo.

Dream Time – The Torana Years

The original Torana HB was based heavily on the European Viva HB, and it did not take the racing fraternity long to work out that the big Monaros and Falcons could be outpaced by the lithe Torana. The monitor of all things performance down under, Mount Panorama at Bathurst, saw Peter Brock take his first win in 1972 using an LJ Torana XU-1. The Torana went through LC, LJ, LH, TA, LX and UC models in its 11-year life, with four-and two-door versions using four, six and eight-cylinder engines.

Whilst the bread and butter models mostly faded into obscurity the X-U1, L34 and A9X versions claimed five Bathurst victories and made household names of Brock, Colin Bond, Allan Grice, Bob Morris and our own Jim Richards.
Only 200 XU-1s were produced, but they filled the finishing order at Bathurst for four years. They were narrow, long and slightly ungainly, but the replacement LH series put that problem to rest. The LH Torana was a medium car rather than a stretched small one. The SLR/5000 L34 (1974-1976) immortalised bolt-on wheel arch extensions and capitalised on the XU-1’s pioneering work. Being slightly longer and wider it could now make good use of a 5.0-litre V8 with a torque curve more massive than Ayers Rock.

In early 1976 the LH sedan was facelifted to LX, with the addition of a three-door hatchback version which is one of the tidiest styling jobs ever done: it looks as good today as it did a quarter of a century ago. Radial tuned suspension (RTS) became available on the lower order models and this was transferred to the SL/R 5000 in 1977, upgrading suspension geometry, springs and shock absorbers and adding roll bars to the front and rear suspension. Called the A9X option, and priced at AU$12,500, its rear floor panel pressing was revised to incorporate a rear axle assembly with upper trailing arms mounted further apart, and the steering gear mounted solidly to the front cross member to improve feel.

This A9X pack featured rear disc brakes, with HX alloy front brake assemblies, and a new PBR master cylinder with integral proportioning valve and plastic reservoir. The 14 by six-inch wheels were shrouded by the de-rigueur bolt-on flares, and a bonnet scoop facing the screen fed and cooled the L31 5.0-litre 308 V8, aided by a heavy-duty radiator and electric coolant fan. An M21 gearbox came with the A9X, but the Borg-Warner Super T-10 MC7 option could be ordered for race cars.

The 25 race cars built could only be bought with a current CAMS competition licence.

This specification would be ‘to-die-for’ on the world market, but the Torana A9X remains our little secret, and probably one of the best sports saloons ever produced, along with the South Africa-only Capri-based Perana.

The A9X failed to win its first (1977) Bathurst, Larry Perkins being placed third, but blasted the opposition the following year. Brockie won by six laps (37km), totally dominating the’ 77 to ’78 and ’79 seasons, and immortalising the Brock/Richards partnership. They rubbed salt into the Ford wounds by getting pole position, leading from start to finish six laps in front, and setting a new circuit record on the final lap of the 1000km race!

Words Tim Nevinson, Photos Quinn Hamill & Sean C

In Australia the battle for supremacy at Australia’s Great Race continued as Ford and Holden fought tooth and nail for victory

Torana is aboriginal for ‘to fly’, and in 1972 the new SL/R 5000 looked as if it had wings when compared to its rivals. In actual fact, the car looked quite plain with the exception of a rear spoiler, sporty wheel trims and SLR 5000 graphics. Then you opened the bonnet and your perception of this ‘plain Jane’ changed remarkably.

In spite of the hysteria caused by the sheer thought of a V8-engined Torana back in mid 1972, it’s bizarre that the LH V8s attracted so little criticism. The new-fangled cars were indeed bigger and heavier but they were still called Torana, and with V8 engines planned to power Kingswoods, Premiers, Monaros and even Statesmans they looked as if they would live up to the name.

This was the new car that would represent GMH at The Mountain, the successor to the already legendary XU-1. Regardless of their limitations, the LH Toranas were more competent family cars than their predecessors. Appreciated by their new owners, the extra 102mm of interior width and a smoother, quieter ride were attributes much needed for transporting four or five people plus luggage.

As sporting machines, however, these V8 versions of the LH fell short of the mark. The XU-l had always been a purpose-built race car and the SL/R Torana was basically a family car with add-ons. But even the greatest add-on, the lusty 5047cc (308ci) small-block, failed to qualify the 1974 Torana as a true XU-I successor.

However, while weight and size were up significantly, so too was power. With the SL/R 5000 developing 179kW (240bhp), on paper it certainly looked to have the goods. But any expectations of GT-HO-type standing quarter runs were disappointed. Regardless of what tyres were on the car, you couldn’t drive a stock SL/R 5000 over the quarter mile in much under 16 seconds. With 179kW at 4800rpm and 426Nm of pull at 3000rpm in a 1224kg car, this was exceptionally disappointing.

The Contender

On paper, the SL/R 5000 presented a performance package to better almost anything of similar size and certainly of similar price. In practice, the car demonstrated compromises that weren’t redressed by a minor improvement in performance over the six-cylinder XU-1.

The SL/R 5000 remained an LH Torana built more for ride than handling, more for comfort than precision. Tossing a hefty lump of engine into a car of the Torana’s size demanded some serious structural engineering, and Holden made a decent first-up attempt. Hefty anti-roll bars fitted front and rear did their best to counteract body roll and vastly improved damping minimised the discomfort imposed on occupants of LC-LJ models.

The steering rack was still mounted on rubber. Moving from recirculating ball to rack and pinion steering should have produced a significant improvement in feel and precision. It didn’t, and the lack of information coming back to the driver via the steering wheel produced immense criticism. There was still too much understeer when you really stuck the boot in through tight bends.

If you were in the market for a family sedan with sporting overtones, particularly in performance and image, then the SL/R 5000 was not a bad thing. But if you wanted to speed around twisty roads then you would never have been able to regard the SL/R 5000 as a pure sporty car. The General’s advertising was of the full-on variety with lots of emphasis being given to the race track potential of the new top line Torana. It was described as “the new contender.”

Go-faster parts

Like all SL/Rs, the V8 version featured front and rear sway bars. Its interior was the same as any 3.3-litre SL/R; only a pair of spoilers distinguished the 5.0-litre externally, and that duck tail unit on the boot did plenty to spoil rear vision. In theory it was supposed to create a down thrust of 7kg at speeds in excess of 160kph. An under-bumper spoiler at the front proved particularly kerb prone.

In a way those add-on spoilers symbolised the SL/R 5000. It was bigger on looks than it was on grunt. GM-H seemed to think that by tacking on a bit of plastic here, a stripe there and by dropping a stock standard bent-eight under the bonnet it would score another winner. But it was clear to those familiar with the demands of Mount Panorama on that first October: Sunday every year that this was no car to follow the tyre prints of the XU-1.

While the much improved ride counted for plenty on the Highway, it wasn’t worth a bumper at the Mountain. Before the 308-engined LH could go to Bathurst with winning prospects, it was going to need several major mods; namely more poke, sharper handling and greatly improved track holding.

Next step

The blokes at the Bend, of course, knew this, and the formula was under control. When the LH range was released, there was talk of a forthcoming XU-2 version, complete with some 225 kilowatts (300hp) and four-wheel discs. What eventuated instead was factory option number L34.

While ‘L34’ doesn’t look as if it really means anything, there is some logic to it. Simply, GM-H uses the ‘L’ prefix as an engine code, as indeed does Chevrolet and every other GM car division. The L34 code means engine, eight cylinder, high compression, 308 cubic inch variant two. The ‘variant two’ refers to the beefier components (such as stronger rods and bearings) used to improve durability.

On the other hand, L31 refers to the stock 5.0-litre engine, L32 to the 4.2 and L33 to the low compression 4.2, and L20 was the ever trusty and now departed high compression 3310cc 202.

Despite having launched into production with V8 Toranas scheduled (after suitable mods) for the racing scene, GM-H was still smarting from the negative supercar publicity of 1972. That’s why the XU-2 name was never used. The whole L34 exercise was carried out quietly because the heavies understandably didn’t want a repeat of the scare. But while L34 is merely an engine code, the car that carried the name had much more than just an improved engine to qualify it for line honours in touring car races.

A better grip

There were bigger inlet and exhaust valves, twin headers, a wider track and those bolt-on flares that prompted so many sharp operators to try to pass off lesser SL/Rs as L34s. Higher spring rates and stiffer dampers gave the L34 a better grip on things, as well as reducing both body roll and understeer. Thus equipped, an LH 308 could finally see which way an XU-1 went around a corner!

On top of this little lot was an A$1500 bundle of options. This bought a Holley four-barrel in place of the Stromberg (also a 4bbl), a hot cam profiled with Mount Panorama very much in mind, and some other more minor mods. However, rear disc brakes still resided somewhere in the future — in A9X-land to be specific.

The L34 was a worthy Bathurst contender, even though it failed to knock off John Goss’s Falcon. It extended the SL/R 5000 theme beyond that spunky image, giving it some serious substance. This car, however, was still not as grunty as a Phase III and neither was it as competent a grand tourer. It had more of a race track feel, very sharp and steery, extremely firm in its ride. Many enthusiasts have continued to prefer the character of the LJ XU-1 to that of the L34, but development work on the Torana 308 was far from over. The next model change would bring the hatchback body style, and during the life of LX, Radial Tuned Suspension would follow as part of GM-H’s new deal for the Australian motoring public.

Dean Kebbell’s passion

Dean’s passion for Aussie muscle cars started back in his early teenage age years. Like most of us he enjoyed tinkering around with old cars, especially old Holdens, and gained a real liking for these Aussie icons. Today his passion continues, and Dean has a rather impressive line-up of GM-H classics in his garage — including a genuine VL Walkinshaw Group A Commodore, a VX SS Commodore (his wife, Brenda’s car) with a few performance enhancements courtesy of Paul Manuell, a new VE HSV GTS Commodore and our featured 1975 SL/R 5000 Torana.

Dean has owned the Torana for four years. Because the car was deregistered for many years, he has been unable to trace its history beyond the previous two owners, and according to Dean the last owner did not use the car much and had it parked up for three to four years. The owner before then repainted the Torana in its original white colour, and it remains in basically original condition.

Ebbetts Waikato recently rebuilt the L31 V8 to original specifications using as many original GM parts as possible. Dean, a busy businessman, unfortunately doesn’t get the time he would like to spend working on his cars and has built up a trusting relationship with Ebbetts, which meticulously maintains Dean’s cars to his high standard.

As a member of The Early Holden Club, Dean and Brenda enjoy entering the Torana in competitions, although Dean admits he’s not into winning trophies, but just likes to have the car on display for people to enjoy and appreciate.
Dean plans to purchase a bit more land in the next few years, and build a new house complete with a barn so he can continue collecting interesting Holdens.

1975 Holden Torana SL/R 5000

Engine L31 V8
Capacity    5047cc (308ci)
Bore/stroke    101mm/77mm
Valves    Two per cylinder, overhead
C/R    9:1
Max power    179kW (240bhp) at 4800rpm
Max torque    426Nm (315lb/ft) at 3000rpm
Fuel system    4bbl Carburetor
Transmission    Muncie M21 four-speed manual
Suspension    Front Coil spring, double wishbone; Rear coil spring with multi link location
Steering    Rack and pinion
Brakes    Disc/drum

Dimensions
Wheelbase    2586mm
Length    4493mm
Width    1704mm
Kerb weight    1224kg (2700lb)

Peformance
Max speed    195kph (121mph)
0-100kph    8.2 seconds
Standing 1/4    16 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

Words Ashley Webb Photos Sean Craig

Ashley still has fond memories of the GTS Monaro, which he proudly owned in the ‘70s

In hindsight, I know I should have kept that Monaro — especially as I watch the prices of Aussie muscle cars rocket skyward, virtually out of control like their Yankee counterparts. As an 18 year old, I must admit though that I wasn’t exactly kind to the bright metallic blue Aussie, taking every opportunity I could to test its every limit. These cars were built tough, and the HK was testament to the unrelenting abuse it constantly received.

As in the US during the late ’60s, early ’70s Australia developed its own muscle car tradition. Many were modified four-door sedans or low riding, rear-drive pick-ups known as utes (short for utility vehicle), rather than two-door coupes. The most famous was the Holden Monaro, with 5031cc (307ci), 5735cc (350ci) Chevrolet V8 or 5047cc (308ci) Holden V8 engines. Ford’s offerings included the Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III of 1971 — complete with Cleveland 5752cc (351ci) V8 engine. Then there was the Valiant Charger; 4343cc (265ci) six and 5211cc (318ci) Hemi V8 engines and the three high performance Holden Toranas — the A9X, SLR5000 and the XU-1. The XU-1 was fitted with the 3310cc (202ci) triple carburettor six-cylinder engine as opposed to the 5047cc (308ci) Holden V8 in the A9X and SLR5000.

Today, Holden Special Vehicles produces high-performance versions of various rear-wheel-drive Holden utes, Commodore sedans and, until recently, Monaro coupes, fitted with high performance 300kW-plus engines and perhaps the closest contemporary equivalents to the classic American muscle cars.

Ford’s offerings included the Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III of 1971 — complete with Cleveland 5752cc (351ci) V8 engine

These fast, exciting but relatively unsophisticated cars receive far more attention to handling suspension, brakes and safety compared their stock derivatives. Ford Australia has an equivalent operation, Ford Performance Vehicles, turning out similarly up-rated special versions of the Falcon sedan.

Humble Beginnings
Before Holden introduced the Monaro, it had little success in production motorsport. The best result was winning the 1958 Ampol Trial and another victory to Leo Geoghegan in the sedan and sports car event at the Easter Bathurst race meet in the same year.

Other than that, there was a second place at the 1963 Bathurst production car race in an EH S4. Some good Holden HRs were also starting to show up around Australia, but nothing could match the sheer power of the new Falcon GT. What Holden needed was a new V8-powered, restyled car. Over in the US, coupes were out-selling sedans and Holden pinned its hopes on a similar strategy for the Australian market.

Entering into this new phase, the decision to build a coupe was a five-minute conclusion. Holden began experimenting with several ideas, focusing on a large five-seat coupe, producing one of the all time great Aussie classic designs.

Introducing the Monaro
The Holden Monaro was the first real Australian sports coupe, although Ford had beaten Holden to the sports car line with a V8 version of its sporty four-door Falcon called the GT.

Experts have since hailed the Monaro as the most important car in the history of the Holden, even though the 5031cc (307ci) V8 was sourced from the US. When releasing the Monaro, Holden sent a clear signal to Ford that it was going out there to be competitive and win races, and all went according to plan as the Monaro won at its first race outing.

Experts have since hailed the Monaro as the most important car in the history of the Holden, even though the 5031cc (307ci) V8 was sourced from the US

Intense rivalry between Ford and Holden off the track was sparked, with both marques moving into the muscle car arena with vehicles that were perceived by the public to be what they saw on the race track. Bathurst was the perfect marketing tool for muscle car supremacy, as the race was for production cars and the cars on track were virtually the same as you could buy off the showroom floor. If a car won on Sunday it sold on Monday, and both GM-H and Ford wanted to cash in on the perception that their production cars were identical to the race cars.

HK Monaro

Holden’s HK series had about as much grace as a flying brick, and the expectation they would introduce a coupe from this model provided a huge challenge to the new group of stylists. The roofline on the original production Monaro coupe was so prominent that even the blunt HK front looked as if it belonged to something which actually moved. The new coupe had such an immense impact on Holdens of the day that the HK four-door sedan looked mundane by comparison.

When releasing the Monaro, Holden sent a clear signal to Ford that it was going out there to be competitive and win races, and all went according to plan as the Monaro won at its first race outing

The alien invasion — as the American stylists were known — had strong links to Oldsmobile. The HK Monaro shared the Oldsmobile Tornado’s rear pillar design that merged seamlessly into the rear quarter panels. The rear wheel arch blisters and the almost constant slope from rear windows to boot were also Tornado features that were incorporated into the Monaro. The pillar-less sweep of the rear side windows can be seen in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Holiday hardtop.

Designers Schroder and Schinella’s details included the first Aussie-designed full wheel covers with all the elaborate badge work and black-outs of the day. The stainless steel covers tended to loosen at the slightest pothole and cut the fingers when cleaning, but they looked fantastic. Paint-filled wheel arch accents, grille and tail panel blackouts and loud GTS striping brought even the base model Monaro to life. There were a total of 19 Monaro engine and transmission combinations ranging from the 2638cc (161ci) Aussie red six with three on the tree to the classic Chevrolet-powered 5359cc (327ci) V8 Bathurst Monaro with four on the floor. It came equipped as the base Monaro (Kingswood) or the GTS.

Given the limitations of standard drum brakes and handling, the feeble entry level 161 was as relevant to many Holden buyers as the most powerful V8 models. The Monaro also shared the same wheelbase as the sedan that was lengthened to match the XR Falcon. The first run of the Holden Monaro was one of the shortest in Holden history, and explains why unusual option mixes are hard to find. Buyers of the HK Monaro GTS, especially the much sought-after HK327 Bathurst GTS, should take care to make sure the car they are purchasing is the real McCoy, as many started their life as an entry-level Monaro.

The GTS 327 was first hurled around Australian racetracks with sensational success not long after the early Monaros hit the streets

The GTS 327 was first hurled around Australian racetracks with sensational success not long after the early Monaros hit the streets. A first-up win by Tony Roberts and Bob Watson in a GTS 327 Monaro at the 1968 Sandown Three-Hour Endurance Race set the scene for Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland to pilot their Warwick Yellow Monaro to victory in the ’68 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst.

Named for its 327ci Chevrolet V8, this intrepid performer boasted a Chevrolet Saginaw four-speed manual transmission, wider wheels and tyres, a larger 164-litre (36-gallon) fuel tank and improved engine cooling. The first Great Race proved a clean sweep for the Monaros, with the combinations of Jim Palmer/Phil West and Tony Roberts/Bob Watson claiming second and third for a classic all-Holden, all-Monaro podium finish. The following year, Monaro again proved its mettle, with Colin Bond and Tony Roberts claiming victory and the young Peter Brock, also driving a Monaro, finishing third. The Mount Panorama circuit proved a fitting battleground for the fastback coupe named after an Aboriginal word meaning ‘high plateau’ or ‘high place’.

The success fuelled traditional Holden/Ford race track rivalry earned Holden the Bathurst ‘King of the Mountain’ title, which it retains even to this day. The popularity of the Monaro remained high throughout its model life and its legions of admirers keep the flame burning bright today with collectors taking every opportunity to purchase one of these great Aussie classics.

HT Monaro (as featured)
The HT Monaro upgrade exhibited even more of the self-assured and extroverted attitude of the people who chose to drive it.
The most dramatic change was a new multi-louvred plastic grille with a raised centre section and Monaro blackouts. The GTS had bold centre bonnet stripes in black or gold, flanked by new bonnet scoops. Beefier two-section taillights separated by a blacked-out tail panel, thicker side stripes and black sills made the GTS look even sleeker.

Wild new colours included Sebring Orange and Daytona Bronze. A full set of circular instruments replaced the HK’s console-mounted tachometer and strip speedometer. More-contoured bucket seats with optional hounds-tooth check cloth inserts and a sportier steering wheel were in keeping with the HT’s added refinement and special detailing. A new Y-frame engine cradle and neoprene front suspension bushes isolated excess noise from the cabin. The track was widened and fatter rubber bushings in the rear leaf spring eyes matched the gains in the front.

The HT was also first to get the Aussie V8, initially the 4146cc (253ci) engine, and for many Monaro buyers it was the perfect choice. The 5047cc (308ci) version was introduced as Chevrolet 307ci engine stocks ran out. Chevrolet’s new 5735cc (350) V8, which came in different auto and manual specifications, arrived later, giving engineers extra time to fine-tune the GTS 350’s sports suspension so it could be the first Holden to offer low profile radial tyres as an option. The limited build GTS 350 manual could also be ordered with rally wheels — another Holden first.

In 1969, the first year under Harry Firth, Holden Dealer Team Monaro 350s came first (Bond/Roberts) and third (West/Brock) outright in the Hardie Ferodo 500 at Bathurst. HT GTS motor sport victories in 1970 included the Surfers Paradise 12-hour race (Bond/Roberts), and the Australian Touring Car Championship (Beechey).

HG Monaro
Today the HG Monaro is one of the rarest and most sought-after of the Holden coupes and is regarded as the most sophisticated of the early Monaro models. Holden designers ingeniously redesigned the HG’s rear lights, providing the illusion of extra size as the lights merged smoothly with the black GTS tail panel. While the subtler HG mesh grille revived the simplicity of the first Monaro, GTS blackouts highlighted the bold new centre division and surrounds.

The HT Monaro upgrade exhibited even more of the self-assured and extroverted attitude of the people who chose to drive it

The deletion of sill and wheel arch mouldings and the addition of black rocker panels around the lower body gave the HG GTS a meaner, sleeker look. Subtle sidewinder stripes that swooped from the rear pillars to the front highlighted the flow in the original Monaro shape. New decals for the 350 engines were a Monaro first. New metallic colours and the lack of bold bonnet and boot lid stripes reflected a clean custom look, and highlighted the 350’s quad exhausts. Engine choice was the same as for final HT models after the local 308 V8 replaced the Chevrolet 307. A new three-speed Trimatic auto option replaced the Powerglide on all models except the big 350 engine.

Although virtually retired from competition duties — replaced by the XU-1 Torana — the Monaro still managed an amazing year on the track. Norm Beechey’s Monaro dominated the Australian Touring Car Championship against serious competition, and there was an outstanding Bond/Roberts endurance victory at Surfer’s Paradise. Away from the track, Holden built extra compliance into the Monaro rear suspension, boosting GTS 350’s long distance touring capabilities and comfort. The HG GTS 350 manual, with its crisp driving feel and Salisbury limited slip diff, stood as the definitive road car.

Roy and Delcie’s pride
Our featured HT Monaro arrived into New Zealand in 1972. With a build number of #86 (14,437 built in total) it was one of the very early May 1969 HT Monaros built. The Spanish Red coupe had a rather interesting life, having no less than nine kiwi owners over the next 31 years. Roy conveyed how one little old lady literally used the big coupe purely as a shopping trolley for many years; she had pretty good taste I reckon.

Roy and Delcie McGregor finally got their hands on this HT Monaro in August 2003 after it had been stored away in a shed for 13 years. Actually it was a friend, John Weir, who owned the car, and was half way through a complete restoration when the decision was made to sell it. The Monaro was still in a thousand pieces when it finally arrived
in the McGregor family garage.

Where to begin
Although the car had been painted, Roy decided to have the body bead blasted and start over from scratch. Much to his surprise the body was in absolutely pristine condition, showing very little of the usual tell-tale rust that usually appears in spots around the front guards and beneath the rear quarter windows.
The factory Spanish Red paint was applied to the beautiful body, providing the car with just the factory finish Roy was looking for. Friend and previous owner John kindly helped Roy with all the HT’s chrome work, and sourcing the difficult-to-obtain parts necessary for the restoration.

The interior had seen its fair share of abuse over the years, so Roy decided to completely refurbish it. The seats, door panels and head lining were completely recovered in the factory Sandlewood vinyl. The dash pad was in reasonable shape, requiring only a spray of the correct colour to bring it to life with the rest of the interior. All the gauges were reinstalled back into the dash, needing only a small about of elbow grease to finish them off perfectly.

In the ‘go’ department, the 5047cc (308ci) engine was treated to a full rebuild to original factory specs, replacing basically everything including pistons, rods and bearings. The cylinder heads were also completely rebuilt and a slightly modified cam was installed, just enough to bring out that rough idle note which all petrolheads love to hear. The four-speed Saginaw gearbox was in excellent shape, so Roy decided to leave it alone and reinstalled it, including a new heavy-duty clutch and pressure plate.

At this point the suspension received a complete makeover, with new bushes and Munroe shocks added for improved handling. The rear, factory radius rods fitted to this car were normally reserved only for the high performing Bathurst models, and the standard 3.08 limited slip differential finish off the rear handling department.
With the final pieces of exterior trim in place the restored HT Monaro rolled out of the McGregor’s garage in March 2005.

Fun Times
Roy and Delcie were adamant from the outset that the Monaro was not going to be a trailer queen and would be driven come rain, hail or shine. As active members of the Holden Club of Canterbury, the McGregor family gets to enjoy cruising whenever possible, or according to Roy, every weekend.

But let’s not forget the quality of the restoration here, this fine HT Monaro has taken a second prize at the Canterbury Concours in its age category; testament to Roy’s dedication and commitment. Roy just loves to drive the car at every opportunity, but comments how his left leg gets quite sore constantly pushing in that heavy-duty clutch, a pain I fondly remember.

Specifications

1969 HT Holden Monaro GTS

Engine: Holden V8

Capacity: 5047cc (308ci)

Bore/stroke:    101.6×76.2mm

Valves: Two valves per cylinder, ohv

C/R: 9.0:1

Max power: 179kW (240bhp) at 4000rpm

Max torque: 427Nm (315lb/ft) at 3000rpm

Fuel system: four-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburettor

Transmission: Saginaw four-speed manual

Suspension: Front coil springs Rear leaf springs, radius rods

Steering: Recirculating ball

Brakes: power-assisted discs

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 2719mm

Length: 4527mm

Width: 1759mm

Weight: 1530kg

Performance

Max speed: 180kph (112mph)

0-100kph: 10.8 seconds

1/4 mile: 18 seconds

The two BOP Monaros

Tim checks out two BOP Monaros that are related in more ways than you would imagine

Just as the Great Race was becoming great, the Monaro was winning it. A two-door coupe based on the HK Holden Kingswood sedan from 1968 to 1971, the Monaro’s huge engine made the rest of the field cannon fodder on the long and aptly named Con-Rod straight at Mount Panorama.

The original Monaro came from a brand-new Holden design studio — taking styling features from Oldsmobile’s Toronado coupe — and was released in 1966. GM gave the Monaro 19 engine and transmission combinations, including 5031cc and 5359cc (307 and 327ci) Chevrolet V8 power. A 1968 debut win at Sandown for the Monaro GTS 327 was followed by first, second and third outright at Bathurst, setting the Monaro legend in motion. The original HK Monaro GTS 327, HT and HG Monaro GTS 350 coupes, which were homologation models, built for the Bathurst endurance race from 1968 to 1971 and powered by Chevrolet’s 327 and 350ci (5735cc) motors, are real collectors’ pieces.

Experience is the key on Dunlop Targa, and Maurice had plenty of experiences before his next attempt with the HQ coupe in 1999

The HQ sedan brought with it a new range of Monaro coupes in 1972, although GM chose to water down the mix by producing the HQ sedan as a Monaro too. To confuse matters further, the final coupe did not carry the Monaro nameplate — in August 1976, almost two months after the HX series release, 580 LE coupes were produced at Pagewood in Sydney. The LE came with a 5047cc (308ci) engine, Turbo-Hydramatic and a Salisbury limited slip differential only, plus four headlights, colour-keyed front and rear spoilers and a quadraphonic eight-track player.

The final cut

As things turned out, this wouldn’t be the last big coupe from Holden. Some 20 years after the first Monaro, a Commodore coupe show car appeared at the 1998 Sydney motor show and gained the Monaro name tag from the public before Holden had a chance to decide what to call it. The reception was so good, GM gave Holden the go-ahead to get it into production, which took it 22 months and A$60 million. Built on the same wheelbase platform as the Commodore, the coupe was a new car from the front A-pillar rearwards. Only the bonnet, guards and door handles were carry-over items from the sedan.

This Monaro was first available in CV6 and CV8 models with a supercharged 3.8-litre V6 and a 5.7-litre Gen III V8, and a choice of a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic. HSV also got in on the act, producing GTO and GTS versions with higher output 5.7-litre engines. Later the GTS version was dropped, but a four-wheel-drive variant called Coupe4 appeared. An SII model debuted in early 2003 with revisions from the VY series Commodore, and the CV6 model was dropped (10 times as many CV8s had been sold) when the Series 3 model appeared in 2004.

To make it cost effective, Holden exported the Monaro to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe, the United States as the Pontiac GTO, and to the UK as the Vauxhall Monaro. Three quarters of the car’s sales have come from overseas; although the Pontiac GTO’s relative failure is now being touted as the reason GM Australia has given up on the Monaro.

Because it is not a sedan, and as such does not comply with the Aussie Supercar regulations, the third generation Monaro did not have a great racing heritage, but a Monaro racer powered by a 7.0-litre racing version of Holden’s Gen III V8 engine was constructed for Holden Motorsport by the Bathurst-winning Garry Rogers Motorsport team, where it won the Bathurst 24-hour enduro in Peter Brock’s hands against opposition from Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. After its Bathurst 24-hour debut it successfully competed in the GT sports car category of the 2003 Nations Cup series against similar opposition.

Shap

Things happen to Maurice Shapley, and his adventures have become part of Dunlop Targa folklore. Maurice is the distributor and installer of SolarPeak solar water heating systems in the Whakatane, Kawerau and Opotiki districts.

Maurice’s grandfather, Sidney Samuel Shapley, started plumbing in 1911 from a tent on Commerce Street, opposite the car park known as Shapley Place. After the Great War, the Kopeopeo plumbing works was installed in his wife’s washhouse. His two sons joined, and John took over the business when Sidney retired in 1955. John and Sidney Jnr carried on the business to be joined by their sons, Ron in 1972 and Maurice in 1975. Maurice started Shapley Plumbing Ltd in 1994, whilst Ron continued on with the retail side of SS Shapley & Co.
Maurice was also a successful motocross competitor before he tried his luck in the burgeoning Holden HQ series category. He did pretty well at that, too, and went on to try his hand at circuit racing with a VS Commodore.

This 1972 GTS HQ Monaro is one of only 300 made with a Chevrolet motor and a four-speed ’box

He found this HQ coupe in a shed in Te Tako, and swapped it for an HQ ute. He built it up for the 1998 Dunlop Targa, the beginning of a roller-coaster ride for both car and crew. On the Maneatutu special stage he had a big off; rolling the car into a ball that would have stopped a less determined team. But they had paid their entry, and they were going to get it going the next day!

They found a diff in Welcome Bay, some doors in Gate Pa, a boot lid from the Kaimais and a rear screen was uncovered in Mount Maunganui at 3am the next morning, so the car was¦ er¦ ready to go next day. Experience is the key on Dunlop Targa, and Maurice had plenty of experiences before his next attempt with the HQ coupe in 1999. Despite losing third gear the team achieved third in category. The next year was better than that, the red Monaro coming home first classic and tenth overall. With more gearbox problems they got second in class in 2001. Maurice broke two Muncies and two T5 gearboxes before going to a Super T10. The HQ coupe, however, has proved its worth, having now run in seven full Dunlop Targas, two Targa Bambinas and two Targa Dashes.

Inspired by Brock

In 2002, Peter Brock competed on the Dunlop Targa with his new Monaro. It fired Maurice up to build a replica of Brockie’s late model Monaro coupe. The two were parked together, and Brock’s crew became surrogate mothers to the Whakatane team, helping them throughout the event, so Maurice started to pick their brains for a new project that was coming to mind. He was going to build a GT0 Monaro.

He picked up a damaged 2002 Monaro from Turners for $13,800. The left-hand-side had been ripped apart, but the car was substantially sound. The damaged roof came off, which made it a good deal easier for Brett Molesworth to fit the chrome-moly safety cage. The LS1 Gen III 5.7-litre V8 has been fitted with a C&V Computer upgrade, which brought the power up to 300kW, and a Cappa Performance 10-litre sump to prevent oil surge. A T56 Tremec six-speed feeds the Kazz diff centre and Harrop diff hat (incidentally, Harrop Australia saw its stickers on Maurice’s car in a report on Dunlop Targa and offered to give him full support this year for free — proof positive that the Dunlop Targa message is international).

The Monaro raced on Dunlop Targa 2003 to 23rd overall, but fellow competitor Steve Millen noticed its brakes were on fire after one stage, and offered to send a set of Pontiac GTO after-market brakes to the Whakatane team from his base in the USA. The units sent over by Stillen Engineering were six-pot AP front callipers and four-pot rears. Millen’s help ensured that Shapley and his partner Sherryl Hanley gained fourth overall and second in class in the 2004 Dunlop Targa Tauranga.

Tauranga saw another new Monaro join the Dunlop Targa fray — driven by Daniel Jones and Keryn Dudley — and when their alternator failed, Maurice’s Whakatane team helped them sort it out.

Tony’s Monaro

With the new Monaro up and running, Maurice passed his old car to Tony Rees, who had already completed two Dunlop Targas and one Targa Dash. The HQ seemed quite attached to Maurice, and when he crashed the BMW he was driving on the 2003 Dunlop Targa through a fence in Fielding, his old HQ came bundling through the fence after him with Tony at the wheel.
Thirty-seven-year-old Tony is Whakatane born and bred, but has seen the world, been there and done that — mostly on two wheels. Tony owns the local Yamaha dealership. Drawn to two-wheeled competition by a home-made mini-bike, Tony entered the Taupo Street Race in 1986, which gave him a taste for bike racing. He won the Hamilton Winter Road Race Series that same year, and then went on to some spectacular successes in the World Endurance series at places like Le Mans and Suzuka, finishing fourth at Spa Francorchamps in 1999 and second at Bathurst in Easter 2000.

He also came seventh in the Australian GP, and back at home he has had several wins at the Paeroa Street Races and scored nine National titles. Being no stranger to street racing, and using the skills of judging road conditions as all bike riders do, Tony went to four wheels using Maurice Shapley’s 1972 Monaro. In the 2003 Dunlop Targa he scored fifth in the Classic class, nineteenth overall, and followed it up with a third in class the following year in both the Dunlop Dash and main Targa events with his co-driver, Steve Dodson.

The 1972 GTS HQ Monaro is one of only 300 made with a Chevrolet motor and a four-speed ’box. Since its preparation for Dunlop Targa the GTS has been developed along the way, not least in the gearbox department, to put up with a 6276cc (383ci) V8 fed by a 750 Holley double pumper. The rest of the driveline has been beefed up too. The rear axle is made up from a VN centre and Statesman rear tubes and discs while 320mm Wilwood discs are on the front squeezed by four-pot callipers.

Bilstein adjustables damp out the suspension, which is lowered by 50mm, and the car is fitted with an electric power steering pump.

Flying the flag

The two Whakatane-based Monaros (along with Hamish Paterson’s car) will be waving the General’s flag during Dunlop Targa this year. The competition between them and against the throng of Fords and Porsches will be an interesting one.

Words: Tim Nevinson Photos: Quinn Hamill

By 1972, Australia’s big three manufacturers — Ford, General Motors and Chrysler — were in the middle of a no-holds-barred war for Bathurst production car competition supremacy. There was a clear, lucrative link between Motorsport — particularly Bathurst success — and vehicle sales, not to mention bragging rights. Because of this, the manufacturers were embroiled in a three-way heavyweight brawl to be king of the mountain at the annual endurance event.

Holden set the ball rolling in 1963 when it released its limited run S4 version of the EH. This was the first year Australia’s major production car endurance event was held at Mount Panorama on the outskirts of the small town of Bathurst. Since its inception, the 500-mile event had previously been held at the sweeping Philip Island venue.

The 1963 race would also be televised throughout, no doubt providing Holden some added motivation to win the event. To counter, Ford lined up four hurriedly prepared Cortina GTs. In fact, the S4s fell by the wayside and the Cortinas won as they did the following year. Then Ford competitions manager Harry Firth produced a limited run of hot Cortinas to stave off any would be challengers. Called the GT500, they were designed to win the 1965 event, which they duly did.

For a car to be eligible for Bathurst, the manufacturer had to produce at least 100 identical locally produced units, or 250, if imported. But after Ford’s dominance of the ’65 event, the ARDC raised the minimum number of units to 250, regardless of their origin, deeming the GT500 ineligible for the ’66 event, which was famously won by Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden in a Mini Cooper.

The Monaro and the Falcon GT

Ford then upped the ante, coming out all guns blazing in 1967 with its family sized V8-powered Falcon XR GT. Seven of the big Fords started the event, dominating both the practice and the race, its lazy 289ci V8 ideally suited to the steep up-hill climb and long straights. Ford was expecting a repeat performance the following year with its 302ci Falcon XT GT, but it was Holden, after a couple of years on the sidelines, which came up trumps with its fabulous new two-door 327ci HK Monaro GTS. The handsome Monaro, with its swooping lines, both looked the part, and performed superbly.

Ford was caught off guard. The new Monaro was released just weeks before the Bathurst enduro and with smaller engines, the Falcons were both out-qualified and out-raced. Embarrassed, Ford hit back hard, releasing the impressive new Falcon XW GT-HO (High-Output) in August 1969. The HO was a much-improved GT and its intention was quite clear. Its engine size had leaped to 351ci and it produced 300 horsepower. The bonnet scoop (ducting air to the brake master cylinder) and wild side stripes were carried over from the GT. A front spoiler was also attached, but it was beneath the skin where the HO was race-focused.

Holden was not resting on its laurels. The same month it released the new HT Monaro GTS 350. The increase in engine size to 350ci gave the big coupe added power, but come Bathurst, the Falcons looked like sure winners. Just six Monaros GTS 350s lined up against an astonishing 14 GT-HOs and the Fords dominated practice. It was only a question of which Ford would win. However, Ford’s confidence lasted just half a lap as a massive first-lap pile up eliminated several cars. The Fords that escaped the carnage didn’t fare much better, with most of them shredding rear tyres or suffering from punctures as the race wore on. Incredibly, despite the odds, Colin Bond and Tony Roberts bought their Monaro home first, leaving Ford with a bloodied nose and wounded pride.

The response was the Falcon XW GT-HO Phase II. This was an evolution of the original GT-HO (now known as Phase I), whereas Holden went completely the opposite way. Rather than continue with the Monaro, it stepped down to the new mid-sized Vauxhall-based Torana LC GTR fitted with the 186ci straight six-cylinder engine codenamed XU-1. Whereas the Falcon boasted power and straight-line speed, the Torana was nimble, economical and easy on tyres and brakes.
Chrysler finally decided to dip a toe in with its boxy Valiant Pacer and the screaming 245ci Hemi six-cylinder engine, but it would be another 12 months before Chrysler became a force at the mountain.

The Torana and the Charger

At Bathurst 1970, Ford finally redeemed itself with emerging Ford hero, Canadian born Allan Moffat, taking pole position and winning the race without a co-driver. The first Torana was third, the first Pacer fourth. For 1971, Ford knew it would have a battle maintaining its dominance, with Holden improving upon the already potent little XU-1, while Chrysler released an R/T (Road and Track) variant of the gorgeous new two-door Charger. With a 265ci straight six, triple 45 DCOE side draught carburettors and brilliant handling, the Charger E38 R/T was a strong package — its only weakness being its three-speed gearbox. Ford’s answer, of course, was the Falcon GT-HO Phase III, which Moffat drove to score his second win in a row at the mountain.

Without doubt, these would be fast cars, on road or track. All three manufacturers were charging full-steam-ahead

And so, come 1972, both Holden and Chrysler knew they needed more power, while Ford knew it needed more of everything. Harry Firth (now at Holden) proposed fitting a 308ci V8 into the Torana, which Holden did. A handful of cars were built and one even raced, proving the massive potential this package had. Chrysler was rumoured to be doing the same: a shipment of 340ci V8s were ordered from the US to be fitted to the Charger. Ford released its new XA model range in 1972 and three cars — four-door models curiously — were prepared for competition.

For any of these cars to be eligible for competition, a minimum of 200 identical units would have to be produced. Without doubt, these would be fast cars, on road or track. All three manufacturers were charging full-steam-ahead in their quest for competition supremacy. This was an innocent time when powerful road cars slid around on skinny cross-ply tyres with minimal brakes and there were no open-road speed limits.

The super car controversy

Then motoring writer Evan Green approached NSW Transport Minister Milton Morris for his thoughts on the proposed ‘supercars’ being built by Australia’s big three manufacturers for a story he was writing for the Sun-Herald newspaper. Morris’ reaction, along with the ensuing negative headline stories, had all three manufacturers suddenly reversing at full speed, falling over themselves to vigorously deny any such cars were even being considered. Predictably, all three projects were scrapped and all three manufacturers cut back on their motorsport involvement. Nothing like this had happened before and none of them knew how to deal with the negative backlash they were receiving.

All three manufacturers were represented at Bathurst 1972, but this was not the race it might have been. Ford reverted back to the old XY GT-HO Phase III; Holden the six cylinder XU-1, now fitted with a 202ci engine; and Chrysler improved upon its E38 Charger, now with a little more power from its six-cylinder engine and four-speed gearbox. Moffat once again sat on pole, but with rain persisting throughout the early part of the race, rising Holden star Peter Brock took his first Bathurst victory.

Despite the scare of ’72, both Ford and Holden were keen to continue reaping the rewards gained from Bathurst success, but both knew they would need to be a little less obvious about their intentions. It was no longer acceptable for a responsible car manufacturer to encourage speed. To keep the manufacturers involved, CAMS changed the regulations for 1973 to Group C, ensuring manufacturers would no longer need to go to such lengths to build a race-winning production road car. Group C provided many freedoms in areas such as wheels, suspension and engine parts. But the manufacturer would still be required to produce a rapid road car with the right ingredients to become a race winner.

Although Moffat won the 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship in a Falcon XY GT-HO, he won Bathurst in a new Falcon XA GT hardtop. Then Ford pulled the plug on its direct motorsport involvement. Holden was still involved and would continue to be, but the long-standing worldwide GM ‘no racing’ policy should now looked like it was being enforced.

Despite the Holden Dealer Team fronting as the factory team, as it had done for several seasons, Holden could ill afford another super car scandal and in future would become very secretive about its race-bred specials. So when the new SLR/5000 L34 became available in limited numbers to Holden dealers, potential buyers had to prove they were capable of handling the car by bringing their CAMS competition licence with them.

Still reeling from the super car scare, Holden made sure its latest race-focused road rocket would not fall into the clutches of the unskilled. But this over protective policy even carried through to the media and motoring scribes had a hellish time trying to get hold of one to test. As Wheels magazine wrote: “Of course, the policy is grossly unfair. The company has built L34s by the hundred for the sole purpose of doing well on race tracks for the great image it engenders (and for the publicity it denies your rival), yet it is apparently unwilling to face any adverse consequences of the action. From where we stand, that’s an unfair attitude.”