Celebrating Positives (offset of the Gripes Thread)

[facthunter]

 The 504 is a bit heavy.  The 5 bearing motor is much stronger. Supercharged it was used in speedway cars. Nev

[Litespeed]

Yes a bit heavy, but built extremely tough, thick strong steel panels, independent suspension and discs all round.

 

And French seats that are super comfy even after 50 years.

 

I know if tomorrow I had to do a redex trial or similar- the 504 is the best.

 

Lack of power is the only issue, the later high power dual solex model are better by 10 hp. Not heaps but it helps.

[facthunter]

Some are fuel Injected. Some weird French system. Nev

[Litespeed]

 

Injected were good but twin solex model was better.

 

Early ones were not cross flow heads so limited in power.

 

This has a full cage, race seats, four points harness and full rally Terra trip etc. 6 matching special rally wheels and dual tanks. The rust is very small spots but easy to fix.

 

The roo bar is poorly made and will be replaced- note front and rear tow Bars for recovery.

 

It cost $3500. Try buying any similar Holden for the same job and it would be 20-30k and not as good.

[facthunter]

Didn't some fit a Citroen V6 engine?  It's easy to  cross flow the fours. Do a lot of welding. Nev

[old man emu]

Let's face it. Automotive engineering has come a very long way in the past 75 years. Sure we Boomers drool over the cars of our teenage years, but they are not a match for the quality and longevity of modern vehicles. Modern vehicles only lack one thing that those early vehicles had - distinctive styling. Back then you could actually identify the Make of a car by its appearance. Today cars are so similar that you have to read their badges to determine who made them.

 

A possible reason for the similarity in styling could be explained by 'form follows function'. The aerodynamics of a passenger vehicle, which now form part of a vehicle's fuel economy determination, lead to its design. In Biology the process is called "convergent evolution",  the independent evolution of similar traits in distantly related species, driven by similar environmental pressures, resulting in analogous structures or behaviors. 

[Litespeed]

2 hours ago, facthunter said:

Didn't some fit a Citroen V6 engine?  It's easy to  cross flow the fours. Do a lot of welding. Nev

Yes,  they did the PRV ( Peugeot - Renault -Volvo) V6 in a two door version and used it in the Africa rallies which it won.

 

The later 505 had a good cross flow head and can be swapped. Same with the five speed.

The brothers has a 5 speed from the 505.

 

 

[onetrack]

Well, I can't complain about those old Holden "classics", they served me very well over many years. I've owned no less than 52 Holden utes, starting with an EH fitted with the optional 179 engine.

I did 105,000 miles (yes miles) with it, and traded it in on a new HK Belmont ute, and it still didn't burn much oil. But the drum brakes were crap, and only a VH44 booster fixed them to a certain degree.

From there, followed a big succession of HQ, HJ, HZ, and WB utes, a HQ 308 sedan, and even a 4WD F100 (with the Cleveland 302).

 

I've still got a WB 1 tonner, it was the Melbourne Airport runway ute, and it's painted in the CAA safety yellow colour. It will get restored in due course, it would've been an easy restoration if the 2nd owner of the 1-tonner (out near Warragul) didn't get it bogged to the gunwhales in a creek, and let water stay inside it, for possibly weeks - so the floorpans are in poor shape. You can't blame the design for mistreatment and abuse.

 

The Holden utes took me places that are declared "4WD Only" to todays drivers, and I regularly towed 1000-gallon fuel tankers with the Holdens, and even carried 1-1/2 tons once in the back of the EH. However, it was a short and slow trip! The brothers boss carried 2 tons of clearing chain, draped between a car trailer, and his EK Holden ute! 

 

Edited March 24 by onetrack

[Litespeed]

Ah, so you owned 52 different Holden utes?

 

That's a hell of a lot to own, why so many? 

 

How could they be that great if you needed so many?

 

 

[onetrack]

Litespeed, I owned a business and employed a number of people (up to 103 at one time, much later in my business career), and a lot of the utes were "work" utes. But they were all registered in my name and I drove them all at various times, some a lot more than others.

Sometimes I'd drive them a lot myself (mainly when new), then they'd be utilised by employees. We used to rack up some miles, often working 75 and 80 miles from home base. Over that distance, we'd camp out in caravans, motels, or whatever other form of accommodation was available. A lot of work was remote, so not too many facilities.

I was in business from age 16, and I've never worked for anyone else in my whole working life - apart from 2 years National Service.

 

Edited March 24 by onetrack

[spacesailor]

I don't know if this is positive

My eldest Greatgrandson has got his Learners permit. 

   Already

He wanted to fly ,( RAAF ) BUT I don't think he has enough education .

spacesailor

 

[Litespeed]

Onetrack,

 

That makes sense, I expect they were in constant use, which helps keep them reliable.

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

9 hours ago, facthunter said:

The HR was the worst Holden.

My father must have had one made on a Friday arvo or Monday morning.He had it for years, and it took us from Melbourne to Brisbane and back at least 10 times without a hitch. I can't remember him ever complaining about it. IMHO, it was the best looking Holden of that era, too. It did eventually rust out, though, but not before it got us safely across a flooded bridge that the police had closed off due to Land Rovers not being able to get across.

 

That car is indelibly etched into my mind - I even remember the rego.

 

Yep, cars of that era had now power steering or air conditioning (generally). But those bid solid steering wheels provided leverage so it wasn't as hard to turn wheels a with the small sporty steering wheels today, and those vent windows directed a flow of air which was remarkably efficient.  Of course, it was cooler back then, too.

Edited March 24 by Jerry_Atrick

[Litespeed]

Jerry,

 

I think you mean it was built on a Wednesday if it was real good. 

Normally Monday was getting back in the swing of building after the heavy weekend drinking.

Friday cars tended to be slap dash as everyone was tired and wanted out as fast as possible. Also much more likely to have run out of stock of good parts and the rejects or old parts got used.

 

I agree the HR looked better than the HD. The later HT looked very bland. The EH premier I liked, but not the clapped out one my brother had. I did like the HZ GTS? Wagon V8 my cousin had, loved the electric window tailgate. My grandmother had a EK from new and only 35k miles in 2003 when she died, only driven to Hay bowls, shops and Maude Weir. Grandad had a GPack Torana in green with stripes. Dad had various Kingswood.

I have probably driven every model Holden made locally except at FX. 

 

I remember out on the Hay plains, flat chat in a HT ute going to Maude Weir. As a kid 130 was  fast, esp with the Roos nearby.  Then it was fun fishing for carp with explosives.

 

Not the sort of thing done these days.

 

But even as a young kid, I knew the world was full of more fun and speed. My oldest brothers highly modded Cooper S 1380 Mini was the antidote needed. The David Vizard book on Mini engine building and racing mods was my Bible at  8 years old. 

 

Then I got a ride in a Alfa Romeo which completely cured me of the family Holden disease. 

 

I am the only one in my big family to have never owned a Holden.

 

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

I've never worked for anyone else in my whole working life - apart from 2 years National Service.

Don't tell GON.

[Litespeed]

1 hour ago, spacesailor said:

I don't know if this is positive

My eldest Greatgrandson has got his Learners permit. 

   Already

He wanted to fly ,( RAAF ) BUT I don't think he has enough education .

spacesailor

 

They seem to grow faster the older we get.

 

If he really wants to fly, get him in the Air league if ones nearby. That can get him training and  simulator /airtime in the RAAF way, its a headstart when the number of possible applicants finish school and apply. In the league, current grades don't matter, it's what he does going forward. He will have the ability to get massively subsidised flight time in training aircraft with ground school free. And trained the way the RAAF wants.

 

It's also a great motivator to improve his grades as he now sees a clear application to his education.    

[ClintonB]

I like my old cars, but the wife’s Santa Fe has spoiled me, I now like the comfort, quietness, fuel economy and it is no slouch even though it’s diesel.

going for its first service she wondered why everyone on the freeway was going slow when she had an appointment, a Quick Look down and it had crept up to 180 kms with no noise, or external indication of speed. She was on the brakes real quick when she realised. I use the speed limiter to prevent this, set the max and then just drive like normal.

i hope I will put my charger back together before fuel is outlawed. Then I might get to drive it after 32 years of owning it.

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

On 24/03/2025 at 10:33 AM, Litespeed said:

I think you mean it was built on a Wednesday if it was real good. 

Nope.. Not in this case. Because it was claimed that HRs were of such poor quality, clearly my father's was built on a Friday arvo or Monday morning, to be the antithesis of its claimed normal build quality...

 

(slight sarcasm in my original post).

 

My father's was a 3 speed column shift manual wagon, 2 tone light brown/white, and had a "spoiler" I guess on the top of the rear, which was stock for it. It was a '66.

 

I have maintained for a very long time that nostalgia is the most expensive commodity on earth (at least in the western world) because the amount we pay for it, is much more that the things themselves are worth.  Here is a list of some HRs for sale (there is one for $130K!!!): https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/holden/hr/. I have to admit, if my father's car came up for sale at the price most of them are going for, in the condition they are advertised at, I wold not bat an eyelid, as I am buying nostalgia, or a memory...

 

If I was in the market for a "collectible" Aussie car, even though they don't seem to have the demand of the others, I would probably buy one anyway, as I think that they are the best looking holdens of that era, inside and out (well, not including the HX and HZ). The HQ, to me is the ugliest inside and out I have ever seen.

 

But, as an A grade export bogan, I do find myself frequenting this site occasionally: https://www.australianmusclecarsales.com.au/cars/1978-ford-falcon-xc-cobra-no170-58l-tbar-auto-245401

 

Haven't been on for a while, but have just seen a nice looking Ford XC Cobra, which is another one that I really like. When I first found this site, about 7 years ago, there was one on there for about $150K. I though that was expensive.. Turns out, it looks like it would have been a very good investment.

 

 

[facthunter]

Those 2 door Fords have become very sought after. Nev

[spacesailor]

The ' muscle  cars ' had a scam going for a good few years,

in that a group of " owners "

Would purchase each other's car , at an over the top price , thereby  pushing the ' market price ' through the ceiling .

spacesailor

Edited Saturday at 06:12 AM by spacesailor

[facthunter]

Was Arthur Daley one of them?   Nev

[old man emu]

I think I've had a win today. When you don't have a TV installed, you rely on your internet connection for entertainment and social interaction - like annoying people on forums. I was getting very poor WIFI reception and internet drop-out. I had my WIFI receiver in a place where my phone was showing only one bar reception. I knew that if I took my phone to another part of the house I could get at least two bars, and even three. So I ran an extension cord to where I got better reception and set the receiver there. It looks like I've solved the problem.

 

You beauty, another night of YouTube viewing and forum posting.

[red750]

If you can watch Youtube on your PC/laptop you can stream the TV stations streaming channels - ABC iView, 7plus, 9Now, 10play and choose from dozens of programs. 

 

eg Selecting Live on 7plus, you can watch th news only 15-20 seconds behind the Free to Air program on the TV. 

 

You can also choose past episodes. Those brain tester questions I posted from The 1% Club were screen captured using 7play, choosing a season and episone then freezing the frame when the question was displayed, and taking a screen capture.

[old man emu]

Sometimes I watch ABC iView. I've got a link the Netflix. There are some old TV series I can get through YouTube. In a few minutes I'm going to watch an episode of a mid/late 90s show called Cadfael. It's about an English monk around 1275 who is the abbey's herbalist and who solves murders by observation and deduction. Typically classy English production.

[facthunter]

Like Benny Hill? Nev