Holden out of Oz in 2017

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
Yeah, that was common back then, a mate's Father's told me a story about 20 years ago that his Father or (mate's grandfather) bought him a brand new GT HO and he drove it straight off the showroom floor to Bathurst.
Them were the days .... John Goss was a family friend back in the 70's. He had dinner at my place many times, but I was a runt and remember none of his stories .....
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
In the 60's?
50s through to the 80s. The 505 was the last car assembled here in the early 80s.

The rear drive Pugs from those days were super tough and capable. Alas the French makers went plastic front drive econo boxes that they made millions of in Europe and gave up on the colonies ;)
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
50s through to the 80s. The 505 was the last car assembled here in the early 80s.

The rear drive Pugs from those days were super tough and capable. Alas the French makers went plastic front drive econo boxes that they made millions of in Europe and gave up on the colonies ;)
I remember one of my uncles mates was a Peugeot tragic. He modded a 504 or 505 (I think?) with big side draft carbs and lowered suspension. It was a rocket for it's time....and a real sleeper too.
 

mas2

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I am here to defend medium size SUV's, they are great. Great visibility, easy to get in and out of, easy to gets kids and stuff in and out of. I am against massive 4wds though that seem to be all the rage and unable to be parked.
 

stirk

Burner
It's completely the consumers "fault". "Choice" might be a better word. You "need" $29K in upgrades, in the same way a weekend warrior 'needs' carbon wheels, or $3K forks. If you aren't racing it, you're indulging.
It is the consumers fault. Many 4wd cars are low and with factory bumpers just not capable off road because the consumers have no intention of going off-road. Look at what happened the land rover's disco.


Sorry off topic, but every time I jump on my MTB I'm racing. S __483
50s through to the 80s. The 505 was the last car assembled here in the early 80s.

The rear drive Pugs from those days were super tough and capable. Alas the French makers went plastic front drive econo boxes that they made millions of in Europe and gave up on the colonies ;)
I remember the mid 80's 505, great looking car and did some rallying if my memory is still working.
My sis and I learnt to drive in a renault, I think it may have been a 30tx - definitely early 80's and it was bullet proof, solid and very reliable. The Volvo 240GL that followed as my mums car for a decade was so good, it just worked and never stopped working, the brakes and steering were the best I've expericenced even if it wallowed it was... precise. Euro's can make very good cars.
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
I remember when the 70's and 80's station wagon was the big family car. Since the wagon got mostly replaced by all kinds of different sized so called 'SUV' the 4wd was seen as a big station wagon. Don't worry that many never use 4wd that's not the consumers fault they just want a family wagon and the fourbys are in many cases the best option.

That's why the foubys are so roady Lycra now from the factory.

The car manufacturers should just make a wagon again, not a fucking SUV that is neither sports nor utility, just a wagon FFS!

And then make a decent 4wd that does not need $29,000 spent on it to make it off road capable.
I couldn't agree more. I've owned a few different wagons over the years. Love 'em. Super practical....but still drive like a sedan.
But the market is the herd - and most manufacturers stopped making wagons because the punters always choose the SUV sitting next to the wagon on the showroom floor......for a bunch of flaky reasons. :rolleyes:
(I've always lusted after an Audi RS4/6 wagon - dream car!)
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
It is the consumers fault. Many 4wd cars are low and with factory bumpers just not capable off road because the consumers have no intention of going off-road. Look at what happened the land rover's disco.


Sorry off topic, but every time I jump on my MTB I'm racing. S __483

I remember the mid 80's 505, great looking car and did some rallying if my memory is still working.
My sis and I learnt to drive in a renault, I think it may have been a 30tx - definitely early 80's and it was bullet proof, solid and very reliable. The Volvo 240GL that followed as my mums car for a decade was so good, it just worked and never stopped working, the brakes and steering were the best I've expericenced even if it wallowed it was... precise. Euro's can make very good cars.
30tx was a rare beast in Australia, lots of the 20ts which was the 4 cylinder version - very cool car. Those and the 504 in particular were better suited to Australian conditions than the Fords and Holdens - they had proper suspension and handling and brakes to deal with sketchy roads at high speed.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
They also were pretty fun with the P76 4.4 litre alloy V8 in them ;)
V8, IRS, 4 wheel discs, rack and pinion - and about 25 years before Holden discovered that combination...

The VF wasn’t terrible, but it was a very recent thing that Holden wasn’t decades behind in design.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Think you might be confused a bit, not irs, 4 link live axle with coils and most if not all had drum rear brakes. V8 was the rover 3500 with extra space. But my memory may be playing tricks but hey at least I didnt quote myself.
 

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
Think you might be confused a bit, not irs, 4 link live axle with coils and most if not all had drum rear brakes. V8 was the rover 3500 with extra space. But my memory may be playing tricks but hey at least I didnt quote myself.
I think he was saying he built it? That's how I took it anyways.
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
I remember when the 70's and 80's station wagon was the big family car. Since the wagon got mostly replaced by all kinds of different sized so called 'SUV' the 4wd was seen as a big station wagon. Don't worry that many never use 4wd that's not the consumers fault they just want a family wagon and the fourbys are in many cases the best option.

That's why the foubys are so roady Lycra now from the factory.

The car manufacturers should just make a wagon again, not a fucking SUV that is neither sports nor utility, just a wagon FFS!

And then make a decent 4wd that does not need $29,000 spent on it to make it off road capable.
That's why we ended up with a 4wd. We would've happily replaced the VY Wagon with a VE or VF wagon, but the luggage space was smaller in the later model when we were looking for bigger
 

Boom King

downloaded a pic of moorey's bruised arse
I couldn't agree more. I've owned a few different wagons over the years. Love 'em. Super practical....but still drive like a sedan.
But the market is the herd - and most manufacturers stopped making wagons because the punters always choose the SUV sitting next to the wagon on the showroom floor......for a bunch of flaky reasons. :rolleyes:
(I've always lusted after an Audi RS4/6 wagon - dream car!)
I remember back in the early days of the WRC in WA, when Colin McRae was driving for Subaru. They were racing Liberty RS turbos and he did all is pace notes in the wagon.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
I am here to defend medium size SUV's, they are great. Great visibility, easy to get in and out of, easy to gets kids and stuff in and out of. I am against massive 4wds though that seem to be all the rage and unable to be parked.
So you're one of the asshats that blocks everybody else's view of the road in order to get a better view yourself. Would you take a stool to stand on at a concert so you can see better and block everybody else or would you get that that would make you a dickhead.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Think you might be confused a bit, not irs, 4 link live axle with coils and most if not all had drum rear brakes. V8 was the rover 3500 with extra space. But my memory may be playing tricks but hey at least I didnt quote myself.
Youre talking P76. Good car, wish they’d put it together properly...
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
That's why we ended up with a 4wd. We would've happily replaced the VY Wagon with a VE or VF wagon, but the luggage space was smaller in the later model when we were looking for bigger
So get a people mover. I call bullshit on anyone who buys a 4WD for “the space”...
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Some rose coloured glasses going on I think. I was driving when those things p76 etc were on the road. Mates had:
P76 Targa Florio, comfortable, felt huge, handled like a barge, wasn't particularly quick, drank fuel
Pug 504 or 505, they looked the same to me, rode ok, was slower than a snail and handled ok but had lots of body roll and it was fitted with those metric (trx?) wheels that were around at the time, average one flat per week
Holden gemini, with headers and exhaust, nothing positive to say at all
Holden Commodore, VB, 308 manual SLE, fairly rare beast. Was ok but later fitted an exhaust and it droned worse than his missus, drove with him from Bilo to Townsville. I hitched home
Chrysler sedan, incredibly comfortable but had no brakes and the handling was worse than a prawn trawler in a cyclone
Triumph Dolomite Sprint, almost a great car but suspension was woeful, broke down a lot, wiring was scary
Various Fords and Holdens, enough said
Ovlov 242 GT, ok? Good parts but just not coordinated
Saab turbo, I lusted after this
And me?
BMW 320i, 2nd owner of a private import, Recaro or Scheel interior (forget) and billies all round. Was easily the best car for hammering through the mountains or a road trip with the Saab. Not quick and underpowered but it worked. Was all good until I put it in a ditch.

The sprint was easily the fastest, P76 best for disposing dead bodies, Commodore for burnouts, gemini for dump runs but it kept coming back. The only car I would have swapped for was the Saab.
 
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