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The classic/fave car thread

Here's your chance to talk about classic motor vehicles, your favourite cars or cars that played a part in your formative years.  In fact, anything to do with cars is fair game.

I'll start with my late brother's HT Holden Premier.  It had a 253 cu in V8 with a three-speed column shift, apparently a very rare combination.

https://www.carltonsc.com/index.php?action=dlattach;sa=tmpattach;attach=post_tmp_324_9594a15caf42eae6be9ce7e13b627178;topic=0

I went for my licence in this car and I remember doing 100mph on the Eastern Freeway when I was on Ls - those were the days!

It was known as Kevin Henry Charles even though the number plate changed to LLL 666 and Kevin Henry Charles stayed in our family for many years as the loan car.  I had it for a while in the late 1980s when my Landcruiser was incapacitated.  My niece was the last one to borrow it and, with my brother's blessing, sold it to someone who was keen to restore it to its former glory.

It was great to drive and went like sh1t out of a shanghai when you floored it.


It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #1 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Here's your chance to talk about classic motor vehicles, your favourite cars or cars that played a part in your formative years.  In fact, anything to do with cars is fair game.

I'll start with my late brother's HT Holden Premier.  It had a 253 cu in V8 with a three-speed column shift, apparently a very rare combination.

https://www.carltonsc.com/index.php?action=dlattach;sa=tmpattach;attach=post_tmp_324_9594a15caf42eae6be9ce7e13b627178;topic=0

I went for my licence in this car and I remember doing 100mph on the Eastern Freeway when I was on Ls - those were the days!

It was known as Kevin Henry Charles even though the number plate changed to LLL 666 and Kevin Henry Charles stayed in our family for many years as the loan car.  I had it for a while in the late 1980s when my Landcruiser was incapacitated.  My niece was the last one to borrow it and, with my brother's blessing, sold to someone who was keen to restore it to its former glory.

It was great to drive and went like sh1t out of a shanghai when you floored it.



Nice looking jigger that.
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time
2025-Carlton can win the 2025 AFL Premiership

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #2 –
In the mid to late 70s, my cousin owned a genuine Harry Firth built LJ GTR XU1 with a 308 in it. He purchased it from a Sydney dentist IIRC, the car was registered in Canberra due to the problems registering them. When he took to it Melb, his then fiancé worked at old Motor Reg Board and she organised LJ-308 personalised plates for it. He eventually sold it as he needed the money to get hitched, the guy reportedly wrote it off. If that car was alive today, given the current car market for classic muscle cars it would be utterly priceless given the folklore behind the V8 LJ program that was scrapped by the Gov (A unicorn). I remember going for drives in, god damn it was quick.
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time
2025-Carlton can win the 2025 AFL Premiership

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #3 –
Looks like we're the only revheads G2C  :)
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #4 –
There are plenty of us around, it's hard to get motivated these days, too much other stuff going on.

More than a decade ago I could have purchased a partly restored 1974 Astin Martin V8 Vantage Series III, dirt cheap an unfinished project was being offered up for $25K. But I did not take up the offer, I'd baulked at the cost of sourcing the original or replica parts, I worked out it would triple the purchase price just to finish the job.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_V8

I should have, recently examples of finished projects sell for upwards of $250K.

I haven't done much with cars in recent years, I was never much into the grunt work of panel beating or painting I left that to the professionals, my gig was building engines, occasionally dabbling in transmissions and diffs. The last engine I built was a 308 with a custom HEI ignition system, QuadraJet, Headers/Extractors with a 2" single exhaust system, all hooked up to a Turbo 400 Automatic and a very low ratio diff. All crammed in a HZ Premier. On idle the whole house would rumble like an earthquake, you could hardly get it off the line without stalling, but it would run along the freeway or around Calder all day long like a Nascar. There is nothing better in automotive history than the rumble of a serious V8, I suppose that is why they fake that sound in modern supercars.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #5 –
My first car was a mini cooper 1275, got hit by a Gilbertsons meat truck that ran a red light in Swanson St/Collins St,made the 3rd page of "the Herald" afternoon edition.Those old enough might remember that paper.  The engine bay broke loose from the cabin and I ended up on the footpath in the cabin minus the engine bay, the truck ran into a shop. Luckily I swerved left at the last second after catching the glint of the trucks hub cap as the sun was rising. Remember the ambo's picking glass out of my back, I was thrown forward then back in the seat where the window had broken and had slivers sticking out my back, didnt feel any pain though as I was in shock, shredded a new shirt I had on too. Took me about 8 weeks to recover, missed the start of Uni at RMIT which set me back, ended up switching to Swinburne which was closer to home and were more supportive, but I was happy just to be around. Side story was I wasnt insured and borrowed money off my father for the car, lesson learned. My mother to cheer me up said to play Tattslotto that week and put in a couple of extra dollars and fate helped us out, we had five numbers and needed number 9, number eight came up.....was worth about $2.5K as we had a systems entry  so I bought a second hand HG Holden with a red 186 motor and bought my mum a dishwasher, paid the old man back ...someone up above must have been looking after me. The HG was a great car, took me and the future Mrs E everywhere ..aqua blue color, easy to work on and that Red Motor just kept humming away.

 

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #6 –
That's one hell of an experience EB. Glad you survived with no real damage.

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #8 –
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
I bought a second hand HG Holden with a red 186 motor
I learnt all my early stuff rebuilding the old grey or red motors, would make some pocket money helping my neighbour service cars at the weekend as a side gig. He was a GMH production line foreman, worked on lots of FB and EJ models initially.

Did quite a few red motors, recall a couple of favs were HK Monaro and Broughams we upgraded from 186 to 253 or 308. The 253 was a special job as this was using aftermarket mounting blocks and a special tranny transom, I think in the end the 253s were probably my favourite.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #10 –
I like cars, im not partial to any one.  My favourite to look at is the XB coupe (ford).

"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Thryleon – on
I like cars, im not partial to any one.  My favourite to look at is the XB coupe (ford).
 Fastback man, orange with a GT stripe?
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #12 –
Quote from: LP – on
Fastback man, orange with a GT stripe?
The Chicken Coupe RPO XA GT sold for a pretty penny a few months ago. What a ripper of a car that was.
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time
2025-Carlton can win the 2025 AFL Premiership

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #13 –
Quote from: LP – on
Fastback man, orange with a GT stripe?

Not really sure, just the interceptor was very cool to look at.  I think fast back. 
"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: The classic/fave car thread

Reply #14 –
Hey, what about the Datsun Sunny.  :)