Does anyone have any links or ideas of numbers of different OH models left on our roads? I realise that plenty are left hiding unregistered in garages and sheds, but it would be interesting to find out how many grace our roads these days. I drove from Northern NSW to Sydney the other week. I saw one customised EH. That was it.

Funny isn't it Warren. To me an OLD HOLDEN is anything prior to HK. HK-WB are modern Holdens!

All of USA has been E10 for some years now.

I reckon modern in Australia is availability of all of the following in the one Series: air, steer, power windows, power boosted front discs, auto choke and automatic transmission. I think that means HK in GMH. To me a modern car is a comfortable, no fuss car. Sure you had to pay for all this stuff in HK, and no HK had all of this as standard equipment, and the equipment itself could be somewhat agricultural compared to 40 years later. To get all of this standard fitment in a GMH product I think means HJ Caprice. Probably the first Holden with all this standard is HX LE. To others modern might also mean integrated A/C and 4 wheel coil suspension, so that means HQ onwards. Some may add cruise control and intermittent wipers to the list, which would then mean I think VC and WB Statesman.

Fuel injection is when modern started in my opinion. Oh and AC as standard, not an option.

No matter what you use as a criteria to judge old, someone else will argue another point.

Back in the 80s/90s we had two All Holden Days here in Brisbane, one for up to HR and the other for all Holdens including those modern ones. It was beleived that the HK was a deviation from the original theme of a Holden, basic motoring. It is true that you could get power steering automatic and disc brakes on HR, But Hk you could now get cloth trim, air con, power windows, buckets on other than Premier, V8 just to name a few. Here are some popular break points:

Increase in soft plastic interior materials = FE
Automatic = EK
Large increase in hard plastic interior pieces = EK
Super luxury model = EJ
Electronics = EH
Power steering = EH
Plastic dash surround = HD
Disc brake = HD
4 speed = HR
Larger format = HK
Options game = HK
Excessive Luxury model = HK
Plastic grille = HT
Coil springs = HQ
Crude ABS = HJ
Dwell wipers = HJ
Plastic mouldings = HJ
Full plastic dash = HJ
Plastic mirrors = HX
4 wheel disc = HZ
Euro design influence = VB
Plastic coated bumpers = VK
EFI = VK
IRS = VR/VS?
ABS = VR/VS?
Plastic bumper = VT

These are just a few. But as you can see, using plastic as a gauge of old does not work very well.

We could debate this all day, so age is the only real answer to "old". What we want to call a "Traditional Holden" or "Real Holden" though WOW where do we start and finish?

Warren

Warren

Warren,
Pardon my ignorance but what was electronic about the EH? or what do you define as electronic. I would have assumed electronic referred to electronic ignition or a computer chip of some sort.
Al

IRS = VQ (Mar-90)
ABS = VQII (Nov-91)

I don't quite understand the"plastic bumper" vs "plastic coated bumpers" thing.

AFAIK all those cars with plastic faced bumpers (VK to VF) have a reinforcement behind them. The only real difference over that time would be the material used. The plastic itself has changed.

Dr Terry

A diode is electronics or solid state and they are mounted on a board as such within the alternator. The diamond dot radio is not part of the operation of the car, but yes they had transistors in them. So that is why I went for EH. Electronic alternator voltage regulator came in in HJ. There was also a Voltage regulator for the instruments, I am not sure when that changed from vibration type to electronic.

Some bumpers have a metal brace covered in plastic, a VT bumper is just plastic.

Thanks for the ABS and IRS clarification.

It would be interesting to make a list of features and when they became available and when they became standard to a vehicle then standard across the range. Ie

Power Steering, Option EH and retro fit EJ, Standard HK Brougham, Standard all VN
Power windows Option HK, Standard HJ Caprice? Standard all VE

I think a lot of people would be surprised at when these things happened.

Warren

The first vibrator type voltage reg for the instruments, was for the 1973 HQ update when they went to thermal type gauges. I think VB Commodore had the first electronic voltage reg for the instruments.

With reference to the bumpers, VK to VF all differed in bumper construction but it could be argued that the earlier ones were hard plastic with no steel reo, where VN onwards had a 'proper' steel reo to pass crash tests. With VT to VZ the front reo in particular is quite a structure. On the later models the bumper face is nothing more than a cover to hide the steel 'bumper' behind.

Dr Terry