No, it was when they were new. Heaps cracked in the 80's.
The Jatco box wouldn't have survived in a commercial, just not up to the task. Maybe if they used the box on the turbo engine. Regardless i'm pretty sure this Nissan engine and box was why the W size commercials were canned as the engine and box weren't suitable.

No it isn't as simple as changing the rear springs. The GVW and GCM of the car needs to be higher to effectively tow 2300kg. Just changing the springs does not increase the GVW or GCM.
The clutch was not suitable on manuals for towing, simple as that. This is why they autos had a higher towing capacity. Same with Holden utes. Probably didn't apply in XG though.

That was one of the reasons I heard. I know it was huge at the time, people who had GMH engines all their life were blowing up at how fragile the VL engine was.

Which was a problem to people that had Holden 6's all their life. Suddenly you had a fragile car that you couldn't treat the same way you'd treated your EH then HQ then VB.

Sure that's true in that regard and that's with disregard, as many people did back in the day.
Try that crap with any modern day engine and your up for a hell of a shock and big money.

That is a VL turbo, stronger gearbox. But it'd not last in a commercial, it'd be dead within a year in the hands of brickies.

I will repeat myself again. I am talking about new cars or if not close to new. The traditional trade buyer of tonners or utes from HQ to WB flogged them to death. They overloaded them, dragged around heavy non-brakes trailers, rarely changed oil or greased anything. Yet they survived to be 10 years old. I saw huge amounts of them come though wreckers in the early to late 80’s and the cabs were normally OK but the mechanicals were shot. Some of the engines when you removed the rocker covers were like 2” thick licorice inside. The 6cyl engines held water but the V8 ones had corroded intakes and timing covers. Auto boxes had black or burnt fluid, manual 4spd were that growly and when you opened them up every gear was stuffed. Diffs were often empty of oil and shocks and suspension and steering rubbers all gone. That is what 250,000km and stuff all servicing did. There is no way the VL Nissan stuff would cop that sort of life and keep going that long.

Yes the ranger is selling as you say, but I was on about from 1972 and on a XD-E-F-G-H 4X4 would of been a good selling ute as would a AU on 4x4.

The WB Statesman was head and shoulders above the 1980's Ford ZJ on Fairlane and LTD looked like crap and the HZ Statesman was not a bad thing, true that the ZH Fairlane looked great and the P5 LTD was a great car back in the day.

Apparently this WB ambulance based on a one tonner is also L31 plated. Yet to see the photos of the plate though.
https://rover.ebay.com/r...0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2F÷÷ñÒ1153674362êÖ3õæwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F332559239592

Not 100% sure on WB (can't see why it'd change though) but in HJ to HZ Ambulance pack had whatever engine was standard with the car or whatever you optioned, however to get a 308 in a cab-chassis you could ONLY get it in an Ambulance pack, complete with M41 transmission.

I have only ever seen one HJ Ambulance pack cab chassis, but it was stripped. It was white but never looked at other options at the time other than it was L31 M41. I've owned two HZ BO6 cab-chassis. A white with 67V trim, bucket seat, 4.2 column trimatic with U17 dash, air but no steer. And an Ultra Blue 63V trim, L31 column M41 with U17 dash, no air or steer. I have also 1st hand knowledge of a Panama Green HZ BO6 tonner, it was bench seat, 4.2L, 4spd M20. Can't recall if it had air or steer but I don't think it did. Dr Terry still has his HZ bench seat L31 M41 BO6 cab chassis too.

In HJ/HX all BO6 added to a cab-chassis or Holden van was:

Component options:
K96 (55A alternator with built in regulator)(not with C60 (A/C)).

Feature changes:
Premier Grille, sheet metal, front bumper (plus the different body in white for the cab-chassis for the different cowl).
Premier door trims.
Complete front floor mat.
Utility bumperettes (to be added to Ambulance body).
Belmont hub caps.
Windscreen to be placed into position and not fused.

The only difference mentioned for HZ are:
Clarification that bumperettes supplied only with cab-chassis.
Windscreen not fused no longer mentioned.
Chromed hub caps (probably as there was no longer a Belmont in HZ, it finished with HX).

I have a felling though that HJ and HX Ambulance packs were pretty much made just for the Ambulance industry. The financial justification for it in late 1974 was based upon 90 orders per year. This is probably why HJ and HX BO6 don't seem to exist much, yet just me alone have seen dozens of HZ's let alone owned two. And I know people who bought them new, they must have built lots as they bought them out of plant stock and readily available to the public. This is probably reflected in the windscreen not fused being removed for HZ.

Edited by user Thursday, 22 February 2018 10:37:06 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

No, not much to work with... the cab has the whole rear panel removed. Shows they are out there though.