As for looking at Holden's on could assume things about the models quality and so forth.
I for one claim that the HK-T G to be the best built quality of them all and from the HQ on this was a step back in some regards, just look at how you close the doors on a HK-T-G, well a HQ on does not close like that. no Falcon doors are as good.
I think that the panels on the HK-T-G were much better fitting.
The Back seat more comfortable in a HK-T-G than any other Holden.
I believe the HK-T-G to be quieter inside than a HQ and even the chrome is better than the HQ on, just look at the HK-T-G Premier door sills and no Ford has that quality.

Look at a LC-J Torana I can't say it's a good car at all really. look at it's opposition Datsun etc are a far better car.
I can't think of anything good about the LC-J Torana that stands out, but from the XU-1.

EK Automatic now even a woman can drive a car or maybe want to.
EJ Premier and bucket seats boy things are starting to be looking up some what.
look at the EH what's good about it ? or what was good back in the days, well the engine and a Automatic for the time and that their was a Premier to be had.
HD well X2 and disc brakes and nothing other stand out, still backwards 3sp manual rubbish.
HR 186s 4 speed that's it.
HK well now we have got a whole new era now with V8 Brougham, V8 Premier, V8 GTS Monaro's Air-con now starting to take off somewhat. 6 cyl nothing to talk about but at least a 3 speed syn manual now, that being a great leap in advancement for the era for the garden verity driver.
HQ nothing really.
HJ nothing.
HX headlight flasher advancement but shit full ADR27A is a killer.
HZ RTS
VB Commodore a advanced Car.
WB Statesman a world class Car.
VC Engine improvement.
VH nothing
VK new EFI 3.3L engine advancement.
VL 3.0L good engine and 5sp manual and 4sp auto.
VN Shit box V6 great EFI V8.
VP nothing
VR nothing but better looking.
VS V6 is good.
VT 5.7L was crap
VX IRS much better.
VY Best Holden ever all round.
VZ crap V6.

So what can others add to such cars that is your impression.

I've owned lots of them. The best one I ever had was a V2 CV8, hands down winner. Sure the VZ CV8 had more power but it was uglier. VFII V8 is always going to be a better car to drive though.

But there are lots of milestones along the way, and you can't really compare each against anything other than its contemporaries.

The biggest milestone car for me was the GTS327. So much better than any prior Holden and so far better than any of its local competition. It was the car that spawned both the XR GT and the GT-HO, neither would have existed if GMH hadn't planned to build (thus the XR GT) and actually built that car and wiped the floor of Fords at Bathurst 1968 (hence why the GT-HO was built).

I’m with Dr Terry on HQ. Whilst it’s suspension and steering setup was a leap backwards, it did introduce some pretty decent stuff for GMH. Like the beautiful TH400, ventilated front discs, integrated A/C, reliable power steering, retractable seatbelts, collapsible steering column. Plus the longer wheelbase Ute/Van/Wagon/sedan including the luxury LWB sedan. In addition the cab-chassis, and a proper “Premier” coupe in the LS rather than the HK-HG GTS sharing some Premier components. You can’t blame the HQ for its driving setup either, GMH showed how good it could have been with the HZ (same with UC vs LH). George Roberts has to take the blame for that and the LH too. He hated the GTS327.

Edited by user Wednesday, 22 January 2020 6:01:06 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Best ever Holden or best advancement of mechanical design?
Best ever is potentially just an opinion. I love the WB Kingswood ute but there was nothing best or advanced on it.
The Red 6 in EH would have to be the single biggest advancement in the 60’s. That motor went on to power most Holdens for nearly 20 years and was capable of going down the street or winning Bathurst. Plus it was dead set simple.
I don’t really think too many things these days advance cars. They are mostly passive safety features that really only add weight and complexity.

4SP In HR only from 19/6/1967.

I was looking at a PB 1962 Vauxhall Cresta spec of late as I seen a real good one of late in a parking lot and I thought f that's the best looking one that I have ever seen and I seen a Mk2 Zephyr some years ago parked in the street and f did it look good, I know my uncle had a convertible one years ago and other uncle had a Mk3 Zodiac in black and 4sp it looked real good back in the days.

And I was thinking, Now you would know this, what month did we start making the 1968 Impala and Pontiac, I thought may of been as late as July 68. why I say that is because of the 327 engine only came into the HK 327 GTS in 9/8/1968 and the last of them engines end Dec 1968 and then go to the other 327 from Jan 1969, but with our Impala and Pontiac all have the early 327 in them to the end and they must of been making them in early 1969 or did they finish up in Dec 1968, not to mention I would think that the 327 for them came bolted up with automatic trans. and the HK 327 came with 4sp bolted up.
Not to mention the big cars got 327 with air-con option only in the last 1968 year models from Holden.
And we got HK air-con in 307 from the beginning ? 6 cyl I don't know if they got air-con in the HK optional.

As far as I am aware aircon was optional on all HK except GTS327 and 161. I think the only catch was it was only available on 307 with drum brakes until mid 1968-ish.

Edited by user Thursday, 23 January 2020 12:33:16 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I agree.

With the advancement of the EK auto coming to light, is one but then their is another advancement in this auto again in 4/1962 with a 4 stage type as the first was a 3 stage. buggered if I know how one is better than the other. I have only driven a EK around the paddock and it worked fine and went real well I was surprised.
As to the Powerglide 2sp auto I think that they worked fine in my HR and my sisters HK 186 Premer, HR was quicker with 13in wheels and being lighter, but a 307 V8 with 2.78 diff they were a slug to drive, sure a 307 with 3.36 diff ratio would be not a bad thing to drive when getting up it.
People who had the Hydromatic complain about it being unreliable is what I get back from them, but I have never heard anyone bag the Powerglide for being unreliable.

HB Torana well one may have to look at the offerings that were around in the day to class them cars.
The HB was the first Holden to be a 4cyl line and as to why they went down this track ? well you have a full sync 4sp box in a town runabout, more of a girls car and no to mention 3sp B/W automatic option. But look at the 1967 Cortina it's a much better car.

How about the 1949 Holden's vs Fords what have you got Ford made a better car. but the Holden was a more advanced car, but no V8.

The TD Gemini to TG was nothing to talk about but good little runabout, but the Ford Escort had it over them with the big 2.0L and the 1.6l Valiant Lancer or 1.6L Datsun's etc come into play.

I would say VB Commodore to VK is one chapter and the others are all EFI and this changes into another era.

BEST Holden ever...???
best reason to start an argument that!

in 1953, the best was the 48/215 ( aka FX) sedan my old man bought coz I came along (his Austin 7 being outgrown)
I still have his original FX service manual.. and this got me involved in things auto, all from helping him on decokes

in 1970, I got an EH 179 manual sedan as my car (and the original 179 checkered badge was still there)
in 1972 I upgraded to a HD X2 manual.. with sports instruments, ball joint front end and disc brakes
and the bloody thing.. would not go faster than exactly 100mph (I always told myself...faulty speedo? ;) )

in 1974, I bought a mates HT GTS 350 manual Monaro.... scared me silly, shit brakes and double/triple declutch downshifts
but with a tank of Avgas Saturday nights were just an AWESOME experience. This had extractors, middle mufflers
removed and the 4 points of flame out the back from the zorst outlets were amazing. Still ..best Holden i have ever had!

in 1976, I traded the Munro (for $4large and I still cry) on a XU1 Torrie. All good til some clown in an F100 missed the middle
pedal and the Torrie was 4 ft shorter

Didn't matter as I was at GMH... and had a number of company cars to drive. First employee lease car was a HZ
Prem wagon with 308/M21 combo.. plus lots og goodies, best Holden I have ever had!

Too many to mention after that (some one-offs, hand builts etc) until 1985 when finances (GMH's that is)
said out.. and the list continues. I bought my last company car... Vk Berlina 234 pack with 308/M21 combo
LSD, alloys and with a factory sunroof (the only one). Had the hipo engine and went to HDT and
came back with lots of extra mumbo. Best Holden i have ever had...

and then VN/VR/VT/VX/VY models and

this continues up to 2015... with the purchase of the last V8 manual wagon that ever came out of
a Holden VAP, a HSV R8 Clubbie Tourer. Def the best Holden I have ever had.

Oh... and yes, I have the genuine service manual :)




my 2c

Edited by user Thursday, 23 January 2020 7:08:35 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

It is really just a VH version of the L34 engine in the end. Made for Group C Homologation if bits that couldn’t be changed. The sweet ones were those built for Group A especially VK.

I was looking at the Escort from the prospect that it had a 2.0L option as it being an Escort, talking about the 1977 such type, I hate the early Escorts all tho still better than a early toranas. I don't remember being in any Escort other than with the 2.0L a mate had a Ghia another a RS2000 with twin carbys and my wife with her RS2000, I did not think anything of them at the time, to me they were totally way to gutless for me to even bother drive.
I did drive a mates new TD Gemini around a new estate like it was a race track, very impressed handling as to my HG 253 Premier with a Monaro sway bar and Monaro GT130 and some Yokohama tyres that were really good. on a tight track like that the Gemini was king. but I did drive a TD from Bris to Bundy boy talk about gutless, they needed a 2.0L like some Country's got the option of bigger engines in them.
Oh I have been in a early Escort van engine ?
Loved the Datsun 1600's and Stanza was good for what it was, I thought inside was an improvement but looked crap boxy outside.

All you had to do to make a Gemini go better was get a 1.8 or 2.0L engine out of a Jackeroo or Rodeo. Or better still a turbo one out of a Piazza.
But they were pretty good things for what you paid for them. And they were a far better car than the first of the GMH T cars, the TA. They came at various stages with 5spd manual, as a coupe, or 2 door van/wagon and had plenty of go for a 1600. GMH could have done far better with the U cars (4cyl LH-LX Torana and later LX Sunbird) by fitting 2.0L Isuzu engines rather than the Opel thing they had.

I remember a Gemini turbo kit one was out TDC ? The 1.6L had low 8.3:1 compression from the TE on and only 8.7:1 before that so a Turbo with 8.3:1 would be ok.

I think that we got such low compression engines in the 1.6L because USA had unleaded from 1972 and Japan earlier than 1972. we could of got at least 9.7:1 with our Super fuel.