Maybe the front panels were punched out ready for the HG race program
but when the Torana became Holden's focus they shipped those modified parts to Africa..
Just a theory...

Ok, thanks.....but there still must be a logical reason the South Africans got the nicely punched radiator support panels and we didn't..

I don't see how the radiator support panel vents, which allow air to the wheel housing and brakes, would have any bearing on vented splash guards, as they would only allow air to the engine bay. The 350 version has plenty of cooling as standard, and that might be why the special part was short lived. The two mods would be for two different requirements.

The HT350 got thicker solid rotors (0.625") and spacers between the caliper halves compared to the 0.5" rotors on everything else. The thicker disc was, I believe adopted across the range for HG. But yes, they are skinny by modern standards. Or any standard for that matter.
The HT350 stops from full noise really well. The first time. Provided the second time is about 5 minutes later, no problem. Any sooner than 5 minutes and you are very thankful for a manual gearbox to help out.

quote:

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Originally posted by gm5735
The HT350 got thicker solid rotors (0.625") and spacers between the caliper halves compared to the 0.5" rotors on everything else. The thicker disc was, I believe adopted across the range for HG. But yes, they are skinny by modern standards. Or any standard for that matter.
The HT350 stops from full noise really well. The first time. Provided the second time is about 5 minutes later, no problem. Any sooner than 5 minutes and you are very thankful for a manual gearbox to help out.

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As far as I understand this is why the HG GTS350 LT1 and the lighter-weight HG 308 race car plans were not followed through with and the LC Torana continued with past 1970. GMH knew the HG's brakes weren't up to more horsepower and/or speed under race conditions.

Yes the HG was as far as i'm aware an initially unplanned facelift as HQ was late. HJ was meant to replace HQ in 1973 and then WA in 1975. Norm Darwin has this info in Torana Tough around page 245.

Harry was serious about the HG and GMH were working with him on it as the LC wasn't successful at Bathurst in 1970. Harry talks about the cars in an earlier edition of AMC magazine, I think it was the one with the HT GTS350 as the feature. His pet was a V8 GTS with 308 (built to what would later be known as the L34 308), M22 wide ratio Saginaw and a 2.55:1 rear axle. Harry talks about it as having a 3spd Saginaw and maybe there was a car with one, but the car I know of that exists today has an M22 Saginaw. It still wears its GMH Experimental Engineering ID plate. The reason Harry wanted the 308 powered car was it was significantly lighter than a 350 powered HG thus would be better on brakes. The tall diff was to keep the 308 under I think 6000rpm as its rods were a weakness. GMH also were working on an LT1 powered GTS350 with the Hurricane's oil cooled brakes but I don't know if that car ever made it to driveable status. The modified 308 Harry had for the HG was as I understand the basis for the V8 XU1, and more than likely the engine he'd built for this car probably made it into one of his XU1 V8 mules, possibly the Barney's Shirt car or another. The mods more than likely formed the basis of the LH L34 308.

Thanks Gents. There is an interesting transcript of an interview with Bob Watson on Speedcafe. Bob, apart from being a pretty good steerer in his day and a nice bloke as well, winning an Australian rally championship, and finishing third at Bathurst in 1968, was a GMH chassis engineer for the HK. He also worked on the oil cooled brake project slated for HT/HG.
It's worth a read if you haven't already seen it.

http://www.speedcafe.com...06/13/bob-watson-part-2/

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Originally posted by gm5735
The mighty "Brabham Torana" should have sent sort of a signal about where GMH marketing was going with the Torana. (And I wonder what Black Jack thought about the finished product - I hope he got paid heaps to ease the pain)

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The mechanical part of the 'Brabham package' was Jack's own design. Jack's company in the UK, sold it as a drive in, drive out conversion thru several Vauxhall dealers, as the Brabham Viva. It wasn't a factory thing, it was aftermarket. Somebody at GM-H thought it such a great idea, that they imported the required number of kits & made it a factory option as the Brabham Torana.

Effectively Jack would have been paid twice, once for the parts package & again for his naming rights.

I'm sure that Jack being Jack would have made it a good earner at the time, but you'll notice not long after he owned a Ford dealership (Jack Brabham Ford - Bankstown NSW)

Dr Terry

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Originally posted by Alan
These posts are very interesting but could you please not mention "HB Torana" anymore,
I'm having horrible flashbacks to a time my girlfriend owned one and I had to stop the gearbox
from flopping about !

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I do apologise, Alan. The HB wasn't Holden's best model series, was it ?

Dr Terry

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Originally posted by gm5735
Terry, I can't let you take all the blame, since I started it.
I know a man (a pom, by coincidence) who has, at last count, 10 complete unmentionable cars, plus as many more in bits.
A future gold mine?

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One man's trash can be another man's treasure.

Dr Terry