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My brother is looking at a car and gave me these numbers. Can they be a legit reference to a Group 3?
Model- VL8VK19 A85
Body- 249834A
Eng- LV2
Trans- M40
Axle- GU4
Build date is 1987
I don't have any other numbers to go on besides these. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
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first question is why are these the only numbers you have...
im not an expert but all HDT Commodores are numbered and have a build plate...
if the build plate is missing these cars are well documented but you will need the vin number
and a group 3 VL is one of the rarest hdtvehicle... they only made about 40.....
Al
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The A85 I believe to be A8S, which is a V8 Executive pack.
The M40 signifies a Tri-Matic auto, so it's not likely to be the base for an HDT Group 3.
Also all VK HDT should have a build plate to ID them.
Dr Terry |
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The Doc has covered VKs very well, but I think the red wine with dinner had him seeing VK instead of VL!
VL Group 3s are quite rare as hqgts noted (they only got up to build numbers in the mid 30s) and ALL of them have a rivetted build plate in the engine bay, on the plenum wall, above the fuse box.
What troubles me here, is that A8S is an exec 5L Auto, and all group 3s were Berlina V8 auto based - ie on 233 packs, not A8S packs.
Anyone considering purchasing any HDT commodore (or something that supposedly is) should RING HDT and quote the tag number of the car. The body number 249834A in this case converts to tag number L249834.
Pick up the phone, ask Darren to run the number, and if it comes up blank (I have every reason to believe this will) then walk away, or be happy spending those $$ on what will only ever be a replica. |
Cheers,
Mick
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Thanks for the help. Yep, I also thought that all Group 3's were berlina based and was a bit skeptical when the numbers matched an exec instead. Oh well, he'd better steer clear then.
Thanks again.
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Sadly Mick I haven't embibed this week, so I made that typo stone cold sober,
The point that I was trying to make was that all VKs & VLs HDTs did get a build plate while
the earlier ones did not.
When did HDT cars begin with a proper build plate Mick ? Was it mid VH ?
Dr Terry. |
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The definition of proper build plate is a difficult one to nail down - early VKs (and some '84 VHs) had a self-adhesive style plate applied to them, but it wasn't all that robust in the engine bay environment.
The self adhesive ones can come off & leave no trace of their existance, although any prudent owner would not allow this to happen, or if it did, they'd soon be replacing it - hence you could say all VKs should have a build plate.
In the later part of '84, when HDT were declared a secondary manufacturer, they began rivetting the plates on - as this was a DOTARS requirement at the time that all ID plates be secured by at least 2 rivets (even though 4 rivets would have been better.... cost cutting?)
As DOTARS recognised this rivetted plate as a legal (from a compliance perspective) identification plate, and totally ignore the earlier adhesive ones, I personally class the rivetted plates as the definitive point from an ID perspective.
These rivetted build plates have also been retro-fitted to many earlier (validated) HDTs - a service offered by Brock & subsequent HDT owners, right to this day. |
Cheers,
Mick
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