Early GTS with V8 and auto optioned were 2.78 or 3.08 banjo unless optioned with 3.36 in which case they will be a salisbury with associated hump. For later builds (from about the start of August 1968) 3.36 salisbury became standard and 2.78 or 3.08 became optional however as almost all of these cars were stock order you rarely saw a banjo from that time onwards.

My HK GTS is an early car and it came standard with most likely 2.78 banjo but possibly 3.08. When we found it there was a 3.08 Salisbury in it that looked like it'd been there forever despite having not tank and floor hump. When we took it out it was dated 1969 whereas the car was completed in the first few days of July 1968. It also has the banjo brake hose bracket.

What number is it?

281 is not all that early but was obviously made from the initial panel sets as it has the first style pillars. It is probably still a July build, might possibly have been completed in August. Does it have the C pillar badge holes on the inside above the parcel shelf? Mine is number 20 and it is the same as yours.

I’ll have to check on one of my spare Salisbury rear axles for the code, forgotten exactly where GMH stamped it. It’s not original to your car anyway if it has a banjo bracket.

Is it a 5” wheel car or 6”? Most of those initial build V8 auto GTS had 5” rims as that is how GMH built them. Most later Retail Order cars I have seen where the 2.78 or 3.08 rear axles were optioned (over the stock 3.36 sals) seem to have 6” rims.

All HK with Salisbury had the correct brake hose bracket for HK from my experience, it was there from the start of GTS production as GTS327 was done alongside GTS. My Pagewood GTS327 (#2) is about 30 chassis numbers different to my GTS (the body is actually earlier but it was completed a little later than the GTS) and it would have had the correct bracket but it was cut off with the floor when it was converted to a speedway car. The old brake and fuel lines were till there just cut off.

Is it welded on? Someone may have done it to fit where a banjo was. The normal HK Sals bracket bolts onto the diff.

HT/HG is different bracket to HK if that is what you mean?

HK never had Salisbury or dual exhaust until Monaro release, so they were designed to be together. What I mean is the first car to get a dual exhaust was also the first car to get a Salisbury. That car was more than likely the L34 optioned GTS which was from memory the second 80737 from Elizabeth. Any fiddling with making things work would have been done on that car prior to regular production vehicles.

I meant is the bracket on it a HT-HG bracket?

This is HK:
https://www.ebay.com.au/...%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-C5yuHUYA

Can’t find the HT bracket online, only have them in shed.

Can’t explain that. I have seen banjo brackets added to other diffs though to go in a banjo car. Like the first picture in this link:

https://www.ebay.com.au/...ZuRIFPhDdTIaAvKJEALw_wcB

Edited by user Tuesday, 16 August 2022 9:09:19 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Been studying that first photo you put up with the red diff, If you look to the right of the photo you can see a bracket that`s attached to the axle tube, next to the cast casing, that`s bent over where the pipe goes through, That`s exactly what mine has got!

Edited by user Tuesday, 16 August 2022 9:56:34 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

It`s not added on tho, The one on my diff is a factory attachment, not welded on.

I have 2 Salisbury axes with the brake hose bracket welded on same as the photo.

One is in a survivor car which uses the bolt on brake hose bracket at the top of the diff housing.

The other housing has the welded on tab bent over.