yes and its simple really... you see at Port Melbourne, there was a VERY large storage area (plant17?) for engines, trans, diffs etc down the back of the site
and it had all the production at the Bend put there (except for stuff like parts for Trimatic production in SA which was shipped as made) and
the VAPs drew on that stock as their VAP builds required. Totally possible, most likely blue and black L6 and V8 engines would be held there at the same time

the engines as you know were stamped with a white 2 letter 'production' code like say 'WG' (and a 4 speed gearbox maybe ZE) and if Dandenong needed tomorrow,
25 x 'WG' engines (the codes show on broadcast sheets) .. then they would be shipped just before being needed on the line ( a simple JIT system).
The VAPs did not hold stock of engines, trans, diffs beyond a day or 2 production needs so storage was needed somewhere

So you're saying that they stockpiled Blue 5.0 V8s in late 1983, for 1984 WB Statesman production & then they continued building 4.2 V8s & painting them blue until Nov 1984.

Dr Terry

As wbute says, they had to be building them side by side, some were blue and some were black. No different to Torana prefix engines side by side with Holden and Statesman engines except they were painted the same colour. But take a step back to HK-HG, S engines were painted a different colour to regular 6cyl, so it was an established practice. 3.3, 4.2 and 5.0 litre engines stayed blue until the end, and they were cast to be used as the schedule dictated. What did change at some time is the engine number pad on later WB 3.3L engines stopped being machined, it was rough cast. Just like the VK black 6cyl engines. Obviously a WB or a VK 5.0L is the same block and rotating assembly, same heads etc. Just like Torana vs Holden its a different dress though, as in sump, pickup, engine mount adapters, exhaust manifolds etc. The carbied VK 6cyl was even more different than the V8, as it also had different flywheel/flexplate amongst other stuff. Still the same basic block, crank, rods etc. You have to also remember that just because a local car was no longer fitted with a particular engine that it didn't continue in export vehicles. Example being the 2.85L engine remained into VK. And GMH were still building the 1974 HJ spec engines and exporting and/or fitting the engines locally into export market vehicles. Those pre-canister ADR27 spec engines are very different to especially the ADR27A engines, yet they kept building them. Same colour as the local ones, but significantly different engines to others. What I'm getting at it just because the 4.2 disappeared from Commodore and Calais, it doesn't mean is wsn't used outside of WB. It is also possible GMH stockpiled 4.2L engines for predicted WB schedule, it wouldn't be without precedent. Its what they did for HG spec V8 engines for South African assembly and for post HQ release HG commercials, also done later with VSIII V8 engines once VTII arrived.

Edited by user Thursday, 21 March 2024 5:30:22 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

They could have but it’s only paint. The engines were a lot different in how they were dressed which would have been a much larger pain than different engine paint.

When I said "I have it that the last 4.2 V8 was built on Nov 2 1984 & it was painted blue". I was referring to the last 4.2 V8 built at the the engine plant. There was a small ceremony & a I have press release regarding it.

Dr Terry

11/84 is the latest I have seen. They must have pushed a heap out in 9/84 as there seems to be a lot about with that build date.
There must have been a few left in dealers yards as I know a bloke locally that bought a new V8 Kingswood Ute new in January 85 from Wellington Holden dealer.

You'd imagine they would have planned to assemble any remaining scheduled vehicles before Xmas break 1984. Although I can't see any ADR's applicable to commercial vehicles coming into force on 1/1/85 so they may have complianced a few in January 1985. There may have been a straggler or two that weren't actually finished until January 1985. This happened with Dandenong HZ commercials, they were all completed by Xmas 1977 except for one that was delayed until about 20th January 1978 - I reckon it was still December 1977 complianced though. There was an ADR34a that came into force in January 1985 to do with child restraints for rear seat passengers in passenger vehicles, so you'd think they complianced all WB Statesman no later than 12/84. The 12/84 WB Statesman I have recorded only has ADR34 on the ADR tag. Funnily enough I have a few with chassis numbers EWB600xxA. They are all 11/84 except one of them is 12/84 it's PSN is lower but has highest chassis number of EWB60075A. EWB60073A is 11/84 compliance. I have another that shows 12/84 on the BODY ID tag but do not have its ADR tag, it is the highest PSN I have seen yet. Out of interest, AWB00001A is 9/79 compliance.