Hi guys. my first car was an lj 2 door back in 1981 i bought it from a car yard in bankstown. it was glacier white with black trim. it had the gtr dash fitted. gtr steering wheel. m20 four speed and the nibbless rims. 2850 motor. late 73 model. i remember someone saying gmh made a special batch of 2 door S models with a lot of gtr parts on them. and i know one raced at bathurst in 72 or 73. can anyone shed some light. rc
lj 2 door special
Started by
_rat catcher_
, Jan 17 2008 09:42 PM
16 replies to this topic
#2
rodomo
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Posted 17 January 2008 - 09:49 PM
Absolutely correct. This link shows a female team 2/3 down the list, DNF.
I have to go. I need to see if my "S" is a Bathurst car
http://www.uniquecar...thurst_1972.htm
I have to go. I need to see if my "S" is a Bathurst car
http://www.uniquecar...thurst_1972.htm
#3
rodomo
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Posted 17 January 2008 - 10:05 PM
Bugger!
It's just one of those homologation clones
It's just one of those homologation clones
#4
_73LJWhiteSL_
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 11:26 AM
Being the 70s anything is possible, but i would say no one would be able to verify or deny your suggestion.i remember someone saying gmh made a special batch of 2 door S models with a lot of gtr parts on them. and i know one raced at bathurst in 72 or 73.� can anyone shed some light.� rc
I would more plausably suggest that your car was one dealer optioned with the GTR goodies. To confirm that, did it have a 160KPH/100MPH speedo, or the GTR/XUI-1 fitted 200KPH/120MPH speedo? 160KPH/100MPH speedos were fitted to S and SLs, including those optioned with GTR clusters.
I am sure there were S Toranas raced at Bathurst, but i think they would have had to be standard, in the same way the race XU-1s were standard (different tyres, plugs etc?)
Steve
Edited by 73LJWhiteSL, 18 January 2008 - 11:28 AM.
#5
LOWS2
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 12:03 PM
Talked to a bloke in a carpark once when I was in my LJ, he said he owned a "McGrana Torana" (McGrath Holden Liverpool - i think he said??) it was purr-pull with black & white checker decals fitted along the sides (real 70's look he said LOL), apparently it was a motor show special or promo car at Bathurst. He said it had GTR features like you mention.
#6
_rat catcher_
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 12:20 PM
Rodomo that information is fantastic. interesting to see a couple of GTRs on that list. i wonder where they are now. looking back on it my S had the 160kph-100mph speedo fitted. i supose you could order what ever options you wanted. even xu1 spec motors in torana S.
#7
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 12:21 PM
I have a pic of the "Bathurst" car but it won't load to photobucket at the moment. 
#8
frash da bucket
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 12:47 PM
Hi all.
My mate in sydney has one of these cars,A lj torana s 2 door,JL motor fitted,m21gearbox,a 3.08 limitted slip diff,xu-1 petrol tank,with breather pipe,tank cover and boot mat,gtr wheels,centre caps and dress rims,gtr interior,gtr dash 200kp/h speedo,is glacier white 11/73,cheers.
My mate in sydney has one of these cars,A lj torana s 2 door,JL motor fitted,m21gearbox,a 3.08 limitted slip diff,xu-1 petrol tank,with breather pipe,tank cover and boot mat,gtr wheels,centre caps and dress rims,gtr interior,gtr dash 200kp/h speedo,is glacier white 11/73,cheers.
#9
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 12:59 PM
Hi Guys.
There would have been no need to make a special batch, because there were enough of each engine/transmission combination to enable any LJ to race at Bathurst.
In 1973 certain modifications were allowed under the new Group C rules, so they didn't race in 'standard' condition.
In regard to options, the GTR instruments were really only a factory option, they were too labour-intensive to be profitably installed by a dealer. If they were fitted by the dealer, look for wiring joints etc, they wouldn't have bothered with a whole new harness. The GTR steering wheel wasn't a factory option, but was easily dealer-fitted. I doubt very much whether 'nibless' rims would have been a factory option, AFAIK they had no PO number.
In 1973 the 2850 motor was standard for the S, while the M20 was a common factory option. Likewise a white car with black trim was a commonly ordered combination.
I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble here, it's just that if I had a $1 for every Bathurst 'special' story I've heard, I'd be a very rich man.
Dr Terry
There would have been no need to make a special batch, because there were enough of each engine/transmission combination to enable any LJ to race at Bathurst.
In 1973 certain modifications were allowed under the new Group C rules, so they didn't race in 'standard' condition.
In regard to options, the GTR instruments were really only a factory option, they were too labour-intensive to be profitably installed by a dealer. If they were fitted by the dealer, look for wiring joints etc, they wouldn't have bothered with a whole new harness. The GTR steering wheel wasn't a factory option, but was easily dealer-fitted. I doubt very much whether 'nibless' rims would have been a factory option, AFAIK they had no PO number.
In 1973 the 2850 motor was standard for the S, while the M20 was a common factory option. Likewise a white car with black trim was a commonly ordered combination.
I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble here, it's just that if I had a $1 for every Bathurst 'special' story I've heard, I'd be a very rich man.
Dr Terry
#10
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 01:32 PM
Ha ha! Say what you like Doc. but I now have bragging rights!I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble here, it's just that if I had a $1 for every Bathurst 'special' story I've heard, I'd be a very rich man.
Dr Terry
I'm going down the pub to tell my mates
#11
_CraigA_
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 01:36 PM
I'm going down the pub to tell my mates
LMFAO
But is there a list.........................................
#12
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Posted 18 January 2008 - 02:26 PM
#13
2600s
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Posted 22 June 2008 - 11:06 AM
My first LJ was a red two door S, black trim factory fitted 202, M20 4-speed, GTR dash and wheel so basically a GTR.
That car for a stockie went well but sounded like the Glenelg Tram after some hard thrashing
Sold it to Soss's brother in law when I bought my Mustard LJ GTR
That car for a stockie went well but sounded like the Glenelg Tram after some hard thrashing
Sold it to Soss's brother in law when I bought my Mustard LJ GTR
#14
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Posted 22 June 2008 - 12:46 PM
Wouldn't these special build S Toranas appear on the Torana 'fiche with a 202 engine code and enine number if they existed?
#15
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Posted 22 June 2008 - 08:22 PM
No idea mate, wouldn't think my old car was a special build just ordered that way by the original owner.
I wonder how much cheaper it was new than ordering a GTR?
I wonder how much cheaper it was new than ordering a GTR?
#16
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Posted 26 September 2010 - 05:35 PM
Hi Dr Terry,
from what I have been able to work out, like you say the numbers were needed for Homologation, but also spare parts were required to keep the race cars on the road/track.
I understand that limited numbers of 250 sets of final specification parts were made, but so far only 166 found to have actually made it into cars, the rest of stock appears to have been for spares and for anyone who wanted to upgrade their earlier cars, so this made a potential of 250 without Holden having to go to the trouble of making the whole cars, and averting some of the bad publicity of making race cars for the road!
It is quite concievable that some S models may have scored some of these special parts at the end of September 73 when the model was running out.
I was told only last week of an original XU-1 that had all its original papers and was owned by a famous race driver, it was all XU-1 go gear but was a 2 door S!
Car makers since the twenties and probably earlier have been known to use stocks of their redundant parts up before a model change and use this as an enducement for buyers to buy now rather than wait for the new model.
So for September 73 XU-1 cars nothing would surprise me!
Mike
from what I have been able to work out, like you say the numbers were needed for Homologation, but also spare parts were required to keep the race cars on the road/track.
I understand that limited numbers of 250 sets of final specification parts were made, but so far only 166 found to have actually made it into cars, the rest of stock appears to have been for spares and for anyone who wanted to upgrade their earlier cars, so this made a potential of 250 without Holden having to go to the trouble of making the whole cars, and averting some of the bad publicity of making race cars for the road!
It is quite concievable that some S models may have scored some of these special parts at the end of September 73 when the model was running out.
I was told only last week of an original XU-1 that had all its original papers and was owned by a famous race driver, it was all XU-1 go gear but was a 2 door S!
Car makers since the twenties and probably earlier have been known to use stocks of their redundant parts up before a model change and use this as an enducement for buyers to buy now rather than wait for the new model.
So for September 73 XU-1 cars nothing would surprise me!
Mike
#17
_BATHURST-32D_
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Posted 27 September 2010 - 04:56 AM
the answer to all your questions is quite simple,,, old stock had to be used, sold, replaced,and fitted,,,, its always common to make something look a bit more smarter and easyier to sell once its been sitting on a car lot for some time,, those of us that sell cars today do the same thing.
cheers gong
cheers gong
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