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What Is The Story Behind The XU-2

Started by gooley , May 12 2006 09:03 AM

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#1 gooley

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 09:03 AM

What is the story with the Torana XU-2......i have heard a whole lot of stories about this subject...my mate says there is only ever been 2 made and sold in the world and then another day he says that it was not made it was only a concept car and my mate always talks bullshit all the time i never believe his stories.....

So what is the whole truth behind the XU-2??????

Edited by gooley, 12 May 2006 - 09:05 AM.

#2 _rorym_

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 09:16 AM

Heres a condensed explanation.
R
http://www.toranagtr...om/ndx/xu-2.htm

#3 DanWA

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 11:41 AM

However one car did escape from GMH plant in Pagewood, Sydney in 1973. The car was bought by a leading hand, it was dark purple in colour with the XU-2 decals.


i love the sound of that

#4 _rorym_

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 01:19 PM

What he doesnt say is there was never a prototype built at Pagewood, Harry had the only 3 in Melb, so that kills that story.
R

#5 Toranavista

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 01:27 PM

AFAIK the XU-2 production code was assigned to the LH range. Due to the super car scare it was scraped. What eventuated was the factory option number L34 instead.

#6 Dr Terry

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 01:50 PM

Hi Guys.

The problem is that for the last 34 years everybody has referred to the stillborn LJ XU-1 V8, wrongly as the XU-2. It was only ever referred to as the XU-1 V8 or the XU-1 Series 2, by GM-H.

All internal GM-H literature refers to those either of those 2 names & used the XU-2 only for the LH sports model. Even then, there is confusion. Initially Holden was to have 2 different sports models, the SL/R & the XU-2. When the LH was released we then had a strange mix of models, the SL/R, the SL/R 5000 (which is referred to as production option number XU-2) & the SL/R 5000 L34. A listing of the part number for the XU-2 decals & a picture of one appears in early prints of the LH parts manuals.

AFAIK there were 3 prototype XU-1 V8 Toranas built in Melbourne by Harry Firth, in his workshop under contract to GM-H. These were all supposedly dismantled, but one ended up against the concrete wall crash barrier at Lang Lang.

AMC did a pretty good article on XU-1 V8s a couple of years ago.

Dr Terry

#7 REDA9X

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 05:52 PM

Harry did build some cars, but the 3 prototypes we all hear about were built by Holde, but each had something different about them. As DR Terry said, the last car was put into the crash barrier. Ian tate remembers Ray Borret walking in one day in 73 and saying "well, we just put the last one into the barrier this morning". The cars never had XU2 decals, they were the same GTR XU1 decals, with a small chrome V8 badge under them.

#8 bullitA9X

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Posted 12 May 2006 - 07:11 PM

Hey REDA9X do you have any pics of the v8 badges that went on them

#9 Dr Terry

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Posted 13 May 2006 - 07:22 AM

Hi Guys.

I've haven't seen a picture, but it would make sense to for them to use the plain V8 badge of an HQ boot lid.

Dr Terry.

#10 _rorym_

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Posted 13 May 2006 - 07:25 AM

In the AMC article Terry talks of there is a pic on the last page. It is the HQ V8 badge.
R

#11 GML-31

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Posted 13 May 2006 - 07:55 AM

a mate of mine has a book with a picture of a LH with the XU-2 decals will borrow it and scan the pic and post it up. I am sure it like a gregory's or something.

#12 _JBM_

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Posted 13 May 2006 - 09:41 AM

I thought that the XU2 RPO was already being used for the Bedfords and so they couldn't use it for the Torana.

James

#13 Toranavista

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Posted 13 May 2006 - 05:16 PM

Just found this.
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#14 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 13 May 2006 - 06:08 PM

For more info, there was an article on the GTR XU-1 V8 in AMC Magazine. There is also a section on it on the 10 years of HDT video.

#15 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 14 May 2006 - 12:35 PM

I thought that the XU2 RPO was already being used for the Bedfords and so they couldn't use it for the Torana.

James

Acording to the article in AMC, XU2 was an option for upgraded suspenion on the commercial vechicles.

Steve

#16 StephenSLR

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 03:01 PM

So what is the whole truth behind the XU-2??????

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#17 _rorym_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 05:22 PM

GMH mock up pics of the L34.
R

#18 _chevy_253_torana_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 06:04 PM

just this year i got to talk to the god himself, harry firth, he told me on how he personally loved the xu1 v8 program. It was the best race car they had ever made and he reckons (no offense to lh lx lovers im 1 as well) but the lh lx l34s were big and bulky and handling wise they werent quite as good as the lj xu1 v8. He also confirmed for me a rumor i read and have wondered about for years that supposedly as the v8 charger and phase 4 could do 160mph the xu1 v8 car during a drive up to bathurst for the race larry perkins drove the car and on the way through the country he thought lets see what this baby can do and belted it and hit 170mph (little did he know of the hdt car behind them with harry and others in it )if the car went to bathurst it would have destoried the v8 chargers and phase 4s


cheers chevy :D B) :rolleyes:

#19 _user asked to be removed_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 06:12 PM

but the lh lx l34s were big and bulky and handling wise they werent quite as good as the lj xu1 v8.

I thought the L34 was only an LH, and A9X was LX

#20 _Herne_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 06:51 PM

Has anyone got any colour photo's of the car ^^^ as shown by StephenSLR ?

I am wondering what colour the stripes were, I must say I dont mind the look of that paint/stripes scheme.

Cheers
Herne

#21 _chevy_253_torana_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 07:20 PM

herne mate go back a page i think its the same car well it gives you a bit of a idea

#22 _Herne_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 07:56 PM

herne mate go back a page i think its the same car well it gives you a bit of a idea

Hi chevy_253_torana

would you like to borrow my glasses?? LOL joke.

Nahh the yellow car on the previous page has what look like the normal LH stripes.

The ones above are totally different, thats what caught my eye.

Anyone else? Please!

Cheers
Herne

#23 _Toranamuk_

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 11:00 PM

I'm one of the lucky ones who has an early copy of the LH parts book, it shows & lists part No's for the "XU2" stickers & makes a lot of referral's for special parts as XU2 option.

I've been thinking about selling the parts book, its in ordinary condition as it did get used as a Holden dealers spares book until the LX release.

PM me if your interested.

#24 bryanw

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Posted 04 July 2006 - 11:57 PM

is there a link to the amc article?
also the link on the first page didn't work?

I read somewhere one prototype was an lc gtr in sebring orange?
was thinking about putting a V8 in the rolling sebring orange lc gtr I have as a mockup.
It doesn't have running gear, and don't fancy putting a 161 in it!

was it confused for lone ranger?

#25 StephenSLR

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Posted 05 July 2006 - 10:52 AM

would you like to borrow my glasses??  LOL joke.

Nahh the yellow car on the previous page has what look like the normal LH stripes.

The ones above are totally different, thats what caught my eye.

the one on the previous page also has no flares, square headlights and two Ford style scoops in the yellow bonnet, the XU-2 above has a black bonnet with slender A9X style scoop - looks more like an LX.

Edited by StephenSLR, 05 July 2006 - 10:56 AM.

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