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Torana Cop cars


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#101 xu2308

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Posted 10 August 2016 - 08:37 PM

I understand why we had Charger police car's, but I don't understand why they had hardtop Falcon's over sedans. Cheers Aaron.

 

Maybe cause they looked tougher than the 4-Door Sedans, ask Mad Max :)



#102 rodomo

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Posted 10 August 2016 - 08:53 PM

Mad Max was mad Al...................it's well documented

#103 _imj411_

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Posted 10 August 2016 - 09:24 PM

Yeah mabey image. Just that they are heavierthan the sedan and less practical. Cheers Aaron.

#104 S pack

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Posted 10 August 2016 - 09:27 PM

Mad Max was mad Al...................it's well documented

He wasn't mad at the start but they drove him mad. :tease:



#105 Potta

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Posted 10 August 2016 - 11:06 PM

If you were the Police officer that got to order the cars, which would you pick?

 

Coolness and good looks usually wins over practicality.



#106 _ChaosWeaver_

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Posted 11 August 2016 - 07:41 AM

They were genuine Pursuit Cars.  Back when I was young, most police cars were falcon 500's, or Ford F150 Paddy Wagons.   They were that slow we used to ride our MX bikes about 6-7 k's on the public roads to get to the bush,  and we had no fear of being caught.  And many people used to take off from the police, Armed robbers in particular  :)  ..  But in the very early 70's they started to get serious with GTR's, Hardtop 351's, Chargers 265/340  and with the Falcon Hardtop,  I think they were trying to say "Don't try and run, we have the biggest & fastest production car on the road, and we will catch you,  and force you to stop if necessary"   Something the smaller Mini and Torana could never do..    Just my thoughts on why they may have chose them.. 

 

I remember when the police tried Subaru WRX's as chase cars in Sydney.   They were fast as hell, but way to light to force bigger cars to stop.. 

 

if they just wanted to chase you, they would use more of these.....  Hayabusa.jpg


Edited by ChaosWeaver, 11 August 2016 - 07:43 AM.


#107 RM125n

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Posted 11 August 2016 - 06:58 PM

Remember the Two SLR5000 for trial were not brand new, they had them for awhile, my car was a trial car and sent to 21st Division who were like the Batman Police force that Governed it self, they needed two super fast cars to catch Lambo's and Ferrari's that were on the North Shore area of Sydney, and the Torana looked like that as it was used by observation unit and blended in by acting as a Aussie lad in a Torana, it wasn't about making them look like the normal Pursuit Cars. They had a purpose and 21st Division were a league of there own, other NSW Police would not of had a clue what 21st Division were up too. Some of the drug lords were running Ferrari's and Lambo's in 1970's and they grew there drugs out in country NSW but bought it in to Sydney. Observation unit had all sorts of cars from standard cars to muscle cars to souped up cars to look like a Aussie knock about lads Car.




Can I ask where did you get the documentation about your GTR Torana that it was a trial car for the NSW POLICE also when and how long did they have the car for.

As I believe your information you supply may assist other people in restoration of their EX-NSW Police Torana's and other cop cars.

#108 xu2308

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 03:43 AM

RM125, I contacted Ex Police officers and on FB there is the NSW Police thingy on there that you can find some, as I told you before 21st Division was not your normal run of the mill police force, they were there own entity as a police force. Look on FB there is 2 of 3 type Police thingy's on there, there is a Historical Police thing as well.

#109 xu2308

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 04:07 AM

RM125, Holden Experimental Engineering used to do the Cars at GMH for the Police to Trial. They even put a 427 Chevy in a HT Holden, but the Police said it was to scary and gave it back to Holden Engineering. 300 GTR Torana's were supplied to NSW Government in 1972, you have to look for the tell tale signs. Like a hole in firewall with Rubber Grommet for wiring to come from starter motor (Direct Power) into Cabin for CB Radio or Driving Lights or Siren etc. Victoria has a Historical Police Vehicle thing as well, Slade Yullie runs that. He is a good source to contact and Tony Fitzgerald in NSW is involved in the NSW Historical Police Vehicles etc, contacting Ex Police guys helps as well.

#110 xu2308

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Posted 13 August 2016 - 04:48 AM

RM125, my GTR was owned by GMH and was in the XW7 Program, the XW7 program was stopped cause of the Super Car Scare in 1972, but after the program was stopped my GTR did marketing Rides, only one place it could of been marketed was the NSW Police as they bought 300-GTR Torana's. Even Harry Firth souped up Two LJ GTR's with very stiff Competition Suspension for the Sutherland Police Station, ummm so what was going on for Harry to be involved. There is a lot more to these LJ GTR pursuit cars that we have been told about. My GTR was a 308 V8 Torana at GMH and did marketing rides as a V8 and as Holden Engineering did the Police Cars for Trial ummmmm Hello. As I said to you there was a need for a very fast Pursuit Car to chase high end cars on the North Shore of Sydney in the early 1970's. Ummmm don't NSW Police even now have HSV GTS 430 KW in the fleet and a Ferrari as well, the new Mustang is getting looked at ATM, so nothing had changed from then, they even had XA falcon's with Phase 4 running gear in them back in 72 as well.

Edited by xu2308, 13 August 2016 - 04:55 AM.


#111 Tyre biter

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Posted 15 August 2016 - 10:11 PM

Those last three posts wee a bit passive aggressive of you Al - did you mean to be?
The questions asked by RM125n seem to have been genuine as opposed to challenging - is there some history between you two or was it just the time of day?
Just settle brother, folks are very interested in what you have unveiled and often just want to test previous things they have heard with you.
All the best, TB

#112 xu2308

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Posted 15 August 2016 - 10:14 PM

No Passive at all



#113 xu2308

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Posted 15 August 2016 - 10:21 PM

This Police LJ GTR was souped up by Harry Firth and was fitted with very stiff competition suspension as well, there was two of them. so Harry involved with these cars, some one knows more TB. Attached File  LJ GTR Police Car prepaired by Harry Firth.jpg   42.85K   3 downloads

 



#114 xu2308

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Posted 15 August 2016 - 11:10 PM

The other thing is funny, i have asked 2-3 times what colour was the other LJ GTR was that Harry did for that station, and the Police driver of it that supplied the Photo of the Green GTR and recalls the Cars but has not said what the colour was on the other GTR., he would know as he was there when both LJ GTR's were there.

No answer at all some times gives you a answer as well, maybe they are not saying for reasons only they know.


Edited by xu2308, 15 August 2016 - 11:19 PM.


#115 Tyre biter

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 10:08 AM

No Passive at all

You funny bastard :)

Cheers, TB



#116 RM125n

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 12:01 PM

RM125, I contacted Ex Police officers and on FB there is the NSW Police thingy on there that you can find some, as I told you before 21st Division was not your normal run of the mill police force, they were there own entity as a police force. Look on FB there is 2 of 3 type Police thingy's on there, there is a Historical Police thing as well.



Xu2308 All my research was done face to face on the NSW STP police cars back in 1990's
I sold my ex NSW Police GTR about 14 years ago It also had Documentation log books stating NSW POLICE first owners

#117 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 12:17 PM

RM125n

i didnt know my GTR was a Police Car, until i found the hole with rubber grommet in firewall across from starter motor and the wierd brackets on front valance, then i did some research and came across about the hole and grommet thingy.

 

Stories is that 21st Division had some V8 LJ GTR's, the other NSW Police wouldn't know about it as 21st Division did as they pleased in a regard, Harry Firth involved in these Police LJ GTR's with out a doubt. One officer I spoke to said the V8 GTR was there for a trial and they had it for awhile. Was a handshake type of deal when time to unload them, that the V8 and 4 speed removed and sat in front of car at auction and no rego and new owner had the onus to refit v8 and rego car. so I was told.



#118 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 12:23 PM

This car makes you wonder what was going on that we dont know about as well.

 

Two to NZ

Five to South Africa

 

Interesting if True.  Attached File  NZ Police car.PNG   326.54K   7 downloads



#119 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 12:33 PM

The Rubber Grommet in firewall and the Hella Switches that NSW Police used and they loved to use the Alloy stuff to mount them in.  Attached File  My GTR Rubber Grommet.JPG   190.74K   1 downloadsAttached File  Switches.JPG   313.33K   0 downloadsAttached File  Switches rear.JPG   360.15K   0 downloads


Edited by xu2308, 16 August 2016 - 12:34 PM.


#120 RM125n

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 12:40 PM

RM125, Holden Experimental Engineering used to do the Cars at GMH for the Police to Trial. They even put a 427 Chevy in a HT Holden, but the Police said it was to scary and gave it back to Holden Engineering. 300 GTR Torana's were supplied to NSW Government in 1972, you have to look for the tell tale signs. Like a hole in firewall with Rubber Grommet for wiring to come from starter motor (Direct Power) into Cabin for CB Radio or Driving Lights or Siren etc. Victoria has a Historical Police Vehicle thing as well, Slade Yullie runs that. He is a good source to contact and Tony Fitzgerald in NSW is involved in the NSW Historical Police Vehicles etc, contacting Ex Police guys helps as well.



The 427 HT HOLDEN was on loan the Victorian Police NOT NSW police

Looking for tell tale signs of a NSW STP POLICE CAR
1) The radios used by the NSW Police from 1969 to about 1985 was the AWA car phone two way radio and how it was installed, the cradle was bolted to the underside of dash under glove box then the AWA radio would slide into cradle and lock into position
2) there where three different ways to mount Ariel on the GTR Torana
Roof mount, gutter mount and front guard mount which is 450 mm to 500mm from front wind screen
3) To install a AWA radio ,front mount Ariel ,the round hella spot lights on front bumper bar and the siren you will need 28 holes in the car body
( with various drill hole sizes used )
Can you show me the 28 hole that are in your car body ?
4) I do know there is a lot more items that are fitted to the STP GTR's
5) I am sorry to say even the position of your Ariel show that a AWA police radio was never fitted

The two name you dropped are they are very nice people
But what has the Victorian Historical Police Vehicles got to do with the NSW POLICE and Fitz knows more about late nsw police car than the old STP patrol cars

#121 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 12:52 PM

The ariel spot on this NSW Police cars is in the normal spot is it not, if the cars were used by the Observation unit, they wouldn't have Radio's and things in them, as they are not going to let the Crims know they are undercover cops in they are pretending to be a Crim ????  Attached File  Police LJ GTR Pursuit Car.JPG   124.76K   2 downloads



#122 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 01:18 PM

I never said the 427 V8 Holden went to the NSW Police did i, i said GMH Experimental Engineering did the Police Cars for the Police.

 

GMH won a Contract in July 1972 to sell 300 LJ GTR's to the NSW Police, so before that date, some one at GMH showed them a Police Car to look at, as Experimenatl Engineering did the cars for the Police ummmmmm and we know Harry Firth was involved with these GTR's to NSW Police Attached File  300 NSW Police LJ GTR's.JPG   25.13K   1 downloads  Attached File  Screenshot (198).png   200.96K   3 downloads

 

Slade Yullie knows a lot about the Police Cars and is involved in the Vic side of things.

Tony Fitz is a nice guy and knows a lot about the NSW side of things and the older cars as well.

 

But Tony Fitz is not the only guy I spoke to involved with NSW Police GTR's, spoke to other Ex Police Guys, And one Ex Copper his mate bought a  V8 LJ GTR with motor sitting in front of the car at auction so he tells me.

 

Here is holes on my firewall in this pic plus some type of bracket that are still bolted under my glovebox area for what ever reason they are there for.Attached File  photo (7).JPG   104.37K   5 downloadsAttached File  under clove box.jpg   57.39K   2 downloads



#123 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 01:41 PM

Mr. Veles who is a Ex Police Officer told me about a Pink V8 GTR at a Police Auction with the 308 V8 and 4 Speed sitting in front of it and the car had no rego, his friend bought the GTR, So he says.

 

Attached File  Officer Veles.JPG   102.73K   3 downloads



#124 RM125n

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 01:57 PM

This Police LJ GTR was souped up by Harry Firth and was fitted with very stiff competition suspension as well, there was two of them. so Harry involved with these cars, some one knows more TB. attachicon.gifLJ GTR Police Car prepaired by Harry Firth.jpg


Your statement is incorrect it reads " we're fortunate to be issue with two of Harry's Firth race turn Bathurst special LJ xu1 Torana's
This can be view on classic pursuit vehicle register under Barry Hayston memories 22/9/15 see the statement yourself it's a good read
As for the Ariel there is only three position they where installed where your Ariel is mount there no chance the AWA radio would work and the photo you used is a angle shot if it was a side shot you would see the 500mm from wind screen

#125 xu2308

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Posted 16 August 2016 - 02:02 PM

A guy poped up on FB ages ago and said he used to own this White or Silver LJ GTR V8 Police car, bit hard to tell the colour from that pic, looks like NSW from that number plate, or if it was a Ex Police V8 GTR, but interesting I thought at the time.  Attached File  Silver V8 LJ Car.jpg   78.08K   1 downloadsAttached File  Silver V8 LJ Donk.jpg   170.78K   1 downloadsAttached File  Silver V8 LJ number plate.jpg   37.14K   1 downloads


Edited by xu2308, 17 December 2017 - 12:27 PM.





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