167 replies to this topic

[lakeside]

I know someone who worked as a test pilot at Lang Lang in the 70's. The xu1 308 wasn't the fastest car they turned up with. One day they pulled out a HQ 2dr with a 427BB with a 4sp. It did a 170+mph. At 130mph you could slot back to 3rd gear and foot to the floor and hang on.

This xu1 308, a bloke who a bought some old sold off. Told me about this gtr-x that 3 gmh workers had, 12mths later it turned up. It was use as a pactice car for the 1yr panel beaters. Same time he told that there is a factory white 308xu1 in Tassy. Who would look in Tassy. The first part of the story has came ture. This old man, has been buy old stock from holden and ford for 40yrs. If someone dose own one, why tell everyone. Then you would have to guard it with your life. Good reason why not to tell.

[rodomo]

Wasn't the yellow Torry on the front of the "Giant Killer" mag V8? I'm pretty sure those Rally Cross cars of Brocks were V8 and no doubt prepared by Firth.
RACV MAN

[REDA9X]

"This xu1 308, a bloke who a bought some old sold off. "

WTF??? slow down man lol

[kudu]

Queenstown as in New Zealand???

[LXdamo]

My old boss used to work at holdens(woodville S.A)
Was told by him in 1973 they modded 5 xu1's in their own time for a car dealer.
They built them all the same for the dealer as he said that there might be work.
As a toolmakers, they made up jigs for all the different bits n pieces.
The jigs were only thrown away about 10 years ago.
They were not factory endorsed but were built by holdens workers.
didnt get much more info out of him other than the clutches were a bugger to operate.
just another little piece to a big puzzle
Damo

[Dr Terry]

Hi Garry.

An XU2 is the option number for the LH/LX SL/R5000.

The LJs are called XU1 V8s or series 2 XU1s in official GM-H speak. As Harry said, he only made 3 & they no longer exist.

Dr Terry.

[xu2308]

The rally cross car was an almost mid engined supercharged 186 with radiators in the back seat.
I had a guy ring me about a white XU1 V8 he had traced in Tasmania about 2 months ago. He says everyone who was involved with it he spoke to said it was a GMH car but I didnt think twice about it until you just mentioned it again. His name was Alan Mills from Queenstown.
R

Hi
i did own a White XU-1 V8,But it wasent a GMH Prototype one.It was Built in hobart,that white V8 XU-1 in the 1990's. I sold it Less motor and Gearbox,as a rolling Shell,
Sold Due to Finance other Torana Project.

Edited by xu2308, 17 February 2018 - 04:43 AM.

[A9X]

That's cos we're the petrol head capital of Australia!
I wouldn't have said petrol head lol.

How is it still living in the 90's anyway lol
Hmm, now let me see. Hmm, I'd better insert a very noticeable right here!

Adelaide ;

Doesn't rain all day like Melbourne - check
not stinky and humid like Sydney - check
has best hills driving roads next to city - check
excellent beaches on the city doorstep - check
Has arguably the best tarmac rally in the world every year - check
Best wines in the world on our doorstep -check
Best beer - check
got rid of that Pesky F1 crap, and installed a V8 Supercar and interesting support races on Australia's best street circuit - check
traffic jams - nothing like what the eastern states capital cities see - check
Over 1,000 km away from REDA9X, so we don't have to put up with him whinging - check.

Nah, I think I'll stay right here in li'l old Adelaide - us Adelaideans will just keep it a secret how good it is here.

In all seriousness RED, things are good in Adelaide

Jesus, thought you were talking about Perth untill you got to the bit about the F1.

[FLY_AGAIN_XU-1]

Bathurst, October 1973

[bullitA9X]

i have one aswell here is a pic

Edited by bullitljv8, 11 April 2009 - 09:56 AM.

[xu2308]

.

Edited by xu2308, 17 February 2018 - 04:45 AM.

[Dr Terry]

Why did'nt they put XU-2 on the side of an LH/LX ?

For me an XU-2 was always going to be an LJ V8 ...

If they had gone through with a genuine LJ 5 litre, I wonder
how this would have affected the way the LH/LX model turned
out.

In the LH parts catalogue, they show location drawings of the XU-2 decal on the front guards. I think they changed the name, to SL/R5000, just prior to release, because of the 'supercar scare' connotations of the XU-1 name. The fact does remain however that XU-2 is the RPO number for the SL/R5000 package in the LH & LX series.

You often hear the XU-1 V8 incorrectly referred to as the XU-2 but I've never seen it in any GM-H literature. They refer to it as the XU-1 V8 or XU-1 series 2 (officially, project XW7 from memory).

If the XU-1 V8 had gone ahead, the LH V8 would have been a more reliable weapon from day 1, because the bugs would have been ironed out from 2 seasons of racing.

On the subject of the 'Lockwood Special', has anybody spoken to Joe Felice about the demise of this car & was it in fact still a V8 when pictured at Bathurst in 1973.

Dr Terry