1365 replies to this topic

[hanra]

Thanks for your support Michael. Appreciate it.

Speaking of the AMC Magazine letter.....

I had a phone call from a guy in Toowoomba who knew a guy that said he once bought a Black LH SLR 5000 back in 1976, he passed on his phone number to me, I called him up and Ive just spent the last hour chatting to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The original owner of the car!!!!

So what Ive found out.....

The car was a special order from a member of a family in Toowoomba that had some heavy clout within the town back in those days.

When the car arrived at Toowoomba City Autos December 1975, the guy who ordered it didnt like the look of it as it was not how he imagined it would be.... He managed to cancel the sale and the car sat at the Dealership into 1976.

Thats when Graham comes into the picture, he spotted it and purchased it for $6,200 incl on road costs in 1976, he cant remember what month of 1976, but took it back home to Millmerran.

The salesman at the time told Graham this was a one off and no other LH SL/R 5000's came out in Tuxedo Black. He just assumed the salesman told him that to make him feel all warm and fuzzy about buying it. He can recall the number plates started in OJQ-???.

He does however remember that he found himself in the middle of several arguments with people accusing him of re-painting the car Black.

Graham didnt change much on the car, he said the motor spun a big end and needed rebuilding, but was just the bottom end that was rebuilt, so that dosnt explain the REPCO pistons I found fitted. He fitted the Lynx Weiand inlet manifold and Holley carb which were still fitted to it when I got it!!!! He damaged a spider gear in the 2.78 LSD but had that repaired. Extractors were fitted and a new exhaust system, which he said the extractor flange used to scrape the road a lot as the roads around Toowoomba back there were pretty ordinary.

The car came fitted with mesh headlight protectors from Holden and also a stainless bonnet spear down the centre of the bonnet which was removed when he fitted an A9X style bonnet scoop.

Graham owned the car until he traded it on a VC Brock Commodore at Eagers Holden Dealership in Toowoomba in 1982 as Toowoomba City Autos had shut down by then. After that, he never saw or heard from it again, but knew it didnt live locally.... (my info shows it rego'd in Logan in 1988)

He still knows the Holden salesmen that sold it to him, he is retired now obviously, but he will ask him if he can recall anything about the car. Its a long shot but he said he will ask around!



All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!

[A9X]

Very cool Brad

[Potta]

Looks like you've got some more work to do to get it back to original now 

 

Really fantastic to get in touch with the original owner though.

 

Are there plans for him to see the car? 

 

It would blow his mind I reckon.

[a9x868]

a one of eh! brad

you gotta be happy with that phone call

great news

keep us posted as usual!

[hanra]

Looks like you've got some more work to do to get it back to original now

Really fantastic to get in touch with the original owner though.

Are there plans for him to see the car?

It would blow his mind I reckon.

Yep, need to source a bonnet spear now!!! They are not cheap.....


http://bit.ly/ZWmdS5


Luckily he is online and I've sent pictures to him and received his response this morning.

I'm so stoked about this!!!!!!

Brad, Thanks for the photos! The car looks as though I just took delivery 37 years ago. You have done a brilliant job & you have a very rare & special car to be proud of. Brings back so many memories. I will keep in contact.

Edited by hanra, 03 March 2013 - 08:28 AM.

[Potta]

I can't say I've ever seen one of them on a Torrie before.

 

This is an added bonus for your hard work 

[hanra]

I'm curious to know how they attach? Screws up through the bonnet into the spear I guess?? Obviously I don't have the original bonnet fitted.

[HSVGTS]

The 5000's got a personality now.... and it's lucky to have you as its saviour and custodian... you're into a relationship and to sell it now could make you some sort of Cad [Haha] you can't discard it now....... it's a keeper !!

 

I remember my 5000 in 1975, I put extractors on it and the pipes and collectors were forever bottoming out till I got rid of the 13" rims... It was Jade Green and I met the current owner thirty years on at the Ingham car show... it lives in Townsville now.

 

regards....

Edited by HSVGTS, 03 March 2013 - 11:46 AM.

[xu2308]

Cool u found the first owner Brad, does he have any pics from when he owned it

[derrin71]

I asked the old man how the bonnet spears were fitted. He recons they were either stuck on with double sided tape or an adhesive like sikaflex, this would make them easier to remove if the owner changed their mind. His memory is getting a little foggy though!!

[mika03au]

Excellent result Brad.

 

Hypothetical....imagine you did all the work you've done, go through the process to find out about the cars history, contact the original owner to be informed by him that the car was stolen from him 35 years ago.  Then he says, "can I have it back now".

 

I think I'd be too scared to find any previous owner of a car I'd done a nut and bolt job on...

Worst nightmare.

Hmm, Brad you did say it ended up in Logan!

From the media we all know the suburb has a bit of a reputation apparently for auto theft.

 

Good news for sure to find the original owner, did he have any old paperwork for it?

Hope you get some feedback to fill in the missing link between then and now.

[hanra]

I asked the old man how the bonnet spears were fitted. He recons they were either stuck on with double sided tape or an adhesive like sikaflex, this would make them easier to remove if the owner changed their mind. His memory is getting a little foggy though!!

Thanks for looking into that for me mate!!! Not sure if I feel like shelling out $250 for one though.... Hmmmm


Graham the original owner has no pics/docs that he mentioned. He said all the logbooks and manuals and what not were with the car when he traded it in. So at this stage, are lost in time.

Surely if a car was stolen it would raise a red flag at the DOT when it is registered?

I'm really keen to find out who bought it from Eagers after it was traded in. I believe it's that person who did all the powder coating.

The search continues....

[Mort]

Excellent find Brad wish I could find the first owner of my (Tracie's) car, I think I've gone as far back as the second owner but not much info from her.

Now you will have to put it back to original original condition, $250 is a lot for a bit of trim but after the amount you have spent getting work re-done you could justify the expense.

Go on, do it, you know you want to.

[a9x868]

I'm really keen to find out who bought it from Eagers after it was traded in. I believe it's that person who did all the powder coating.

 

don't hurt him if you find him!

 

i'd start with the mental facilities if you can get a name

[hanra]

Hahahahahahah, yeah I think he was obviously a victim of poor taste!!!!!

 

 

Man these bonnet spears just keep getting more expensive...

 

$350.... yikes! I think I might give it a miss until I can find a reasonably priced one.

 

http://www.ebay.com....=item27cdb7a4f5

 

 

Thinking some more about the conversation, Graham also mentioned he fitted a set of 14in mags that were shiny and had circular holes in them????? I was thinking dragway indys????

 

Also, as its a known fact that there were other LH SL/R 5000's that came out in Tuxedo Black, perhaps the salesman meant the car was a one off with it being a special order and certain options that were ticked? The -60Y interior comes to mind????

Edited by hanra, 04 March 2013 - 08:01 AM.

[dattoman]

You might be right Brad

It was probably that 60Y interior that turned the guy off taking it as originally ordered

[hanra]

I believe there is another member here who also has a 9/75 LH SLR 5000 in Tuxedo Black, however his is an -18X interior. So black on black. My chamois colour interior may have been considered a little bit homosexual back in the day? Lucky we live in a politically correct society these days?

Edited by hanra, 04 March 2013 - 04:00 PM.

[dattoman]

No

Its still abit homo

 

Maybe they just thought it would show up all the dirt etc... so they decided no

Just think... if it had a black interior you and she might never have met

[Ice]

Your not serious brad bonnet spear yuk

[a9x868]

I believe there is another member here who also has a 9/75 LH SLR 5000 in Tuxedo Black, however his is an -18X interior. So black on black. My chamois colour interior may have been considered a little bit homosexual back in the day? Lucky we live in a politically correct society these days?

right on  brad

today it's just gay

lol only jokin!

[mika03au]

H

Thinking some more about the conversation, Graham also mentioned he fitted a set of 14in mags that were shiny and had circular holes in them????? I was thinking dragway indys????

 

Brad they would more likely be ROH or Aunger wheels back in the 70s. Dragway were not as popular then. Perhaps "jellybeans". There was a wheel that was the same as the jellybeans except there were about 8 round holes. Not sure what brand they were, one of the local brands. Cant find a picture of them, will keep looking.