200 replies to this topic

[dublin]

Theres a good story in the souvenir program from last weekends muscle car masters. Its 10 pages of Harry Firth talking about the prototype V8 Xu1, the work and experimenting that went into it and some copies of confidential letters from Harry to Holden detailing the specs required to make it a success.
Maybe the story could be scanned and posted for all to see. Great read!
Oh yeah, theres a whole paragraph were Harry Firth talks about getting it all done and sorted by mid 1972 in readiness for the production run of 200 v8 XU1s for the 1972 Bathurst 500 mile race.1973 is not mentioned at all in the entire article.

[S pack]

But what your trying to say is that the special xu1s that where supposed to be the XU2s are the 72 model xu1s which you all seem to miss a lot of main pointers that lead it to be the 73 150 xu1s

Thought I should point out, if GMH had produced the V8 XU1 in 1973, under the Group C rules, they would have had to build 500 basically identical cars to homologate the LJ V8 XU1. Do you understand that Willow? Not 150 cars or 200 cars or 250 cars but 500 cars.

BTW, I hope this isn't too confusing for you but by 1973 the production option code XU2 had been assigned to the SL/R 5000. So when you read a magazine article quoting 308 V8, 1973 and XU2 in the same sentence then bear in mind that this is probably a reference to the upcoming LH SL/R 5000 with engine production option L34.

Edited by S pack, 04 September 2012 - 10:39 PM.

[sagman]

Why can i hear the music from the 'Twilight Zone" ...................

[xu2308]

Richo
u must just be here to stirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr or cant grasp history in how it was, please buy some Torana History Books, Torana Tough is the new Torana Bible, great one for you to start with, or there is the spotlight series book on LC-LJ Torana's, as Molly says
Do your self a favour, and get these Torana Books.

[REDA9X]

Richo, in 2006 I spent 3 hours at Harry Firths house. He has piles of old information in files there and I can catagorically tell you the official paperwork he had, and the letters to and from GMH and his hand drawings etc were all dated in 1972. There is so much information out there and these guys like sagman have done so much research into this specific subject and you're basing what you are saying which goes against everything on some article you think you read in some magazine you haven't provided a copy of? More than likely something from Street Machine or something alike that was written 10 years after the event. Lets see it.

[S pack]

Richo
u must just be here to stirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr or cant grasp history in how it was, please buy some Torana History Books, Torana Tough is the new Torana Bible, great one for you to start with, or there is the spotlight series book on LC-LJ Torana's, as Molly says
Do your self a favour, and get these Torana Books.

He's just a shit stirrer.

[wot179]

Stop biting,fellas.

[v8xu1pete]

Come on Richo, it's time to put up or shut up.

[orangeLJ]

Just on a more sane and related note,

If anyone is interested in having reproduction posters made (and printed on something representing "era" material), it wouldn't be too hard to organise.

would need to get say 100 of them printed to make it worthwhile, but would be cheap as chips (just going off the look of the above)

I'd need a good clear picture of the poster (to font match) and the logo at the top, but would be a piece of piss.

[xu2308]

Orange LJ
sounds like a great idea to me

[REDA9X]

http://en.wikipedia..../Supercar_scare

[xu2308]

Well Richo , holden did register an LJ GTR with a 308 , the 'orange' protoype was in fact registered on the 6/9/72 , yes 2 months 1 week after the programme was cancelled officially. LGN-307

The price was dearer than an XU1 at just over $3500. , the rego was dearer by $30 , the word EIGHT in capital letters is written in the No. of cylinders , the SAE horsepower rating is written as 51 as opposed to 31 for an XU1 and the bore size is 4.0 " as opposed to 3.625 " for the XU1 and the engine no is QT13---6.

The comparitive document is for the '72 Brock LJ which was registered on the 7/9/72 , LGN-347.

They are both Vic. Roads documents obtained under the freedom of information act and prove that GMH did in fact register an LJ GTR with a V8 legally in 1972 ............. not a myth .

The car was known as the 'lockwood special ' and remained registered by GMH as a V8 car . In feb of '75 the car was advertised by internal tender and was bought by a dealer in country Vic. It had been fitted with a QL 202 prior to being sold but as the FOI documents show it still had the V8 engine number on the papers until '78.

The tender docs show that the car had been fitted with a V8 for an 18 month period and had received a full mechanical rebuild and a new engine prior to being offered for sale. ................. not a myth.

Laz

With the Lone o Ranger LJ GTR V8 Prototype
i spoke to the Family in Victoria that owned the Car from 1978 to 1982, they had it for abit over the 4 year mark,
the GTR had the Twin Filler Caps and the Huge Ass Fuel Tank in Boot, and it had a QL Red 202 Motor in it when
they bought it, they Sold it with no rego in 1982 and handed back in the LGN307 Black&White Vic number plate.
The new owner got the Car Re-Rego in Victoria in 1982, and owned it till 1985, Due to it got Stolen in
Bundoora Victoria in 1985, the Car is still listed as STOLEN on Vic Roads Records.
Very Sad it got Stolen as The Lone o Ranger LJ GTR Torana was a GMH built and V8 rego Torana, and in 1972 Richo.

[S pack]

XU2308
you realy can tell a story mate maybe you should have been a writer of childrens novles
The princess was stolen from the town the only sine of her was a LJ 1972 engine mount left on the ground she was locked in a tower untill the prince cam along to find her,
he yeled ropunsell let down your Golden hair she let her hair down and they lived haperly ever after in 2012 once more

Haha, thought you'd have a penchant for FAIRY stories Willow.

Almost forgot, how's the GTR going?

Edited by S pack, 09 September 2012 - 07:42 PM.

[xu2308]

Richo True Story
I own the LGN307 B&W Vic number plates to the 1972 LJ GTR Prototype, check my Profile pic, its a Photo of Joe Felice and me
with the Number Plate to his old Lone o Ranger LJ GTR V8 prototype, joe signed them as well, i researched more than u know and think Richo