38 replies to this topic

[xu2308]

I don't see the doors

[xu2308]

now I see the photo, don't know why I couldn't before,  awesome photo

[Pop's-SS]

Always good to get pics like that, gives a bit of history for your LJ's photos

 

I did a bit of research on Acacia Ridge when I had my LC GTR and managed to get some great memorabilia from a fella that use to work there.

 

Got the book "My Love Had a Black Speed Stripe" by Henry Williams who worked at the plant, the book was about the plant and he died 1 year after his book was published in 1973.

 

Have 2 Inspectors Dust Coats, plan of Acacia Ridge on "Open Day" 1965, Inspectors "DO NOT OPERATE THIS VEHICLE" sticker that went on the windscreen if a car was found to be defective, photo of the Wiring Line crew across the line on their last day of work in 1984 when the plant closed, photo of the last car to going through the plant and it had Playboy centre fold spreads in the back window and 2 different arial photos of the plant.

 

AND also have some letters from Ron talking about the 3 doored LC that was built at the plant but unfortunately it was crushed and other mistakes that were made on the line.

 

Collect & treasure your memorabilia especially the paper items as it is usually the first to be thrown away or used to start the fire

 

Barry

[Potta]

I'm going to speculatively say definitely there might have been tunnels.

 

Also, they wouldn't be the only company to bury stuff to get rid of it, and if it was top secret or stuff they weren't sposed to be making, where else are they going to bury it?

[S pack]

That GMH Acacia Ridge brochure is pure Gold. Thanks for finding that Adam .

Personally I would treat stories of top secret parts being buried and cars being crushed with a grain of salt.

 

As we all know it has been claimed the 1972 (GTR) V8 XU1 prototypes were destroyed, however that turned out to be a load of bull.

The GTR's were eventually fitted with 202's and sold.

 

Anecdotal evidence suggests that GMH didn't waste anything they didn't have to. Waste = $$$$$ down the drain.

I can imagine it would be more likely that unwanted or unusable parts etc would have been sold off as scrap if they couldn't be reworked and used in production.

Maybe Ronnie Wanless was a beneficiary of GMH Acacia Ridge's scrap metal???

Edited by S pack, 11 August 2013 - 12:14 PM.

[Pop's-SS]

You can imagine all you like, I am telling you what a close friend told me, who may well have had inside information.

Bill's family came out here from England when he was a teenager, I have a feeling his father was actually sent here by the company, and he retained his Pommy accent all his life.

As for 'anecdotal evidence', that is precisely what I am giving you, straight from the horse's mouth. I chose my words carefully as there are some very learned people here, but if no-one has any evidence to the contrary I will continue to believe what Bill said.

He was not the kind of man to make up such things.

I can supply the family name if required.

 

Exactly right Mark  And if you see my display at Toranafest in September and read the words on the "special" part of the display on the bonnet, that is exactly where I got my information from, from the horses mouth or I should really say "by some one who was there at that time".

 

This is from Ron who worked at Acacia Ridge

 

 

AND another few revelations

 

 

 

1970 Acacia Ridge

 

 

1971 Acacia Ridge

 

 

Inspectors Ticket

 

 

My Love Had a Black Speed Stripe by Henry Williams published 1973

This is a great read although it is about a Monaro

 

 

Inspectors 3/4 dust coat, this was new and still in its plastic wrapper

 

 

Coat pocket

 

 

The other one I have is 1/2 length, used and Harry signed it "Harry Firth HDT 1969-77" just above the pocket

 

Barry

[xu2308]

That GMH Acacia Ridge brochure is pure Gold. Thanks for finding that Adam .

Personally I would treat stories of top secret parts being buried and cars being crushed with a grain of salt.

 

As we all know it has been claimed the 1972 (GTR) V8 XU1 prototypes were destroyed, however that turned out to be a load of bull.

The GTR's were eventually fitted with 202's and sold.

 

Anecdotal evidence suggests that GMH didn't waste anything they didn't have to. Waste = $$$$$ down the drain.

I can imagine it would be more likely that unwanted or unusable parts etc would have been sold off as scrap if they couldn't be reworked and used in production.

Maybe Ronnie Wanless was a beneficiary of GMH Acacia Ridge's scrap metal???

The V8 LJ Production Car's was only weeks away to be built, so there would of been 200 kits done to fit up the car's with V8's, I doubt the parts would of been buried, I say sold to sims metal for scrap to recoup $$$$$$$$$$$, well my guess.

And there was two GMH Dealers in Adelaide that built V8 LJ's for customers, so you would think they would of got access to the special V8 parts for the LJ car

[xu2308]

Who knows, maybe the parts were buried there, as u say the cars were causing drama due to the supercar scare, I thought it would be illegal to bury things in that time frame?

[xu2308]

They said the 3 LJ Prototypes were crushed and buried at Lang Lang proving ground, at that is not the case, the Lone o Ranger LJ prototype was tendered out in Feb 1975

[S pack]

They said the 3 LJ Prototypes were crushed and buried at Lang Lang proving ground, at that is not the case, the Lone o Ranger LJ prototype was tendered out in Feb 1975

Someone better tell Larry that Barney doesn't really exist either

 

That would have made it rather difficult to deny the existance of such a car though wouldn't it... ?
 

How so? Who outside of GMH is going to know exactly what car the parts are for if no one tells them? Just another load of scrap metal to be sold off.

 

Mark, I do not intend any disrespect to yourself or Bill and what he was told and believed to be the truth. I've just become cynical in my old age.

 

Cheers

Dave.

[xu2308]

Someone better tell Larry that Barney doesn't really exist either

 

 

Cheers

Dave.

Yeah its funny Dave, every Torana Fan had heard of Barneys Shirt the Car, but no one had ever seen or heard of the colour other than the GMH Styling guys and a few others from GMH, great Larry found the car and it was worked out what is was.