7 replies to this topic

[Shiney005]

Two tails to tell.

The Holden lion had a short tail on all GMH logos up until at least 1969, and then the long tail from then until the early 1990's.

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I am trying to track down when it changed on the GTS wheel hubcaps. The clearest pictures I have of them are the short tail on a hardly used spare from an L34 and the long tail from the new A9x.

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Searching through "concourse" cars for sale, I have found a 7th month 1974 HQ 350 with the short tails, and a 10-74 1 owner HJ Monaro with long tails.

I always assumed the change would have come with the introduction of HJ, but I would like to know if any of you guys have seen long tails on cars built before September 1974?  95% of good original L34's have the short tails, but one owner says there was a period when both were being put on Toranas.

While on the subject, did the early SL/R hubcaps have the short tail lion? (Hanras pic)

 

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Edited by Shiney005, 27 September 2024 - 03:13 PM.

[yel327]

I've always associated it with the HQ-HJ transition. But remember these are not always hard transitions and something like a Lion's tail would not matter hugely.

[Dr Terry]

I agree with yel327, it was not a hard transition.

 

The first long-tail lion logo was seen on workshop manuals & parts catalogues as early as 1970-71, but all HQ lion badges (on the cars themselves) were short-tail. LJ was the same.

 

The first long-tail badges (on cars) were used on LH & TA Toranas & then for all HJ onwards. HQ rally wheels had the short-tail centre logo, whereas HJ had the newer long-tail.

 

AFAIK all LH had the new long-tail logo, but the exception maybe L34 which should've had the newer long-tail but for such a small production run they just used the existing HQ centre cap.

 

Dr Terry

[Shiney005]

AFAIK all LH had the new long-tail logo, but the exception maybe L34 which should've had the newer long-tail but for such a small production run they just used the existing HQ centre cap.

 

Dr Terry

The L34 was pre HJ so the short tails aren't a surprise really. But one owner of an August built car says his had the long tails from new. There were also 6 months worth of SL/R 5000's before HJ as well, which is why I am wondering if the early plastic SL/R hubcap featured a short tail.

[yel327]

Remember everything was sourced bulk from suppliers, a lot in large quantities to predicted demand, other stuff was procured to the schedule but small stuff like hubcaps would be bulk. They’d send them out to the VAP’s according to the schedule. Once they ran out the new style would replace them. It is just a hubcap, no-one would have even known or cared!

[Bruiser]

What’s the go with these ones?
Were they trying to save ink?

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[Shiney005]

Must have been. The Camira alloys were the same.

[Dr Terry]

What’s the go with these ones?
Were they trying to save ink?

IMG_0851.png

Yes, there was a period from JB, JD & VK where the lion "lost" its base.

 

Dr Terry