Holden Monaro

[Bruce302]

Not race cars, but I saw these guys out for a Sunday drive in the late 70's, I wonder where they all are now ? Headed and tailed it seems by a couple of outsiders.

[Steve Holmes]

Wow, thats an absolute ripper photo Bruce! I wonder if the brown Camaro at the front is Steve Malam in the old Art McKee Castrol GTX car. He owned it for a while. Pretty impressive line-up. Although that lot would have been pretty affordable back then, that'd easily be over half a million dollars worth of cars now, given the rapid rise in Monaro values.

[Bruce302]

Not sure if that Camaro would bee the ex McKee car. Those side pipes were the hot set up back then, and the bronze colour was popular at that time too.
Certainly a few nice cars in there.
Bruce.

[John McKechnie]

Where is that pic taken Bruce, thats a fine building behind them? Woulntnt want an earthquake to happen then with that massive parapet above them

[PhotoSmith]

Pretty sure the yellow XU1 at the end is Ralph Emsons one - he bought a few of the ones he raced during their heyday back during the late 1980's, and am pretty sure this car is one of them.

Could be (?) the same car he ran in the 21st Anniversary - Shell silver fern rally (1990).

Part of the Golden Olden Holden team along with Monaros of Mark Parsons & Dave McMillan that won teams award.

[Bruce302]

Where is that pic taken Bruce, thats a fine building behind them? Woulntnt want an earthquake to happen then with that massive parapet above them

That was Ngaruawahia (sp) John, I haven't passed through there in daylight in many years. Probably hasn't seen much change.
Bruce.

[John McKechnie]

Used to be a time when you could count on seeing a dead/sleeping Falcon Coupe or Monaro sitting on blocks in someones yard while traveling through this area.

[John McKechnie]

This thread has been quiet for a while, it is anorak time -statistics of imported HK Bathurst Monaros to GM in Trentham .Does not include private imports.
Here we go-
81837 327 manual-40.
Colour breakdown-
Picardy Red-3.
Warwick Yellow-11.
Silver Mink-6.
Inca Gold-1.
Bright Blue-19
First one was HK-3337, last one was HK-60666.These are the numbers stamped on the firewall-not the skinny or wide tags.
Will return with 80737 stats showing 186s and 307 .

[John McKechnie]

Here are some more riveting stats for fans-there were 180 Monaros- 80737 GTS -imported by GM in Trentham between 19.8.68 and 20.5.69. Model break down as follows-80737 could have 186s or 307
59 of these were 307 V8,
82 were automatics.
We only got GTS and not the base model -161, three on the tree, bench seats.
One of these came into the country for display purposes for all the dealers to see and get excited by.
Was this the one from Taupo that was repowered by a twin turbo Nissan?

[John McKechnie]

So stats show that in a 9 month period , GM in Trentham imported 220 Monaro GTS for we lucky Kiwis.
And that is only HK .
HT to follow.

[Bruce302]

John, great breakdown on the model numbers. Was 81837 just for the 327 and 350, and did that include the non Bathurst cars i.e. the auto and in the case of the HT at least, car without the 25 gallon tank ?

I assume that the 8 is the GM division number (Chev 1, Pontiac 2, etc) and 37 is the code for two door coupe right ? Do you know the other numbers ?

Bruce.

[John McKechnie]

Hi Bruce,
I spent 7 years in the Parts Dept of GM agents -Davie Motors and Paine Motors, so I know a parts book and ID.As you well know I have always had a strong attachment to Monaros so have researched them very deeply.This information I put up is not available through usual research and so that is why I put up this format.
Feel free to drop in and see it , it will blow you away.
81837 was always the Bathurst model designation for HK/HT/HG.
327 was HK only, 350 was HT/HG.
HK Bathursts were all manual.
Details I will put up for HT show manual and auto for 81837.
The Bathurst tank was only fitted to those models that had the big diff.
However just because the big diff was there did not always mean a big tank.
Big tank also needed a different located breather and bigger tank protection plates.
There was a special step over the diff section on the floor for the big diffs.
8 was Holden.
35 was Station wagon,
69 was sedan.
Will get back soon with full breakdown of models.

[John McKechnie]

80169-standard Belmont-M15 designation meant all synchro.
80369-standard Kingswood sedan.L20/J52l-large motor , disc brakes.M25-auto.
80569 -premier sedan.
80135-belmont station wagon.
80335-kingswood wagon.
80535-premier wagon
81469-Brougham
80180 Belmot Ute.
80380 Kingswood ute

[Bruce302]

Thanks John, Looking forward to it. My HT 350 was an 81837, but auto, and the previous owner had put in a big tank, but not the right breather. I only found out when the fire dept was called to clean up fuel spewing out the filler on a hot summer day.

[John McKechnie]

Right, here we go on HT Monaros-
30-81837
8 were autos.
12 -Sebring Orange.
7-Daytona Bronze.
8-Verdoro Green.
1-Monaco Maroon.
1-Kashmir White.
1-Monza Blue.
All imported by GM at Trentham between15.9.69 to 8.6.70

[Bruce302]

Whoa, mine was the Monaco maroon, one of one !

[John McKechnie]

Bruce, baby, someone had to own it , and it was you
Was your key number 9125?
Also this was an automatic-was yours?
If not yours may have been a private import.
It was a late arrival, and is the only one that was not assigned a Dealers name.
Have the first owners name.-thats private ,for your eyes only.

[John McKechnie]

Back again with more HT Monaro stats-
9 of 80337 Monaro-6 cylinder very standard-not GTS
1 auto.
2-80437 Monaro.-not GTS
1-307 auto.
1 -253 manual.

[Bruce302]

John,
Mine was an auto, from the Wellington area I believe. It wasn't new when I got it. In fact I bought it from Rod Coppins (motors) when he was up in Great North Rd, Key number ? not sure. I may still have one, I often keep a key as a souvineer.

[John McKechnie]

Bruce, sounds like your car all right. As you say one of one.You put in a pic here much earlier showing you dragging one, is it the same one? Also interesting about the later fitting of a big tank, they didnt exactly grow on trees, always a rare item. I got one from Aus 10 years ago, made sure it had the correct filler-was Aus $1000 , plus freight,at the time.Never regretted it as an essential item for my HK