The Roaring Season

Hi Steve. No I haven't had any joy contacting Leo D as yet. I would be very grateful if you could put me in touch.

Email me at: mailto:?subject=&body= I will send you his email address

John Harvey kindly sent me this photo recently, as he knew how much I love HQ Monaro's. In fact, this is the car that got me hooked on this model! This is John, hustling Bob Jane's HQ Monaro at Oran Park. The Monaro is pictured still in its 1972 Improved Production guise. A very cool car!

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Great photo Steve! One of my all time favorite racing Holdens, particularly in its orignal Improved Production form - just awesome! I got to see it race in this guise as a seven year old at Warwick Farm - and have loved it ever since!

James, do you prefer these Monaro's with or without the 3-piece rear spoiler, as this car ran in its Sports Sedan guise?

Steve, This car always looked brilliant - apart form when it was yellow. But I do prefer the Jane HQ without the 3-piece rear spoiler. I looks so clean and so tough in it's original form.

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*So how about a thread dedicated to 1st and 2nd gen Holden Monaros, from HK - HZ in 2 and 4 door form. There were several raced in speedway in Australia and New Zealand, plus in production car racing including Bathurst. From there they competed in Improved Production in Aus, and Sports Sedans on both sides of the Tasman *

This is Steve Holmes opening line on this thread, and we now have another racing 1st generation Monaro.
I have been in contact with the owner and he has asked if I could post this and see what peoples memory is, add photos and fill in more details
Hi John I am wondering with your vast knowledge of these monaros if you might be able to shed some light I have a 81837 HT verdoro green manual monaro I was told it was a racecar for many years I belive it was owned by a chap called Richard Tulloch (not related to Inky I have asked him) Thanks for doing a great job great to see someone sharing their information.
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Hi John
I have found a little more info my HT Monaro came from Arrowtown and was raced down there somewhere (south island) apparently there was a log book when it was sold but was missing when I got it it had lap times at various tracks and engine mods information The car was purchased from Arrowtown about 16 years ago by Rare Spares I don't know how to put on the forum for general discussion but I think someone might remember it from rare spares it sounds like there were a few people that helped maintain it.
Thanks John.
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Hi, If you want I can post all relevent details on a Monaro/ ex race car thread to get talk going?
regards,
John.
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Hi John
That would be great if you would. The guy,s at Rare spares CHCH remember it had the engine out and boxes of bits everywhere I am not sure of the colour it was when raced as I found parts that were (tomato soup red colour) and part of the colour (boot was yellow) and original colour is vedoro green any info would be fantastic Thanks John
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Sounds interesting John. Got any more info? I assume it was a production race car?

Aron Peters wrote:Steve, This car always looked brilliant - apart form when it was yellow. But I do prefer the Jane HQ without the 3-piece rear spoiler. I looks so clean and so tough in it's original form.

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Wow, I love this photo! Got any more? Yes, I agree re the yellow. It wasn't a good look on this car, even though I like yellow race cars.

I do have one more of the mighty HQ at Oran Park.

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I believe the first image I posted is around the back of the old Surfers Paradise circuit, which would be the debut of the car. It's clearly John Harvey driving, but the autograph is Bob Jane.

Thanks James, that is cool!

Just stumbled on this photo in Shell book, Tasman Series, NZ Motor Racing 1971. Norm Beechy working on the carburetors, so what happened to the webers?

Brilliant photo. But what car is that? Surely not Beecheys HT, as he ran quad-Webers on that, unless he switched to this set-up later in the cars career? Maybe its his HK?

The caption for that pic reads "Carburettor adjustments occupied Norm Beechey and helper before the Monaro's Pukekohe win" I don't know what Monaro he had at Puke in 1971? but I have only seen the one in Bowden collection (HT) with the Weber setup so I was surprised by this pic

Ahh, OK, thanks for that. Beechey ran his 1970 ATCC winning HT (the one in the Bowden collection) at the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting at Puekkohe in January 1971, as a special guest. This must have been the set-up he ran on the car in 1971 (and maybe 1972 as well). The Bowdens restored the car to its 1970 ATCC winning guise, hence the quad-Webers.

The dual quad crossram set up is straight out of Chevies parts bin and this was run on the Camaros 1967,68,69 but not for 1970 where a single 4 barrel was only allowed.

350 setup when in Tassie

Ellis- is this pics the wrong way round- the cut out for the bonnet hold down finger is always on the passenger side. Also the fluid cylinders are not on the right hand side. Could this negative have been reversed?

This could be the special missing one of one factory made "Left hand Drive" Monaro John!!