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Founded 1969 Mornington Peninsula Historical Vehicles Club Inc. — A0001922T (MPHVC)

Member of the Federation of Vintage, Veteran & Classic Vehicles Clubs and the Association of Motoring Clubs.

SEPTEMBER 2020

1979 Bathurst 1000, Peter Brocks final lap was a new lap record for 1979 and was the fourth of 9 Bathurst victory's. Once again driving a Holden LX SS A9X Torana

hatchback for the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team, it was a winning combination. This victory is one of best dismantling of the field by Peter Brock and co-driver Jim Richards.

They won the race by 6 laps, Peter Brock set the fastest lap of the race on the last lap which was also a new lap record (2:21.1). Brock also took pole position that year and led every

lap and at the end of the race, he was 6 laps in front of the 2nd place car (36km) . watch the video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvLOPCeZrZ4 )

The History and Journey of General Motors Holden

…. and an Australian Icon (Part 3 )

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CLUB NEWSFLASH - Due to current Covid 19 restrictions (at time of print of this magazine) we continue to suspend Meetings and Runs. Back to polishing the cars in the garage and dreaming of sunny Covid free days to come! We will notify you all when we plan to commence our Club Runs and Meetings. In the meantime...Stay safe, stay home, get tested if any symptoms appear, and stay in touch with friends and those you know of that are living alone! We will get to the other side of this. - The Annual General Meeting and Awards Luncheon will also be postponed until later in the year. Current Committee will continue to operate as normal for this extended period. We continue to have our monthly Zoom Committee Meetings. Dawn is sending any important relevant emails we receive directly to those Members that have given us their email address. - If anyone would like something added to OUR Newsletter, please let Dawn or Wayne know ! Is everyone well ? Do we know of a fellow Member being sick or struggling in Lockdown. Has anyone had an exciting event happen such as addition of a new family member born. Won Tattslotto?. Bought a new car you would like to tell us all about?. Had an interesting Covid lockdown experience you would like to share? Have a car, or related items, you wish to sell in the “For Sale” section of Sidelights!…. All submissions for the magazine must be conveyed by the 20th of each month. As Sidelights takes many hours of work to compile, all submissions and input is greatly appreciated. - In reference to the email below from Federation Victoria …....A copy of the stakeholder information session presentation by the Department of Transport was also emailed out as an attachment with the email below. As soon as I received it I forward-ed to all Members that have email. If anyone that did not receive it (because we do not have your email address) would like to read it, please contact me and I will forward to you via email. (Was too long to put in our newsletter) -We are compiling a list of feedback from our Members in relation to the request from Federation Victoria as mentioned in email below. Any suggestions and feedback please pass on to Dawn and Wayne via email. Our Club response to them, in early January, will be compiled from Members suggestions.

We received this email in response to last months article about the restored Morris 1100 Hello MPHVC, As Triumph Car Club Webmaster, I receive your shared “Sidelights” magazine email for our club. I have uploaded your August edition to the TCCV website this evening and noticed an article on a Morris 1100. As it happens, decades ago I owned such a vehicle and still have a Workshop Manual. It was printed in February 1968. It isn’t perfect, but available for free, should anyone in your Club desire it. Let me know. Alan Andrews, TCCV Webmaster (alanandrews5@gmail.com)

EMAIL RECEIVED FROM FEDERATION VICTORIA To all Federation Member Clubs and Federation Delegates, Proposed Road Safety (Vehicles) Interim Regulations 2020 The Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2009 are on a 10-year review cycle and are due to expire in October 2020, and therefore the Department of Transport has embarked on a review process. Having regard to the COVID-19 state of emer-gency, the Department has approval from the Minister for an exemption to delay this process, and is recommending making an interim set of regulations, which will be known as Road Safety (Vehicles) Interim Regulations 2020. These Interim Regu-lations will come into effect in October 2020 and will implement technical and administrative changes to improve the effec-tiveness of the Regulations. These Regulations are some 400 pages, of which a section of Part 3 relates to the Club Permit Scheme. Federation has been offered, and accepted, the opportunity to be updated on the proposed changes, and now we share this information with you. Their intention was for major consultation; however, the interim Regulations will be enacted for 12 months from October 2020, and full consultation will take place in early 2021 with the full review, ahead of an ex-pected October 2021 launch date. A copy of the stakeholder information session presentation by the Department of Transport is attached for your information. (see note in Club Newsflash above) Note … these are the proposed changes, are not approved by the Minister, and no decision has been made on their final form. The changes are across a range of areas, including: -Increased accessibility and clarity of the Regulations - Club membership requirements -Conditions for approved clubs - Appointments for the issue of a club permit -Club permit general conditions - Permanent and temporary operating conditions -Requirement to advise of change of details - Offence for not completing log book -Suspension of club permits - Club permit number plates -Reassignment of club permit for deceased estates. Given the short timeline that this is being operated under, there is little time for circulating and consultation with Member Clubs, and so the Department has targeted consultation to Club Associations. And with meetings being unachievable at this time, there is no opportunity for further discussion. However, the full formal consultation is to take place in early 2021, in-cluding the release of a regulatory impact statement. So, with this process under way, we ask you, our Member Clubs, Dele-gates, and members of your clubs to start thinking about what, if any, changes/issues/concerns/comments that are either old or new, that can form the future and ongoing consultation process. It seems that those we are dealing with at the Department may not be fully across or appreciate the rich heritage of this scheme that we are all privileged to be part of, so don’t be concerned about revisiting issues that have been raised before and that may remain unresolved. So please circulate and consider the information on the proposed changes, and if time and current operating conditions allow, feel free to provide immediate feedback, or alternatively take the time to gather the full picture of information for further review in 2021. We ask for feedback to be received in the new year, at this stage looking to the end of January 2021. Yours sincerely, Neil Athorn

VicRoads is launching new digital functionality that will enable Club Permits to be renewed online from 31 July 2020

You can now renew a Club Permit online with a myVicRoads account. If you don’t have a myVicRoads account, simply go to www.vicroads.vic.gov.au to find out more. It is easy to upload the signed renewal and make the payment. This new online service removes the need for Club Permit holders to visit a Customer Service Centre or to renew via mail. "

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Hi, all you lucky people living in the BEST Country in the World ! (bar nun!) ... apologies to all gorgeous Nuns! Back to cars instead of spurious subjects ! Let's get technical and broach a subject rarely raised ........

OVER-TIGHTENING any fastener, new or old vehicle ! More damage can result from excessive over-tightening than that done by being too loose (my morals excluded!)

Those of you who are not used to securing fittings on cars have NO EXCUSE ........ for only a few dollars, a SIMPLE Tension or Torque Wrench can be procured. It does not have to be the expensive type I use in the Workshop every day ........ I am more than happy to lend any member my simple one for the asking if needs be. This inexpensive device has an analogue pointer which indicates Pounds per Square inch or FootPounds or NewtonMetre depending on what specs your info gives you. All too often, and I have seen young mechanics make this mistake with devastating consequences, people tighten Nuts and Bolts as if theyre assembling an Ocean Liner's Engine ! Spark plugs are a perfect example. If Plug has a tapered seat, tighten it as if you were a 4 y/o toddler ! If old plug came out clean and smoothe, always smear new plug with Copper-Coat or any Anti-seize Graphite grease before installing. If plug was difficult to get out, dont just bang in the new Plug; get a "Thread Chaser" and ensure the female thread's integrity before going any further. Not to do so will ensure a forthcoming nightmare, with a seized plug which will probably snap in half even with all the soaking and heating-up in the world. Then you have the pleas-ure of wasting time and money of removing the Cyl Head and drilling out broken plugs. Conventional Plugs with flat seat/washer go in as tight as a 6 year old can swing a spanner, but as above; only after due diligence to the thread's integrity. My 1978 XC Ford Cobra 351 was reluctantly taken to Retell Ford for its maiden service. I waited for it as I didn't trust them to roadtest it after service. I may as well have said "make sure you overtighten the sump plug and strip the thread". I dare not repeat the conversation I had with their Service Manager. Suffice to say I got a Brand New Sump Assembly along with a New Plug sent to me as there was no way in my lifetime they would be ever seeing my Cobra ever again even if I wasn't a Mechanic ! Subsequent warranty faults went straight to Campbellfield HQ for settlement with parts and labour cheques. Most FILTERS used to have written on them how to tighten. They save their ink now as nobody listens ! ALL Spin-On Filters like your Z9 Ford/Toyota and Z30/Z160/Z154 Holden etc. need ONLY hand tighten as done by a weak adult man using both hands or an average adult man using ONE hand. IF this is done, it will not ever come loose, but actu-ally get a little tighter of its own accord ! True ! TIP: (Always fill filter with new oil before installing) When I raced the Cobra at Sandown Park Melbourne during the 80's with my Queens Road Club (Light Car Club of Austral-ia), all cars had to fit security wires to ALL sump plugs (Radiator, Eng, Trans and Diff) so anyone who feels insecure by NOT tightening the "bejusus" out of their drain plugs can rest in peace by fitting "security wires". Try NOT overtightening ANY fastener anywhere on the car by USING a Torque Wrench. Test it for looseness as often as you like to see if I'm right, whether it's a panel screw or any size nut/bolt. The Torque wrench will prove I'm right. In exceptional cases which are few, use a drop of an amazing 1950 invention called "Thread Locker" liquid: Mandatory for Flywheel Bolts and Clutch Cover Bolts. Often OVERTIGHTENED ITEMS : Lug Nuts (Wheel nuts), Engine, Gearbox and Diff Fill Cap/Plugs, Filters, Gaskets CHRYSLER OWNERS> WARNING : Most Chryslers and Valiants have LH Threads on LH side of Car which means un-conventionally, they turn clockwise to be undone. (Back in the 60's and 70's it was common to see multiple broken LH wheel studs on some cars especially Chryslers, especially roadside by an extremely frustrated driver trying to replace a punctured wheel !) TIP; If a fastener refuses to budge with Arnold Schwarzeneger power: STOP! Try turning in the opposite direction >::> It may be a LH thread ! ONE EXCEPTION...............DO OVERTIGHTEN ALL FITTINGS RELATIVE TO COVID19 See you all next month fellow Car Lovers and Lovers in Cars ... (pun intended)! Kindest regards, Bernie Valentini (VACC SMM, Vic Roads Examiner)

CAR CARE CORNER By Bernie Valentini — (VACC Certified SMM)

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THE HISTORY AND JOURNEY OF GMH We hope you enjoy reading about the history and evolution of General Motors Holden. Such an iconic

and loved car deserves to be pride and place in our Club magazine, in detail, over the next few months.

The 1970’s was the decade for many triumphs and milestones for Holden. 1970 was the year Holden cracked the magic 200,000 cars built in a calendar year. In 1975, Holden celebrated 25 years of continuous sales leadership. In 1978, the com-pany introduced its most popular car to date, the Commodore. A $300 million Holden expansion program was announced in 1977, including a new engine plant for Fishermans Bend. The '70s brought Holden legendary status. The first Torana model appeared in the late '60s, however it was really a true icon of the '70s. Claiming motorsport success, the Torana be-came one of the most respected vehicles in the Australian car scene. In 1975 the Gemini was launched. This compact de-sign was built at Holden’s Queensland factory and was voted the most popular four-cylinder car on the Australian market. And in the 70’s Holden ran the famous advertising jingle “Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden Cars”. GTR XU 1 Torana - 1970 In August 1970, the first ultra-performance Torana, the GTR XU-1, was developed by Holden along with Harry Firth of the Hold-en Dealer Team for competition in popular Series Production touring car racing within Australia, as well as in off-road rallying and unique rallycross events. However, the highlight purpose of the Torana GTR XU-1 was to keep the Holden brand competi-tive against the larger and more powerful Ford Falcon GT-HO in the Hardie-Ferodo 500 (Bathurst) endurance race that some consider to be the jewel in the crown of Australian motorsport. The LC Torana GTR XU-1 was equipped with a 160-bhp, 186-cu in (3-litre) six-cylinder engine, fitted with three Zenith-Stromberg CD-150 carburetors, cast-iron headers, a perfor-mance cylinder head and camshaft, and an Opel four-speed nual gearbox. This car also featured an underbody front chassis air dam, a rear bobtail spoiler, wider steel wheel rims, and front disc brakes as standard equipment. The Torana GTR XU-1 proved to be a strong performer on both the road and track due to its favorable power/weight ratio. It soon gained popularity in Australian motor sport and successfully replaced the V8 Monaro GTS 350 as Holden's frontline track race car in 1970, winning many touring car and rally events, but for the famed Bathurst 500-mile (800 km) race which Ford won in 1970 and 1971 with its XW Phase Two and XY Phase Three Falcon GT-HOs, respectively.

HG Holden 1970 - 1971 The Holden HG was marketed under Belmont, Kings-wood,

Premier, Brougham and Monaro model names. On 26th July 1970, it replaced the Holden HT series which had been in pro-duction since May 1969. Changes from the previous model included new grilles and body decorations as well as new safe-ty features, colours and trim designs. All V8-engined models were now fitted with improved disc brakes and the suspension system of the Monaro GTS was modified for greater comfort. The mainstream HG series was offered in four-door sedan and five-door station wagon body styles in three trim levels. Bel-mont sedan, Belmont station wagon, Kings-wood sedan, King-swood station wagon, Premier sedan, Premier station wagon. The Brougham, which used a body with an extended boot, was available in one model only. Brougham sedan. The Monaro was offered in three two-door coupe models, Monaro coupe, Monaro GTS coupe and the Monaro GTS 350 coupe. Com-mercial vehicle derivatives were available in two-door coupe utility and two-door panel van body styles, Belmont utility, Bel-mont panel van and Kingswood utility. The HG range was re-placed by the Holden HQ series in July 1971, production hav-ing totaled 155,787 units. In total, 6,147 Monaros were produced. HQ Holden 1971 - 1974 The Holden HQ series was produced by Holden in Australia from 15th July 1971 to 1974 and replaced the Holden HG series. It was the first ground up redesign of the Holden line since its original release in 1948, and included an all-new body, chassis, and suspension. The mainstream HQ passenger car range consisted of four-door sedan and five-door station wagon models in three trim levels.

The long wheelbase luxury model, "Statesman by GMH" consisted of one body style (four-door sedan) and was available in two trim levels, Statesman & Statesman Deville. Production of the HQ range totaled 485,650 vehicles prior to its replace-ment by the Holden HJ series in October 1974. Holden HQ series cars were produced at GMH plants in Adelaide (Elizabeth, South Australia), Melbourne (Dandenong, Victoria), Sydney (Pagewood, New South Wales) and in Brisbane (Acacia Ridge, Queensland). Engines, transmissions, and final drive assemblies were produced at the engine casting plant at Fishermens Bend in Melbourne, although 350 cu in (5.7 L) engines and its drivetrain components were fully imported from the United States.

1970 GTR XU1 Torana

HQ Holden Kingswood

HG Holden Monaro GTS 253

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LJ Holden Torana 1972 - 1974 In February 1972, the facelifted LJ Torana was introduced with the six-cylinder models now visually associated with the larger Holden HQ series. Many mechanical compo-nents were carried over from the LC-series, with some changes to the choice of engines. The four-cylinder Torana retained its 1200 and 1600 engines, but was now also available with a 1300cc unit. The base two-door car was now simply called the Torana 1200, while the 1300 engine equipped the Torana Deluxe model in either two-door or four-door form. The optional 1600 OHC engine was later in the year to be increased in capacity, badged as the 1760 OHC. Otherwise, the 2250 and 2850 engines carried over into the revised six-cylinder Torana models, and the 3300 engine (known as the 202 in the HQ range) was adopted as the engine for the LJ Torana GTR sedan. Gearbox choices remained the same across the range. This was the series (in XU-1 form) which defeated the dominant Fords at Bathurst in 1972. A race-bred version of the 3300 engine was also fitted to the LJ Torana GTR XU-1, producing well over 200 bhp (149 kW; 203 PS). By now equipping the XU-1 with the 202-ci engine and larger CD-175 Zenith-Stromberg triple carburetors, as well as a new close-ratio M20 four-speed Australian-made transmission (commonly known as the Aussie 4-Speed and often incorrectly called an M21), this

gave the nimble XU-1 the power boost it needed to seriously challenge the powerful Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III, which had won the 1971 Hardie-Ferodo 500 production-car endur-ance race held annually at Bathurst. TA Holden Torana 1974 - 1975 In 1974, the six-cylinder LJ Torana was replaced by the new mid-sized body six- and eight-cylinder LH Torana se-ries. To fill the gap before the March 1975 release of the four-cylinder GM world T-car Holden Gemini, the short-wheelbase four-cylinder (1.3- and 1.8-litre) LJ models were given a basic facelift incorporating a body-colour plastic-moulded front grille assembly and revamped rear light lenses. This car was released in February 1974 on the Aus-tralian market only, in both two- and four-door forms, as the TA Torana. It was only produced for 11 months with a total production run of 11,304 units. LH Holden Torana 1974 - 1976 March 1974 had the first completely new Torana body, with the arrival of the larger mid-sized LH series, produced in four-door sedan style only. Despite the larger external size, the car was relatively cramped by mid-1970s standards. It resembled other GM products of its generation, notably the Opel Ascona and particularly in overall size and profile, the FE series Vauxhall Victor. It was unique in that, follow-ing the addition of a four-cylinder option in May 1974, the same body style was available with a choice of inline-four, inline-six, or V8 engines, specifically, 1.9-litre Opel four, 2.85- and 3.3-litre Holden 'red' sixes, and 4.2- and 5.0-litre Holden V8s. The 5.0-litre engine was reserved for the sporting LH Tora-na SL/R 5000 sedan. A special build derivative of the SL/R 5000 was the Bathurst-intended 'L34 Option', of which only

263 were built, with a higher-compression engine with stouter components for more power and durability in competition use. The most notable external feature of the L34 was the bolt-on wheel arch extensions, designed to accommodate the larger racing rims and tyres. The LH Torana in L34 form won the Bathurst 1000 touring car race with Peter Brock and Brian Sampson in 1975 and with Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick in 1976, with the L34 motor being fitted to the A9X, so in effect winning with that car, as well. Overall, a total of 70,184 LH Toranas were built. A few special models of the LH were built, the somewhat sporting Plus 4 and G-Pak models. The Plus 4 arrived in September 1974 and was an attempt to move a few more of the slow-selling four-cylinder models. The G-Pak, first seen in February 1975, received the 3.3-litre inline-six. Both came with a four-speed manu-al, sporting instrumentation, and disc brakes in front. HJ Holden 1974 - 1976 The HJ series was released on 4 October 1974 and was an improved and facelifted version of the superseded Holden HQ series which had been in production since 1971. All HJ models, aside from the One Tonner, were easily identified from the HQ by having a squared-off frontal treatment with wrap-around indicator lights. The rear of the sedan models featured a new bumper and wrap-around triangular taillights, while all other body styles kept the previous HQ's rear styling. Sedan and wag-on also had revised rear quarter panels. The mainstream passenger car range consisted of 4-door sedan and 5 door wagon models in three trim levels, Belmont sedan, Belmont wagon, Kingswood sedan, Kingswood wagon, Premier sedan and Premier wagon. The Premier was distinguished from the cheaper models by a four headlight frontal treatment. Wagons rode on a wheelbase which was three inches (76.2 mm) longer than that of the sedans. The performance orientated Monaro range included two-door coupe and four-door sedan models: Monaro LS coupe, Monaro GTS coupe and Monaro GTS sedan. inch (5.7-litre) V8 engine was no longer offered in any Holden model. (continued)

TA Torana

Holden LH

Torana G-Pak

LJ Torana

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The base model Monaro Coupe was not carried for-ward from the HQ series, and the new range also saw the demise of the Monaro GTS350 Coupe and Sedan, meaning that the imported Chevrolet 350-cubic-inch (5.7-litre) V8 engine was no longer offered in any Hold-en model. Commercial vehicle derivatives included coupe utili-ty, panel van and cab chassis truck models: Utility, Kingswood utility, Panel van and One Tonner (cab chassis). The base model utility and panel van models did not carry the Belmont name which had been ap-plied to their HQ series equivalents, and they were marketed simply as the Holden utility and Holden panel van respectively, while The Sandman variants were equipped with various features from the Monaro GTS models. The cab/chassis model was marketed as the Holden One Tonner, which in base form still used its own unique front treatment introduced with the previ-ous HQ range, and would continue with the model until 1980. The Statesman HJ range of long-wheel base luxury sedans developed from the Holden HJ series was also released in 1974. The two models in the range, the de Ville and the Caprice, were marketed as Statesmans rather than as Holdens. The Holden HJ was replaced by the Holden HX series in July 1976. HJ production totaled 176,202 cars. TX Gemini 1975 - 1986 The Holden Gemini was a compact car that was produced by Holden and sold in Australasia from 1975 to 1986. It was based on the Japanese Isuzu Gemini, one of the many models based on the GM T-car platform. The original Holden Gemini model, the TX series, was introduced in February 1975. It was available as a four-door sedan, in S and SL specification lev-els, and as a two-door SL coupe. The TX Gemini was built at Holden's factory at Acacia Ridge, Queensland, and contained a high percentage of Australian content. All TX models share the same 1.6-litre SOHC Isuzu engine (coded the G161Z). The en-gine is chain-driven and incorporates a cross-flow design, alloy head. A two-barrel "Nikki" Stromberg carburetor was used on Australian models. Early TX models use a cast-iron, free-flow exhaust manifold, with two out-lets into a "Y" pipe (this item is commonly used by modifiers for later mod-els). From November 1976, this was changed to a single-outlet exhaust header. November 1975 had the introduction of the MSG-type four-speed; reverse on this transmission was to the right and back position. The TX SL sedan was voted Wheels Car of the Year for 1975, and was the most pop-ular four-cylinder car on the Australian market. HX Holden 1976 - 1977 The HX series was released in July 1976 and featured a range of models developed from those in the superseded Holden HJ range. The HX models featured only minor updates to the exterior, notably the grille and badge-work. However significant changes were made to the engines to meet new Australian emissions regulations. During the course of the HX series, front bucket seats were adopted as standard equipment for Kingswood-badged vehicles. The mainstream passenger car range consisted of a 4 door sedan and 5-door wagon body styles in three trim levels, Belmont Sedan, Kingswood Sedan, Premier Sedan, Belmont Wagon, Kingswood Wagon and Premier Wagon. The Premier models were differentiated from the cheaper variants by a four headlight frontal treatment. Wagons rode on a wheelbase which was 76.2 mm (three inches) longer than that of the sedans. Two special-build HX Kingswood variants emerged later in production. A Kingswood Silver Anniversary model was released in November 1976 to celebrate 50 years of General Motors in Australia and a Kingswood Deluxe sedan and wagon was also introduced during the HX model life in Sep-

tember 1977 with a 4.2 litre V8 as standard. For the HX series the per-formance oriented Monaro range was reduced to one model only, the Monaro GTS Sedan. The Monaro LS & GTS coupes were not carried in from the HJ series however a Holden Limited Edition coupe was re-leased in September 1976.[4] This utilized the Monaro coupe body but not the Monaro name. The Kingswood Van was an addition to the commercial vehicle range and the One Tonner was a chassis cab vehicle which featured its own unique frontal treatment, carried over from its HJ predecessor. The Sandman Ute and Van were equipped with various features from the Monaro GTS and featured side stripes and a large 'Sandman' logo on the tailgate. The Holden HX was replaced by the Holden HZ series in October 1977, HX production having totaled 110,669 units. The Statesman HX range of long-wheelbase luxury sedans developed from the Holden HX series was also released in July 1976. Like their HJ predecessors,

the two models in the Statesman HX range, the de Ville and the Ca-price, were marketed as Statesmans rather than as Holdens.

HJ Holden Kingswood sedan

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LX Torana 1976 - 1978 A facelifted LX series arrived in February 1976. Cosmetically, the most obvious changes were to replace the LH's rectangu-lar headlights with round headlights, side window surrounds were changed from body colour to black, and the front Holden badge was enlarged. A two door hatchback body was intro-duced as an alternative to the four-door sedan, although the 1,897-cc Opel unit was not offered in the new body style. Soon after its introduction, in July 1976, the LX was subjected to performance-reducing engine modifications to comply with new mid-year emission regulations. Power outputs (from now on specified in kilowatts, as part of Australia's metrication programe) changed. When the LX Torana was introduced, it featured a choice of four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. In November 1976 the four-cylinder Torana was revised and relaunched as the Holden LX Sunbird. Reflecting the new emissions rules, power from the Opel-sourced engine was down from 76 to 72 kW (102 to 96 hp). From this point, all four-cylinder models were marketed as Sunbirds and the six- or eight-cylinder models as Toranas. The original LX series Sunbird was a single-trim range, with four-speed manual and three-speed automatic transmissions. There were minor trim differences compared to the Torana, notably the grille (with vertical bars) and distinctive chrome wheel covers. It was marketed as a four-door se-dan and as a three-door hatchback, unlike the short-lived four-cylinder LX Torana. The introduction of Sunbird also coincided with the first attempt by Holden to add a handling package to its range of cars. The introduction of 'radial-tuned suspen-sion' (RTS) began with the LX Sunbird sedan and hatchback and then the LX Torana.

TC Gemini 1977 - 1978 The TC Gemini was sold between March 1977 and April 1978. This model received a minor facelift from the TX, appearance was enhanced by a bolder vertical front grille, and at the rear, a silver garnish panel (as opposed to the TX's black). A new Smiths-brand heater, defogger, and ventilation system was used, and the two small vents at each end of the dash were removed on this model, except on vehicles fitted with air conditioning. A "Fashion Pack" interior was now available on both sedan and coupe mod-els; this option was also upgraded to add steel-belted radials and a front stabilizing bar. Door side-impact beams

were introduced to improve safety, and SL coupes had a heated rear wind-screen. In April 1977, a limited-edition "Sandpiper" model was also offered in both sedan and coupe bodies. They were identified by a black grille with stainless steel top edge, gold pin stripes, chequered cloth seat inserts and door trims, wood-grain dash sections, radio/cassette player, a four-spoke steering wheel, and the A9R (Fashion Pack) suspension package. Externally, they were easily identified by the word "Sandpiper" and a bird decal on the side rear quarters of the coupe and on the rear doors of the sedans. Gemini TC production totalled 17,257 units.

HZ Holden 1977 - 1980 Holden HZ was produced in Australia between October 1977 and April 1980 by Holden in a variety of equipment levels and in several different body styles. It was also assembled in New Zealand. The Holden HZ received minor updates to the exterior over the HX series, and saw the introduction of what Holden termed "Radial Tuned Suspension" (RTS) across all models. RTS made significant changes to the suspension of the car, greatly improving the handling finesse, while at the same time not compromis-ing ride quality. Modern Motor magazine described the HZ as "a great handler spoiled by the car" in a compari-son against the BMW 528i, contrasted as "a great car spoiled by the handling". In this series, the base specifi-

cation Belmont was deleted and the new Kingswood SL became the base luxury level for sedans and wagons, with a lower specification Kingswood sedan and wagon only offered as a delete option on the Kingswood SL. During the course of the HZ series, equipment levels were upgraded in 1978 effectively to match improvements in the opposition Ford Falcon range, but the life of the full W size Holden looked set to end following Holden's release of the VB Commodore in November 1978. After 1980, W sized Holden passenger cars were discontinued and replaced by the downsized Commodore. The Kingswood luxu-ry level lived on until 1984 on the WB Holden utility but the end of HZ saw the end of the Holden Premier and both the GTS and Sandman which were both deleted prior to the end of the HZ series. Production of the HZ series totaled 154,155. The final HZ Sandman, featured a choice of V8 engines only, along with a four-headlight grille and under bumper front spoil-er. According to a GMH Price List dated 25 January 1979, a basic HZ Holden panel van was priced at A$6,076, with the Sandman option package an additional A$1,700. (continued)

LX Sunbird sedan

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By the end of 1979, the Sandman had largely lost its place in the contemporary Australian youth culture. Order figures were down and many of the vehicles were now being sold with the stripes and tailgate logos deleted. The Sandman ute was phased out of production prior to the van, the last of which was manufactured around October 1979. In 1977, General Mo-tors-Holden's introduced the Statesman HZ, which involved a minor cosmetic facelift. However, it had a significant engineer-ing upgrade, along with the rest of the GMH range, involving the adoption of Radial Tuned Suspension, giving the Statesman better handling. 4-wheel disc brakes were now fitted to all Statesman models. The previous Director of GMH Engineering, George Roberts had insisted that the Statesman have a high standard of ride comfort (at the expense of ultimate road-holding). (Roberts previously had been the Chief Engineer of the GM Cadillac Division). Prior to HZ, the Statesman's Cadil-lac style of ride was not to everyone's taste. The Statesman de Ville and Caprice were supplemented in 1979 by an interme-diate model – the SL/E, which was launched with a different "eggcrate" grille.

AX9 Torana 1977 During 1977, the LX series also had the development of another limited-build high-performance option aimed at winning in Australian Touring Car racing, and in particular at the annual Bathurst 1000 touring car race. This 'A9X Option' was available on the 5.0-litre V8-powered SLR 5000 sedan and SS hatchback models. The A9X visually resembled the L34-optioned LH model, but with the addition of a rear-facing bonnet scoop designed to increase airflow into the engine bay (carburetor) to produce maximum power in motor racing applications. The A9X pack-age varied from the old L34 in road form in that whilst the engine was not modified, the A9X nevertheless had some special mechanical features such as rear disc brakes, heavy-duty axles, and a heavy-duty '10 bolt' differential. After being rushed into Group C touring car racing, Peter Brock gave the A9X a dream debut by winning the 1977 Hang Ten 400 at Sandown. However, after he put his Torana on pole position, the A9X ultimately lost its debut Bathurst race in 1977 to the Ford Falcons of Allan Moffat and Colin Bond. The A9X package was soon refined and proved dominant during the follow-ing two seasons of touring-car racing in Australia. Drivers Peter Brock and Bob Morris were victorious in the 1978 and 1979 Australian Touring Car Championships, respectively, and A9Xs shared by Peter Brock and Jim Richards won the 1978 and 1979 Bathurst 1000s. In a show of the A9X's superiority, Brock and Richards won the 1979 race by a record six laps, with Brock setting the touring-car lap record on the last lap of the race. Overall, a total of 65,977 LX Toranas were produced by Holden. An A9X recently sold at auction for $500,000.

UC Torana 1978 - 1980 The introduction of the UC Torana in March 1978 occasioned the demise of V8 power and the cessation of the sporting SL/R variant in the Torana range of cars. The UC series featured a significantly modernized frontal appearance and a completely new interior dash layout. Torana was now rationalized to a choice of two equipment levels and two six-cylinder engines, the 2.85-litre and the 3.3-litre. A 'Deluxe Pack' was an option that allowed the UC Torana SL to compete with Ford's TE Cortina Ghia. While the V8 was discontinued in the UC, a facto-ry sanctioned dealer option of a turbo was offered. This was called the UC SL/T. These were mainly ordered through Sut-tons in NSW, but one is known to have been ordered through Zupps in Queensland. These were produced in a mini produc-tion run of five cars and only 33 were built. Only one is known to exist today that was ordered through Zupps. The Holden Sunbird was also updated to UC specifications and continued to sell well as a 1.9-litre four-cylinder car, sharing its body architecture with the UC Torana sedan and hatchback.

The UC Sunbird expanded into three trim levels: base (manual only), SL, and SL/E. The UCs had square headlamps and a smoother front end. LX and early UC Sunbirds were fitted with a 1.9-litre Opel engine. Later UC models had the locally pro-duced 1,892-cc Starfire Four engine that was also installed into the Australian-produced versions of the Toyota Corona and in four-cylinder versions of the Holden Commodore. This sluggish motor was simply a crudely cut-down version of the long-running Holden six-cylinder engine. The hatchbacks were deleted in 1979, leaving only the sedans for the 1980 model year. The last Sunbird was built in September 1980. The Sunbird was replaced initially by a four-cylinder version of the Holden Commodore, before the arrival of its natural, albeit smaller, successor, the Holden Camira, from 1982. After release of the VB Commodore in November 1978, it soon became clear to GM-H that the Torana was too similar in size when compared to the more modern Holden Commodore. As a result, the UC Torana was soon dropped from the Holden range in 1979. The UC Sunbird continued through 1980 with a new, locally manufactured 1.9-litre Starfire engine (based on the 2.85-litre six) replacing the imported Opel unit. For a while at least, talk of further extending the Torana/Sunbird's pro-duction life beyond 1980 occurred, with a facelifted 'UD' model, of which prototype models of the sedan and hatchback were actually built - featuring frontal styling similar to the Opel Ascona B. However, due to the car itself being outdated when com-pared to the new Japanese opposition (notably the Chrysler Sigma, Datsun Bluebird, and Mazda 626), Holden decided on an easier route by simply introducing the Starfire engine into the VC-series of Commodore sedans and wagons. Ultimately, the title of four-cylinder mid-sized Holden was taken over in 1982 by the Camira, Holden's version of GM's front-wheel drive 'J-Car'. However, the Starfire engine did remain available for another two years in the VH-series Holden Commo-dore, and continued to be fitted to the VK-series in New Zealand. Just over 55,000 UC series Toranas and Sunbirds were produced.

UC Torana

1977 Torana

LX SLR 5000

A9X Sedan

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VB Commodore 1978 The VB was officially launched on 26 Octo-ber 1978 with showrooms receiving the first examples on 13 November 1978. Produc-tion of the VB only lasted seventeen months, the shortest reign of any Commo-dore. The VB Commodore was effectively the successor of the Holden HZ, although most models in that series continued to be produced until the introduction of the facelifted VC Commodore on 30 March 1980. 95,906 units of the VB Commodore were manufactured during the car's lifespan, and during 1979 the VB became Australia's number one selling car. Also in 1979, the VB won Wheels Car of the Year award, with the car being praised in the media for its value for money and engineering sophistication. The Commodore represented a major shift in thinking for Holden since it was significantly smaller than the previous full-size family car, the Holden Kingswood, but visually similar in size to the mid-size Torana / Sunbird sedans. It essentially came about in response to the 1973 oil crisis and the need to produce more fuel-efficient cars. Holden, hedging their bets, initially built the Commodore alongside the other two established body styles, until the Torana was dropped in mid-1979, with only the Sunbird surviving into mid-1980 following release of the updated VC Commodore. The VB was available in three specifi-cation levels: Commodore, Commodore SL, and Commodore SL/E. A station wagon variant – not available in SL/E form – was released on 24 July 1979, hitting showrooms on 6 August 1979. The OHV engines were largely carried over from the Kingswood. The engine blocks on these motors were painted red and are therefore commonly referred to as the Red motors. The Commodore was the baseline variant, and was available as a sedan or station wagon. The sedan was priced from A$6,513. The Commodore SL was the mid-spec variant, and was avail-able as a sedan or station wagon. The sedan was priced from A$7,813. The Commodore SL/E was the top of the line vari-ant. It was available as a sedan only, and was priced from A$10,513. The VB Commodore featured heavily in Australian motorsport in the latter part of 1979 and through most of 1980. In 1979 the factory backed Holden Dealer Team entered a three-car VB Commodore team in the 20,000-kilometre Repco Round Australia Trial which started and finished at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and travelled clockwise around the country over some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable. The team Commodore's were powered by the 3.3-litre straight six Holden Red motor rather than the more powerful V8 due to their much lighter weight. Anxious to prove the then new cars reliability, the cars were perfectly prepared and finished first, second and third. Lead HDT driver Peter Brock won the event along with co-drivers Matt Phillip and Noel Richards. Brock has cited this event as his career highlight as it was an event in which many motor racing experts throughout Australia, as well as the media, did not believe he would do well in despite his previous rally and rallycross exploits. With new regulations for Group C Touring car racing introduced by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in 1980 which forced teams to use low emission engines, the HDT (by now owned by Brock and with actual support from Holden dealers after Holden had pulled out of racing at the end of 1979) had been secretly testing a VB Commodore as its replace-ment for the A9X Torana. The new regulations saw that the Holden's racing 5.0-litre V8 engine had a drop in power from 1979's 380 hp (283 kW) to approximately 300 hp (224 kW). However, the new regulations also saw to it that the HDT had arguably the only race ready car for the 1980 Australian Touring Car Championship. Peter Brock won the championship in his VB Commodore, winning four of the eight rounds while claiming pole position at each and every round. 1979 ATCC winner Bob Morris also won a round of the championship driving his Craven Mild Racing VB Commodore. Brock then won the 1980 CRC 300 at Sydney's Amaroo Park circuit before upgrading to the VC Commodore by the Hang Ten 400 at Sandown Raceway. The VB's final placing in an Australian touring car race was a strong third place by Ian "Pete" Geoghegan and Paul Gulson at the 1980 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst (Brock and Jim Richards won their third straight Bathurst 1000 in their VC Commodore). As of 2015, the VB remains only one of two Commodore models (along with the VN) not to have won the Bathurst 1000. TD Gemini 1978 - 1979 The TD series was introduced in April 1978, with the most major change over the TC being the introduction of "radial tuned suspension" and the option of a five-speed manual transmission. The differential was replaced with a small Salisbury unit as used in the UC Torana; it used tapered Timken wheel bearings as found on all larger Holdens since mid-1971.

In April 1979, the rear brakes were changed to Commodore leading-trailing rear drum assemblies. Exterior appearance was changed with the intro-duction of a new grille, rectangular headlights (round on base models), wheels were now 13 in × 5 in (33 cm × 13 cm), and the rear number plate was relocated in place of the rear garnish panel. A panel van and three-door wagon were also add-ed to the range, bodywork pressings being from the British Vauxhall Chevette/Bedford Chevanne range. Also new was the SL/E version, which used many interior options from the TC "Sandpiper" series, such as the radio/cassette, four-spoke steering wheel, timber dash inserts, velour seat trim, loop-pile carpet, and timber (hardboard) door-trim in-serts. The SL/E also received the five-speed manual transmission as standard. (continued)

Holden Gemini

TD wagon

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Externally, appearance was further enhanced to include stainless steel headlight and grille surrounds, thick stainless steel door window-frame mouldings, and GM-H designed alloy wheels similar to Sunbird SL/E. Coupes and sedans had colour-coded side mirrors similar to those of Sunbird SL/E and HZ Sandman, door-trims were extended to cover the top of the doors. The SL/E was replaced by the SL/X in early 1979. It had a slightly lower equipment level, but a more competitive price. Also, a limited-edition "Gypsy" package was optional on panel vans, which included extra instrumentation and identifying de-cals. Heated rear windscreens were now standard on all but base model sedans, panel vans, and wagons. Nylon plaid cloth inserts were available on SLs and wagons, and air conditioning was available as an optional accessory.

TE Gemini 1979 - 1982 The TE series Gemini was introduced in October 1979. It featured significant exterior changes with new front and rear styling, comparable with the Isuzu Gemini and Holden Commodore models of the same era. By this time, the Opel Kadett had been changed to front wheel drive and no longer resembled the original Kadett C. The TE was the most popular of all the Geminis, selling over 70,000 units. Ini-tially only available as a sedan, in February 1980, the panel van and station wagon were added to the line-up, while the coupé version was no longer avail-able. The luxury SL/E version was also removed from the line-up, replaced instead with an SL/X variant. In 1981, the TE was introduced to New Zealand, replacing the British-sourced Vauxhall Chevette range. A limited-edition "Gypsy" van was made available in February 1980 and was offered with a tachometer and console gauges. Individual plaid cloth seats were available (a different plaid from other earlier Geminis). The Gypsy featured blacked-out grille treatment and door window surrounds, square headlights, full chrome bumpers, and full-length headlining and carpet (regular vans had vinyl flooring as standard). Gypsys are now a highly collectible Gemini model. Engine options originally stayed the same. In early 1981, the option of a 1.8-litre Isuzu diesel model was introduced, fitted with an M76 five-speed gearbox. This one was also a strong seller in Indonesia, where it was popular as a taxi. In Australia, all diesel Geminis were only available as SL/X five-speed manu-als. Rhone green was a colour made available exclusively for the diesel, but

other colours in the range could be ordered. Production of the diesel commenced in March 1981. (info collated from Wikipedia & www.carsguide.com.au)

Hope you are enjoying the journey ! …. To be continued in October Sidelights

WHAT WAS THE

MOST POPULAR

CAR THE YEAR

YOU WERE BORN? 1952: Bentley Type-R

Continental While the U.S. auto industry was reeling from a steel strike, the Brits launched one of the prettiest coupes of 1950s, the stylish Type-R Continental … and it was fast, too. The big Bentley could top out at 115 mph, a speed few cars could reach at the time. Occupants were treated to plush surroundings as they motored along at triple digit speeds. The R -Type Continental was a high-performance version of the R-Type. It was the fastest four-seat car in production at the time. The prototype was devel-oped by a team of designers and engineers from Rolls-Royce Ltd. and coachbuilder H. J. Mulliner & Co. led by Rolls -Royce's Chief Project Engineer, Ivan Evernden. Rolls-Royce worked with H. J. Mulliner instead of their own coachbuilding subsidiary Park Ward because the former had developed a lightweight body construction system using metal throughout instead of the traditional ash-framed bodies. The styling was influenced by aerodynamic testing con-ducted at Rolls-Royce's wind tunnel. The rear fins stabilized the car at speed and made it resistant to changes in di-rection due to crosswinds. A maximum kerb weight of 34 long hundredweight (1,700 kg) was specified to keep the tyres within a safe load limit at a top speed of 120 mph (190 km/h). The prototype, with chassis number 9-B-VI and registration number OLG-490, which earned it the nickname "Olga", was on the road by August 1951. Olga and the first series of production Continentals were based on the Mark VI chassis, and used a manual mixture control on the steering wheel boss, as these versions did not have an automatic choke. After July 1954, the car was fitted with an engine with a larger bore of 4.62 mm (3.7 in), giving a total displacement of 4.9 L (4887 cc/298 in³). The rarity of the R Type Continental has made the car valuable to car collectors. Only 208 of these cars were produced until production ended in 1955. In 2015 a 1952 R Type Continental, in unrestored condition, sold for over US$1 million.

Hope you enjoy this journey of the most popular cars produced from 1918 to 2000. Follow the progress of the automobile in its evolution throughout upcoming editions of Sidelights.

(Info and pictures obtained from https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g23320934/car-history/)

11

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OUR CLUB

The Mornington Peninsula Historical Vehicles Club Incorporated was founded in 1969 as a Family Social Club, aimed at assisting in the preservation, restoration, use and maintenance of historic vehicles, stationary engines and other mechanical memorabilia more than 25 years old. Particular emphasis is on veteran, vintage and classic eras together with later vehicles of interest. The MPHVC will also endeavour to assist local non-profit clubs and organizations by participating in their events when invited. Please address any correspondence to: The Secretary MPHVC Inc. PO Box 7056 Karingal Centre, Frankston 3199 Club Email Address: mphvc@live.com.au

Office Bearers, Committee Members and Delegates 2019/20 President: Darren Crerar Vice President: Nyree Parker Secretary: Greg Harvie mphvc@live.com.au Treasurer: David Hunt Sidelights Editor: Dawn & Wayne Etcell - 0414 455 989 mphvc.sidelights@yahoo.com.au Sidelights Publisher: Noelene Warwick Activities Co-ordinator: Len & Glenda Butcher - - 0427 376 530 Membership Officer: John Schipper - 0419 551 378 Committee: Chris Warwick Noelene Warwick Ray Griffin Colin Gardner Welfare Officer: Lorraine Mayne - 0412 446 978 Memorabilia Officer: Colin Gardner - 0409 130 804 Permit Officers: Len Butcher - 0427 376 530 Doreen Madeley - 0488 547 988 Members who wish to post their renewal of permits can do so, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:

MPHVC Inc. PO Box 7056, Karingal Centre, Frankston 3199

AOMC Delegates: Greg Harvie & Peter Anscombe Federation Delegates: Alan Saunders & Dominique Ruellot.

Club Meetings and Supper Roster Meeting place: St Francis Xavier Centre Where: Rear of St Francis Xavier Church, 60 Davey St Frankston. Car parks off Baxter Street and Park Street (wheelchair access). When: 2nd Thursday of every month at 8.00pm Supper Roster rotates supper duties among club members (see “Events Calendar” for members on Supper Roster). Duties are as follows: - First named Club Member buys 2x1 litre milks (reimbursed by

Club). - Set up tables, urn, cups and make tea and coffee. - Wash up and stow everything away after supper is finished. - Check tea, coffee and sugar supplies. If insufficient, please advise

next month’s rostered Members. - Put Roster book on table at door. All Members - Please remember to bring a plate to share.

Monthly Club Runs

FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Remuce Café Breakfast Run. 10am meeting at Remuce Café, 2680 Frankston-Flinders Road, Bittern FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH Midweek Picnic Run meeting at 11.30 am. Balcombe Creek Estuary picnic area, Mirang Avenue, Mount Martha. SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH Club General Meeting Club rooms 8pm. Rear of St Francis Xavier Church, 60 Davey Street Frankston. Car park at rear, 1 Park Street. (wheelchair access) OCCASIONAL MID MONTH SUNDAY RUN Sunday after GM. Decided according to seasons and destination planning. Watch Magazine for details. LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Last Sunday Run: 10am meeting at Baxter Tavern Car Park for a run decided by members on that morning or previously planned. Watch Magazine for details.

Club Magazine - “Sidelights” Help make Sidelights a success by contributing material you consider will be of interest to fellow Club Members. The deadline for material to appear in the next issue of Sidelights is the 20th of each month. Where possible e-mail material to the Editor at mphvc.sidelights@yahoo.com.au Where you wish to have a photograph included with your material, please provide the original photograph, (not a photocopy) and/or email photograph in ‘jpeg’ format to the Editor’s email address above. All original material submitted to the Editor will be returned.

MPHVC FACEBOOK LINK

https://www.facebook.com/MPHVC-Mornington-

Peninsula-Historical-Vehicles-Club-

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DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this Newsletter is for general

information purposes only. The MPHVC Club assumes no

responsibility for errors, omissions or accuracy of advice

published in the Newsletter.

Do you want to contact the Club by email ?

Our Club Email Address is: mphvc@live.com.au