Help Me ID the interior colour

[rallyvan]

It's a photo of the HDT service van that they used in the late 70's early 80's when Holden had a rally program. The bloke who's collection it came from believes it was shot on the Repco Round Australia in 1979. HDT used the van as the workshop run about and it was also used as a service vehicle when they ran Gemini's in the Australian Rally Championship back in the day. When Castrol came on board in 80-81 to sponsor the twin cam Gemini's in the ARC the van was redone in Castrol colours.
Have about 80% of the parts I need to bring the 6 cylinder donor HZ up to spec so I hope to get the car off to the beaters in the second half of the year once I have cleared a Commodore rally car off the list!
It will definitely be the coolest service vehicle in the rally service area when it's done! I am hoping to get a few photo's of the van with the Bell/Ferguson/Boddy MHDT Commodore from the Repco when it's done.

[wbute]

Have you read the article from a few months ago in AMC that gave a bit of a write up on those vans?

[jennie285]

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It will definitely be the coolest service vehicle in the rally service area when it's done! I am hoping to get a few photo's of the van with the Bell/Ferguson/Boddy MHDT Commodore from the Repco when it's done.

So please enlighten me about the sponsorship of Bell/Ferguson/boddy MHDT, what do these stand for...am interested as I may have a contact in the Bell side of things if it is Helmets....

[rallyvan]

Have read all the articles & books relating to the Repco Trial and have spoken to several of the MHDT team members from the era about there recollection of the van/s and rallying back then. Also spoke to the AMC article author who is in the same car club as myself. I also had the chance to service for Barry Ferguson (one of the 79 Repco Holden driver's) when he used his original Repco car in a mini Round Australia re-run in 2008. Have help Barry with a bit of prep work on the car in the past as well. The Repco Commodore's where an amazingly standard car by today's standards.

Wayne Bell/Barry Ferguson/Dave Boddy are the names of the #17 Commodore Marlbro Holden Dealer team crew members from the 1979 Repco Round Australia. As far as I know Wayne is not related to Bell Helmet Company. #17 finished 2nd to Brock, Matt Phillip and Dave Richards in the 05 car. Barry bought the #17 car off a long time fan for the 2008 event and restored it to use in the 2008 Red Centre to Gold Coast Rally. He still own's the car. They where a few articles relating to the car's discovery in AMC in late 2007.

Pretty amazing event that 79 Trial from the stories I have been told. I think the thing that would come closest to it in this day and age is the Australian Safari.

When the van's done I am hoping to use it to service for mates at a couple of old school rallies that are enjoying a second life at the moment. It'll be a bit different to the Egas Falcon we currently use! Hoping the van will also create a bit of public interest in the sport of rallying as we struggle some years to get a decent number of competitors.

[jennie285]

thanks for that, I thought it was Bell helmets who sponsored it, as I went to school with the founder of Bell' s daughter, it was Frank Matich who began the company...he was an open wheeler race car driver in the 60's as you would prob know...

I will get my brother in law to look out for you when you get that up and running he does a lot of ralley car driving, and comes from Port Macquarie....