Muscle Vans

[HK1837]

Im not talking about the dummy A9X bought from your local holden dealer with a sticker on then, im talking about the real thing http://holden.itgo.com/a9x.html like the L34 not stock. As for the HT Torana blocks they where ment to produce about 20 HP more than other 308 motors

Torana ran the same engine as the Holden. Early LH 5.0L was the same spec engine as the HQ 308. When the HJ was released the compression ratio on the 308 was increased from 9.0:1 to 9.7:1. The LH got the same engine at the same time, and this carried over into the LX (pre HX circa 6/76). This is the 250hp engine low75 is talking about, and was the highest output L31 engine (possibly outdone by the manual 308 VK Police spec engines (V5H I think they were)). One of these engines in a post 10/74 LH-LX SL/R or LX SS is a pretty quick thing, will easily outsprint a post 6/76 LX (incl A9X), and mostly due to gearing will outdo an L34 (most L34 had 14" wheels and 2.78:1 gearing).

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Hi.
When I first looked at this list, I was trying to workout, what's makes a v8 performance car.
Then I look at, the Ford xc line up and they had every model on their. Ford had fitted a four
barrel carb to 302 and 351 to help with 27a emission and performance, they made these
engines available as options across the model line up. Four barrel carb = performance.
So looking at the Sundowner first, even fitted with the four barrel carb, they are way down
on horsepower compared to the xb fitted with two barrel carb.
xb 351 260bhp(194kw) @ 4600rpm
xc 351 217bhp(162kw) @ 4600rpm
muscle van = no
Sandman van and ute
hq 308 240bhp(179kw) @ 4800rpm
hj 308 240bhp(179kw) @ 4800rpm
hx 308 216bhp(161kw) @ 4800rpm 27a emission
hz 308 216bhp(161kw) @ 4800rpm 27a emission
While the hq and hj have good performance, is this enough.
While looking thru some reference material, I found this, 24 February 1976
the lx Torana was released on to the market.
lx 308 249bhp(186KW) @ 5000rpm now this was only available until July 1976 approx
hj 308 250bhp(186kw) @ 5000rpm now this on a holden panel van brochure issued February 1976 (K180)
This will need to be verified as brochures are not reliable information.
muscle vans and utes = to be confirmed, hj February to June 1976

All HJ get that same engine ie 250hp. Which in essence makes the HJ the most powerful Sandman but it is hardly a muscle car.

What constitutes a muscle car? Many will argue it is something like:

"Performance oriented model of a mid-sized vehicle series with a larger capacity engine installed from the bigger (full size) vehicle series, and the engine is unique to that model".

Not too many GMH vehicles fall into this category, probably only the HK GTS327 and LC XU-1. At a stretch you might include the LH SLR5000 however the 5.0L was also available (albeit limited) in the LH SL. I like the following qualification:

"To be a true muscle car, the vehicle must be 2 door, V8, 4 barrel, 4 speed."

This leaves only one Aussie car: the HK GTS327. You may be able to (on a technicality) squeeze in the A9X as while it was produced the 308 was not available outside A9X in LX Torana, although the existence of LX SLR5000 and SS with optional 308 do probably rule it out. This does not mean that the HK was the highest performance Aussie car, there were plenty of them that left it hanging (late HG GTS350, XW/XY GT-HO phase II/III and E38/49 charger to name a few). But it for its time was a true Aussie Muscle car.

So back to HJ, let's say the quickest Sandman, HJ Holden XX7 utility with 308 and M21. It is 2 door, V8, 4 barrel, 4speed. And having a 3.36 or optional 3.55 diff it would possibly out accelerate an LH SLR5000 (would weigh about the same). But the engine is not unique to the Sandman in HJ, and it doesn't come from a bigger vehicle.

So I wouldn't call it a muscle car. But it'd stick it in the same category as 4 door Holden engined HQ GTS or HJ-HZ GTS.

[mauser]

I agree.

To me Sandmans fit with the following. A 308 L31 example fits with the GTS 4-door 308 and the SL/R 5000's of the day. A 253 L32 example is the lesser spec'ed GTS and SL/R 253's.

In the '71-78 GMH era, the 2-door HQ-HX GTS coupes and Torana V8 SS's are more of a muscle car in that sense.


Mauser

[wbute]

They were a lifestyle marketing exercise. They had no performance gain over any other Holden commercial vehicle available from your dealer. They were a holden commercial with a sticker kit really.

[HK1837]

True, especially for HX and HZ. Note though that HQ Sandman was not all that far removed from HQ SS or HQ GTS sedan, ie Belmont or Kingswood with GTS coupe bits and some blackouts and/or sports stripes plus a 4spd console shift. Only main difference was Sandman could be had with a 6cyl model, XV2 and XV4 (HQ SS and GTS sedan) were V8 models. HJ continued the theme. HX and HZ Sandman went soft with the loss of fluted guards and hippy stripes, so closer in some ways to a Kombi or Vacationer than a GTS, but still shared some GTS DNA on both (nose pieces and mirrors).

[Bobcat]

The Holdens that I would put into the muscle car class are HK to HG 327 or 350 monaro HQ 350 monaro LC - LJ GTR-XU1 L34 Torana and the lucky people that got the race version of the A9X registered on the road

[HK1837]

What race version of the A9X do you mean? The spare part hatchback shells?

[Bobcat]

A few of the Race version A9X or what ever you want to call them that came with the L31 engines but then got the L34 plus treatment. Some got rego in Canberra. http://www.a9xclub.org.au/abouta9x.html http://holden.itgo.com/a9x.html The Allen Grice A9X is here in Canberra

[HK1837]

I get you. These would not be factory build though, but done after they were originally built as A9X by GMH. GMH wouldn't have been able to compliance them with an engine not compliant with ADR27A.

[Bobcat]

These where done buy the dealership as a upgrade on delivery, some of the rich Greek boys had these done. If I can remember when I had my XU1 there was 3 A9X Toranas done like this. 1 red 1 white 1 blue

[HK1837]

Dealers did some odd stuff in the 70's! I have heard of them putting new cars side by side and swapping bits across, simply to get a sale.