Does this panelvan story add up? Good providence - P.Brock related.

[Robbo]

Your'e on the money Flamingo, it's about the story, or the story behind the story. As far as the van's go, the factory would just build what they wanted, henceforth the column mounted shift. They would have been built very strong, mechanically and structurally, to enable them to get to the remote area's required. Basically area's more suited to a four wheel drive at the time. My guess is they were built on the production line as special order's, to the requirement's of the rally participant's. The whole team were representing GM, so you can't have the support guy's breaking down.

Cheer's.

[wbute]

There are photos of them all together. Some have gts mirrors, so possibly a Sandman and some were just standard mirrors. I think they used whatever was available. They weren't all the same. There is a thread on here about them.

[HK1837]

There is no way they were special build. They'd simply be vehicles that HDT dealers (ie the dealers that are the D in HDT) had in stock or pulled from GMH stock. At least one was a used car.

[Dr Terry]

HDT dealers (ie the dealers that are the D in HDT)

Were there such things s 'HDT dealers' before the Brock ownership of HDT.

AFAIK under Firth & then Shepard ownership, there were no distinct dealers as such.

The HDT dealer network which sold HDT (Brock) Commodores, was established in 1980 to sell the VC Brock as their first model.

Dr Terry

[Robbo]

Good on you Byron, Peter Brock's commodore probably came from the exact same stock too in that case. He probably just fitted a racing harness to get through scrutineering. My point, which I thought was obvious, is that the van's would have had certain mod's done to them for durability..strength etc and I suspect this is correct. None of them would have come back alive otherwise. Who's to say they were not built on the line, a heck of a lot of other special vehicle's were, and still are.

Cheers.

[mook]

Good on you Byron, Peter Brock's commodore probably came from the exact same stock too in that case. He probably just fitted a racing harness to get through scrutineering. My point, which I thought was obvious, is that the van's would have had certain mod's done to them for durability..strength etc and I suspect this is correct. None of them would have come back alive otherwise. Who's to say they were not built on the line, a heck of a lot of other special vehicle's were, and still are.

Cheers.

I know of quite a few cars that have been in the variety club bash and the port adelaide bash. I have actually even owed a couple if them. No special mods except for big springs and Tyres. They just keep on going (and they get bashed!)..

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I know of quite a few cars that have been in the variety club bash and the port adelaide bash. I have actually even owed a couple if them. No special mods except for big springs and Tyres. They just keep on going (and they get bashed!)..

Don't think they would have been especially built on the production line. Just optioned a bit better, trans, country pack etc.

[HK1837]

FFS, Whatever. That's right Robbo you'd know better

The rally cars were special builds and they weren't built solely for HDT either. Just like any other competion vehicle. WTF would you need to beef up a support vehicle when all you needed was available out of stock - like an Ambulance pack HZ van with an outback pack applied What were they going to beef up on them?

Plus it is well known at least one of the vans was a standard secondhand car. And it survived fine.

[Croc]

One was for sale in Just Cars, July 2008 and went on E-Bay in October 2008 I've got photos of each but can't get them to load up. Will have to do it tomoz when the missus is about.

[HK1837]

As far as I am aware there were. I agree HDT was a front created by John Bagshaw but afaik there were dealers that acted as that front and taht is the channel cars came through.

[wbute]

There is a thread on here already if someone can find it. Old mate was building a replica of the vans. I think there was a story in AMC too. I remember reading about them sitting on high speeds to stay in front of the rally cars to beat them to the check points.