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Three old warriors get together


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#1 V-SLR5000-P

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Posted 16 April 2016 - 01:47 PM

A few weeks back we had together three Monaros, all with race history. The story starts with an early morning cruise into the hills around Melbourne in the only HK327 known to survive from Bathurst 1968 and the first HT350 put together by HDT. We dropped in to the see the completed restoration of an HT350 survivor from Bathurst 1969. 64D was driven by motoring journo Bill Tuckey and Sib Petralia. Its a beautiful car!

After shooting the breeze over a coffee and scones we headed off to catch up with Joe Felice for a yarn about the old days of HDT. Joe is a great host and it was a couple of hours before we said goodbye and headed back off into the afternoon traffic.

There cant be too many better ways to start the day.

 

The Tuckey Petralia  (64D) car is quietly for sale. Competed at Bathurst 1969 but an engine blow up brought their day to an end. The Bond and Roberts HDT car went on to claim victory.

 

412401447.jpg

 

Joe Felice with the ex Holden dealer Racing Team HK327 23D driven by Paul Hawkins and Bill Brown. Started from P3 and led the race early dicing with Des West's Monaro before a broken wheel on lap 108 and a tow back to the pits caused disqualification.

 

412401445.jpg

 

The first Holden Dealer team HT350 driven by Spencer Martin and Kevin Bartlett at the Sandown Three Hour. Brake failure brought about a premature end to their race and Harry Firth quickly pushed through a different wheel design and air ducts in the front pan before Bathurst.

 

412401446.jpg



#2 LXCHEV

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Posted 16 April 2016 - 10:34 PM

Absolutely awesome!

#3 Shiney005

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Posted 16 April 2016 - 11:28 PM

It would certainly be a sight seeing them coming down the road. :)



#4 N/A-PWR

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Posted 17 April 2016 - 02:39 AM

Well done on the get together.



Like button for you all.



History is good.



#5 308 Sunbird

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Posted 17 April 2016 - 09:56 AM

Great story and great photos- thanks



#6 yel327

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Posted 17 April 2016 - 10:26 AM

Good stuff. Do you guys know Joe well?



#7 Ice

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Posted 17 April 2016 - 11:50 AM

Still one of if not the best shaped Holden ever made
cool pics cheers

#8 kiwi-lilj

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Posted 17 April 2016 - 08:03 PM

Still the best shaped Holden ever made
cool pics cheers


Fixed it for you. :)

#9 V-SLR5000-P

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 12:19 PM

Byron, l hadn't met Joe before. It was certainly interesting to chat with him and he was generous with his time and thoughts on many things HDT related.



#10 yel327

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 01:12 PM

The reason I asked is I sent him an email a few weeks back about Bathurst 1968, but he didn't respond. I just wanted to check if he got it or not. If he got it and doesn't want to answer that's perfectly fine, but if I he didn't get it (as can happen) I wanted to send it again - but didn't want to bother him if he chose not to reply.



#11 V-SLR5000-P

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 03:16 PM

Peter Lewis Williams was more involved in Holden's 1968 Bathurst effort and may have some answers for you.



#12 yel327

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 04:23 PM

He might, but Joe did something or was reported to do something that year and may have the answer.

#13 TerrA LX

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 05:25 PM

Long may they live.



#14 I'm a Red Motor fiend

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Posted 19 April 2016 - 07:53 AM

That is just fantastic to see and read about. Even though I have Torana blood running through my veins, for me the HK Monaro is the best looking Holden ever built.........

#15 Pop's-SS

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Posted 23 April 2016 - 06:08 PM

Bloody Hell Joe  :wtf:

 

You haven't aged a day since 

 

Joe-Felice.jpg

 

AND with Jackie Love who has those long legs that just go up and up  :buttrock:

 

Great pics of the Monnies  :spoton:

 

RegardSS ... Barry

 

 



#16 _big jack_

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Posted 24 April 2016 - 04:47 PM

Another pic with a giant killer

 

13043412_1347204991971773_25681128312972



#17 v6 torana

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Posted 05 August 2016 - 05:35 PM

It appears 57D - HT 350 is for sale:

http://ro6119.wixsite.com/hdt-monaro

(if the link above doesn't work copy and paste into a web page)

Below is a short extract from the web site which has the full history of the car and plenty of pictures:


Holden Dealer Team Monaro for Sale.


Here is the opportunity of a lifetime for an Australian Motor Racing purist who can appreciate an iconic piece of Australian Motor Racing history.​

This vehicle is the first Series Production Race Car prepared for the newly formed Holden Dealer Team by Harry Firth after crossing over from the Ford Works team in 1969.

In 1969 Harry Firth was considered by those at Ford to be 'too old' and was replaced as Ford Works Team boss by American Al Turner. Within a short time he had crossed over to General Motors Holden (GMH) to become manager of the new Holden Dealer Team, which despite the "Dealer" name was actually a full works team backed by Holden and set up by GMH executive John Bagshaw. Because of General Motors world wide factory ban on motorsport at the time (dating back to the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans disaster that killed 80 people), the team's cash flow from Holden had to come through the 'back door' to avoid alerting GM headquarters in Detroit. Ironically, the HDT operated out of Firth’s Auburn workshop, the same that had once housed the Ford Works Team.

The first race Firth prepared a car for was the 1969 Sandown 300, the pre crusor to Bathurst, the most important date on the Australian Motor Racing calendar.

Firth requested and was granted by GMH four newly released Monaro GTS 350's which were manafactured to tackle Fords GT HO's on the Mountain. These vehicles were supplied by various Holden Dealers around Melbourne with this Monaro supplied by Campbell Motors in Preston. These cars were to be prepared for Sandown and Bathurst a few weeks later.

This Monaro is the car Firth prepared for the Sandown 300. It is the first car ever prepared for the Iconic Holden Dealer Team, the most successfu racing Team in Australian Motoring history.

​Firth selected as drivers Spencer Martin and Kevin Bartlett for the Sandown 300, both Gold Star winners which is in effect an Australian Drivers championship as we know it today.

Below is a photo of the Monaro as it prepares to take to the front row of the Grid for the start of the Sandown 300.

In order to move to page 2 and beyond please click on the "Page" tab above and click on the next page.


Unbenowns to all involved with the race team there had been a mix up with brake pads. Having spoken with Harry Firth, Ian Tate (The former Head Mechanic of the Holden dealer Team) and Frank Lowndes there were two sets of brake pads for the Monaro that were utilised for practise, a road set and a race set. The high tech system consisted of two small boxes with "Road Pads" and "Race Pads" written on the exterior of the boxes. After the last practise prior to Sandown someone placed the "Race Pads" in the "Road Pad" box and the "Road Pads" in the "Race Pads" box. Subsequently at the three quarter of an hour distance Spencer Martin having reached the end of the front straight at Sandown at well in excess of 100 MPH went to squeeze on the brakes only to find the pedal went straight to the floor. The road pads were destroyed in a very short period of time due to the extreme conditions of racing.

​Spencer was no fool and knew the consequences of hitting the fence at such a speed and instinctively reefed on the handbrake, spun the Monaro around backwards and hit the Armco at approximately 80 MPH, leaped over the armco and down onto the return road. The armco ripped the fuel tank and subsequently the fuel spilled and hit the hot exhaust manifold and ignited.

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