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VK - Last of the Holden 6's

Started by _NZ Toranaman_ , Jul 22 2015 06:15 PM

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21 replies to this topic

#1 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 06:15 PM

Picked up a little gem and have been tidying it up a bit and sorting the engine.

First Registered in January 1987

137,000kms

3.3 carb, 5-speed manual

235 + mags all round

Newish paint.

The engine was leaking oil and noisy as hell, looked like it had gone 30000 without an oil change so threw some flush and then I am now running diesel oil in and can already see the difference after just 300kms and will flush this out and replace lifters when I do the cam sometime in the future. I will drop the sump and dung out the crap as well.

Plans:

Medium cam

Up Compression

600 Holley

Upgrade ignition

Flows

W55 Toyota box

IMG_0352%201024x589_zpsktkwblva.jpg

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#2 yel327

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 06:48 PM

You know she really isn't the last of the Holden 6's. Those are yet to be built!

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#3 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 06:57 PM

You know she really isn't the last of the Holden 6's. Those are yet to be built!

The straight six was the last of the Holden, all the rest are borrowed aren't they?

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#4 yel327

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 07:05 PM

No, the first VN V6 was a borrowed thing but the V6's in later Holden, Statesman, Commodore and even Monaro were all locally built. Since the redesign I think. At least the all alloy ones are. Someone else will know more. I get what you mean though, the VK 6cyl was the end of an era, but at least the Aussie V8 lived on until the end of VS in 2000. It actually lasted longer than the 6cyl.

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#5 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 07:33 PM

No, the first VN V6 was a borrowed thing but the V6's in later Holden, Statesman, Commodore and even Monaro were all locally built. Since the redesign I think. At least the all alloy ones are. Someone else will know more. I get what you mean though, the VK 6cyl was the end of an era, but at least the Aussie V8 lived on until the end of VS in 2000. It actually lasted longer than the 6cyl.

.

Technically the Holden straight 6 lasted longer, 1948 to 1987 in this case although it was built in 86, although the red/blue/black was only 23years and Grey 15 years but the Grey was a Canadian design

Edited by NZ Toranaman, 22 July 2015 - 07:34 PM.

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#6 RallyRed

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 07:34 PM

nice old thing mate....looks like a good project.

p.s. love the single axle trailer bustin its guts too ...lol

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#7 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 07:40 PM

nice old thing mate....looks like a good project.

p.s. love the single axle trailer bustin its guts too ...lol

Cheers, It is my tilt race car trailer I built fro the Starlet, I could have driven it back but cheaper to do the 900km round trip this way. My Beemer hardly knew it was there Now the VK is my new tow car. Its also had a full suspension remake.

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#8 SA EH

Another Holden 6 tragic

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 09:03 PM

Nice.
Those seats are one of the most comfiest ever to be made... the back seats I mean.

But really, the early commos are one of the best cars for buying off the shelf upgrade parts for, and relatively cheap too.

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#9 _reefhog_

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Posted 23 July 2015 - 06:07 PM

No, the first VN V6 was a borrowed thing but the V6's in later Holden, Statesman, Commodore and even Monaro were all locally built. Since the redesign I think. At least the all alloy ones are. Someone else will know more. I get what you mean though, the VK 6cyl was the end of an era, but at least the Aussie V8 lived on until the end of VS in 2000. It actually lasted longer than the 6cyl.

The Holden V8 was in the VT sedans and wagons until 2000, the VS at that time were series three Utes.

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#10 yel327

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Posted 23 July 2015 - 07:34 PM

The Holden V8 was in the VT sedans and wagons until 2000, the VS at that time were series three Utes.

VT with Holden V8 finished way before VS and it was mid 1999 that VTII was fitted with the LS engine not 2000. VS production finished late 2000 and they were still for sale as new cars months into 2001. The latest V8 VS I've seen was June 2000. So the timeline for Holden V8 in production vehicles was from HT release mid 1969 to mid-late 2000 production VS. VT is an offshoot so to speak.

Edited by yel327, 23 July 2015 - 07:36 PM.

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#11 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 23 July 2015 - 09:58 PM

Who gives a frOck?

The last real Holden 6 was in the VK. Everyone knows that. No one gives any frOcks about any form of bent piece of shit.

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#12 _LS1 Taxi_

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Posted 23 July 2015 - 11:08 PM

Who gives a frOck?

Lol, I agreed with this part :lol:

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#13 yel327

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 04:51 AM

Who gives a frOck?

The last real Holden 6 was in the VK. Everyone knows that. No one gives any frOcks about any form of bent piece of shit.

I do agree with you Bomber but you'll find both of the Holden inline 6's are both influenced heavily design wise by GM US. Yes of course the Holden inline 6's were made here, but so were the V6's - the design is all international though for these. But they are still Holden 6's, built here for proper Aussie cars (at least until the end of VZ), which is very different to an imported "Holden" engine built elsewhere (VL six for example). The V6 application isn't far different from many other things on a GMH product most people would call "Holden" - the Trimatic as an example.

Second part ain't true!

I'll shut up now and let it get back to Graham's VK.

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#14 _Skapinad_

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 05:58 AM

love VK's... hate their common brown interiors though ! every second one for sale has it...

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#15 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 06:34 AM

Haha... I was actually surprised no one called me out about the use of a 600 Holley but hey, to me the Holden 6 stopped when it went bent which is not unlike some of the other makers like Nissan.

I am landing at Coolangatta and heading for the Sunshine Coast the next day in September and will likely pickup a few bits again like a cam or some roller rockers, so if anyone has something to help make some power and you wanna sell it to a Kiwi Holden man then hit me up. Or if you know of a shop on the way that I should see then I am in.

Cheers G

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#16 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 09:15 AM

Forgot, love the car, bloody awesome.

Nothing wrong with a 600 vac sec on a healthy six.

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#17 _Gwen_

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 09:32 AM

^^^ Agreed!

Nice car, sounds like she'll be a nice cruiser when you're done!

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#18 Dr Terry

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 11:45 AM

Technically the Holden straight 6 lasted longer, 1948 to 1987 in this case although it was built in 86, although the red/blue/black was only 23years and Grey 15 years but the Grey was a Canadian design

The Grey motor was a Detroit design, not Canadian, nobody seems to know how that myth began.

The Grey & Red 6-cyl motors are totally different in design, you can't really count them as being similar in any way. The Red, Blue & Black motors share the same design basically so can be counted together.

The Holden V8 in all its guises, from 253/4.2, 308/5.0, 304/4.9/5.0 & 5.7 stroker also share the same basic design & also are wholly Australian in design, unlike the 2 Holden 6s which are US designed. AFAIK they are the ONLY Australian designed production motor.

Grey motor 6, 1948 - 1962 = 14 years.

Red/Blue/Blk 6, 1962 - 1985 = 25 years.

Red/Blue/Blk V8 1969 - 2000 = 31 years. I think the V8 wins.

Nice score with the VK BTW, Graham.

Dr Terry

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#19 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 01:40 PM

The way I remember it the Canadian Block was the early engines had to be altered as the bores were too thick and caused overheating. I believe that the Grey engine was based from a prototype built by GM and then discarded code named 195-Y-15 which Hartnett acquired in America, it was slightly altered and became the original grey. It may have been a reference that it would have been fine in Canada but not in Australia or it may have been destined for Canada that got its nickname.

No one was referring to the Grey being the same as a red other than they are both inline 6's. If anything we should be thankful Hartnett found this as the first Holden engine would have most likely been a 4-cylinder Humber engine or at least a derivative of the roots Group engine.

As I said before "Technically the Holden Inline 6 was longer" which was in response to "the Aussie V8 lived on until the end of VS in 2000. It actually lasted longer than the 6cyl." which was an open comment not specifically for the red.

And cheers, the young lad I bought it from put in many nights and countless hours doing the body work and the paint is Sinclair Transport Blue

I have been just tidying it up

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#20 _The Baron_

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Posted 24 July 2015 - 02:01 PM

Gee the exterior looks a treat as the blue looks unreal in that photo. 5 speed is a bonus too!

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#21 kiwilx

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Posted 26 July 2015 - 07:58 PM

Thats a ripper find Graham.
Takes me back to my first car 25 years ago. Light blue VK 3.3 5 speed Berlina typically modified by a young man as soon as i had a dollar to the next part. Usual story, wish i never sold it so another for the bucket list.
Good luck with the mods.
Liam

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#22 _NZ Toranaman_

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Posted 01 July 2018 - 07:12 PM

So...... 3 years later and I am getting close to an engine upgrade.

I had a wedding to go to at Phillip Island and then stayed a few night their and then in Melbourne so I called into the guys at Yella Terra to see what they get up to and they gave me a special order Alloy head with rockers that someone didn't pick up, funny as #$% at Christchurch when they scanned my bag, they reversed and had to take another look

On top of the head I have a set of 1.5 ratio YT Roller rockers

other than that I found a blue crank that had a better thrust ring and turned out it already had a recent grind and they only needed to polish it.

I still need to dowel the the crank when I get it back

The exhaust I am making is full 2" twin system with pacemakers up front, it will take a bit of work but the sound is what I am after.

Intake is for now, stock ported and matched with an Edelbrock 4-barrel fitted to an adapter welded into the Holden manifold

Camshaft is a 0.510" lift and long duration to suck as much fuel/air as I can get into the manifold

When my future budget allows it will be a 12-port 4-barrel and do the diff, gearbox combo upgrade

I figure I might run an Altezza LSD and put it in an early Estima housing as I have a 4.1 in my starlet and will swap it for my 4.3 i pulled out of a wreck which i bought for the engine and had a 6-speed which would work good behind the 202