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UC SL/T


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#1 _doucmyuc_

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Posted 27 July 2006 - 11:25 PM

Hey all.

I have some limited but still some descent information on the uc sl/t (turbo option 6cyl

If anyone has any information, dealer papers, holden memos etc- just about any information in relation to its development and production would they be able to post it in here or email to me?

Basically im trying to gather as much information together as i can and find out as many facts as possible. By this i mean i have 2 different print media sources here which both contradict eachother on wether it was dealer option or production order, parts used etc.

Cheers
Doucmyuc

#2 TerrA LX

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Posted 28 July 2006 - 12:28 AM

http://www.gmh-toran...188&hl=uc turbo

here you go, all done for you.

#3 _doucmyuc_

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Posted 28 July 2006 - 05:20 PM

thanx mate

im also looking for something more, stuff like holden paperwork, pictures reports etc that anyone may have in books and cupboards around the place.

#4 TerrA LX

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Posted 28 July 2006 - 08:34 PM

^ if you cant find it in the topic i set out for you you may have to PM the concerned members.

#5 _twohungee_

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Posted 06 September 2006 - 07:43 PM

I found this while doing some research recently (copy & pasted)

HTH



 UC Torana Turbo 6

Here is a write up on it warning its long but an interesting read.

Holden took the LX and gave it a heavily revised front end appearance and
some reworking at the rear to come up with the UC Torana in March 1978. That
was the good news. The bad news was the dropping of the V8 engine. Though it
was obviously secret at the time, Holden was planning to release the
Commodore just six months later, and it came with V8 options. Many street
machiner has overcome the problem by installing a V8. As mentioned, the
carryover of the rear floor plan from the A9X means that a large Salisbury
diff can be fitted at the same time. The stock diff was the newly introduced
small Salisbury. Holden offered four wheel disc's as an option on the UC and
it makes sence to buy one with that stopping system even if your not
planning the diff conversion.



As well as the reworked exterior, the interior received a full network with
less utalitarian dash than what was sold in the LH and LX. Most manual cars
came with a four speed floor change gear box, although some base Torana S
cars came with a three speed column change.



The sedans originally came as Torana S or SL, a Torana Deluxe joining the
range later as an option on the SL. The hatches came as SL and SL/E and
again you could specify an SL Deluxe. The four cylinder cars were again
called sunbird. They used an Australian designed cour from mid 1978. It was
virtually a 2850 six with two few cylinders lopped off and was almost as bad
an engine as the unloved Opel four...



There was also sports UC released called the SL/T standing for Sports
Luxury/Turbo. This was a 6 cylinder Turbo that was able to beat the LX A9X
V8 from 0 - 100 km/h and on the quarter mile. The only place that the SL/T
was lacking was the take off where the V8 had the power at lower range of
rev's and the SL/T struggled slightly. If this has taken you interest read on
as I have a personal account of a fellow Torana nut about his SL/T. He
contacted me with some great detailed info on this model which has been much
of a mystery to the majority of the Torana community for many years.



I quote from the info that he kindly forwarded to me:
"The UC Torana SL/T option. I've owned one since 1979. They were never
produced as an official GM-H model, but were a factory sanctioned
modification by Normalair-Garrett Manufacturing in Melbourne, and had full
warranty and full emission gear. Essentially they were pre-production
prototypes of a car with would most likely have been a factory option if the
Torana had not been cancelled.



All you needed was factory ordered UC with a 3.3 litre (red motor) optioned
with M20 gearbox, GU4 (3.08) or the 2.73 diff, 4 wheel disc brakes, and
heavy duty radiator. The cars went straight from GMH to the NGM
mini-assembly line. The SL Hatchback I ordered with no options except the
mandatory items for the turbo installation, a LH external mirror, a SL/R
style GMH sports steering wheel, and rust-proofing cost $7800, and the turbo
modifications added another $2000 to the price. NGM handled the warranty on
the drive train, and GMH handled warranty on everything else. Most of them
were ordered through Sutton Motors in Sydney, but mine came through Zupps in
Brisbane. Extra tire/wheel choices and aftermarket bodywork kits were also
offered by NGM.



A delay in manufacture of my car by Holden due to a backlog of orders and
then the Christmas shutdown, and a decision to re-engineer the turbocharger
package, resulted in the time period from ordering at the dealer to delivery
being just under 10 months. The previous installation had shown
deficiencies, and the revised installation needed new parts and castings to
be fabricated. My car sat in their factory for months while the new parts
were designed. Years later, I was shown photographs of the process of the
turbocharger installation on my car, as it was the first of the new series,
and became the benchmark installation for other companies installing the
same turbocharger kit installation.



The NGM "Strata 2a" installation kit consisted of an AirResearch T04B turbo
with a wastegate set to 12-13 psi (achieved at 2100 RPM under full load)
drawing through a modified 1.75" SU carburettor. A larger fuel line and fuel
pump were fitted. Except for a drop in compression ratio to 7.5:1, achieved
by a spacer between the head and block, the internals of the engine were
untouched.



The modifications gave roughly 80% increase on stock power. They would out
run an A9X to 100 km/hr, keep up with an XU-1 in the 1/4 mile, and mine was
still accelerating at the stock red motor redline (i.e. valve bounce) in top
gear at 210 km/hr. If you kept the stock wheels and hub-caps, and didn't fit
any fibreglass body add-ons, the only give-away was a 2.5 inch exhaust pipe.
I have heard of one that was fitted with Sunbird badges, hub-caps, and
exterior trim.



The cars were certainly not fully developed and were a maintenance
nightmare.



The stock manifold gasket couldn't take the boost, and was a major job to
replace. I made a custom set of modified spanners and allen keys to remove
the manifold nuts and studs. It's easier to replace the manifold gasket if
you pull all the studs, slightly separate the manifolds from the head enough
to remove and replace the gasket and then put the studs back in. Until I had
a quick disconnect fitting fitted into the exhaust pipe where it curves
under the firewall, it was easier to replace the starter motor by removing
the gearbox and bellhousing than it was to remove the manifolds and turbo
plumbing to get to it.



Starter motors were a problem because the heat caused problems with some
plastic insulation, and hot starts required a lot of cranking. The needle
and seat in the SU carburettor couldn't resist the fuel pressure from the
oversized fuel pump, and also couldn't resist the fuel line pressure build
up from the hot engine when the car was parked. There was no problems with
hot starting unless it was attempted in a window between 20 minutes and an
hour after the engine was shut down. A hot start in that window required at
least a 30 second cranking with the throttle fully open to clear the super
rich fuel/air mix from the intake manifold and cylinders. It took me 3 years
to master the hot start problems and another 2 years to find a solution.
This problem apparently didn't happen on the NGM development car as it had
an A9X hood scoop to vent the hot underbonnet air, but every other owner
without the scoop experienced it. A heat shield under the SU carburettor,
rerouted fuel lines, and a fuel pressure regulator set to 2 psi eventually
solved this problem for me and increased both fuel economy and idle
smoothness. Later model NGM Turbo Commodores used a different carburettor
and were fitted with a variety of different design bonnet vents.



Cooling the engine was another real problem. I found that in Queensland, the
heavy-duty radiator (from the previous model V8s) and the stock fan just
wasn't good enough, and would lead to major overheating in city traffic. A
single 12" electric fan was also insufficient, and eventually I fitted twin
12" electrics and this helped. The engine was delivered with an unmodified
distributor and the stock ADR27a 6 degrees advance, which could be increased
to 9 degrees before detonation under boost. An aftermarket water injection
kit was fitted to allow further ignition timing advancement to 13 degrees
with water injection applied at 4psi boost.



Oil quality and temperature was even more critical. I added a V8 sized oil
cooler just to cool the oil feed to the turbo bearing. Without the add-on
cooler, even if you'd followed the correct engine cool down procedure, you'd
still need to replace the turbo bearings every 15-20,000 km or so.



The lowered compression ratio meant that there was less power than stock
until the boost arrived. That plus the taller than stock differential put
extra load on the clutch. A 1-tonner clutch was good for less than 20,000 km
before it slipped whenever there was positive manifold pressure. I went
through a series of clutches from the 1-tonner clutch and pressure plate, to
a strengthened 1-tonner pressure plate tor the dual axle 1-tonners, to a
dual spring 1-tonner pressure plate to a 1 tonner pressure plate with a
ceramic faced clutch plate (very nasty and very noisy, but it didn't slip
until it had eventually worn a 5mm depression in the flywheel and pressure
plate faces), and now I am running the very last available matched PBR Turbo
clutch kit that was found still sealed in the back of a warehouse.



Between ordering and delivery, in Queensland they changed the law regarding
aftermarket turbochargers, and my car became illegal just before delivery.
It may have been legal, but they required me to present the car for
inspection before they would make a decision. I declined their kind offer,
and after 23 years, I still have not visited them.



Currently the car is off the road while it receives it's second refreshing.
In 1988, I lost a cylinder (number 5 like all Holden red motors) due to
cracks in both compression rings on that piston. All the other pistons had
at least one cracked ring, so it was probably the end result of overheating
and detonation years before. The engine received +0.030" REPCO Bathurst XU1
pistons (drilled oil holes behind the oil rings instead of slots), line
boring, yella terra head, roller rockers, turbo grind cam, balancing,
competition bearings, etc. This time around, I'm not doing a major engine
rebuild, just a lot of little jobs. The original sump was damaged beyond
repair during the previous engine rebuild while attempting to properly fit
the drain line from the turbocharger (NGM did a poor job and it always
leaked) so a replacement sump was obtained from a wreckers. This sump turned
out to have damaged threads on the drain plug which have finally gone past
the point of no return. The diff is now very noisy, and the brake disc
rotors need to be replaced. If I can find the cash, I am considering
eventually replacing the engine with a 3.8 V6, but for the moment it's just
a case of fixing the sump, and replacing all the hoses, and doing a lot of
little niggling things.



As had happened with the small Torana range (LC to TA), the last days of the
LH to UC series cars passed with more of a bang than a whimper. The serious
design work was going into the Commodore and the Torana became something of
an afterthought. Which is a rather sad thing for a car which will go down in
history as one of the most significant Aussie machines of all time."

#6 Dr Terry

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Posted 07 September 2006 - 08:57 AM

Hi Guys.

That last post was more than accurate. I can relate to some of those reliability issues, I worked on several of these when they were new.

Doucmyuc, what paperwork do you have that suggests that these were a factory production option.

Dr Terry.

#7 _doucmyuc_

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Posted 09 September 2006 - 09:24 AM

Dr Terry,

sorry about the late reply.

I have a book here, was written on a variety of toranas and has a 3-4 page writeup about it.

will hopefully get time to post and scan some more information tonight after work.

#8 micklx

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Posted 04 November 2006 - 09:01 PM

That was an awesome owners report, I really hope he didn't put a 3.8 in such a unique car.

#9 _JamesB_

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Posted 16 March 2007 - 12:39 AM

That was an awesome owners report, I really hope he didn't put a 3.8 in such a unique car.

Nope. The 3.8 never went in. It's still got the original block 202 and turbocharger.

I've had it now for almost 28 years, and it's still my daily driver.

There's more (mostly just updated) information on my own page. The link's in my signature.

Edited by JamesB, 16 March 2007 - 12:50 AM.


#10 _JamesB_

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Posted 16 March 2007 - 01:16 AM

thanx mate

im also looking for something more, stuff like holden paperwork, pictures reports etc that anyone may have in books and cupboards around the place.

There really was no authenticating documentation.

About all I have is a very faded (thermal) photocopy of a letter I received from David Inall at NGM telling me that there was no dealer carrying them in Brisbane, and I should visit Brisbane Holden dealers and ask them about sourcing a car via Suttons in Sydney. The letter worked a treat at the second dealer chain I visited, but I never thought to ask for the return of the original letter. The only other thing I have are the words "Normal Air Garrett" hand written in the top margin of the Vehicle Identification Certificate. Even the dealer receipts just say "Torana 3.3 Manual".

The only other stuff I have on the car is the original three page Motor Manual article from the October 1978 issue, in which the SL/T designation was first used, an old Sun newspaper clipping from late 1978 that mentioned that a few Holden dealers had organized the production line ... but I think all of the article was based on stuff the "motoring reporter" had read in the Motor Manual article. I also have a few pages from a late 70's issue of Australian Playboy (I really did buy it for the article) where they looked at a UC SL/T and an Turbo V8 LX that Sutton's Motors had made available for a test drive. I should scan and post those articles.

Holden really don't want to have any connection to it, as it was never an "official" model. Probably an e-mail to Normalair Garrett would be a starting point (of course the link to the website from Honeywell Australia seems to be dead).

Edited by JamesB, 16 March 2007 - 01:21 AM.


#11 _JamesB_

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 02:20 PM

Here's a PDF collection of the three published articles on the SL/T that I have found.

Torana UC SL/T PDF

#12 _uc314ci_

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Posted 08 September 2007 - 09:06 PM

Yep those PDF's are the real deal.. I'd like to do a UC hatch with an early commodore turbo engine, at least then id have holden block with a reliable turbo system.

Cheers.. :gun:

#13 _tyre fryer_

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Posted 09 September 2007 - 03:14 PM

JESUS! they rave about it.
Makes me wanna turbo mine now!

#14 _jap-xu1_

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Posted 09 September 2007 - 09:21 PM

dont lol

#15 _tyre fryer_

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Posted 09 September 2007 - 09:58 PM

lol. whynot?
it's only a red block, id love to see how far i can chuck a piston through the block. another one's only worth $50. lol.

#16 _jap-xu1_

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Posted 10 September 2007 - 07:38 PM

lol. whynot?

lol read that whole thing again!

#17 _ucongas_

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Posted 25 July 2008 - 07:26 PM

After 12 months chasing the SL/T ghosts.. I am convinced there were only ever 3 made, all hatches, one was yellow one was red and the other was.... invisible.

#18 _steve2284_

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Posted 08 December 2011 - 03:53 PM

Why bother spending the money on a 202 , doesnt matter how much money yo through at it , a bent eight will still beat it

#19 enderwigginau

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Posted 09 December 2011 - 12:21 PM

Howard Bell (LITRE8) proved that statement well wrong with his XU-1!!

Grant..

#20 _Leakey_

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Posted 09 December 2011 - 01:26 PM

And one was atlantis blue....and a hatch.

:)

Posted Image
Posted Image

and another hatch was I think antelope in colour.

Posted Image

#21 _stretchlc_

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Posted 11 December 2011 - 08:10 AM

I have some info on the dunnydore turbocharged cars if it helps and the original Normalair Garrett Press Catalogues!!..........I understand that these arent about the UC SL/T's but were turbocharged holden 6 cars turbo'd by Mike Vine none the less.....sing out if you want me to upload what I have here!!....cheers stretch

#22 _stretchlc_

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Posted 11 December 2011 - 08:13 AM

http://www.turbo202.....php?f=19&t=392...............................hope this might help!...I uploaded a heap of info here!

#23 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 11 December 2011 - 02:46 PM

Clicked on the link and got this:

The board requires you to be registered and logged in to view this forum.


No thanks.

#24 _stretchlc_

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Posted 12 December 2011 - 04:50 PM

oh!....Thats a shame!!............I will try another approach then to upload this info on here!...failing that..I will scan all my info and post up here directly!...Really is some rare and unique info that I am sure would be worth anyone on here thats interested in turbocharging their holden 6 would find extremely usefull...definately worth signing up to this site for those that want to force feed their 6's

#25 _JamesB_

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Posted 12 March 2012 - 03:39 AM

There's some scanned NGM stuff available on my SL/T page.




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