8 replies to this topic

[enderwigginau]

HP blocks are the early 179s.
Most people will tell you there is nothing special.
They do have slightly different webbing on the block and the iron used in the manufacture is better quality.

Grant..

[FastEHHolden]

you know you are opening a very old can of worms..dont you grant?

[Dr Terry]

Hi Guys.

rat catcher, All EH 179 blocks up until Nov 1964 were cast HP. There were only around 120 S4s (built in mid-1963), so it wouldn't have been worth the effort to make a 'special' block for such a small quantity.

Grant, I do hear the myth about the 'better quality' cast iron, every now & then. In my experience LATER blocks have less bore wear than these older motors, simply because of improved metal & oil technology advancements over time. I haven't seen any evidence that the HPs were made of 'tougher' or 'better wearing' metal. EH 179 blocks (HPs) had the same bad bore wear as any other mid-60s engine casting after 60,000 to 80,000 miles. Which is about all most of these engines did before needed a re-bore under normal usage. Modern castings will do at least twice that distance, because of improved metals & oils.

Yes, the webbing is different, but this changed many times in the Holden 6 over the years.

The other question would be, when the boys at the foundry were casting Red motors in 1963/64, how did they make sure that the 'better' cast iron went into the HP moulds, while the normal cast iron went into the 149 moulds.

I think a more plausible source of the myth, was that if you were building a performance Holden 6 in the early 70s, you were better off using an older 'seasoned' 179 block than a younger 186 or 202 block. Most racecar engine builders prefer 'seasoned' blocks, rather than green blocks for their engines.

Dr Terry.

[Bazza]

Hi

There are so many myths about Holden Red motors that it would be worthwhile creating a "sticky." Just look at the rubbish being brought up about JP and NP motors.

My cousin who raced cars years ago always said that "HP" designated "Heavy Production" and that engine was only found in commecial type vehicles such as utes and panel vans. I think that this has been long proven inccorrect with the current thinking that "HP" stood for "High Performance" to distinguish it from the 'standard' 149. This makes sense because the early 149 had nothing on the block to distinguish it from the 179.

Dr Terry may know more about this.

Bazza

[Bazza]

Hi

There are so many myths about Holden Red motors that it would be worthwhile creating a "sticky." Just look at the rubbish being brought up about JP and NP motors.

My cousin who raced cars years ago always said that "HP" designated "Heavy Production" and that engine was only found in commecial type vehicles such as utes and panel vans. I think that this has been long proven inccorrect with the current thinking that "HP" stood for "High Performance" to distinguish it from the 'standard' 149. This makes sense because the early 149 had nothing on the block to distinguish it from the 179.

Dr Terry may know more about this.

Bazza

[FastEHHolden]

well they did. They were most likely well into the planning of the HR...when they realised that 179 wasn't going to be the "HP" engine after the 186 came out...so midway thru the EH run they stopped puting HP on it..and went to 179