582 replies to this topic

[xu2308]

one did get away Red, Joe's Orange LJ GTR Prototype, Vic Rego Number LGN307.
Rego with a QT 308 Engine in September 1972, nearly 3 months after the program was stopped, mmmmmmmmm then Sold in 1975 by GMH

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[REDA9X]

one did get away Red, Joe's Orange LJ GTR Prototype, Vic Rego Number LGN307.
Rego with a QT 308 Engine in September 1972, nearly 3 months after the program was stopped, mmmmmmmmm then Sold in 1975 by GMH

I don't think you get my point. On one hand you take Ians word on the specs off the top of his head, yet when he says the XU1 prototypes were put into the barrier, you say it's wrong? I'm not saying you're wrong, what I'm trying to say is you can't hear things 40 years later and take it as gospel. If you're happy to accept one as truth withour flaw, why not the other....

I don't think you get my point. On one hand you take Ians word on the specs off the top of his head, yet when he says the XU1 prototypes were put into the barrier, you say it's wrong? I'm not saying you're wrong, what I'm trying to say is you can't hear things 40 years later and take it as gospel. If you're happy to accept one as truth withour flaw, why not the other....
How do we know this really was the prototype and not something built up, even if it was built in the factory?

[xu2308]

Well Ian says in the interview that he dident test the Pink car on the strip, he still drove it but not on a Qrt mile strip, and he says the one he built to the specs as the Pink car did a 12.9-13 secs on the strip on street tyres.
So Ian must know the specs what went in the Pink Cars Engine, from that statement.

[xu2308]

LGN307 is from the GMH Lone o Ranger LJ V8 Prototype, the Lockwood Special, Joe Felice GMH Company Car.

If u read Torana Tough there a photo of it with LGN307 Number plate on it, and tells you its the Orange Prototype

Car, it was Sold, tells u in Norm new book, please read the V8 XU-1 Section

[xu2308]

nice shirt Jessy

[REDA9X]

LGN307 is from the GMH Lone o Ranger LJ V8 Prototype, the Lockwood Special, Joe Felice GMH Company Car.

If u read Torana Tough there a photo of it with LGN307 Number plate on it, and tells you its the Orange Prototype

Car, it was Sold, tells u in Norm new book, please read the V8 XU-1 Section

Again, not getting my point.

[xu2308]

I get your point Red
Its over 40 years and things like memorys and the full truth's not told from the start, and later on things found out
to say the truth, example the Orange Car Destroyed and turns out to be sold in 1975 by Holden.
I take a letter from GMH saying that the V8 in the Current XU-1 was Modified as Truth, yes we dont know the Mods
But im sure HDT was not going to show up to the 1972 Bathurt Race to fight it out with the 400 hp Phase 4 Falcon
with a standard 308 V8 onboard the Current Model XU-1, and what HDT had on that race track in 1972, had to be
on the showroom floor under C.A.M.S Rules of 1972,.
So there would of been 200 LJ XU-1's with Mods done to there 308 V8's in the Showrooms of Holden Dealers for sale,
if the LJ V8 XU-1 went ahead.
Ford to get around the problem selling there 400 hp Monster Phase 4 to the Public, they were fitting rev limiters on there
dizzy, so the road going car still had a 400 hp motor but was rev limited, but there race car would of run with the rev limiter off,
very clever by ford i thought.

[REDA9X]

Yep, we will probably never know the real truth becaiuse you get conflicting stories. There is no factual evidenceto go by. All you can say is quote people, but not quote it as truth. I think it's great you're passionate about it, but you're going to get a lot of bullshit along the way.

[xu2308]

Shame Holden were not more open about it in the 1980's when the dust had settled, there sparring partner Ford were very open
about there Phase 4 mods and cars. i guess Ian would have the specs on the pink car engine, as he is a engine builder and
its his bread and butter to build engines, and like a good chef he wont give out his special recipes to the public, so they can make
them, you get him to build you the engine, u wont know the mods, but you will know its been worked, who knows one day i might get ian to build me one in the future.

[unclefestal34s]

great to he everyone's view's and passion about great these torana's,..personally i'm glad they never produced the xu1 with a 308 as it really would have been a very dangerous car in the public's hand,...anyone on this forum who owned and driven a genuine bathurst 73 xu1 will no it was a perfectly balanced car and extremely quick for its time and era..

i've personally owned and driven quite a few 308 and chev powered lj torana's and never like them as found them a little heavy in front even with suspension modifications,..fantastics cars in a straight line..

i aways found the xu1 with a six pac to be the best handling of all the torana's i ever owned cause it was so predictable in the dirt,wet and on the road under full power very driver friendly with the perfect power to weight ratio (could have done with a bit more power though),..the v8 lj cars i drove were less predictable and alway's massive handful's in a powerslide,and most time's the engine's were making a lot more horsepower than standard..and yes i've owned them all A9X's,XU1'S and my beloved L34's the first all the real bangers...

the L34's and A9X's were the perfect size car for the 308 engine to be developed..
the XU1 as we all no should have had another bathurst title to it's name in 73 if it wasn't for a bit of bad luck..the 3 torana models that raced were extremely successful when you consider the were up a against the likes of phase 3 falcon gtho which was purposely race car by ford..totally different to normal gt shaker with its special 4v 351,massive cylinder head, solid lifter camshaft etc,..special close/ratio long shaft top loader gearbox and again special 31 spline detroit locker diff pretty more bullet proof driveline back then,..double skin radiator support etc totally different car to to a road going gt shaker..this car was meant to destroy holden with it's fragile tightarse driveline..it showed back then that bigger wasn't always better so as much as i hate to say it the holden engineers sorta knew what they were doing but totally stuff up by by not allowing the GTR-X into production...i will gladly admit to being a hippacrict as have often cursed holden and like many hod rodders have modified these cars and believed always i was building a better car than the factory car ....anyway just my thoughts and opinion..

[xu2308]

Great Cars for sure unclefesta
I think the RTS 1977 L31 LX SS Hatchback is the best balanced and handling torana i have ever owned, and i have drove a Black 4-Door A9X Sedan that had a full spec Group C Race Engine in it, the engine cost $8000 to build alone that was in the Black A9X Sedan, i drove it in 1983-1984, but was a nice car to drive, only ever been in a track pack Green L34 car, was a mad trip and still recall it to this day, was a mad drive around Tullah in that L34.
Yes the V8 LJ XU-1 would be a dangerous car for someone with a small amount of driving pratice, where i live it rains 200 days of the year, so driving one in the wet, can be tricky lol

Edited by xu2308, 31 March 2012 - 02:14 PM.

[TerrA LX]

Love the shirt Jessy.

[xu2308]

Got1ur1
you are spot on there, i remember driving my SS L31 Hatch to work and back every day and cruzen every where as a normal car back in the 1980's, now its rare to see a torana getting around much in my neck of the woods

[Shiney005]

Got1ur1
you are spot on there, i remember driving my SS L31 Hatch to work and back every day and cruzen every where as a normal car back in the 1980's, now its rare to see a torana getting around much in my neck of the woods

Up until the late 80s you could go through any of the bigger towns in our area and see XU1s, L34s, and even A9Xs getting around. Come to think of it, the A9Xs always seemed a bit thinner on the ground in W.A. compared to the L34s. Were there less sold over this way perhaps? Or did the owners just take them out less?