
SS How many are left, how many are rebirths
#1
_lxss5000_
Posted 26 February 2011 - 01:43 PM
Tell me if I am wrong but were there only 350 SS L31 hatchbacks made (not including A9X, 4.2 and 3.3 litre) now there are ment to be at least 4 of these L31s residing in Whyalla alone, now whyalla is not a huge place what about all the other towns in Australia there is no way they can all host this many each otherwise there must have been 35000 of them made.
what are other peoples thoughts on numbers? considering these are now over 30 years old, the tin worm would have taken quite a few, road smashes knocked quite a few out of the list not to mention Midnight spares taking their fair share (Whyalla also had one stolen and striped years ago found cut up and dumped in the scrub)
If there were only 350 made how many are left.
#2
Posted 26 February 2011 - 02:24 PM
#3
Posted 26 February 2011 - 02:36 PM
The GT Forums are probably the same
Unfortunatly I don't think the numbers your seeking exist in the public domain
I can assure you I've had 2 genuine cars myself... and know exactly where 1 is and still looking for the second one
#4
Posted 26 February 2011 - 02:38 PM
Edited by yel327, 26 February 2011 - 02:38 PM.
#5
_The Baron_
Posted 26 February 2011 - 03:30 PM
Was that Grant's car, the papaya hatch(253)which was the family everyday car that they used to cart their daughter around in. Mate that was a VERY sad thing that. They were crushed! I'm sure it was a local job and there would have been organised scum involved.
There has been a plenty of nice cars in Whyalla over the years. You name it, it has probably been there at some time.
#6
Posted 26 February 2011 - 03:56 PM
Was talking to a bloke the other day and it was said there are more SS toranas now than there were in the 1970s
Hahahaha that's funny.
I think bloke needs to look at how cars are identified. There is no way there can be more than were made in Toranas. There would need to be someone producing tags for that to happen, AND know what they needed to show so they would appear legit.
GT Falcons on the other hand are only identified by the parts and dates. Hence there are more GTs now than were built........
Grant..
#7
Posted 26 February 2011 - 04:27 PM
#8
_cruiza_
Posted 26 February 2011 - 05:39 PM
they 400 A9Xs for a start, and yes I know most were sedans
they made just over 6000 hatchbacks (from memory) LX and UC
I believe only 22 were sold new in NZ, story I was told was they were banned as being too fast, bit suspect on that
#9
Posted 26 February 2011 - 08:47 PM
Sure, there are more replica's and wannabes out there now (My Orange hatch is just an SL, but It wears SS badges and MRLXSS numberplates)
#10
Posted 26 February 2011 - 08:50 PM
#11
_lxss5000_
Posted 27 February 2011 - 12:43 PM
(not to mention Midnight spares taking their fair share (Whyalla also had one stolen and striped years ago found cut up and dumped in the scrub)
Was that Grant's car, the papaya hatch(253)which was the family everyday car that they used to cart their daughter around in. Mate that was a VERY sad thing that. They were crushed! I'm sure it was a local job and there would have been organised scum involved.
There has been a plenty of nice cars in Whyalla over the years. You name it, it has probably been there at some time.
As for this car it was Grants fathers car, this is another miss told story I was led to beleve it too was a SS L31 either way its sad to think of the way it was found.
#12
_Quagmire_
Posted 27 February 2011 - 01:47 PM
back when they where "cheap"
so yeah i think 350 is a bit low
gees that would make them rarer than a gtr/a9x and up into l34 territory!!
#13
_sstorana_
Posted 27 February 2011 - 02:07 PM
Total numbers of LX Hatchbacks produced was 8,527.
Now the break down of models were;
1. Torana 1.9lt and (later rebadged) Sunbird 1.9lt,
2. SL 3.3lt,
3. SL 4.2lt,
4. SS 3.3lt,
5. SS 4.2lt,
6. SS 5.0lt, and
7. SS A9X
Now, we know that the number of SS A9X's were around 100 (correct me if that is wrong) so that would presumably leave 8,427 hatchbacks across six model variations.
On average that would mean that approx. 1400 of each model variant were produced.
I have a "GMH Facts" book from Sep 1976 that states that there were 5,267 hatches built between Feb 1976 and Sep 1976.
It also states that during the same period, there were 12,464 Sedans built..
an intersting fact is that in the LH range, out of a total production figure of 70,184 there were 2,580 SLR 5000's produced..
I know that this doesn't answer the question, going working on the law of averages, i would say that the number off SS toranas built would be closer to 4,000 and the number of L31 SS's might have been around 1300 - 1500...
cheers
Mick
Edited by sstorana, 27 February 2011 - 02:13 PM.
#14
Posted 27 February 2011 - 02:11 PM

#15
_sloper35_
Posted 27 February 2011 - 02:11 PM
Take out A9X and you get an idea of 308 SLR 5000s and 308 SS Hatchbacks.
Norm
#16
Posted 27 February 2011 - 10:40 PM
#17
Posted 27 February 2011 - 11:59 PM
5litre ss cars were always going to be rare cars as race teams back in the day who couldn't afford A9Xs would develop and upgrade SS toranas to A9X specs as the 5litre cars were the next best things..in the late 70s and 80s a lot SS hatchbacks were flared up one performance car yard especially in Sydney by name of Barry Thompson's was buying mainly 5 litre cars and flaring as at the time i was doing alot of work for him,he told me back then the public wanted 308 cars and he would baulk at 253 cars..
i've been telling my friends for years 5litre SS cars are what they should be chasing let alone finding unflared examples..at the moment you've got more chance of buying a A9X hatchback than a unflared SS 5Litre hatch..I'm still seeing 4.2s and 3.3s around but nowhere as much as days gone by...there's alot of hatchs out there that are hidden and not driven by there owners..people's choice..it would be extremely hard to get any sort of figures of what remains out..hatchbacks will always be popular just go to the dragstip and see how many racecars are hatchs and then ask yourself the question where are there id tags now that there race cars...a good chance you might be driving one..
#18
_vbvbvb088_
Posted 28 February 2011 - 12:20 AM
In 84/85 we went to Dandenong factory... a long time GM man showed us around. his name was 'Jim Chenoworth'... I remember many VK Calais dashboards but experts tell me all VK Calais were made in Elizabeth SA.
#19
Posted 28 February 2011 - 06:28 AM
#20
Posted 28 February 2011 - 08:48 AM
especially slr 5000's
#21
_Woodsy_
Posted 28 February 2011 - 08:56 AM
#22
_uctorry_
Posted 28 February 2011 - 12:23 PM
#23
Posted 28 February 2011 - 01:07 PM
#24
_Quagmire_
Posted 28 February 2011 - 01:11 PM
I thought all VB-VL were made in Dandenong?
nope
knew a guy who worked in the adel factory making them
told me holden was so broke at the time of vl's that they only put 10 litres of petrol in the tanks :(
#25
Posted 28 February 2011 - 03:13 PM
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