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GMH Experimental Garage

Started by fatslr , May 13 2011 10:40 AM

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#1 fatslr

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 10:40 AM

I was wondering if anybody knows anything about the "GMH Experimental Garage - ENGINE DEPARTMENT" in the late seventies?

My SS Hatch was sold new from Holden to the above mentioned and it's first 3 services are all stamped the same owner GMH Experimental Garage Engine Department.

My SS was sold in August 77 i was thinking it may even be considered a bit of a prototype for the A9X?

Here is a copy of the warranty card

Posted Image

Any info greatly appreciated.
Garth

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#2 Tyre biter

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 11:22 AM

It may well be that your car was registered for use by GM-H as the first owners, specifically issued to the Experimental Garage for use by employees there?
I say this because several years ago my (now) bride bought a Vectra second hand - It had been a GMH veicle previously and if I recall correctly the Owner's Handbook / Warranty Doc recorded the buyer as being a a Holden Dept and listed the area (can't recall now which it was), the address (Holden Office in Melbourne) and the alike.
Cheers, TB

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#3 LOWS2

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 12:14 PM

check out this ebay ad - same stamping in the log books

EBAY AD

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#4 _Chriso_

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 05:12 PM

Hello

This is still common practice today at Holden to stamp log books of internal cars when serviced by engineering garage.

This is likely to have been and internal car at some point before being sold.

It would be near impossible to find out what department used the car or person at the time.

Regards Chriso.

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#5 lxsstorana

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 08:13 PM

I suggest you take your torry for a drive and get it to 88mph and see what happens! (can't hurt can it?)

Cheers Mick.

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#6 REDA9X

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 08:20 PM

88MPH? lol it could hurt the back pocket if caught

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#7 wot179

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 08:31 PM

88MPH? lol it could hurt the back pocket if caught

Softcock.

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#8 Ruts

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 08:35 PM

$361 and 4 points

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#9 _Quagmire_

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 08:38 PM

I suggest you take your torry for a drive and get it to 88mph and see what happens! (can't hurt can it?)

Cheers Mick.

that only works in a deloren you goose :stirpot:

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#10 _sloper35_

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 10:14 PM

Engineering Dept purchased (acquired) production vehicles for the engineering fleet. Probably (in 1976) there would have been around 20 production cars in the Engineering fleet. They were cycled each night amoung engineers and would be disposed after 6 months at latest. Some, mostly pilots, would be used for validation testing. That is the prototype did XYZ so what does the production car do XYZ+ or XYZ-.
I have seen cars with the Experimental Engineering number stamped into the front wheelhouse (inner fender) to indicate the car was on a longer validation test like a Hot towing test and then sold, usually these cars were scrapped but if the testing was non destructive then they could be sold.
I clearly remember driving the Engineering LJ XU-1 shopping at lunch time, was usually a quick trip.

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#11 _lx5008_

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 10:22 PM

my ss also has holden as its first owner.

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#12 fatslr

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 10:41 PM

Thanks for the feedback guys

RED i have gone past 88mph the only thing that happened was i kept accellarateing it was at nostalgia drags on the dragstrip no loss of points or money but plenty of fun.

So we are saying my hatch was a test "thrash pig" for Holden engineers??

And then came the A9X???

Is there any way of narrowing down the history of my car or has it all been lost in the seventies

:dontknow:

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#13 enderwigginau

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Posted 14 May 2011 - 09:45 AM

Trace the rego back to find out the original plates it held.

If lucky it may be something seen in a mag, but probably just driven around to look for any odd squeaks that shouldn't be there as Norm says

Grant..

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#14 rodomo

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Posted 14 May 2011 - 09:57 AM

Trace the rego back to find out the original plates it held.

Attached Files

Experimental Garage.jpg 93.42K 5 downloads

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#15 micklx

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Posted 14 May 2011 - 07:45 PM

The experimental garage also used to do the servicing on all the company cars driven by Holden executives/engineers etc
Your car is most likely to fall into this category rather than an engineering hack.

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#16 enderwigginau

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Posted 14 May 2011 - 07:58 PM

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#17 _73LJWhiteSL_

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 05:10 PM

I suggest you take your torry for a drive and get it to 88mph and see what happens! (can't hurt can it?)

Cheers Mick.

that only works in a deloren you goose

What about if they ticket the flux capacitor option when they ordered the vechicle?

Steve

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#18 Potta

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 06:34 PM

I suggest you take your torry for a drive and get it to 88mph and see what happens! (can't hurt can it?)

Cheers Mick.

that only works in a deloren you goose

What about if they ticket the flux capacitor option when they ordered the vechicle?

Steve

It wasn't invented until 1985 and afaik it was an aftermarket accessory available only on Delorean's in the US.Although I guess that could change at any time. Posted Image

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#19 yel327

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Posted 23 May 2011 - 06:41 PM

That SS was fitted with factory air too.

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#20 Shiney005

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Posted 16 November 2019 - 03:56 PM

That SS was fitted with factory air too.

Is that info hidden in the Vehicle I.D. certificate?

Greg Lynch (dec) was the manager of the GMH Service Garage in Sydney. This sounds to me like a separate area for in house servicing of the company fleet.

I also have some paperwork which goes through the employees of the Experimental Division. They must have been kept busy with the development of the L34 as they had quite a large shake up in the organisation in July 1974 due to the workload.

19710603__Eng_Durability_and_Test_Supvr001_001.jpg 132.13K 2 downloads

19730111_Eng_Experimental_Test_group001_001.jpg 179.09K 3 downloads

19730627_Eng_Experimental_Test_group002_001.jpg 202.23K 5 downloads

19730912_Eng_-_Experimental_Section001_001.jpg 219.07K 2 downloads

19730912_Eng_-_Experimental_Section001_002.jpg 215.89K 2 downloads

19740716__Eng_-_PG_End_of_R__D_work002_001.jpg 161.79K 2 downloads

19750120 Eng Experimental - Org Chart OPT003_001.jpg 130.02K 3 downloads

19750120 Eng Experimental - Org Chart OPT003_002.jpg 508.36K 3 downloads