Thread: $600,000 Gtho

Originally Posted by Aedo

Seems absurd to steal such a rare car with such a limited market. Lets face it - to prove that it is a real HO (and therefore $600k to someone who is willing to pay that) rather than a copy worth SFA you will need to show the serial number!

Probably stolen to order for a criminal type that will keep it locked up in his private garage where no one else can see it. That sort of person just wants things for themselves and they don't care if no one else even knows that they have them.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

At thend of the day, they are just tarted up mass produced family cars of no great technical merit and whose performance is mild by today's standards.

obviously you are not aware that XY GTHO'S were a limited production run and therefore not mass produced{as such}
the thing that makes them worth the money
{and they are only worth what someone is prepared to pay}.
is the fact that they are considered legendary FOR THERE TIME!
THEREFORE TO COMPARE THEM BY TODAYS STANDARDS IS RIDICULOUS!
THEY BECAME WHAT THEY WERE IN THE LATE 60'S AND 70'S FROM HUMBLE DESIGNS AND TECHNOLOGY, LEGENDS OF THE RACE TRACK THAT COULD BE BOUGHT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR!

I was in the Australian motor manufacturing industry at the time. All the muscle cars, GTS Monaros, Torana GTR's, E38 & E49 Chargers, Falcon GT's were all just the regular mass produced car with some extra cost options added. What did you think they were? Some sort of hand built exotic? The Falcon GT's were just a four door sedan with engine, gearbox, suspension and brake changes, many of which you could have had by ticking the boxes on an order form at the dealers. The Monaro GTS327's and GTS350's which flogged the Falcon GT's at Bathurst were a regular production model, code 81837 which ould be ordered and bought any day at any Holden dealer. Torana GTR model 82911 with production option XU1 were batch built to ensure 200 were built for CAMS/FIA homologation purposes. They were still just a Torana two door built on the same line at the same time as the family cars they were sourced from. And, just to rub it in, I recall a 202 cubic inch Torana beating the 351 cubic inch Falcons at Bathurst. In fact, the Falcon GT's only seemed to be able to win aagainst cars with much smaller engines, and not all of the time.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I was in the Australian motor manufacturing industry at the time. All the muscle cars, GTS Monaros, Torana GTR's, E38 & E49 Chargers, Falcon GT's were all just the regular mass produced car with some extra cost options added. What did you think they were? Some sort of hand built exotic? The Falcon GT's were just a four door sedan with engine, gearbox, suspension and brake changes, many of which you could have had by ticking the boxes on an order form at the dealers. The Monaro GTS327's and GTS350's which flogged the Falcon GT's at Bathurst were a regular production model, code 81837 which ould be ordered and bought any day at any Holden dealer. Torana GTR model 82911 with production option XU1 were batch built to ensure 200 were built for CAMS/FIA homologation purposes. They were still just a Torana two door built on the same line at the same time as the family cars they were sourced from. And, just to rub it in, I recall a 202 cubic inch Torana beating the 351 cubic inch Falcons at Bathurst. In fact, the Falcon GT's only seemed to be able to win aagainst cars with much smaller engines, and not all of the time.

You must be correct, history is a lie. Thats why they are worth in excess of 500K. Regardless if its a GTHO or an HK Bathurst special they are an Australian built muscle car that has earnt its place in history. Do yourself a favour and get the history of the GT DVD, even you could learn something.

Justin

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I was in the Australian motor manufacturing industry at the time. All the muscle cars, GTS Monaros, Torana GTR's, E38 & E49 Chargers, Falcon GT's were all just the regular mass produced car with some extra cost options added. What did you think they were? Some sort of hand built exotic? The Falcon GT's were just a four door sedan with engine, gearbox, suspension and brake changes, many of which you could have had by ticking the boxes on an order form at the dealers. The Monaro GTS327's and GTS350's which flogged the Falcon GT's at Bathurst were a regular production model, code 81837 which ould be ordered and bought any day at any Holden dealer. Torana GTR model 82911 with production option XU1 were batch built to ensure 200 were built for CAMS/FIA homologation purposes. They were still just a Torana two door built on the same line at the same time as the family cars they were sourced from. And, just to rub it in, I recall a 202 cubic inch Torana beating the 351 cubic inch Falcons at Bathurst. In fact, the Falcon GT's only seemed to be able to win aagainst cars with much smaller engines, and not all of the time.

DOES THE TERM LIMITED BATHURST HOMOLOGATION SPECIAL NOT REGISTER WITH YOU !LOL YOU WROTE IT

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I I recall a 202 cubic inch Torana beating the 351 cubic inch Falcons at Bathurst. In fact, the Falcon GT's only seemed to be able to win aagainst cars with much smaller engines, and not all of the time.

Ahh, it's good to see a throw down in the Holden vs Ford that refers back to the era when the difference between the two actually meant something. Nice serve.

With respect Brian, your comments are technically correct, but what do they signify? No Fords didn't win every time, but what make does? And when you're packing 351 cubes (real cubes not the wussy little excuse for cubes we have now), then most cars are going to have smaller engines. So what?

Wisden, full of cricket facts is a very handy resource, when discussing who were the greatest players but raw data does not tell the whole story. It's the same with results. People know that the GT Fords were all great cars. You just need to have eyes and ears to know.

But I love XU-1s too, absolutely. You don't seem too often nowdays. I am old enough to be a Colin Bond fan, when Peter Brock was the young number two driver. Though Colin only won in a Monaro if memory serves. When I was at Aatadale Primary School in the 1970, a guy over the road had a purple XU-1. Purple. And round the corner there was a silver one.

V8 cars and big twin bike engines of that era are well known for their beautiful noise, everyone agrees, but a worked six is a very under-rated note. I can still hear the angry red engines in those Toranas. Similarly a triple in a bike, and I'm thinking Triumph/BSA and Laverda - they were just as magnificent as any twin when they were copping a hiding. A more sophisticated not in many ways.

I'm starting to ramble, sigh, it's all good.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

........ And, just to rub it in, I recall a 202 cubic inch Torana beating the 351 cubic inch Falcons at Bathurst. In fact, the Falcon GT's only seemed to be able to win aagainst cars with much smaller engines, and not all of the time.......

Ah yes! and then there was 1966 when a Mini Cooper S with a massive 77.8 cubic inch engine won.
Even though that was before the GTHO, there were few bigger engines in the race.

I just found this:

In 1966, the mighty Mini Cooper S won Bathurst and filled the top nine places. A feat that remains unbeaten in 40 years. Since 1966, no naturally-aspirated four-cylinder vehicle has won the race either.

on this site
http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/1715122.aspx

I think it's correct.

None of your muscle cars ever managed that did they?