Goodbye our old foe. RIP

[amiers]

I thought our mortal enemy deserved a dedicated goodbye thread.

I learnt how to drive in a HR holden and remember that car with fondness. As I was last year with Ford, I am sad to see Holden go. Both of these companies have been a massive part of my life and many others on here.

Goodbye

[Pis-ton broke]

i had a hj kingswood, with am radio. it was a great car.
although i didn,t like the tri-matic (tri-hard) gerarbox. it would happily do linelockers.
rip holden

[csv8]

Football, meat pies no more Holden cars. Sad day for manufacturing in Australia.

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by csv8

Football, meat pies no more Holden cars. Sad day for manufacturing in Australia.

That add was a reworked chevy add

[roKWiz]

Guess you could say I was a Holden man. So many good HQ to WB's I've owned over the years.
A few I bought from my father who owned every model from FE to WB but he was so dicussed with the new VB Commodore, he bought a XD Fairmont Ghia.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Guess you could say I was a Holden man. So many good HQ to WB's I've owned over the years.
A few I bought from my father who owned every model from FE to WB but he was so dicussed disgusted with the new VB Commodore, he bought a XD Fairmont Ghia.

image

Fixed it for you.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

Fixed it for you.

Thanks mate, I'm getting worst.

[GASWAGON]

We had a few Holdens while growing up. HJ Ute, HX Wagon (Full of rust).
My old man bought me a very clean HJ Kingswood sedan for my 1st car.
202, 3 on the tree, bench seat, sunroof and no rust.
Only thing was i spending half my apprentice ship money on petrol as the 202's were pretty thirsty but very reliable.
Unfortunately one day after work i hit and oil patch on a bend in the wet and went sideways into a van and it destroyed the rear quarter..Total right off.

Ended up with much cheaper Mitsi 4 spd manual Sigma with no heater in winter and stretched timing chain!

RIP Holden and factory.

[amiers]

weird that most of us Ford men had Holdens as first cars.

[auxr]

Originally Posted by amiers

weird that most of us Ford men had Holdens as first cars.

Yes - correct, but then we became wiser.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by amiers

weird that most of us Ford men had Holdens as first cars.

Think you will find a lot of people did own and drove both brands as I certainly owned a good mix of Holden & Fords over 42 years of driving.
I came from a big family and remember fondly of good selection of Fords and Holdens parked at my mom's house....lol


Cheers.

[Glen 5150]

Sad day indeed. I've owned Ford V8's most of my life, but jumped ship a few times in the late 80's and 90's, VL Berlina 5.0, VR SS and VS SS. All were great cars without any major issues, but I just felt more comfortable and at home in a Ford. Life can be funny and unpredictable at times, if I would of felt more comfortable in a Holden I would probably have a Clubsport or Redline in my garage rather than a XR8. My favourite car of all time is still a fully flared SLR 5000 and the A9X SS Toranas.

Thanks for the memory's, friendly rivalry and banter over the years Holden, and good luck to all the workers and their families for the future.

[Burnout]

Had an HR Ute, back then....
Was a good ute, trouble free. 3/Tree, 186S, front disc brakes.

[auxr]

Uru Holden - thanks for the memories, touching fifty years of rivalry on the mountain, won't be the same but must move on and see what the future holds.

Had a few Holdens in the early years that were good cars for the time but the XY Fairmont led me down the track of having Ford V8's to this day.

Feel for the Holden guys, but at this point in time, I won't be hugging the first Holden guy I see wearing a Brocky shirt.

[GTP534]

Our first car in Australia (we arrived in 1966) was a 1960 FB Holden, bench seat 3-on-the-tree. What a workhorse that was for us. Took us on our first holiday in Australia down the south coast. Unfortunately, gearbox lost oil and seized on us in the Snowy Mountains.

That was followed by a 149 HR which understeered off the road and hit a telegraph pole.

An HT Kingswood followed this for a few years and then my Dad got his first automatic - an HJ Kingswood which had T-Bar, bucket seats and .... air conditioning!

He then got a VC 4 cylinder Commodore which ran for years until he got a Lexcen. That was his last Holden - he's had Camry's up until just recently when he got a Corolla. He's 84 now and still going.

Thanks for the memories Holden - all the best to the employees, I hope Holden have looked after them.

[frankie86]

The car that started my passion for cars is a holden vh sl/e my old man had back in the day, I've since seen the light but I never forgot where I came from, bloody sad day

[Sioso]

Yep, I had a lot more holdens than fords over the years.
I almost traded my Golf for a an SSV Redline in son of a gun grey a few weeks back.

My brother and I learnt to drive on our farm in a HT ute 253 with a 2 speed powerglide auto.

Thanks for the memories.

[Bayson]

Sad day.

I wish i could have bought a VF2 SSV redline. Ripper car for the money.

I bought the fgx xr8 instead but i was extremely impressed wjth the vf2 ss, so close to buying the holden SS. Only bought the fgx as i paid bargain price $52500 drive away brand new. SsV redline was closer to $60k.

We will never see such ripper cars again for that price point, (xr8, ss, xr6t)

[Wretched]

They made some ripper cars over their time, even those in partnership with HDT and HSV.
Still think a VF2 SS Wagon is the perfect family car.

[FG50T]

No matter how much I love XR6T's the LS3 SSV is the the car to have no doubt about it.

That said took a VF1 GTS for a test drive last week. Recommend everyone does, something not worth missing out on. I recommend a manual and going WOT in 3rd.

[Bayson]

Originally Posted by FG50T

No matter how much I love XR6T's the LS3 SSV is the the car to have no doubt about it.

That said took a VF1 GTS for a test drive last week. Recommend everyone does, something not worth missing out on. I recommend a manual and going WOT in 3rd.

You are right there. The vf commodore range in any of the v8s was fantastic..

The ls3 SS, big hairy chested 6.2 litre, what more could you want

The hsv LSA is another great car, very smooth and very rapid car.

Our fords were great too particularly turbo 6 and the supercharged V8s..

i will keep my supercharged falcon v8 for a long time. Hopefully I'll buy a used ls3 SS to park next to it.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Bayson

The ls3 SS, big hairy chested 6.2 litre, what more could you want

How about when that big hairy chested 6.2 gets passed by a mildly worked xr6t, as if it were a hyundai excel The hairy chested 6.2 litre does, hans-down have the upper hand in the sound department though.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

How about when that big hairy chested 6.2 gets passed by a mildly worked xr6t, as if it were a hyundai excel The hairy chested 6.2 litre does, hans-down have the upper hand in the sound department though.

So, mildly work the LS3

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by Wretched

So, mildly work the LS3

Or buy an f6. :p

[fordomatic]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

How about when that big hairy chested 6.2 gets passed by a mildly worked xr6t, as if it were a hyundai excel The hairy chested 6.2 litre does, hans-down have the upper hand in the sound department though.

I went from an FGXR6T to a VE LS3 HSV, i don't miss the XR6T at all. I don't know where you guys go fast but for me i putt around 99.9% of the time and swapping cogs and listening to the cammed 6.2l is music to my ears. Sure the XR6T was fast and a "better" car but it was only enjoyable at WOT and i barely ever touched the go pedal because i value my licence. Couldn't give two tirds about speed anymore, there is always someone faster, 300 at the rears is perfect for the street and my licence is safe.

[wodahs]

not me my first car was an XY v8 wagoooon , my fathers , but I had to fix it to have it as he had drivin it into the ground apart from some minor body and mechs it had a fair few burnt valves
my first only holden was a HR and also a wagoooon and a 186 was also from my father , as I had got a first car from the folks they extended this to my brother , who promptly turned his nose up at it
the falcon was neither running nor licenced when I got it the holden as shabby as it was , was both licenced and running
and seeing they had purchased it already for him and he didn't want it (lost his chance) and I had recently been t boned in the falcon by some one making an illegal u turn I took it did some fixing any ways and drove it for a few months before turning it in to a 77 v8 F250
good days

[HIPO]

Yep, they made some good stuff over the years...... my 1st car was an HK Monaro...... only a 307 with powerglide.
Paid $1800 for it........ i called it Tony.

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by HIPO

Yep, they made some good stuff over the years...... my 1st car was an HK Monaro...... only a 307 with powerglide.
Paid $1800 for it........ i called it Tony.

Sweet, my first ride was a '70 HT Brougham with a 308 and powerglide followed by a '72 HQ GTS Monaro Coupe (wish I still had it now, paid $4750 for it and sold it to a work mate for $3500)

[FairmontGS]

My only Holden was a 1965 HD sedan and it was a dangerous horrible thing but it got me through Uni. But I'll miss the rivalry and wish all the ex-employees the best.

[Syndrome]

I learnt to drive in a 1985 VK Berlina sedan with the carburetor 3.3 six cylinder engine and 'traumatic' three speed auto. The drivetrain in the POS would shudder under heavy acceleration. But how do I feel today?