Another barn find, prototype 1979 Commodore

[jaydee]

https://www.9news.com.au/national/ho...e9872da6d461#1

I see it's fitted with the good old Uniroyal Steel cats, great tyre in their day.
Apparently 1 of 3, 2 destroyed, this one was given to a local TAFE for students to study. When the TAFE closed down one of the tutors hid it.
I'd be checking on ownership on this one.

[wodahs]

for an exquisite prototype model of what was to become with a grill expertly crafted from wood that's done like 2 meters
it looks like the grills been pushed in and dislodged and who ever tried to place it back was no expert craftsman

[CATXR8]

What proto type.
Its an opel.
Opels where in Asia before gm/gmh brought it into Australia.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by CATXR8

What proto type.
Its an opel.
Opels where in Asia before gm/gmh brought it into Australia.

Not quite. Yes, the Opel Rekord E was released about 1 year before the VB Commodore, but they are very different cars underneath.

The Aust Commodore used the basic Rekord E body but with the Senator A front fitted. This meant a longer wheelbase & more room for 6 & V8 engines (Rekord was only a 4-cyl).

The Aust. Commodore also got proper rack & pinion steering which none of the Opels had.

The car pictured is also an update of the original with new longer front panels & different headlights.

So about the only parts this car shares with the 1977 Opel is the bare body (firewall back) & the dash. All mechanicals & driveline, HVAC & electricals are Aussie.

Dr Terry

[MFL]

that brings back a few memories, my 1st V8 was a VB SLE 4.2 I bought from my dad - the 2 bbl carb & single exhaust made for memorable power - handled well though ...

[mick taylor]

Originally Posted by MFL

that brings back a few memories, my 1st V8 was a VB SLE 4.2 I bought from my dad - the 2 bbl carb & single exhaust made for memorable power - handled well though ...

The VB with 4.2L or 5.0L 4sp manuals were the best handling car Holden ever made by far, if you really know how to drive at 10 10ths full on they were magic, you could never put a foot wrong, the car would respond totally do everything that you wanted it to do. the 6 cyl were to gutless to respond to handle that well as the V8's, total control oversteer magic and no stupid understeer.

The down side part was brake pad material regardless of 4wheel disc and a small booster that the peddle could travel a lot but never a problem.

The weight of the VB and it's size help to make such a great performance car, even tho they were somewhat gutless due to ADR Laws. not to mention being a sardine can in a crash.

The VC RTS on was total rubbish until the VX SS came out that we got a good handling car again that you could cane full on with full confidence but it was a bit to big and heavy and the VE a Tank !

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by mick taylor

The VB with 4.2L or 5.0L 4sp manuals were the best handling car Holden ever made by far

interesting you say that, Holden also gave us (also for the skid pan) their prototype VB (I think) with the Firestar (I think) 4 cylinder engine, it was the most generous on the skid pan, very even to drive hard, responded easily. It had bugger all power, but was good on the skid pan (4 acres of smooth finish concrete with sprinklers around and on it)

We also had another earlier Commodore (for a skid car) with a blue-printed I6 in it, it went like the clappers

[mick taylor]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

interesting you say that, Holden also gave us (also for the skid pan) their prototype VB (I think) with the Firestar (I think) 4 cylinder engine, it was the most generous on the skid pan, very even to drive hard, responded easily. It had bugger all power, but was good on the skid pan (4 acres of smooth finish concrete with sprinklers around and on it)

We also had another earlier Commodore (for a skid car) with a blue-printed I6 in it, it went like the clappers

Yes the 4 cyl and 6cyl in the wet at low speeds. you could mash the peddle and not get into trouble like a V8 may catch out one who does not understand that, in that case one has to treat the peddle with understanding, but that's what the go peddle is all about, it can become your second steering wheel in some regards.

Oh and the Commodore hand brake being the postie scooter type drum brake inside the disc is to weak, good hand brake position tho.
I like the XG type hand brake how it works off the disk but hate the hand brake position that is rubbish.

On thing about the VB and the HZ is that if you loose it at high speed even at 200km/h etc it will automatic correct it's self, peter Hannenberger showed that off to Bill Tuckey saying every car must do this as being a serious safety issue device.

[Itsme]

Certainly looks VH 82 onwards not the 79 VB or VC 80 model as released in Australia, also noticed red engine not the familiar blue colour.

[MFL]

Originally Posted by Itsme

Certainly looks VH 82 onwards not the 79 VB or VC 80 model as released in Australia, also noticed red engine not the familiar blue colour.

Your are right, the lights & grille looks more like my VH SLE, the VB had a different grille, bigger headlights and headlight wiper/washers.

The steering wheel and centre console are also VH. The VB was different again.

[DTFRMONT]

Lloyds listing, which explains a few things about the car.

https://www.lloydsonline.com.au/LotD...gs=100&gv=True

This one was a design prototype for the VH made from a VB shell, which would account for the 1979 build date. The VB came out late 81, so this was probably a final design prototype that was shown to senior management for approval, given it was also an SL/E. Even the radio is a mock up, and not the real thing. Actually not in bad condition considering what it ended up being used for.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by DTFRMONT

Lloyds listing, which explains a few things about the car.

https://www.lloydsonline.com.au/LotD...gs=100&gv=True

This one was a design prototype for the VH made from a VB shell, which would account for the 1979 build date. The VB came out late 81, so this was probably a final design prototype that was shown to senior management for approval, given it was also an SL/E. Even the radio is a mock up, and not the real thing. Actually not in bad condition considering what it ended up being used for.

DTFRMONT post certainly explains it all with the VB model being a VH prototype, interesting reading from Lloyds auction.

https://www.lloydsonline.com.au/LotD...&pgn=4&pgs=100

[.:4:.]

Well, it looks very vh. Maybe it is what holden invisioned the car to look like. If thats the case, yeah, the longer rear bumper was only for the 308 models. The starfire 4's, 202's and 253's got the shorter rear bumper. Grill is very vh looking. Seats look a bit off, rear headrests look very vh sle. So maybe it was what holden wanted to build but people up top said no.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

If thats the case, yeah, the longer rear bumper was only for the 308 models. The starfire 4's, 202's and 253's got the shorter rear bumper.

The length of the rear bar side extensions has nothing to do with the size of the engine.

All SL/Es from VB to VH have the longer extensions, regardless of whether they have 3.3, 4.2 or 5.0 engines.

A Berlina with a 5.0 did not get the extensions.

The only SL/E to miss out on them was the VC Brock, because they wouldn't clear the wheel arch flares.

Dr Terry

[MDS69]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

The length of the rear bar side extensions has nothing to do with the size of the engine.

All SL/Es from VB to VH have the longer extensions, regardless of whether they have 3.3, 4.2 or 5.0 engines.

A Berlina with a 5.0 did not get the extensions.

The only SL/E to miss out on them was the VC Brock, because they wouldn't clear the wheel arch flares.

Dr Terry

The Berlina designation is a VK thing which you would know has plastic bumpers

[pwr4ce]

Originally Posted by MDS69

The Berlina designation is a VK thing which you would know has plastic bumpers

Agreed - Berlina was VK model onwards. SL/E was dropped and became Calais in the VK model as well


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[PG2]

Originally Posted by pwr4ce

Agreed - Berlina was VK model onwards. SL/E was dropped and became Calais in the VK model as well


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Before the VK Berlina wasn't the VH equivalent called a SL/X?

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by MDS69

The Berlina designation is a VK thing which you would know has plastic bumpers

Correct, that was my mistake. I just used the Berlina moniker for the name of the middle model. In those days Holden kept on changing the model names, even though the equipment levels remained.

For VB it went Commodore, Commodore SL & then Commodore SL/E.

VC went Commodore L, Commodore SL & Commodore SL/E.

VH went Commodore SL, Commodore SL/X & Commodore SL/E

VK got Commodore SL, Commodore Berlina, then Calais.

It stayed like this until VZ, however the SL became the Executive for VN onwards.

Dr Terry

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

Correct, that was my mistake. I just used the Berlina moniker for the name of the middle model. In those days Holden kept on changing the model names, even though the equipment levels remained.

For VB it went Commodore, Commodore SL & then Commodore SL/E.

VC went Commodore L, Commodore SL & Commodore SL/E.

VH went Commodore SL, Commodore SL/X & Commodore SL/E

VK got Commodore SL, Commodore Berlina, then Calais.

It stayed like this until VZ, however the SL became the Executive for VN onwards.

Dr Terry

Executive was a fleet special available from VK onwarrds, SL with air and steer as standard.
Vacationer was a sticker pack predecessor durung VH run.

[Tonz]

would it be street legal?
Could it be registered on standard plates?

otherwise why spend $$ on something that would supposedly need to be trailered

[pwr4ce]

I had all 3 series back in the ‘80s

VB and VC were quite similar - main changes that I recall were grill and blue vs red engine in the 3.3L models (probably in V8 versions too)

The VH was a much sleeker look with different headlights/ taillights and grill and dashboard instruments. It also came out with the first SL/X model.

In summary they were a great car for their time and I think the Radial Tuned Suspension (RTS) just might have had it over the Falcons of the day


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[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by pwr4ce

In summary they were a great car for their time and I think the Radial Tuned Suspension (RTS) just might have had it over the Falcons of the day

Yeah nah
Those early commodores were lamentable pieces of ****. Even die-hard Holden buyers hated them, and they drove Holden Bankrupt. GM had contingency plans in place to dump local production and start selling Chevies, and Holden were only saved by a massive parent bailout.

My dad a string of Company Premiers, so naturally at the appropriate time he was given an SL/E.
He hated it so much that he started driving his XC Ute to work, until the employer relented and bought him an XD Fairmont.

[MDS69]

Certainly a bitsa. VB/C air conditioning, VH/K front sheet metal, no rear seat belts, VH interior, one side mirror, no bumper over riders for a SLE, no brake fluid for the rear brakes, still has the bracket for the VC twin horns on SLE on the inner guard.

[pwr4ce]

Originally Posted by MDS69

Certainly a bitsa. VB/C air conditioning, VH/K front sheet metal, no rear seat belts, VH interior, one side mirror, no bumper over riders for a SLE, no brake fluid for the rear brakes, still has the bracket for the VC twin horns on SLE on the inner guard.

You probably wouldn’t register it or drive it. I think you would have to be a die hard collector for this one


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[jpd80]

Not saying anything is off but of the zeros in the odometer is not in line with the others…..

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Not saying anything is off but of the zeros in the odometer is not in line with the others…..

yep, dodge as

[rare ss]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Not saying anything is off but of the zeros in the odometer is not in line with the others…..

Every early commodore ever the odo looks like that

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by rare ss

Every early commodore ever the odo looks like that

Just about all Aussie cars of that era were the same. VDO was the supplier to Holden, Ford, Nissan, Chrysler/Mistubishi, Toyota & all the odos looked the same.

Dr Terry

[FairmontGS]

Any hard-copy provenance that states it is what it proclaims to be? Otherwise it's just a bodged-up VB/C/H...

[marty351]

Belongs in a museum.