Anyone know about HQs?

[Marco]

Probably not the best place to be asking, but does anyone here know anything about HQ Holdens?

There's an immaculate looking one down the road from me that I've been admiring for a little while now which is now for sale. I don't know anything about it - haven't been for a closer look - but driving past it does seem to at least have very good paint with no obvious rust, and what looks like a pretty decent interior. It has no rego, and I don't know if it runs, but my wife got a closer look at the sign on it and reckons they're asking $1000.

So...what goes wrong with these cars, are they easy to work on (for your average person with average mechanical skills and tools), what are they like to drive? I'm thinking in terms of a hobby/resto project rather than as a daily driver or something to modify.

[HARMSY]

Check out oldholden.com It's a site dedicated to older holdens and will have all the answers to all your questions.......The biggest thing with the HQ era (both earlier and older) is rust and general old age, if ya prepared to put in the dollars and hard work you will end up with a very slick cruzer, i have a few mates with some very nice older holdens, HQ's, HJ's.......

Also with the HQ's, panels can be a little more expensive and harder to find because HQ racing teams seem to gobble alot of the surplies up......

Anyway good luck.

Wazza

[michaels1v8]

All I know about them is they are a nice shape and look awesome when in good condition :drool:

Seriously though, get the thing checked over for rust... If its almost rust free then I would consider buying it and keeping it as a nice little project car. Perhaps a LS1 conversion? :idea:

Rust like has been said would be its biggest issue. All of the old holden/chev motors have a reputation of being near bullet proof. Plus if it is dead a new one can be sourced pretty cheaply these days (have seen rebuilt 350 chevs advertised in the Sunday times at somewhere in the $2k region!)

Pick up a gregorys manual on these babies too. One of the most helpful books in circulation! plenty of good advice in them. I would grab one for the HQ and also whatever motor is in it or whatever motor you want to put in it. (I think gregorys do motors... If not its a book thats pretty similar and contains all good tips on rebuilding engines)

[Tonner]

All I can say is similar to above, we have bought many Tonners HQ to WB and when looking for rust it pays to check the top of the firewall inside area above the excellerator pedal as the water well drain hose gets clogged with leaves etc, holding water and rusting out up there sometimes, can be pretty bad, check both sides near the rubber drain hose and above.

But the 'Q' is an easy car to work on( massive engine bay) with most engine parts fitting from earlier models back as far as 1964. ( 6 cyl) with very little polution control.

[BLQWN]

HQ's-love 'em.
Easy to work on, Rares do heaps of rust repair panels for them and also repro bits, get one with good, straight panels and your half way there.
Yeah, shame on the HQ racers....
HQ's have specific front guards, nosecone, bonnet, door glass, f and r bumpers, and other bits compared to the later HJ-Z's which can be interchanged.
Thats what make them soooo special.

cheers

[Rad Kane]

Easy to work on.

On a V8 at least when you open the bonnet you can actually see the ground through the engine bay. Not a plumbers nightmare like the current units.

These came out in a 6, 253, 308 and 350 chev configuration.

[Tonner]

HQ's-love 'em.
Easy to work on, Rares do heaps of rust repair panels for them and also repro bits, get one with good, straight panels and your half way there.
Yeah, shame on the HQ racers....
HQ's have specific front guards, nosecone, bonnet, door glass, f and r bumpers, and other bits compared to the later HJ-Z's which can be interchanged.
Thats what make them soooo special.

cheers
yes,, you do have to be careful fitting some later parts such as window glass (front) HQ will fit only HQ, j x & z is trunkated at the top corner.

Bonnets dont meet up at the top sill with out a little shaping of the sill to fit right. a few other things to watch when fitting later parts onto HQ. but usually all adaptable.

A bit of trivia: I know an old chap in Ipswich who spends all of his time just making the old Holden quater panels and bits for Rare spares.

[tim_k]

The Q's were the best of the 70's series Holdens. And the front and rear ends on them have aged a lot better than the HJ-HZ's. Especially with the chrome polished up.

Here's a couple of reasons to get one...

- You can sit in the engine bay to sort the dizzy.
- No pollution gear
- Came factory with a 350 (as long as the car has disk brakes on the front)
- Will easily fit a modern chev drivetrain

I had one when I was younger and geez, I loved that car. Except when it got stolen (twice) which brings me to my next point.

Fabricate a steel steering wheel shroud and install a kill switch. These things are very easy to nick.

[BLACKWAGON]

to get a factory one with 350 u would cost u ur left one, did they make a 4dr with 350?
I remember the coupe munro ss with the chev but most others that werent munros I remember 202, 253 and a few with 308s.

They look tuff as though when clean low and wide wheels on em, great sound even from a 253 with twin system on it.

[tim_k]

Whoops, forgot to add.

Look for rust in the front chassis rails, behind the rear wheels, boot, well, pretty much everywhere. If you are unsure, get NRMA etc to look at it.

And if it's a Traumatic, have a close look at that as well.

[Da Burb]

One thing, if you ever lock yourself out, just look around for another early Holden owner...anywhere upto around a VK Commodore and ask to borrow their key for a minute. Almost guarantee'd it will open it for you.

[tim_k]

One thing, if you ever lock yourself out, just look around for another early Holden owner...anywhere upto around a VK Commodore and ask to borrow their key for a minute. Almost guarantee'd it will open it for you.

Or jam a butterknife down the quarter glass of a rear door

[Marco]

Thanks guys. At the moment I'm trying to think of reasons not to buy it, because even my wife is saying go for it (the effect of pregnancy hormones maybe? :) ) - even though what I really want is an EJ-EH, they go for silly money these days in anything approaching good condition whereas I think HQs are probably still in that stage where they're not quite desirable classics yet so they're reasonably cheap.

I'll have to go down the road and have a better look at it, and get some more details off the sign in the windscreen.

[Smitty]

did they make a 4dr with 350?
.

...yes and that wil cost ya... ya right one :p

[BLACKWAGON]

...yes and that wil cost ya... ya right one :p

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: