Cool Rides - Part 5

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Micks

@Smitty You are a very intelligent man! Any fool can remove the Rochester & fit a fuel guzzling Holley to their Peril!!! :goodjob: :teach: :deal: :thumbsup: ;)

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.. I have spent a fair bit of time on the ol'Quaddies. Starting with talking to the bald bloke pictured here ( Note.. that is a Quadrajet on the HDT VK)

https://images2.imgbox.com/65/52/zbwuhFxO_o.jpg
and
also with another bloke, surname on Tate (known to all as Tatey) ...all back in the 80s and early 90s. These blokes taught me lots ...

plus
I chat (and have an account) these days with Cliff Ruggles in the USA ... known simply as the Quadrajet guru

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Smitty

.. thanks Martin
there is a little bit of a story behind that.

Back when I worked at GMH, there has been major changes in motor racing when CAMS upended all the rules
for our Australian touring cars, effectively killing the old A9X Torana/Ford GT Falcon competition at the end of the 70s and
with that GMH pulled the pin on the old HDT (really financed by Holden) operation.

John Shepherd, the manager quit HDT, the race team assets put up for sale (*bought personally by the great PGBrock) and...

Someone at GMH felt guilt about John ( I suspect Joe Felice) and offered him a job... as National Service Manager
for GMH (responsible for all internal GMH service centres where company cars, press test etc got serviced ... and repaired)
and this was based at GMH Salmon st.

Me?... I was at that time responsible nationally for all the administration relating to the GMH Service garages.
So yeah, I got to meet John .. and observe the improvement, the efficiency gains in these garages solely from his management.

One thing he impressed on the mechanics, the technicians and apprentices in the company service garages was....
it not only had to be fixed right but make sure it looks right.

That meant all cars got a wash after a service... and the garages look immaculate. The staff got clean overalls daily
the floors got swept, the benches wiped down and most importantly... cars going to motor shows, exhibitions etc
ACTUALLY got polished before going on the transporter.

That level of effort to present the cars, GMH product at their best has rubbed off on me.

The VK might not be the fastest thing on the track (I am racing guys who spent more on an engine that I on the whole car)
but good preparation, a clean car .. shows a a level of professionalism for our club level racing .

This might be over 35 years old (and remember it is an ex-Vicpol car) but it still scrubs up well

https://images2.imgbox.com/0c/fb/0j79v66S_o.jpg



* that purchase by PGB (he hocked the farm) got him two non-usable Toranas, a shed load of racing parts and a VB Commodore
race car mule. He had some money from Marlboro but not enough to seriously go racing for more than a year or so. So being Brock
he started chatting to various GMH, dealer and racing people ... and that starts another story. The birth of HDT road Commodores
.... one for another time.

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I know Sheppo very well, He refers to me as "Fargo",...Martin Fart'n & Fargo!!
I uused to habitate his South Melbourne Workshop, prior to HDT, ...saw the Craven Mild Monaro being built there, Bob Jane's Masserati, lots of other very special stuff, Sheppo built a very special "electronic" dyno there, everyone one else just pulled a string, sheppo's was built in a wood panneled room where everything worked electronically,....digital readouts etc, well before its time. I remember on one occasion a couple of "unsvoury" characters bought down a big block chev engine on a trailer behind an HD Panel Van, they wanted it dynoed, the oil was like treacle, Sheppo wasn't keen, but they ïnsisted",....it made around 500HP,......Sheppo thought they used it in a getaway vehicle!!.....Fantastic times!!
Martin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pickles

I know Sheppo very well, He refers to me as "Fargo",...Martin Fart'n & Fargo!!
I uused to habitate his South Melbourne Workshop, prior to HDT, ...saw the Craven Mild Monaro being built there, Bob Jane's Masserati, lots of other very special stuff, Sheppo built a very special "electronic" dyno there, everyone one else just pulled a string, sheppo's was built in a wood panneled room where everything worked electronically,....digital readouts etc, well before its time. I remember on one occasion a couple of "unsvoury" characters bought down a big block chev engine on a trailer behind an HD Panel Van, they wanted it dynoed, the oil was like treacle, Sheppo wasn't keen, but they ïnsisted",....it made around 500HP,......Sheppo thought they used it in a getaway vehicle!!.....Fantastic times!!
Martin.

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haha.. classic nick that!

Ilast saw john about 5-6 years ago at something to do with motorsport (he was there with Moff and a couple of others .... at Duttons seem to be my recall here)
but
prior to that, i was out testing/running in a new race engine and he was too ..... in this VERY famous race car

https://images2.imgbox.com/ba/c4/e3Yx8spC_o.jpg

https://scontent.fsyd11-2.fna.fbcdn....15&oe=60E691CD

Attachment 8090 :cool:

Attachment 8091 :cool:

54 Mercury

https://scontent.fsyd11-2.fna.fbcdn....a7&oe=60E604D7

Attachment 8094 :cool:

https://scontent.fsyd11-2.fna.fbcdn....ca&oe=60E79165

Attachment 8097 :cool:

1940 Cadillac "Sophia"


https://scontent.fsyd11-2.fna.fbcdn....2d&oe=60C85C38

https://scontent.fsyd11-1.fna.fbcdn....2a&oe=60CAF0C2

Attachment 8098



:cool:

https://scontent.fsyd11-1.fna.fbcdn....eb&oe=60CA10A1

Attachment 8100 :cool:

https://scontent.fsyd11-1.fna.fbcdn....8e&oe=60CD4B3E

Attachment 8105 :cool:

47 Caddy

https://scontent.fsyd11-2.fna.fbcdn....47&oe=60CEB384

Attachment 8107 :cool:

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Originally Posted by whitels1ss

Attachment 8107 :cool:

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Truce :lol: That is a tuff LC! :cool:

https://scontent.fsyd11-1.fna.fbcdn....dd&oe=60CF8B65

Attachment 8109 :cool:

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