Just bought my first Holden. WB ute, 253, Supra five speed.

[mcnews]

Well after half a dozen Fords, and nearly the same amount of Mopars I just bought my first Holden.

An unregistered but fairly tidy and nice running WB ute with 253 and Supra five speed.

My daily ride is a new FPV GT-E with the supercharged 5.0, thus the ute will not be about going fast etc. Waste your seeing the light and buying a Holden comments on someone with a similar low IQ to yours if that was the first thing that popped in your head.

Anyways, I am sure there are plenty of smart people on here to offer advice and perhaps even fill me in a little about this car, all my knowledge is Mopar based, have had show winning Chargers, including an E49 that Biante bought off me to make models from and has been in American magazines and Australian hard cover books. Back in the West I also have a VG Pacer, was nice with 340 stroked to 408 and steel case Supra box etc. but the running gear was stolen, thus that is curently left back there with all new suspension, including Konis all round, custom made torsion bars, strengthened chassis, Brembos off Viper etc. But I have been in VIC for five years now and after recently offloading my 1959 Dodge ute/truck felt a hankering for something different and old again, and this popped up on Facebook for sale.

I brought the new machine home today. Runs sweet as. Found out putting fuel in a WB ute is an exercise in frustration. The tyres are old, have good tread, but must be hard as nails as there was some sliding going on during the trip home (wet).

Can someone tell me if that diff must have been transplanted from something else, as the large wings with holes near the main housing are a little confusing to me, as they serve no purpose in this application. I will get further under the car to try and work out later what model Supra five speed is in it. I presume those leaf springs with the extra supports must make this a one tonner?

Pulled the air cleaner off, look like a Quadrajet carby to me. Can't tell the brand of headers but they are lovely looking design, really long runners and stay twin for a long way down the car on each side before going in to the twin system.

It truly sound great, honestly one of the nicest sounding Holdens I reckon I have ever heard, so many of the older Holdens have a huge system that just sounds crap, this really has a beautiful timbre to it.

Reconditioned engine (HM GEM) only 15,000km ago, but that was also more than six years ago! Really does run remarkably smoothly, hardly makes a tick let alone a rattle. Always been an inland car so is fairly rust free. Picked it up for 3k, probably cost me 1k to get proper roadworthy and up and running on historic rego.

[Jag530G]

Nice spec: 253, GTS dash, power steering, Deville nose. Have fun with it. Yep, The Quadrajet was standard on the Blue 253s, Red 253s had a twin barrel carb (Stromberg?).

Cheers, Matthew

[offshore]

10 bolt Salisbury diff i think

[IJ.]

The "Wings" are left overs from the Sedan/Coupe for their 4 link/Coil spring setup.

[mcnews]

I guessed as much. Thanks for the replies

[sjhugh]

That’s the large Salisbury 10 Bolt diff and it was common from HQ to WB. They were fitted to V8 Utes, 1 tonners and Panel Vans as well as Sedans, Station Wagons, Statesmans and I also have one in my A9X. You’re missing the rubber inserts in the rings.

I had a HX Ute with a factory L34 and M21 which looks very similar to the under carriage of yours.


.

[Micks]

WB's were nice in the day, sure that hasn't been partially under water? Has a terrible amount of surface rust underneath!

[GPT]

Very nice indeed, love that the dash is still crack free(appears to be from the photos)

[mcnews]

WB's were nice in the day, sure that hasn't been partially under water? Has a terrible amount of surface rust underneath!

It is pretty much rust free. Camera flash must just make it look like that. Lots of red dirt too. Not a city car.

[Blown Monaro]

Trevor Hedge?
Nice bus, like alot of others I had HJ ute done up like a sandman to haul the bikes around back in the day, good rig but mine had the tin worm around the back window, door bottoms, sills and rear gaurd behind wheels . After blowing several All Aussie gearboxes we did the Supra conversion and it worked fine with the 308/L34 heads/Crane 286 cam combo.
Bargain for $3K.

[Micks]

It is pretty much rust free. Camera flash must just make it look like that. Lots of red dirt too. Not a city car.

No worries pics sometime lie! Nice Ute all the same.

[IJ.]

I miss simple cars...

[Micks]

I miss simple cars...

Yeah knowing you mate would be very bored with that in no time!

[Jag530G]

I miss simple cars...

The joys of working on a straight 6 Holden with no A/C, no power steering, no extractors, no ABS module, no cold air intake. Just heaps of room to work and access things. Not like trying to replace a heater tap on my Monaro, I'd love to know what sort of dwarf Holden had in mind with fixing that...

Cheers, Matthew

[Micks]

Guess you're right you could almost jump under the hood & work on the ol six pack in the rain & still have plenty of room to move around it!
Not as much with the eight, but not too bad.