The Final Roar - Holdens at the Bend: Classic Restos Series 47

Classic Leftovers are proudly presented by Shannon's, where you can sign up to be a member of the Shannon's Club. Your local Holden certified service center pays for farm, nice egg and herron. forbes machinery house where you can buy online. We have returned to the national engine. museum in birdwood, south australia, for a very special convoy of

classic

holdens

to

bend

motorsport park for this week's

classic

wrecks on the road otr super sprint. This is huge, it's exciting, it's also very emotional to see over 150 classic Holdens gathered here. this morning at the national motor museum here in birdwood south australia in the beautiful adelaide hills they are about to take part in a very special convoy to

bend

motorsport park to commemorate the

final

tribute to rawholden with me now mark abolo director General Motors Australia Manager How are you Mark Fletch?

It's great to be here. How are you? You should feel at home here right now. Oh, it's absolutely amazing. You know how to see this amount of passion. The number of cars we have here today to start. The

final

roar

is simply a true testament to the love there is in this country for Holden Brandt. Is incredible. I don't think I've ever seen the strongest legacy. It's great. It's absolutely amazing. You know we're going to see it. Today, as we head down to Thailand, we head to the supercar race. Hopefully we'll also get a win for everyone here, but to see this convoy and see so many examples of Holden's legacy is really wonderful, I think no matter what brand. enthusiast is on an occasion like this has to go down in the history books it's a one of a kind that will never happen again um it's a target for the heartstrings isn't it?

Oh it certainly is and look, we're celebrating 70 years of involvement in motorsport, we're celebrating a brand that has so much passion, especially here in South Australia, such a warm heart for the Holden brand and it's so exciting to see. now Mark as CEO. It's an exciting role for for gma for general motors australia obviously australia and new zealand um some exciting things that we can expect in the future I think so look we have a lot of plans and uh it's absolutely amazing that we can bring our fans our loyal fans and our Heritage along with us moved to the Holden server side of the business.

We have a lot of growth to do as we continue to service our 1.6 million vehicles that are on the road with all of our service locations and of course, We are also starting to introduce GM specialty vehicles and you will have seen the Chevrolet Silverado, a preview of the corvette that will arrive very soon and is getting an amazing reaction. It's certainly an exciting time for General Motors, that's for sure, and as the commercials show. in each episode as well, the importance of certified service by Holden, continuing with, of course, the AC Delco parts and, of course, we have a very strong presence and we plan to continue to have a very strong presence.

We have more than 200 authorized services. centers in Australia, another 50 plus in New Zealand certainly are a very important part of the business and you can certainly see how many cars are on the road and we are very committed to servicing them. "There's an hour's drive you can expect from the Adelaide Hills to the bend so it's going to be a big day and obviously there's a lot of Holden putters that are a big part of this and, well, it's not over yet. "We've got our convoy and obviously what awaits us around the corner, thanks for your time, it's been great, catching up with Fletch has been absolutely incredible, thank you so much, this guy is always a pleasure, Paul Reese, the director of the National Motor Museum here at birdwood good morning paul good morning flats nice to welcome you back thank you yeah it's happened a few times now and I love it every time absolutely you're a big supporter of the um enthusiasts of the. motorsport and the sector, friend, you do a great job, well, thank you Paula, it is not for lack of trying, no, you are trying a lot this morning, this has to mean a lot to you, this is your territory, you have a historic building up there, part of the museum, but all the facilities here mean a lot and then to display them with so many Holdens, they appear, which means a lot, how are you feeling today?

Well, we're also arrogant enough in South Australia to think we're home. Holden territory, you know, it's like you go down to the starting salary in the city of uh in the city of our great churches and uh you'll find a really deep history of connection with the Holden brand right from the very early even before it was called , you know, we're welcome, we love this, it's great, it's great, a great morning vehicle show here and we have a fantastic, ongoing relationship with all the car brands, but Holden just seems to have that extra special edge in South Australia here so we're very happy to be hosting this and to see it assigned to another big motorsport entity now that's growing in strength and strength, which is Bend Motorsport Park, is fantastic as well. to the alliance with uh general motors australia also with great things ahead too oh, absolutely yes, we now have within the museum 18 of what we believe are the best Holden heritage vehicles um, they are the iconic vehicles the millionth this the millionth that but the concept vehicles, that's what people are really interested in, like the effigy, the hurricane, the gtrx, the murano convertible, you know all kinds of beautiful vehicles, so it's an ongoing relationship and thanks to Holden for giving us those for care for a while and without them. leave too much out of the bag in a couple of weeks on classic leftovers.

Like what Paul just mentioned with Holden's heroes, there will be an episode containing that same content, so I'll be looking forward to it. One, Paul, we can't wait for you to take a look at it because I don't think you'll want to come home. I love it here, it's always amazing, Paul, you have a great day ahead. an announcement to deal with all these people before they start their engines uh thanks for your time it's always a pleasure to see you back well on your flats good for you thanks paul I've been a motorsport enthusiast all my life The 4 coupe is rare and very special, a real performance car with all wheel drive, it's not some kind of car club and I don't work in it, but I have a great mechanic, one day I might even get that headquarters when it comes to insurance it has to be shannon's shannon share your passion call shannon's on 13 46 46 shannon's insurance for motoring enthusiasts when it comes to cars there are some brands that will stay with us forever no matter what Holden was always Australia's own car that stayed the most top of the world. hearts of many of those lines that color the stories that surround them and the people who owned them from the classic to the end.

You can still rely on genuine Holden and AC Delco parts available through the Holden Certified Service Network after arriving at Bend Motorsport Park early. we start here is a little bit about the place welcome to Bend Motorsport Park, a place where taking the bend can have two meanings: you personally or literally driving around it and that will happen today only for a select few. This is one of Australia's newest racing circuits. It was previously the test track for Mitsubishi Motors Australia and in February 2015, Peregrine Corporation lodged plans with the South Australian government to rebuild things here at Talen Bend and construction began in March 2016, initially titled Mitsubishi Motors Australia Sports Park.

South Australian motor when construction began, Bend Motorsports Park. The name was adopted, you can't be too shy here at the track too as it is a 7.7 kilometer track where Scott Mclaughlin last holds the record with one minute 47.495 seconds in August 2019. This is the second race circuit longest standing in the world. Behind the Nurburgring in Germany, about 25 kilometers long, the GT circuit is used for endurance racing, specialist racing events, private rental and test days. It hosted a four-hour Le Monde Series Asian event in January 2020 and later today some classic Holdens will experience the track, but today, in the eyes of thousands of die-hard Holden fans here at the bend, it's all about the packed grandstand at turn 17 which has been temporarily renamed Holden Heaven for this weekend only, well here we are with the band, hi cara, hi how are you? you're going to fly great, thanks, that's good, you're dressed to the theme, you're part of the era, what a beautiful car, we have a fv hole here from 1957.

I think it's yours, yes, it's my car, it's my pride . and joy, there is no doubt that it is a beautiful restoration, what can you tell us about it? So I restored it when I was 15 as part of a school project. Now it's a family car. It's been in the family since midday, so I was very lucky to have inherited that one and decided to continue its story. Carol, this is a car. contest yes, sorry, I have tried to reach that standard as much as I could. I have some kind of honor in my family name.

So, um, but it was my love and luckily it was left in good enough condition to also be a forecourt car, so it's absolutely fantastic in terms of history. Do you know much about him in his early years? So yes, my grandfather. Obviously I bought it new in '57, so it was built around June of that year, so it's kind of a mid-term Fez, so it's also a special sedan, so it was kind of high-end extras which my grandfather wanted to update so he sold it to his father and he kept it until the '90s when he stopped driving it and then I inherited it in the 2000s when it went into a nursing home and I thought the right thing to do was to restore it to its previous state.

The glory is that he is still with us, unfortunately not, but he was 100 years old when he passed away, so he had a good entrance and this was a kind of memorial project for him. There's nothing more beautiful than this: grandpa's car and you still have it and I can see that you have that passion it's not just a case of oh yeah, it's a family car this runs deep with you, doesn't it? Yes, it's definitely something I enjoy. telling the story and I enjoy having that heritage that a lot of the cars don't have because of the number of hands they've been through over the years, sure when driving the car, how does it make you feel?

It makes you imagine what it would be like to turn the clock back to 1957. I definitely think so. I think I was born in the wrong era. I definitely have some of those moments where I think I wish I could have been there. When these cars came out I could have had that experience, but I really enjoy the kind of second-hand nostalgia I experience when I go out and it's nice to talk to people about their stories of working at Holden or driving these cars as a kid. so especially now the legacy means a lot to all of us yeah I think today was a pretty memorable day.

It just went to zero zero zero zero again afterwards for the first time, so I think it's an appropriate day for that sense cara, I think one beautiful thing about this is that as long as you drive this car, it's going to be in your family as long as you keep it, I know. , but your great-grandfather always will. Be with you, yeah, 100 and that's also why we called the car George because it's in a little bit of her memory even though she's a she, George is George, it's still the name we like to call there, so darling, I think in your tradition. of your family, your great grandfather, your grandfather and you keeping the car, it's a beautiful story and I'm so glad you can share that with us and brought it here today, thanks Fletch, now it's time for John to support Holden . shirt, how are you friend?

I'm cool, Fletch, how are you? You're having fun here today. I always love being on the curve. Fantastic place. Have a good trip here. Oh, beautiful. Yes, from Birdwood to here. It was really excellent. 1955 FJ. What is the history? Here the story of the vehicle is that I bought a special 53 FJ and I always loved vans and utes so I started doing "You found this John". I know why you love vans buddy, yeah I know it's comfy in the back right? Yes, sorry, yes, carry on, so we started restoring the ute and the love of the truck.

I bought this one from Barry in New South Wales, completely restored it and never looked back. It's been fantastic and now. I finished the ute so I have all three, I have a special sedan, a van and a ute so it's a great collection of prices. I think there's something about an old vehicle that's had, uh, a proper sign writing period, there's something. about that yeah that's for sure and we put our name to the side just not to stand out but just to give it some meaning because Chris and I are passionate and we've restored it from scratch ourselves and I really love doing it so it's been a challenge, relationships are tested sometimes, butWe have overcome it and we are happy.

Well, she followed you all the way today, so you couldn't have been too wrong, John. In fact, the other day he did three laps in a Mustang supercar driving it and I think he wanted to swap me for the co-driver, but no, I think he saw the light and stayed with me, so there you have it, buddy, yeah. Now these old vehicles, hey, look. It's the camaraderie, isn't it? It's the excitement we all get from them and from attending events like this and especially this one, which is very special, John. When we look inside this vehicle, as in the past, there is no custom work. that's how it would have been, it's just beautiful, yes, although we custom made it Fletch, we put armrests in the doors that were available in the specials just to make it easier to close the doors and more comfortable to drive, other than that it's pretty well equipped and it has comfortable seats and we put seat belts on it for safety but other than that it's pretty well equipped yeah before I let you go mechanically as for the engine what have you done on the front end?

Oh, it's a original 132 board with big size. pistons because that's all you can buy piston rings and pistons that size pretty well in stock obviously we've installed a power amplifier because we tow a caravan and we need to stop and the other thing that works a bit of the hard core. people is that we put a 12 volt system in it simply because we tow a caravan and that has a 12 volt supply, so what you want to see also at night, yes, exactly, and it's surprising that the thing starts working first. and it's just a much more sensible approach when you're driving an older vehicle like this and with so many vehicles we can cut and put that battery in all of our vehicles so it's pretty good in that sense yeah yeah well John Good.

Thanks to you and your lovely wife, Chris will be turning out for the final

roar

, Holden tribute here at The Bend for 2021. It's people like you and vehicles like this that make this event what it is, so thanks again , John, thank you very much, Fletch, really. I appreciate your interest, thank you, thank you Every weekend in Australia, motoring enthusiasts come together to share their passion for cars and motorcycles. It is a passion that unites us with all types of people, all types of cars and motorcycles, from the classics of today to the classics of tomorrow. At Shannon's we understand enthusiasts, so when it comes to insurance, it has to be Shannon's.

Shannon insurance for motoring enthusiasts call 13 46 46 for a quote. They may no longer make the classic Holden, but the legacy lives on. You can still have a certified and retention service. Using quality original Holden and AC Delco parts at over 180 centers across Australia, visit Holden.com to find your nearest centre. Reserve your Holden Inn. Keep your pride and of course if you own a classic it just needs to be insured with Shannon's. Why not choose? Pick up the phone and call Shannon for a quote and chat on 1346 to discuss the policy and premium that best suits your needs, no matter if you have a bike, car or van, the Shannon team is waiting for you and joins. shannon's club has never been easier for more information visit shannon dot com dot a u it's time to buy an original 1964 stroller hey how you doing rex?

Well, thanks, fletch, one thing about classic cars, they don't all have to cost a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. show cars or more what we have here, we have an old, original and honest car, right? Yeah, it's certainly okay, so okay, we look at this, uh, and what a score, uh, it's great to have, it's got a little bit of rust. on the doors it was repainted a while ago, but what comes with this car obviously has a lot of history too, Rex, absolutely, absolutely, was owned by a local doctor from Semaphore in South Australia in 1964.

I can remember this one car. When I was a teenager I was driving around the district and I saw this new uh premier driving around and I was so envious and then fortunately 40 years later I was able to buy it. What an impact on your mind it must have had, like all those years ago. You are almost destined to get this car or maybe that was the case, but I was certainly very happy to receive it after remembering the cars in their new condition and then I bought it 20 or 21 years ago, what were you driving? At the time I had an FJ, I was about 18 driving around an FJ and was very envious of the local doctor and their new PM.

Do you wish you still had the FJ now? I could certainly imagine it through the FJ. with its 50's styling with the higher roof line, higher hood line, came the eh, it was lower to the ground, it had a sleeker look, it must have been an amazing transitional period back then for for a young man to see that, ah I can remember going when the ejs pulled out the premiere and went to the local Holden dealership and opened the door and smelled the leather and saw the carpet on the floor and wondered how cars can get more luxurious .

This is something out of the world after vinyl seats and rubber mats. from a fj, those are fantastic memories, rex, aren't they fantastic memories here? Yeah, so you can't really get those memories from a textbook in terms of your own memories, that's kind of profound, isn't it? Yeah, okay, now that you've had the car, how long have you had it? 21 years, well, 21 years in that time, what have you had to do with it? I had the original hydraulic transmission, many of them changed. I passed them on to Trimatix, but I definitely wanted to keep it original, so I rebuilt the Hydramatic about seven or eight years ago and had a complete engine rebuild with 128,000 original miles on it when I bought it and it was starting to get a little smoky. , so I had a complete engine rebuild about three years ago, so it was back to original specs.

Good for you, Rex, you're here with your wife, Denise, that's right, yeah, that's right, Fletch, yeah, this is nice, isn't it? Get out and enjoy this while we can, okay, I'll finish it there before it starts lashing with rain. Rex has been an absolute pleasure, Rex, okay, thanks Fletch, thanks a lot, man, what. a special part of this whole event ten selected cars are about to do a parade lap here at the turn one of these cars is Warren hello friend hello friend how are you? well, well, yourself, yeah, cool, fantastic, getting ready to go out, yeah, excited, yeah, it is.

Not so good, huh, that's fantastic, what's the feeling? Oh, I think there's a really good feeling of camaraderie and a little bit of a sense of obligation, if you like, or responsibility, you know we're about to do something that not a lot of other people do. I have the opportunity to do so fantastic, we just got to turn 17, here the cars are parking, uh, the weather here, wow, it's been a fantastic day considering the weather has been pretty bad in and out of the chamois, they're out they're getting the cars ready uh I picked you here Warren with this four door car hk it's just an amazing looking car what's the story with this?

So I came across this car about 18 months ago. I've been looking for something to travel with my My family and I called a client of mine, I'm a builder and I happened to be sitting in his shed and the rest is history, we made a little deal and you know, the history of the car is quite interesting in En itself, it doesn't look like it's had a difficult life, no, I think it's only had four owners and maybe the fourth, it's an Albury car, so it's a fisherman's bed type car that was delivered by the Preston dealership Motors in Albury. and um, I think from what I understand, it had about a year of use and then it sat in a driveway for 26 years.

These are the fines, right? But how beautiful this car is. We have rear venetian blinds on all four wheels. covers a 186 it's an unmolested car it's grandpa's car you know we stuck the bowler hat on let's know a nice sunny night in Adelaide and we'll go down the esplanade for a cruise yes, fantastic, very good times in it, warren, I'll let you do it again mate, enjoy your parade lab fantastic thanks fletch a lovely original 1950's fx holden hi kim hi fletch how are you mate great thanks how does it feel to have something as original as this?

Yeah, it's between me and my brother, Gary, it's been quite beneficial mentally for both of us and it's been good for 30 years and I really enjoyed it today and it's good to see your little brother with you here today, he's my big brother, uh , yes, it was he who took her from Adelaide. He had the challenge while I stayed in the caravan park, but he survived and the car survived and we enjoyed the experience on the track, uh, in challenging conditions with a wet track, but it was good, it's been a great day. I love this car complete with its 1950 cheese-cutting tires in all their lushness, be it a waterfall grille, and a restoration done a while back.

Kim, yes, before we bought it, we think it's probably pre-1990. We bought it locally here, but we think it came from the west coast of South Australia and the aerial peninsula and it was already finished at that time and we just updated the mechanical, so we update oil leaks etc. to make it useful. It is not surprising when we hear stories from many decades ago, when these cars were not that old and the conditions here in regional Australia with corrugated roads and many dirt roads and cars like this had reached the top of Cape York and back, Yes, We think they are fragile, but they used to do this regularly and the reason we acquired this car was because our father used to have these cars when he started his taxi business and, yes, they certainly took some punishment from all sorts of people. drivers.

And they survived surprisingly well, Kim, it's been a pleasure chatting with you and, as I said before, it's good to see your brother here too, your younger brother, and it's great to see this example here leading the way in the parade. back, I mean, it doesn't get any cooler than that, yeah, no, we were, we were once asked to do this, I couldn't pass it up because it was a great family memory for all of us and I certainly appreciate it. you for showing interest and I have enjoyed your programs over the years and I hope to continue to enjoy them too thank you kim and I think it's also a big thank you to uh for general motors australia for having a big role in this for this weekend here and even marty here on the grounds here at the bend uh it's been a fantastic day and I'm glad you were a part of it yeah, it's been really good and uh I want to thank you all, it was really good, okay, thank you kim, thanks mitch, good to see you, you're welcome, thanks mate, cheers, well Holden may have ended in the last way, but this episode ended in the first way, the final tribute to Holden.

I hope you enjoyed it and that Bend Motorsport Park here in South Australia was the perfect venue no matter where you are watching the classic remainder until next week. Please travel and drive carefully. I'm Fletch and thank you very much for watching. You can like and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com slash classic

restos

e tv and watch catch up episodes at shannons.com.edu classic

restos

e is proudly brought to you by shannon's where you can sign up to be a member of the shannon's club. your local Holden certified service center pays the farm, the friendly Forbes egg and heron machine house, where you can buy online