HO, HO, HO

[Fulvio]

(I know he now wishes he'd kept it!!!)

My ex collided with a Phase 4 GTHO that had just been restored. She flipped the van, split her skull open, and had the kids bouncing around like pinballs.

He speared a telephone pole and wrote the car off.

The cop who brought me the news about it had tears in his eyes when describing the car.

250 249 in existence, IIRC, and worth close to a million now, or so I heard.
BTW, unrelated, but check this out:

https://www.facebook.com/fulviohatesfb/posts/10154847228289449

*CRY*

[JeffH]

Torana XU1 Bathurst model was similar. Tank was basically two bottoms welded together -standard tank was a dished bottom with a flat top. The extra bottom/top was in the boot making it completely useless for anything other than an overnight bag.
Idea was to reduce number of fuel stops required for the big race. I think Chrysler did something similar with the race chargers.

[Unicorn]

Yes, the R/T's had a 35 gallon option. (Took up all the boot). ....... we won't mention that they (265 6cyl) could beat a GTHO PIII (351 8cyl)over the quarter mile ..... oops did it. :laugh2: But they couldn't corner so were beaten at Bathurst by the HO's and XU1s.

On the HO pricing, I think this was the highest I'd seen, but there may have been one after that making a million dollars. I know there was one that was owned by a member of a big 1970's band member that was especially built/ordered. Darn memory I can't recall, but it may have been the black one I posted a pic of in another thread that's now in the car museum.

This is from the SMH.



There's are whole heap on Mike Selby's site to drool over if you're inclined. (Mike's a top chap if you have some muscle/classic you want to sell, or buy for that matter).

https://www.australianmusclecarsales.com.au/muscle/sold.76754.50.html
Footnote: Do you think we've "carjacked" this thread? :mocking:

[JeffH]

we won't mention that they (265 6cyl) could beat a GTHO PIII (351 8cyl)over the quarter mile

And what would the 318 cubic inch V8 with four speed gearbox have done? Before the big scare campaign killed all of that nonsense. [And now, if you have a spare $50k or $60k you can buy a new car that outperforms any of those -and they go 'round corners too.]

Nevertheless I know which I would like to have to drive.
I did have a drive of a rally prepared XU1 once in a state forest (dirt roads) and the steering wheel was just for hanging on to -the right foot had a dual function; make it go fast and steer it around corners. Locked diff would have made it a bastard to drive on a sealed road.

[Unicorn]

That would have been a buzz Jeff! Have been in a couple of XU1's (as a passenger) and was appropriately terrified.

From memory Chrysler sent a VG ute to Italy under cover to get the 265 & the webers tuned prior to the release of the Charger.

Yes, the new cars are now rockets (although chipped to limit performance I think), but I still dearly love all the classics, regardless of the stable.

[Fulvio]

I did have a drive of a rally prepared XU1 once

I had one of these for a week back in 1976:



It was going into I think the Southern Cross rally the following week, and we had it on display at Chadstone promoting our CB radio club. So I got to drive it from Warrandyte to Chaddy every day, and drive it through the shopping centre to our stand (before the extensions that did away with the open-air section though).

Anyway, the car was ready to go, fully decked out in bright red and white race livery (Garry & Warren Smith, IIRC), with sparkly numbers even.

So one morning, coming down Blackburn Rd from Doncaster Rd, there's a long hill, followed by a slight rise and another downhill bit. And in the second dip was Cpnstable Dunstable and his trusty stopwatch (this was pre-radar and amphometers). He claimed I was doing 120km/h, and I told him he must be wrong, because I was only in third gear, and the car was still limited. Fortunately, it being a different era, we came to a compromise which still cost me a fair whack, but kept my licence intact. he did seem very impressed with the car, which he examined minutely, so that may have helped the situation.

I do recall it was loads of fun to drive outside of town. In traffic, not so much.

[Unicorn]

Super cool McDuck! :good:

[Fulvio]

I didn't think so at the time

[Unicorn]

:laugh2: .... Yes the fine part wasn't so good, but burning around in it would have been fun.

[humpybong]

We seem to have gone way off topic here....suggest starting a new topic to continue.

[Fulvio]

We seem to have gone way off topic here....suggest starting a new topic to continue.

Why? Geminis are kinda like small HO's.. from GMH. :dodgy: