1979 Holden Commodore VB

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seggle02
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Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 1:36 pm

1979 Holden Commodore VB

#1 Post by seggle02 » Sun Sep 27, 2015 1:51 pm

Hello all from Australia :)

Here is my first classic. Its a 1979 'VB' Holden Commodore. It's based on an Opel Rekord body with an Opel Senator nose. It was General Motor Holden's answer to the 70s fuel crisis. The VB Commodore was sold from 13 November 1978 to 31 March 1980, 95906 being built. Mine was built at the Sydney Pagewood plant in Sept. '79. The plant closed in 1980.

It has a 6cyl 3.3L motor producing only 95hp, with an auto transmission. It was first delivered on 9 Nov. 1979, and stayed with its first owner for nearly 30 years. It still wears its original registration number or KLB 321. It won a car of the day trophy at the NSW All Holden Day in 2013. A story was done about it in the local paper when it was announced that Holden would be ceasing all production in Australia.

I Bought the car in 2009 and refurbished it when I was between careers. Took about 9 months to do most of it. When its on show, part of the display is a boot exhibit of memorabilia from the period.

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rich.
Posts: 6804
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:18 pm

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#2 Post by rich. » Sun Sep 27, 2015 4:23 pm

interesting reading material, can we have more detail ;) :lol:
nice car btw :D

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JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#3 Post by JPB » Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:11 pm

:shock: Oof! Nice old motor there. :thumbs: That must be the Australian version of the Vauxhall Viceroy? We had those here and they used the front of the earliest (Vauxhall) Senator with Vauxhall Carlton panels from the bulkhead backover. Like this:

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Welcome to the forum, by the way. :)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

alabbasi
Posts: 247
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:54 pm

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#4 Post by alabbasi » Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:10 am

Did you say 3.3 liter with 95hp? The Australians must have used the same engines as the Americans.

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JPB
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Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#5 Post by JPB » Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:38 am

I'd sooner have a 3.3 litre IL6 with only 95bhp than the Ford Focus' engine which is a 1 litre IL3 with an alleged 100+bhp and a KERS-style overboost facility, mainly because a good IL6 makes such a sweet noise but also because it'll last for around 200,000 miles between overhauls and won't hold up traffic when it's travelling up hills. I'm a sucker for a lazy, long lived engine.
Says the bloke whose 1990 Japanese daily driving hatchback has a (97bhp in single carb, 16 valve form like mine) 1587cc IL4 that can be had with up to 170bhp from the factory in its 20 valve variety..

The UK Viceroy's engine was available with 114bhp 2.5S carburettor & fuel injected 130bhp 2.5E versions. Imagine how many horses the Luton engineers would have found in a 3.3 litre version of that!
8-)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

seggle02
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 1:36 pm

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#6 Post by seggle02 » Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:32 am

The 3.3 litre motor was based on the 2.9 litre 'red' motor that debuted in the 1963 EH Holden. Its a single ohv engine, that apparently was based on a 1930s/40s GM design.

In the late 60s development stagnated as GH-H thought the market would switch over to V8s. The 1970s fuel crisis ended that idea! In 1976 cars in Australia got smog equipment. Before that it was pushing out about 120bhp. For the VB they initially wanted to have a new fancy fuel efficient motor but.....there was no money. The car already cost A$110 million that GM-H didn't really have! So, it was stuck with the red motor, it was developed into the blue motor for 1980-1984, it put out about 120bhp then, final incarnation was from 1984-1986 when it had EFI and 140bhp. On this platform in 1986 they went with the RB30 Nissan 3 litre six, it put out about 150-160 bhp, until 1988. This even had a 200bhp turbo model that was very popular with enthusiasts. 1988 saw the next platform for the Commodore and a 3.8L Buick V6.

That being said, engine is a doddle to work on and requires hardly any manintenance apart from oil changes, and in Australia parts are readily available and mechanical expertise on this motor is very widespread. Car has no power steering or air conditioning, so it really is quite a basic vehicle.

It is interesting to compare this car to the '81 Volvo 244 that I am just finishing the restoration of (and I'll also start a thread on). Volvo is a far more complex car to work on. Has fuel injection and a timing belt for starters. All the trim, bodywork, electrics, all far more complex. Overdrive, a/c and power steering as well.

vulgalour
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Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#7 Post by vulgalour » Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:41 pm

Look at the wing aerial detail! That's a gorgeous little touch.

kstrutt1
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Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:55 pm
Location: essex

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#8 Post by kstrutt1 » Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:17 am

The drip tray uder the fuel filler is an Idea have not seen before as well, avoids all those steaks down the side of the car.

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JPB
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Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#9 Post by JPB » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:25 am

And on that meat catching fuel filler: Why on earth would a RHD car - sold only in a country that drives on the correct side of the road - have the filler on the wrong side? :? Did some comedian in the production engineering team at Luton send the Australian factory mirror images of the body methods slides to see whither they'd notice before the presses were cast?
;)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

tractorman
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Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:22 am
Location: Wigton, Cumbria

Re: 1979 Holden Commodore VB

#10 Post by tractorman » Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:41 pm

But they used Opel "moulds" rather than "Vauxhall" ones.

OTOH, I seem to remember that both Mother's Metros had the fuel filer on the offside rear - and, in spite of the Germans owning the firm for a while Austin and Austin Rover were British!

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