Friday 17th December 2010

SOTW: Holden Kingswood Station Wagon

A hop to the other side of the world for a deeply left-field Shed

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With poor old Blighty caught in the vice-like grip of winter, it's only understandable that Shed would head south, searching for warmer climes. Thus we find ourselves Down Under (metaphorically, at least) for Shed of the Week, to consider the delights of a Holden Kingswood HQ Station Wagon.

We say metaphorically, because this Aussie refugee is actually resident in less-than-Antipodean West Sussex. But it is well and truly, one hundred per cent Australian.

The HQ-series Holdens started life in 1971 and were apparently the first ground-up Holden design since 1948. Unfortunately, Holden's then-MD, George Roberts, wanted the car to handle 'like a Cadillac'. Being the early 1970s, this meant suspension made of blancmange and a car for which the adjective 'wallowy' was just too weak a word.

The press gave the car a predictable shoeing, but the buying public loved it, with 485,650 examples built overall, making it the most popular Holden ever.

The Kingswood Station Wagon isn't without its plus points, either. In the case of this particular car that comes in the form of 5.0-litres of Chevrolet V8 and a perfectly reasonable 240bhp (in original trim - this one's been massaged with a couple of bits and bobs but may also have lost a few horses over the years.

It's also massive, so you'll be able to fit in simply loads of cans of Foster's or barbecues...

This particular car also has the later HZ nose, a set of Penta Star mag wheels (not shown in the pics) and, being an early 1973 car, exempts you from road tax. Heck, it's even got a few months of MOT left.

But there is a catch for your £900-worth of Australiana and that's - by the seller's admission - copious amounts of rust. Fortunately, the underside has been protected from the iron oxide, but the roof and doors are pretty rotten. The seller does say he'll chuck in a spare door for free, but that's in Oz, so you'd have to ship it to the UK - which might be a bit of a bind.

Curiously, the seller says that he would hate to see the car end its days on the track - as though it's remotely likely that someone's going to turn this wallowmobile into a track toy.

It might not be the ideal circuit car, but there's a certain appeal to this big ol' Aussie brute of a car - even if it does have 'money pit' writ large across every rust-eaten panel...

Advert is reproduced below

Holden Kingswood Station Wagon V8 1972 T & T (1973)
£900

Sadly for sale due to a lack of time and an abundance of rust is my early HQ wagon, mechanically its great last big run it did was 180 miles upto Chesterfield from Gatwick no problem right up till the thermostat stuck, (now removed it temporarily).

However its been (repeatedly) pointed out that I have more projects than spare time and i'm supposed to be selling my stuff not buying more to take to NZ so its got to go.

It stands me at at least £900 with a set of Penta Star Mags and a chevy HEI dizzy, its taxed (exempt anyway) till next year and MOT'd till next March, obviously its RHD and cool as, but its also pretty rotten all around the roof, 3 doors are repairable and so it the tailgate but the drivers door is the worst of the lot.
The underside has been kept well undersealed since it came into the country so its pretty solid - it passed the last MOT first time!

As I said it is a very early HQ hence its tax exempt but has been fitted with a HZ premier front and GTS guards, for those in the know it also has a full instrumentation dash which I beleive could be GTS as well

Its running a 308 (5 litre) V8 on LPG with floor change auto. Edelbrook inlet manifold with a Holley Carb and IMPCO lpg set up. It runs great on LPG but the carb needs jets cleaning out to run well on petrol - idles fine and revs out ok but theres not much on very light throttle - it is driveable on petrol once you are aware of this. Its also had a cam but I think its either standard or pretty mild, also got a history file going back 10+ years to Aus.

Selling is not really a decision I wanted to make but thats the way things go, its the only vehicle for years to put a grin on my face everytime i've driven it.

Photos - Its had the wheels fitted since these were taken and I started to have a poke at the rust.

I have a better passenger door in Aus that the buyer can have for free BUT they will have to get it over here.

As i've said I really don't want any part-ex's as i'm going to NZ next year - the only thing I would have leave my possesions behind to make container space for is an affordable Valiant Charger, a SL/R5000 Torana, or any of the Falcon coupes....... ;)

I really would hate to see this end its days on the track,
Ring me on 07845 340781 or PM me for more details.

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[Captain Flashman]

bahahahaha!!!!! i looked for one of those for 6 months after i just got my licence! all of the ones i looked at were rusted through and had issue. still cool as tho

[sjmoore]

I think the reference to "Track" in the advert is most likely a reference to a demolition derby as that is all this is good for...

[Tyre Smoke]

A real shed!

Love it, surely a winter project for the handy of welder?

[randomwalk]

My mum had an HQ Premier Sedan when we were kids, it was fitted with the optional 308cid (5 Litre) V8 with trimatic auto column shift, (it had front bench seat). I remember it did wallow a bit alot of understeer especially with the heavy V8, the std engined 202cid 6 cyl handled a bit better but was rather lethargic. Ours was fitted with the "low profile" ER70 tyres ! The later models in the series , ie HZ had "radial tuned suspension" which made them much better handling.

In Australia they have had an HQ racing series for many years so I spose quite alot of HQs have enjoyed their final days running around the track.

[mrtwisty]

Now thats what I call thinking outside the box! Looks like a brilliant lemans/ring barge (if it would get you there) I can see the blackboard paint coming out of the garage...

[miniman]

Fabulous, so much car for £900. Assuming, of course, that it's not just paint and rust...

[DrRazzle]

Before anyone in the UK gets excited by down under metal, let me assure you that it is a piece of sh*t best destined for recycling.

[travo]

I had one of those when backpacking in oz for a year, bought it from a scrappy for 600 bucks, a year later sold it for $800, bits constantly fell off it, and it was always getting stuck in 1st gear, still would have brought it back home if i could though, loved the thing.....

[The Donster]

Are you taking the p*ss??

[Salom]

Quote "The HQ-series Holdens started life in 1971 and were apparently the first ground-up Holden design since 1948"

Yes I agree, it should be ground up!

(in to small pieces)

Edited by Salom on Friday 17th December 09:03

[tjlazer]

Riiiiiight. Fingers crossed Christmas shed puts us back on track ie something you'd actually consider rather than laugh at

[tjlazer]

Unless of course the whole point is to use it as a literal shed of course...

[Big E 118]

I grew up in NZ and my aunt had one of these with the 5 litre V8 and column shift. She had four kids and add me and my brother and the odd friend to that and she'd take seven/eight of us out in one car! My aunt and 3 kids on the front bench seat, 4 across the back and any extras in the boot! It was a vast car especially parked next to my parents mini cooper and BMW 2002.

[crofty1984]

In the words of Gorgeous George:
"Ooh you bd"

must....
not....
buy....
rusty....
heap....

[TimS2000]

sjmoore said:

I think the reference to "Track" in the advert is most likely a reference to a demolition derby

What he said

While it would a p.o.s to drive enthusiastically, it would probably be a great cruiser, and the fact it has a V8, and over here it is something quite different, I think it is rather cool and a great shed of the week

[happygoron]

Top shedding!

[lockup]

blah blah blah blah blah blah 5 litre V8 blah blah blah blah

That'll do it. Top shed.

[Dagnut]

Dirt Box.

[dbdb]

Its a lot more interesting than the standard BMW/Audi fare, but the rusty roof is a bit worrying! I think you'd struggle to make it into a daily driver and part of me would always mourn that I had stumbled across one of these rather than a P76!!

[Faust66]

Rusty, unreliable (probably), impossible to find parts for, overpriced, more trouble than it's worth and pig ugly.

The perfect car!

I want it.