12th October 2002. At 187,000kms the Cam-chain cover oil seal failed. This is located on the crankshaft just behind the harmonic balancer (the fan belt runs off the harmonic balancer). It seemed like a pretty straight forward fix as the oil seal was pushed in from the outside, there was no need to actually remove the cam-chain cover to reinstall the seal. The only problem with this task was that the bolt on the harmonic balancer is torqued at 320nm !!! Together with the fact that the crankshaft which the harmonic balancer sits on cannot be locked into poistion (placing it in gear with the handbrake on doesnt work way too much drive train flex) to assist in removing this bolt with my tools available. This meant that I HAD to get a machanic with a racket-gun to do the job for me ($100 labour, oil seal supplied).

VN-VS Commodore

Despite its harsh six-cylinder engine, poor paintwork and cheap-looking interior, the VN Commodore is a good, economical all-rounder.

GOOD: Powerful but economical, durable, spacious, good all-rounder, insurance: low

BAD: Coarse, nasty instrumentation and trim, poor paintwork, uneasy high-speed handling.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
3.8-litre V6 engine is harsh but durable, uses surprisingly little fuel.
Real suspension top arm bushes wear out easily
Paint lacks lustre, especially the light metallic colours.
Front end can suffer assorted woes. Uneven tyre wear can indicate bad alignment. Check for worn shocks, worn steering rack and damage to strut towers.     The VN Commodore may have lacked subtlety but it more than made up for it in performance and reliability.

Holden's big new V6 Commodore was an instant success when it was launched in August 1988. Unlike previous Commodores, this VN model was almost as wide as its Falcon rivals meaning there was now room for three adult passengers in the rear. Ford's EA Falcon had been on sale for just six months but had already developed an appalling reputation, and the VN raced pa st it to seize market leadership.

The lusty, if coarse-sounding, 3.8-litre V6 engine provided a level of performance unknown in previous six-cylinder Holde n sedans and there was a choice of five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed automatic transmission.

So strong was the initial acceleration that some unwary customers got themselves into trouble, particularly taking off on a wet road. Rarely do you hear of a car company moving to tame initial acceleration, but Holden did just that when the VN was superseded by the facelifted VP in October 1990.

Although the VN Commodore proved to be more reliable than the ill-starred EA Falcon, it wasn't trouble-free. Most problems were sorted out during the warranty period but a few occurred later. Premature front tyre wear was common. The only adjustment in the front suspension was a three-stage top mount, and if one tyre was wearing, you had to adjust the other side by the same amount to keep the car running straight, and then the other tyre would also wear out quickly. There are now adjustable suspension kits available which allow a proper wheel alignment to be carried out and solve the problem for about $330 (fitted).

Another rather curious suspension fault was in the rear, largely as a consequence of the jack-rabbit acceleration. The top arm bushes tended to wear out quickly. Universal joints and the centre tailshaft bearing can be other casualties of frequent use of the impressive acceleration. At about 60,000 km, the link rubbers on the front stabiliser bar are likely to chop out, resulting in metal-to-metal contact, but the cost of repairs should be no more than $60.

The low-quality standard front shock absorbers were usually past their best by 50,000 km and replacing them with a set of superior after-market items can be a cost-effective exercise which also results in better handling and stability. Hard use on rough roads can occasionally result in damage to the strut towers which will be easy for an expert to spot on opening the bonnet.

All VNs have power steering and four-wheel disc brakes. The power steering doesn't give many problems although when new it had an irritating vibration at parking speeds. Coils can give trouble as early as 50,000 km and there have been instances of water pump failure. Welch plugs can give up, too. At around the 130,000 km mark, a changeover steering rack may be indicated. Oil leaks from the engine are not uncommon and the rear main seal in the automatic transmission can also leak, but both the engine and transmission are very durable (ditto the five-speed manual gearbox). Instances of cooling system leaks occurred quite early in the life of some VNs. A few high-mileage cars (well over 200,000 km) h ave had differential problems but this is unlikely to cost more than $1,400.

Generally, the VN has proved to be robust in service and comparatively cheap to run. Fuel economy is outstanding for such a large and powerful vehicle.

There are some especially irritating aspects, especially the kiddy-car instrumentation, appalling paint quality, cheap looking trim in the Executive and the harshness of the engine. But generally, the Big New V6 Commodore just got on with business.

The VN was launched at a time when the Australian car industry was beginning to place greater emphasis on quality control . Throughout its three-year model life, quality improved markedly and a number of intelligent running changes were mad e to the car.

What this all means is that a 1991 VN will be a better buy than its 1988 or 1989 equivalent and well worth the extra money. Cheap repairability is one of the great advantages of the VN Commodore, even though the old theory about being able to buy spares in the local milk bar no longer applies.

Why I like the Datsun Z:

Poor mans E-type? Maybe not. In a world where some sports cars cost more than the sum of their parts, its nice to have cars like the Datsun Z where the cost is less than the great pleasure that can be derived from diving them. Rear wheel drive, layout of many classic front engine sports cars, with great handling & good power/weight ratio, & itis a fun car to drive. Sure they are long in the tooth now-a-days but early Zs in good nick still retain some of that raw spirited feel of sports cars of the late 60s & early 70s. Later Zs tend to be a little more softcore with all those luxury appointments that they have been loaded up with, but for mine dollar for dollar the first lot of Datsun Zs are a pretty fun scoot.

The Fourth Generation Z Cars 1990 through 1996: This model brought the Z Car fully into the "high tech" arena of the 1990's Sports/GT car scene. Again it was powered by the V6 however this time around it got a twin turbo option. The maintaince costs of this model are in keeping with it's up scale market targets, so if your looking at buying one on the used car market, make sure you can afford to fix or repair when needed.

XU1-Torana.

The first XU-1 Torana was officially announced in August l970. To say the news shook the motoring world is an understatement, Suddenly all those 327 and 350 small block Monaro's looked like half-hearted exercises. They had far more incommon with V8 Premiers than these extra special Toranas had with any of their little brothers and sisters.

"Fitted with a three carburettor 186 ci engine, the XU-l is in fact a higher performance version of the successful GTR sports sedan. "The XU-l has been developed to meet strong demand for such a vehicle from motoring enthusiasts. "An initial batch of 700 cars will be built to meet immediate demand, to be followed by further production .I f subsequent demand re-warrants. The increased engine capacity of the XU-1 has resulted in numerous engineering refinements designed to improve overall handling and performance. "Front and rear suspension modifications, larger disc brakes with an increased capacity booster, front and rear spoilers and a greater radiator cooling capacity are the major items. " The XU-l is fitted with a l7 gallon fuel tank to increase the car's touring range. Principal external distinguishing features are the rear spoiler, GTR XU-1 decals, and exclusive bold colour range."

Nowhere is mention made of Mount Panorama. Nor does it say that many of the " motoring enthusiasts " would actually be wanting to race their XU-1s. While the XU-l was blatantly a limited edition purpose-built series production race car, GMH was not about to admit that this was the case. That was the way things were in 1970.

In 1993 if a car gets a new paint job or some tiny suspension mod, the manufacturer is likely to make a great capital out of this in the press release. Every aspect of the XU-1s design cried " Bathurst ", from the l7 gallon tank to the design of the front spoiler which not only aided stability but also channelled air onto the front discs for improved heat dissipation. The standard rear end was a slippery running 3.36 gears-ideal for the long pull up Panorama. A more relaxed 3.08 diff' was optional. In l970 GMH still didn't have its own four speed gear box so the original XU-l had to make do with the Opel box, which was prone to failure when used long and hard. If there was a weakness in the LC XU-l's racing armoury, this was it. But in practice the gearbox proved more durable than critics had expected. Ratios were 3.43 for first, 2.16 for second and third was tall at l.37. At the 640O rpm red line, the little rocket reached 36 mph in first, 58 in second and a marvellous 93 in third. With 20.4 mph coming for every grand's worth of revs in top , at it's maximum of an even l25 mph, the Xu-I was still 400 rpm shy of the red zone. Zenith supplied the triple 1.5 inch sidedraught carbs. Maximum power (gross) was l60 bhp at 5200 rpm, while torque peaked at l90 Ib/ft at 3600. But there was still heaps of scope for development. Harry Firth masterminded some mods for the LC XU-1 in time for the 1971 Hardle-Ferodo. These included a heavier duty clutch and thicker front brake discs, A reworked head, new pistons and trickier bump stick enabled the motor to produce an extra 20 horsepower at a sky-high (for a Holden six-pack) 6000 revs. Only five months after the introduction of the 1971 LC XU-1 Bathurst special, came the LJ model. Naturally it was changed in styling and interior details to match the other LJ Torana. Its exterior was cleaner, crisper and less " boy racer " than the LC's. The interior was also neater and you could even order hound's tooth check cloth trim. However the big news was all of a mechanical nature, In place of the 186, the LJ acquired the HQ's 202. But this application was some what more serious than in the family Kingswood. The compression ratio was 10.3 to one, which was 0.3 higher than the'71 Bathurst LC version. Triple 1.75 Strombergs were used instead of Zeniths. Straight out of the box, this model developed 190 horse- power at 5600 rpm and peak torque was 200 Ib/ft at 4000. There were head lines in the transmission department, too. Gone was the questionable imported Opel box. GMH had developed its own all Australian four speed gear box, known as the M-22. The additional power and torque of the 202 permitted taller gearing for the indirect ratios. First was 2.59 for a maximum of 46 mph at 6200 (down from the 186's 6400 red- line). Second was 1.83 for 61. Third was a nice long l.25 for an exhilarating 98mph, with the ton easily possible. Like the standard GTR, the XU-I came with a slippery diff' running 3.36 gears. Or you could order 3.08 gears. Outright acceleration was only fractionally better than the 186 engined car, but the work was easier.

In fact, the stock LJ couldn't equal the'71 Bathurst spec edition which could run a 15.6 quarter. But an ET of l6.l was still pretty formidable for a small road car. Thinking of the XU-l in this way as a road car rather than a purpose-built racer, it was a much nicer thing than its predecessor. Re-designed seats combined with lowered spring rates to provide something approaching ride comfort. The fact that the new spring rates did not adversely affect handling suggests that the engineers had made the LC too firm, OK for a nice smooth circuit. but awful for road use. In the early 70s many competitors still drove their series production racers to the track. The LJ XU-1 could tackle the trip from, say, Melbourne to Bathurst in relative comfort. It was more civilised, less rough around the edges, but just as fierce in performance handling and braking. It was a billy cart you could live with !

During 1972 Harry Firth worked with GMH engineers on the V8 Torana project. Contrary to popular opinion this car was NEVER going to be called XU-2. Its name was Always XU-1 V8, with the XU-2 tag reserved for the forthcoming LH version. XU-2 had been assigned to the Bedford truck division. Mean while the XU-1 V8 program floundered due to the media-Provoked super car scare. Although three V8-equipped XU-1s were built under Firth's guidance, production was still some way from being a reality when the shit hit the fan. Bathurst 1972, then, meant squeeze more magic out of the ever loved red six. The special limited production version used a wild " HX " camshaft, a light flywheel, aIloy wheels and a revised suspension. Once it was balanced and blueprinted, maximum power output was 212 horsepower. And, yes, Peter Brock did notch up his first Bathurst victory in just such a Torana. For l973, the XU-l received its last rework. GMH waved The magic wand over about l5O cars. Perry's developed a special tubular exhaust manifold. "Dyno Dave' of " Yella Terra " fame breathed once again on the cylinder head. Larger valves, Various beefed-up engine bits, heavy duty axles and improved brakes rounded out the picture for 1973 and the swansong of XU-l.

The GTR XU1 was a race-model used by the Australian based, Holden Cars. Harry Firth, Holden's team director, and a team of engineers tweaked the standard LJ Torana, resulting in a car that remains the most successfull touring and rally car to come out of Australia! This car, like every important sports car, was developed around touring and rallycross. The race program began in 1969 with Peter Brock as the primary driver. Three years later, the road-going version was offerred in 1972.

Three stromberg 150CD carbs combined with a race-cam, combustion chamber modifications, lighter flywheel and a larger exhaust maximized the potential for the Inline-6 engine.
Produced from 1972 until 1974, around 1600 examples of the road going GTS were made.

GT40 history:

In the early 1960s, the biggest kid in racing was Ferrari. Almost everybody knows that Ford tried unsuccessfully to buy Ferrari in early 1963. The more common story is that Enzo realised at the last minute that, though the official plan was for him to continue to manage its racing operations, he would lose overall control of his company.

FIA had introduced new rules for 1963, eliminating any displacement limit for prototypes. Ford lost little time choosing to use its own iron fist, the Fairlane V8. Ford retained the services of Yorkshireman Roy Lunn to design a mid-engined chassis around the V8 but soon realised that Eric Broadley, the man behind Lola and a proven talent, had already raced a mid-engine car powered by the 260. In June, a 1-year "liaison" was negotiated in which Lola essentially came under Ford control, and John Wyer, the Aston Martin team manager under whom Shelby had driven to victory at Le Mans in 1959, was enlisted.

Separately, a new company, Ford Advanced Vehicles, was formed as a subsidiary of the British Ford Company the early development of the car. Ford used wind-tunnel testing to design a low-drag body that suffered from high-speed lift. A rear spoiler was fitted to good effect. Development continued in 1963 and 1964, but it was not until 1965 that the car was ready to be raced in earnest. At the end of 1964, Broadley took back his company and went his own way John Wyer took over FAV, and though he always seemed to have one or two cars entered in any given race, his primary task was building the 50 cars required to homologate the GT4O.

For 1965, the primary responsibility for racing was transferred to Shelby-American. Shelby's first task was to improve the car and solve some basic problems that remained. In this he had the assistance of Ford's Autonutronic Division, a pool of aerospace-caliber engineering muscle crucial to achieving the rapid results that were seen. A basic change was the substitution of the proven Cobra-spec 289 for the aluminium Indianapolis engine used by prototypes. Though the iron production block was heavier, eliminating the alloy engine's dry sump system made the car 75 lb lighter overall.

Roy Lunn was moved to Detroit to run Kar Kraft, a Ford-owned skunkworks, in early 1965, where he was charged with developing an even bigger hammer: the MKII. In short, the task was to fortify the GT40 by installing the 427 c.i. big block that was tearing up NASCAR in the fronts of Galaxies. The engine was huge, weighing 600 lb (production versions had cast-iron intake manifolds and weighed 50 lb more). Detuned from stock-car duty by 100 bhp to ensure all-day durability, it delivered 1 bhp per cubic inch at 6200 rpm and mountains of torque. To shoehorn this monster into the lightweight GT40, a rear bulkhead was moved, and the nose of the car was revised once more to make room for an engine oil tank and a larger radiator. A heavy-duty transaxle was developed, a new light-alloy case built around the gear clusters from the four-speed used in Galaxies--presumably Borg Warner's heavy duty T-10, also used in Cobras. The MKII was ready just in time for Le Mans, where it set a lap record and a new fastest recorded to p speed--199 mph.

Unfortunately, no GT40s finished that year. Big-block cars had ill-prepared transmissions, and eight of the nine 289-powered cars in the race (GT40s and Cobras) suffered head gasket failures due to a faulty batch of head bolts sent to Shelby-American. The one Cobra-mounted 289 that finished had lubrication problems that prevented it from running hard.

After Le Mans, Kar Kraft made further improvements to the MKII to ready it for the 1966 season, but changed the primary focus of its efforts to the J-car. Holman and Moody were brought in from the stock-car world, proven racers with 427 experience. The next year brought the first American victory at Le Mans. Attrition ground away at the eight MKIIs entered, with the infamous 1-2-3 photo finish containing all the cars that remained at the end. In a unique judgment, the finishing order was afterwards rearranged by accounting for the distance between the cars on the starting grid.

By that time the J-car was known to be a failure, but Kar Kraft spent the next year turning it into the svelte and fast MKIV, which Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt drove to victory at Le Mans in 1967. They led 22 of 24 hours, covering 3249.6 miles at an average speed of 135.483 mph. Almost immediately, FIA announced a displacement limit of 3 liters for 1968, and Ford turned its attention back to North America.

At that point, Ford had beaten the world decisively backed it up, and been uninvited to the next year's party. As far as it was concerned, the story was over. In reality, it was just getting good. John Wyer joined forces with John Willment to form JW Automotive Engineering, taking over the FAV facilities in Slough, England. Wyer continued to build small-block GT40s, including seven MKIIIs. These were MKIs modified for road use with a longer nose and tail, fitted with GT350-spec 306-bhp 289s.

Wyer had always advocated developing the small-block car for racing, and believed that regulations, though once again opened to cars up to 5 liters, favored the 3-liter cars. He set about developing a 3-liter Mirage while continuing to race the existing GT40s.

The GT40s thus fielded were improved with better lubrication and brakes. Rear fenders were flared for wider tires, and the bodywork was made lighter and stronger with the use of carbon fiber. Five-liter engines (289s were 4736cc) were fitted with Gurney-Weslake heads, giving 400 bhp and better torque. With Le Mans gearing, the revised cars were capable of 205 mph. Unlike Ford, which had striven just for the prestige of the big races, Wyer pursued the entire championship series. In the 1968 Le Mans race, the Porsches broke and left GT40 #1075 to lead 18 hours, winning the Championship of Makes as well as completing a hat trick for Ford when it crossed the line.

Wyer abandoned experimental vehicles for the 1969 season. At Le Mans, Porsches dominated the race, but the two leading cars again fell out, leaving one 917 to do epic battle for the last hour with the same GT40 that had won the previous year. At 4 o'clock, the Ford was ahead by 100 yards.

The preceding story has placed the GT40 among the most famous of all racing cars, and also among the most valuable. That value justifies almost any expense to repair a damaged car, ensures an ongoing parts supply and even encourages some scams. The number of chassis is limited, but the GT4O family tree can be as involuted as any south of the Mason-Dixon line. When they were new, standard cars were modified experimentally, while prototypes and experiments were rebuilt as standard. To add to the confusion, official cars were dribbled out from old and newly made parts by John Wyer into the 1980s. Only a handful of damaged cars have ever been scrapped. GT40 parts are rarely discarded, and major components are often used as the basis for assembling parts into a new car under the old number. At least three numbers are known to be represented by two cars each, and it is rumored that one number may be claimed by a third chassis.

In the 1980s, Peter Thorpe purchased from John Wyer the right to assemble the last 50 chassis numbers and engineered a faithful but improved car, which is called a MKV and has the blessing of most of the original players. Original tooling was used as much as possible, but the basic chassis is light alloy instead of high-strength steel. Many kit (reproduction, component, etc.) cars are built to have the appearance of the GT4O, and many even go fast and handle decently. However, Peter Thorpe's cars are considered the only legitimate reproductions because of their trueness to the original design and the fact they carry chassis numbers originally registered for production.

The Ford GT40's racing heritage is comparable to those of the Porsche 917s and 962s. Because the evolution of racing technology is very fast, most racing cars become outdated even if only a year has passed As a racing car, the GT40 was a heavyweight, because it had a steel frame and roof. J.W. utilized aluminum and carbon fiber (typically used only by aerospace in those days) for certain body panels, but still the car was not on a severe diet. It is amazing that such a car could run at the top of its class for 5 years.