GOODWOOD -Peter Brock 1953 Holden

johnny yuma · 5 Jul 2006, 01:42 (Ref:1648528)

Peter Brock and a team have built and tested a 1953 Holden sedan to run at the Goodwood Revival,2006.Being a 2.4 litre 6 of 1000kg weight I would expect a good edge over most of the early 50s competitors.

jamesholland · 5 Jul 2006, 14:16 (Ref:1648906)

Out of curiosity, how much does a normal 1953 Holden weigh?

zac510 · 5 Jul 2006, 14:47 (Ref:1648926)

Will be fun to watch.
I'm far from old enough to be able to remember these cars racing but they strike thoughts of success in endurance trials rather than circuit sprints.

johnny yuma · 6 Jul 2006, 01:53 (Ref:1649313)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesholland

Out of curiosity, how much does a normal 1953 Holden weigh?

The owners manual says 2230 lbs,near as dammit to
1000kg ,but Brock's would be a bit more due to rollcage and a Muncie 4 Speed in place of the 3 speed column shift.

The Goodwood regs are quite free,4 speed gearbox and disc brakes would not pass Australian Historic regs-you must keep type originally fitted.

The Holden Racing press release quotes 188bhp on the dyno-3 times the
60 bhp available on 6.5 to 1 compression in 1950 in low octane fuel days.
In their heyday in the late 50s-early 60s[before the Mk 2 Jags came out and beat them] the old holdens were pretty much it-some reached 130mph at Bathurst -210km/h. No match for the Jag at 230 km/h though.

jamesholland · 6 Jul 2006, 06:01 (Ref:1649376)

I appreciate your info.
It's a shame the regs are so unnecessarily lax - sounds like the Holden might be good enough to put up a good shown without the extra help

johnny yuma · 9 Jul 2006, 07:59 (Ref:1651165)

Quote:

Originally Posted by zac510

Will be fun to watch.
I'm far from old enough to be able to remember these cars racing but they strike thoughts of success in endurance trials rather than circuit sprints.

As much as I like the FX-FJ Holdens,250,000 of which were made between 1948 and 1956,they never dominated rallies and trials the way they did circuit races.
In standard form they were a bit ungainly with high ground clearance and long travel suspension,which was excellent for non-competition dirt roads,but in an intense rally environment Peugeot 203s and VW 1200s,with major factory backing won.Not to forget our "Gelignite Jack" Murray who beat everything in a 1948 Ford V8 in the 1953 Big One.
Nothing could touch the Holdens once they were lowered,hard sprung and had easy engine mods done.

zac510 · 9 Jul 2006, 16:12 (Ref:1651376)

Found this on another forum:
http://www.holdenmotorsport.com/html...p_id=-1&dsa=79

Looking forward to seeing him at the Revival now!

zefarelly · 10 Jul 2006, 07:08 (Ref:1651926)

should be good . . . the revival regs don't exist! so it should be quick, and no doubt they have someone with local knowledge advisig how to prep the car for the circuit.

FastDB2s · 10 Jul 2006, 20:22 (Ref:1652812)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny yuma

The Goodwood regs are quite free,4 speed gearbox and disc brakes would not pass Australian Historic regs-you must keep type originally fitted.

If this is true it is because of Peter Brock & Holden not the Goodwood Regs, if we get an enty for a DB2 for the revival it has to be on drum brakes, 4 speed gearbox, etc. as the cars ran in International competition in the Fifties.
A bit worrying as we have just come back from Le Mans Classic with the DB2 and eventually (after many problems with brakes locking into corners, sticking throttle, etc ) saw 6.5rpm (shift light) + several seconds (we think nearly 7k = 153 mph).
Oliver Leyba has had to take his discs off and fit drums when he goes there.

FastDB2s · 10 Jul 2006, 20:24 (Ref:1652816)

sorry, did not qoute first paragraph bur from Johnny Yuma on 6th

johnh875 · 11 Jul 2006, 12:31 (Ref:1653409)

I just saw a story on the tv from the debut of the car at Calder, it certainly sounds like it pulls a few revs on the banking, with a straight-out exhaust exiting under the passenger side of the car. It sits pretty high on the suspension though, something Brock commented on. They said the last time a 48/215 Holden competed overseas was in the 1953 Monte Carlo Rally (Lex Davison & Stan Jones drove from memory)

**John Turner** · 11 Jul 2006, 14:56 (Ref:1653539)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FastDB2s

A bit worrying as we have just come back from Le Mans Classic with the DB2 and eventually (after many problems with brakes locking into corners, sticking throttle, etc ) saw 6.5rpm (shift light) + several seconds (we think nearly 7k = 153 mph).

That is quick for a DB2 and stopping quickly from that sort of speed with drums would be interesting, and what about fade? Wouldn't be hitting that at Goodwood, of course, though!

David McKinney · 11 Jul 2006, 15:36 (Ref:1653593)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnh875

They said the last time a 48/215 Holden competed overseas was in the 1953 Monte Carlo Rally (Lex Davison & Stan Jones drove from memory)

Apart from a few racing in New Zealand of course

The Monte crew, from memory, was Jones, Davison and another famous personage - Tony Gaze?

275 GTB-4 · 12 Jul 2006, 09:32 (Ref:1654286)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny yuma

The owners manual says 2230 lbs,near as dammit to
1000kg ,but Brock's would be a bit more due to rollcage and a Muncie 4 Speed in place of the 3 speed column shift.

The Goodwood regs are quite free,4 speed gearbox and disc brakes would not pass Australian Historic regs-you must keep type originally fitted.

The Holden Racing press release quotes 188bhp on the dyno-3 times the
60 bhp available on 6.5 to 1 compression in 1950 in low octane fuel days.
In their heyday in the late 50s-early 60s[before the Mk 2 Jags came out and beat them] the old holdens were pretty much it-some reached 130mph at Bathurst -210km/h. No match for the Jag at 230 km/h though.

Me no understand.....the majority of 48/215, FX and FJ holdens would have raced with three speed column shifts and drum brakes.

Why not run as was Pete??

Those grey motors would spin all day with their sophisticated valve-bounce rev limiters

As for the handling, brilliant for such an ungainly looking machine...final oversteer guaranteed

johnny yuma · 19 Jul 2006, 03:01 (Ref:1659644)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

Me no understand.....the majority of 48/215, FX and FJ holdens would have raced with three speed column shifts and drum brakes.

Why not run as was Pete??

Those grey motors would spin all day with their sophisticated valve-bounce rev limiters

As for the handling, brilliant for such an ungainly looking machine...final oversteer guaranteed

Go into the Goodwood Revival Site and it is quite plain within the regs disc brakes and 4 speed are legal-so when in England,do as the Englanders do.Unfortunately these mods mean the car can't run Group n in Australia-but you could Speed on Tweed,Targa it as historical or whatever.

A mate currently running an FJ NSW Group N USES 7200 RPM.At Bathurst
it did 210kmh,lapped in 3.03 with the 3 speed and drums.That's faster than the 327 Monaro of 1968 Bathurst win-no caltex chase then either.

Yes they do have terminal oversteer[any car does at 11 tenths],especially as the regs limit FJs to 5 inch rims front and back.Beautiful example couple of years ago,he tried to take turn 1 at Eastern Ck without backing off---unsuccessfully,but no damage,just a spin.

zac510 · 19 Jul 2006, 08:23 (Ref:1659774)

They can always switch the gear back to column shift/drum brake when the car returns to Oz.
Or maybe they hope to sell it here?

johnny yuma · 19 Jul 2006, 23:46 (Ref:1660386)

Quote:

Originally Posted by David McKinney

Apart from a few racing in New Zealand of course

The Monte crew, from memory, was Jones, Davison and another famous personage - Tony Gaze?

yes Tony Gaze,ex WW2 Spitfire pilot amongst other things.He was at the recent Winton all-Historic meeting in Victoria,Australia.Driving in the Monte Carlo was probably a doddle for him !

coln72 · 20 Jul 2006, 00:44 (Ref:1660421)

Some of the FX/FJ's that competed were extremely modified. Mods included 4 speed boxes from MG's or Jags, twin cam heads & streamlining. This is not a very good photo but it can give you an idea of what was competing.

johnny yuma · 20 Jul 2006, 01:25 (Ref:1660431)

Looks like Leo Geoghegan's FJ in second place,it had fiberglass fairing on the front until the regs were tigtened up not long after this 1961 photo was taken and the 4 speed boxes,twincam and crossflow heads,disc brakes etc had to go-then the 3.4 Jags began to dominate.
Interesting photo-can't name any other drivers-the last may be John French.
Note those full grandstands-it was using Warwick Farm's horseracing infrastructure with 2 "CROSSINGS" of the horsetrack.Tasman Series saw Graham Hill,Jim Clark etc race here.

johnh875 · 23 Jul 2006, 07:50 (Ref:1662557)

As a heads-up there is an article on the car in the current Street Machine magazine, it makes a change from their usual fare

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