6 replies to this topic

[ewe-one]

Hi folks, question for the rivet counters and so I can finally scratch that itch.  But first a disclaimer, I'm more of a series II (LC/LJ) torana guy and know little about series III toranas. 

 

My question is, did the LH have a XU1 option available during production? Or did the XU1 option turn into XV1 G-Pack?  Why I ask is, the "sumary of options" for a LH from 1970 has XU1 listed as a option.

 

Its seems earlier on the UPC XU1 option code for special vehicle equipment was used for more than just Leo's branding of the GTR XU-1 (LC/LJ) - of which of course he did derived it from - but doesn't look as if it was carried on. 

 

Sorry if this has been covered before.

 

Attached Files

•  LH options.jpg   121.59K   0 downloads

[yel327]

Look at the date, this will be part of LH forward planning. LH design would have been well underway by October 1970 but it was not uncommon for things to change leading up to tooling. They may well have intended to continue XU1 into LH back then but ADR27 killed XU1 as we know it off, that is why XU1 production ended in September 1973 as that was when ADR27 was to be introduced. If you dig deeper there may well be delays and procrastination in Torana too, HJ was supposed to be released in 1973 but they updated HQ instead. HQ itself was supposed to replace HT but was delayed.
XU2 was to be the performance LH, but they removed it from LH release and held it back a while, but removed the RPO code simply using the engine RPO code to describe the car (L34).
XV1 was just the LH equivalent of HQ XV2, where they took the lowest spec model, put in a bigger engine, 4spd, buckets, performance rear axle, sports instruments and special/limited colours & decals/stripes. Probably the only thing the SS got over the Gpack was the sports exhaust but that probably was only as there was no sports exhaust for an LH 3.3.
Note that XU4 is also listed, it was re-assigned into HJ late in 1975.
Note that Leo left GMH mid 1972, and didn’t come back until well after LH was released. He did HX Sandman when he came back and LX SS stripes.

[ewe-one]

The forward product program in 1967 had the LH being production starting in December 1971 with no LJ.  Prehaps delayed due to the local content program for the LH needing to be at 95%. 

 

I find it interesting that so much change happens leading up to production.  For example, in the submission document it has the same model number as LC/LJ and even had a GTR model, though all this was still in the early phase of development.

 

The XU1 option code doesn't seem to describe equipment, just that it is a special vehicle - which arguably could be for any Holden.  But it is possible to see that it covers final drive, suspension, fuel tank/line, and engine for the LH, much like that for the LC/LJ XU1 optioned GTR.  Copying the same formular?  

 

The option code XU1, I guess, could have continued if it wasn't for Leo's branding idea (which I'm little suprised he got away with being a GM UPC number) - but we'll never know.

[S pack]

The forward product program in 1967 had the LH being production starting in December 1971 with no LJ.  Prehaps delayed due to the local content program for the LH needing to be at 95%. 

 

I find it interesting that so much change happens leading up to production.  For example, in the submission document it has the same model number as LC/LJ and even had a GTR model, though all this was still in the early phase of development.

 

The XU1 option code doesn't seem to describe equipment, just that it is a special vehicle - which arguably could be for any Holden.  But it is possible to see that it covers final drive, suspension, fuel tank/line, and engine for the LH, much like that for the LC/LJ XU1 optioned GTR.  Copying the same formular?  

 

The option code XU1, I guess, could have continued if it wasn't for Leo's branding idea (which I'm little suprised he got away with being a GM UPC number) - but we'll never know.

That 1967 forward product program makes no mention of any 6cyl models in the proposed LH Torana. It does mention development of a new locally made 4 cyl engine based on the current 6 cyl engines (1900cc Starfire?)

I suspect the proposed LH would have been more like a HC Viva than the LH Torana as we know it.

[Shiney005]

The car was just a concept in 1970. At this early staged it was to have the same floorpans, crossmember, and suspension as LJ. No mention of the V8 models in the Product Planning Submission of that year.

But the diff option shows they were going to have a sports model.

 

 1970 a.png   177.13K   1 downloads

 

 1970 2.png   202.56K   1 downloads

[Shiney005]

LH Options Chart.

 

 LH Option Chart from parts book.png   975.7K   1 downloads

[yel327]

The car was just a concept in 1970. At this early staged it was to have the same floorpans, crossmember, and suspension as LJ. No mention of the V8 models in the Product Planning Submission of that year.
But the diff option shows they were going to have a sports model.

1970 a.png

1970 2.png

You can see at that stage the GTR still used an S engine, as in a 173/2850S. That was always planned for LJ GTR too but when the HQ GTS was cancelled so was the 202S so almost certainly economies of scale saw the S engines dead and they used the standard 202 in the LJ GTR instead.