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Australian Car Spotters Guide - 1964 |
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Also see: Bolwell Car Reviews |
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The Bolwell Mk V was produced in 1965, and combined
both the latest European developments with the Bolwell
brothers own individual ideas of what would make for a
superior sports car. Just as the manufacturing side of the new business was
becoming better organized and more professional, so too
were the expectations on the Mk V - the company determined
to make this model a more effective and communicative
road going sports car. The Bolwell brothers decided to use components from just
one source - Holden. |
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Also see: Chrysler Valiant Car Reviews and AP5 Valiant Specifications |
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In late 1962 Chrysler Australia began an expansion
programme aiming to increase production to 50,000
units per year by 1967. It was in 1963, with the
introduction of the AP5, that Chrysler Australia
began manufacturing Valiant’s rather than just
assembling them (the "AP" referring to
Australian Production). Entirely new sheet-metal with
new body panels were stamped at the new South Australian
Tonsley Park facility. Surprisingly the AP5 only shared 6 common body panels with its US cousin, the
left hand drive cowls being initially imported from
the US with wipers sweeping to the left.
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Also see: Ford Falcon XK to XC Car Reviews and XM Falcon Specifications |
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Around 1,500 modifications were made with the launch
of the XM. More chrome was added, heavier front end
suspension and a new Super Pursuit engine (6 cyl., 200
cubic inch) was added. Most importantly for Australian buyers, the Falcon XM was
promoted as a stronger more rugged iteration.
The Falcon's suspension, always a weak point on the earlier
models, now carried stronger ball joints and bigger axle shafts,
and even tougher engine mounts were fitted. |
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Also see: Holden 48/215 to HR Car Reviews and EH Holden Specifications |
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A far more substantial
facelift of the EJ than those that had been attempted
before, the "EH" featured a far more commanding
look with a revised roofline and clever
styling which, to most eyes, improved its
looks from every angle. And the improvements were not limited to
the exterior of the car. The biggest news
with the new model was in the introduction
of the new "Red" motor that used an
oversquare design with a seven bearing
crankshaft. These were the first Holden motors to
use hydraulic valve lifters, and they featured
the use of an external oil pump and oil
filter that made servicing a dream. So popular was the "Red" motor that it
remained in service until 1985, during
which time it had been continually improved
and was now a 3.3 liter with fuel
injection, 12 port head and counterbalanced
crank.
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Also see: Lightburn Car Reviews |
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The Zeta was far from attractive, and the fiberglass
shell prohibited the use of a tailgate despite the car
looking very much as though it in fact had one! The
familiar Villiers 324cc twin powered the front wheels. The advertising campaign ensured Harold Lightburn's message was
conveyed, when the Zeta was marketed as "Australia's
own second car". The Zeta was to employ a lightweight,
simple and cost effective design - something so simple
that a whitegoods manufacturer operating out of Camden
Park in suburban Adelaide would be able to manufacture. |
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Also see: Lightburn Car Reviews |
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Despite failing to capture the imagination of the Australian
public with the Zeta Station Sedan, Harold Lightburn pushed
ahead with plans to release the Zeta sports car. It was back in 1959 that Lightburn had obtained the rights
to the Frisky Sprint- a low, sleek 'Michelotti' designed
sports car similar to the Goggomobil Dart. The Frisky
Sprint's designer, Gordon Bedson, was persuaded to leave
Frisky and join Lightburn with a brief to develop the
Zeta Sports. He bought with him the prototype Frisky Sprint as well
as a supply of fifty motors by Fichtel & Sachs, the 493cc
engine from the legendary FMR "Tiger". The Frisky Sprint
did have doors- shallow bottom-hinged ones, but they
were deleted in the interests of strength. The windshield was changed, the tail restyled, and the
final drive altered. The car failed to meet New South
Wales lighting regulations, so some were fitted with additional
free-standing headlamps on the hood. It seems most Zeta Sports were built in 1961, but the
car was not introduced until the summer of 1964 for some
reason. While Lightburn had a network of Alfa Romeo dealerships
at the ready, they were under whelmed by orders, and only
some 28 were sold. |
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