More on the first Monaros
Discussion
I only have a couple of stories about the first Monaro, but here’s another good one.
Some time after the Bathurst 500 I drove a Ferrari GT B in the 1968 Surfers Paradise 6 hour sports car race. It was pretty exotic for the day, with inboard discs on the independent rear end, adjustable shocks, that brilliant V12, & 10” wide magnesium alloy wheels, shod with Dunlop Green spot racing tyres.
It was also disappointing, although getting over 150 MPH down the straight, its handling left a great deal to be desired.
Surfers had announced a 6 hour race for stock production touring cars to be run in a couple of months, under the same regulations as the Bathurst race. General Motors were considering entering the Holden Dealers Team from Bathurst, [remember GM did not officially support racing at this time] for this race.
So the day after the sports car race GM had me, & the driver who had won the Bathurst 500 in front of me in another Monaro test a 327 Monaro around the circuit. This test blew all my beliefs, & my fondest beliefs.
The Monaro was pretty much the standard Holden saloon, with a pretty coup styling, a stiffer floor pan, suspension mods & 6” wheels replacing the 4” on ordinary cars of the day. With its live rear axle, & Michelin XAS road tyres, it was far from the exotic Ferrari. At A$4600 it was somewhat cheaper than the A$55000 Ferrari too. It was also slower. With no streamlining it was getting only 120 down the Surfers straight against the 150+ of the Ferrari.
After just a couple of laps I was amazed when I got my first lap time signalled on the old pit signalling board. I was so amazed that I did not believe it, & thought it was a mistake. It was only when an almost identical time appeared the next time round that I started to believe it. The stock standard 1968 Monaro, on road tyres was 6 seconds quicker around Surfers than a 1967 GT B Ferrari. The Monaro was slower don’t forget, so it was the handling of the thing that made it quicker.
We tested until full dark, as the race was to be an afternoon, night race, & it was still just as good.
Some time after the Bathurst 500 I drove a Ferrari GT B in the 1968 Surfers Paradise 6 hour sports car race. It was pretty exotic for the day, with inboard discs on the independent rear end, adjustable shocks, that brilliant V12, & 10” wide magnesium alloy wheels, shod with Dunlop Green spot racing tyres.
It was also disappointing, although getting over 150 MPH down the straight, its handling left a great deal to be desired.
Surfers had announced a 6 hour race for stock production touring cars to be run in a couple of months, under the same regulations as the Bathurst race. General Motors were considering entering the Holden Dealers Team from Bathurst, [remember GM did not officially support racing at this time] for this race.
So the day after the sports car race GM had me, & the driver who had won the Bathurst 500 in front of me in another Monaro test a 327 Monaro around the circuit. This test blew all my beliefs, & my fondest beliefs.
The Monaro was pretty much the standard Holden saloon, with a pretty coup styling, a stiffer floor pan, suspension mods & 6” wheels replacing the 4” on ordinary cars of the day. With its live rear axle, & Michelin XAS road tyres, it was far from the exotic Ferrari. At A$4600 it was somewhat cheaper than the A$55000 Ferrari too. It was also slower. With no streamlining it was getting only 120 down the Surfers straight against the 150+ of the Ferrari.
After just a couple of laps I was amazed when I got my first lap time signalled on the old pit signalling board. I was so amazed that I did not believe it, & thought it was a mistake. It was only when an almost identical time appeared the next time round that I started to believe it. The stock standard 1968 Monaro, on road tyres was 6 seconds quicker around Surfers than a 1967 GT B Ferrari. The Monaro was slower don’t forget, so it was the handling of the thing that made it quicker.
We tested until full dark, as the race was to be an afternoon, night race, & it was still just as good.
Only because they need to nave a smiley waving an Aussie flag.People look at me as if I'm stupid, then I tell them that a VE Clubby (Our VXR8) is as quick at circuits like Spa and Brands Hatch as a Porsche.GT3 (and at Spa the driver was much more experienced than me).
There again, I used to have a CRX race car, and once stuffed it down the inside of a Diablo as he wouldn't move over for me on a track day. In that instance I think it was a case of the driver realising that one of his headlightswas worth more than my whole car so he backed out.
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