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Dan's HT
Monaro
Purchased from
Rhodes Motor Company in May 1970, this car remains (to a large degree)
a
 one
owner car. Sent out by his parents to choose and buy a car for
them, my father wisely chose the GTS Monaro (as any sane 20 year old
would). At the time my grandfather despised the thought of a radio
in a car and thus ordered it without. As can be seen by the photo
to your right, the definitive bonnet stripes were also deleted.
During this
initial incarnation, the car spent many years doing the clichéd thing of
driving to church on Sundays and the supermarket on Mondays (and yes the
little old lady was the driver).
This somewhat sad
existence went on until 25 years later when this fine
piece of Australiana (the car, not the old lady) was passed onto myself
as an inheritance and placed in a garage for safe keeping until finances
allowed it's eventual resurrection.
Upon receipt of
the Monaro it's condition was better than many, yet still left a lot to
be desired. Thirty years of storage under a carport and driving
behind cataract affected eyes saw to some extensive rusting "in
the usual places" and less than smooth panels. This was also
compounded by my well intended stupidity of placing the car under a tarp
at my parents house for several months whilst I found a spot for it at
home.
Initially the car
was to remain stock. 186S, Opel 4 speed and 3.36 diff.
However, like many others before me the seductive purr of a V8 and the
feelings of neglect that are imposed upon one by the sight of a muscle
car with a 6 lured me into "upgrading" the drive train. Unlike
many of those similarly seduced though, my original drive train remains
under wraps in storage.
The hunt was on:
I can tell anyone
who is contemplating similar ventures, original parts like rocker
covers, timing covers and even 308 badges are like chicken lips. I
was fortunate enough to find an old red 308 at a wreckers (of all
places) that was in fantastic condition for an engine found at a
wreckers. It was subsequently pulled apart, cleaned up and had the
heads set up for gas/unleaded before being rebuilt and having the
aforementioned chicken lips added.
Next was the
gearbox and diff which were upgraded to an Aussie 4 speed (I can see you
cringing, but my repair manual has a lot to answer for and it's got to
be better than the Opel behind an 8) and a 3.08 diff.
Mounts, springs, radiator, tail shaft, exhaust manifolds and crossmember
later and the conversion was complete.
Then came
the body work. This was done courtesy of Steve Dolphin at Dolphin
Panels in Ocean Grove. The photos below should continue the story from
there in regards to the body.
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