FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Ladies and Gents,

I am currently building a Holden grey motor project, and would like to set myself some targets. I am interested in collecting the fastest Holden grey motor performances known. Many performances are subject to speculation, and as the old t-shirt says “the older I get, the faster I was”. Interested in performances that can in some way be verified.

Listed below is what I know so far:
Land speed: Dennis Boundy #283 Norman-blown FJ sedan, Lake Gairdner Great White Dyno. XO/PRO class March 2006 @ 113.075mph and XO/BVGC class March 2009 @ 113.478. Records held by DLRA (https://www.dlra.org.au/index.htm).

Drag racing: Bob Hamilton “Captain Nitrous” FJ sedan, Willowbank Raceway January 1989, 12.98s Source: Street Machine Hotrod Ledgends January 2008 (http://www.thegreymotor.com/2015/11/captain-nitrous.html). Legend has it that this record has been eclipsed bu Mark Riek (see below) at 12.78s, though I need to verify.

Dynometer: Mark Riek, MUX53 turbo EFI FX utility, 204rwhp. Source: Street Machine July 2017 (https://www.whichcar.com.au/tv/dyno/turbo-grey-motor-powered-fx-holden-ute-on-the-dyno-video)

Your views on contenders for these titles (or additions for circuit, hillclimb or marine) appreciated.

Cheers,
Harv

A rather fast update. Have now seen the timeslip for Mark Riek’s run. Would propose:
Drag racing: Mark Riek MUX53 turbo EFI FX utility, Willowbank Raceway October 2017, 12.78s (source: timeslip).

Cheers,
Harv

Another one to add to the land speed category:

Bob Telford, #1160 “2015 Special” grey motored bellytank, Lake Gairdner Great White Dyno March 2018, XO/GL class @ 133.254mph.

Cheers,
Harv

A recent FaceBook posting got me thinking there may be a faster grey than Riekes. From this article (http://www.thegreymotor.com/2014/08/1210-second-grey-motor-crater-critter.html?m=1) it would appear that the Crater Critter was running 12.1 seconds with a grey motor. Sounds damn fast for the period, and is based on the owners memory. As a cross-check, the above article (and this one = http://www.thegreymotor.com/2015/03/crater-critter-supercharged-grey-motor.html?m=1) shows the car running in Car running in C Altered class. The articles infer a 12.10s pass at the 1968 Calder Nationals. This article (http://www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/melbourne-calder-park-drag-strip.html) shows April 1968 Calder C/A times at 12.12 (in the Corvette engine Shaker humpy), so the Crater Critter claim would appear to be reasonable.

Does anyone have any more documentation (old magazines perhaps) that describe the C/A class at the 1968 Nationals? Would love to validate if the Crater Critter 12.12s claim is correct.

Cheers,
Harv

Just pulled out the June '68 Hot Rod magazine which has a report on the Calder meet.
The report states "Making a debut appearance, and a pretty wild one at that, was the Corvette-milled Holden of Bruce Martin which, running C/A, stamped down the distance with impressive reliability to stop the clocks at 12.12 and collect class win. This new jigger is one of the wildest to hit the scene for some time and is going to be one of the real hard chargers."
I would think based on the description, that this record was set with a small block Chev (Corvette) on-board.
It may have competed with a grey at some point, but I don't think it was on-board when running 12s.
Regards
Alex

Well, the Crater Critter was campaigned by dairy farmers Bob Buchanan and Allan Gamble, so not Bruce Martin who is mentioned in the above article.
The article you posted a link to is from a Jan '69 Rod sports mag and in that it states that the critter ran in the 14's.
There is an uncaptioned photo in the '68 Hot Rod magazine which I suspect id the Martin altered Holden. Check out that cool driver position.
(https://s15.postimg.cc/3qfass6uf/calder-68.jpg) ($2)
Regards
Alex

Now that is back seat driving at it’s best!!

Thanks Alex.

From one of those links (May Calder meet), I think Martin's corvette-powered humpy was later named Shaker.

12.1 from a grey, even a meth-slurping blown one, seems odd to me (I could be wrong though). When I look at how much effort Rieke has put into his blown FX, with slower results, it doesn't add up. The only photos I have seen of the Crater Critter motor (with the Marshall huffer and triples) are on a red motor. I suspect the 12.1 story has been confused somehow over the last half century.

Cheers,
Harv

A rail with a grey ran 11.49. article herer:

http://www.thegreymotor.com/2015/02/super-sideplate-barry-goongs-1149.html

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0R_UZuxSU0/VNkcq9qiCDI/AAAAAAAAAh8/evZPSAcH3sQ/s1600/P_01.jpg)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WkaRSjdSnSk/VNkcgkG939I/AAAAAAAAAhs/c6W5cqi3z50/s1600/P_03.jpg)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndPwTDMfagc/VNkcmNmw-OI/AAAAAAAAAh0/i_XkNmRoI1Q/s1600/P_02.jpg)

Crater ran the blower.  I know the guy who owns this car, the engine and the blower.  Not a confused story :)

Got any pictures of it with a grey motor and the blower?

Cheers,
Harv

(https://i.postimg.cc/tY3gq6gn/crater-critter7.png) ($2)

For more info, check out this link.
http://www.thegreymotor.com/2015/03/crater-critter-supercharged-grey-motor.html ($2)


The Critter survives, minus motor unfortunately.
(https://i.postimg.cc/tYqggTnr/crater-critter1.jpg) ($2)
Regards
Alex

No sorry

The Crater Critter is one very, very cool piece of kit. It's history is interesting though, in that it had both a grey motor (according to some articles), and a red motor (according to other articles). I've only ever seen photos of the red motor version. Its hard to tell what motor was in the vehicle when it was making 14.0 runs.

If the grey motor was in place, then this is Australia's fastest quarter mile grey. Ever.

I struggle with it though when I see what Rieke has had to do with his FX ute. Similar (if not higher) boost from the turbo, fancy internals and EFI and he is still half a second slower in a very similar body.

I say that with a lot of respect for the current and past owners. Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe. If anyone has more history on this thing (articles, timeslips etc) please let me know. I'd be willing to write this thing up properly and give it the recognition it deserves.

Cheers,
Harv

My research to-date on the Critter:

https://forums.autosport.com/topic/209949-holden-grey-motor-speedpower-record-holders/

Cheers,
Harv

Great reading thanks Harv.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Reviving an old post.

As far as research can tell me, the fastest ever quarter mile powered by a grey motor (regardless of body type... door car, FED etc) is Barry Goong's 11.49s (D/Dragster, 1970 Nationals). If anyone knows of a quicker time, please share.

Part of the reason for my curiosity is my FED project. To race in Modified, I am going to need to make the grey pull a 10.99s or quicker pass. As far as I can tell, that would need it to be the world's fastest grey, by 0.5 seconds. I've got Eldred, Phil and Hedley helping, but think it will still be a pretty fair challenge.

Cheers,
Harv

An update on the quickest grey motor quarter mile pass. At the 27th of January 1980 meeting at Surfers Paradise (Ampol 3), Dennis Paul ran a 10.83s quarter mile pass in the grey powered Resurrection FED in E/dragster. The FED normally ran around 11.3, but the stars aligned for this run. He beat a red-motored powered T-bucket in this round, but was beaten in the subsequent round.

The grey had been taken out to 3.25” bore (155ci), running 12.5:1 Repco pistons with full floating pins. Factory cylinder head, ported and oversized red motor valves with home-made pedestal roller rockers. Lightened steel flywheel and large harmonic balancer. Bert Jones cam. Triple 1½” SUs on alky. Bosch twin-point dizzy. Standard rods, sand blasted (similar to shot peining in intent). Standard crank, balanced with main cap braces. Custom HV oil pump using Holden 308 gears. All-synchro 3-speed using only second and top. Shortened banjo running a 4.1:1 fine spline centre.

I have absolutely no reason to doubt Dennis’ story, as the background, equipment and era match up (some stories I hear about other grey powered records do not stack up for power/weight). I’d be interested though if anyone has either records from the track (unlikely), or if there was any magazine coverage of the event.

Cheers,
Harv