G'day Fellow FE-FC Holden Enthusiasts

Sorry I've been so quiet lately.  I've been on a slow-motion race against time to get our white and grey 1959 FC Holden Special Station Sedan back on the road.  My wife Bec has been using our red 1958 FC Holden Utility as a daily driver, but with our first baby on 3 June, it's been driven on borrowed time.  I managed to get our wagon ACT-engineered and re-registered on 2 June, with 24 hours to spare.  Ironically, there is still no sign of our baby boy, but we're told he's due any day now.  I was grateful for the delay, as it meant I was able to take my 1965 HD Holden Standard Station Wagon to the HD-HR Holden Nationals which our club hosted here in Canberra last weekend.  We also managed to take our original two-tone green 1959 FC Holden Special Sedan to Grey Pride in Berrima NSW.  I bought the sedan in 1993 (at age 17) and used it as my daily driver while I looked for a modified FC wagon.  During the next four years, I went all over NSW and Victoria and ironically found my wagon in Canberra, just one suburb away.  It had a 179 red motor, HR front and rear end, plus seat-belts and child restraint bar already fitted. We drove the wagon for a year including many camping trips to go hiking and mountain biking.  In 1998, we left it with a fellow club member for 18 months while we drove a Kombi van from Alaska to Europe.  We returned in 1999 and travelled in our wagon some more before being rear-ended by a Suzuki Swift in 2000.  The panel repairs were done but within weeks of being back on the road, the diff, gearbox and engine all had major failures.  Sadly, the wagon was garaged unrepaired and during the next ten years, we did all of our travelling in a series of 4WDs.  Of course, we still had our sedan for club runs and FE-FC Holden Nationals (missing just the 1997 Nats as we were in Alaska).

After we got married in 2007, I bought a ute as I knew I only had a short window of opportunity before we'd have kids - I bought Ray Hammer's ute (QLD Club) which I'd loved since the 2005 Jindabyne Nats.  I'd given up trying to find a replacement FC wagon with late model Commodore running gear.  So last year, once a baby was on its way, fellow club members Colin Tierney (aka Colt) and Michael Pilger helped me drag the wagon out of retirement.  We replaced the 179 with a rebuilt 186 with mild cam, rebuilt the seized brakes, gearbox and replaced the diff.  When I first took it to the official ACT inspection station, they were happy with the result but wanted an engineers certificate for all the modifications.  I tried the usual 'but it was already ACT registered with these modifications when I bought it' but as it had been out of rego for so long and they had no record of me even owning it - it was treated as a new vehicle.  The engineer found a few fiddly things for me to fix including rounding the edges of the backing plates for the seat belt mounts.  I also had to swap the 205/60R13s tyres on my 13x7 inch rims for 205/65R13s as the rolling diameter was too small.  The wagon failed what I hoped would be its final registration inspection due to a seized lower control arm pivot nut - which had unfortunately been missed during several previous inspections.  A final days scrouge for a replacement lower control arm and then actually replacing it made for an exciting finish.  The cherry on top (or on the side I guess) was within 24 hours of getting the wagon officially back on the road - I was t-boned by a reversing p-plater in a car park.

The three FCs pictured below are now the only cars we own.  I'm proud to have an exclusively FC Holden family and I'm looking forward to taking our son home home from the hospital in our wagon (any day now).  The wagon will be our daily driver until we take it to the Nationals in Orange next year.  The sedan will remain on historic rego and I'll keep the ute as a workhorse for club outings until our FB Holden club trailer is restored.  In the meantime, if anyone knows of an FC panelvan for sale, please let me know as I'd really love to complete the set.  See you all at the Nats!

Cheers, Tim.

     

Bec and I are also booked in at Turner's Vinyard, so are the Goboly's & Tierney's.  So there should be a great roll up once again from the ACT.  We can't wait!

RET, congratulations on the Nats Website.  It's one of the best websites I've ever seen, absolutely fantastic.

All the best Brett, I hope you guys have a safe and enjoyable trip westward. Bec and I are very much looking forward to catching up with you all in Mt Gambier. We'll travel down from Canberra to Ballarat tonight and tomorrow morning we hope to join the 2nd Vic Club convoy at Ballan (I've got Derrick's contact details). Cheers, Tim.

[Grey Pride 2008 Flyer]

Grey Pride 2008 Flyer
http://www.holden.org.au/index.cfm?objectid=C013A0DD-F0DA-14A3-7DB2C68709C53FE0

Sunday 18 May 2008. 11:00am "The Marketplace" Berrima NSW.
Celebration of early Holdens, particularly those powered by the mighty "Grey" motor. More details in flyer.

Cruising from Sydney?
Meet 9:30am for 10am departure from southbound Mobil Truck Stop, Pheasants Nest (Hume Highway).

Cruising from Canberra?
Meet 8:30am for 9am departure from Shell Gateway Service Station, Watson (Federal Highway)

An official "National Motoring Heritage Day" event, on behalf of the Council of Motoring Clubs NSW and Council of ACT Motor Clubs. Hosted by the FE-FC Holden Car Club NSW and the FE-HR Holden Owners Club ACT

Many thanks to RET for assistance with the flyer

If you have any questions, please contact committee@oldgmh.org.au

Cheers, Tim
FE-HR Holden Owners Club
http://www.oldgmh.org.au

G'day Guys

After ten long years, Bec and I finally got married in Canberra last month. Our friends brought along their club cars, so I thought some of you might like to see the photos. We look forward to catching up with all of you in Mount Gambier for the 2008 Nationals.

Cheers, Tim.

[Tuesday 31 July 2007]

G'day FE-FC Fans

Just a friendly reminder for everyone that entries for the ACT Holden Day close on Tuesday 31 July 2007.

More information can be found at http://www.actholdenday.com

We encourage all interstate entrants and spectators to stay at Rydges Lakeside (you can book online via our website). All guests that book before 31 July go into the draw to win their stay for free. Guests will also be on location for our informal/unofficial drinks and dinner which will be held at Bobby McGees Restaurant on the Ground Floor of Rydges Lakeside on the Saturday night before Sunday's Show'n'Shine.

We look forward to seeing you in Canberra on 9 September at the ACT Holden Day or in Sydney on 5 August for the NSW All Holden Day.

Cheers, Tim.
ACT Holden Day Committee
http://www.actholdenday.com

Thanks Guys

We really appreciate all the hard work that has been going into the 2008 Nationals. Bec and I can't wait to catch up with everyone again. The entry form has been sent and this time we hope to bring the ute. (We now own the red ute that Ray Hammer built for the 2005 Nationals in Jindabyne).

Cheers, Tim.

[BONUS OFFER]

G'day Guys

Our major sponsors Rydges Hotels have provided us with an exclusive online booking system for all ACT Holden Day entrants. You have three hotels to choose from via http://www.actholdenday.com

BONUS OFFER

Book & Stay at one of the three Rydges Hotels by 31 July 2007 and go into the draw to win your weekend stay for free!

Cheers, Tim.

G'day FE-FC Holden Fans

Sunday 9 September 2007     http://www.actholdenday.com

All FE-FC Holden Clubs, their members and FE-FC Holden enthusiasts are officially invited to join us in Canberra for the ACT Holden Day 2007. Yes, it's back after six years! Absolutely all Holden models are welcome from FX-VE, in any condition. The day will be a celebration of Australia's Own Car, and include a tribute to Peter Brock (so wear your HRT/Brock gear with pride).

More information, including Entry Forms and Flyers, for the event can be found at http://www.actholdenday.com

Hope to see you all in Canberra this Spring.

Cheers, Tim
ACT Holden Day Committee
http://www.actholdenday.com

Nice work Steve

Good to see it coming along and great to see you've squeezed in a 5.0L    Hope it all goes well from here.

Cheers, Tim

Congratulations Glenn

I've always loved FC's in yellow and your ute looks fantastic. The filler cap and lockable cover are nice touches. It must look awesome on the road and fun to cruise in during summer (for when you get that day without rain). Hope to see it in person one day.

Cheers, Tim.

RIP Peter Brock 1945-2006.
You were, and always will be, the best.

Members of various ACT Holden Clubs have placed memorial stickers on their Holden windscreens which simply read "RIP Peter Brock 1945-2006". These stickers are available from StreetRides ACT for $10 each to with all proceeds going to the Peter Brock Foundation.

More Information:
http://www.holden.org.au/index.cfm?objectid=8CDC1C0A-D826-2DF2-BB902E7D838221C0

G'day Guys

I've just posted the first update for the Holden Car Clubs of Australia Directory.
http://www.holden.org.au/index.cfm?objectid=65F0DDAE-0CBC-758C-147539DCDCB45C7A

If you would like to receive a monthly email update, you can subscribe on the Directory homepage at http://www.holden.org.au

The update features a summary of the key changes to the Directory during August 2006. Please let us know if you or your car club have any items to include on the Directory during September. I welcome any new listings for clubs, events, forums, supporters, suppliers, websites or classifieds.

Thank you to all the Holden Car Clubs and Holden enthusiasts that have offered their congratulations and support for this new information resource.

Cheers, Tim.

I was less than 10 years old when I first saw those Big M commercials. I remember asking my Dad if the car featured was a 1955 Chev - he told me it was an FC Holden. From that day onwards, I saved every single cent of pocket money and delivered newspapers for 5 years until I had enough to buy my first FC (pictured left).

So I say a very sincere thank you to the bloke who used to own that FC and everyone involved with the Big M commercials at the time. I've been obsessed with FC Holdens for over 20 years, and I've owned my green FC for 15 years.  Like most, I can't wait for the 50th Anniversary in Mt Gambier in 2008.

[PLEASE NOTE:]

G'day FE-FC Forum Members

As most of you know, I've been working pretty hard during the last year to get http://www.holden.org.au up and running. I've still got a lot of work ahead of me, and as well as promoting clubs and their events, another aim is to build a solid classifieds section for members and early Holden enthusiasts. Mostly to help sellers find a good home for their Holden & buyers to find the right Holden at the right price, but also to help recover some of the operational costs of the directory.

PLEASE NOTE: The new classifieds section does not intend to replace or compete with the excellent classifieds sections that most Holden Car Clubs and Holden Forums feature for specific Holden model enthusiasts (like this one). It is intended as an additional or hub resource, after sellers have already offered their vehicles direct to specific Holden model related clubs and enthusiasts first.

There's always a lot of Holdens on commercial websites like carsales, carpoint, autotrader, etc but the early models can get a little overlooked amongst the newer vehicle listings. I thought it would be great to have all early models listed within a single location, so I invited most of the existing sellers to list on http://www.holden.org.au. Hopefully, the new Holden Car Clubs of Australia directory will attract enough newcomers to eventually become a starting point for buyers and early Holden enthusiasts looking for anything related to Holden (clubs, events, forums, classifieds, suppliers).

To further assist car clubs, all club members are more than welcome to a free-listing for their Holden on http://www.holden.org.au. (It's still recommended that members try the forum and your club magazine/website first). If you know of any other Holdens for sale, please let sellers know about http://www.holden.org.au  If we can get enough interest from buyers and other (non-club member) sellers, it will help cover costs and ensure the website continues to help all Holden Car Clubs members.

Cheers, Tim.
Holden Car Clubs of Australia Directory

G'day Michael ( & FE-FC Forum Members )

As most of you know, I've been working pretty hard during the last year to get http://www.holden.org.au up and running. I've still got a lot of work ahead of me, but one of the aims is to build a solid classifieds section for early Holden enthusiasts. Mostly to help sellers find a good home for their Holden & buyers to find the right Holden at the right price, but also to help recover some of the operational costs of the directory.

There's always a lot of Holdens on carsales, carpoint, autotrader, etc but the early models can get a little overlooked amongst the newer vehicle listings. I thought it would be great to have all early models listed within a single location, so I invited most of the existing sellers to list on http://www.holden.org.au. Hopefully, the new Holden Car Clubs of Australia directory will attract enough newcomers to eventually become a starting point for early Holden enthusiasts looking for anything Holden (clubs, events, forums, classifieds, suppliers).

Michael, if you are a member of a Holden Car Club, you are more than welcome to a free-listing for your FE on http://www.holden.org.au. The same offer goes for any other Holden Car Club members looking to sell their old Holdens. If you know of any other Holdens for sale, please let sellers know about http://www.holden.org.au  If we can get enough interest from buyers and other (non-club member) sellers, it will help cover costs and ensure the website continues to help all Holden Car Clubs members.

Cheers, Tim.
Holden Car Clubs of Australia Directory

G'day Guys

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone that has contacted me personally to offer their support for http://www.holden.org.au  It has taken a long time to build, hopefully Holden Car Club members will find it a useful resource.

I'd be very grateful if all FE-FC Holden Clubs could check their details on the site (located within your relevant State page). I have a FE-FC Holden specific page listed also which for now just contains hyperlinks to your club's own website:
http://www.holden.org.au/index.cfm?objectid=5BF67A74-9687-6D50-F3E6B6CD2DE66E12

Please let me know if I've got any clubs listed in your State that have closed-down, or if I've got any clubs missing.

Any help is much appreciated. I've developed this site for all of you, so if there's anything that you'd like to see included, please let me know.

Cheers, Tim.

[http://www.holden.org.au]

G’day FE-FC Holden Fans

It is with great pleasure and sheer exhaustion that I finally introduce to you all a brand new website directory dedicated to the members of the Holden Car Clubs of Australia.

http://www.holden.org.au

holden.org.au is an information service directory developed for the benefit and interest of all Holden Car Club members and Holden enthusiasts. The directory will present the latest news from Holden Car Clubs on Holden events and will aim to become the premier website for Holden vehicle classifieds. The directory will also feature links to local businesses that supply products or services of interest to Holden Car Club members.

Please Note: holden.org.au is not part of the vehicle manufacturer Holden Ltd. holden.org.au is not a registered council, a car club forum, association or official elected representative body for the Holden Car Clubs of Australia. holden.org.au does not intend to replace or duplicate any of the excellent existing Holden enthusiast websites that already contain a wealth of information, or forums already maintained by passionate Holden enthusiasts - it intends to promote them all from one central location.

Please let me know if you or your club would like to share news items of interest to other Holden Car Clubs and Holden enthusiasts. Please also let me know if any of your club members or club sponsors have a local business that provides products or services of interest to Holden Car Clubs. holden.org.au is a free service to all Holden Car Clubs, so we’ll need the support of local businesses to fund the website maintenance, management and development.

Contact Tim Miller at oldgmh@bigpond.net.au

Finally, please accept my apologies for being so quiet on the Forum for so long, and for not providing a lot of notice. This directory is one of four websites that were recently completed; two just in time to be announced at the NSW All Holden Day. Thanks to everyone who has already offered their invaluable support and encouragement since I finished the 10th Nats DVD. Please check these websites out and let me know what you think. Any feedback or advice would be much appreciated. Please bear in mind that I’ve only just started, so I recognise that there’s plenty of work still to be done. But most of all, I hope you guys like them.

FE-HR Holden Owners Club ACT – http://www.oldgmh.org.au

Council of ACT Motor Clubs - http://www.actmotorclubs.org.au

Classic Car Sales - This online classifieds website is proudly hosted by CACTMC to assist motor vehicle enthusiasts to find that unique vehicle and the right car club to suit their interests. http://www.actmotorclubs.org.au/go/classic-car-sales

Last but certainly not least, Holden Car Clubs of Australia - http://www.holden.org.au

Cheers, Tim

Please find below photographic evidence that the brand new Sports Trophy was handed over by the ACT Club to the WA Club in June 2006. The first image features the 11th Nats winners of the Sports Trophy (ACT). The second image features the actual hand-over to the 10th Nats winners (WA). So the ACT guys don't have it, really.

During our recent WA holiday, Bec and I were lucky enough to be hosted in beautiful Bridgetown by WA Club Members Brad & Gemma Williams. Rather than drive the FC, we cheated and flew over, but atleast the precious cargo made it (probably coz there was no stop-over in Melbourne).

Thanks very much Craig & thanks for an awesome weekend!

Congratulations to the FE-FC Holden Club of Victoria. I support all the praise you've received already. All the 11th Nats organisers have done an amazing job with hosting the FE Holden's 50th Anniversary (and hosting double the number of entrants than ever before).

All the events, locations, food & goodies were great, plus you guys added something special with the NASCO social club - let alone the visits to both the Phillip Island GP track and Lang Lang - something none of us will ever forget.

It's always great catching up with everyone, still there never seems to be enough time to meet all the new entrants and see all the new cars. Hopefully everyone made it home safely. Looking forward to meeting up with everyone again for the FC Holden's 50th Anniversary in Mt Gambier in 2008!

Cheers, Tim.