FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

I have posted a few of these pics before on the old board, but thought some of the newer members might like to see 'em and the older members might like to see all the pics I took.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats00.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats01.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats02.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats03.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats04.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats05.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats06.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats07.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats08.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats09.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats10.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats11.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats12.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats13.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats14.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats15.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats16.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats17.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats18.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats19.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats20.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats21.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats22.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats23.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats24.jpg)
Regards
Alex

I remember having shorts like those!

I wonder how many of those cars still exist? So much work went into them yet they could have been scrap 10 years later if they were sold to someone without the passion to keep em going etc. Have you seen many of them around? I would think a lot of that sandman artwork was probably resprayed which is a pity as there was some really great art on the roads at one time - still see it on some trucks though I suppose.

So what I can remember off the top of my head -

Maroon chopped FE  (SA) - Marino Gregoric.  Rino still has it and is currently seeing about getting it back on the road - might need a new paint job though from what I've been told

Red FC (SA) - Jim Wolf.  I'm pretty sure Jim sold it a couple of years.  He was also the National Director of the ASMF at one stage.

Black & Silver FC "Gunna's Dunnit" (Vic) - Lindsay Gunston.  I believe Gunna sold it a number of years later

Black Monaro (Qld) - Wayne Pagel.  I think he may still have this - I seem to recall coming across a web site about the cars that he and his son were building a little while ago.

The Van with the Murals (SA) - mmm now where do I know that one from?  Given to the Birdwood Motor Museum - now part of their collection and still looks exactly the same.

Kathi

FC225 was at the Philip Island Nationals.

For those interested in how the Nationals went from being a Club/Association Event to a full-on Promoter run money making venture there's some interesting reading here - http://eventmechanics.net.au/?p=563

(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/customfc4/Old%20Car%20Shows/1982%205th%20Street%20Machine%20Nats/5thSMNats07.jpg)

This one was a very high profile car in its day - Midnight Express.

The paint finish was amazing and in acrylic. Lots of work in that one.

And here is a recent picture of the FJ Ute, still in the hands of the same owner and looking exactly the same as it did in '82. Even the same tyres!!!

(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l223/toddles_01/FJ022.jpg)

Great pictures Alex.

So who owned midnight express?  ;)

Was it someone who now posts here?


 8)

um.... someone who posts here now was very closely associated with it at one stage  ;)  And that person used to spend a lot of time polishing it! Need any more hints Paul?  :)

Wow that takes me back, I remember going to the show, I was still an apprentice and totally amazed at the quality of some of the cars, particularly how some of them the paint looked like it was 10 feet thick. I was stoked when I saw FC 225 that was owned by Alan Hale IIRC, I remember following the build of it for several years in magazines. The Train was amazing, and I remember the Red Monza with the new NSW personalised plates with MONZTA as the registration number.

Also if I recall correctly there was a black Zephyr that absolutely fried the tyres in the burnout comp, first time I had seen a car of show quality be driven like someone hates it, John Peterson was his name I think.

No wonder someone has a crook shoulder from all that polishing you used to do, (or that you don't do enough of now?)

Is there any info on FC 0001 look like my brothers old FC ??? ??? painted in Imperial Burgundy any one know about this car  ??? ???.......FC427........

how recent is this pic does he still live in Mt Druitt still looks like the same shed, me and some mates were talking about this car when we were at canberra this year

FC 0001 was Jim Wolf's car (SA) - and it was definitely red!  I think he sold it around the late 80's.

You are absolutely correct Keith - John Peterson and his black Mk3 Zephyr (Vic car).  Saw it a couple of years ago out the front of the Melbourne Hot Rod Show - had passed hands long before but it still looked pretty nice. John was given a set of tyres so he could fry them the length of the Melbourne Moomba street parade! You can just see the rear quarter of his Mk3 in the photo of Alex Grambau's EH (I pretty sure that was Alex's - Vic car) . John was one of the most gentlest loving family men you would ever meet - but if you upset him by picking on someone he liked - start running!

For the life of me I can't remember the last name of Mick (but it did start with a V) who owned the HR wagon (Victorian Car).  Really nice car - had fine gold pin striping on the black and it looked really nice.

You can also just see the rear quarter of Paul Atkin's HR (SA) alongside the train and Paul with his faithful feather duster! Got sold on - passed through a number of hands - Paul found it and bought it back a year or so ago. It is currently being rebuilt too.

Kathi

I got the hints.

So why give it to a museum? Or is there a connection there too?  ;)

Would it still get started now and then or would the engine need an overhaul?


 8)

Short story - he tried to sell it a number of times to no avail.  He got transferred to WA and didn't want to transport it over there so he tried to sell it to the Birdwood Museum - they wouldn't buy it and in the end he gave it to them.  Yes, it should still run but I don't think it has ever been driven anywhere by the Museum - it was quite difficult to drive unless you knew it's idiosyncrasies (especially how to get around it boggin down off the line cos of the tunnel ram)

I believe that it is on loan from the Birdwood Museum to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. I have put in a link to the Powerhouse site below.

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/previous/cars_panelvan.asp ($2)

would the name be vorse (not sure of spelling) for some reason that name came straight to me when i saw the car

Hi Keith  - it was in Sydney at one stage for an exhibition but it was definitely at the Birdwood Museum the last time we were up there.

Hi Ratbox - I honestly can't remember his name but that does sound familiar.  I do remember distinctly that he was a very nice and gently spoken guy - not dissimilar to you I would imagine!   ;D  ;)

Thanks for the info everyone and that pic of the green FJ as it is now is super cool, thanks Craig. If I remember correctly, the FJ ute has a Jag rear end under it.
Regards
Alex

If the fashions don't date the photos enough, one of them (the white Chev) has a Mazda Bongo Van in the background. When was the last time you saw one of those?

Great collection of pics and some terrific history and memories of these cars in this thread.

RET

Just a little update - spoke to John Peterson on the weekend and he tells me that Alan Hale and Alex Grambau definitely still have their cars (FC225 & MY064).  Alex Garrard's pale green EH Wagon was also out the front of the Vic Rod Show and still looking very nice for a car that was a top winner in the 80's.

Kathi
 

Arhh the good ol days of

Centre mounted roof ariels

Sunroofs with gallons of silicone around the edges

12 Slotters on Holdens

Round headlights converted to square

Deleted grill bars

Side murals

Velour interiors

and best of all tight huggin adidas t shirts that cuts of circulation to your arms

 ;D

Hey Kathi,

Alan Hale still has his car, as he may have had it out the other night. Bob Grambeau still has the EH.
The black HR wagon belonged to Mick Vishacki who had a panel shop called Mr Gloss in Melbourne many years ago. Unfortunately, that car was written of not long after those photos where taken.
Here is a pic of a nice FC
http://www.letsgocruisin.com.au/cruisin-photos-cruise-night200902.html

and a pic of Black FC, maybe Alans, not sure, you can only just make it out
http://www.letsgocruisin.com.au/cruisin-photos-cruise-night200902.html

Hope this helps

Hi maybeonedayillgetanFC (geez what a long name!)

Vishacki! That's it!  ;D Mick was a really nice guy when I met him a few times.  Now you mention it I do vaguely recall the USM guys saying something about his car getting written off.  A real pity - it had absolutely beautiful panel and paint.   :-\

Kathi

Yes yes it did have good panel, my friend did the body while working for Mick, and even witnessed the crash.. :o

And the yellow HQ monaro at the 82 Nat's also made the front cover of street machine mag when the mag was in its fledging days, a real accomplishment way back then. Unfortunately, the owner/builder(his name escapes me) of the car drowned whilst surfing, his brother then took possession of the car, and where it is now, one can only wonder...

k here goes nothing the pictures in this post of the fc panel van is mine and the picture of the black and silver fc sedan belonged to my mate and his name is lindsey atkinson. me and another mate did the body work and paint for his fc and he later sold it and it went to korumburra never to be seen again that i know of.

Hi Toorat

Why on earth was I thinking "Gunston" for Lyndsay's last name?  er duh! probably cos of him always being called Gunna!  :D 

If you still see him at all please pass on my best wishes to him.

Kathi

Forgot to ask Toorat, do you still have your van?

sold the van to son inlaw after i put a 320 hp tunnel rammed chev in it and he sold it about 5 years ago to the publican of the star hotel in rutherglen who still has it.have not seen gunna in 20 years last i heard he was a snap on tool rep

Hi all,

I came across that Maroon FE in Berri SA early this year. Same colour, same rego. Bonnet was only slightly cracked open didn't get a good look at the "plant" but seemed to be dressed the same as the XU1. I do have a pic somewhere, so I'll post it when found. Interesting that these cars are still around.

Cheers Rusty

Here it is.

(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/Rusty_T_bucket/100_2468.jpg)

Note the date, it was April this year.

(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/Rusty_T_bucket/100_2463.jpg)

Still is a nice looking car.

(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/Rusty_T_bucket/100_2449.jpg)

This was with it as well.

(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u98/Rusty_T_bucket/100_2464.jpg)

Cheers Rusty

I've seen Toorat's old van in Rutherglen and spoke to the new owner a couple of years ago.

F#@k I hate 12 Slotters