The coupes continued through the years and here's an Opel Monza that roughly conforms to a VH.
Around that time Brockie was over in Europe to race at LeMans (this was an important time for me as we had to make special white, yellow and orange racesuits for Peter and Larry and never before had anyone ever taken our racewear to LeMans). They were given Opel Monzas to drive around in while they were there. This inspired PB to consider HDT Monzas as a bit of an idea. At least a couple of bodies were brought over and and a prototype was built, beefing the car up for Australian conditions and installing a decent powerplant. I don't think the second car was completed and I'm not sure why the project became stillborn. Anyway, a car was built and still exists today. Years later it turned up for sale in Darwin.......
Darwin must be the place for prototype Holdens. I recall a "strike-me-pink" XU-1 that came out of Darwin that turned out to be the genuine XU-2 V8 prototype as verified by Harry and Leo. Even though it now has the 202 in it, all the V8 bolt holes are there.
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Hi John, i also recall that several sets of side panels, doors and front guards were imported and built onto Commodore floor pans. The car was sold as the Adayer Sportif. I do not know how many were built or sold or if any survive today. i have never seen one outside of a magazine, and never at a car show. Brock was also particularly interested in the IRS and i think it was fitted to a Commodore at least to test the concept.
Google Adayer Sportif - there is an excellent blog about it on the LS1 Forum. My business landlord in South Australia had one in 1986 so I saw it often and even rode in it once. With an emission emasculated 4.2 not quick at all. Fairlane headlights looked too big for the small front of the car and body kit had lots of odd angles.
There's one for sale on carpoint under kit car.
It's been there for ages
simon
The Adayer Sportif doesn't look a lot like the Monza though>
You do realise that that particular Strike-Me-Pink Torana was not an XU2 according to Holden?
The XU2 chassis code had already been used for a full size Holden chassis/body (a taxi version) before anyone realised how significant the code would become in motor sport and marketing.
Even the LJ "XU1" wasn't an XU1 in this sense, that distinction belonging to the original LC 2 door with triple carb 6.
The "LJ body stuffed with a V8" was code W51.
Even though still-born, there are at least a couple of sets of the original blueprints for revised structural areas plus build sheets in existance.
For marketing purposes the car was to have been badged as an XU2 but it remains the only example of a W51 ever built.
Art
The Brock Monza hasn't ever been in Darwin.
Brock fitted IRS to a handful of VL Directors without Holden's blessing.
Leo Pruneau reckons Holden themselves were a long way down the track with their own Commodore Monaro (come Monza) when Brock saw the plans for the two-door and loved it. The Holden version would have been up and running if the Engineering Dept. hadn't been snowed under with the release of the Camira and the new WB models. They did, however, arrange to bring out an Opel body for him to mess around with. Holden put a stop to the HDT version claiming he had overstepped the mark on what he was supposed to be doing.
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Any photos?
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