Are they making these redlines again? Or are these people driving around on hard old rubber from the past?
In addition to these two gold HKs at the Cruise-On there was a Warwick Yellow 327 also with the original looking rubber and hubcaps. I've seen the ridiculous prices paid on eBay for old Aquajet redwalls. The lengths some people go to.
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The Dunlop SP Sport Aquajet is still made from the original moulds, in England. The tyres produced today are better than they have ever been, as they take advantage of the latest compounds and rubber technology which means they perform and last brilliantly, whist retaining their authentic appearance and characteristics. Vintage Tyre Company. Redlines by machine.
Hmmm. After my response i note that Aquajets in 14' not available but several other brand names are in older aspect ratios.
It's amazing that back when we were into these things nobody with a brain would keep the shitty wheel covers in place - usually they just fell off. When I first went shopping for a near new HK GTS had to be small block and Saginaw. The steel wheels and wheel covers lasted 24 hours before I fitted ROH Mags and a twin system. Industrial Springs sway bars, reset springs with Koni shockers came a month later. Extractors, heads solid cam and Holley later still. Seeing these old things stock just does nothing for me.
Mine was stock and in 1968 I thought it was great.
Yes but you were an Eastern suburbs lad. We were the people from the Western suburbs your mother did not want you to play with. You were also into sports cars while we were into hot rods and street machines. Culturally we came from planet wog and while my Dad had his own business and owned his home most of my school friends were not born in Australia and lived in Housing Commission homes and their parents worked in factories and could notta speaka de English.You were into cars that handled while we thought if you were in control you were not trying hard enough. Funny really but that's the uniqueness of the culturally diverse Australia we all grew up in. MG's were for hairdressers, Jags for old shits and Mercs were wedding cars. I have heard you say before that your Warwick Yellow? 186 S GTS was a fun car. I had a 186 S GTS for a week before I put a 327 fuelie into it. Fun car.Didn't handle. Didn't care.
Born in the West (Henley Beach), then moved South and stayed there most of my life. In 1969 upgraded to a 327 (same colour) bought in Kingston SE after being ridiculed about the 186 which, incidentally, consistently took care of 5 litre examples in traffic light drags around Anzac Highway and West Terrace and Light Square.
Doesn't the mobile white-wall guy do redlines as well? In fact, bluelines, yellowlines, greenlines, maybe even blacklines, on any tyre you want!?!
Given SCW road tests of the time recorded 1/4 mile times of 19.5 for 186S HK and 17.2 for 307 HK perhaps the people you were dragging off did not even know there was a race on. I have owned a dozen HK/T/G GTS Monaros buying sick cylinder cars for projects to 8's into. Driven them all had a 307 vanilla coupe, and a 307 GTS for 2 years in the early 70's pre the 327. the 307 ran a 15.2 for the 1/4 at AIR with only a Holley, decent extractors, solid lifters and a 3.55 diff. I sold that car to buy the first MK 7 - saw my old GTS in St Peters last year, unrestored but not in too bad nick for it's age. Wanted to kick myself for selling all the GT's and GTS's I have owned. Still better to be a has been than a never been. We can all sleep well on that thought. Imagine if you kept all the Nagaris you have owned? Or all the old valiants, or the vanguard wagon?
oops just found a Wheels road test with 19.1 for 186S and 18.2 for 307 Powerglide. haven't found a test yet for a 307 4 speed HK GTS yet there were heaps of them made and with a good free flow dual system and a Holley were nearly as quick as a 327. My buddy Peter from Port Adelaide bought one new from Smith Motors and was only missing the big tank. Smith Motors fitted the low restriction dual system off the 327 and it had the track rods and also off the showroom floor was lowered 2" and had 7x14 wheels with the GTS wheel covers refitted. The biggest changes that woke my 307 up were the twin system, then replacing the 2.87 diff with the 3.55. With the factory diff I could never get to grips with a car that would do 75 mph in low gear. When the valve seals wore out at 15,000 miles I pulled the heads, ground the valves, new seals, heavier springs and solid lifters. Fun times, dirty hands and old memories. Amazing but I paid cash for the GTS when I was only 20. Should have bought a house as they were only about $ 8000 at the time and the GTS was in the low $2's.
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