maok Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 20 minutes ago, timecapsule said: Nice stuff. I had read about the lion with the outstretched paw resting on a ball. Now I know what it looks like. Thanks The lion wasn't exclusive to Holden, Vauxhall used the lion as a mascot too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 20 minutes ago, maok said: The lion wasn't exclusive to Holden, Vauxhall used the lion as a mascot too. Peugeot still uses a lion. Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordy Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 This is the Holden body builders tag pulled off a late '40s Chev ute many years ago and living on my beer fridge as a decoration. Steve 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, timecapsule said: Ok,,, so here's another question that popped into my head. I'm curious how the assembly line took place. Would the boys down under have a bunch of car body parts sent over from USA, and then cut the back half of the body off and weld on a box, and call it a day? What about the chassis and drive train? Would there have been issues with the exhaust or starter in respect to the steering box and column being on the right? The car I saw had too much stuff stacked on it, so I didn't raise the hood. If I get serious about the car I'll go have another look and clear off all the miscellaneous stuff stacked on and around it, raise the hood, and have a more detailed look at it. Imported cars-trucks had high imports tariffs. Front fenders, hood and maybe cowl were imported. Would have changed over time. Bodies were pressed from (AU) sheet metal in Australia, to increase local employment and reduce the amount of foreign currency needed. Local upholstery, tyres, wiring and the like. Chassis, engine, transmission & diffs probably all imported. The USA manufactures had right hand drive designs. No big issues of steering columns - starters positions. Or the pedals. AU designs of the time were not 100% the same as USA in detail. For 1939 Buick the body is different. Doors and trunk shape are not the same as USA. For example AU doors garnish moulding part of the door structure and not a separate screw in bit of metal as in USA. GMH engineers of the day were good at having sheet metal parts, doors, etc that would be used in a range of brands-models. GMH in Au was pressing full metal roofs (for Dodge?) 1 or 2 years before GM USA started. GM brands still had fabric inserts (~1936) Edited September 15, 2023 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 (edited) As this thread is getting off topic links to some GMH 1930's archive photos. More page at the bottom Not all are correct tagged. No sloper body for 1939 Buick. May be an Olds or Chev https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/find/Smith%2C+D.+Darian/page:78 1940 Ute https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+213/207/7/148-152 1938 https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+213/207/5/4-6 1941 Vauxhall https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/find/Smith%2C+D.+Darian/page:68 1947 Ute https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+213/207/4/2126 1941 Dummy ute https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+213/207/4/2122-2124 1945 Press shop https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/find/Smith%2C+D.+Darian/page:46 Edited September 15, 2023 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Wells Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 1 hour ago, hidden_hunter said: The last 'top spec' ute they made before GM shut up shop here in Australia Based on the (imported) Pontiac G-6 or G-8 (?).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Vinny... said: Based on the (imported) Pontiac G-6 or G-8 (?).. Based on the Holden Commodore. The Commodore was made as the Ponti G8 for the USA market. And also sold in the middle east as a Chev https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_G8 Quote The Pontiac G8 is a full-size sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia, and then exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac. The G8, a rebadged Holden Commodore, was released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the United States, and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. Production stopped in mid-2009, following the GM decision to suspend the Pontiac brand. While available, the G8 took the place in the Pontiac lineup of both the Pontiac Bonneville, which ceased production after the 2005 model year, and the Pontiac Grand Prix, which ceased production after the 2008 model year. You could have your own Ponti ute in USA ! Quote G8 ST In addition to the sedan, a two-seat coupé utility called the G8 ST (for Sport Truck) was shown at the New York International Auto Show in March 2008. Based on the Holden Ute, it was built on the same G8 platform with a 73-inch (1,900 mm) cargo bed. The ST had the same 361 hp (269 kW), 6.0-liter V8 used in the G8 GT, as well as the 3.6-liter, 256 hp (191 kW) V6. After a naming contest with more than 18,000 suggestions, the name remained the G8 ST.[25] The G8 ST, slated for release as a 2010 model, was to be Pontiac's first coupe utility, and GM's first coupe utility in the United States since the Chevrolet El Camino was discontinued in 1987. In January 2009, GM announced to Pontiac dealers that the G8 ST was cancelled due to budget cuts and restructuring.[26] Edited September 15, 2023 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 Chassis were originally supplied in RHD config and then a body made locally (usually chassis via Canada for favourable tax treatment for the empire) Australia had quite advanced manufacturing for the time 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E. Guitar Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 I heard the the 46 Ford ute was shipped from Canada with a business coupe body which was then cut down and had a tray added. I have a 46 business coupe and a guy acoss the river from me has a 46 ute. Looking at them side by side it seems quite likely that is what happened. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 2 hours ago, John E. Guitar said: I heard the the 46 Ford ute was shipped from Canada with a business coupe body which was then cut down and had a tray added I’d be a little surprised if they’d done that because it would have had the full tariff on it where as CKD was cheaper Post ww2 Australia had a pretty significant manufacturing capability 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Gillingham Posted September 16, 2023 Share Posted September 16, 2023 On 9/15/2023 at 2:23 PM, John E. Guitar said: I heard the the 46 Ford ute was shipped from Canada with a business coupe body which was then cut down and had a tray added. I have a 46 business coupe and a guy acoss the river from me has a 46 ute. Looking at them side by side it seems quite likely that is what happened. I doubt this would have been the case. At this time, Australia had been involved with body-building for a very long time, and as previously mentioned, because of the local tariffs, locally produced bodies were in favor. Australia had a very developed body stamping/building operation going on. What hasn't been mentioned so far is that a lot of the 1930s-50s American-based Ford/GM/Chrysler utes that were built in Australia were based on the tourer/convertible X-frame chassis, purely for the extra strength. For example, in Australia, the late 50's ute chassis (Mainline), used a Sunliner X-Frame chassis. I would think that if the OP looked at the chassis on his Chevrolet ute in question, it would be one of the reinforced X-frame chassis. The tourer/convertible chassis were used, as they provided extra strength, whereas the sedans/coupes contained their extra strength in the roof structure. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timecapsule Posted September 16, 2023 Author Share Posted September 16, 2023 3 hours ago, Craig Gillingham said: I doubt this would have been the case. At this time, Australia had been involved with body-building for a very long time, and as previously mentioned, because of the local tariffs, locally produced bodies were in favor. Australia had a very developed body stamping/building operation going on. What hasn't been mentioned so far is that a lot of the 1930s-50s American-based Ford/GM/Chrysler utes that were built in Australia were based on the tourer/convertible X-frame chassis, purely for the extra strength. For example, in Australia, the late 50's ute chassis (Mainline), used a Sunliner X-Frame chassis. I would think that if the OP looked at the chassis on his Chevrolet ute in question, it would be one of the reinforced X-frame chassis. The tourer/convertible chassis were used, as they provided extra strength, whereas the sedans/coupes contained their extra strength in the roof structure. That's interesting. If I decide to go back for another look, I'll check out to see if it has an X frame. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted September 16, 2023 Share Posted September 16, 2023 I dont think the G6 was a Holden car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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