Idle Torque: When Torana was king
_IN THE 1980S, _a Holden Torana just wasn't complete without a drop tank, fat white letter tyres and a 990 6PM radio sticker on the back window.
Other standard modifications of the era included jacked-up rear suspension, a chain steering wheel and if the owner was particularly wealthy, an AM/FM radio cassette player with graphic equaliser.
Early mobile phones were for yuppies and the mullet was at the peak of its popularity, carrying none of the ironic retro-bogan humour it does now.
Gosh, they were good times.
These days, originality in Australian muscle cars is king and far more preferable than yeti- skin seat covers, wheelie bars and eight-ball gear knobs.
However, the huge number of Toranas which were modified over the years means it's rare to find an original SL/R 5000 like this 1974 example. Before it went to its current owner in the Eastern States, this one was restored in WA. The current owner has put it up for sale in the next Shannons auction, which is set to take place in Melbourne on May 5.
The auction house reckons the car will sell for between $46,000 and $54,000, which will no doubt be helped by its classic Sunburst Gold paintwork. This is an original Holden paint colour, though Shannons hasn't said whether it's original to this particular car.
Who knows, this auction might just be a chance for the car to be brought back here by a WA buyer.
Some lots in this sale have no reserve price, including a 1967 Lincoln Continental Coupe which Shannons reckon could go for as little as $7000.
The car is far from perfect though, and will need attention to various areas including the park brake, windscreen wipers and indicators to make it roadworthy.
The Lincoln does have its original 462 cubic inch (7.6 litre) V8, new white wall tyres and a dual exhaust system, so the fact these are largely sorted will appeal to someone's priorities.
HQ Holdens have long been treated as the ugly sisters to earlier Holden models. In fact, they were so expendable that an entry-level racing series was developed for them.
Naturally they're becoming scarce and demand for original examples is creeping up, especially for the two-door coupes. There are two HQs in this sale and both are tidy, one-owner examples.
One is a 1971 LS Monaro 253 V8 Coupe in completely original condition apart from an LPG gas conversion done in 1982.
The other HQ is a 1972 Premier 308 V8 station wagon.
Gone are the days when you could pick one up for a few hundred dollars. The Monaro is reckoned by Shannons to go for up to $25,000. The old HQ wagon has an estimate of - make sure you're sitting down - up to $14,000.
Mobile phones were for yuppies and the mullet was at the peak of its popular-
ity.
