I bought a Holden!

[mcnews]

After four Chrysler, six Ford's I just bought my first Holden. Saw it come up for sale on Facebook. We Ute 165000km new engine, 253, supra five speed. Always inland car and rust free, yellow.Needs windscreen, front light lenses, probably shocks and or gearbox mounts other than that sweet as. Reconditioned engine 15000km ago only Holden v8 in existence that doesn't have noisy lifters etc. Clutch needs adjusting but otherwise feels good. Shifts nice. Engine runs sweet as a nut. Body 95 per cent straight even tray good. Brakes work pretty well. New screen is $300 get lenses RWC and on historic rego it goes :-) got it for 3k. Pics later

[nstg8a]

Nice, the wb utes look good when done right.

I remember seeing one years ago, dark dark blue low on cragars, and the caprice front. Damn sexual for a Holden lol

[Rob 351]

Had a Supra box behind a 304 many years ago. Nice box & super tough iirc. It will be the best part in that ute I guarantee....:

[Bluehoon]

Nice buy. Any plans for turfing that 253?

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by Bluehoon

Nice buy. Any plans for turfing that 253?

Hey, there's nothing wrong with a well screwed together hi comp 253. You can't kill them.

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

Hey, there's nothing wrong with a well screwed together hi comp 253. You can't kill them.

also a 253 is more reliable the 308 ever were. I reckon the 308 would be one of the most overrated motors ever

[Focusfan]

SAY WHAT, Cant kill a 253, car only done 165,000 and has new engine.
My EF 4.0 6 cyl has 216,000 and still original engine and still quiet and
still runs excellent. Cant kill a 253, hmmm i don't get that comment.
I had 3 holdens years ago, 2 HK monaro' both 186 manuals. Had them
in pieces so much fixing them i gave up. Now had 4 fords and most time
off road was the ef but i blame myself as as it over heated on a 42 degree
hot day up north with 4 people in the car and air con on full bore.
It cracked the head, common in the model but the only time it happened
and the only time in 9 years it has failed me. 165,000 and new engine.??

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by wildrider

also a 253 is more reliable the 308 ever were. I reckon the 308 would be one of the most overrated motors ever

huh.. please explain how one is more reliable than the other

clean example, $3k is good score Trev

[PlukaDuck]

Originally Posted by Rob 18

Had a Supra box behind a 304 many years ago. Nice box & super tough iirc. It will be the best part in that ute I guarantee....:

Supra boxes arnt tough.
Just that holdens arnt strong enough to break them....

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by PlukaDuck

Supra boxes arnt tough.
Just that holdens arnt strong enough to break them....

for a stock 253 this wont be an issue. Its a big chance this rig has either a W57 or W58 box out off an early 80s supra. they can take a fair bit of abuse. anything over the 230hp mark i'd use an r154 supra box. they'll take over 400hp easly!!

[Nikked]

Wait, you bought a Holden?

[flooded one]

keep the 253 if you want to use the ute as a cruiser!! there a lot better then what people say about them. Its only when it comes too wanting big power you wouldn't bother with them

[93EB_SXR6]

253s are great cruising motors (as has been mentioned), they really do sound great for what they are.
Why bother trying to make a 30 year old ute quick any way?

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by 93EB_SXR6

253s are great cruising motors (as has been mentioned), they really do sound great for what they are.
Why bother trying to make a 30 year old ute quick any way?

I think a lot of people just bag them because of the way some people go on about 308s.

[mcnews]

Delete duplicate.

[mcnews]

I had already been thinking of eventually turfing the engine and putting something better in, but after going and seeing the car today and driving it, that engine is going nowhere fast.

I always thought 253 just made noise and drank fuel without actually going anywhere, but the recon motor in this is sweet as a nut, I honestly was gobsmacked at how it started and just idled ridiculously smoothly, no shakes, rattles or a thing, you wouldn't have even thought the engine was running looking at it.

Has a very nice looking set of headers on it too, and a nice not too big twin system which actually sounds very nice, nothing like all those crapheap 253 wagons with exhausts too big for them and slushboxes, that made you wince as they asthmatically made their way up the road sounding like crap.

This engine will remain in this car in its current trim for the foreseeable future. I have no reason to think it will not do faithful duty for a long time. Driving it and being amazed at how nice and smooth it was has rendered all my thinking on engine swaps moot. I would be mad to ditch such a sweet little runner. Of course it is no powerhouse but it got up and went fairly well and of course with that smooth shifting five-speed Supra box the drivetrain is actually very, very enjoyable. If I get excited down the track I would put in an LS3 and 6-speed but really there is no point, it is 30 year old ute, if I want fast I can jump in the GT-E or on a bike. But this engine is much nicer than a stock 253, the recon paperwork says their recon engines are higher performance etc. blah blah and it must be, as while still slow compared to anything modern, it is definitely faster than I remember 253 Commodores and the like ever being. And much quicker than any stock 351 of the same era I can assure you, much nicer and I reckon a bit quicker than the stocker XC 351 I had I know that.

[stevefreestyle]

Originally Posted by mcnews

After four Chrysler, six Ford's I just bought my first Holden. Saw it come up for sale on Facebook. We Ute 165000km new engine, 253, supra five speed. Always inland car and rust free, yellow.Needs windscreen, front light lenses, probably shocks and or gearbox mounts other than that sweet as. Reconditioned engine 15000km ago only Holden v8 in existence that doesn't have noisy lifters etc. Clutch needs adjusting but otherwise feels good. Shifts nice. Engine runs sweet as a nut. Body 95 per cent straight even tray good. Brakes work pretty well. New screen is $300 get lenses RWC and on historic rego it goes :-) got it for 3k. Pics later

Sorry to hear that. No disrespect, however you were robbed. I drove a couple of 253 monaros when new - when I had my v6 Capri, and they were.......dissapointing (duds).

[mcnews]

Some really crappy facebook photos, and a couple from my phone. Will get some good ones later. Some old boy had passed it down to a grandson or daughter or something and then they just ended up buying a new model ute and never really used it.

[Express]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Some really crappy facebook photos, and a couple from my phone.

All the basics for a nice old school cruiser.

One of my favourite colours and the Statesman front and GTS dash are a good score. Get yourself a GTS steering wheel to finish it off.

The engine bay could use a bit of spray and wipe.

What are the rims?



.

[flooded one]

Looks good!!!

[mcnews]

Yeah it doesn't look too bad, and runs great. Just get a new screen, and new lenses on the lights, if I get unlucky they might make me change the steering wheel at roadworthy, but there shouldn't be much else. Should be on the road in my name on historic club rego hopefully for under a grand and do faithful duty for a while. I won't be able to help myself but do the suspension though, at least Konis all round or the like to improve the ride out of sight, but apart from that I might just do nothing to it for a while. Has a GTS dash, and I guess the front end is Statesman or something? Even has an Alpine wireless and leccy windows, lol. Everything electrical all works, lights, gauges etc which is truly amazing!

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Yeah it doesn't look too bad, and runs great. Just get a new screen, and new lenses on the lights, if I get unlucky they might make me change the steering wheel at roadworthy, but there shouldn't be much else. Should be on the road in my name on historic club rego hopefully for under a grand and do faithful duty for a while. I won't be able to help myself but do the suspension though, at least Konis all round or the like to improve the ride out of sight, but apart from that I might just do nothing to it for a while. Has a GTS dash, and I guess the front end is Statesman or something? Even has an Alpine wireless and leccy windows, lol. Everything electrical all works, lights, gauges etc which is truly amazing!

yep! Front is off a statesman. I had a WB yonks ago. nothing to flash, wasn't a bad ute either. thou mine had less power then yours!! mine was a dirty old 202 6 cylinder . did the job thou. It does look like and sounds like a good buy!! I might be a Ford man but I do like these old Holdens. I actually don't mind most Holdens up to VL.

[fte50]

Originally Posted by mcnews

get lenses RWC and on historic rego it goes :-) got it for 3k. Pics later

I got a pair of NOS Genuine GMH WB Caprice Headlight lenses if you wanna go that way.

[PlukaDuck]

Good one MCNEWS
Not a holden fan myself but it looks good. Like the statesman front end 2.

[93EB_SXR6]

I can't stand 'all Holdens are rubbish' types any more than I can the opposite.
Top tip: If you have nothing constructive to add to a thread, steal oxygen elsewhere.

[jamies]

I had a HJ 253 once it was a good car, it was just a kingswood 3spd auto. Lowered it and put 14x8 and 14x10 widened gts wheels on it. Good car the 253 was no powerhouse but just a good cruiser. I like the WB utes.. Congrats on the purchase, it's fun doing up older cars. Searching for parts and the before and after pics is just a part of the fun.

[Mainlube]

mcnews send me about 70 mils of oil from your gearbox with 5 minutes of turning the engine off and I'll have a (free) look on how your box is handling the 253.

I started my app. in 72 at the Holden dealer, saw allot of on these old moles,

253 is great for a cruiser, can spin a nice note.

Cheers

Steve

[damo6]

Make sure to have a look around the front top shock mounts,RTS models -HZ/WB are notorious for cracking and/ or splitting open around the mount itself and the welds that hold it to the front rail.easy fix,just a bugger because the suspension and steering gear has to be dropped away to get at it. HQ/HX don't suffer this problem because the shock location is mounted further towards the firewall on the mounts.RTS models they sit dead centre of the mount

[ryeman]

The 253 was a de-stroked 5L wasn't it to answer the fuel crisis of the 70s IIR.
Short strokers (rare these days) are sweet revers.

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by ryeman

The 253 was a de-stroked 5L wasn't it to answer the fuel crisis of the 70s IIR.
Short strokers (rare these days) are sweet revers.

development of the 253 started 10 years before that

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/holden_253_v8.htm