It depends on the date code of the 16.7:1 box. If it is F8 or G8 you should sell it to me! My yellow GTS327 has its original box and it is 1G8. The yellow GTS is only 42 cars behind in the Pagewood body plant and 174 cars ahead in the assembly plant so it needs either late F8 or early G8.

What size tyres are you planning to run?

Ah, split plant build. Those get a bit confusing on HK-HG as they get the body plant's chassis number. Pretty cool that the box and column align, probably a fluke as the column went in at the body plant afaik and the box at the assembly plant.

I'd probably keep the original box if it is in OK condition and see if you like it or not.

Whole body is finished and painted including doors and end gates, all glass fitted, all body trim fitted. Interior is afaik limited to headlining. The idea is they are weather sealed, not certain how firewall holes are sealed hence my comment about the stewing column. HK-HG get the Elizabeth body tag and chassis number. After the end of 1969 they would also get an Elizabeth ADR plate.
Here is a Hard trimmed and painted HK GTS, waiting to later go through the assembly plant
https://www.google.com.a...&iact=mrc&uact=8

They are called Monroe GT Gas reflex tec.

I understand about the under pressure bit, Until recently I had 235's on the front of my brougham and even with the 16.7 if the pressure was down you didn't need the gym for an upper body workout.


as far as lighter in the arse end, with those figures maybe that comment should be in the post about holden myths.
I've got new GT gas shockers on the back, not sure if they're the reflex or not. I'll check next time i'm under there.
for the corrugated roads would I be better off with the original 2 stage springs or 6 leaf springs? I'll be using the van as a work/promotional vehicle but it wont be carrying huge weights in the back, as I grow Hazelnuts and fully packed the van would only carry around 150kg.

I had a 253 HG Premer with ute springs in the back when I got it, back in 1982 and I felt is was a much better setup than the fords sedan leaf springs of the day easily, but as to leaf springs like in the AU falcon utes they have 4 types of setups I tonne, then normal and then the XR type at about 500KG, sure the XR softer sprung type is the way to go I would think for best handing.
Now the RV type Falcon ute has a setup with 2 radius 2 rods set up to better control the rear, I have driven one and it's good and they are a 1 tonne.

But one thing I have to say about leaf springs, is that if the spring binds in flexing due to cornering loads, that is they are flexing side ways with a binding that acts as another spring factor that can upset the apple cart a bit flicking back at times, Falcon leaf were bad for that, so they recommend to let the spring shackle not be too stiff and that can stop that, rubber bushes not plastic ones.

But from my experience with going to low in the rear to the front can make the back more of a oversteering thing and not in a good way, because then she likes to go into them ditch's easy, so the bugger tends to want to go down into them spoon drains once it starts going down even with throttle control, especially when it's greasy as.

I recon up to 1 inch higher in the rear and no more and no lower than flat level and too low is just crap on dirt roads, because once you bottom out that can be the start of when you loose control.

Not true. Oil shocks have no effect on ride height. The pressure of the gas in gas shocks will increase ride height (marginally) & make the springs appear stiffer. The lighter the car, the more noticeable this becomes, especially in the rear.

Dr Terry

springs will be at standard height with off the shelf ( twenty year old and in good nick) pedders v8 front coils and the back is still undecided.

castellan has good points about ride height, a bit higher at the back's ok but don't go to low on the front when your on dirt. clearance is the most important aspect but in saying that I don't want to be to light/bouncy on the back or i'll loose traction on a corner. I'm not talking race cars but v8,lsd and dirt in early Holdens can be an eye opener. been there done that! stiffer springs or two stage with soft first stage. which is better?

I think it's the other way round making the springs appear lighter initially, but it's all in the valving.

In my VY SS ute the second set of front shocks I went and got the original from Holden, not the ones Monroe sell to the public because I liked the valving Holden came with, not the best but ok and cheap, but when I got the next set they were Monroe GT reflex.
I hated them, it made the car feel floaty on smooth roads and going around corners made it feel like I needed a stronger sway bar at the front and when it hit a reasonable bump it was too stiff, but if you were up it then it all worked fine, so I thought I am going to toss them and go back to originals, but then I went out to the ranch that has a dirt road leading to it and I was just blown away how good they were, so I was ok with them, not to mention a real good bastard of a bitumen road driven flat out with twist and turns and big bumps up and down proved them to be real good, better than the Koni gas adjustable on compression and big dips at high speed, the problem with them Koni is as you adjust them is that you can not adjust rebound and compression separately, so it gets too stiff rebound due to the valving not being what you want it to truly be.

You can go to Holden and order std shocks at a good price but I do believe that Monroe in Australia are packing up and going to China due to when Holden and Toyota close down.