This Holden ute is 60 years old this year, and beyond its age there are some pretty interesting things about this ute, having a mix of period accessories and a couple of modifications that make me wonder what the story is…
The canopy (aka cap or topper) looks like one that would have been offered commercially in period; you sometimes see examples that are clearly home-made. Roof racks like this would have also been typical for a vehicle used by a tradesman or similar.
The side flash is not typical for a ute, and further not typical for any Holden. The upper chrome strip is from the higher trim Special, but the other pieces are custom. The blue-dot accessory lamps aren’t unusual, but having them for headlights is! Cragar chrome wheels are a 1960-70s custom staple of course.
But I wonder why there are ‘slapper’ bars on the rear axle, which are used to improve traction for drag racing or similar – so presumably this ute is running something much more potent than the 1930’s-tech 138 ci Grey motor! A ‘red’ motor (the Holden 6-cyl used from 1963-81) can be modified to make up to 400 hp or so (although it would not be very nice on the street by that point!), or it could have a V8 dropped in there.
Certainly something a little out of the ordinary, and a real mix of styles or influences.
Old street-finds like this are captivating. To this Yank the front looks like a cross between a 55 Chevrolet and a 55 Chrysler. It surely has a story to tell.
I’ve seen that style of side trim in period, so I suspect it was an aftermarket accessory, possibly offered through dealers. A ute wouldn’t have had that ornament on the hood either, and that Holden lion badge on the grille is another dealer accessory, not commonly seen these days. Quite some find!
It’s wee over-dressed for my tastes (“Grandma, nice makeup, but, um, do you think those hotpants are a little small for you now?”), as a ute never looked like this in period, having at most the sun-bonnet. I mean, an internal venetian? But I reckon you’re right, and there’s a good deal more than grey power under the hood. And the mags show so much light front and back that it’s likely the Nicoderm tin brake drums are now discs.
Must admit to a special fascination with old cars that still wear the original plates, especially a hard-grafting ute. 60 years old and never been off the road! These doo-dads on it look more like a ’70’s mild hotrod stuff to me, particularly the wing mirrors which just wouldn’t be fitted today. So my theory is a ute that had a kind working life, was mildly rodded and modded by a hairy ’70’s yoof, and still wears that facelift, slighty sagging, as it is driven by an inheritor in old age.
I reckon you are spot on about the modified in the 60s-70s idea.
All that gingerbread is just gilding the FC lily. Canopy fits nicely though
I’d bet on a red six under bonnet meaning a HR front axle to get discs probably the whole steering assembly and rear axle from a HR just because its the newest model that still bolts into early model Holdens, Less crap tacked on would be ideal and wide steelies suit them better than the 14s its shod with and bogging over door rust always comes off from moisture inside the doors, overall a nice ute and a model I usually like.
Pay up buddy that’s my dads car and that ain’t true wrong more than once complete lh a9x front axle the rear axle isn’t even Holden and it’s got discs all round and few cylinders short in your power plant bet don’t worry lots of people think they know more about the Ute than my Dad although what would he know he’s only had it for 20 years
If this Ute is an especially rare or unusual model, then I would agree it shouldn’t be gussied up. Otherwise, why not? It’s obviously a fun toy rather than a collector car. I think what he’s done is collect all the trim bits and pieces that fit without altering the car and applied them them all.
So, sure, grandma never dressed like a hooker, if you took everything in her portmanteau and put it all one her at once, well, you’d get a portmanteau look.
As for the wheels, I’d have probably done widened rims with trim rings and dog dishes, but I have trouble disliking Cragars. They seem to work on almost any car.
Make your own damn assumptions on how my grandma dressed, and anyway, hell, we all have to make a living.
No, this FC ute isn’t especially rare, though unrusted(ish) and with 1958/9 plates, it’s getting there. I’m quite sure the gingerbread bits were it’s ’70’s life now preserved, and thus it has a uniqueness of its own.
Cragars were fitted to every second hotted-up car here in that period (possibly why the perception they work on almost any car, given they were damn-near all thus outfitted) but I too would prefer some cat dishes (the 13inch original of dog dishes for an FC couldn’t possibly sustain a dog).
Btw, leave me granny alone, and anyway, if I choose to wear her stuff entire, that’s MY business.
Cat dishes… excellent!
Let me use it in a sentence.
“Grandma should wear high-heeled “cat dishes” instead of sneakers, to go with that dress.”
[ Quote from J. Baum’s Holden Ute In My Arms, Pimpin-Grannie publishers, 2018 ]
Oh, well done!
Id love to bring that to a show and confuse the hell out of everyone.
Oi that’s my dads car he drove me to gymnastics in it no big deal 🙄💅