Used Holden HDT Commodore Review: 1980
When Peter Brock started manufacturing special vehicles in 1980, he could not have imagined that 25 years later this would have an impact on the local automotive business. Brock acknowledges that he used the Shelby Mustang in the US and AMG in Germany as models for his HDT Special Vehicles, which in turn modeled for the Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Vehicles that followed and prospered.
The first special edition was the VC HDT Commodore released in 1980 to great fanfare. Being a first in the genre, it is now a classic that is rising in price.
watch model
As with the operations he imitated, Brock's assignment was simple. He took the stock VC Commodore and modified it to improve its performance and road holding without sacrificing ADR compliance.
He chose the top of the VC Commodore SL/E range, which had already borne fruit, the perfect base for Brock to build a European-style high-performance sports sedan that was comfortable, yet handled well and looked sexy.
It was already equipped with Holden's 308 cubic inch (5.05 liter) V8 engine, but Brock and his team designed it and installed larger valves that improved the performance of the standard V8. They also installed a heavy duty air cleaner taken from a Chevy and added an air intake to improve its breathing. It was fitted with a factory Holden dual exhaust system.
With Brock's mods on board, the Holden V8 produced 160kW at 4500rpm and 450Nm at 2800rpm, allowing it to hit 100km/h in 8.4 seconds and sprint 400 meters from standstill in 16.1 seconds. Brock offered a choice of a Holden four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic, and a limited-slip differential was standard.
Down below, Brock really worked his magic, installing beefed up and lowered springs and Bilstein gas shocks for a lower stance and vastly improved handling. German 15-inch Irmscher alloy wheels and 60-series Uniroyal tires completed the "grip and movement" picture.
A sports car needs a sporty look, and Brock gave it a serious cosmetic look in the form of a fiberglass body kit with fender flares, a front spoiler and a rear wing. The colors were white, back and red, and the packaging was completed with wild red, black and white racing stripes on the sides.
Inside, Brock improved the interior of the SL/E by adding a signed Momo steering wheel, a custom shift knob and a driver's footrest. It doesn't sound so special today, but in 1980 there was nothing like it.
He built 500 VC HDT Commodores. He probably didn't think it would last, but his special HDTs were a sensation that lasted until 1987. Today HSV builds special Holden, FPV builds Ford. It is unlikely that they would have existed if Brock had not needed funding for his racing team.
In the shop
When choosing a VC HDT Commodore, it's important to remember that the foundation is strictly Holden, so the major mechanical components are relatively easy to find for replacements, as well as easy to repair or service. Check for special Brock components, branded steering wheel, Irmscher alloys, high performance air cleaner.
When Brock built these VCs, the body kits were rough and ready. Unlike today's body kits, which are made of durable material to withstand impact and sit well, the old body kits were made of fiberglass, didn't take impact well, and didn't fit well. Check body kit components such as wheel arch extensions for cracks around attachment points and deformation between attachment points.
Crash time
Don't expect airbags in the VC Commodore, they weren't installed. ABS was not an option, but it did have XNUMX-wheel rims, rack and pinion steering, and suspension tuned by Brock.
VC HDT BROCK COMMODORE 1980
Rumbling V8 exhaust sound
Availability of special Brock parts
High fuel consumption
High performance
Comfortable ride
encouraging appeal
Possibility of increasing the cost
Rating
15/20 Beautiful classic Australian Brock-branded sports sedan that could go up in price.
