What is a Monaro? I have one that arrived here on Saturday and it is an alloy high arch full crank, but I'm sure I have seen a Powertorque with a Monaro sticker on it. Boy did they use a lot of different stickers on the Powertorques over the years, somebody must have had a full time job just dreaming up new names all the time
G'day folks, The 'Monaro' mowers were not actually a model in the main 'Victa' range, but seem to be one of Victa's many 'storebrand' series of mowers, so labelled for a retailer buying group called 'NARTA'. The earlier ones had 'Made exclusively for NARTA by Victa Ltd' on the deck decal.
We haven't been able to identify what 'NARTA' stands for, but one of their retailers was the Young's department store chain in the Southern NSW/ACT region. Some of their 1970's ads are available through the NLA's Trove archive; http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110602591?
Cheers, Gadge
"ODK Mods can explain it to you, but they can't understand it for you..."
"Crazy can be medicated, ignorance can be educated - but there is no cure for stupid..."
I remember this daft lotteries ad featuring a guy replacing an HT like the one at the top with one of those insipid modern Commodore based ones. Even then, I thought it should have been the reverse. Gadge, that's very interesting. I have a feeling it is the same story with the low arch Victa Commodore from around the same period. I, personally don't go for the Monaro's styling with it's wierd cowl, red base and the slab sided style thumb latch catcher. But evidently, it sold well as I have come across many examples in the past. One thing I'll say in favour of the the Monaro type catcher, is they seem to have been the least prone to cracking. This topic has an older Monaro with no specific Victa label and showing the NARTA name. I wonder why they disguised it as a full Victa model later on? https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...victa-monaro-new-addition.html#Post88395
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Thanks BB, I did in my younger days have a 307 HK Monaro and my son had an HQ 2 door and an HJ 2 door both of which I spent million hours on the bodywork replacing rust sections and damaged pannels. Still a few bits kicking around here, I think there is probably a pair of HQ Coupe doors in the back shed
I could have acquired the green Brougham as seen in Dirty Deeds starring Brian Brown, Toni Collette, Sam Worthington and John Goodman. It was out the front of a house in Sydney's Northern Suburbs for just under $5000 in the early 2000s. Imagine what it would be worth now. Also had a chance to get a beautiful well cared for XY Fairmont with 4.1l six from a Ford dealership around the same period. Asking price? $7000
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
A lot of iconic models that plenty still remember have virtually disappeared and become curiosities now. They were the last to have steel bumpers and were from a very interesting and revolutionary time in our history.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
BB the HK I had was a silver mink 307 GTS great car I put new rear quarters in it,, got them for about $15 each from memory and then traded it is on an SS Torana for the missus and I was happy with the fact I got $1000 for it as a trade in. Then I sold the SS about ten years ago for $500. Couple of dumb mover there but live moves on
If we all had a Crystal Ball then we'd all be millionaires wouldn't we ?
I just cringe when I remember all the HK,T,G parts I threw out as they were just common things that wouldn't wear out in a 100 years, now those bits fetch around $150 each, unbelievable ! and don't start me on HQ, with the 467,000 Taxi cabs built and now for a flogged out 202 Trimatic Kingswood full of rust you can easily pay $6000.
25 years ago you couldn't find a hole big enough to bury them all in.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
In 1993 I was offered a beautiful straight looking silver 1980 CM Valiant Regal with an unusual dark blue cloth trim for $200 with a blown engine. I was a poor student with no driver's licence. I have never seen one with that blue trim since. I remember finding an HK taillight in a council curbside collection pile in the early 2000s and just placing it back on the pile!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
HQ was an amazing bit of engineering the entire front clip could be removed and replaced as a complete unit (guards,nose cone and bonnet) in a very short time because the entire unit was held on by half a dozen bolts, once you knew where they were it was dead easy, in fact my son knew of a WB Statesman that was parked on the nature strip outside a blokes house and when he came out in the morning the whole front clip had been stolen and nobody saw anything, that is how simple it was.
^ Which is why I'm glad I've got a Fairlane with 302 V8!! The closest I have come to Holden ownership was my 1995 Buick 3800 powered Toyota Lexcen on LPG.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!