EK Wagon today

This is the state of the EK today. It was improperly stored (by me) for a couple of years and since I live close to the sea that means trouble. However, it shouldn't be too much effort to bring her back to a nice condition.

EK in garage where she's been for last 10 years. Rego is live and on hold with the original number plate.

I'm not sure what the bonnet ornament is from, I don't think it's EK original.

The surface is a bit rusty from several years of partial cover in a salty environment.

Head lining is in good nic.

Upholstery is pretty good except for the driver's seat.

Floor is rusted out on passenger's side.

I don't know what the valve radio came from originally but it used to work well.

These are the original miles.

Mechanically this car always ran sweetly. Hopefully with a bit of a service she will start up and run sweet again. Note the optional oil filter, window washer and brake booster.

EK Wagon

This EK wagon was advertised for tender from a farm at Millar's Flat. I had just sold my BSA B-44. I won the tender for $1200 and hitch hiked up there to collect. I bought it from the farmer's widow who told me how meticulously he maintained it. 80k on the clock and ran smooth and tight. I had this and the HQ and used them both pretty much daily.

I stopped driving the EK and kept it under a cover in my driveway. It wasn't properly stored and the paint suffered for it. Also the from floor rotted out under the ribber mat. Eventually it was properly garaged and I would start it up and go for a run a couple of times a year. When it refused to start about 8 years ago I just left it there and concentrated on other things.

The time has come to have a go at getting her running again. I don't intend a restoration, just some repairs and possibly a respray. In the time since I bought her old Holdens have become fewer on the road so it would be all the more enjoyable to be able to go for a slow comfortable cruise again in my EK wagon.

FC Sedan

This sedan was in pretty good nick and I intended to get it running but ended up swapping it for panelbeating on my recently returned HQ panelvan.

FC ute

Tony's HK wagon, Gibby's black HT and my FC

Midway through the front end and donkey transplant.

It ended up with a stock 202/3 speed on the floor, HR front end with HQ discs and a rear end from an HG (I think). I ran the motor with no fan and only carried a spare wheel for the front half of the vehicle. I had a pretty good trip up the west coast in her like that.

This FC ute was one of the coolest of my Holdens. I got it with a red oxide primer paintjob, wide rims and twin pipes fitted to the 132 grey motor. It was as gutless as you'd imagine but it sounded and looked great.

I set to work on it as a project one winter and with the help of my friend John installed an HR front end with HQ discs, a stock 202 and 3 speed. I think the rear end was from an HT, any way the front and rear studs didn't match so I only carried a spare wheel for the front. The engine was a tight fit against the radiator so I ran it without a fan and had no problems. Power was ample.

After a couple of years I was missing my HQ panelvan so much I swapped it back for the FC ute.

*Update* after a bout of Utelust recently I went to see the fella I swapped it back to. I was hoping he still had it and felt like selling it to me for a song. He told me he had sold it on to some young fellas who promptly wrapped it round a lamp post. He thought about buying it back in that state and went looking for it but was told it went to the crusher. Ah well... there's a lesson in that somewhere but don't ask me what it is.

HQ panelvan 2

My second HQ panelvan was originally a NZ Police telecom van. It was 202 with manual trans.

This vehicle was great! Finally I had the panelvan I wanted for traveling and sleeping in. I did a few circuits of the South Island and many runs into Central Otago.

I met this guy with some old Holdens; FX and FJ sedans  and an FC ute. I took a fancy to the ute and did a swap for the panel van. The FC ute story is the next post. After a couple of years I began to miss the traveling qualities of the panelvan and sought to swap it back. We did and I had a happy second ownership of my HQ. It came back to me lowered at the front, shod with mags and fat tyres and a rear sway bar installed. For the next few years I made good use of the road friendly campervan. Eventually, in one of those "why did I do that?" moments I sold it cheap for cash.

HQ ute

Generic HQ ute

Not a Holden.

I returned to NZ in the mid eighties and bought an HQ ute. It was white with a pinstripe, had hotwire mags and the whole front exterior was changed at some point to HJ - Nosecone, guards, bonnet. It also had a canopy and so made a useful panelvan substitute for road trips.

I have no photo of this vehicle.

It was put up for sale when I bought a 38 V8 Ford pick up.

HG wagon 2

Living in Melbourne in the early eighties I bought another HG wagon. Not a great photo but a good solid car.