Last chance to bid in SEVEN82MOTORS’ September auction

Bidding for SEVEN82MOTORS’ September online stock drop auction is closing soon, so there’s only a few hours left to secure the 52 cars and 17 memorabilia items on offer, including this outstanding HDT VK SS Group A replica.

An ‘80s icon and one of the most collectable Australian-made cars of all time, the HDT VK SS Group A sedan was the result of a change in touring car regulations in 1985. When Australia adopted the international Group A category, replacing Group C, manufacturers had to produce 500 roadgoing examples in order to homologate their racer for competition. In Holden’s case, that meant a Commodore with a number of special features.

Chief among these was a V8 engine de-stroked from 5044cc to 4987cc in order to avoid a weight penalty for engines over 5.0-litre capacity. A special crankshaft was installed to shorten the stroke, but the rods, pistons and bore were unaltered. Other engine changes included a high-lift camshaft, roller rockers, a port-matched inlet manifold, double row timing chain and lighter flywheel, amongst others.

Even though the engine in its new form was closer to 5.0 litres, it was referred to as the ‘4.9’.

Matched to this, a 4-speed manual transmission was standard, with a 5-speed optional.

Firmer and lower suspension from the earlier Group 3 model was fitted, along with modified versions of that car’s grille insert and rear wing. The front airdam was all-new, but that was the extent of the body add-ons, as the Group A lacked the side skirts of previous HDT cars.

All 500 homologation cars were finished in Formula Blue (leading to the ‘Blue Meanie’ nickname), with HDT’s 16-inch Aero wheels. These were polished as standard, but could be optioned in white and/or with flush wheel nut covers fitted.

Inside, the HDT VK SS Group A featured Scheel racing seats, a Momo steering wheel and Momo gear shifter in place of the factory items. All HDT SS Group As had Cerulean (pale blue) interior trim with herringbone cloth inserts. Being based on the SS meant the Group As missed out on the better sound systems and trim of the Calais (which some Group 3 cars were based on). It also meant air conditioning was optional.

The SS Group A tribute up for auction started as a standard VK Commodore SL with the ‘134 pack’ of V8, M21 4-speed manual and 4-wheel disc brakes, so it wasn’t too far removed from a Group A to begin with. Being a November 85 build meant it also came with the 4.9-litre version of the V8, which came online from July. The VIN plate indicates it was originally painted Cerulean (a dark turquoise green), with Light Cerulean interior trim.

After being stripped back to bare metal, the car was repainted in Formula Blue, with the correct HDT bodywork and decals fitted, along with all-new rubbers. Wheels are larger, 19-inch replica HDT aero rims. The suspension was rebuilt with new springs, shocks, bushes and rubbers all round, while the factory 281mm brake discs were upgraded to larger 330mm units from an HSV VT Clubsport.

The interior was completely retrimmed, with a genuine Momo wheel and shift knob added. Upgrades included air conditioning and gas struts for the bootlid.

Under the bonnet, this car’s original ‘LV2’ 4.9 V8 was fully rebuilt, with the correct chrome air cleaner added. Less obvious changes include a 286 cam, new starter motor, alternator, water pump and 2.5-inch exhaust system. The 4-speed manual was retained for the transformation and drives the rear wheels through a 10-bolt Salisbury diff.

Finally, an all-new wiring loom was fitted, with the instrumentation professionally recalibrated, too. This suggests just over 83,500 kms have been covered since the build was completed.

An authentic, high-quality replica of a rare and highly-desirable car, bidding on this HDT VK SS Group A replica had reached $66,000 at time of writing, with only a few hours to go.

For more details on this car, click HERE.

The SEVEN82MOTORS September online auction finishes today, Monday, 11 September, with staggered closing times from 6:00PM (QLD time).

For further details on this online auction, including instructions on how to bid and more information on the other 51 vehicles and 17 memorabilia lots, click HERE.