U-Brock HDT Commodore wami
UJim Middleton uthi u-Commodore wakhe wayeqhutshwa isikhulu se-Holden ngaphambi kokuthi iqembu lika-Brock liyiguqule njengesibonelo.
Kuyavunywa ukuthi lonke uhlobo olukhawulelwe lwango-1980 lwe-Brock HDT Commodores lufike ngezimhlophe, ezibomvu noma ezimnyama kuphela. Kodwa uJim unombala oluhlaza, empeleni oluhlaza okotshani onamathoni amabili, athi kuyiqiniso futhi kunomlando othokozisayo.
Futhi kufanele azi, ngoba wayithola ekuqaleni eqenjini likaPeter Brock, wayithengisa, wabe eseyithenga futhi. UPeter Brock wangena ekukhiqizeni izimoto ezikhethekile ngo-1979 ngemuva kokuba uHolden eshiye phansi i-motorsport futhi wamshiya ukuthi aqhube iqembu lakhe. UBrock uqashe abathengisi be-Holden ezweni lonke, abadalele uhlelo olulinganiselwe lwe-VC Commodore.
Ngokulandelayo, ukwesekwa komthengisi kwasiza ngezimali imisebenzi yakhe yomjaho. UMiddleton uthi: “Izimoto zokuqala ezingu-500 zazibomvu, zimhlophe noma zimnyama. Kodwa futhi kwakukhona ama-prototypes amabili, okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nokuluhlaza. "
Ama-prototypes, imanuwali eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kanye ne-othomathikhi eluhlaza, bekuyimodeli yangaphambili ye-VB. “Imoto yami ingeyokuqala. Kwakungekho namagama enjini. Ayebhalwe izinombolo esiteringini. Inombolo yami ithi 001 esiteringini.”
Iqale impilo iyi-4.2 litre VB SL Commodore eluhlaza okhanyayo eyakhiwa ngoMeyi 1979. UMiddleton uthi ekuqaleni ibiqhutshwa yisikhulu se-Holden ngaphambi kokuthi iqembu lika-Brock liyithenge futhi liyiguqule njengesibonelo.
“Imoto ifike kuBrock isuka kwaGeneral Motors. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakuyimoto kaJohn Harvey (umlingani kaBrock). I-5-litre V8 HDT Commodores ithole amavalvu amakhudlwana, abasabalalisi abashintshiwe kanye nama-carburetor, umsebenzi wokumiswa, ikhithi yomzimba ehlanganisa i-spoiler yangemuva nokuklinywa ngaphambili, namasondo e-Irmscher angokwezifiso avela eJalimane nomsebenzi okhethekile wokupenda, phakathi kwezinye izinguquko.
Kulokhu, ijubane layo lifinyelele ku-0 km/h ngemizuzwana engu-100, kanti izinjini zikhiqiza amandla angu-8.4 kW ne-torque engu-160 Nm. Bathengiswa ngama- $450 (amaRandi angama-20,000 ngaphansi ngomyalelo ngamunye) futhi ngokushesha bathathwa abadlali abamagange. UMiddleton uthi izimoto manje zibiza phakathi kuka-$200 no-$70,000, futhi isibonelo sakhe esiyivelakancane singabiza imali efinyelela ku-$80,000.
UMiddleton ubesebenzela umdayisi wakwaHolden uLes Wagga ePennant Hills, eSydney, ongomunye wabathengisi be-HDT. Uthi ngo-1982, uBrock noHarvey bavakashela umdayisi besendleleni ebheke emjahweni i-Amaru Park, lapho bavumelana khona nomdayisi ukuthi adayise le modeli eluhlaza ngoba babengasayidingi. Ngaleso sikhathi, ithimba lika-Brock lalenza uhlelo olulandelayo olukhawulelwe, i-VH Commodore.
“Ngaleyo mpelasonto, ngayidayisela umngane kababa. Ngayithenga kuye ngo-August 1993." UMiddleton uthi imoto yayisihamba amakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-100,000 XNUMX ngaleso sikhathi futhi yayidinga umsebenzi othile.
“Bekuwuhlelo lokululama olunensa kakhulu emhlabeni,” usho kanje ngomsebenzi awuphothule kulo nyaka. “Bengingajahile kangako. Ngangazi ukuthi kwakuyimoto yami yokuqala. Ibinomonakalo omncane ezindaweni zokupaka izimoto. Impela bekudinga ukuhlukaniswa kuphinde kuhlanganiswe.”
UMiddleton wabe esefaka amaphaneli amasha, amafreyimu eminyango emisha, onogada abasha nesivalo esisha, futhi wabuyekeza injini nokuhanjiswa. Kulo nyaka, uwuthathe wawuyisa emcimbini weMuscle Car Masters e-Eastern Creek, lapho uHarvey ewubonile wabe esewuhambisa embukisweni.
“Wambona ngaso leso sikhathi,” kusho uMiddleton. Kule mpelasonto, cishe abanikazi be-HDT abangu-70 abavela ezweni lonke bazohlangana e-Albury ukuze bagubhe iminyaka engu-30 yezimoto embuthanweni owaziwa ngokuthi i-Brocks on the Border.
UMiddleton uthi cishe uhhafu wezimoto zokuqala ezingu-500 zisekhona. Ezinye ezingu-12 zakhiwe njengezimoto zomjaho zomjaho ophuma kanye eCalder ngokweseka i-Australian Grand Prix ka-1980. Ezinye zazo nazo zisekhona.
UMiddleton uthi kungenzeka adayise le moto, ebingakashayelwa muva nje. “Nginenhlanhla yokuhamba amakhilomitha angama-300 kuye kwangama-400 eminyakeni engu-17.”
