Air Cleaner Decal

**Valencia** · 22-01-2014, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Innuendo

You talkin' them chrome wire spoke wheels?

That used to rust if you didnt keep on top of the polishing of them

**stickthis** · 30-01-2014, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Absinth

Red - HZ & 5.0 Litre ...... HZ
Red - GMH & 5.0 Litre ...... VB Commodore
Blue - GMH & 5.0 Litre ..... WB & VC/VH Commodore

Red decal on red motor, blue decal on blue motor. No blue motor in HZ....

Sorry for the delay. Yes Sean has this above 100% correct.

**Nocturne** · 01-03-2014, 10:05 AM

Here's a couple of late HZs that look original (GMH decal)

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/petri...dan/1039535317

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kyogl...gon/1039844083

$_20-21.JPG

$_20-14.JPG

**Absinth** · 11-11-2015, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Nocturne

Here's a couple of late HZs that look original (GMH decal)

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/petri...dan/1039535317

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kyogl...gon/1039844083

$_20-21.JPG

$_20-14.JPG

Old post resurrection .......

an old saying in the resto business when it comes to original looking parts.... How do you tell the difference between a 40 year old part and a 30 year old part?

having said that... HZ and Commodore were built alongside each other in 78 and 79... The engines were the same in both... Those air cleaners look original because they probably are original... To a VB Commodore! Someone has simply put a VB Commodore air cleaner in a HZ, or possibly put a VB engine in a HZ as a replacement.

back in the day GEM replacement engines were a big business... Rebuilt engines from other cars available for immediate exchange for your worn out engine. My HJ Sandman has a GEM exchange 308 in it from a HQ that looks totally original to the car....

**Taily** · 11-11-2015, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Absinth

Old post resurrection .......

an old saying in the resto business when it comes to original looking parts.... How do you tell the difference between a 40 year old part and a 30 year old part?

having said that... HZ and Commodore were built alongside each other in 78 and 79... The engines were the same in both... Those air cleaners look original because they probably are original... To a VB Commodore! Someone has simply put a VB Commodore air cleaner in a HZ, or possibly put a VB engine in a HZ as a replacement.

back in the day GEM replacement engines were a big business... Rebuilt engines from other cars available for immediate exchange for your worn out engine. My HJ Sandman has a GEM exchange 308 in it from a HQ that looks totally original to the car....

Good point about the model of aircleaner but GEM, Higginbottom's etc only ever did long or short engines which never included the accessories/manifolds etc, only ever the 'painted' bits (sump to rocker covers). The mechanic would remove and strip the engine down to a core, which would go back to the remanufacturer while the replacement engine would be dressed and refitted using the original inlet manifold/carby/exhaust manifold/water pump/alternator etc. Not sure what happened in other states but would imagine it was a similar process.

**Absinth** · 11-11-2015, 08:53 AM

You are correct on the long and short exchange engines Taily, I wasn't insinuating GEM engines were a complete exchange engine including accessories when mentioning my Sandman engine. It was obviously and exchange engine done early in the life of my 75 HJ and with all the HJ engine accessories installed on it it looks original to the car which it obviously is not. It was meant to be a example of "just because it looks original to the car doesn't mean it is"

**Taily** · 11-11-2015, 09:48 AM

All good. You'd be surprised how many people thought they were getting a complete engine with new carby, alternator, starter motor, aircon pump etc - all the stuff that (if it had to be warranted) would have doubled the cost of the job!

**Nocturne** · 11-11-2015, 03:10 PM

Hi Absinth;

I have a 1979 HZ so I have an interest in this subject! I have noticed the earlier '77/'78 ones that I have looked at generally have "HZ" decal, whereas the latter ('79/'80) ones have the GMH decal. I suspect that they changed around the Commodore release (along with colour and trim changes), but I can't prove it :(

**stickthis** · 11-11-2015, 10:17 PM

Ok. I have found some info on this subjust recently also. There is a 1979 HZ sedan. One owner. In the birdwood museum at the moment. Im chatting to the owners as id like to crawl under, over and take some photos. It has the GMH top on the air cleaner.

So this is quite possible!

**Absinth** · 12-11-2015, 03:43 PM

All I know is back in 1982 my best mate had a 79 HZ Kingswood sedan that had HZ 4.2 Litre on the air cleaner and I had a 79 VB SL Commodore sedan that had GMH 4.2 Litre on the air cleaner. If HZ did get the Commodore decal it must have been near the end of production.