Holden snubs Canberra

[RodneyHZ253]

I saw a dealer confidential letter a few weeks ago stating FPV will be made defunct in 2014 and the XR8 will be re-released as a NA engine, not one with a pump on it. Late 2014 it stated.

Problem with the XR6 and XR6 turbo is the GCM is 4395kg and 4425kg respectively. Using the XR6 turbo with 2300kg tow package on it as an example:

XR6 turbo auto kerb mass is 1815kg
Subtract 1815kg (kerb mas) and 2300kg (trailer atm) from 4425kg = 310kg.

Then subtract towball weight from the 310kg, towball weight will be around 200kg min with a 2300kg trailer wheel load:

= 110kg.

I weigh more than 110kg, so I can't drive the car.

3/4 tonne suspension increases the GCM by about 200kg which would do it for me.
1 tonne suspension increases the GCM by just under 500kg.

So ideally i'd want the XR6 turbo with at least 3/4 tonne suspension, add the XR pack and the 19" wheels & tyres would still be within load limit. But Ford have so far said no. Next option is to buy the XR6 cab chassis with LPi engine which comes with 1-tonne suspension, BUT they won't do it with an XR pack (leather trim, sat-nav, dual zone climate air, reverse camera etc), they can keep the 19" wheels from the XR pack and leave the load rated 16" ones on it.

Ok let's try it this way for my ute to bring shorns van home from Canberra
Xr6 kerb mass 1815 kgs
2people 220 kgs
Tow ball mass 100kgs
So laden vehicle mass is 2135
Trailer mass 620 kgs
Van kerb mass around 1550 kg
So trailer total mass is 2170kgs less the 100 kgs that is Loaded on the ute equals 2070
So GCM is 2135 plus 2070 equals 4205 kgs giving us 195kgs up or sleeve

So in the above example behind my ute I can carry 1745 kgs on my trailer behind my ute with two people an no luggage
Trailer is ele brakes and has gvm of 2500kgs

Hope this all marks sense

[Taily]

Byron, there is a 2300kg towing pack available for our FG XR50T sedan which doesn't include rear springs, so would think the ute would be a similar proposition? A couple of things I would do with it though is the PBR upgrade on the brakes and a reputable brand tranny cooler (avoid the milkshake and yet not change the shift pattern/response).

Oh, and a small tune... Well worth the dollars!

[HK1837]

Makes sense Rod, but I need the full 2300kg which is actually the trailer GTM not trailer ATM. Trailer ATM is the wheel load plus the towball load. Vehicles can tow a trailer with 2300kg on the wheels and say 200kg on the towball. If you drove the trailer onto a weighbridge and disconnected it so it sat on its wheels and jockey wheel it'd be 2500kg which is the ATM. A vehicle's towing capacity is the GTM.

So to do it that way:

XR6 auto kerb is 1770kg (5kg more for auto), plus 2500kg is 4270kg. GCM is 4395kg, leaving me 125kg for me (which I basically use), not even room for a toolbox, can of Coke etc. Even if I was to get super fit again i'm still 112-115kg as i'm 6'5", even when I was 18 and playing comp basketball and super fit I was about 108kg! The XR6T is worse, final figure is 110kg.

I want a tray back, and i'd probably put a hydraulic tipper mech on it too. I was looking at the XR6T because of the torque (533nM at 2000rpm). If I went NA i'd get the LPi engine (straight LPG) in an XR6 cab chassis, automatically comes with 1-tonne suspension. But, Ford won't allow me to option the XR pack (minus wheels) with the cab chassis and that is a deal breaker for me. So I was trying to get them to sell me an XR6T auto with 3/4 tonne suspension.

Here is the tipper mech, you can see the Falcon specific kit on the second page:
http://www.goughtransport.com.au/pub...ges/qt_kit.pdf

Here is some info on definitions and legal stuff:

http://www.towingguide.com.au/content/definitions.html

[HK1837]

Byron, there is a 2300kg towing pack available for our FG XR50T sedan which doesn't include rear springs, so would think the ute would be a similar proposition? A couple of things I would do with it though is the PBR upgrade on the brakes and a reputable brand tranny cooler (avoid the milkshake and yet not change the shift pattern/response).

Oh, and a small tune... Well worth the dollars!

Dave as above, you can get a 2300kg package on all of the Falcon utes. But they also have a specified GCM (Gross Combined Mass = vehicle + trailer + vehicle load (which includes towball load)). When you take the vehicles GVW + 2300kg + towball weight, I am left in some cases with not enough weight to carry me! With 3/4 tonne or 1-tonne suspension the GCM is increased.

[Taily]

Ahhhh, I see what you're saying about the suspension.... The torque figure is constant, which doesn't take into account overboost, which bumps it up another 50 odd NM for around 7-10 seconds when needed.

[Alien DNA]

And here it is :(

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/busi...1226777543232#

Detroit decides: Holden will close

"The Detroit-based motor giant, which had planned to announce the closure yesterday, granted Holden a last-minute reprieve after deciding it didn't want to book the cost of the closure in this quarter's financial results."


http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/hol...0849--spt.html

Holden closure: Kim Carr says documents show company can be saved for $150m per year

[husky srt]

The only way that Ford or Holden can remain in Australia is to stop the import of all these cheap sh*t Chinese/ Korean, ect poor excuse for a vehicle, that continually flood into the country. I saw in the paper the other day that they are importing another piece of crap from India, when is it going to stop? Australians have got to stop being tight arses and support what is manufactured here, instead of trying to save a few dollars by buying overseas sh*t that is inferior and not designed to last. Thats my rant.

[Big Rob]

Holden and Ford would still be in good shape these days if they stopped trying to bring out a new model car with a bunch of crap in it that most people don't need or want every year or so.

Seriously, we are all driving 30+ year old vans with bugger-all in the way of accessories compared to modern cars and LOVING it.

I for one don't want or need a reverse camera, or parking assist, or a touchscreen that controls the whole car, or traction control, or 20 airbags or the million other stupid gimmicks that people are TOLD they need.

If Holden and Ford had never stopped building spare parts for early cars they would be in a much healthier state. (Ask Rare Spares!)

I point-blank refuse to buy one of these ridiculous excuses for a car that are being sold now by ANYONE.

Old stuff is Cool and I'll see my time on this earth out in one (or more).

[SLR_dave]

Definitely take all these media reports with a grain of salt……just look where they are coming from - ABC and fairfax. Blind Freddy can see these two media houses are now socialist heavy organisations, and ever since the federal election they have made Abbot bashing a national sport. We only need to look at the Indo spy non-sense, and many other hysterical stories that originate from Fairfax and ABC to see this. Their aim is to create as many headaches as possible for the new government because they simply don't agree with the Liberal Party ideals. I feel confident the current government will keep Holden going in Australia, and if the dollar keeps falling I would say it's a certainty. Don't forget, they also produce vehicles for over seas markets still, which may end up being the bread and butter.
Also I have connections close to GM-H who will know for sure, so as I get any updates I will post them.
Meanwhile, tell everyone who buys a Korean, German, Chinese or Japanese car they are hurting Australias economy.

I reckon can go a bit stronger, ask em they if they have investigated how much of the car they are buying has been made using slave labour.

[wbute]

Part of the problem has to be the Commodore. It was past its usebuy date ten years ago. They needed to focus on a smaller car and a proper 4WD like the Prado. You don't see anyone driving a Commodore west of the mountains in NSW and you see very few driving them in Sydney either.
Labour price has cost all Australians our manufacturing industry. That's why I went mining. To pay to run my business. Now that's reverse of how it should be.
China has us just where they need us. We depend on them to keep our economy going. Disposable income being used on Chinese imports. We are all guilty of that one.
Then you can get deeper into the problem of a totally financially driven government system. Most first world government are like this. Look at how little infrastructure is built now compared to 100 and even 50 years ago. Government used to represent the populations interest. Now they focus on short term financial gain.