Gudday Jerry,
The HOLDEN V8 is a 100% Australian designed and made Small block V8 that is found only in this country.
In the early 60's GMH ( General Motors Holden ) did not have a locally designed V8 engine as an option for it's locally produced vehicles.
F%#@D had it's imported American variant vehicles in the market running 289 and later 302, 351 cu. in. small block Windsor engines to which GMH had no local rival.
The first HOLDEN V8 vehicles ran imported Chev 307, 327 and 350 cu. in. Chev engines while General Motors Holden researched and designed their own locally produced V8 engines.
This resulted in the first all Aussie 4.2 Litre, 253 cu.in. V8 being introduced in 1969, followed by the upgraded 5.0 litre 308 cu.in. V8 in 1970.
These engines are unique to GMH Australia.
The stock 5.0 litre 308 was rated at 185 kilowatts.
The 4.2 litre 253 was around 145 kilowatts.
The exciting thing about the 308 engines, even to this day, is that they will way out-perform a stock 5.7 litre 350 Chev V8 engine in almost every application.
This had to happen for Holden Australia to justify to GM America the cost of r&d, tooling and production of a completely one off motor specific to one vehicle in one country.........something that would never be approved in this day and age!
I'm not sure how to post a picture of one, so I have uploaded some photos onto my PHOTOBUCKET site that you can suss out for yourself.
If you want any more info, Google some details and see what you come up with.
Last edited by doc bob; 06/27/2008 5:03 PM.
