Old Holdens

In 1963 when I was just seven years old Dad and Mum decided to update their old Vanguard with a late model Holden. This car didn't make Dad's blog page yet, but I remember it well. I recall dad often complaining about this car though and if my memory serves me well, he bought it from Richie Gunston. It was a classic model the old FB. We did at least one trip up to Sydney in that old car - possibly more. We'd go to visit Uncle Murray in Bankstown. I think there is a story somewhere of Dad having to get a new alternator for that car at Benalla on our way up to Sydney. I recall a lengthy delay and Dad being a bit upset about the whole deal. I don't know if it was the delay that upset him or the price of a new alternator having to be deducted from his holiday budget.



I don't know if Dad was influenced by his older brother Uncle Bill or not, but Uncle Bill had an FB Holden as well. His was read and white. I always remember looking at Uncle Bills car and thinking, I'd love to have a car like that one day. Uncle Bill always had great looking cars. Later he owned a nice turquoise HR Holden sedan. One day whilst staying with the Uncle Bill he actually gave me my first drive. It was across a paddock on his farm in the new HR Holden. I was wrapped!



As it turns out I did eventually get to own a number of Holden cars. The first one is in the story below and I think I only owned it for six months. My next car was another Holden that served me well. It was about a 1970 model Holden sedan and bright red in colour. I owned this car when I set off to go to college in Queensland and the old red Holden made many trips up and down the highway between Melbourne and Brisbane. It was a real work horse. I recall making one trip to Queensland on my own in old red Holden. I was towing a loaded trailer and traveling in the middle of summer with a pretty average radiator. The motor kept getting hot, and so every town I cam to I would park under a shady tree outside the local swimming pool. I would cool off in the pool and the car would cool down under the tree.