HR Holden (1966) tow capacity

[Deleted]

I am new to the forum and it has been several years since I towed a van.

I have a HR (1966) Holden 'X2' Premier sedan. 186/powerglide/disc brake front.

I am after a towing capacity for my HR, as I am in the market for a 'classic pop top'??  Any info is appreciated.  

[Mustang]

Nice Classic, how I longed for an X2 when I was on $25.00 per week!!!
I would think your car would weigh somewhere 1000 to 1300 KG , so any van up to 14 should be OK.
Lighter the better for your fuel, keeping in mind a 49 yo car.

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2015 0:22:19 GMT 10 @neathr said:

I am new to the forum and it has been several years since I towed a van.

I have a HR (1966) Holden 'X2' Premier sedan. 186/powerglide/disc brake front.

I am after a towing capacity for my HR, as I am in the market for a 'classic pop top'??  Any info is appreciated.  

Welcome to the forum neathr,



I looked up your vehicle spec's HERE and it states your HR weighs around 1217kgs. Most "classic pop tops" weigh well under 1200kgs so as long as you have the correct towbar fitted you should have no issues towing up to 1000kgs above that and you will need a heavy duty bar custom make I would think.

Cheers

[Deleted]

mustang & lockyer; thanks for your information.  I'll take it on board when searching for a classic pop top!

Cheers 

[doublechevron]

How would you go towing with a 2spd powerglide? I could just see me driving to the top of the hill at the end of my street.... 1 ton'ish of caravan swing off the back .... foot to the floor, tranny in it's amazingly high 1st gear unable to get the car and caravan moving off the line ...

I have never driven one though, I know there good for huge power, the old 186 isn't going to put out large capacity V8 like torque at idle speeds to get you moving though... Does the powergluide have a idler gear to initially get you moving if your heavy?

It's the weight hanging down the hill that gets you .... when I tow my car trailer, I drop the old 4wd into low range at the top of the hill so I can get all the mass moving without burning the clutch out.

seeya,
Shane L.

[bobt]

my folks use to tow a 14' foot franklin from Melbourne to Rockhampton December January every year, each year it was a different car but they were mostly holdens FC, EJ, EH, HD the last time I went with them was in the VC Valiant.. 3 were autos. We always got there and back ok..

[doublechevron]

Oct 5, 2015 21:31:27 GMT 10 bobt said:

my folks use to tow a 14' foot franklin from Melbourne to Rockhampton December January every year, each year it was a different car but they were mostly holdens FC, EJ, EH, HD the last time I went with them was in the VC Valiant.. 3 were autos. We always got there and back ok..

Were they powergluides though?  I'm just wondering how you go moving off the line if you have to come to a stop on a steep hill.......  Are they a 2spd with a 3rd idler gear just to get you moving ?

seeya,
Shane L.

[planner]

Oct 5, 2015 21:31:27 GMT 10 bobt said:

my folks use to tow a 14' foot franklin from Melbourne to Rockhampton December January every year, each year it was a different car but they were mostly holdens FC, EJ, EH, HD the last time I went with them was in the VC Valiant.. 3 were autos. We always got there and back ok..

We never travelled that far, but dad owned different holdens (FJ, FE, FC, EK, HR, HK, HG & HZ) that all towed either vans or speedboats.
The HZ was a 3 speed auto, the others I don't know what the transmissions were. What I do recall was dad's brother, who was a Holden mechaninc, telling him that a transmission cooler should be fitted when towing (He also owned a long line of Holdens, and towed with them).

[bobt]

Were they powergluides though? I'm just wondering how you go moving off the line if you have to come to a stop on a steep hill....... Are they a 2spd with a 3rd idler gear just to get you moving ?

Hey Shane. The HD was auto so too the VC can tell you the HD was the bog standard 179... I remember that badge and wished it was the X2, as for a 3 speed or 2 speed.. sorry I dont recall, the ol man does not remember either, to him an old car is one that has run out of warranty. The VC was a 3 speed auto with the 225 slant 6. It was fast... except once we were overtaken by a Chev towing a caravan.. (The ol man was most indignant)

[planner]

Oct 7, 2015 22:58:28 GMT 10 bobt said:

.....The HD was auto so too the VC can tell you the HD was the bog standard 179... I remember that badge and wished it was the X2, as for a 3 speed or 2 speed.. sorry I dont recall, the ol man does not remember either .....

If the HD was an auto, it was a powerglide. 3 speed autos weren't available until the TriMatic in the HG 1970.

[Deleted]

We used to tow an old 16' bondwood caravan up the Clyde Mountain to Canberra. Us six kids and Mum would get out at the bottom of the climb, while Dad dragged it up the hill, parked and unhitched it, before coming back and picking us up. Then he hitched it back up and away we'd go. That was with an EJ wagon. Different times, no seatbelts, no aircon and plenty of time.

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2015 0:22:19 GMT 10 @neathr said:

I am new to the forum and it has been several years since I towed a van.

I have a HR (1966) Holden 'X2' Premier sedan. 186/powerglide/disc brake front.

I am after a towing capacity for my HR, as I am in the market for a 'classic pop top'??  Any info is appreciated.  

That is one extremely Rare car wow my brother had a HD X2 auto sedan which was a 179 with twin carbs then got a HR premier 4 speed manual sedan which was a 186 S with a dual throat carby , back then Holdens were Holdens   I must admit I have never seen or heard of a HR 186 X2   The 186 S could go ok as when I got my XR GT Falcon in '67 older bro used to give me a run for my money till I got used to the @#$%%^^ gearbox especially reverse with the lift up lever to open the gate   . Brother got a 327 HT monaro then so in '70 I updated to a XW GTHO phase 11 which cost me then $4729   and then it was a non contest once more   loved that car and owned it for 40 years crap to drive around town but would make a jelly fish hard just sitting there attempting to idle LMAO 

[shaneandsimoen]

We have a 1967 HR Premier sedan auto that we plan to get rust removed and resprayed after Christmas. Blue with white roof. Looking for both front guards as the ones on car are very rusty at the bottom behind front wheels.
If any one has or knows of any guards please let me know.
Thanks Shane

[murray]

Aug 12, 2016 10:06:35 GMT 10 shaneandsimoen said:

We have a 1967 HR Premier sedan auto that we plan to get rust removed and resprayed after Christmas. Blue with white roof. Looking for both front guards as the ones on car are very rusty at the bottom behind front wheels.
If any one has or knows of any guards please let me know.
Thanks Shane

Shane,
You could post this on the vintage caravan forum
There are a few owners here

[atefooterz]

I found some good info but not about the gearbox, another chat on wiki shows the "Powerglide" automatic .
HR X2  

The engine is a modified 186 with a max power output of 145 bhp at 4600 rpm and gross torque of 184 lb ft at 2200 rpm. The engine is painted deep rocket red with a transfer saying Holden-186-X2 on the rocker cover.
The engine number starts with 186 and the letter K.
The engine mods are Improved material crankshaft bearings Ie Trimetal high lead base babbitt electroplated on aluminum alloy bonded to steel back. Moraine-400.
Redesigned cam with increased overlap and opening period. The listed cam specs are In opens 43 deg BTC. In closes 83 deg ABC. Ex opens 78 deg BBC. Ex closes 48 deg ATC. Aluminium alloy water heated wider twin carby inlet manifold.
Twin exhaust manifolds.

An interesting fact about racers liking this 1950s designed reliable transmission "Currently Robert Campisi from Australia holds the World Record for the fastest run using a Powerglide transmission, clocking 5.95s at 260 mph in his Twin Turbo Ford Mustang in September 2011"

Viscount1980 that sounds like a grey 138 donk to me! My first car was a 149 EH sedan then went to a 179 EH waggon and was amazed at the increase in useable power, both 3 on the tree, no syncro on 1st gear & take offs in 2nd, rather than mad double shuffling for 1st gear on the 149 or risk a stall!