1973 Holden HQ Kingswood from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

Starter motor failed.

Radiator needed replacing.

C.N.G. regulator leaked gas.

All these problems were easily and cheaply rectified, as parts were cheap and this car is easy to work on.

This car was an auction bargain which had obviously not recieved the care it deserved.

The 173 motor ran surprisingly well,

considering I had the automatic gearbox and always used C.N.G.

People often related horror stories about C.N.G., but with proper maintenance, I never had trouble.

The running costs were very low.

In fact, it ran more successfully on C.N.G. than many other cars seemed to.

Previously, I had used a Holden with a worked 202 motor. Although it was obviously quicker, it never idled perfectly, and fuel costs were higher.

From my experience, I would suggest that the 173 motor is a very underrated one.

Having said that, I would prefer a manual gearbox next time.

Police would often stop me for "routine" breath tests (I'm a nurse, and work odd hours).

This would amuse friends and workmates, but I wonder if other HQ drivers have the same problems.

Parting with this exceptional car was necessary, but most regretful.

Should the need arise for another work hack, I shall get another 173 HQ without any hesitation.

The Holden HQ was and still is the best classic Machine in the modern era on the road. With over 400,000 of them produced over a 4 year span no wonder it was a great car for Holden. Problems YES. Solutions YES. Worry not. It is such a pity for us HQ drivers with the HQ demolition derby/rally races. Parts and panels are slowly being eaten up by this event. Having said this if you maintain your car and give it tender loving care it will drive you in to the future with out problems. Just remember that Holden is your key to greater value.

I remember my first sight of an HQ Holden on 21 July 1971 when I got off the school bus, aged 13, to see the new model Holdens at the dealer. That was the day they were released in the town where I grew up. I can laugh at myself now, but at the time I thought they were just too beautiful to be true. Of course, that was a long time ago and I look at things differently now. I drove HQ's as taxis in the late 70's, and I owned two of my own, the first a '73 Kingswood in Champagne metallic, (otherwise known as gold), with a white roof, and the second a '74 Kingswood in silver. I think GM's name for the colour was Silver Mink. The '73 was my favourite, and it had absolutely NO options, being a 173 column-shift manual with drum brakes. It was a one-owner car, and the owner had fitted a cheap AM radio and it had radial tyres, but it had come out of the factory without a tick on the option sheet. One of the original Dunlop Guardian crossplies was in the boot, and did not appear to have seen bitumen. With 98,000 miles on the clock when I bought it, the motor did not use enough oil between changes to warranty adding any. The second one had the 202 motor with column-shift Tri-Matic and disc brakes, just like most of the taxis I had driven. By the standards of today, HQ's are pretty basic motor cars, but they were strong, durable, and probably over-engineered, and they still look good.

One thing the hQ holden was definetly not was over engineered. Under engineered and definetley not ahead of its time even in the late 70s.They had heaters fitted only because they became legislation by the time the hq was released. In base form offered no technical advances over the hg series. OK they did have coil sprung rear suspension, but even that was poorly executed even for the time. Look at the japanese cars of the time datsun 1600 for example. independant rear suspension disc brake front end over head cam light years ahead of anything holden could come up with. my first car was an hq its was well past its use by date in 1984 and even more so now. Ill stick to my vy commodore thanks.