Man And Machine - HQ Factory 350 Statesman

A fully restored HQ Factory 380 Statesman a very rare collectors item. Watch the entire show on 4ME.net

[@jgsheehan8810]

I love that it is a 350 with column auto. Beautiful.

[@DodgyBrothersEngineering]

Don't know what you are getting so excited about. I owned one, and chopped it up to use the parts in my HQ coupe. Performance was nothing to write home about, and it would be flat out beating most modern 4 cylinders.

[@darrylmackie9184]

Nice car BUT Sutton's in Sydney had a 454 with a 4 speed box, factory plated.That is rare.

[@dougcox3990]

My dad bought a factory 350 Statesman in Townsville around 1980. Bought it for $1500. Was red with white vinyl roof and interior as this one except Dad's had full console and T-bar shifter. He always regretted selling it. I had the pleasure of driving it sometimes. Didn't know at the time how uncommon they were.

[@Jo_Wardy]

No matter what cars today Can never be as good as cars of yesteryear. This would be epic to own. I wish i could own a 70s car. I wouldn't baby it like alot of retro car owners I'd drive it everyday like they did in the 70s to the shops and work and to mates places everywhere as my only car.

[@karlwills3549]

drowned out with music as soon as the 350 is turned over ,unbelievable ?

[@stephensmith1794]

I had one of these in the 80’s. Chateau Mauve metallic same as this with a 308... watching this thinking of the beast. She went to the great freeway in the sky 😢

[@jamesmcgowen1769]

Stephen smith Awe, this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone mention Chateau Mauve. My dad ordered a special build HQ Prem in that colour from Saville Bros at Arncliffe, in Sydney. 253 trimatic colomn with ‘ bone ‘ vinyl. Bench seat front, no air con, no frills, but it was a bullet proof reliable car. Used to see it years later with the same rego plates parked around Sydney airport still going. GBX - 076.

[@ACDZ123]

I bet guiseppe (joe) in Adelaide wishes he could have the purple statesmen back now 😉

[@jkmsaturn]

The epitome of Holden in the 70's. Have are really gotten that much better since this time?

[@deborahflint5164]

Saw my first 350 motor in a metallic green HQ Kingswood ute in 1973 at Kadina SA . The ute had the Statesman front and GTS Guards. I use to dream of owning that ute someday ,but the guy traded it for a Torana. Something about HQs.

[@professorpatpending8731]

Jack Wrestall at Reg Hunt Rhodes Motors had one of these back in 1976. His was a 1971 DeVille with turquoise paint and white roof. Lots of laughs with you Jack. RIP.

[@JSDesign.Hongkong]

What a pleasure to see one of these again; they're almost always tarted up by boy racers or happy hands at home. Not this one, though: it's as spot on as can be. Well done!

[@winkyboy97]

I wouldn't know where to start. Great work.

[@Jeremy-uy3dr]

Absolutely amazing! An iconic 70's car with those classic touches like wood trims and ivory interior. I am guessing a car of this caliber would fetch around AUD $40k ?? I'd buy it!

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Beautiful looking car. Beautiful restoration. For some reason Holden cars were never imported to North America, which is unfortunate. We need cars that can withstand Australian road conditions without falling apart. Some of our roads are worse than others. You want something that is comfortable enough to want to drive all day, and yet is durable enough to withstand anything you can do with it.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Were they? I've seen the current Chevy SS Caprice. I've seen it used as a police car.

[@petergoodwin2465]

They were very good cars , even the 308 was a good engine. Holden got it right Holden has built some terrible shit heaps but when they build a good car they really excell . Ive worked on thousands of cars but those old statsmens are beautiful. Not bad coming from a Mopar guy.

[@cheamalsteen1889]

Very nice. I had a factory 350, but mine was metallic grey, man i would love to have that car these day.

[@area51isreal71]

I never actually got why the Ford Fairlane gave the Statesman such a flogging on the sales charts. I always thought that The Statesman was a far better looking car with a much nicer interior, dashboard in particular.

[@herbnalis3723]

That was because of the Holden Brougham. People wrongly thought that the 1st Statesman wasn't a long wheelbase.

[@bradnz3258]

Thats beautiful.

[@marksmyth3223]

HQ Statesman 350 Engine Code was "AU". How patriotic.:)

[@saggo1712]

What a beautiful car.

[@2DogsVlogs]

I nearly bought an HJ with an original 350. 1 owner but at $5k and need a $15k resto didn't think it was worth it. I didn't even know the HJ came out with the 350 but there it is.

[@professorpatpending8731]

HJ models did not come with the 350 V8. The 308 was the largest Cubic inch engine made. It must have been special order but doubtful. do the numbers match?

[@2DogsVlogs]

Numbers did match. Yes it was a special order DeVille with the power window option also selected. Everything else was standard, even the hubcaps.

[@damiansteele9546]

I have a mate at work here in NZ who recently purchased an HJ Chevrolet Statesman Caprice, rego’d in Nov 1976, it has a 350 in it, full leather interior, elec windows etc. has all the Chevrolet badging front and rear. Had a Holden dealer guy look at it and told him its been converted to a 350, rego in window clearly states its a Chevrolet. Who is the guru on these cars? Who can we contact regarding how many were made etc,

[@railtrolley]

Damien Steele. Could it have been the South African version? The HQ and HJ's were sold in South Africa as a Chevrolet. South Africa was a RH drive country (prob still is, I don't live there), so it made sense to get cars from Australia. It would have been easy to import it to NZ.

[@EVOETR1]

@@damiansteele9546 Holden’s HQ Chevrolet 350 it’s a rare rebadged with a full face grille variant of the Statesman HQ and sold new in NZ with South Africa models were rebadged and called Chevrolet De Ville. I grew up seeing these with a friends dad also owning a silver one new, man all I thought was this this car was just luxury as, we had to take our shoes off and his dad would put them in the boot lol. With the HJ there were two models, Statesman de Ville and a new flagship Statesman Caprice which were restricted to the 308 5.0L V8. I’d say your mates is only that a Statesman Caprice with a 350 conversion, as with the chevy badges previous owners may have contributed to those from the HQ 350. Rego, well back then we didn’t have the the technology that’s around today so after engine conversion it would of been easily done to have rego saying or ownership papers changed to say that. Maybe a previous owner was inspired by the HQ Chevrolet 350.

[@philipthomson7460]

A beauty.

[@petergoodwin2465]

They are beautiful cars, one of the best cars made. Im a Mopar guy but they really built a good car with the old statesman. The old 308 was is a good engine and easy to get decent power from. We usec to drag race them and they go great, minor work they handle well to. Sadly my mates wrecked all their statesmans while my old Mopar still is around. I was more upset than them when they wrecked the old statesman. One day ill build a statesman and keep it with the Mopar.

[@chevystatesman350]

Very Nice

[@MrOlgrumpy]

Chateau Mauve,nice job

[@jimclarke1108]

fantastic, why didn't you fit factory AC from another statesman or prem, have seen them online for sale

[@jamesmcgowen1769]

Can anyone help me find an HQ spec air con bracket for the 350?

[@jgsheehan8810]

Beautiful car. What is that colour?