Compairing the handling of a Kingswood against a 240K and others

[Noddle]

http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/holden_HZ_technical_specifications.htm

Half way down the page, about halfway through the clip.

[e_racer1999]

wow, that kingswwod can handle!

the cortina looked like it was going to flip over

[240kconvertible]

I find that video extremly hard to believe, Kingswoods handle like crap. You can see the driver takes a nice easy line in the Kingswood and then turns the others a lot sharper.

Having driven all cars bar the ford cortina and owned a valiant, cressida and skyline before I can honestly say it's a load of s*&t. Although that cortina really did look like it was going to roll over. They must have put better tread and suspension on the Kingswood before the test and left the others on old crossply tyres to produce those results.

The only car I have ever lost the rear out by accident, on a roundabout, in the wet was a kingswood wagon. In it's defence it drove over the traffic island like it wasn't even there as I was recovering from losing it.

[Victor Laury]

I find that video extremly hard to believe, Kingswoods handle like crap. You can see the driver takes a nice easy line in the Kingswood and then turns the others a lot sharper.

It's true that a good driver can favor one car through and push another around. I have no doubt that this was happening in the shooting of this ad. However, the Holden's special handling package might have very well improved it's handling. If GM/Holden spent the money making this "Radial Tuned" package, there's little doubt it was a far step up over normal stock. The other cars were plain jane stock. Think if you owned one of those and bought and installed after market sway bars, shock, bushes and springs. You'd expect an inprovement, right?

I got a laugh watching the Plymoth! That was sold as the Satelite here in the states and Hell Yes that car was VERY arse happy! You had to be carfull to keep that baby straight in a pinch. I wipped it around a few time myself.

[440k]

The RTS made a huge difference to Kingswoods of the era, and for its day was a pretty good thing. Whether it would out handle a 240K is another matter though. Remember, the HZ Kingswoods hit the market towards the end of the 240K's market run (about 1977-8)

I owned a non RTS Kingswood (with trick 308) and drove many RTS equipped cars, and the RTS cars shat all over the very ill handling pre-RTS model. Even with upgraded springs, shocks and sway bars my Kingy never velt very stable (but then at the time I owned it, my other car was a 180B rally car with street setup)

Of course today those 30 year old Kingswoods feel awful, but for their day were not a bad bit of kit.

[khughes]

i would love to drive a change for a change.. where do i get one of those.. oh yeah.. my holden dealer

[chris b]

I can remember when that advertisement ran. If you look carefully the 240K is much more controllable than the Kingswood, just lacking grip on its O.E. tyres. I was so impressed that I went out and purchased a brand new Polar White 240K with a C2 option pac and put some decent rubber on it.

It was a great car for country cruising and transcontinental non stop drives (it was the days before cheap airfares and radar speed checks). It was very slow off the mark as it had moon shot gearing. If I remember correctly 3rd gear was good for almost 160 KPH, it went a little faster in 4th and slower in 5th. It was a much better handling car than the Kingswood, I seem to remember being able to cruise at high speed in 5th gear on gravel roads and easily put 130 ks into an hour. The only problem with the car was that rust started to show when it was 2 years old, so I went and bought a new Escort RS 2000.

What I regret most of all is that I did not by a new Z-gues what I have got 30 years later?

Thanks for bringing the film clip to my attention.

Chris