THOSE who say cars from back in the day had more charm will find plenty of back up in Larry Casey’s 1967 Holden HR Premier.
Larry, of Ellerslie, was smitten by the machine when he saw it advertised online on Pickles Auctions, and went about buying it.
“I saw it online and I was quite drawn in by its original look, and it’s souped-up running gear,” he said.
There were just two minor dramas, one was that it was in St Helens, Tasmania, and the other was that he bought it just as the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
“I bought it just as they put lockdown on,” he said.
“It was on the docks for six weeks before I could get it.”
The Premier outwardly looks much as it would have in 1967, with its rear wheel spats and white-striped tyres, but inwardly it’s quite different, with a Toyota Celica 5-speed manual gearbox, 186 red engine with Yella Terra head, small cam, roller rockers and triple SU carburettors.
“It’s not a show car, but they had gone to a lot of trouble to get it back to the original,” he said.
Despite all this, it didn’t run smoothly when Larry first took possession of it.
“It was running like a hairy goat, so I took it to Rob Machell and he tuned it up for me,” he said.
Unfortunately, about two months after the Premier arrived at Ellerslie, Larry suffered a terrible foot injury which affected his driving.
“I haven’t driven it as much since the foot injury,” he said.
“I only take it in for rego, and other than that it is parked in the shed. I can drive it; I can use the clutch, but just not enjoy it.”
Due to this, he’s putting it up for sale.
“I want it to go to someone who can use it,” Larry said.
Living where he does at Ellerslie isn’t ideal for owning such a vehicle either.
“When I take it into town (Tumut) I have to wash it when I get there and wash it when I come back,” he said.
“If I lived in town I’d drive it around all the time.”
