Here's my latest acquisition, a 1973 Leyland P76. Although the kombi is still my daily driver, I've wanted one of these since I was a kid. My Dad had one (left to us by my grandfather who bought it new, a V8 Executive) when I was a kid, until it got written off by (of all things) a kombi that went through a stop sign.

Unfortunately, mine is only a 6 cylinder - the 2.6 litre version of the 2.3 litre found in Austin Kimberleys. Not that it matters, because I bought two more, both with V8's!!

I bought this one alone for $650 ($1500 for all three) and spent three long nights getting it fixed up for RWC to get it rego'd 5 days after I bought it. Probably the fastest roadworthy I've ever done! I drove it up to Bendigo over the weekend to show Dad, and it travelled very nicely.

Currently, Heather is driving it, as she was no longer legally allowed to drive the bug because it is a manual. Within a month I'm hoping to instal the motor and diff from the 2nd car (32,000 genuine miles, but rusty body) and the beefed up auto and dedicated LPG system from the third.

It's an interesting car to drive; people either love them or hate them, but those that hate them have rarely owned one. Bring it on, I've heard it all before. :P

[Edited on 7-9-2004 by KruizinKombi]

that is great.

enough room in the boot for a couple of bodies!!

heh heh heh

Col - i guess you really did buy it to put the 44 gal drum in the boot???

:vader

They are so left field they are great.

A mate up here just bought one (shipped up from Melbourne) and he paid a LOT more than you!

BTW - what mileage did you get on the run???


Now - just to be a nark. My father gave ME a present on Fathers Day. A book called LEMON. A little book that an aussie motor hack wrote and lists 60 Lemons

Have a guess what is listed????

Cool car Col

U gunna change you name to P76Pete???

picture with a boot full of firewood, please :P

they are excellent cars,
you got a bargain, when I was offered $7000 for the Humber a year ago, I could not find a good P76 for the price anywhere, the only ones available were always sold before I could get there

Hey man
Its a classic! let them put all the crap on it they like. You get to enjoy it!
Rob...

the car ahead of its time i thought that their were not many of these left

The padded white van will be around in a while to pick you up Kol

:duh

Whoo hoo Kol, go the mighty P76 mate. They were a good car once Leyland worked the bugs out of them.
I remember my old man looking at one when they were new as a company car. Think that his work mates bagged him out too much for thinking about it and he ended up buying a XB Falcon.

Barry, was it a red one by any chance? I've seen the book... I can certainly understand why the P76 got a mention, I still remember my Dad's love-hate relationship with his, and after spending about 15 hours replacing the heater, I now have the same relationship with mine!! Yes, they are definitely left field, but that's me! I just don't like off-the-shelf... Mileage was a shocker, around 20 mpg, but I haven't touched the tuning yet. Strangely, the 6's used as much, if not more. fuel than the V8's. It will be better once its V8 with the taller V8 diff and straight gas.

kombikim, I think I'll skip the boot full of firewood until I get some Polyairs fitted in the rear. Yes, I do believe I got a bargain...

Robo, it IS a classic; the most Australian car ever built! I've had offers for it already, but I won't sell it, even though I could double my money. I just like it too much. It gets heaps of attention, and the negative stuff is usually in jest. Let's face it, if I couldn't take the flack, I wouldn't drive a kombi...

Barls, there were about 18,000 built over 15 months, but only 800 are still on the road. Well, 801 now!!

Dean, I know which one I'd rather drive. The P76 could keep up with any of the equivalent 'big three' in its day, as well as outhandle and outbrake them. I'll bring it down, after I get the V8 in, to swap those manifolds (unless you need them sooner) and you can have a drive...

Very retro. Well ahead of their time. You should look up the P76 car club. Some of it's members have hot rodded theirs and they look awesome. Remember seeing them of the tellie a few years back. P76 and the mighty Valiant would have been my choices back then. If I could have driven that is.

Congratualtions. Always wanted one myself. Maybe the next vehicle in the retro list to own.

I think the claim to fame in the advertising campaign for the P76 was that it was the only car on the aussie market that could fit a 44 ( 205 litre ) Gallon drum in the boot

20mpg!!

That is an inmrovement on a Kombi!

Well maybe not on a run - but i dont get that in Sydney traffic :puke

[Edited on 7-9-2004 by blue74l]

A friend of mine had a Targa Florio. Took it off the range at Maleny Qld with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. She was thrown from the car and Andy rode it down through three end for end rolls. Roof was touching the centre console after it landed. Both survived however she lost the use of her legs for three months.

It was a well appointed car with plenty of go. Written off.

Hi

Each to their own, I just bought a $200 Seca to get around in until the new bugs done. Theres a guy in Como in Sydney has a Force 7 in his driveway.

Go the P 38

Steve

type_one, the guy I bought them off is a recent-president of the P76 Owner's Club of Victoria, as is his brother next door who sold me the second one.

I will be joining the club, because there is a LOT of tech info available, and contacts for parts. The club has access to new windscreens, rust replacement panels, bigger brakes, late model Holden EFI conversions (185Kw with no fuel economy penalties!!), etc.

Yes, they can fit a 44 in the boot!

20mpg is poor economy in my book, even Dad's old V8 used to get 24!!

GL, the seller is keeping three cars, his daily driven Executive, a mint Executive, and a Targa Florio... I bet Andy wouldn't have been any better off in any other car..

what a totally magic car, always wanted one but settled for a vj valiant then an ap5 valiant

couldnt you fit one of those 4 ltr hemi elb engines(extra lean burn) they were meant to give excellent economy it think they cam eout in the very last chryslers?
marcel

the 4.1L hemi 245 ELB engine (electronic lean burn) came out in the CM valiant sedan/ CL charger range i think from memory....got a couple pulled apart in my mums yard, oh and one still in a rusty old val......

oh yeah, it was marginally more efficent but performance suffered greatly with the introduction of all the emission gear.......i just helped a mate change some valve stem seals on his ELB 245 without taking the head off a couple of weeks back.....

Marcel, I'll be installing the P76 alloy V8 from the second car with only 32,000 miles on the clock, which to me makes much more sense than a big lump of cast iron. The P76 V8 is 22 kgs lighter than a Holden 186... the fuel economy of the V8 is better than the stock 6, and I'll be running dedicated gas too. I certainly won't be fitting a non-Leyland engine. :duh

Ahhhhh the memories......

I owned an Executive.....

V8... 4 speed.... all the plush stuff....


AWESOME CAR!....

Congrats Kol...



Tazz