Deborah’s 1967 HR Holden: hand-crafted custom is panel van perfection
The 1970s panel van craze was a motoring phenomenon, in which a generation of young Aussies across the nation transformed what were traditionally bare-boned workhorses into groovy bedrooms-on-wheels. Decades later, this pin-sharp HR proves that panel vans are still seriously cool, with unique nostalgic appeal.
Its proud owner is Perth-based postie Deborah Peters, who steered the six-year restoration of this customised classic that wows everyone who sees it.
That included the judges at the 2022 WA Van State Titles, where Deborah had humble hopes of being in contention for Top Interior and Top 10 honours. However, she was gobsmacked to walk away with a swag of trophies, including not only Top Interior and Top 10 but also People’s Choice, Top Custom Van and Overall Winner!
Image: jordanleist.com
As a result, her HR has been featured in Street Machine magazine. It’s also the first panel van to appear in Member Spotlight and thoroughly deserving of that status.
A self-confessed revhead, Deborah’s been playing around with cars since her teens involving everything from street cruising to drag racing with her then-boyfriend-now-husband Ralph. She’s also owned a variety of old-school Holdens, including an HQ Kingswood as her first car.
Even so, Deborah says this 1967 HR, which she bought in 2016, is her pride and joy. Although previously customised, it was in a neglected state with a few dents and covered in dust. However, Deborah and Ralph could see its potential and did the deal.
Image: jordanleist.com
It was a smart buy given the rarity of HR panel vans these days, as many of them (and their ute siblings) had hard working lives and were scrapped before the panel van’s meteoric rise to youth-driven fame.
Released in April 1966, the facelifted HR Holden range had a more squared-off and cleaner frontal appearance than its HD predecessor, along with slender vertical taillights on sedans and wagons.
However, the half-tonne HR utes and vans adhered to Holden’s cost-saving commercial vehicle tradition by combining the latest HR front with the previous HD rear.
Image: GM
The HR range benefitted from the HD’s upgrade to ball-joint front suspension, plus a wider track for improved handling stability and the first-time option of front disc brakes.
HR engines were also upgraded, with the base 149cid (2.4 litres) Red inline six bored-out to 161cid (2.6 litres) while the 179 was increased to 186cid (3.0 litres). The hottest 145bhp (108kW) dual-carb 186 X2 and its two-barrel 186 S replacement were also available.
The standard three-speed column-shift manual and optional two-speed Powerglide automatic were carried over. And, for the first time, a GM Positraction LSD option was offered which proved popular with tradies and farmers.
Image: jordanleist.com
The day after Deborah bought the HR, it was sent to Sam and Cassie Rhodes at Vulcan Panel & Paint, where it spent six months getting its bodywork perfected and finished in eye-catching Phthalo Green.
It’s a custom mix created by Vulcan, which Deborah describes as reminiscent of British Racing Green but with a pearl effect. Clearly, this luminous skin was an inspired choice, as it looks sublime.
Since her teens, Deborah has had her head under many Holden bonnets, so she knew what she wanted for this project and that meant sticking with the iconic Red six. In this case a 186, which was the largest available in the HR line and a respectful nod to the model’s history.
Image: jordanleist.com
This one’s been lavished with the same attention to detail as the bodywork, with lots of chrome, braided hoses and polished aluminium showcased in a gleaming engine bay.
And it has the go to match the show with a high-lift camshaft, Aussiespeed inlet manifold and Quick Fuel ‘Slayer’ Holley 450cfm four-barrel, mounted on a half-inch spacer and fitted internally with a Thompson Performance PowerBlast Plate to optimise throttle response.
She loves this induction set-up as it performs superbly and is easy to live with compared to the original triple-SUs, which were difficult to keep in tune and made the engine temperamental. Exhaust exits through a custom-built 2.25-inch mandrel-bent stainless-steel system and an Aussie Desert Cooler aluminium radiator paired with a big 14-inch fan keep a lid on temperatures.
This robust engine package produces 152hp at the rear wheels through a slick-shifting Toyota Supra five-speed gearbox and Banjo diff running punchy 3.9:1 gears.
The suspension sits at just the right height for the sculptured Vista 5 aluminium billet wheels to fill their arches, with 17 x 6-inch fronts and 18 x 9.5-inch rears wrapped in low-profile rubber.
Image: jordanleist.com
The interior is another highlight, which started with “ripping out the old, gross, manky green interior with SAAS racing seats” and starting with a clean canvas.
Although Deborah logically kept the AutoMeter performance gauges which came with the car, she bought a pair of Premier seats and gave ace trimmer Tyson Cumming at ProStitch the green light to create a sleek new interior.
That included stylish door trims designed by Deborah, floor sound-deadener topped with fresh carpet, custom-stitched gearstick boot and seatbelt stalks and quality soft-feel materials in the rear. Finished off with a classy woodgrain steering wheel, it’s a superb result.
Image: jordanleist.com
Since getting her HR on the road, Deborah's been cruising at every opportunity, which has highlighted the practicality of owning a vehicle designed primarily for carrying things.
You see, being a kind-hearted soul, she enjoys doing charity events at Christmas time to help children in need. She ended 2022 by promoting a toy run for Variety WA through West Coast Vanners, which resulted in a whopping $1200 worth of new toys being collected and donated.
“That’s a lot of toys and they filled the back of the panel van well and truly!” she says. The HR was also awarded best vehicle on the day by Variety WA.
Image: Deborah Peters
The following year Deborah and the HR shifted up a gear by almost doubling her charity haul, collecting $2300 worth of toys for the Perth Children’s Hospital. She’s hoping future Christmas fundraisers will continue to grow, with the help of her fellow posties at Aus Post’s Malaga Distribution Centre.
This multi-award-winning HR van has come a long way since it rolled off Holden’s production line as a bare-boned new light commercial vehicle in 1967. More than five decades later, it’s still on the road thanks to a passionate owner who’s given it a new lease on life. Deborah loves it and vows she could never part with it – and it’s not hard to see why.
View Deborah's Shannons Club Garage and Connect with DebRalph
