Member Ride

FORMER WORKSHOP WORKHORSE

set for Sunday drives...

It’s a very happy fortieth birthday to this month’s Member Ride — a 1981 Holden WB Kingswood ute.

The ute belongs to Capricorn Member Warren Rabey, of Warren’s Tyre and Brake Service in Morley, in Perth’s inner eastern suburbs.

With Holdens set to disappear from Australia’s roads over the coming years, it’s always great to see such a well-kept vehicle in near original condition.

Warren said the ute was originally owned by the Shire of Kulin, in the eastern Wheatbelt of Western Australia. When the council was done with it, they sold it to a local farmer.

“He decided he didn’t need three licenced vehicles on the farm, so he gave it to his son to sell,” Warren said. This was in 1996, the year Warren opened his workshop.

“I was looking for a ute for my business and I found this one,” he said. “As I was driving out there I kept thinking this would be rubbish, but when I got there it didn’t look too bad, so I bought it.”

The WB spent the next couple of decades ferrying and collecting spare parts, as business required.

It’s appropriate that the WB has always been a working vehicle. When Holden produced them (between 1980 and 1984) they only offered commercial body models — ute, van and one-tonner. They came with either a 202 inline-six or the 253 V8 engine, and in three- or four-speed manual or three-speed automatic.

After many years of hard work, in more recent times Warren’s WB has been lovingly restored, including rebuilding the engine, rust removal and a new paint job.

“I’ve tried to keep it as original as possible — it still has the original six on the motor in it,” Warren said.

“It started out as a project to do it up, but it’s taken a long time because I never get time to do it — I’m always fixing everyone else’s car. “So, it’s still in the process of being finished off, but it’s a nice comfortable car to drive.” That “finishing off” includes fitting a new exhaust system and some detailing.

Warren said he had always owned Holdens (when he was 17 he did up an HR station wagon) but the WB “is just a particularly very nicely shaped vehicle”.

So, what’s his plan for the ute beyond its fortieth year? By the sounds of things, it’s a well-deserved retirement involving a nice warm garage and a regular Sunday drive.

“Once it’s finished I’ll drive it — but it won’t be my everyday drive,” he said. “We like driving down along the beach, down the West Coast Highway.”

What a delightful sight the WB will be for all who see it cruising down the coast — and what a fitting future for a vehicle that has given 40 years of hard work.

PREFERRED SUPPLIER

QLD Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast

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Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast is a proud Australian family-owned and operated business. In 2020 , Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast proudly celebrated their twentysecond year on the Sunshine Coast. Specialising in Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, vans and utes, Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast delivers outstanding quality and extended service life and comprehensive service, making them highly cost-effective. Also available alongside the Mercedes-Benz genuine parts are genuine remanufactured parts, genuine lubricants and fluids, genuine accessories, genuine vehicle care products and Mercedes-Benz collection. As winners of the Rural Dealer of the Year award in 2015 and 2017, Mercedes-Benz Sunshine Coast will always deliver the Mercedes-Benz quality you expect.

SA/NT

My Energy Engineering

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MyEnergy Engineering is a National Distributor and Service Agent for Victron Energy and is an installer and designer of off-grid and grid-connected solar battery systems. Established in 2010, MyEnergy is a family-owned business based in Lonsdale, SA. The Victron Energy products originate out of the Netherlands. Recognised for their quality and serviceability, the Victron product range for the automotive and marine sectors is extensive and includes battery chargers, inverters, solar MPPT’s, DC/DC converters and battery monitors. MyEnergy backs the Victron Product range with high-level technical support and product service. MyEnergy Engineering can also assist Capricorn Members in reducing their business’s power costs with competitively priced solar and battery systems.

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Autologic

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Opus IVS is the Intelligent Vehicle Support division of Opus Group, formed through the industry-leading acquisitions of DrewTech, Autologic, Farsight, BlueLink, and AutoEnginuity. Opus IVS addresses the evolving needs of independent repair shops, giving them the confidence to get the most complex vehicles back on the road safely and quickly without having to send work out to the dealer. Opus IVS helps shops repair complex vehicles fast with diagnostics, programming and live repair guidance from OE brand-specific master technicians. Opus IVS’ master technicians trained with the major vehicle brands, so they have firsthand knowledge of OEM-specific troubleshooting strategies. Opus IVS is committed to helping mechanical and collision shops complete repairs with intelligent vehicle support today for a safer world tomorrow.

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NSW/ACT 1

S Twins

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S Twins is a rapidly growing automotive dismantler based in Sydney and they pride themselves on their reputation of high-quality parts with the service to match. Their aim is to be your one-stop shop for quality automotive used parts. S Twins is a Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge specialist dismantler, who also carries a large range of parts to suit late model vehicles, from quality used engines and transmissions to panels and headlights. They also offer nationwide express courier shipping to ensure fast and safe delivery of their quality used parts. Their used parts are checked pre- and post-dismantling, allowing S Twins to provide warranty on all of their used items. As Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge specialists they supply SRT Hemi 6.4L engines as conversion packages and can organise delivery Australia-wide, whilst providing Members with their wealth of knowledge through aftersales support.

QLD Australian Sustainable Energy

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