1985 Holden Commodore VK - Grice Chickadee Tribute

When Allan Grice and Graeme Bailey won Bathurst in 1986 it was an incredibly popular victory given that the privateer squad beat their more fancied rivals with much larger budgets (and arguably more developed cars). Not only is the car remembered for the win but its striking Chickadee livery as well (so much so the Erebus Motorsport team used it as inspiration for their retro livery at the Sandown 500 in 2018. It was for this reason that the custodian of this VK Tribute contacted Graeme Bailey and sought his approval to recreate the Bathurst-winning car (which of course was granted).

Motorsport Australia log booked as a Group 3F touring car (serial number N5986), the VK Commodore has a HDT Racing compliance plate and chassis number BVK060808M (refer image gallery). Originally purchased from HDT by Andrew Solmas as a Bathurst 12 Hour backup car, it was then acquired by David Ryan for a short period of time before being sold to Phil Timmins and Peter Pattenden who happened to build the suspension for the original Chickadee car. They raced the Commodore in various categories and events from 1991 until 2010 after which Terry Mortlock purchased the car and competed in it from 2010 until 2013. The current owner acquired the Holden in 2018 and kicked-off the build, using original HDT Racing specifications to group C requirements. In 2020, the decision was made to strip the Commodore to a bare shell whereby it underwent a comprehensive rebuild and paint, culminating in the striking Chickadee Tribute that you see today.

Engine and transmission:
• 308ci (4.9L) Holden V8 rebuilt in 2021 by Thornleigh Race Engines (54 race hours since)
• 0.020" oversize Speed Pro forged pistons & rings
• New bearings, Crow Cams Stage 3, Nornda Automotive chain (-2°)
• Ported & polished original Brock heads
• 4-speed M21 manual rebuilt with all-new internals (2021)
• Original Brock intake manifold, headers and twin 2.5-inch exhaust
• HDT air intake to rebuilt Rochester carburettor
• Savy Motorsport external oil pump, remote filter and cooler
• Derale Performance power steering pump with cooler
• Electric water pump and digital Davies Craig controller
• Twin Davies Craig thermatic fans
• Holley fuel pump, Optima Spiral cell battery
• High-output Bosch alternator

Suspension:
• Rebuilt Bilstein adjustable shocks (front and rear)
• 800lb springs (front) and 700lb springs (rear)
• Selby heavy duty sway bars front and rear
• KMAC adjustable strut tops

Brakes:
• VZ twin-piston calipers with VZ rotors (Race Brakes Sydney) front and rear
• 1-inch master cylinder, upgraded twin-diaphragm booster

Driveline:
• Brand new Salisbury limited slip differential (3.08:1)
• Original driveshaft

Wheels and tyres:
• Original Simmons split rims (16x8 front, 16x9 rear)
• Hankook Ventus RS4 medium compound tyres

Spares package:
• Spare LH front guard
• Spare lights
• 4-speed and 5-speed gearboxes (used)
• Suspension parts and miscellaneous spares
• Set of gold alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza tyres (soft)

The VK has been campaigned with success at tracks such as Amaroo, Oran Park, Winton, Sydney Motorsport Park, Wakefield and Marulan. Most recently, the Commodore has been actively run in the NSW Supersprint Series with class wins and many podium finishes.

The Commodore is presented for sale in race-ready condition and is a proven class-winning car. After almost a decade of ownership, it is reluctantly offered for sale and would make for an excellent improved production racer or entrant in the Replica Tourer category.