Holden Kingswood back in police custody after extensive TasTAFE restoration

L–R: Inspector Grant Twining; Commander Jo Stolp; and TasTAFE’s Mark Campbell, with the restored a 1978 HZ Holden Kingswood sedan.

TasTAFE Automotive teachers and staff have restored a 1978 HZ Holden Kingswood sedan, after the car had served more than 40 years as a training vehicle for hundreds of Tasmanian automotive vocational education and training learners.

The Kingswood was loaned to what was the Hobart Technical College in 1979, after it had been retired from Tasmania Police. The car saw active duty in and around Carrick in the State’s north.

“While it was based in Hobart the Kingswood had a Yella Terra performance head fitted, along with triple weber carburettors and extractors – it must have sounded terrific,” recalled TasTAFE Automotive Teacher Mark Campbell.

“It was used several times to teach learners how to convert engines to Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and there were 3 large holes in the right-hand quarter panel from having LPG filler ports fitted. The brakes and suspension had been removed hundreds of times and needed replacing, and the wheel nuts had nearly worn their way through the rims.”

In 2019 the vehicle was assessed by TasTAFE to no longer be fit for purpose, and it was moved from Hobart to TasTAFE’s Devonport Campus. Arrangements began for the vehicle to be used as a project and returned to near-showroom condition before being handed back to Tasmania Police for display in the department’s museum.

“TasTAFE has invested significant dollars and time into restoring the vehicle. The engine, gearbox and driveline have been refurbished with most of the mechanical restoration completed by TasTAFE Automotive teachers and staff.

“Throughout the entire restoration process we never came across a single spot of rust.” Mark said.

TasTAFE started to refurbish the bodywork in preparation for spray painting before handing the vehicle to former TasTAFE apprentice Ash Carpenter who works at De Haan Bodyworks in Devonport.

“Ash is a former TasTAFE apprentice and has qualifications in spray painting and panel beating. He was also a winner at the State WorldSkills Finals Competition and received an apprentice of the year award,” Mark explained.

The vehicle’s bodywork is now in showroom condition after being finished in the original white colour. Period-correct hubcaps complete the exterior – looking just like it did when it left Holden’s Fishermans Bend Plant in the late 1970s.

Tasmania Police took possession of the Kingswood in September at an event hosted by TasTAFE at its Devonport Campus.

Northeast Tasmania Police Inspector Grant Twining, who is also president of the Tasmania Police Historical Group, said the return of the Holden would be a “great asset” to police and would be appreciated by not only current and former police officers, but also motoring enthusiasts.

“It’s going to get a lot of attention, not just within the police environment because it was a police car, but there are historic car clubs in the community that will take great interest in the car because it represents a certain picture in time,” Inspector Twining said.

“We’ve got a retired sergeant, Steve Harrop, who was once the constable at Carrick who we are going to have to hold back with chains from getting in it, because it was his car!”

Era-correct livery, lights, siren and radio will be fitted to the car by Tasmania Police. The Kingswood has an original 41,000km on the clock and retains its original ‘3-on-the-tree’ manual gearbox. It is estimated to be worth $85,000.

Top, L–R: Police Inspector Grant Twining and Secretary of the Tasmania Police Historical Group Steve Bonde at the handover event; TasTAFE’s Mark Campbell receives a Certificate of Appreciation from Commander Jo Stolp.
Bottom: The HZ Kingswood in active service, circa 1980. Photo courtesy of Steve Bonde.