HQ GTS MONARO BUYING

MONAROS WITH 350-cubic inch engines crop up frequently, however factory-built GTS 350s are far less common. In a market that has seen values for most Monaros expanding rapidly and consistently, an outstanding four-speed HQ has the ability to exceed $200,000. Early GTS 350s were identified by a body prefix of 81837 but during 1972 the identifiers were changed. Car IDs can vary according to the factory which produced the vehicle, however the engine code should show as ‘QU’. Proven show winners or cars with the potential to bag trophies in concours d’elegance competition can command even higher prices. Just remember, when buying with aspirations of show success, the role played by authenticity. A car that comes with non-standard components, even if they do make it handle, go and stop better is going to lose out except in ‘modified’ categories to one that is showroom-correct. As we have seen recently, Australian cars that sell for prices well beyond predicted levels will invariably have documents that track their history. Being able to document a car right back to its original selling dealer makes a difference to desirability and the money realised. If a car, especially one at the top of the pricing scale, comes with minimal documentation or inconsistencies in its history, avoid it or be prudent when bidding or negotiating. Should you buy a car like this, at some point in the future it will be you trying to explain the problems with its provenance.