I' m sending this posting again as I think it may have got lost - Tony
Further to Steves posting I re-read the articles in the SAOC Alpine
Horn on these engines. I will quote a portion of this article
" Holbay had already been involved with the works department, having
helped prepare some of the factory Le Mans Alpines in conjunction with Jack
Brabham, so it was a fairly natural progression for them to assist in the
new Hunter progam ....... After only a relatively brief period they were
producing around 122 bhp = a whopping 70bhp/litre....... Technically there
were only a few changes required between the rally and production versions.
the production team felt that the engine was too intractable at low speeds
for general road use, especially for driving around town. To overcome this a
different camshaft was used.......and the unusual decision to actual reduce
the intake size to a diam. less than the size employed on the std. Alpine.
In fact the ideal size turned out to be the same size as the exhaust port.
Low speed smoothness was indeed improved, but with a loss of top end power,
down from 122 bhp to 105bhp, about 60 bhp/litre...........The first car to
receive the new power unit was to be the all new " fast back " Rapier that
had been launched in oct. 67 .In oct. 68 the Rapier H120 ...........The
power units further widened by the outright win of the Hillman Hunter ( with
a Holbay unit ) in the London to Sidney Marathon in 68.......In all 13500
Holbay engines had been produced when production ceased in 1976, the
proportion fitted to the Hunter GLS and Rapier H120 being more or less
equal. ..... So the engine has been quite a success with a production
lifespan off at least 30 years and production versions developed from a
humble 1390cc and 43 bhp up to a rip snorting 1725cc and 105 bhp a 24%
increase in capacity and a 144% increase in power!."................ Geoff
Woolf Alpine Horn no. 96 Oct. 94
So there you have it - the next article goes on to describe how to live
with a Holbay etc. The next time you see a fastback Rapier lying around
check out the engine , you may find a Holbay. I have no info if they were
exported to NA but my guess is yes.
The Holbay "marathon" is now 1840cc producing 130 bhp!! there are
three more articles to come yet - the last being about installing one into
an Alpine - I will try to keep you posted on that if there is interest
Tony Leeming Nanaimo, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, Canada. (tleeming(at)city.nanaimo.bc.ca.)
1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series 2 ( My Pine )
1976 Mercedes 450SLC
1983 Toyota Landcruiser SW
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