INFO GUIDE: 1992 Holden (HSV) VP GTS

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This guide has been written for the Holden VP series HSV GTS, a limited edition model introduced to compete with high-end touring sedans including at the time the anticipated EB Falcon GT.[1] Classic Register also maintains an unofficial HSV VP GTS register here, and we encourage people to upload their cars, or provide any additional information they may have on the cars listed.

The GTS was based on the Commodore Berlina,[2] which were built in Holden’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia, before being taken off the production line and finished in HSVs Notting Hill plant in Victoria. The GTS inherited many features from the VN Group A SS, and was the most powerful HSV available at the time, with a price tag of $53,750 (AUD) on release.[3] Those specifications have made the GTS a desirable modern classic among early HSVs.

Production period:

Released September 1992 – production ending December 1992.[4]

Production Numbers:

130 individually numbered vehicles were produced.[5] Several pre-production and press vehicles are believed to have been developed, with one example appearing in 'Commodore Crazy Magazine' during the 1990s. Please contact us if you have more information about the pre-production cars, or any further information which could benefit readers of this page.


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Exterior features - HSV VP GTS
HSV VP GTS red front image.png Click to enlarge
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  • The body kit was based closely on that fitted to the VN Commodore SS Group A SV This included the front and rear bumpers, forward front wheel arch trim and side skirts. The front grille and boot spoiler were the same as fitted to the HSV Senator 5000i.[6]
  • 17 X 8 inch 5-spoke ROH alloy wheels were fitted, originally wrapped in 235/45 ZR17 Pirelli P-Zero tyres. These wheels were shared with the VP Senator model.[7] The casting marks on the rims were as follows:
    • PN 10B-251903
    • ROH
    • "Holden Special Vehicle" and "made in Australia" stamped on the back of the rim
  • The centre caps on the GTS did not have the twin red lines running around the outside of the HSV logo (as applied to earlier Senator and Clubsport wheels prior to September 1992). Instead, the later style badge without the rings was applied, as shown in the images.[8]
  • Unique GTS decals were applied to the passenger side of the bonnet, along the front and rear doors and the right hand side of the rear bumper.
  • The HSV premium brake package that came standard on the GTS featured 327mm rotors with corvette C4 callipers. Rear brakes were 280mm ventilated discs.
  • Body coloured side mirrors, black plastic side door handles.
  • HSV badge on top left hand side of boot.
  • HSV emblem badge with reflective chrome on a grey brackground was applied to the centre of the front bonnet above the grille.[9]
  • Berlina spec tail lamps were applied. These had black pin-stripes applied to the full-width epilique and tail lamp lenses, and were slightly darker than the standard Commodore lens.
  • Twin chrome exhaust tip.
Interior features - HSV VP GTS
Holden VP HSV GTS Momo Steering Wheel 1992.jpg Click to enlarge
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The VP GTS was available in three trim options:

  1. Base trim:
  • Seats: Full cloth HSV Langton front sports seats with blue piping on both the seat backs and squabs. These front seats were the same as Group A VN seats. The rear seat is trimmed in the same cloth, with blue piping. 
  • Centre console: The standard plastic finish console was retained.
  • Standard plastic door trim applied, however, a cloth insert panel with GTS embroidered was applied.[10]
  1. Devonish trim:
  • Seats: Full cloth front sports seats with blue piping applied to the seat backs only. The rear seat is trimmed in the same cloth, with blue piping. The seat squabs applied to these sears were of a revised design to the base trim.
  • Centre console: Suede trimmed.
  • Door cards: Suede trimmed with cloth GTS embroidered insert panel applied.[11]
  1. Part-leather Devonish trim:
  • Seats: Front and rear seats were devonish trim with blue leather bolsters. The rear seat and front seat backs had bue piping applied.
  • Centre console: Suede trimmed.
  • Door cards: Suede trimmed with cloth GTS embroidered insert panel applied, and leather trimmed arm rests.[12]
  • 3-spoke HSV badged Momo steering wheel.
  • GTS build number badge fixed to the passenger-side dashboard.
  • Instrumentation included a digital trip computer,  fuel level, tachometer (5,500rpm redline, 7,000 top), speedometer (220km/h top) and engine temperature. A small HSV symbol was applied to the cluster between the tachometer and speedometer.
  • Other standard features: Cruise control, climate control AC, central locking, power mirrors and windows and Dolby radio-cassette, vehicle security system, trip computer, .
  • Owners received a special GTS leather jacket on purchase of the GTS, with GTS logo embroidered.[13]
  • Optional sun-roof.[14]
  • Optional fire-extinguisher.[15]
Paint colour options - HSV VP GTS
Alaskan White HSV VP GTS 1992 1J064.png Click to enlarge
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Three colour options were available for the VP GTS as shown in the table below.  The paint code is located on the vehicle's build plate on the firewall. 

The VP GTS was sprayed in the HSV colours whilst on the Holden's production line, before being provided to HSV for modification. Holden used an acrylic Lacquor paint, however, the bumpers, sills and spoilers were painted at the HSV factory in a 2-pack formula.[16]

 

Colour name Colour code Number built
Alaskan White 1J064 27
Anthracite Grey 2H036 78
Maranello Red 1F075 25

These build numbers have been obtained from details provided on the HSV forum and we have not been able to verify their accuracy.[17]

 

Identification (VIN plate)- HSV VP GTS
VP HSV GTS body number chassis number locations image.png Click to enlarge
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VIN / chassis plate

The VIN plate features the manufacturing date long with the unique 17-digit VIN number. The VIN plate is located on the passenger's side firewall in the engine bay, as indicated in the first image. The 17-digit VIN for the GTS is stamped into this plate, and also appears underneath the passenger's side windscreen. The VIN is decoded per the below table:[18]

Character position Code Meaning
1-3 6H8 Manufacturer identifier
4-5 VP Model identifier
6 L Trim level - Berlina
7-8 19 Body style - Sedan
9 U Engine - V8
10 P Year - 1992
11 L Assembly plant - Elizabeth
12-17 ###### Unique 6-digit chassis number

 

Vehicle data plate

The vehicle data plate is fixed to the driver's side firewall in the engine bay. The following codes listed in the table below should be listed on the data plate. We note that further information is required regarding trim code 231, and whether or not the rare 6-speed manual vehicles had a manual transmission code reflected on their data plate. [19]


Title Code Meaning
Body VP8VL19-224 First 7-digits designate "Berlina", "224" designates GTS
Trim 231 This trim code applies to all GTS cars irrespective of trim applied.
Paint

1F075; or

1J064; or

2H036

Maranello Red; or

Alaskan White; or

Anthracite Grey
Built Month/Year The month and year of manufacture.
Engine LB9 5.0L V8
Trans

MD8; or

M78

Automatic; or

Manual (although we note that we have not sighted the chassis plate of the rare manual vehicles)
Axle GW6 3.27:1 diff ratio
Susp STD  
A/C C61 Front air conditioning control, code = c61 
HSV build plate and number - HSV VP GTS
HSV VP GTS dashboard build number badge.png Click to enlarge
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The HSV build plate is fitted to the driver's side firewall in the vehicle's engine bay.

The build plate contains the car's unique build number (out of 130), states the model (GTS), and confirms the HSV build date.

The same build number provided on the HSV build plate should appear on the dashboard build number badge, as shown in the images.

Engine number - HSV VP GTS

The VP GTS will have a unique 6-digit engine serial number, prefixed by the letters "VK".[20] The serial number is located on the front passenger side of the engine block, at the top edge, on the flat surface (where the head meets the block). See the images for a better understanding of the serial number location.

The block will also have a 5.0L casting mark on the driver's side of the engine block, however, this is difficult to see without the block removed.

Mechanical features - HSV VP GTS

Performance specifications:[21]

  • 200KW @ 5200 RPM.
  • 410NM @ 5200 RPM.
  • 0 - 100 of 7.45 second.
  • 0 - 400m = 15.75 seconds.
  • 9.0:1 compression ratio.

Engine features:[22]

  • Heavy Duty 4-bolt main rainforced block. This was the same basic block as used in the VN and VL Group A cars, as well as the VP Clubsport 5000i. The GTS engine, however, had the following specific features:
    • Flat-top pistons
    • Crane roller rockers with bigger valves.
    • Larger diameter lifter bores.
    • Recalibrated engine management system.
    • D port heads.
    • Black rocker cover tops.
    • Various Group A derived parts included:
      1. Camshaft sprocket
      2. Timing chain
      3. 4-bolt main engine block
      4. Cylinder heads Incorporating roller rockers
      5. Extractors.
      6. Special throttle body.
      7. Revised camshaft.

Exhaust:[23]

  • Twin 3 inch factory stainless steel exhaust from the block to the muffler.
  • Twin cat converters

Suspension:[24]

  • The GTS featured MacPherson strut front suspension and independent rear suspension with semi-trailing arms.
  • The GTS dis not receive the level-ride suspension system as provided in the 5000i. Instead, the GTS sits on the adapted HSV Senator suspension.

Brakes:

  • The GTS featured the Premium braking package from HSV. This included 327mm x 28mm front ventilated disc brakes and 280mm x 20mm rear ventilated brakes. These featured twin piston calipers from the ZR-1. The GTS was fitted standard with ABS brakes.

Steering:[25]

  • Road speed sensitive variable rate power steering.
  • Rack and pinion power steering with 2.75 turns lock to lock

Wheels and tyres:[26]

  • 17 X 8 inch Dunlop D40 M2 235/45 Z-rated tyres
  • Like other Vehicles of the HSV range at the time the GTS came with the same LSD and 5.0L block. Some of the unique features to the GTS were as follows:

Transmission:[27]

  • The vast majority of cars were fitted with an automatic transmission, being a recalibrated GM Turbo Hydramatic THM 700-R4 (4L60). Ratios are as follows: 
    • 1st = 3.06
    • 2nd = 1.63
    • 3rd = 1.00
    • 4th = 0.70
    • Reverse = 2.29

The above is published in 

Differential:[28]

  • A ‘sprint ratio’ 3.27:1 diff final drive ratio - LSD as opposed to the 3.08:1 that was common for the era. The 3.08 was used on other V8 models including the SS and lower spec HSV models. The diff fitted to the GTS has 7.75 inch ring gear that's substantially stronger than the 3.08 diffs which had a 7.5 inch gear. 
  • A ZF 6 speed manual gearbox was offered as an option, only a handful of GTS owners received this option. Please contact us if you have any information on specific numbers.
Documentation and articles - HSV VP GTS

The attached images are taken from various magazine articles, extracts and brochures for the HSV VP GTS. If you have any documentation that can be shared on this page for the benefit of other enthusiasts and our understanding of these cars, please contact us.

Please note, Classic Register has no claim to any rights attaching to these images, and they have been displayed here for educational purposes only.

References - HSV VP GTS

The following sources were relied upon, as referenced throughout the text:

Footnote Reference
[1] Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36
[2] Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36.
[3] See: Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36.
[4] Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69.
[5] Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69.
[6] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 38]
[7] Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69
[8] http://www.hsvforum.com.au/showthread.php?14435-VP-Senator-60/page9 and http://www.hsvforum.com.au/archive/index.php/t-14435.html
[9] [Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36]
[10] [Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36]
[11] [Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36]
[12] [Reference: HSV - Julie Thompson p.69, and wheels magazine article 1992, page 36]
[13] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 39] and http://www.hsvforum.com.au/archive/index.php/t-9055.html
[14] http://www.hsvforum.com.au/archive/index.php/t-9055.html and GTS brochure
[15] http://www.hsvforum.com.au/archive/index.php/t-9055.html and GTS brochure
Footnote Reference
[16] https://www.touchuppaints.com.au/index.php?cat=229&make=Holden&model=VP%20COMMODORE&year=1992 and http://www.hsvforum.com.au/archive/index.php/t-15398.html>
[17] http://www.hsvforum.com.au/archive/index.php/t-9055-p-2.html and https://www.motormag.com.au/features/1604/fpm-motor-expo-25-hottest-cars
[18] http://www.vlturbo.com/vin_decoders/vp-commodore/6H8VPK19UNL579232.html and https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/vin-numbers.262/]
[19] https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/vp-vn-gearbox-numbers.27142/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Holden_vehicles_by_series and https://www.boostcruising.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=454082&st=25
[20] [https://www.aussiev8.com.au/holden-v8s/16550-engine-number.html]
[21] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 37 and [http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=review&make=HSV&model=GTS&gen=1004 and Wheels Magazine 1992, page 37] and [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 39] and [Wheels magazine giveaway brochure]
[22] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 36]
[23] [Wheels magazine giveaway brochure]
[24] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 36 and 38].
[25] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 37]
[26] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 36 and 39].
[27] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 36].and [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 37]
[28] [Wheels Magazine 1992, page 37]