The battle between General Motors and Ford goes well beyond U.S. borders. That includes in Australia, where we’re watching as a 1985 Holden VK Commodore Calais lines up against a 1974 Ford Capri in a battle for straight-line supremacy between two high-horsepower titans.
Coming to us from the This vs That YouTube series, both of these rides are purpose-built for burnouts, but now they’re scrambling for traction in some heads-up drag racing action.
The video is nearly 19 minutes long, and includes a walkaround and specs for both vehicles, starting with the 1985 Holden VK Commodore Calais. Taking a peak under the air cleaner sticking out of the hood, we find an LSX-based 427 V8 with a solid roller lifters and Higgins big port heads. The engine runs on E85 ethanol fuel, while compression is “in the 14s,” according to the owner. The owner also tossed on a 150-shot of nitrous to squeeze a little more performance from the setup. Output was measured at the crank at an even 850 horsepower, while torque is somewhere in the high-600 range. Output is sent to the sizable Mickey Thompson racing slicks via a three-speed automatic transmission. Critically, this race is the first time this particular machine has run on a slick, and the tires are actually held in place with sheet metal screws, not beadlocks. There’s also a full interior.
All told, this 1985 Holden VK Commodore Calais should definitely boogey. The question is – will it have what it takes to compete with the Ford?
Over in the other lane, we find a 1970 Ford Capri with an absolutely massive blower sticking out of the hood. The blower is connected to a Chevy Small Block and runs on methanol. Similar to the Holden, this Ford is also running a Turbo 400 automatic transmission, while output is fed to a set of beadlock-capable Weld Racing wheels wrapped in meaty rubber.
So, which of these rides is gonna take the win? Hit play to find out:
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Holden Commodore news, Holden news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
No Comments yet