I recently returned from a two-week Bali vacation with my brother and our partners, and before my departure I did some research on Holdens in Indonesia.
Apparently several thousand Holdens were exported to Indonesia starting with the 1959 FC and ending with the 1989 RB Gemini.
I saw on YouTube that a member of the Balinese Holden owners’ club is offering a tour service, for a fee, to pick you up and take you on a car-themed day tour.
I secretly organised a date and time to be picked up from the Nusa Dua Grand Hyatt Resort, only telling my brother Graeme to be ready for this day.
Right on time a lime green Holden Statesman arrived at 10am, running a 202 red motor with a four-speed manual and air-conditioning. It has no seat belts, no exhaust mufflers and is running from the extractors only two pipes (no bends) straight out the back, emitting a sound likely not heard at the Grand Hyatt before.
We immediately named the Statesman the Green Monster.
We proceeded with enthusiasm to our first destination with the 20-year-old driver Aryaa demonstrating his gear changing and lane maneuvering talents through the narrow and hectic streets of Bali accompanied by the airhorn train blasts to notify other drivers, pedestrians, cats and dogs that we were coming through. Graeme (my motor mechanic brother) said this Statesman must have the strongest 202 engine, clutch, gearbox and diff in Indonesia.
We arrived at The Shed Sports Bar in Sanur for an hour, which is a bar/nightclub/museum with a stage and a selection of cars including EJ, EH, HQ, VW, Manx dune buggy, French cars and very old motorbikes and bicycles.
Next was a two-hour stop at Kebon Vintage Cars Bali which has a A$10 entry fee. This fantastic car museum is privately owned and houses a collection of 200 cars, motorbikes, buses, cigarette boxes, irons, radios, clocks and suitcases.
We were guided by a young lady called Weeda that knew the make, model, year, engine size and transmission type of each and every vehicle. Upon entry we were greeted to a line-up of six Holdens, starting with an immaculate HJ Statesman, LH Torana and a couple of FBs and EKs. Other cars included early 1920s vintage cars and 1950s vehicles from Plymouth, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Studebaker, Cadillac, Packard and Lincoln.
They have 14 Chevrolet Impalas from the 1960s, 1970s Ford Galaxies and a four-speed Thunderbird with a 460 V8. Other brands included Dodge, Toyota, Jaguar and Mercedes. Most of these vehicles were big-dollar cars that were right-hand drive and still retained their original paint and plastic seat coverings. All of the vehicles in this museum were brand new when they were imported into Indonesia.
Aryaa, the driver of the Green Monster, then took us to his family business Boji Garage to see his collection of 35 Holdens and Japanese cars, a Celica and two Capellas. Some of these Holdens he is selling to locals and also back to Australian customers. The vehicles he has stored under a massive carport include EKs, FBs, a very nice EJ Premier (A$8000) EH Premier and EH specials, HD and HR Premier wagons and specials, HTs, HQ Premiers with full green glass, and VB and VL Calais Commodores.
He also had some Balinese modified vehicles on display, an EH convertible sedan and HR two-door wagon. A lot of these vehicles also retain their original paint, trim and factory clear-plastic covers on their seats. Aryaa told us that the only two-door Holden vehicles imported to Indonesia were utilities and panel vans. There is a black HK Monaro getting around in Indonesia which was once originally a four-door Kingswood, being driven by another very clever Holden enthusiast, which can be seen on YouTube.
Aryaa’s dad is a mechanical genius with his own workshop and car collection. He also had a modified EJ wagon with a two-inch roof chop. We saw two of his immaculate early-model Toyota LandCruisers that he has restored which were for sale for A$6000 each, and he also owns a trio of very nice HQ Premiers with full green glass and fully detailed and chromed engine bays.
Next visit was a short walk to the family vehicle restoration yard. We were amazed to find a fleet of HQs and four-door HB, LJ and LH Toranas being prepared for friends and customers in Australia. The green and black Torana was once a basic model and the Australian client has requested it to be transformed into an SL/R 5000 replica.
These very friendly and talented Balinese workers are so resourceful and work with the most basic of tools and work conditions (the average daily wage is A$8) but achieve the most incredible results).
Aryaa is the driver of the Green Monster and charges A$230 to take you on this five-stop, six-hour pick-up and return car enthusiast tour in Bali. It may sound like a lot of money but I assure you that you will see things many tourists will never see and will be talking about this most wonderful day for many years. You will also get to meet his lovely family who will provide you with drinks and their amazing Balinese hospitality.
Aryaa can be contacted on Facebook under Holden Driver Bali and his WhatsApp number is +62 88987296182. Be sure to ask him to show you the five locations that I’ve mentioned. He also owns a very nice grey HQ (with seatbelts) which can also be used for the tour.
On return to the Grand Hyatt in the Green Monster my brother Graeme kissed the ground and said, “There is a God” in the Island of the Gods …
