2022-01-01 Street Machine

052 STREET MACHINE

STORY PHILLIP THOMAS & JACK HOULIHAN PHOTOS PHILLIP THOMAS

053STREET MACHINE

2021

01

THE Specialty Equipment Market Association
(SEMA) Show returned to the Las Vegas
Convention Center in November, with over
1300 companies showing off stunning cars and
innovative new wares. Pandemic restrictions
forced organisers to go virtual in 2020, but
November 2021’s trade extravaganza was able to operate
at full capacity — an impossibility this time 12 months ago.

Fewer trade booths and exhibitors turned out compared
to previous years, mostly owing to freezes on international
travel and some ongoing hesitancy around large events.
Despite these hurdles, over 50,000 buyers registered to
attend the four-day show, and a 1.4-million square-foot
West Hall was added to the floorplan.

The metal on show was as wildly varied as ever, but much
attention centred on the rapidly growing EV conversion
market, with new products being spruiked by both factory
marques and aftermarket performance companies.

Like everybody else trapped south of the equator, the regular
SM crew couldn’t make it to SEMA 2021. Instead, we enlisted
Hot Rod contributor and snapper Phillip Thomas to be our man
on the ground. Check him out on Instagram @texasthomas.

02

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03 04

05 Bryce Yeager from Street Aero swapped a
1500hp Toyota 2JZ into a Lamborghini
01

Gallardo, just to prove somebody wrong. He
bolted the 2JZ to the original Gallardo six-
speed manual, but the rest of the conversion
wasn’t exactly straightforward. Despite
replacing a V10, the inline 2JZ created such a
clearance headache that the whole car had to
be extended by over 4in

02 Big Oak Garage debuted this stunning,
airbagged 1966 Caddy, dubbed ‘Mer-
Low’, at SEMA. The rear tail-lights were totally
re-machined into a unified piece, while the
bumpers were tucked into the body and
welded into a single, seamless stretch of steel
and chrome. There’s a supercharged LT4 V8 in
the ultra-smooth engine bay, backed by a
10-speed 10L80E auto

03 Every square inch of the BBT Fabrications
Firebird has undergone transformation. The
car is built on a Roadster Shop chassis, and
custom CNC pieces feature heavily. Modern

06 Camaro cues appear throughout the interior,
complete with elements made from machined
aluminium. Between the massive extractors lies
a 482ci big-block Pontiac motor built by Butler
Performance, rocking a dual-throttlebody intake.
It’s matched to a T56 ’box, while big Wilwood
brakes pull the beast up

04 This Buick Electra was built by Ant Anstead
for actor James Marsden, using the chassis
of a 301kW Karma Revero hybrid sports car. It’s
capable of travelling almost 100km on battery
power alone, but also packs a force-fed BMW
three-cylinder donk. A carbonfibre hood shaves
45kg off the total weight

05 Salvage To Savage’s 1985 Chevy C10 was
likely the most radical EV in attendance.
Constructed around a C5 Corvette IFS and Tesla
Model S IRS, the frame surrounds a Model 3
battery pack and Model S AWD powertrain. The
body was draped over a new chassis, which was
3D-scanned for the one-off composite flares.
With high-angle steering and bulldog stance, it’ll
be a rowdy drift machine with brutal Tesla torque

06 Chevrolet Performance is bucking the
electrified trend with the ZZ632, a 1004hp,
632ci big-block crate motor. And it makes this
07 number on pump gas! The Hoonigan crew got

their hands on one, stuffing it into a third-gen
Camaro – surely a novel improvement over the
factory tuned-port disappointments they were
originally equipped with. Built in just 21 days,
the angry ride runs a track-ready four-link
arrangement

07 Chip Foose’s vision of the perfect hot rod
defines many of the trends we find at SEMA
today. The Chip Foose Experience brought
together the largest-ever meeting of his most
iconic builds, from the Hot Wheels-esque
Hemisfear to the regal Madam X Cadillac. The
ode to the past 30 years of hot rodding and
customs showed off Chip’s attention to twisted
detail across 20 vehicles

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01 ElectricGT showed off this battery-powered
Porsche 911, which uses the company’s
plug-and-play, 964-suited kit. It pumps out
435hp via a single motor, with a range of about
290km. A motor, harness and battery are
included in the package, and weight distribution
remains at a respectable 45/55 front to rear

02 Ford showcased its electric Mustang
Mach-E GT-based F100 Eluminator. With a
Mach-E power unit at each axle for a combined
480hp and 634lb-ft, it’s certainly no slouch. The
motors are ready for purchase, too, coming in at
a shockingly affordable US$3900 each. The truck
rides on a Roadster Shop chassis and was built
by MLe Racecars, the team behind Ford’s Cobra
Jet 1400 and the Chevrolet eCOPO

03 It’s no shock that EVs are getting ever- 01
faster, but the reVolt Systems Streamliner 02
is on a whole different level. Starting life as ‘The
Little Giant’ back in 1957, it ran numerous 03
internal-combustion powerplants before reVolt
slotted in two Tesla Model S large drive units
and a custom-made battery pack. It became the
world’s fastest EV in October 2021, making a
357mph (654km/h) pass at Bonneville

04 Salvage to Savage also brought along this
wild, twin-turbo, LS-powered DMC-12. The
bodykit is based on a 3D rendering by Khyzyl
Saleem, with custom-printed tail-lights also
appearing. Power comes from a 5.3L LS, force-fed
by two Garrett snails and hooked up to a Porsche
996 gearbox. While onlookers questioned the
precarious turbo location, builder Tim Moceri
pointed out that it’s primarily a show car

05 Dayton Jacobson’s Chevy S10 blends old-
school mini-trucking and modern street
machining with its burly turbo LS under the
bonnet. Mods include classic Cadillac DeVille
tail-lights frenched into the bed corners, a
Pontiac G6 sunroof, and a CTS-V bonnet scoop.
Jacobson won top honours in SEMA’s Young
Guns category, and joined a dozen others in the
Top 12 for Battle of the Builders

06 It’s fantastic when a concept comes to life,
which is exactly the case for the ’72
Plymouth Scamp built by Steve Strope from Pure
Vision Design. It was originally drawn up as a
sketch for Hot Rod magazine by Eric Brockmeyer,
but Bob Florine from ARP decided he wanted the
real thing. Strope developed the factory-looking
air-grabber bonnet for the otherwise mostly
stock body. Underneath is a 360 Mopar punched
out to 418ci

07 SpeedKore’s mid-engined, Hemi-under-
glass Charger is one of the craziest Mopar
builds in recent memory. Designed for the recent
Fast 9 flick, the mid-mounted Hellcat V8 directs
torque through a Lamborghini Gallardo
transaxle. An all-carbonfibre widebody
exaggerates the Charger’s original character
lines, wrapping the guards around steamroller
tyres. Headers rise up and over the engine bay in
symmetry with the notorious ‘waffle-iron’
supercharger of the 6.2L Hellcat motor

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2021

04

WHILE ONLOOKERS QUESTIONED THE PRECARIOUS TURBO LOCATION,
BUILDER TIM MOCERI POINTED OUT THAT IT’S PRIMARILY A SHOW CAR

05 06

07

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2021

A PAIR OF SUPERCHARGED LT4 CRATE ENGINES FEED POWER TO A
SINGLE 4L60E TRANSMISSION, BUT REQUIRE THEIR OWN ECUS

01
02

03

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04

01 Hot rodder Gordon Tronson opted for the
double cheeseburger option when building
05 his C5 Corvette-based GT-SSC ‘SuperSuperCar’.
Under the new body sits a pair of supercharged
LT4 crate engines, mounted behind the front
seats. The mills feed their power to a single
4L60E transmission, but require their own ECUs
to keep everything under control – not easy to do
with a combined 1300hp on tap

02 Brian Rogers’s twin-turbo, 7.3L Power
Stroke-powered Ford 8N tractor is bonkers,
in no small part due to the 28x16in wheels out
back. Some 70-odd years ago, this tractor rolled
out of the factory with a bit over 20hp, and they
were already hairy enough chugging along at
their top speed of roughly 40km/h – can’t
imagine spooling this up in high-range!

03 Project X, the ever-evolving ’57 Chevrolet
made famous by Popular Hot Rodding in
the 60s before appearing in the 1980 movie The
Hollywood Knights, has been electrified thanks
to Chevrolet and Cagnazzi Racing. It makes
06 340hp and 330lb-ft, which certainly aren’t the

brag-worthy numbers of many of its past combos
(including a supercharged LSX376). But with the
electric motor producing nearly all of its torque
the moment it starts spinning, it’ll still roast
tyres on demand

04 Perhaps the most interesting EV solution at
SEMA was the cast-aluminium cases
created by Webb Motorworks. This one was a
mock-up of a Lincoln Zephyr V12, but there’s a
small-block Chevy facade on offer as well. It’s a
crafty illusion, but is it wrong to emulate the
powertrain you’re replacing? Either way, the
castings look sharp and certainly more
interesting than the wired-up beer-keg
appearance of most EV motors

05 This 1965 Chevelle built by Tim Strange
from Strange Motion Rod & Custom was a
father-son project, a tribute to a Chevelle Tim
owned at age 14. Strange’s childhood friend had
a damaged ’65 Chevelle that was a perfect base
for Tim and his father’s dream machine. They
built a car with big meats and a killer stance,
using a carbied big-block Chev to create one
07 heck of a tribute

06 DeBerti Design’s outlandish 1965 ‘C10
Slayer’ turned plenty of heads. A Whipple-
blown LSX376-B15 lives up front, nestled in a
bespoke chassis. The six-wheeled monster uses
custom 9in diffs built by DeBerti, hung with a
parallel four-link and located laterally by a Watt’s
link. One-off, 20in Govad wheels maintain that
wild Hot Wheels look, tucked under Advanced
Fiberglass Concepts flares and bodywork

07 Indy Power Products has come up with an
intake solution for Ford’s 7.3L ‘Godzilla’
motor. The company showed off its billet
aluminium intercooler intake for boosted
applications, along with a 4150-style plenum.
Also on offer was a narrow-fit accessory drive to

shrink the 7.3L’s frontal area

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OTOS C R IS T H O R O G
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THERE has been plenty of doom With his white-over-Inca Gold HK now ENGINE DETAILING
and gloom in the mass media of looking spiffy on the outside, Justin’s next Along with smoothing the
late, with predictions that petrol- stop was the supercharger shop en route to inner guards and firewall, and
powered cars are done and soon the drag strip. colour-coding the bay, Jason at
we’ll all be forced to drink tofu lattes Domaschenz Racing also smoothed
in our electric vehicles on the way to “I ordered an SBC 6/71 blower kit and out the radiator support, hid the
jazzercise appointments. But don’t despair, installed it with the help of Darren at Geelong bonnet release cable, and then
because rad cats like Justin Hunt are out Carbs,” he recalls. “It pumped out a nice linished and polished the fasteners
there dutifully turning out righteously stout 400-plus kilowatts, so I took it to Heathcote STANCE
streeters like this ’68 HK Premier. for a run down the quarter, and that’s where The Prem sits low on King Springs
the 396 ended. A pinched fuel line in the rear and Koni shocks up front, with
Supercharged and super-clean, the car from too much traction caused it to lean out braking handled by Wilwood discs
was put together based on solid old-school and melt four pistons. It still ran an 11.2 with at all four corners. The Wilwood
principles. “I love the 80s pro street look,” a blown-up engine, though!” master cylinder gets moved by
Justin says. “I’m a fan of stock colours on a hydroboost vacuum-assisted
cars, tubbed rear ends with big rear tyres, Seeing this mishap as an opportunity to set-up and a VF vacuum pump
and skinny fronts.” refine the beaut recipe the car was already WHEELS
cooking, Justin decided to tweak a few Justin’s HK Premier has a presence
As you might have guessed, Justin is a things. The dead little-block was ripped out that’s heavily bolstered by the
guy who doesn’t like to throw the baby out and the HK sent to Jason at Domaschenz old-school Center Line Pro Stock
with the bath water. As such, his process Racing in Geelong to have some rot in the wheels. It runs a classic 15x4in up
for attaining such an immaculate finish on subframe fixed before the bay was smoothed front and meaty 15x10in rims out
his HK was a gradual one of improvement and colour-coded. While it was off the road, back, wrapped in BFG 155/80R15
and enhancement. Jason also redid the front suspension and and 295/50R15 tyres respectively
steering.
“I bought it as a running car with a 396ci
small-block Chev,” he explains. “It was an The car was coming along, but it was still
original car, except it had been mini-tubbed missing something to make pleasing womp
and the previous owner had it resprayed to noises. Thankfully, Justin knew just who to
tidy it up. My first stop was to have the paint call (no, not the Ghostbusters).
corrected and ceramic-coated at Picarsso
Australia in Geelong to get it up to scratch.” “I rang Bill Kaglatzis from BK Race Engines
in Sydney for a new small-block and I gave

I LOVE THE 80S PRO STREET LOOK. I’M A FAN OF STOCK
COLOURS ON CARS, TUBBED REAR ENDS WITH BIG REAR

TYRES, AND SKINNY FRONTS

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ENGINE
The mighty mouse motor runs good
gear like 4130 Manton pushrods, BAM
bushed lifters, a billet shark-tooth
oil pump and a custom ASR sump. An
Aussie Desert Cooler radiator keeps a
lid on temperatures, while a custom
exhaust from Geelong Motorsport
Fabrication evacuates gases

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JUSTIN HUNT
1968 HOLDEN HK PREMIER

Paint: Glasurit Inca Gold

ENGINE

Brand: Dart SBC 400ci
Induction: Twin 950cfm APD Billet
Enforcer carbs, The Blower Shop
manifold
Blower: The Blower Shop billet
6/71
Heads: Trick Flow 230cc alloy
Camshaft: Bullet solid-roller
264/272
Conrods: Oliver I-beam
Pistons: Diamond custom
Crank: Callies Magnum
Oil system: Custom ASR sump,
billet shark-tooth oil pump
Fuel system: Aeromotive 3.5gph
brushless pump
Cooling: Aussie Desert Cooler
radiator
Exhaust: Geelong Motorsport
Fabrication custom system
Ignition: ICE 7 Amp Street Series

TRANSMISSION

Gearbox: Powerglide
Converter: SDE custom 3800rpm
Diff: 9in, full-floating 35-spline
axles, Truetrac LSD, 3.7 final drive

SUSPENSION & BRAKES

Front: King springs, Koni shocks
Rear: Gazzard Brothers mono-leaf
springs & traction bars, Competition
Engineering adjustable shocks,
mini-tubbed
Brakes: Wilwood discs (f & r)
Master cylinder: Wilwood

WHEELS & TYRES

Rims: Center Line Pro Stock;
15x4in (f), 15x10in (r)
Rubber: BFGoodrich;
155/80R15 (f), 295/50R15 (r)

THANKS

Darren at Geelong Carbs for the
use of the workshop and annoying
him with a million questions; Jason
Domaschenz; Shannon Reeves for
the rear end and the laughs; Ron at
Picarsso; last but not least, my wife
Sian for letting me have a free run
with the car

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INSIDE him free rein with the engine build,” Justin adjustable shocks and mono-leaf rear springs
“Graham from Injection explains. “I got it back 14 weeks later and traction bars. Shannon also fabricated
Connection in Grovedale with a totally new 400ci SBC and a billet the spring mounts, reset the pinion angles
handled a full rewire of the car, supercharger! The engine got the full BK and sorted the shock mounting.”
with hidden engine bay wiring treatment, and all the best internals were
and a Haltech iC-7 dash,” Justin picked with the thought of maybe down Once the fat stance was set, the car was
says. The rest of the trim is how the track installing an injector hat and some rewired and it was ready to be taken back to
GM-H intended back in ’68, with methanol for some fun.” the track for some redemption.
the exception of the B&M Pro
Bandit shifter Starting with a Dart Little M race block, the “I took the car for a hit-out at Heathcote,
SEATS tough mouse motor uses custom Diamond where I ran into traction issues but still
“I bought the HK from a Ford pistons, Oliver I-beam rods and a Callies clocked a 10.2@101mph, even lifting off
guy near Geelong, and it was an Magnum crank, while a custom Bullet three-quarter track,” says Justin with a laugh.
original, 78,000-mile car, so the solid-roller bumpstick swings 264/272 at “The issues have been fixed and it is ready
seats are stock,” says Justin. 0.50 with a hefty .700 lift! Up top are Trick for a run again when time permits. Hopefully
“I didn’t want to redo stuff if I Flow 230cc heads, plus that Blower Shop I get into the low nines in street trim, with a
didn’t have to. It was in really billet 6/71 and a pair of 950cfm APD Billet few tweaks.
good condition; just a few little Enforcer carbs.
things needed a bit of tidying “Once I have run my number, I will probably
up” All up, the blown 400-cube combo made only take it back to the track for fun when my
FUEL SYSTEM 978hp on the engine dyno, which gets passed mates go, as it’s a pure street car. We take
While the car was with Shannon through a custom SDE 3800rpm torque it out three times a week, even though fuel
Reeves, it had a new fuel converter before hitting the Powerglide consumption has taken a hit.”
system installed, including auto. Down the back is a narrowed nine-inch
an Aeromotive fuel cell and packing 3.7 gears and full-floater, 35-spline While internet engineers argue over “what
brushless 3.5gph in-tank pump. axles, sitting in a leaf-sprung rear end carefully makes a street car” and EV fanboys bang
Justin cruises the HK on 98RON set up by Shannon Reeves. on about their 0-100 times on social media,
PULP fuel, but his choice of Justin is out enjoying his hard work. And if the
E85 for track work meant he “Following the bay tidy-up, the car was sent sight of his low-slung, nicely finished, near-
needed all-new PTFE lines run to Shannon for the Gazzard Brothers Racing 1000hp streeter isn’t inspiration to turn off
in order to be ethanol-safe, as treatment,” says Justin. “This included fitting the TV and get into the shed, then we’re not
well as custom hardlines to the
carburettors sure what is!
RADIO
The original radio is in place, ALL THE BEST INTERNALS WERE PICKED
but it’s not hooked up. Justin WITH THE THOUGHT OF MAYBE DOWN THE
prefers to enjoy the sound of his TRACK INSTALLING AN INJECTOR HAT AND
blown small-block singing the
song of our people SOME METHANOL FOR SOME FUN

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LOUIS YOUNIS COULDN’T

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RESIST THE CHANCE TO TICK A CHILDHOOD DREAM CAR OFF STORY LIAM QUIRK
PHOTOS BEN HOSKING

HIS BUCKET LIST

CATCHER

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REAR END: Louis’s big focus of the
build was using the best quality
parts, without turning the ’57
into a thinly veiled race car. Take
the rear end, for example – the
shortened 9in uses a Truetrac
centre over a locker to improve
street manners, while the four-link
uses Nolathane bushes instead of
harsh Heim joints

JUSTIN AT PSI FAB SUGGESTED SLIDING THE ’55 CHASSIS AND ALL THE

L OUIS Younis is one of the millions of car nuts to have been arms and spindles. “I was only half-committed to the ’55 build, so I
smitten by the iconic jet-age styling of the 1957 Chevrolet. was toying with the idea of shortening the factory diff and running
“For me they’re the pick of the tri-fives,” says the serial SM aftermarket wheels,” Louis explains.
feature-car builder. “I’d been dreaming about owning one
since I was a kid, but after searching for years I couldn’t find “When I got my hands on the ’57, though, I started chatting with
one. I found a ’55 that ticked all my boxes, so I bought that Justin at PSI FAB about transferring the hardware onto the ’57
instead. It had all the suspension and chassis work done; it just chassis and bringing that up to standard. He suggested we just
needed paint and bodywork.” But a fateful flick through eBay late do a body swap, sliding the ’55 chassis and all the fruit under the
one night changed everything. ’57 body. We drove both cars into the workshop one Wednesday
morning and by the evening we had both bodies off and the chassis
“I came across a beautiful, black, pillarless ’57,” Louis says. swapped over – it was a much easier way to do it.”
“Initially I thought it was a US-based car that someone was trying to
sell here in Australia, until I saw the guy’s Australian mobile number With the black ’57 now benefitting from the better-quality
in the ad. It must have been almost midnight when I rang him – we suspension and the Wilwood disc-brake upgrade, the boys could
struck a deal within five minutes and the next day Damien ‘Chubby’ focus on the car’s attention-grabbing stance. “I’ve always had
Lowe and I flew to Adelaide to inspect it.” a thing about stance, and we must have tried five different tyre
combos to get it sitting right,” explains Louis. Thanks to some
The car that greeted them was an honest base for a project, and widened factory tubs in the rear and a shortened nine-inch housing,
everything a teenaged Louis had pined for. “The previous owner the ’57 is slung low over iconic Weld V-Series wheels measuring a
had done the paint and trim, and it had a Vortec crate motor in portly 10 inches wide out back, shod in 315 ET Streets.
it,” he recalls. “Chubby and I cruised it an hour-and-a-half back to
Jason Waye’s workshop in Adelaide, and it drove beautifully – it One of the most striking additions to the car is a part that caused
was almost too good to touch! I battled with the temptation for a our protagonist the most heartache. “My wife hates blowers out
few months, but I had to build the car I’d been envisaging for years.” of the bonnet, and I knew that would also really impact the car’s
driveability, but I just had to build the car I’d been dreaming of for
Cast your minds back to the ’55 that Louis also owned. This car 10 years!”
was a little further along in the chassis and suspension department,
with the previous owner adding the Strange coil-overs, tubular The base for the thumping 383-cube heart was actually the crate
motor that came with the car, which Louis had Daniel Attard dress

068 STREEtT MMAACCHHIINNEE

POWERPLANT: A mild 383ci
small-block Chev lives under
the billet 6/71 blower, which
delivers in the vicinity of 500hp
on pump fuel. Everything
has been built with the next
iteration of the car in mind,
where Louis plans to make it an
8sec street cruiser

FRUIT UNDER THE ’57 BODY – IT WAS A MUCH EASIER WAY TO DO IT

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INSIDE: Louis managed to jag the
’57 with the paint and trim already
done, meaning all he had to do
was personalise it with the billet
shifter, some low-mounted gauges
and the Simpson camlock belts up
front. The rear is wall-to-wall baby
seats so that Louis can enjoy the
car with his young family

WE HAVEN’T TAKEN IT TO A CAR SHOW; YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO FIND US

070 STREET MACHINE

UNDERNEATH: The ’57 actually
rides on a ’55 chassis that’s been
dressed with Strange coil-overs
front and rear. On the nose, there
are tubular arms and 2in drop
spindles to tuck the 4.5in-wide
V-Series wheels. Out the back,
the factory tubs were split and
widened 2in

AT THE LOCAL PARK WITH THE BOOT FULL OF KIDS’ SCOOTERS AND BIKES

up with some carefully selected hardware. “My only brief LOUIS YOUNIS 3.55:1 gears
was that it had to have a nice blower hunt and that it couldn’t 1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR
get hot, and Daniel nailed it,” Louis grins. It’s a simple yet SUSPENSION & BRAKES
effective combination – a billet TBS 6/71 huffer topped with Paint: Black
a pair of 750cfm carbs, sitting on a relatively tame 383 small- Front: Strange coil-overs, tubular arms, 2in
block Chev. But the 500hp combo may be only short-lived ENGINE drop spindles, rack-and-pinion steering
for the ’57. Rear: Strange coil-overs, four-link
Brand: Chevrolet small-block V8 Brakes: Wilwood discs (f & r)
“When my brother Danny and I were kids, we’d go to the Induction: Billet TBS 6/71 supercharger, Master cylinder: Wilwood
track with Dad and watch him race his eight-second Anglia TBS manifold, twin 750cfm Quick Fuel carbs
and then drive home,” Louis says. “Once my kids are old Heads: Edelbrock WHEELS & TYRES
enough, I’d love to share my passion with them, so we’ve built Pistons: Arias
everything from the gearbox back to handle 800-1000hp. Crank: Scat Rims: Weld V-Series; 17x4.5 (f), 15x10
When the time’s right, we’ll probably ’cage it and put two race Fuel system: Factory fuel tank, double-beadlock (r)
seats up front.” Until then, though, the ’57 has a commitment Edelbrock mechanical fuel pump, Rubber: 28x6x17 (f), Mickey Thompson ET
to cruising the family around on regular street duties. MagnaFuel pressure regulator Street 315/60R15 (r)
Cooling: Be Cool alloy radiator, CVR
“We used a factory fuel tank instead of a boot-mounted cell, electric water pump THANKS
and a big mechanical pump up front instead of giant electric Exhaust: Custom four-into-one headers,
pumps – to be honest, it cruises beautifully!” Louis enthuses. dual 3in system My wife and kids for their continued support
“We haven’t even taken it to a car show; you’re more likely to Ignition: MSD coil, MSD distributor and patience; my father and brother for
find us at the local park on a Sunday with the boot full of kids’ the motivation; Justin at PSI FAB; Pauly
TRANSMISSION Abela at Pauly’s Restos; Daniel and Donny
scooters and bikes!” Attard; Deano the sparky; Damien Lowe
Gearbox: Hughes Turbo 400 at Lowe Fabrications; Jason at Mansweto
Converter: Hughes 3500rpm stall Racing; Jason at Muscle Garage; Bobby at
Diff: 9in housing, Truetrac centre, Competition Engines; Lindsay the detailer

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BRIGHThTe SIDE
THE BELOVED BRIGHT ROD RUN’S 2021 CANCELLATION DIDN’T STOP

DETERMINED PILGRIMS FROM MOUNTING THEIR OWN UNOFFICIAL VERSION

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WHILE Victorians twiddled their thumbs through A Ricky Hyde’s stunning ’63 Impala has been left as-is, but the car
yet another lockdown in September, the now wears a custom-mix blue. The
Bright Rod Run was officially called off. The SS coupe packs just over 500 cubes in Mustang ran a 10.03sec quarter with
disappointment from prospective participants a tube front end, all fully engineered! Harley at the wheel, so Adrian will be
was palpable, especially in the wake of 2020’s The donk feeds a Turbo 400 and 9in shooting for single digits
non-running. diff, and steers through a rack-and-
But as the state emerged from its shackles in late October, pinion arrangement. A Holley Super D Paul Cooper snagged this ’68
the Rod Run faithful were making their own plans. There Sniper EFI set-up is a recent addition,
would be no show ’n’ shine or prizes at the unofficial 2021 which Ricky said is “chalk and cheese” Camaro from an importer almost 20
Bright Rod Run, just hundreds of enthusiasts with an eye compared to the previous double- years ago, and dropped in a 502ci
to get their cruise on. pumper carby. The Bright regular cut ZZ502 crate motor. Chopped engine
plenty of laps over the weekend mounts and a shaved Arizona Speed
Despite predictions of nasty weather, from the first Friday Shop intake manifold allow everything
of November cars started rolling into the booked-out tourist B This worm-burning ’54 Chev to squeeze under the original bonnet.
town in north-eastern Victoria. By the next day, Bright’s main It’s backed by a manual T56, while
street was packed in a stunning display of quality metal. came into Michael House’s life as a a four-linked rear and airbags rest
Datsuns and rotary Mazdas mingled with traditional rods, stock, rust-free example. He soon underneath. Originally red, the car
American barges, iconic Aussie muscle, and practically implanted a cammed and injected received its now-worn orange paint
everything in between. LS, backed by a four-speed auto. The well before Paul’s ownership
Albury-Wodonga truckie drives the
The amazing variety of cars on show was matched by ’bagged, full-rego car as much as he E Inherited as an unfinished project
great behaviour from attendees. Despite the presence of can, travelling as far as Queensland
big-power cars and flowing refreshments, the few police in with his family in tow. Next on the list from his late uncle, Ryan Scully’s
attendance had things pretty easy. is a right-hook conversion, using an super-neat EH packs a cammed, carby-
Aussie dash fed LS1. It’s backed by a 3500rpm
During a typical Rod Run, Bright’s main drag is closed to converter and Turbo 700 gearbox,
public traffic, allowing entrants free rein over Ireland Street. C Adrian Abela bought Harley making 322hp at the wheels. The
Roads were left open this year for the unofficial run, and live Warrandyte local has been driving
music was absent, but spirits remained high. Tough street Hamilton’s Fox-body Mustang and the ute as much as possible since its
treated it to a birthday at his Body completion in 2020
Clinic Smash Repairs shop. The
Vortec-blown, flex-fuel 347 Windsor

074 STREET MACHINE

075STREET MACHINE

Peter Gruyters’s incredible bare-metal
’32 uses an original chassis and a
chopped Brookville body, punched with
701 louvres! A 572ci Boss big-block sits
up front, with Kaase heads and dual
FiTech injection. Behind is a TKO five-
speed and Winters quick-change diff
with full-floating hubs. Peter, who ruled
the 2003 Street Rod Nationals, unveiled
the Ford back in May. When it arrived in
Bright, it had just 25km on the clock

THERE WOULD BE NO PRIZES AT THE UNOFFICIAL ROD RUN, JUST

A Sydney’s Phil Galea snagged his C Leigh Cullinger’s just-finished

Continental-roofed ZF Fairlane from Falcon coupe features shaved
a mate’s parents and treated it to door handles, deleted drip rails
a four-week build for Summernats and seamlessly integrated front
32. Now painted in Yellow Fire, the panels. The powerplant is a Shafiroff
car’s 302 was turfed in favour of a 427ci small-block, paired to a
400hp 351. The untubbed ’Lane runs T56 transmission. RRS three-link
a 9in “shortened to the shithouse”, suspension and rack-and-pinion
according to Phil, who reckoned steering also feature. Inside is a
he’d eventually slot in an angrier mixture of retrimmed BF and FG
powerplant, likely built on a Dart Falcon componentry. “It hugs the
block road, there’s plenty of torque, and it
cruises at two grand,” Lee enthused
B MENTLE Camaro owner Milan
D This super-tidy HK Monaro
Dokic debuted his freshly completed
HG van at Bright. A small-block belongs to Paul Fava. The factory 186
Chev displaces 412 cubes with 12:1 car has retained its original Kingston
JE pistons, a 600-lift solid cam and Cream tint, and now runs a carby LS1
–10 Brodix heads. Behind the tough matched to a Powerglide and 9in
donk is a bombproof Turbo 350 with diff. It’s more of a cruiser compared
a 4500rpm converter, and a 31-spline to Paul’s 1000hp K1LLAQ HQ sedan,
9in. Other touches include a red though it still brings a 550hp punch
leather interior and mini-tubs to
accommodate chunky 295 rear meats

076 STREET MACHINE

HUNDREDS OF ENTHUSIASTS WITH AN EYE TO GET THEIR CRUISE ON

077STREET MACHINE

TOUGH STREET CARS APPEARED IN FRONT OF NEON-LIT TAKEAWAY

A Drag Challenge Commodore racer

Dusty Benson brought his HT Premier
along. The 355-cube iron lion hides a
solid cam, sky-high 15:1 compression
and an E85 diet, with Dusty admitting
it’s “not the best street engine”. An
old batch of fuel caused some troubles
on the drive from Wodonga, but Dusty
enjoyed the unofficial event. “You can
get a beer and a park; it’s great!” he said

B Rob Chaplin recently got his 632-

cube Camaro back on the road. The big-
block Chev is a Westend Performance-
built unit, sucking pump 98 and spitting
out 960hp through a Turbo 400 and
sheet-metal 9in. The uncaged, leaf-
sprung car sees street duties only,
as Rob owns a nitrous-huffing, 665ci
Camaro for the strip

078 STREET MACHINE

SHOPS IN SCENES EVOCATIVE OF 80s STREET MACHINE COVERS

079STREET MACHINE

cars appeared in front of buzzing, neon-lit takeaway shops
in scenes evocative of 80s Street Machine covers, while
kids egged on the action with shouts of “Rev it!”. A strong
contingent of younger gearheads joined in the cruising,
hitting the streets in patina-flecked wagons, slammed utes
and a few oddball 50s classics.

Veteran attendee Peter Gruyters, who has been to every
Rod Run since its 1991 genesis, enjoyed the vibe. “This year
probably rolled back to how it was 10 years ago,” he said.
“It’s now more of a car festival than a rod run. Just hanging
around, having a drink, talking to like-minded people and
having fun!”

An official Bright Rod Run is set to return in 2022, but
this year’s informal version will go down as a resounding

success.

A Jamie Small set out to B Jock Antczak’s ’35

build a clean, factory-looking five-window was wrestled
ute with a big tyre, and his from Mick Speranza. The
new HQ is right on-brief. steel body wears a coat of
Under the bonnet lies a mild factory-spec Coach Maroon,
injected LS1, paired to a while a 4in drop axle rests
Turbo 400 and 9in rear. The out back. It runs a Navarro-
tubbed ute wears as many headed flathead with
new replacement parts as twin Strombergs atop an
possible, fitted up by Jamie Offenhauser manifold, mated
and his peers at South to a five-speed S10 – though
Melbourne Smash Repairs Jock’s working on a blown
flatty making around 310hp

080 STREET MACHINE



082 STREET MACHINE

P H O T S T O RY T A S M CM I LL A N
O S ASH L E IG H W I LS O N

TFRRAONJMASMPALGIEARSNELSTEOK,NWEAWHDTUSHEMIARRTAEDHNSICPVTUEIYADEHDAAALT6SAH4NEI0SVDHEXPTRAHCSEHLEEABEVRRNODIGTHHOETPAERSTT

083STREET MACHINE

ROM an early age, Jamie Skews was The coupe had been the subject of a You see, Jamie turned to Queensland
steered towards an appreciation for rebuild in the distant past. The original Clevo-whisperer Tony of Toca Performance
Aussie muscle by his parents. “I was Calypso Green and vinyl roof had made for a quick engine refresh, but a few wise
born into it,” he says. “My old man had way for a heavily weathered mustard yellow, words from Tony led Jamie to pull the
a bit of everything: an HT Monaro; while the weak 250 drivetrain had been trigger on a new build instead. The Clevo
an XW GT; hatchback Toranas. I’ve binned in favour of Henry’s finest: a 351 now weighs in at 393 cubes thanks to a
had Commodores, XYs, HXs and Monaros, Cleveland, Top Loader and nine-inch. steel Scat crank, Scat rods and a set of
but I’ve always had a soft spot for Falcon JE slugs to fill the bores. Sealing in the
hardtops; they’ve got a nice big arse you The previous owner said the hardtop explosions are AFD aluminium heads that
can fit fat tyres under.” Too right! didn’t run, but Jamie discovered the cause are fed fuel and air by a 950cfm Holley
This particular XA has been living in of the problem was a clogged fuel filter. on top of a CHI manifold. Down in the
Jamie’s shed for about eight years, but it One filter change later, the fat Falc was guts, a big Comp stick works Isky lifters,
hasn’t always looked quite so magnificent. back on the road. “We had good fun in Trend pushrods and Comp roller rockers to
“I was at a job in western Brisbane and saw it,” says Jamie. “I caned it everywhere control the valves when the tacho swings
the hardtop sitting in a backyard,” he says. and didn’t worry about it because it had around to 7000rpm.
“I knocked on the door and asked about crappy paint.”
it, but old mate said he was going to do it There’s not a skerrick of wiring to be
up. I was back that way two years later and Eventually, the combination of the coupe’s seen on the Clevo thanks to Steve from
it hadn’t moved, so I knocked on the door already hard life and a particularly exuberant Awesome Electrical, who also rewired the
again. We ended up meeting the following evening racing a mate’s ’56 Chev led to the entire car and took care of a bunch of other
weekend and I bought it.” Clevo lunching a valve spring. “My mate details like running the fuel lines.
still laughs at me; he says it was the most
expensive valve spring ever,” Jamie laughs. The Top Loader was treated to a birthday

084 STREET MACHINE

I’VE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR FALCON
HARDTOPS. THEY’VE GOT A NICE BIG ARSE YOU

CAN FIT FAT TYRES UNDER

EXHAUST: Starting with 2in primaries and
only getting bigger throughout the rest of
the system, there’s plenty of room in the
exhaust for all the combusted dinosaurs
to escape in a hurry. The tips were fabbed
to resemble oval GT ones on steroids.
“It’s a mad exhaust and pretty loud; you
definitely know it’s coming!” Jamie laughs

ENGINE: Nothing fancy going on under
the bonnet – just plenty of angry Clevo
goodness. Glenn at Killa Kustoms Paint &
Panel shaved the heater box, battery tray
and any superfluous holes, while the MSD
6AL and coil have been hidden under the
dash. The lovely billet hinges and strut
tops are from Bliss Custom Machining

085STREET MACHINE

WITH THE GT LIVERY AND THAT EYE-POPPING LIME GLAZE,
THE HARDTOP LOOKS DAMN TOUGH

STANCE: Rear quarters don’t come fatter
than those of XA-XC hardtops, and Jamie
didn’t even have to fiddle with guards or
tubs to tuck the 12.5in-wide M/Ts under
them. The bum-down stance and skinnies
on the front scream ‘street and strip’, which
is exactly what Jamie uses the car for

JAMIE SKEWS Valve springs: Isky into-ones, X-pipe, custom SUSPENSION & Thompson; 26x6 (f), extra help finishing off
1973 FORD XA Rockers: Comp Pro twin 3.5in stainless system BRAKES 28x12.5 (r) the car; my brother Scott;
FALCON HARDTOP Magnum Glenn at Killa Kustoms
Intake: CHI TRANSMISSION Front: King Springs, THANKS Paint & Panel; Tony at
Paint: Lime Glaze Carb: Holley HP 950 KYB shocks Toca Performance; Mark
Ignition: MSD Gearbox: Top Loader Rear: Custom leaf My son Jeremy for all at Aussie Diffs; Craig
ENGINE Sump: ASR Bellhousing: Lakewood springs, KYB shocks the help throughout the at Extreme Engineering
Oil pump: Melling steel Brakes: Standard discs build – couldn’t have for the exhaust; Darren
Block: 393ci Cleveland Headers: Custom Shifter: Hurst Indy (f), Wilwood discs (r) done it without him; my at Protrac Suspension;
Crank: Scat Fuel pump: RobbMc Clutch: NPC wife Tre-gai for being so Lynton for the brakes;
Rods: Scat Performance Tailshaft: 3.5in, billet WHEELS & TYRES understanding about our Brendan at Insane
Pistons: JE Cooling: PWR yokes car obsession; Steve at Detailing, who really
Heads: AFD Exhaust: Custom four- Diff: 9in, Strange carrier, Rims: Weld Pro Star; Awesome Electrical for finished off the car
Cam: Comp solid 3.9:1 gears, 35-spline axles 15x4 (f), 15x10 (r) the full rewire and all the
Pushrods: Trend Rubber: Mickey

086 STREET MACHINE

and NPC put together a tough new clutch crumbling visage, and the penchant two- new XA one. There’s also a simple stereo,
to transfer the 640hp from the Clevo to door Falcons have for the dreaded tinworm, but the twin 3.5-inch pipes shouting the
the tyres. Since Jamie is fond of a visit to Glenn was surprised to find a generally Clevo’s war cry are the real sound system.
the strip, the venerable nine-inch diff was straight and cancer-free body. At some point
swapped out for a brand-new unit built by someone had replaced the XA front with XB Hitting the streets in the XA is a weekly
Mark at Aussie Diffs with all the good bits. panels, so they were given the flick in favour exercise for Jamie, and some time at the track
“With the manual and the bigger tyres I of a bunch of fresh XA GT bits. With the GT rowing gears in the hunt for an 11 is high
thought I’d better put something strong in livery and that eye-popping Lime Glaze, the on his priority list. However, there’s more
the back,” says Jamie. hardtop looks damn tough. work to be done in the Skews family’s shed,
with Jamie’s son Jeremy’s 1JZ-powered VH
After the driveline was inserted, the coupe Of course, the interior needed a bit of an wagon currently in the build. “He’s helped
headed over to Protrac Suspension for an update to match the outside. The previous me the whole way; he’s loved cars since he
adjustment in the altitude department and a build had included SAAS buckets in the was a kid,” says Jamie.
general overhaul of everything that controls front, a matching re-trim for the rear and
the bumps and bends. the obligatory Momo twirler. This time, Reid Just in case the wagon is quicker than the
from Muscle Car Interiors dressed a pair of XA, Jamie’s now building an LX hatch with a
Jamie couldn’t stand the crusty yellow XA buckets in black vinyl with cloth inserts 1200hp Tremaniac-built LS7 for race duties.
paintjob any longer and handed the hardtop and re-trimmed the rear pew, while the sad The hardtop clearly holds a special place in
to Glenn at Killa Kustoms Paint & Panel to XB dash was completely replaced with a his heart though: “It’s a good street car; I
work his magic. Despite the cracked and
love this thing,” he says.

BONNET: Though Jamie had to use plenty
of aftermarket bits to get the GT look,
the bonnet is the genuine article. After
carefully considering the situation for four
months, he finally bit the bullet and made
room for the air filter to clear the deck

087STREET MACHINE

STORY CARLY DALE PHOTOS TROY BARKER

DÉJÀ VROOM!

SOUTH AUSTRALIA SHOWED ITS MUSCLE AT THE SECOND
ADELAIDE AUTO EXPO IN A CALENDAR YEAR

088 STREET MACHINE

089STREET MACHINE

THE Adelaide Auto Expo is not usually a biannual event, but these 1: Fresh from their recent Red one massive canvas. He’s slid
are unusual times and promoter Geof Tartoosie is an unusually CentreNATS Top 10 gong, a Walkinshaw Performance
motivated man. When Geof announced at the time of the previous Kayla Barkla and Gavin Blowes Pack LS1 up front, much to
expo in January 2021 that the next one was planned for November, rocked up with their tidy, LS- the chagrin of many Ford
just 10 months later, it seemed ambitious at best. Was he a powered HG Kingswood to play enthusiasts. That’s backed
visionary, a dreamer, or a masochist? in the outdoor show ’n’ shine by a 4L60E trans, four-link
The amount of effort and organisation required to make two premier on Saturday arvo. The Kinger and 9in
car shows happen in one year made it a daunting task, which was not took out Top Show – Street 5: The miles-deep black paint
made easier by the ever-looming threat of COVID-related lockdowns and 2: Joe Esposito’s silky PPG turned out by Warehouse 27
fluctuating state border restrictions. But Geof got it done, and November’s Juicy Orange 1968 Camaro earned Jason Rasmus’s HG
encore performance at Adelaide Showground in Wayville went off without scored a Meguiar’s Superstars Monaro a fourth overall in
any major hitches, with a cavalcade of incredible metal on show. invitation. It’s packing a Elite, Runner-Up – Best
behemoth 615ci Chevy Interior & Rear Compartment,
The two-day event comprises various facets, including the Extreme Auto big-block topped by a blow- and a Meguiar’s Superstars
Expo, Adelaide Hot Rod Show, Dream Car Garage, Barn Find Auction, through C&S carby and fed by invitation
the Aussie Classics & Muscle Car Cruise and the American-model Zippel two 96mm Turbonetics snails. RIGHT: Charlie Beatty recently
Cruise. The Camaro nabbed awards for fixed the cracked 265ci block
Runner-Up – Elite, Runner-Up – in his stunning KB Centura
While interstate guests were thin on the ground for obvious reasons, Engine Bay & Components and (SM, Feb ’18) before further
it didn’t harm the quality and variety of builds on offer. Make no mistake, Runner-Up – Undercarriage tidying the engine bay. “I also
the Radelaide crew know how to turn out high-end, street-legal, mega- & Driveline. Expect a feature filled a small firewall hole, and
horsepower rides. story soon then Trav from Warehouse 27
3: Another anticipated needed to respray the entire
Take Joe Esposito’s twin-turbo 615-powered ’68 Camaro, for example unveiling was Jason Waye’s engine bay. Don’t paint a car in
(opposite page, top right). If the Juicy Orange PPG paint doesn’t grab you, Barra-powered 1989 Fox- candy!” Charlie laughed
then the insane driveline surely will. The whole lot is getting engineered, body Mustang, FOXSAKE. BELOW: Matt Mitchell’s
too, including the huge 20x18-inch Billet Specialties rims under the rear. Adam Rogash from MPW spectacular PPG Liquorice-
Performance will soon finalise coated ’71 Plymouth Barracuda
Surrounding Joe’s Camaro was a posse of top-notch Elite builds, the tune and then Jason is powered by a late-model
including Brenton Dalwood’s ’35 Ford coupe. The beautiful hot rod was will start testing, aiming for 392ci Hemi and was built by
unveiled to great fanfare on Friday night and finished up on Saturday with reliable passes while also his brother Andrew’s Auto
every top Elite award plus a MotorEx invitation. remaining streetable for Street Transformers team. The highly
Machine Drag Challenge refined ’Cuda took home Third
Along the window side of the Elite pavilion sat Matt Mitchell’s 392ci highway sessions – Elite, Runner-Up – Paint and
Hemi-powered ’75 Plymouth Barracuda. The build was handled by Matt’s 4: Chris Horwood must have Runner-Up – Body, and also
brother Andrew at Auto Transformers and features exceptional bodywork, a strong painter’s arm, as his scored a MotorEx invitation.
clever engineering and tight packaging. The cockpit is set up with a hand 1976 Ford F100 Supercab is Feature soon!
control system for Matt, who is in a wheelchair, along with the standard
pedals for when his partner Katie is driving.

NOVEMBER’S ENCORE PERFORMANCE WENT OFF WITHOUT ANY MAJOR
HITCHES, WITH A CAVALCADE OF INCREDIBLE METAL ON SHOW

090 STREET MACHINE

12

3

5
4

091STREET MACHINE

1 2
3
1: Car clubs are at the heart of our Minor 1000 four-door sedan! The
4 scene, so it was great to see a big astonishing amount of work saw
club presence at the show. South the Morry garner the Best Euro
Aussie’s largest club, the Street Built – Street award, and it won
Machine Association of SA, had Best Individual Hot Rod display
another excellent turnout and 5: Another debutant was Andrew
headed home with the Club of the Quin’s thongslapper-motivated
Show award Windsor Blue HJ pano, complete
2: Vince Viola nabbed his HJ Prem with the early-style Sandman
for a mere $3500 eight years ago livery. Andrew did much of the
after his son spotted it in a Hungry toiling on his once window-filled
Jack’s drive-through. “It wasn’t pano himself and only recently
for sale, but the guy was open to finished the five-year build
offers,” said Vince, who lobbed 6: Decked out in American Rebel
in a 454ci mill before going to knock-off rims and fronted by a
town on the now-pristine paint towering 6/71-blown 383ci Chev,
and panel Matt Olver’s ’34 Ford coupe has a
3: Brenton Dalwood and son Brad powerful presence. Built by Steve
went crazy on this phenomenally Alldrick from Deluxe Rod Shop,
detailed ’35 Ford coupe, turning the coupe is well-manicured with a
out a plethora of bespoke pieces. tight finish that earned a MotorEx
Painted in vivid PPG Amber invitation and an Elite fifth placing
Illusion, the Ford is tastefully 7: “The Barn Find Auction had
finished with tan undertones and 10 cars go under the hammer;
a measured dose of brightwork. we sold seven, with the other
The driveline is a functional SBC/ three close to reserve but
TH400/9in combo passed in,” said Geof Tartoosie.
4: Using photos as a guide, Chad “The highlights were a BT1 VK
Ackland from Xtreme Restorations Commodore that sold for $18,000
hand-built this 1953 Morris Minor and a JB Starion that went for
fire engine replica from a Morris $16,000”

5

092 STREET MACHINE

RESULTS 6

ELITE

1. Brenton Dalwood, 1935 Ford coupe
2. Joe Esposito, 1968 Camaro
3. Matt Mitchell, 1975 Barracuda
4. Jason Rasmus, HG Monaro
5. Matt Olver, 1934 Ford coupe

MOTOREX SUPERSTARS

Hot Rod – Brenton Dalwood, 1935 Ford coupe
Hot Rod – Matt Olver, 1934 Ford coupe

Street Machine – Matt Mitchell, 1975 Barracuda
Street Machine – Joe Esposito, 1968 Camaro
Street Machine – Jason Rasmus, HG Monaro

STREET MACHINE – STREET ELITE

Top Body – Alan Robson, XA coupe
Top Paint – Cameron Buzzcote, HK Monaro
Top Interior & Rear Compartment – Alan Robson, XA coupe
Top Engine Bay & Components – Jason Hannam, SL/R Torana
Top Innovation & Engineering – Levi Chitty, HZ One Tonner

TUFF STREET

Top Engineered – Levi Chitty, HZ One Tonner
Toughest – Vinnie Pratico, HK Premier

Top Innovation – Daniel Constable, VX SS Commodore
Fat Ass – Frank Quaini, 1932 Ford coupe

Promoter’s Choice – Frank Ferragamo, HT Monaro
Ultimate Sleeper – Brenton Watkins, FPV FG GTP Boss 600

7

093STREET MACHINE

In the main hall, a plethora of high-horsepower, street-legal rides were 1
scattered among the car club displays. While the indoor entrant numbers
were lower in number due to a forced pavilion change and the ruddy
COVID restrictions, the quality wasn’t lacking. Local enthusiasts are
stepping up their builds in every way, putting ever bigger, faster and
shinier machines on the street. Events like these enable us to check the
pulse of the car community, and right now South Australia is in peak health.

While cool weather and rain threatened the Friday and Saturday cruise
nights as well as Saturday’s outdoor show, it didn’t deter hundreds of cars
and thousands of people from coming out to partake.

“Overall, the show went well considering COVID, a change of pavilions,
and the fact that this is actually our second show this year,” said a relieved
and probably tired Geof Tartoosie. “We had over 200 cars inside. And
crowd-wise I’m guessing we had about 1000 on Friday night and about
5000 Saturday – a good number considering the weather was potentially
an issue.”

With a never-say-die attitude, Geof is forging ahead for 2022.
“I’m having a meeting with the showgrounds soon to work on a suitable
date,” he said. “I’ve got some new things I want to try, so we’ll see if we
can get back to the Jubilee Pavilion, then I can pick things up a gear.”
With an increasing number of knockout rides rolling out of sheds and

workshops across SA, we’re keen to see what’s to come.

1: Tony Ross built his 1959 FC sedan 2: Levi Chitty’s minty-fresh HZ
in 1974 and scored Top Street One Tonner sports an estimated
Machine at the first Street Machine 1000hp ProCharged 400ci stroker,
Nationals in 1975. Having since with all the gear to be 100
sold it, Tony recently located the FC per cent street-legal. While the
again; it had been languishing in newly trimmed seats only arrived
a paddock. While the body copped as the show opened, that didn’t
a bare-metal respray, much of the hamper the Tonner’s ability to
original kit remains, although the take home the Top Engineered –
192ci donk with a 100hp shot of Tuff Street and Top Innovation &
nitrous is a new addition Engineering – Street Elite awards

EVENTS LIKE THESE ENABLE US TO CHECK THE PULSE OF THE CAR
COMMUNITY, AND RIGHT NOW SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS IN PEAK HEALTH

2

094 STREET MACHINE



OLD’S

FAT MEATS, CLEAN LINES AND A STOUT SMALL-BLOCK TAKE THIS TORANA

096 STREET MACHINE

COOL!
BACK TO THE GLORY DAYS OF THE MELBOURNE STREET CAR SCENE
STORY IAIN KELLY PHOTOS SHAUN TANNER

097STREET MACHINE

WE TRULY live in a golden age for our hobby. Making for a few years,” Fred says. “He had the intention it would hit
big power has never been cheaper, and having the road again one day, but after he was diagnosed with MS,
one-off parts fabricated is easier than ever thanks the project was destined to be sold. A deal was done for me
to computers. But there still is a deep-seated love to purchase the car, and originally we were going to just get it
among street machiners for the scene of 30-40 on the road quickly.
years ago, when petrol was cents in the dollar and
street cars had attitude for days. “But it took a bit of a turn, as the detail work started to grow
and we figured it was too good to stop there,” Fred continues.
Fred De Fazio grew up during this period, and it stamped a “Everyone involved loved working on the Torana as if it were
BFG tread pattern all over his DNA, as evidenced by this LX their own, which is why the detail, custom work and effort took
Torana he’s just completed. this build to another level.”

“From the age of 16, my brothers and I were always interested Once the shell had been blasted, Frank Ivancic and the
in street muscle cars, with many Friday nights spent watching or team from Truck Shine Melbourne spent bulk hours getting
drag racing at Calder Park,” Fred explains. “I saw many Aussie the body gun-barrel straight and perfecting the bodylines and
muscle cars in our driveway over the years, and that passion panel fitment. The engine bay and undercarriage were totally
continued to grow once I got my licence and bought my own smoothed, while the rear tubs were taken to the chassis rails
XD Falcon. It did not take long to replace the standard 250 six- to house some 80s-style 12-inch-wide meats.
cylinder with a 351 Cleveland!”
Frank’s team then coated the body and undercarriage in
Since then, Fred’s had his hand in a bunch of killer cars. His Ferrari PPG Grigio Silverstone grey, with the inside smoothed
pro street XD was joined by a ’66 Mustang coupe, then a pro and finished in matte-black.
street ’78 Z/28 Camaro build, and on to the restored XY GT
tribute sitting in his shed today. But the Torana is special, and “The idea was to make it look factory, but better,” explains Fred.
not just because it represented a new brand for him to play with. “I wanted subtle modifications that enhanced what Holden gave
us. So, I had Danny from Initial D Racing look after the extensive
“I was always more of a Ford man, but the Torana started mechanical modifications, including fitting Viking coil-overs on
with me helping out a friend, who had owned the car as a roller all four corners and Wilwood brakes front and back. I also went

EVERYONE LOVED WORKING ON THE TORANA AS IF IT
WERE THEIR OWN, WHICH IS WHY THE DETAIL, CUSTOM
WORK AND EFFORT TOOK THIS BUILD TO ANOTHER LEVEL

098 STREET MACHINE

ABOVE: Along with the stout mouse motor,
another traditional touch is the 15x3.5 and
15x10 genuine original Center Line Auto Drags.
“I wanted the classic Melbourne street car
look,” Fred says. “I didn’t want the flares, and I
like the old-school appearance”

LEFT: A tough four-link and 9in diff
were built by Full Flight Engineering
using a Strange Engineering double-
ribbed cage housing, 31-spline axles,
Truetrac centre and 3.9 Richmond
gears. Wilwood brakes are used all
’round, while Viking coil-over struts
keep the sedan’s sills off the ground
RIGHT: While the LX sedan shell
looks original, it features stretched
guards, a full fibreglass 4in reverse-
cowl bonnet; flush, smoothed engine
bay and firewall; tucked bumpers;
and a smoothed-off underbody for a
show-ready finish

099STREET MACHINE

FRED DE FAZIO INTERIOR: Fred had the
1977 HOLDEN LX TORANA standard Torana seats
bolstered and retrimmed by
Paint: PPG Grigio Silverstone George from Laverton Motor
Trimmers. The interior also
ENGINE features a flat-panelled floor,
one-piece dash, custom
Brand: Dart 434ci Chevy small-block centre console and door trims,
Induction: Tremaniac Racing billet NxtGen electric windows, and bespoke
intake, Plazmaman 105mm throttlebody billet buttons and trim pieces.
ECU: FuelTech FT450 Auto Meter gauges were added
Heads: DRP alloy for that old-school flair, while
Camshaft: Custom hydraulic-roller a Billet Specialties steering
Conrods: Scat H-beam wheel was adapted to the
Pistons: JE custom forged Holden column
Crank: Scat forged 4340 steel
Oil system: High-volume pump, High I WANT TO KEEP IT A CLEAN, OLD-
Energy sump SCHOOL-MUSCLE STREET CAR, LIKE
Fuel system: 550cc injectors, Holley EFI pump
Cooling: Custom Race Radiators two-core HOW WE USED TO BUILD THEM
alloy radiator, Spal dual fans
Exhaust: Custom Boosted Fabrications 2in
extractors, twin 3in stainless exhaust
Ignition: MSD crank & cam sensors,
FuelTech IGN1A coils, MSD leads

TRANSMISSION

Gearbox: Manualised Powerglide
Converter: TCE 8.5in 4000rpm
Diff: Full Flight Engineering 9in, 31-spline
axles, Truetrac centre, Strange Engineering
double-ribbed cage housing, 3.9:1
Richmond gears

SUSPENSION & BRAKES

Front: Viking coil-overs
Rear: Viking coil-overs, four-link
Brakes: Wilwood discs, (f & r)
Master cylinder: Wilwood

WHEELS & TYRES

Rims: Center Line Auto Drag; 15x3.5 (f),
15x10 (r)
Rubber: Nankang 145/70R15 (f), M/T
Sportsman 26x12R15 (r)

THANKS

Frank Ivancic at Truck Shine Melbourne
for bodywork and paint and for being a
great friend for 30+ years; Adam Miraglia
for his help on the body; Danny Bresciani
at Initial D Racing, who really does stand
out from the rest when it comes to street/
drag builds; Steve Martin at Boosted
Fabrications for the great work; Craig at OC
Billet for the custom billet parts; George at
Laverton Motor Trimmers; Rocco Curra at
Curra Custom Detailing; last but not least,
my family and friends

100 STREET MACHINE