NEVER LET IT BE SAID THAT THERE’S NOTHING HAPPENING IN THE SCENE.
There seems to be an abundance of events happening in Australia right now. So much so, that anyone trying to find a weekend to stage an event, is struggling to find a date that doesn’t clash with something else. Whilst it makes it hard to get things organised, it just goes to show that the modified car scene is flourishing at the moment.
Along with some major shows coming up including the Autofest series. Chryslers on the Murray, the Narrandera Rod Run, MotorEx, Sydney Hot Rod and Custom Auto Expo, the return of the Victorian Hot Rod Show, and of course Killer Rides Live #6 to name but a few, there’s plenty of events happening in your area every weekend with many cars and coffee type runs, Saturday night cruise-ins and more happening in just about every area around the country. I doubt whether any car enthusiast could wake up on any weekend and say there’s nothing to go to…
It means more cars being showcased to more people. It’s a point of difference that makes Killer Rides unique – for now anyway…
In the new look Killer Rides, I’m trying to showcase as many events as possible, so if you’re at a cruise night, cars and coffee run, or maybe just a cruise with a bunch of mates, send some pics in! You never know, you may find yourself in the mag.
The same goes for feature cars, whilst we will still be running regular features (with video clip as well), our ‘Snap Shot’ features will be spread across the magazine of cars we find at shows that deserve to be seen by the greater modified car community. It means more cars being showcased to more people. It’s a point of difference that makes Killer Rides unique –for now anyway…
So after toiling away at your day to day job, when the weekend rolls around, make sure you get your car (or bike) out to an event close to where you are. And don’t forget to grab some photos while you’re there…
See you on the Street,
Paul
America’s Grand National Roadster Show held each Feb at the Pomona Fairplex is one of those events that always features many unique, unusual, and very special cars, and this year, the shows 74th happening, there was one very special car that had a crowd around it all weekend - Rick Dobbertin’s still-amazing Pontiac J2000, that is now owned by Matt and Debbie Hay. Keeping their stunning Pro-Street Thunderbird company, the J2000 (and the Thunderbird) were part of the “Street Machines - then and now” exhibition at the GNRS that featured many Street Machines and Pro-Street Cars from “back in the day!” I remember when Chic Henry bought the J2000 out for the Summernats. It was at the height of the Pro-Street scene and it blew everyone away with its fabrication, colour scheme and that engine combo. Take a look at the pics supplied by Killer Rides Global Correspondant, Greg ‘Beach’ Ball and you’ll see the J2000 still looks as good as it did when it was first built. Even the twin-blown, twin-turbo, nitrous small block still sits in its original spot! Has there been a more impressive car built since? Rick also made an appearence at the show to check out his creation after all those years...
Nitrous. The J2000’s small block was a burger with the lot!
30-years ago, my brother Rod & I walked into the Illawarra Hockey Centre with grand plans of bringing a high-end, indoor event to the people of the greater Illawarra region. At first, the venue operators were dead set against us bringing cars onto their special rubber floor., but perseverance paid off and in July 1994, the very first Hot Car Titles event was held, bringing the best cars on the scene at that time to the car loving people of Wollongong and beyond. Fast forward 30-years and in 2024 plans are already in place to bring another bunch of amazing street machines, hot rods and more to the Hockey Centre over the weekend of Aug 10/11 for the staging of Killer Rides Live #6.
The line-up of entrants will include some ‘legend cars’ that have been in the scene for a long time, but haven’t been seen on show for years as well as some of the most high profile cars currently on the scene. I’ve even got some cars coming that were at the event at the very beginning! Add to this lots of trade stands, giveaways and more, Killer Rides Live #6 is one event you won’t want to miss. Make sure you head to the Illawarra Hockey Centre to join in our 30th Anniversary celebrations! More info will be found at www. killerrides.com.au
Throughout the build process of the EH, we used quality components, that’s why we chose Lovell suspension systems.
Rob Gardner - EH HoldenHave you booked a spot for the first annual Killer Rides Cruise without Cars? If not, best you do so now! These cruises tend to sell out, so to secure your place for the first one, book a room now! Here’s what you need to know;
Date: July 4th - 8th, 2024 Cruise: Carnival Splendor out of Sydney
Sydney - Tangalooma / Moreton Island - Sydney
To book a room, from an Interior room to a Balcony suite, you can contact your own travel agent and use the reference: Z8W1B4. Alternatively, you can use our agent: Le Sharn Bard at Flight Centre Figtree. Call her direct on (02) 42516000 and tell her it’s for the Killer Rides Cruise, and she will make it happen for you. Can’t wait to see you all upon the Carnival Splendor, Thursday July 4th! More information can be found at www.killerrides.com.au
You may not have realised that Killer Rides has been including Video Clips in car and event features since before the very first magazine went live. In fact, before producing the magazine, Killer Rides was actually a DVD series! And now, you can simply log onto our official youtube channel and check out all of those previous video’s (there’s more than 200 videos on file so far!) as well as getting notified about every new clip we add. Click here to check them out now!
https://www.youtube.com/@KillerRides
With the new dates locked in, the revised Victorian Hot Rod Show now has online entries open via their website – www.vhra.com.au To be held in the B1 Exhibition Pavilion at Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, the event is hoping to attract lots of great Hot Rods, Customs, Street Machines and custom bikes to fill this venue and make the return of this great event a success. The team behind the event are offering clubs to come along and have stands, along with traders who can take advantage of the available pre-erected stands. The show is scheduled for Aug 10th and 11th, so if you’re keen to be a part of it, jump onto the website now and book a spot.
I’ve be hearing stories lately of modified car owners being sent letters in the post about presenting their cars for full pit inspections – again! From what I’ve been told, Police are looking for highly modified cars that don’t have engineer’s reports listed. I’m guessing the wait to get an engineer’s report is about to get a hell of a lot longer…
Everyone loves to check out new cars in the build, that’s why I have implemented a section at Killer Rides Live so people car see just how much work goes into creating the final masterpiece. Its also one of the most popular sections in the magazine too! So if you’re currently up to your elbows in a new project, send me some pics and info to paul@killerrides.com.au
Just 5 years after taking over the Hilborn brand, Holley has decided to cease production of the fuel injection systems in a move that will sadden those nostalgia racers, hot rodders and street car owners who have relied on Hilborn for their performance needs for many years. Whilst I understand the need for mechanical injection may have slowed over the years now that people are using late model electronic fuel injection in all kinds of street and strip cars, it’s a shame that an iconic brand such as Hilborn will now just become a memory. Let’s hope this isn’t a sign of what’s to come. One thing is for sure, those that have some Hilborn injection on their car or sitting on the shelf in the garage, are now sitting on a gold mine…
Got something to say? Send it to paul@killerride.com.au or message us from the Killer Rides Facebook page.
Hi Paul,
I thought I would take up an offer to buy a cheap Tesla recently. Sure it was fun for a while, but it didn’t take too long for the novelty to wear off. A minor issue took a considerable amount of time to fix because no one could pin point the issue. Once I did get it back, the problems persisted to the point it was in the shop more than it was on the road. The bill to fix the battery problem was worth more than the car itself, so I cut my losses and parted ways with it. Never again will I fall for this electric vehicle bullshit. Petrol engines for ever!!!!
Daniel K – Brisbane.
G’day Daniel,
I hear this a lot mate. There seems to be some issues that Tesla need to overcome with their vehicles. I guess time and research will be great for the whole EV movement, but for me, it’s definitely a last resort. I’ll stick to my petrol-guzzling, ozone-layer-depleting big block Chev for now. I’m sure I’m not alone.
G’day Paul,
Like you, I’m over these so-called car enthusiasts doing stupid things in their cars at events. Is it any wonder why Police attend these events and hand out defects? What is wrong with people. Are they not concerned about having their car defected, impounded or even worse, crushed? I just don’t get it…
Aaron H - DandenongG’day Aaron,
It seems that these guys thrive on making a spectacle of themselves, without a care in the world about the consequences. More often than not, someone will have footage of them doing the wrong thing, and post it on social media without their plates covered. It’s an open invitation for the authorities to take action – which they do. It’s no secret that Police spend time looking through social media pages hoping to find this stuff. Eventually, they will get the hint and settle down…hopefully.
Hi Paul,
I was googling events recently and came across the Street Machine Nationals held in Wagga Wagga. I then started looking around and found that you have run the Street Machine Nationals at Rosehill Racecourse and Sydney Dragway quite a few years ago. What ever happened to that event?
To be honest, I’ve been to six or seven Summernats in my time, and it just doesn’t do it for me. I want to see an event that focusses on the cars first and foremost. Is there any chance you’ll ever bring the Street Machine Nationals back? And if you do, can you please make it chrome bumpers only? By the way, love Killer Rides! Keep up the great work.
Simon B - PenrithG’day Simon, I tried to get the Street Machine Nationals back a couple of times, but the workload was just way too much for me and my small team of workers. I still believe there’s room in the event calender for the original “Nat’s” and would love to work with a group to make it happen. But with a busy schedule already, who knows if it will ever happen…
G’day Paul, I’m hearing a lot of people complaining about being hit with a letter to present their cars to the RMS for a full pit inspection. Do the Police still target modified cars just for the hell of it? It doesn’t seem fair. Surely there must be something we can do as a group to stop this ‘random targeting’ of modified cars by the Police, EPA and RMS? If we don’t act now, how long will it be before the powers that be stop all modified cars from being on the street?
Oliver J - Parramatta
G’day Oliver, I too have heard the rumours circulating about the RMS sending out letters to car owners. Realistically, there’s nothing we can do about it, other than choose carefully where you cruise, and when you do cruise, do the right thing and above all else, keep your car as legal as you can. Good luck with it all…
Following in his Dad’s footsteps, Daniel Beauchamp is set to build himself a stunning early Holden coupe.
TWO-DOOR CONVERSION - STRETCHED DOORS
REMOVED COWL PANEL - RECESSED FIREWALL SMOOTHED PANELS - LOWERED SILLS
TWIN TURBO LS ENGINE
NELSON RACING 64MM TURBOS
SHAUNS CUSTOM ALLOY
BILLET INTAKE
DANIEL BEAUCHAMP - FC HOLDEN COUPE
WORDS - PAUL BECK PICS - PAUL BECK / DANIEL BEAUCHAMP
Daniel’s Dad, Peter built a unique FB Holden that not only featured a conversion from four doors to two, but also had a flip front that revealed a twin turbo V8 from the land of the rising sun, in the form of a Lexus bent eight! Daniel was hands on with the FB, working beside his Dad to create a show winning early Holden, so it comes as no surprise to see Daniel embarking on his own build. But before the FC
became his all-consuming project, Daniel was actually head-long into another early Holden – an FJ Ute that was to be powered by a twinturbo LS engine combo. With an expanding family, the two seats the FJ had to offer just weren’t enough, so Daniel decided to put the feelers out for another project. He found this FC that had already been subjected to a heap of work by Chad at Xtreme Restorations.
SMOOTHED DASH
BUCKET SEATS
FABRICATED TUNNEL
BILLET TILT COLUMN
BILLET WHEEL
CUSTOM CHASSIS
FOUR-LINK 20X8 / 20X10 WHEELS
ROD TECH FRONT END
FOUR WHEEL DISCS
As luck would have it, the FC had already been converted to a coupe, with the front doors, pillars and quarter panels modified to suit. That saved Daniel a bunch of work and gave the FC a new look that suited the style of car he wanted to build. The deal was even sweeter considering the altered body was sitting on a fabricated chassis featuring a Rod Tech front end, fourlink located diff and a set of 20-inch American Legend wheels in 8” and 10” widths. Body wise, apart from the two-door conversion, the doors will feature one-piece glass, the sills have been extended and all locks have been removed for a much smoother look. Continuing that theme, the front cowl vent is now history as are the badges, various side trims and fuel filler, which is now found in the boot.
Inside, the all-steel dash is currently smoothed out and awaiting a custom gauge cluster. The steering now features a billet tilt column and steering wheel with an elevated shifter mounted to the fabricated transmission tunnel.
Initially, Daniel was going to run an aspirated stroker LS combo with no less than 408 cubes that would have made the FC quite a wild ride. Daniel however thought an aspirated engine in such a cool custom ride just wouldn’t cut it, so there’s a twin-turbo LS now nestled into the fabricated engine bay. With a pair of symmetrical Nelson Racing 64mm turbo’s and a Shaun’s Custom Alloy billet intake manifold, the engine looks (almost) as good as its going to perform. The plan is to cover the body in a combination of Metallic Blue and Pearl White in the
familiar FC style which will no doubt give the coupe a timeless look. Daniel told us there’s still plenty of work to get done before paint goes anywhere near the reworked body, but from what we are seeing now, this will be one well worth waiting for…
After changing the date from November to February, the 2nd Hot Rod & Harley Expo filled the Illawarra Hockey Centre with a great mix of Rods, Customs and oh-so-cool Harleys!
In my 30th year of staging events inside the Hockey Centre, one thing has never changed – my need to check the weather forecast every ten minutes, hoping for a sunny day for the Friday setup. We’ve been lucky for most of those 30 years, but 2024 was going to be pushing the limits of my stress levels. I’m one of those guys that needs to know as early as I can, what the weather is going to be. I know you have more chance of winning Lotto than relying on the forecast by the experts, but still, I kept a constant eye on not one, but four different weather apps. The closer we got to setup day, the worse the weather looked, and I was getting worried. Although the day started
under clear blue skies and temps well into the 30’s by mid-morning for us to mark the floor out, it wasn’t to stay that way. With the promise of rain, wind and thunderstorms arriving mid-afternoon, we tried to get everyone indoors as early as well could to help entrants beat the wet weather, but our efforts didn’t go to plan with a few people caught out in the storms before they could get indoors. To their credit though, everyone still arrived on the allotted setup time, even though it meant more cleaning once in position. It was a trying time, but we got through it, thanks to the efforts of the Killer Rides ‘A-Team’ who did a great job during setup.
When the doors opened on Saturday morning, the people waiting to get inside the building were greeted to a great mix of cars and bikes –an all-new line up to what was on show at the first Hot Rod & Harley Expo. Wondering around the display area revealed a list of entries that included show, street and competition in both cars and bikes. Our judge, Drago Ostric summed it up perfectly stating this event is three shows in one – Hot Rods, Customs and Harleys. Each goes hand in hand with the other.
Each of the groups had their own trophy list to strive towards, but it was the three major awards, and of course the Peoples Choice fridge, that most had their eyes on. The winner of the People’s Choice votes not only gained the bragging rights to the award, but also scored the coolest trophy – literally! Each event I buy a new bar fridge, send it to Blake and the team at Graphic Connection to wrap it with the event logo on the door. That alone makes it desirable, but we go one step further and get all the entrants to sign the side of the fridge making it a truly one-off trophy. After counting all the votes, the general public decided that Robert Kastoun’s slick ROAR49 Chev Pickup was to be the winner! Before announcing the winners of the big three awards, we had three memorial awards to hand out to remember three prominent Hot Rodders, we offered awards in the memory of Larry O’Toole (Publisher of Australian Street Rodding), Mario Colalillo (Australia’s King of Customs), and Jim Broadley (Hot Rodding pioneer and owner of Diablo Motors). The families picked cars that their loved ones would have admired. Al and Mary O’Toole chose Brett Huxley’s ’28 Ford Tudor; Andy Colalillo picked Mark Bolleri’s Merc Sled, with Rebecca and Coralie Broadley handing their award over to Alan Odgers for his blown flattie-powered ’32 Ford Pickup.
With lots of trophies already handed out, it was down to the main three awards. My intention was always to offer a prestigious set of trophies to the highest point scorers in each category. Each of the winners of Australia’s Most Beautiful Hot Rod, Custom and Harley scored a much larger trophy, with each of their vehicles being on next year’s event t-shirt. The honour saw smiles on the faces of Robert Wiedeman (Harley), Robert Kastoun (Custom) and Tony Ripepi (Hot Rod). Congrats guys…
The 2nd Hot Rod & Harley Expo showcased everything from show cars and bikes, street driven/ridden versions, a few competition rides including a rat-rod burnout Chev and everything in between. We even managed a big display of T-Buckets and plenty of trade stands that were kept busy. It all added up to another great event. Check out the pics and video to see what was on offer. Next up for us, Killer Rides Live #6! Keep an eye on www.killerrides.com.au for all the updates.
Rob Peters wanted to build himself a tough, blown Camaro. But he didn’t want everyone to see the power he was packing…
There’s no denying that in the world of tough street cars, nothing makes a statement like a big polished blower hanging through the bonnet. Even those that don’t quite understand what it’s all about, can’t help but stop and stare. Unfortunately, on Australian soil, more often than not, those wielding the dreaded defect books tend to take notice too, and for our man Rob, having to cruise the Camaro constantly looking in his rearview mirror didn’t seem appealing at all.
When Rob found this Camaro in the USA, it was a typical, well-used early muscle car showing the usual wear and tear. After making the purchase, and shipping the Camaro half way across the world to Australia, Rob’s joy turned to disappointment when the Camaro’s aging body was removed from the acid bath revealing a lot less of the sheet metal compared to what was there when it went in. With no other option available, Rob continued on with the rebuild, which now became a whole lot more involved. Luckily, Rob is handy with the body work tools and managed to sort out the issues with the Camaro’s body himself, getting it better than new for Dan and Don at Top Coat to lay on the Mazda Storm Blue colour. The body has been kept almost as the factory had intended, with the exception of the cowl bonnet which is a factory option anyway!
There’s a reason why Rob added that bonnet. Check out that engine! With an F2Procharger dominating the underhood view, you have to look hard to see there’s a highly detailed big block hiding under all those hoses and pipes! Built by Mick Brody at Brody Automotive, the big block sports 572-cubes and produces around 1500hp on E85 fuel, thanks mostly to the blower that pushes the air through the C&S single carby mounted to the Edelbrock intake.
The engine also features Rock alloy heads, forged flat top pistons, forged Scat crank and rods and a roller solid cam that gives the 572 a serious idle. Rob has an engineering background and fabricated lots of custom pieces on and around the engine including pulleys, brackets and supports. It’s these subtle changes that make the difference when the show judges do their thing. The engine and its components fill every inch of the Camaro’s engine bay and everything is detailed perfectly. Backing the potent big block is a Reid-cased Powerglide built to handle the power being pushed through it. With a transbrake, full-manualised internals and a Dominator converter, this box will take anything Rob throws at it – and then some. Likewise, the Strange housing 9-inch diff with its billet axles and true-trac centre are ready to get the power to the ground with ease.
Rob paid particular attention to the Camaro’s underside too, adding Caltracs to the rear, along with custom springs, and Pedders shocks. Up front, Viking coilovers were adapted to the Camaro. Braking is now controlled by a full complement of Baer discs and calipers. The wheels of choice are 15x4 and 15x10 Centerline – the rears having the popular bead locks added for that true Pro-Street look.
Inside, the Camaro is anything but authentic. There’s now a quartet of custom bucket seats covered in black leather by Ultimate Upholstery and featuring custom SS insignia’s embedded into each seat. Carbon fibre surrounds the rear seats and has been added to the custom centre console which now houses the B&M shifter, billet switches and seat belt holders. The factory steering wheel has been replaced with a smaller, more stylish item with a host of new AutoMeter / Dakota Digital gauges added to the reworked dash along with billet knobs and pedals. The door trims also feature billet door handles that look great against the black leather.
OWNER: ROB PETERS
VEHICLE: 1968 CHEV CAMARO
ENGINE: 572CI CHEV, F2 PROCHARGER, BLOWTHRU C&S CARB, E85 FUEL
HORSEPOWER: 1500hp
TRANS: RIED POWERGLIDE
REAR END: STRANGE 9-inch
COLOUR: MAZDA STORM BLUE
THANKS TO: Dan & Don at Top Coat (Paint). Sam Gordon for the auto electrics. Mick Brody at Brody Automotive (Engine & Gearbox). John at Ultimate Upholstery (Interior). Don Herman (Chrome, Stainless, Windows). Albury Electroplaters. Wodonga Engineering Centre (Billet work). Jimmy and the Boys at Fatal Finish (Detailing). Pete and the boys at East Coast Mustang and Camaro Parts. Mark Sutcliffe. Kyle Peters and many more for their helping hands, love and support!
It’s taken Rob around 10-years to build the Camaro to this stage. There’s no denying it’s tough and makes plenty of power, but it also impresses on the show circuit too, taking out a spot in the Top 60 and 3rd Top Coupe at Summernats, Best Pro-Street at Killer Rides Live #5 and Best Car of Show at the 60’s Muscle Car Club event. Next stop for the Camaro will be Meguiar’s MotorEx in May before Rob hits the black top more regularly, making all that work and expense all worthwhile…
For many, the Grand National Roadster Show is the one big indoor car show for which all others are compared to.
Traditionally, the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) brings together some of the finest Hot Rods, Customs and Muscle Cars from all over the USA to compete. The event has almost 100 different awards categories, but for most, the interest lays in two – The ‘America’s Most Beautiful Roadster’ award and the ‘Al Slonaker Memorial’ award. Al Slonaker was the promoter of the very first GNRS way back in 1950 and the first award in his name was presented in 1974 and has been a much sought after trophy ever since.
Whilst the GNRS is renown around the world for its high-end entry list, this year’s line-up featured a very special group that gained plenty of attention. A section of the show area in one of the buildings was set aside for a bunch of Pro-Street cars from both back in the day and from the current crop of fat-tyred pavement pounders that travelled from all over America to take part in the display. Probably the most talked about vehicle amongst the exhibition of the mega-horsepower brigade was Rick Dobbertin’s J2000 – being on show for the first time in what seems like an eternity. New owners, Matt and Debbie Hay have worked tirelessly on getting the still radical J2000 prepared for the trip to Pomona. In regards to impact, it stole the show in amongst some very cool competition. Other notable Pro-Street inclusions were Rick’s other car that also looks brand new – his blown, twin-turbo and nitrous Nova; Tony Netzel’s always impressive Plymouth Belvedere; Matt and Debbie’s Thunderbird; Bradley Gray’s Blown Mafia, street-driven twin-blown Nova funnycar and megamotored Mustang, to name but a few! Apart from the over-powered, over-tyred cars, this section also included Pro-Touring and more traditional Street Machines. Titled “Street Machines: Then & Now” this special feature attracted plenty of attention and will hopefully become a regular feature.
There were nine contenders in line to take home the bragging rights (and cool trophy) in the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. Each of them amazing in their own rights and each one received a thorough going over by the show judges to find the eventual winner. After carefully calculating the points, the winner was announced as Beth Myers for her incredible 1932 Ford Tudor Phaeton. Built by the famed team at Roy Brizio Street Rods, the ’32 was pure class with its black and flamed paint work, correct stance, traditional styled trim and 8-stack injected Roush engine, it was no surprise it topped the point score. Not to say the other 8 contenders were all brilliant cars, they just didn’t score enough points to beat Beth’s ’32. Not only did the win score Beth the ultimate Roadster award and $12,500 thanks to ARP Fasteners, her name will now be etched in history as it gets attached to the huge (and I mean massive) perpetual trophy!
Over 500 vehicles were featured indoors at Fairplex with up to 800 extra vehicles added each day to the area’s around and between each of the buildings house the show cars and displays, making for a full weekend of viewing. One of the other major attractions of the GNRS is the ‘Suede Palace’ – a building dedicated to the more traditional Hot Rods and Custom cars. In this area, it was all about magnesium wheels, multi-carbed engines, pinstriping and reliving the 50’s and 60’s the way only truly traditional Hot Rodders can.
This award is won by the vehicle that scores the highest points tally, that’s not a Roadster! That leaves the doors open to quite a few cars, and for 2024, there were no less than eleven cars in the running for this award. Featuring everything from a couple of Chev C10 Pickup, two amazing Dodge Chargers, ’31 Ford Vicky and a couple of 57 Chevs, it was the ’59 Impala coupe owned by David Rush that took home the gold! Dubbed “Bespoke”, the green pearl coupe looked subtle, but was more outrageous that it first appears. Apart from the silky-smooth paint, the interior has had a major transformation in a terracotta colour with a supercharged 518 cubic inch LS3 providing the power through a six-speed manual gearbox. The ‘409-inspired’ rocker treatment trying to mask the true identity of the pumped engine. The team at Steve Cook Creations did an amazing job building BESPOKE –a worthy winner of the 2024 Al Slonaker Award – oh and $12,500 thanks to ARP Fasteners.
If you’re a car guy or girl, getting to the Grand National Roadster Show should be on your bucket list. With so much to see at the show (and with the NHRA Museum across the street), it’s definitely worth making this event part of any travel plans to the USA in late Jan – early February. So who is planning their trip for 2025? A big thanks to Killer Rides oz-based USA correspondent Greg Ball for supplying the pics of the GNRS!
The VK series Commodore, is highly regarded as one of the toughest Commodores ever made. Brock obviously thought so with plenty of versions wearing the HDT badge, and more recently, we’ve seen plenty of highly-modified VK Brock tributes on the scene, featuring the familiar blue paint, but being powered by all kinds of engines. Daniel Mussared though, didn’t want to follow the trend, and took his VK sedan down the Street
Elite route instead. He still kept the blue theme going, but went with a more impressive Candy Blue from the DNA range that covers the gun-barrel straight body and HDT-inspired body kit. A set of 19x8 and 19x11 Billet wheels finish off the exterior look perfectly. Inside, VE GTS seats replace the factory items with a custom centre console added after the whole lot was covered in white leather. The dash now features a Holley Pro Dash.
With plenty of engine options available, Daniel went with a Westend Performance built 355-cube Holden stroker with alloy heads and a Harrop 2300 blower for plenty of power. A reverse pattern Turbo 400 sends the power back to the sheet metal 9-inch diff with 35-spline axles and floating hubs. If you get to see DBLTME at an event, make sure you check it out. You’ll be impressed…
There’s something special about a 60’s style, periodperfect Nostalgia drag car being used on the street!
Not surprisingly, John Coinu’s ’64 Dodge was a hit at the recent Chryslers on the Murray. In amongst almost 1000 Mopar’s, John’s Dodge was certainly a standout and drew lots of attention each time it was parked up. So much so, that just trying to get a few pics and videos proved to be quite hard with so many people checking out the racecar-theme build. We don’t often see modified 330 Hardtop’s, especially ones that herald back to the racing days of the mid 60’s where it was all about cool paint jobs, vehicle names blazened across the cars’ flanks and multiple carbs on big cube V8 engines. John’s Dodge is a nostalgic trip back in history, which is probably why it proved so popular at the event!
OWNER: John coinu
VEHICLE: 1964 DODGE 330 hardtop
ENGINE: 426ci hemi, INDY ALLOY HEADS, twin 600 edelbrock carbs, EDELBROCK INTAKE, MSD IGNITION
TRANS: A833 4-speed manual, vertical gate shifter
REAR END: DANA 60 WITH 3.73-gears, MINI TUBS, RELOCATED SPRINGS
COLOUR: BLACK, GOLD, SIGNWRITING
The striking black and gold paint scheme, with its “Quarter Pounder” signage across the doors was enough to get most people’s attention initially, and once they go in for a closer look, they start to notice the attention to detail that John has added in the build. Take the stance for example. Back in the ‘old days’, the front ends were set higher than the rear, and gave the impression of power, even when parked up. It’s the same here with John’s tribute build. Without exception, the first area people tend to look at with cars like this is the engine bay, and when there’s a twin-carb Hemi filling the bay, it always brings a smile to those taking a peak. Keeping with the theme, John backed the Hemi with a four-speed manual box with gear changes being made with a full nostalgia-spec Vertical Gate shifter! The interior has a half cage, harness belts and no back seat! And just for good measure, John keeps a periodcorrect helmet on the front seat! It’s the details that make a difference. John topped off a big weekend with a win in the Best American 63-82 Non Muscle and a coveted spot in the Top 5 American Vehicles.
A couple of times each year, the small south coast town of Moruya feels the rumble of V8 engines and good time vibes. February saw the running of the annual South Coast Nostalgic Hot Rod & Kustom Run.
Moruya was the home of the well-known South Coast Nationals, but after many years, promoters Lee and Debbie Pearce decided to take a step back from the stress of running such a big event. Not being able to shake the enthusiasm for bringing a bunch of cool cars to his home town, the duo decided to stage two similar low-key events at different times of the year, for different groups of enthusiasts. The first event of the year catered for the Hot Rod & Custom crowd, attracting some great cars from along the south coast, Canberra, Goulburn and more.
Based at the Ingenia Holiday Park on the edge of the river, the South Coast Nostalgic Hot Rod & Kustom Run featured cruising to local attractions, live music on Saturday night, food trucks and a show and shine on the Parks lawn to finish off the weekend where the cool illuminated trophies were handed out to the lucky winners.
The event is all about having fun with cars and likeminded people with no stress and very little cost. In fact, to enter, all it costs is just $10 plus a donation of a new toy that was donated to the Canberra Hospital Foundation – a great cause that received lots of toys for the kids. Lee and Debbie do a great job for their chosen charities (Australian Cancer Research Foundation) and, along with the help of their friends, make this event well worth the trip down south. So do yourself a favour and mark in Feb 7-9, 2025 and get yourself down for a relaxing weekend in Moruya…
There’s something so cool about an early Corvette. Long before they went all swoopy, the GM stylists did an amazing job with the 50’s and 60’s models – case in point the ’58 model with its dual headlights, abundance of chrome and timeless styling. Then along comes Scotty Hooper who wanted to reimagine his ’58. After dropping the Vette off to
Paul Atkins Hot Rods, the car emerged in a unique colour based on a Mini Cooper hue with Forgeline wheels and a driveline featuring a 6.2-litre supercharged LT4 engine with 650hp. Inside the interior is completely reworked in Fawn leather. It’s a stunning car that shows that no matter how good a car looks stock, the right treatment can make it better…
Long before they went all swoopy, the GM stylists did an amazing job with the 50’s and 60’s models...
Originally built by Charlton Sherry and now owned by Mark Weekes, this ’56 Belair just keeps getting better and better…
Flanked by the seemingly more popular ’55 and ’57 models, the ’56 has always suffered from middle child syndrome as far as classic Chevs go. But when you see versions like Mark’s sweet four door, that will hopefully change. Mark obviously knew this was a great car when he took over ownership of it and when you see what’s been incorporated into the build, you too will want to have it parked in your driveway. With silky smooth White over Pearl Black paint laid across a fastidiously restored body, the familiar exterior along with a (mostly) period right interior, there’s little indication of the late-model driveline hidden from view. Lifting the bonnet reveals a highly detailed 6.0-litre L98 engine topped with a Magnunson blower that not only looks impressive, but performs just as well. With a six-speed auto backing the pumped LS sending the power back to the 3.9-geared
nine-inch, cruising this Shoebox Chev is effortless. Hidden behind the 18x7 and 19x10 Intro billet wheels is an underside that features lowered HQ coils and reset leaf springs, Koni adjustable shocks on each corner, four-wheel disc brakes and a Flaming River rack and pinion steering setup. The Belair now handles, rides and stops better than the GM engineers of the day could have ever imagined! Everywhere Mark takes the ’56, it draws a crowd. It also draws praise from show judges too, taking home the gold on every occasion. A trend that is set to continue for a while to come…
OWNER: MARK WEEKES
VEHICLE: 1956 CHEV BELAIR
ENGINE: 6.0-LITRE L98, MAGNUNSON 1900
SUPERCHARGER, 6% OVERDRIVEN, LS3 HEADS, GM ECU, HYDRAULIC ROLLER CAM, LOWE
FABRICATIONS EXHAUST, VAREX MUFFLERS
TRANS: 6L80E, 3800RPM CONVERTER
REAR END: 9-INCH, 3.9 TRUTRAC, 35-SPLINE
MOSER AXLES
COLOUR: WHITE OVER PEARL BLACK
WHEELS: 18X7 / 19X10 INTRO BILLET
Flanked by the seemingly more popular ’55 and ’57 models, the ’56 has always suffered from middle child syndrome as far as classic Chevs go.
With hundreds of cars on display both inside the building and across every outdoor vantage point, the 13th Showcars Melbourne event was the best yet!
Officially, the Showcars Melbourne show is a one-day event, but with so many cars and bikes on display, set-up actually begins on the Saturday for those who had booked an indoor spot to show off their pride and joy – and let me tell you, there were plenty of them! With the indoor section set across two levels of the Racecourse buildings, Showcars Melbourne is quite a unique event with show day being opened to the public on Sunday only.
After all the effort to get the cars setup inside during Saturday and well into the evening, Sunday morning saw the roads around the venue echo to the rumble as hundreds of cool cars made their way into the outside display areas including the car parks and the grassed area on the
edge of the racing surface. If you lived nearby and were into cars, you were treated to an early morning parade of highhorsepower street machines, slick Hot Rods and Customs and a seemingly endless run of collectable muscle cars as they idled into position.
Under clear blue skies, the outdoors show and shine saw lots of cars parked up for the day, creating a sea of colour and chrome spread across many different makes, models and styles. And as you’d expect, once indoors, the soft lighting inside the buildings was just right for the assembled range of elite-styled street and show cars, restored factory muscle cars and more. Mixed in with a bunch of traders, live music, food vans and even engine start-ups, the 13th annual Showcars Melbourne event was an amazing get together! Stand proud Elvis! You and your team continue to do a great job showcasing the Victorian street car scene!
If you lived nearby and were into cars, you were treated to an early morning parade of high-horsepower...
In the Hot Rodding scene, we’ve seen various build styles of just about every make and model imaginable from Traditional to Rat Rod, Pro-Street, to Street Elite and full-tilt Showcars. But when was the last time you saw a Hot Rod Pickup built to punt around a racing circuit at warp speed? Well, thanks to Daniel, now you have!
With a patina’d body sitting snuggly over the modified Model A chassis, rolling on steel wheels wrapped in sizeable slicks, this Pickup looks set to take on any race track at speed. Up front, Daniel added some technology in the form of a tough 416-cube Russo Performance built LS3 engine package, that makes more than enough grunt to push those slicks to their absolute limits.
From the timber-lined tray, to the caged minimalistic interior, Daniel has given this ’30 Ford a look that is part traditional Hot Rod, and part retro race car! Imagine seeing this one screaming across Bathurst skyline at a rate of knots! Now that’s something I’d pay to see…
Daniel Banks wowed the Summernats 36 crowd with a unique take on a Hot Rod Pickup!
OWNER: DANIEL BANKS
VEHICLE: 1930 FORD PICKUP
ENGINE: LS3-BASED, 416CI, RUSSO CAM, HIGGINS CNC-PORTED HEADS, MODIFIED HOLLEY HIRISE INTAKE, TWIN THROTTLE BODIES, SPRINT CAR AIR CLEANER, 3-INCH EXHAUST
HORSEPOWER: 600+ RWhp
TRANS: BUILT TURBO 400, 4000RPM CONVERTER
REAR END: CUSTOM BORG-WARNER, 31-SPLINE AXLES, COIL-OVERS, 4-LINK
COLOUR: FLAT BLUE PATINA
THANKS TO: RUSSO PERFORMANCE, NICK (MRNUTS), DOM DESISTO, X-TRIM, MY DAD JIMBO, MY BROTHERS, MY WIFE AND MY KIDS!
Whilst the Detroit Autorama is highly regarded as one of the best indoor events in the USA, it’s the lure of the Ridler award that has everyone talking!
For car guys, winning the Ridler award at the Detroit Autorama is like winning Lotto, Oz-Lotto and Powerball all in the same week! But before the winner gets announced, the judges need to cull the possible contenders down to just eight! The chosen ones then have a one-in-eight chance of not only winning the coveted Ridler trophy, but also the bragging rights and the $10,000 pay day that goes with it. To even make the BASF Great 8 is an achievement in itself, considering
the owner needs to keep the build in complete secrecy, with no photo’s to be leaked to the general public before the show opens to the public. Take the Kindig-built Corvette for example. The crew built this wild Vette behind closed doors over five long years, with not even an inkling of its construction. That’s the dedication it takes to be amongst the other cars that make the cut for the Great 8. We showcase those contenders that make up the 2024 BASF Great 8!
The chosen ones then have a one-in-eight chance of not only winning the coveted Ridler trophy, but also the bragging rights and the $10,000 pay day that goes with it.
Like the Caddy, the ’59 300 Chrysler isn’t one you’d expect to see on show, let alone as a Ridler contender! But check out that barge-like body – the acres of sheet metal have been subjected to plenty of custom mods including a 1.5-inch wedge roof chop, reworked A and C pillars and flush fit glass, before the unique colour was added by the builders, American Legends. Under the expansive hood sits a 1000hp Hellcat engine keeping this ride all Mopar! The insides are just as impressive too with a complete reimagine of the interior space including a pair of bucket seats sculptured from the factory fitted bench seat! This year has seen some many different styles make the eight! Let’s hope that trend continues!
One of the more ‘normal’ cars to make the grade this year is Gene’s ’56 Belair Tudor. Often overlooked in favour of a ’55 or ’57, Gene’s ’56 shows just how good the ‘middle child’ can be. The ’56 is more subtle than its competitiors, but for Ron Sall and Body Werx, this build is all about making the Chev as smooth as possible. From the mildly customised body, to the highly-detailed 6-litre LS engine sitting in the smoothed out bay and the custom interior package, this Chev is a lesson in detailing.
When you mention Henry J’s, you instantly think of those Nostalgia Racecars that have been used and abused at drag strips all over the USA. Joe however thought a little differently than most, and converted his Henry J into an El-Camino type hauler, after plenty of hours were spent shaping the reworked sheetmetal. Featuring a chopped roof and stretched wheel openings and extended wheel base, this ‘J’ is powered by an LS3 / 4L60E combo and is detailed to the highest possible standard everywhere. And how about that colour? This build is dare to be different at its best…
A ’67 Cadillac isn’t what you’d expect to see in full show car mode. Thanks to Mike’s Auto Restorations, David now owns this full-tilt custom Caddy that stops people in their tracks. This one-off coupe is as far from a stock ’67 as you could possibly get. It’s 30-inches shorter, rolls on a Roadster Shop chassis making it rear wheel drive instead of front drive, with the Caddy 500-cube engine yanked out in favour of a more impressive LT4 and 8-speed auto. Isn’t it great to see people thinking outside the box with their builds?
Although its still recognisable as a ’59 Corvette, the modifications to Steve’s version aren’t that obvious until you park it next to a stock, unchanged model. True Colors Customs widened the guards, flared the doors, tucked in the bars and made the front guard scallops functional air scoops to rid the area of heat build-up from the LS7 engine that is fitted with twin throttle bodies, producing around 700hp! Rolling on one-off Schott wheels fitted to the Art Morrison chassis, this Blood Orange Vette is a worthy Great 8 stunner.
Still sporting its 409 engine, but now highly detailed and backed by a 5-speed Richmond box, this ’63 Impala coupe in nothing short of amazing. Built (and painted) by Pro Comp Customs, this Impala was hard to miss with its stunning blue colour – a design feature penned by Eric Brockmeyer. Rolling on big billet wheels and featuring a custom, twoseater interior by Paul Atkins, this ’63 Coupe deserved its place in the Great 8!
No stranger to presenting a Ridler contender, JF Launier again showed his talents by building Kevin this rarely-seen ’68 Mercury Cougar, dubbed Predator. It was ten years ago that he made the grade with a custom ’64 Buick Riviera, which took out the top prize that year. Hopes were up that this coupe could earn him a second win! Under that unique shaker-style scoop sits a 770hp, 539cube, EFI-topped Kaase Boss 9 that looks every bit as good as it no doubt performs. With the unique colour, custom interior and a reworked body, this Cougar was definitely a fan favourite.
Constructed over a 5-year period at KindigIt Design, Dave and his team have hit it out of the park and created what appears to be a reworked ’53 Corvette, but is actually a handmade custom body fabricated in aluminium and loosely based on the early Corvette concept car dubbed the Corvair. The custom work continued inside with many components 3D printed. This build has been named Twelve-Air, referring to the one-off , Aussie-built 9.2-litre V12, LS-based engine built by Race Cast Engineering featuring Haltech controlled EFI and backed by an 8L90E trans and eventually a full custom rear end. Custom alloy wheels and cantilevered suspension round out the package!
MARCH0.
29-APR 1 NARRANDERA ROD RUN
Narrandera, NSW
https://www.facebook.com/ groups/191300369572
29-APR 1 CAMARO/FIREBIRD NATS Albury NSW www.cfnats.com.au
APRIL
6 ACT STREET MACHINESHOLY TRINITY SHOW ‘N’ SHINE
3 Strangeways St, Curtin
Enter on the Day
7 50th GM DAY
Museum of Fire, Penrith Gordon - 0409 677116
7 BEYOND BLUE CAR SHOW
Fleet Air Museum, HMAS Albatross Nowra
14 MAITLAND STREET RODDERS SHOW
Steamfest Park, Maitland Noel - 0412 226787
20 CARS UNDER THE STARS Wetherill Park
25 ANZAC DAY HOT ROD SHOW
Colonial Hotel, Victoria St, Werrington
4 WAGGA BURNOUT PARTY
https://www.facebook.com/riverinathrashers
11 TIARA’S CAR SHOW
Huskisson Sports Club
12 POWERCRUISE POWERPLAY #49 Qld Raceway
16-18 COOTA 400 www.coota400.com.au
18 CARS UNDER THE STARS Wetherill Park
25/26HOT ROD & CUSTOM AUTO EXPO Rosehill Racecourse
www.hotrodandcustom.com.au
26 VW NATIONALS
Fairfield Showgrounds
JUNE
5-9 COOLYS ROCKS ON! Coolangatta, Qld
7-9 WAGGA ROD & CUSTOM PADDOCK BASH
Marrar Gymkhana Ground
9 BRASHERNATS Sydney Dragway
MAY
4/5 MEGUIARS MOTOREX
Melbourne Showgrounds
www.motorex.com.au
4 POWERCRUISE POWERPLAY #48
Sydney Motorsport Park www.powercruise.com
15 CARS UNDER THE STARS Wetherill Park
JULY
4-7 KILLER RIDES CRUISE WITHOUT CARS
Sydney to Moreton Island to Sydney Carnival Cruise Lines www.killerrides.com.au
April 7th 2024
