Killer Rides #63_April 2024

YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY ANNOYS THE HELL OUT OF ME? READ ON...

When I first got into the car scene, I was 15, still at school and found myself helping my older brother Rod set up a car club. Back then, it was all about the cars. Sure, there was the usual Holden vs Ford, V8 vs 6 vs 4 vs Rotor type rivalries, but it was rare for someone to actually hate on someone else’s car, no matter how much you didn’t like it. You simply kept your opinion to yourself. How things have changed…

Social media can be a great thing, but it’s also given a voice to those who just love to hate everything that isn’t to their liking. It seems like that’s the Australian way now. No matter what you post, someone is ready to tell you how ugly it is, what a crap colour you’ve chosen, the wheels are wrong, why would you put that engine in it? It never ends.

Aren’t we all in the scene because we appreciate modified cars? Or am I way off the mark here?

When I post something and it happens to me, I simply ask them to show me what they have built, and most of the time, they mysteriously disappear. These keyboard warriors seem to live to hate on everyone’s rides. It drives me crazy. Whatever happened to appreciating what other people have built?

It’s no secret that I love classic American muscle cars, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell someone who just built a nice RX3, Torana, Cortina or Centura that I hate their car and question why they even bothered! Aren’t we all in the scene because we appreciate modified cars? Or am I way off the mark here? It’s like they say, “if you’ve got nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all!” Just scroll on and stay miserable…

Many years ago, I coined the phrase “appreciating cars, not badges” and for me, that still stands today.

See you on the street,

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Issue No.63 - April 2024

WHATS HAPPENING News, views and things of interest

SAY Got something to say?

TRADITION The Anzac Day cruise!

KINGS OF THE MOUNTAIN Bathurst Autofest

3RD TIME LUCKY 10-sec Street & Strip Valiant

MOPAR MEGA FEST 2024 Chryslers on the Murray

SNAP SHOT Custom VW Beetle Volksrod

KING HIT Australia’s most impressive SL/R Torana

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS NSW All GM Day

UTED One-off custom Morris Rat Ute

BROTHERHOOD VIC All Ford Day

US Postal Van with a difference

LOAD OF FUN Blown Injected T-Bucket

DIRECTORY Need a product or service?

COMING EVENTS What’s on, where and when!

WHAT’S HAPPEN-

What started as a 1954 Chev Pickup, has turned into one of those builds that everyone can’t stop raving about. It’s not because of its amazing Torch Red paint or the unique body treatment. What everyone is staring at with this build is the powerplant – no less than three Chevrolet 6-pack engines connected to produce between 500-600 horsepower and 700-800 foot pounds of torque from its combined 718 cubic inches. The 18-cylinder unique engine package drives through a 700R4 trans. It certainly makes a statement and keeps Jim busy answering questions every time he takes it out. And yes, he does drive it! Jim did all the fabrication work himself, with the project taking 15-years to complete, and was set tp make its debut at the 2021 Detroit Autorama, until the event was cancelled due to covid. 12 months later, the ’54 was put on show at the 2022 Autorama where Jim was awarded the Spirit of Rodding and the Best Engineered trophies.

“no less than three Chevrolet 6-pack engines connected to produce between 500-600 horsepower and 700-800 foot pounds of torque from its combined 718 cubic inches”

WHAT’S HAPPENING

KILLER RIDES LIVE #6 - APRIL UPDATE

There’s been plenty happening behind the scenes for Killer Rides Live #6, in our 30th Anniversary year of staging shows inside the Illawarra Hockey Centre. The line-up of cars coming this year is nothing short of amazing, with many top-shelf Elite showcars making the trip to Wollongong for the first time. Add to this some wild street and strip cars, another big showing of BMX bikes and a host of traders, this will be one show not to miss.

I’d like to welcome on board our sponsors for this years event, including a couple of new companies that have partnered with us to bring the best show possible to the Illawarra region, including Autobarn Warrawong, Oxytech, South Coast Radiators, Traffic Logisitics, and Frankies Auto Electrics. They join long time supporters Lovells Automotive, R&J Batteries, Shannons Insurance, ICE Group, Pro-Street Restorations and Prized Pieces. Thank you all for supporting KIller Rides Live #6!

More information on this years event can be found at

WHAT’S HAPPENING

KILLER Video

APSA PRO-STREET BLOWN RACING

Video By Fast Performance Videos

IT’S NOT TOO LATE! KILLER RIDES CRUISE WITHOUT CARS!

Have 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

BEST OF KILLER RIDES PRINT MAG

Issue numbers 1 and 2 of the Best of Killer Rides is now in stock and ready to send out via Australia Post, or you can pick up direct from us at any event we attend to promote Killer Rides. No matter where we are, we will have copies with us. To order your copy, simply email me at paul@killerrides.com.au

CRUISE CARS without

KILLER RIDES YOUTUBE

CHANNEL - SUBSCRIBE NOW!

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

LAKE MACQUARIE TO GET MOTORSPORT RESORT

The soil started to be turned on March 26th at the former Rhondda Colliery mine in Wakefield to start the build process for the Black Rock Motor Resort. Set to be opened in around 3-years, the 252-hectare site will be transformed into a $95-million complex that will include a 5.25klm circuit, a driver training academy, a karting precinct as well as onsite accommodation, a café and a function area creating a motoring resort like no other. Founder and CEO Tony Palmer also hinted that there could be 4WD tracks, mountain bike trails, a skid pan and public track days! At this stage, Black Rock Motor Resort is expected to be operational within two years and fully completed about 12-months later. But, before you all get excited and start demanding a drag strip, the owners stopped short of calling this a racing facility. To get Council approval, this could not be promoted as a racing facility, rather a resort style complex where owners are able to use their own cars in a supervised environment. Maybe things will change once its completed. We can only hope...

POLICE TARGETING MODIFIED CARS FOR ENGINEERS REPORTSPART TWO!

The Police, RMS and EPA are on the lookout for modified cars that don’t have the correct certification for any and all modifications. Most recently, the northern Illawarra area was their focus, with a station set-up at Bulli Showgrounds to inspect vehicles that were spotted by Highway Patrol officers. One such officer told a car owner that this was to be the first in a series of blitzes planned for the Illawarra region that will see many other suburbs targeted over the coming months. Cruise with caution people...

EL CAD-MINO COOLEST WORKTRUCK EVER!

GOT SOMETHING IN THE BUILD? WE WANT TO SEE IT!

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

If you’re torn between owning a ’59 Cadillac and an El Camino, here’s the car for you. Located in Oklahoma City, this hybrid Ute is what you’ve been dreaming off. Combining a Caddy coupe and an El Camino gives you one of the most stylish Utes ever! This one sits low thanks to full Airride suspension and has all the hard work done. And here’s the best part, it’s on the market for just $13000 USD! What a head turner this would be on any work site!

HAVE YOUR SAY

Got something to say? Send it to paul@killerride.com.au or message us from the Killer Rides Facebook page.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

G’day Paul, I’m building a HQ sedan with all late-model running gear (LS, 6-speed auto) and I’m at the stage where I need to order a set of wheels. Because the car has all of this technology in it, including a Racepac dash, I am considering running a set of 18 and 20-inch wheels with low profile tyres. I like the old car, big diametre wheel look, but all my mates are bagging me out, telling me I should be running 15’s – with most of them telling me to run beadlock weld wheels. I do like the pro-street look too, but that’s not what this car is about. What should I do? As you know, wheels can make a big difference to how the car finishes off.

Dominic – Hoppers Crossing VIC

Hi Dominic. I would always stick to your first choice. At the end of the day, it’s your car, so build it the way you want it. You’re never going to please everyone. There’s a lot of HQs in the scene that have every style of wheel imaginable squeezed under them, so check out some before making your final decision. I’m with you though, the big diametre rims will definitely suit the theme of the build for sure. I’m sure your mates will get over it…

G’day Paul, Just wanted to alert you and your readers about social media posts from individuals/companies posting about doing live feeds from various events around Australia. It’s a massive scam. I have personally contacted Facebook on a number of occasions about these people, only to be told that they will be blocked from posting, but they will return under a different name. So unless the event promoter posts an official link, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK! You’ll regret it.

Adam B – Wagga Wagga, NSW

Hi Adam,

The joys of social media. There seems to be more and more scams popping up daily. I too had this happen to me for the Killer Rides Hot Rod & Harley Expo in February. Someone posted about a live feed from the event. I deleted the post and advised everyone then to ignore it if it popped up again. It’s very annoying…

DRIVING COURSES FOR NEW DRIVERS

Hi Paul,

My son is soon to get his license and I’m concerned that even though they have to do so many hours to gain their P-plates, new drivers don’t have the skills that could help them if they got into a sticky situation when driving in the wet or on country roads. I really do think that the Government need to implement an advanced driving school as part of the process of getting a license. Maybe reduce the hours by 50% and make it compulsory to do a driving course so that they know how to properly handle their car in all driving conditions. This could greatly reduce the amount of learner and P-plate driver accidents in a short period of time. After all, we all want to keep our children safe and by doing so, would reduce the risk to other drivers too.

Michael C – Bathurst, NSW

Hi Michael,

My daughter gained her P-plates late last year and trying to get the hours up on her L’s was a long, tedious task. She wanted to do every hour necessary and filled the book out properly. I do agree that young drivers should, at least, have the option to partake in some sort of driver education course so they know how to react when things go wrong. Maybe its something that all drivers should consider. I spend a lot of time on the road and have seen some silly things out there!

WHERE ARE THE ONE-DAY CAR SHOWS?

Hi Paul,

I remember as a little kid, Dad and Mum would throw us kids into their Monaro just about every Sunday for a day parked up on a football field, school oval or the like at car shows all over Sydney, the Central Coast and down your way in Wollongong. They were great times. For us kids, we would meet up with our parents’ friend’s kids, many of whom we would only see at car shows. I remember we would have a great time as a group, and Dad used to rave about the camaraderie amongst the car owners and the friendships that were formed with these people. It seems this type of show has been pushed aside in favour of the popular cars and coffee type runs now. It’s a shame. With these events kicking off early in the morning and lasting only a couple of hours, it doesn’t have the same atmosphere that my Dad so enjoyed. Sadly, it looks like I won’t be replicating those days with my kids now.

Colin – Richmond NSW

Hi Colin,

I have to agree with your Dad. When I first got involved in entering shows, it seemed as though they were on every weekend. They were great social outings and they were definitely good times. Usually run by car clubs, these events helped the club be financial throughout the year. I know in Wollongong, back in the day there was probably a dozen clubs in the area, all of which run their annual car show. Now, there’s maybe two or three operational clubs and they seem to prefer the cars and coffee events instead. It’s a sign of the times, I guess. The one-day car shows are still out there, but nowhere near as often as they used to be. You can still take your kids to events, there’s plenty on in Sydney each month.

TRADITION Keeping Up

After paying our respect to our fallen servicemen, it was time to hit the road for a mega car cruise.

The Anzac Day cruise from Sydney to Wollongong has a long history, having made its way down the mountain each year to various spots around the Illawarra including the ever-popular South Beach region, Danic’s BP service station in Albion Park, and now, the Towradgi Beach Hotel, where a couple of hundred cars filled the carpark (and then some) to put on a display that saw everything from resto GT’s, and blown muscle cars to Lambo’s, HSV Commodores and just about anything in between, all gleaming under the clear blue skies that ensured a huge turnout.

The cruise kicked off at 7.30am at the first meeting point being Tempe Reserve, while across town at the BP servo in Milperra, car owners also gathered at the same time. Both cruises left at 8.30 for the third meeting point being the Ampol service station at Heathcote where a big contingency of tough cars were waiting for the others to arrive before making their way towards Towradgi. Some drivers opted for the usual Mt Ousley route whilst others decided to go the more scenic road through Helensburgh and across the now iconic Sea Cliff Bridge.

I arrived at the TBH around 9am to get a spot for the Chev and await the cruise to arrive to video the cars as they pulled into the venue. It didn’t take very long before a long queue of wild street machines, muscles, hot rods and imports were onsite looking for a parking spot. It proved to be quite the spectacle with every spot filled and hundreds of people hanging out having a great time. By 11.30am, the majority of the cars had packed up and left, bringing to an end yet another great Anzac Day Cruise. Congrats go out to the crews at Midweek Muscle Car Club, Cultura Auto Lifestyle, Old Skool Muscle Car Cruisers, George Diab, Tuff Street Car Club Inc, Muscle Car Outlaws Car Club, Jimmy JDM, Parra Prestige Detailing, Sutherland Shire Old School Car Cruisers for a job well done.

KINGS

MOUNTAIN!

The Bathurst Autofest continues to exceed expectations, and in 2024, the Mountain shook harder than ever before as more horsepower idled into the world-famous circuit!

Les and the team at Autofest have been heading to Bathurst for 13 years now and year after year, the event continues to grow. This year, the line-up of entrants included lots of new cars all anxious to get involved in everything the event has on offer – and that’s plenty! Taking a walk through the pits revealed plenty of tough rides, many sporting blown engines, and all waiting for their chance to flex their more than obvious muscle.Bathurst Autofest is highly regarded as a driver’s event. Sure, there’s a big show and shine as part of the program, but for those wanting to burn some fuel and rubber, there’s lots of opportunity to jump behind the wheel and take the tacho into the red zone! The entrants had to wait until 6pm-10pm on the Friday to get their fill, with the running of the Auto One Super Sprints held on the Pit Straight.

Pic by Jason Lowe

But before that happened, the 2024 Bathurst Autofest kicked off for the first time on the Thursday evening with a get together in the Harris Park area for two hours from 5.30pm.

Dubbed the Bathurst Super Street Charity Meet, it was the perfect prelude to the action that was to come over the following three days. A Gold Coin donation given by entrants was donated to the local fire brigade and from the line-up, three owners were given free car entry and a family pass for the event! What a great initiative!Once again, the weather Gods were proving they were fans of modified cars by providing clear blue skies over Mt Panorama for the length of the event. That alone was going to ensure a big crowd converged on the Circuit, but also gave the hundreds of entrants every opportunity to enjoy the event. Most of Friday was spent getting the entrants sorted and scrutineered, with the aforementioned sprints rounding out a very busy day.

and the team at Autofest have been headingto Bathurst for 13 years now and year after year, the event continues to grow.

By the time the gates opened at 9am on Saturday morning, the pits area was already buzzing with lots of cars cruising around, setting up for the show and shine (both in the pits and in the pit garages) and a long line of cars wanting to get stuck into the driving events that were to start at 10am, after the driver briefing. The biggest challenge the drivers faced was which event they wanted to line up for. In the pit area, they could choose to take part in the Wilful Damage Grab-a-flag, followed by the YUBUTE Fabrications Autokana on the same pad. Whilst these were being run, the Auto One Super Sprints were once again taking over the main straight. By 12pm, both areas were being prepared for the next events on the program. The Pit Straight was being setup for the always hard-fought Heads-Up Go to Whoa, whilst the pad was being cleaned and readied for their first round of the Outlaw Speed Shop Burnout Champs. This theme continued for most of the day with the Auto One Top 32 Shoot-Out on Pit Straight finishing off a power-packed day of action!

Sunday at Bathurst Autofest is all about crowning the winners, but before that could happen, the finals of the driving events needed to take place and the final judging of the show cars had to happen. Lots of smoke was created, plenty of tyres were sent to the scrap heap in an effort to top the opposition. Sunday was also the time for the official Mount Panorama Parade Laps, giving every entrant the opportunity to cruise the most famous mountain in world Motorsport! I doubt whether the Mountain has seen so much horsepower at any one time. With the handing out of the winners’ awards at the Trophy Presentation, the 2024 Bathurst Autofest had come to an end – with a smoke haze still hanging over the venue. By all accounts, this was the biggest and best Bathurst Autofest yet and if the trend continues, next year should be absolutely huge! Head to www. autofest.com.au for regular updates on this and other Autofest events…

LUCKY 3rd Time

After attending his first Drag Meet at 10-years old, a young Paul got hooked on tough cars. Near on 40-years later, that passion for high-powered street and strip cars still burns hot. Fuelling that addiction started with the purchase of this very car – a factory 31-powered 1969 770 Valiant. Paul purchased this car in 1991 for the princely sum of just $1000 from an elderly man that was retiring and had no more use for the Valiant. The V8 sedan was all original and was in great condition with straight panels and the factory buffalo interior. Paul drove the car home and spent as much time in the driver’s seat over the next twelve months as he could, including to and from work and hanging out with the boys every night and weekends. The time had come however, for Paul to embark on build number one. Whilst stock piling new parts for the rebuild, Paul started stripping the Valiant down in preparation for the work ahead. With the Valiant now down to its bare bones, it was shipped off to Andre at Taking Care of Business Paint Shop for a repaint in the factory Emerald Green. While the body and paint were being sorted, Paul and good mate (and top spanner man) Mick Yfantidis assembled a stout 360 cube small block, tough 727 trans and 9-inch diff combo to slot back into the freshlooking body. After getting the Valiant back together, the boys made the trip out to Adelaide International Raceway to test the new driveline over the quarter mile. A best of 11-flat at 120mph was achieved, with that combo serving duty for five years, until Paul once again got the urge to step it up. That meant another engine package that would see the Valiant running in a quicker bracket. Unfortunately, the drag way closed and Paul’s dreams of running the Val in the 10-sec bracket came crashing down.

For most, under taking one rebuild is more than enough. For Paul Aforozis, it took three goes to get it just how he wanted…

Words – Paul Beck Pics – Joe Crispen

It was to be some 15-years later when the Valiant was to roll out of the shed again. In the time, Paul built a new home, kicked off a new business and with the boys help, rebuilt the 360 with new cast W2 heads and a new bottom end that now featured a Scat steel crank swinging the same brand steel rods and custom 12.1:1 Ross Racing pistons wrapped in Total Seal rings. The cam of choice is a custom grind, solid roller item from Comp Cams that works in with a set of roller lifters from the same catalogue. Getting ample amounts of E85 fuel into the tough small block is left up to the single 1000cfm Pro-Systems Venom II carb mounted to an Edelbrock Super Victor intake. After the comprehensive MSD ignition system lights the fire in the 360, a pair of headers dumps the gases through a dual three-inch exhaust system. For the record, the current engine combo makes around 630hp! The guys also swapped out the trans before hitting the strip in anger. Version 2.0 managed to record a best ET of 10.71 @ 128mph – achieving that 10-sec time slip we wanted. Paul continued to cruise the Valiant whenever he could, making up for lost time when it was languishing in the home garage for all those years. Fast forward another ten years and Paul was

ready to give the well-used Valiant another quick freshen up. This time it was all about the Valiants underside. Whilst the original Torsion Bar front end was kept in place, it now sports a pair of QA1 double adjustable shocks. The front brakes have been updated to Wilwood cross-drilled discs and calipers for a much better pedal feel. The bulk of the upgrades though were where it matters the most with the narrowed 9-inch diff (with its 4.56-gears and 31-spline Strange axles) being suspended on Gazzard Bros split leaf springs and sliders. AFCO double adjustable shocks and Ford cross-drilled discs completing the underside makeover. No surprises when it came to wheel choice, with Paul bolting up a set of Centerline Auto Drags to the Valiant and in true Pro-Street tyle, they measure 15x3.5 and 15x10-inches.

After attending his first Drag Meet at 10-years old, a young Paul got hooked on tough cars. Near on 40-years later, that passion for high-powered street and strip cars still burns hot.

Inside, the almost all of the standard style interior has been retained thanks to Jims Trim. And whilst its comfy enough to cruise in, Paul needed to make some necessary changes to ensure the money he has spent under the bonnet is kept under control. He added a host of AutoMeter gauges to the lower section of the original dash, alongside numerous switches that activate fuel pump, fans etc. The view of the original gauge cluster has been blocked by the all-important AutoMeter tacho, and the factory shifter has been replaced by a B&M Stealth item. And not that you can tell, but that factory-spec radio has been bought into the 21st century and is now Bluetooth capable. With the new quarter mile track at The Bend now in full swing, Paul gets to flex the Mopar’s muscle more regularly than ever before, which begs the question; “When will rebuild number four happen?” Until that happens though, Paul will continue to race, cruise and generally enjoy his Valiant every chance he gets…

OWNER: PAUL AFOROZIS

VEHICLE: 1969 VF VALIANT 770

ENGINE: 360 LA SMALL BLOCK, SCAT CRANK AND RODS, ROSS PISTONS, COMP CAMS SOLID ROLLER CAM AND LIFTERS, W2 HEADS, EDELBROCK SUPER VICTOR INTAKE, 1000CFM PRO-SYSTEMS VENOM II CARB, E85 FUEL

POWER: 630HP

TRANS: 727 AUTO, 8-INCH 5500RPM CONVERTER, B&M STEALTH SHIFTER

REAR END: 9-INCH, 4.56-GEARS, 31-SPLINE STRANGE AXLES, GAZZARD SPLIT LEAF SPRINGS

COLOUR: FACTORY EMERALD GREEN

THANKS TO:Loui, Direct Developments, Billet Race Engineering, MRX Development, Wayne at SA Resto Works and Fabrications, Rocco at Jim’s Trim, and most of all, my wife and daughter for their support along the way.

MOPAR Mega Fest

Almost 1000 Mopar’s of all shapes, sizes and styles converged on the NSW/VIC border for the biggest Chryslers on the Murray yet!

I make no secret that this is one of my favourite events of the year. Yes, I’m a Mopar tragic, so that’s a bonus, but it’s just a great event with so many different vehicles – vintage, resto, USA and Australian Muscle, Customs and everything in between. When I made my way to Wodonga from Shellharbour, I passed (and was passed by) lots of Chrysler-spec cars heading in the same direction, making me more anxious to be there sooner. After leaving under clear blue skies, the closer I got to the border, the darker (and wetter) the conditions got. Needless to say, Thursday night was spent in the motel room watching the football, getting ready for the event to kick off early the next day. I was so happy to see the sun shining as I loaded my cameras into the car for the short trip out to the DECA Centre in the Logic Industrial Park. The pits were a hive of activity early with all kinds of cool Mopar’s lined up waiting for their chance to be let loose on the track to push their cars and skills to the absolute limits. With groups of four or five cars sent out at a time, it was quite the spectacle with lots of race-spec rides lined up to relive their racing heritage along with some very high-powered street cars that took to the track like they were meant for it. Mick Noller is no stranger to the event and the DECA circuit and had two cars on track this year – his familiar purple ’67 Plymouth GTX and his newly acquired Hellcat Challenger. Even though the GTX’s 543ci rammed big block makes plenty of power, the Challenger with a pair of track ready treads bolted to each corner set the pace and handed the Lap Sprint winner’s trophy to Mick. BJ Donnelly in his VG Pacer came in second place.

After the last car completed their laps, the focus moved to the Gateway Lakes area where the events base was located for the weekend. With an expansive grassed area for the show and shine, this is the perfect location to stage an event of this size. Friday evening saw the Great Reveals happen where newly completed cars had their covers removed and the owners interviewed in front of a big crowd. This has proven to be a big part of the Chryslers on the Murray program, which continues to impress with new builds year on year.

Saturday once again started under blue skies, with the numerous swap meet and trade stand sites spread out around the grounds, it wasn’t long before just about every blade of grass was covered with a huge array of cars that seem to keep filing into the grounds. As the show and shine kicked off, so too did the judges who had the task of finding the Top 5 US and AUS entrants. The line-up of cars that went through the official judging area were nothing short of amazing, giving the judges plenty of options to fill the Top 5 in each category. In no time at all, the grounds were full and I’d managed to rattle off a couple of thousand pics and a heap of video.

With the spotlight focussing on the VE/VF/ VG model Valiants this year, owners of those models left the venue at 2pm for the cruise out to the Ettamogah Pub for the group photo. With those models lined up on the grass, the rest of the parking areas were overflowing with a variety of Mopars who made the trek to check out the display and of course, the iconic Pub. Later in the afternoon, the main strip of road between Albury and Wodonga starting filling with people in deckchairs, in the back of Utes and parked on the roadside waiting for the usual cruise night to kick off. It wasn’t long before it was ten deep in most areas along the parkway and across the road where the servos and motels are. As per previous years, it wasn’t just the COTM entrants cruising with all kinds of cool stuff hitting the streets to put on a parade for the public who had gathered. As we’ve also come to expect, where there’s a group of car owners doing the right thing, there’s always those in attendance wanting to cause havoc. Thankfully, the Police in attendance kept that disturbance to a minimum, with the cruising continuing well into the night and early morning.

Sunday once again kicked off with the cars assembled on the Gateway Lakes lawn. It appeared that even more cars had arrived for the day, adding to the already impressive line-up on show. Both the Aus Top 5 and the US Top 5 cars were on display and roped off to show just who took home the gold at this year’s event. The rest of the awards were to be handed out mid afternoon, bringing to an end the 2024 Chryslers on the Murray. Next year will be a big one too, with the spotlight being on US Muscle Cars! I can’t wait for that one…

KILLERRides

SnapShot

Australia’s Street Car Community!

BEETLEJuiced

There’s no denying that the VW movement in Australia is huge, and when you see full-tilt custom Beetles like Rob Brown’s Hot Rod inspired roadster, you can see the appeal…

With my love of American muscle cars, it may surprise many people to hear that I am a VW fan. I’ve seen so many cool interpretations of the humble Beetle, that it’s hard not to be. After all, a custom car is still a custom car regardless of the badge it wears or the engine powering it. In standard form, the Beetle has a little hot rod styling to it. The headlights, taillights and oval rear window could easily be mistaken for 35-40 Ford items if they were sitting in a box at a swap meet, so it makes sense that someone like Rob has gone down that road with his reworked Beetle.

Rob

Brown

1965 VW Beetle

The body mods are obvious, even to those with little interest in VW’s. To achieve that hi-boy roadster look, the front and rear guards were given the flick, as was the roof. The windscreen has been chopped 4-inches and the doors are now suicide. Rob fitted up the Harley Davidson headlights, swapped out the taillights for a pair usually found on a Kawasaki ZZR and bolted up a pair of Ducati 999 mirrors. The rest of the body was smoothed out (with the exception of the louvres in the engine lid) and then covered in Ducati Red. A Carson-style roof was then fabricated and covered in Mercedes Haartz cloth to complete the exterior makeover. Inside, the full custom trim includes seats from Honda Prelude, fabricated door trims and a custom centre console, all covered in Ferrari leather. The smoothed dash features a slimline digital cluster from Dakota Digital, and a stereo head unit. A billet steering wheel finishes off the interior nicely.

Engie wise, Rob has added a 1916cc blueprinted engine that features a Porsche 911 cooling fan, a deep sump, and twin Weber carbs. The engine and its surrounds are highly-detailed. The exhaust exits through the centre of the reshaped rear pan via two Supertrapp mufflers.

The underside is, like the engine compartment, high detailed too, and now features a Rod Tech ‘open-wheeler’ independent front end with disc brakes and coil-over shocks, once again offering that Hot Rod look and stance. The wheels of choice are 17x8” Billet Specialties on the rear and 15x4.5” Rocket Racing Wheels up front.

After all, a custom car is still a custom car regardless of the badge it wears or the engine powering it!

Rob named the Beetle “Ringo”, for obvious reasons but if you’re not sure of the meaning, I’ll give you a hint – Ringo Starr. If I have to explain more than that, you wouldn’t understand anyway!

Rob had the car on show at the Kindig-It show in Adelaide last November where he scored Dave & Kevdogs Choice in the Street Elite class. Dave cut his teeth on VW’s when he first kicked off his career and obviously still has a love of them. Then again, what’s not to love about Rob’s Beetle?

KING HIT

We’ve seen a million Torana’s over the years, very few though, are as refined as KNGSLR.

Think of any style of build and I can guarantee you that Holden’s Torana has been subjected to it. Restored, Pro-Street, Pro Touring, Tuff Street, Burnout, Drag Racing and of course Elite Show Car. Jason has owned his SL/R Torana for many years and what started as a well detailed street car has developed into one of the finest Show Cars in Australia. With his own shop at his disposal, (Specialized Restorations in Queanbeyan) it comes as no surprise to see the Torana featuring such silky-smooth panel and paint. Whilst we are used to seeing Torana’s coated in red, orange, yellow and black, Jason’s choice of Opaline Blue with the familiar SL/R blackouts is a refreshing change. After he spent a bunch of hours smoothing out the body, engine bay and underside, Jason rolled the prepped body into the booth and laid on the new colour. Refilling the paint gun, he also added the same colour to the underside components, full roll cage and centres of the 18x8 and 18x10-inch FR Simmons wheels. The final finish underneath is as good as it is on top – and I can tell you, that’s bloody amazing! The front end now features tube upper and lower arms, and coil-over shocks.

Jason Sandner

The black accents on the body continue in the engine bay, where it replaces any chrome and sits nicely against the right amount of polished aluminium on and around the tough small block Chev. The all-aluminium, dry-sumped Donovan engine sports no less than 378-cubes and like the rest of the Torana, is detailed to the highest degree. Featuring a single 830cfm Demon carb mounted to the Dominator intake to supply the fuel, the engine was built by Russell Stenhouse at Racecraft Specialties to make plenty of power. Backed with a built Turbo 350 with 3200rpm Slingshot converter sending the power back to the 3.5-geared, 9-inch diff, the driveline is tough and built to handle anything Jason can throw at it.

Jason has owned his SL/R Torana for many years and what started as a well detailed street car has developed into one of the finest Show Cars in Australia.

as impressive. Thanks to Shaun and Josh at Trim by Shaun, the Torana’s insides now feature charcoal Leather and Alcantara covering the front and reshaped rear seats with carbon fibre added to the door trims, dash panel and centre console for a look that’s unmatched in the Torana world. Jason has owned the Torana since 2010 and although it’s been built to impress show judges, don’t think for a minute that those big 18-inch tyres never see any road use. There’s a reason why there’s a 600-plus horsepower engine sitting in the smooth engine bay! Jason will get to stretch its legs more often soon when he decides its competitive show days are done. Bring it on…

OWNER: JASON & TANYA SANDNER

VEHICLE: LX TORANA SL/R

ENGINE: 378CI ALLOY DONOVAN SMALL BLOCK CHEV, BROWNFIELD ALLOY HEADS, DOMINATOR INTAKE, 830CFM DEMON CARB, WADE SOLID ROLLER CAM, COLA STELL BILLET CRANK, EAGLE H-BEAM RODS, DRY SUMP

POWER: EST. 640HP

TRANS: TURBO 350 AUTO, 3200RPM SLINGSHOT CONVERTER

REAR END: 9-INCH DIFF, 31-SPLINE MOSER AXLES, STRANGE ALLOY CASE, 3.5-GEARS

COLOUR: OPALINE BLUE WITH BLACKOUTS

WHEELS: 18X8 / 18X10 FR SIMMONS

BRAKES: HARROP FOUR-PISTON CALIPERS WITH 365MM (FRT) AND 335MM (REAR) DISCS

THANKS TO: SPECIALIZED RESTORATIONS - QUEANBEYAN, RUSSELL STENHOUSERACECRAFT SPECIALTIES, SHAUN & JOSHTRIM BY SHAUN.

The final finish underneath is as good as it is on top –and I can tell you, that’s bloody amazing!

CONSENSUSThe General

No matter how bad the weather was across greater Sydney the day before, the 50th Anniversary of the NSW GM Day was always going to be a big gathering.

When I arrived at the Museum of Fire in Penrith, I expected to see the cars parked on very soggy ground. Considering more than 200mm’s of rain had been dumped in the area around 24-hours before, I was amazing just how well the grassed show area had dried up. Apart from a few wet patches in sections of the car park, you’d be forgiven for thinking the rain had missed this area completely.

As expected, the turnout of GM-badged cars was considerably more than in previous years, with owners all keen to show their support of the event in its 50th running. No matter whether you were into Chev’s, Cadillac’s, Buick’s, Pontiac’s, Oldsmobile’s, Corvette’s, Camaro’s, GTO’s or FXFJ Holden’s, stock or modified, this event had something for everyone.

TOTALLY Uted!

Sometimes, you come across a unique car that has you amazed at the amount of work put into it.

Steve’s wild ’56 Morris Ute is one such car.

Steve K

1956 Morris Ute

Walking around the recent Phantom’s Hot Rod Club show in Hall, ACT, we encountered lots of cool cars – mostly American muscle and Hot Rods, with a few cool Aussie models thrown in for good measure. Then, we stumbled across this wild custom Morris Ute. And when I say wild, I mean totally insane! This build gives new meaning to the word Custom. Externally, the Morris resembled a wellworn Steampunk-inspired build, with lots of custom touches added. Everywhere you looked, there had been something changed, replaced or hand fabricated. From the side steps, to the timber sides above the load area, to the fabricated gates that open to reveal the distillery sitting in the back, along with the dual exhaust pipe stacks.

Moving to the small internal space, Steve has managed to add lots of custom details to the Morris’ interior. The low back buckets and door trims have been recovered in red vinyl, which looks pretty well standard, but it’s the extra bits that had everyone pointing and staring. Take the rear section of the centre console for example. Made from worn steel and featuring switches, bulbs and handles, the console is just one part of this one-off interior. Swing around to the dash, and you see even more cool stuff. The standard dash now features more dials, gauges, copper pipes and other rustic inclusions than you could think possible. There’s even a pair of copper-coil cup holders! There really has been a lot of thought put into this interior.

OWNER: STEVE K

VEHICLE: 1956 MORRIS UTE

ENGINE: TOYOTA 1.6-LITRE, 16V, TWIN-CAM, TURBOCHARGED, FUEL INJECTED

TRANS: 5-SPEED MANUAL

REAR END: KE55 COROLLA

COLOUR: PATINA

THANKS TO: MY BROTHER MICHAEL AND MACCA AT DFR AUTOMOTIVE - HORNSBY.

...the driveline ensures the Morris can be driven anywhere at any time, even if it looks like it couldn’t make it out of the driveway.

Lifting the patina-clad bonnet though reveals an engine that you just wouldn’t expect to find and isn’t even in the same realm of fitting the Rat Rod theme. Covered in candy red and polished alloy, the turbocharged, fuel injected 1.6-litre Toyota twin-cam fills the Morris’ engine bay to its extreme limits and offers more power than a workshop full of standard Morris’. Backed with a 5-speed manual gearbox, the driveline ensures the Morris can be driven anywhere at any time, even if it looks like it couldn’t make it out of the driveway. Steve plans to upgrade the gearbox and replace the KE55 Corolla diff very soon. At this show, Steve’s unique themed Morris managed to take home the People’s Choice, Car of the Show, proving just how much a little imagination in a home-built car is appreciated by the masses…

BLUE OVAL

BROTHERHOOD

In the Ford back catalogue, there’s a massive range of vehicles to cater for everyone’s needs. Performance cars were high on the list of priorities for the Ford hierarchy and at the 2024 All Ford Day, there were lots of performance branded cars spread across the grounds. But in amongst the GS and GT Falcon’s, Mustangs, and FPV models sat a mix of Hot Rods, Resto’s, trucks, Vintage and everything in between to keep even the fussiest Ford fan happy.

Over 1500 cars of all shapes, styles and colours took to the Eastern Gardens in Geelong for one of the largest gatherings of blue oval badged rides the Ford heartland had ever seen.

There were no less than 74 trophies up for grabs in the Judged Categories for the Best In Class and Runner-Up for each model, along with a host of awards in the Major Categories including the William Clay Ford Junior Trophy, presented by the Ford Motor Company. This year, that award went to BLWNF1, a stunning 1950 F1 Ford Pickup. A full list of winners can be found at the official website – www. allfordday.org.au For Ford fans, the Victorian All Ford Day is one of those events that everyone supports, hangs out for and enjoys. Keep an eye on the website for the 2025 dates.

Performance cars were high on the list of priorities for the Ford hierarchy and at the 2024 All Ford Day, there were lots of performance branded cars spread across the grounds.

KILLERRides

SnapShot

Australia’s Street Car Community!

POSTALGoin’

1974 DJ5 Jeep Postal Van

Check out this cool custom 1974 DJ5 Jeep that’s currently for sale in the good ol’ US of A! For just under $24K (USD of course!), this take on the humble US Postal delivery van is oh-so-cool. Dropped on the sills courtesy of the Airride system fitted to the custom chassis, Mustang II front end, notched and fourlinked rear. Sliding either door open reveals a custom interior with just two seats, a floor shifter, a host of AutoMeter gauges on the standard dash panel and a billet wheel topping the tilt column. Interestingly, its right-hand drive, to allow the postal workers easy access straight on to the foot path. Saves a conversion is bought into Australia! Just sayin’. The seats look amazing, but wouldn’t be great for any long-haul trips. One of the coolest inclusions that could be overlooked is the envelope styled brake pedal!

Powering the Van is a 232ci inline 6-pack that once served duty in an AMC, not that it looked like this or featured a turbocharger! An auto trans sends the power to the 10-bolt rear.

For just under $24K (USD of course!), this take on the humble US Postal delivery van is oh-so-cool.

With the “Low Priority” insignia across the sliding doors and the red and blue stripes breaking up the all white body, this Jeep could be the ultimate fun time cruiser at events across the USA or maybe even Australia! It’s already right-hand drive, so who’s going to import this one-of-a-kind custom into Australia? The owner is even happy to include a genuine Mail Man hat in the deal. Grab it while its hot…

$23990 USD

This vehicle is currently advertised on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/296293765107?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711127632-2357-0&ssspo=rE7suCLWTzK&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=rE7suCLWTzK&wid get_ver=artemis&media=COPY

BUCKET LOAD OF FUN

The humble 1923 Ford T-Bucket is widely regarded as the original Hot Rod. Danny Kalischer’s blown, injected and flamed version takes the T-Bucket style to the next level…

T-Bucket owners around the world celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the ’23 Ford last year with a mass showing of ‘Buckets’ at shows and events everywhere. In Australia, the T-Bucket was celebrated with a big gathering in the Nationals capital, where Danny’s tough T was certainly a standout thanks to its unique look. Since then, the T-Bucket movement has grown stronger with many new builds either completed or in the process of being done. Danny’s ’23 T started with a custom RHS chassis fitted with an Australian Rod & Custom front end with vented rotors and billet calipers, while the rear scored a complete XJ12 rear end. The chassis is ride-height adjustable thanks to the adjustable spring platform. Keeping the chassis off the ground are Foose billet rims measuring 18x15 on the rear and 15x4.5-inches on the front. All corners feature Mickey Thompson tyres. The body itself is an early one from the mould featuring doors and has been coated in straight red tinter by Cool Az Hot Rod Shop in Tuggerah, whilst Joe Webb at Bad Image Custom Paint laid on the wild graphics, setting Danny’s

Danny Kalischer

1923 Ford T-Bucket

Like the exterior, the interior is just as impressive. It may be small in area, but it’s huge in impact! The red theme continues with Italian leather stitched over the bench seat, door trims and painted billet steering wheel. Even the carpet and seatbelts are red! The flat dash panel sees the true fire flames continue in from the body, along with a digital dash insert from Dakota Digital.

With the exception of the Jag rear, Danny’s ’23 is all Ford, including the stroked 351 Windsor that thanks to the Scat crank and rod combo, now sport a more respectable 408 cubic inches. Inside you’ll find forged SRP pistons, a sensible CamTech hydraulic cam and a Miloden oil pump and pan. The heads are alloy AFR units that have been fitted with Yella Terra roller rockers and posi-locks before being covered with billet alloy rocker covers. The jewel on this Windsor crown though is the polished 6/71 blower and the custom 8-stack fuel injection. Danny wanted his T-Bucket to make lots of power, but didn’t want to compromise the driveability, so with a moderate cam, a small converter in the manualised C4 auto and the right tune, he can now cruise the T-Bucket anywhere and know that it will handle any driving condition, all the while having maximum impact. Mission accomplished!

OWNER: DANNY KALISCHER

VEHICLE: 1923 FORD T-BUCKET

ENGINE: 408CI WINDSOR, 6/71 BLOWER, CUSTOM 8-STACK FUEL INJECTION, GT350 BLOCK, SCAT CRANK, PRO RACE HARMONIC BALANCER, SBC SCAT RODS, ARP ROD BOLTS, SRP FORGED PISTONS, AFR HEADS, YELLA TERRA ROLLER ROCKERS, TREND PUSHRODS, CAMTECH HYDRAULIC CAM, MILODEN OIL PUMP AND SUMP.

HORSEPOWER: PLENTY

TRANS: MANUALISED C4 AUTO, B&M SHIFTER

REAR END: XJ12 JAGUAR

COLOUR: DEBEER STRAIGHT RED TINTER, BAD IMAGE FLAMES/GRAPHICS

THANKS TO: COOL AZ HOT ROD SHOP TUGGERAH (0401 490498), SCOTT FLEMING AT REV DR MOTORSPORT (02 94777009). EASY MOTORS.

PERFORMANCE DIRECTORY

COMING EVENTS

3-6 LABOUR DAY BUCKET RUMBLE

Brisbane Holiday Village

4/5 MEGUIARS MOTOREX

Melbourne Showgrounds

4 POWERCRUISE POWERPLAY #48

Sydney Motorsport Park

www.powercruise.com

4 WAGGA BURNOUT PARTY

https://www.facebook.com/riverinathrashers

6 BUMPERS ON BERRY ST, NOWRA

Bridge St Car Park Nowra from 4.30pm

11 TIARA’S CAR SHOW

Huskisson Sports Club

11 GOLDY MEMORIAL CAR SHOW

Gosford Showground

12 POWERCRUISE POWERPLAY #49

Qld Raceway

16-18 COOTA 400

www.coota400.com.au

18 CARS UNDER THE STARS

Wetherill Park

19 MOUNT HUNTER CAR SHOW Mount Hunter Public School NSW

25/26HOT ROD & CUSTOM AUTO EXPO

Rosehill Racecourse

www.hotrodandcustom.com.au

JUNE

3 BUMPERS ON BERRY ST, NOWRA

Bridge St Car Park Nowra from 4.30pm

5-9 COOLYS ROCKS ON!

Coolangatta, Qld

7-9

WAGGA ROD & CUSTOM PADDOCK BASH

Marrar Gymkhana Ground

9 BRASHERNATS

Sydney Dragway

15 CARS UNDER THE STARS

Wetherill Park

15 HUNGRY JACKS CRUISE NIGHT

Sylvania, NSW 5pm-7pm

24 BEAT THE BLUES

Sydney Motorsport Park 7pm - 11pm

JULY

3 BUMPERS ON BERRY ST, NOWRA

Bridge St Car Park Nowra from 4.30pm

4-7 KILLER RIDES CRUISE WITHOUT CARS

Sydney to Moreton Island to Sydney

Carnival Cruise Lines

www.killerrides.com.au

20 CARS UNDER THE STARS

Wetherill Park

20 HUNGRY JACKS CRUISE NIGHT

Sylvania, NSW 5pm-7pm

AUG

26 VW NATIONALS

Fairfield Showgrounds

10/11KILLER RIDES LIVE #6

Illawarra Hockey Centre, Unanderra