After an ordinary 2020/21, 2022 came along and we all thought we were in for another year pretty much how we spent the previous couple – locked up indoors and away from society. Thankfully, that wasn’t to be and we were given the green light to get back to what we previously knew. For me, that meant preparing to stage the many events I had planned as well as putting together a new magazine every four weeks. At the time, I thought I could handle the work load easily. That however, wasn’t the case…
History now shows that we had to cancel a couple of our events we had planned for the year, and they were hard decisions to make, but thankfully, I did manage to bring together Killer Rides Live #4 and the first Hot Rod & Harley Expo’s – both held inside the Illawarra Hockey Centre and both events successful, thanks to all that contributed in some way to making them happen. Plus we had our first 12 months of the Mid-Week Meet-Up’s, so not all was lost!
So, here’s the deal, I have decided to publish the magazine every six weeks now, producing 9-issues per year instead of 12.
So, reflecting back over the 12months, it’s become very clear to me that if I am to continue with the events side of Killer Rides, things need to change. Putting a 130-plus page magazine together every four weeks by myself is a task that has seen me suffer anxiety like I’ve never known before. It’s been a massive undertaking and anyone who knows me, knows that I hate missing a deadline and will do anything I can to meet them. But, as I have found out, things never always work out how you want them too. So, here’s the deal, I have decided to publish the magazine every six weeks now, producing 9-issues per year instead of 12. That period will give me a little more breathing space between each issue and will ensure that not only will the deadlines be met, but I’ll also be able to comfortably make our events happen as well – all without the stresses and anxiety I am now dealing with.
I’d like to send a big Merry Christmas to the companies who have placed ad’s in the magazine each Issue; the car and bike owners who allow me to feature their rides; the contributors who supply cool feature and event content when they can and of course, the ‘A-Team’ who give up their time to help with the events whenever they are needed. Most of all though, I have to thank Kathy and Montana for standing beside me when things got tough for me this year. Their love and dedication are unparalleled, and helped me manage to get the magazine and events done. You guys are the best! See you all in 2023 for another big year! Hope the big guy in red is good to you all.
2022 HAS BEEN A HELL OF A YEAR – OUR BUSIEST YET!
After being sent to the back of the shed for way too many years, Tristan Ockers has taken his original green Capri and dropped it off to ProFlo Performance to have a 440cube engine and trans fitted and a set of
fabricated that will see the OG MINCER return to the street – back to where it all started for Tristan and the Capri. Stay tuned…
Pic by Charlie Sant KNGR Media
Whilst the automotive world is preparing to be flooded with electric vehicles from every manufacturer, there’s some classis muscle car owners who don’t want to be left behind and have already adapted electric engines to the now, oversized engine bays. Take this ’68 Camaro for example. Is this what you want to see when you open the bonnet of your classic? No, me neither…
Despite the threat of flooding (again), the Autofest team, after speaking with the Council and locals, have decided to go full steam ahead with the staging of the Murray Bridge Autofest, set to take place Jan 13 and 14, 2023. Not wanting to postpone the event yet again, the team have a backup plan in place just in case the flooding does affect the Sturt Reserve which is where the Show and Shine is to be held. So despite the rumours, the Murray Bridge Autofest is still happening, so get your entries in now and enjoy what will no doubt be a great event – flooding or not… More info and entry forms can be found at www.autofest.com.au
After the huge success of Killer Rides Live #4, the next event will be held over the weekend of August 12/13, 2023. And judging by the calls I have received from potential entrants, this will be one event not to be missed. Once again, it will all happen inside the Illawarra Hockey Centre. For all the updates, keep an eye on www.killerrides.com.au
“I’ve been around tough cars all my life and one thing that I have learned is never to compromise on quality. That’s why my Mustang is fitted with Lovells Springs! INSIST on Lovells for your car too!”
Merry Christmas to everyone who has helped to make this year a successful one for Killer Rides - in both the magazine and the events side of the business. Firstly, to the advertisers that have had the faith in us, and keep supporting us, thanks so much! Likewise, our readers that keep clicking on each issue from around the world and are obviously using our advertisers products and services! The the car and bike owners that let us showcase your rides, thanks for the opportunity. Without you guys, we don’t have anything to publish.
Putting the magazine together is a big job, and getting everywhere just isn’t possible. Thankfully, I have some great people that help me make it happen. So a big thank you goes out to: Grant Stephens - Cackling Pipes, Lauren - Xposed Photography, Jimmy T Photography, Joe Crispin - Jerry Can Joe, Chad Silvey - Pics by Chaddo, Greg ‘Beach’ Ball, BlakeInsane Grunt Photography, S8TEN Photography, Jason Lowe and Charlie Sant.
In regards to the events, I couldn’t do it without the A-Team headed up by my daughter Montana and wife Kathy, as well as Steve, Pete, Wayne, DJ, Mick, Lydia and Michelle. You guys and girls make life so much easier. Thanks for a great 2022. Here’s to an even bigger 2023!
Got something to say? Send it to paul@pscmag.com.au or message us from the Performance Street Car Facebook page.
G’day Paul,
I’m about to embark on a new project within the next 12 months, but am at a loss as to what style I am going to build. My passion still lies with the tough, Pro-Street look, but I’m leaning towards a more road-friendly Pro-Tourer type build, so that I can drive it anywhere at any time and hopefully, not get hassled. I’ve been checking out the US scene to get a feel on what the next big thing will be, but it just seems to be more of the same. Any ideas? Thanks for your advice, love what you’re doing with Killer Rides now.
Archie W – Dandenong, VIC
Hi Paul,
It was so good to see your coverage of the Lowrider Sunday, one of my favourite events of the year. You captured the essence of the event beautifully, and hopefully, that will bring more cars and more people to the event in years to come. It’s great to see Killer Rides taking the lead and showcasing many different events catering for a larger slice of the modified car scene. Great stuff, keep it up!
Stuart J – Gosford, NSWG’day Stuart,
I’ve always enjoyed the Lowrider scene, especially having owned a few American cruisers in the past. Covering the Lowrider Sunday was always going to happen. The laidback atmosphere, and the number and quality of cars lined up on the water’s edge made it a great place to be. The organisers should be proud of what they achieved. I four one can’t wait to see what they have in store for the 2023 show.
G’day Paul, I made the trip down to your Hot Rod & Harley Expo in Unanderra and I have to say, it was an amazing show. Sure, it wasn’t the size of the bigger shows, but the quality and array of cars and bikes on display was well worth the trip. Seeing some of those historical cars on display like Mark Stacey’s Buccaneer, Ben Gatts oh-so-cool Lincoln and Les Lawry’s amazing Vicky certainly made my day. Will this event become an annual event? I hope so.
Trent C – Toronto, NSW
G’day Archie,
My way of thinking is to go with where your passion lays. If you’re into the tough street car deal, then I reckon that’s the road you should travel down. You can still build a street legal tough streeter, but you need to be mindful of the rules and regulations and get an Engineer involved right from the outset. As for the next big thing, that’s anyone’s guess. From what I am seeing, more people are building drivers that have show car engine bays and trim, but are more focussed on driving than showing.
G’day Trent, Thanks for coming down to the show. It took a few years to get happening but overall, we are all happy with how the first event came together. The whole idea behind the event was to bring together a mix of street driven, show cars, historic cars, race cars and bikes, not just the full-tilt show standard entries. Yes, we plan on making the Hot Rod & Harley Expo an annual event. More info to come on the next one soon.
Hi Paul, I’ve been a reader of Killer Rides since Issue #1 and always loved what you put together, especially the In Build Section. I’ve been slowly working on a ’55 Buick Coupe for a number of years as money and time becomes available so you can imagine my surprise when I logged onto the new issue and saw that masterpiece that Southern Rod & Custom are building. Mine will never be that good as I am trying to do as much as I can myself, but it certainly is an inspiration for me, and has spurred me onto spending more time in the garage. I’d love to see more of this build as it progresses.
Anthony T – Geelong, VICG’day Anthony, Glad to see you’ve stuck with Killer Rides for the long haul! Thanks for the support. Yes, the Southern Rod & Custom Buick is going to be one sensational build – as we’ve come to expect from Shane’s shop. It’s great that it has inspired you too. Why not send in some pics of your build to show us the progress? You’ll be able to see more pics of the SRC build on their Facebook page as they update the builds regularly. God luck with it all…
Grant and his team at Superformance have a workshop full of cool builds on the go, but it’s this D100 Dodge Pickup that has most people talking. The owner has obviously decided that our motoring future revolves around the “plug and play” type of deal where every home will have an outlet to plug in your vehicle to have it charged for use the next day. Whilst we are already in that realm, the cars hanging off that charging cable are Tesla’s, and a number of other Hybrid and EV vehicles that manufacturers are putting a great focus on.
And whilst this Dodge D100 truck will retain its ‘60’s looks, it’s what you can’t see that will make all of the difference in this build. When the Dodge rolled out of the trailer and into the Superformance workshop, the team assembled to work out a game plan, a game-changer as it will turn out to be once completed. Before long, the D100 was stripped down to its bare bones and relieved of anything that was no longer going to be of any use.
Work has started on the chassis, where the boys have fitted a Tesla front and rear suspension setups to the frame after new components were 3D laser scanned and then transferred all of the scans into Solidworks 3D Cad for the hard versions of those scans to be produced. While this was happening, the conversion from left to right steering had taken place. Likewise, the dash has been swapped over and reworked to be able to include the Telsastyled full-sized iPad into the dash to make it look factory fitted. This will offer full control over the Tesla drive as well as provide all of the necessary displays.
Soon the Tesla electric engine will meet its new home on the Dodge’s reworked chassis marking a significant milestone in this build.
Due to the fact that there’s no longer a transmission or driveshaft, the floor plan and trans tunnel has been removed with a new floor pan and firewall fabricated and welded into place – the firewall now mimicking the original lines of the D100. Soon the Tesla electric engine will meet its new home on the Dodge’s reworked chassis marking a significant milestone in this build. Keep updated on the build via Superformance’s Facebook page and website as the build unfolds…
WORDS / PICS - PAUL BECK
The Ellis family garage already houses one tough Chev – a bright red/white ’62 SS Impala coupe that rolls on 20-inch wheels and gets its power from a stout 427ci small block. And whist the Impala allows Danny to go cruising with his wife and three kids, he still wanted to build himself a wild, but still streetable, early Truck. Interestingly, Danny found this ’69 C10 Pickup in Las Vegas, the same place where he decided his Impala needed a stable mate. Like most work vehicles of a certain age, the C10 had seen much better days, but wasn’t as bad as some he had seen. While the Chev was making its way across the Ocean to its new home, Danny was busy making plans of what to do with it once it arrived. With a firm plan in place, Danny shipped the truck off to Mick Karam’s Old Skool Resto’s where it would leave until Danny had reached his goals.
Externally, the body has kept its original heritage, with no modifications made to the look of the C10 other than to relieve the sheet metal of any imperfections that were sure to show up in the final paintwork. The same can’t be said for the engine bay though. Lifting that huge bonnet reveals the hours of work that have gone into the bay to make it much more appealing. The most obvious change are the inner guards, with rolled tubs added to allow Danny to run the big -diametre wheels he had on order. There was lots of fab work performed to the cab too that you can’t see, in order to make those wheels fitthat’s why most people settle for 22’s! And once they were bolted up, he wanted enough room to slam the air-suspension down low without anything hitting. Those smooth guards lead into a smooth firewall that makes the engine the major focus – but more on that later.
A trip to SEMA showed this already devoted Chev fan, just how popular the early
Pickup’s had become. Whilst stateside, Danny decided he needed to build his own…
After the bodywork had been completed, Mick laid down the custom Metallic Grey that gives a classy look to the one-time work horse. The colour ensures that Danny could bring the truck out in 10-years time and still look like it was a current build! The flawless finish is exactly why Danny took the C10 to Mick in the first place. The tray area is now lined in polished timber that is shaped around the widened and shortened factory wheel tubs.
Inside, the bench seat, door trims and headlining are all covered in black leather, complimented with grey stitching – again, ensuring that the interior will never date. The custom dash facia is now filled with classic styled gauges that keep Danny up to date with everything happening in and around the C10 while out cruising. Other interior upgrades include retractable seat belts, a Retro-Fit stereo system and billet steering wheel topped with matching leather ring. Xotic Leather handle the interior make-over.
Danny found this ’69 C10 Pickup in Las Vegas, the same place where he decided his Impala needed a stable mate.
The main talking point when people see Danny’s C10 for the first time is obviously the wheel choice. While they may not be everyone’s ideal choice, Danny loves them and at the end of the day, that’s all that matter. The ’69 C10 has big wheel arches, so you need big rollers to fill them. So just how big are they? The Intro rims measure 24x15inches on the rear (with a massive 10-inch dish!) wrapped in equally impressive 405/25 Pirelli rubber. Up
front, he has managed to squeeze In 24x9-inch rims with 255/30 Pirelli rubber. And when the air is taken out of the suspension, those big wheels tuck right up inside the guards for a mega-slammed look. The Accuair suspension Danny fitted himself to the original chassis that has tube arms on the front end and a watts-link setup on the 12-bolt diff. Custom bushes were fabricated and added to make the ride that much nicer.
The C10 sports a huge engine bay which could easily accommodate any style, brand or size engine you could imagine. Danny though, likes to keep his builds true to the era, hence the tough small block and not an LS for his C10! Danny had Mick Turbo Race Engines piece together a tunnel rammed 383ci version that sounds tough, makes good power at around 500hp, but above all else, is reliable enough to handle the Sydney traffic. Starting with a Dart block, Mick added a Scat crank and rod combo that swings forged pistons with moly rings; a solid, flat-
tappet cam; a Mellings oil-pump and ACL bearings. The machined alloy Aeroflow heads received Isky valve springs before being bolted to the stout bottom end to allow the custom ram and twin APO
carbs to fill the gap. After the MSD ignition provides the spark to burn the 98-0ctane fuel, the Pacemaker headers dump the gases via the custom exhaust.
Backing the engine is a stage 2, Turbo 350 auto fitted with a 4000rpm converter, with gear selections made via a column shift. Those 500-ponies are sent to the 4.11-geared 12-bolt diff via a custom 3-inch tailshaft.
After 3-years of construction, Danny was able to show off his latest build, which he has done a few times, taking home many awards including Entrants Choice and Best Ute/Pickup at Killer Rides Live #4. For now though, it’s all about cruising the C10. The problem Danny now faces is which two family members can go cruising with him…
It’s been 12 months since I started the Killer Rides Mid-Week Meet-Ups at Oporto in Albion Park Rail and judging by the turn out each month, they have been a welcomed addition to an already busy cruise/meet Calender. We finished the year off with a bang - our Dec meet!
The idea to run a mid-week meet came about because there’s so much happening in the car scene every weekend – especially Saturday nights, but nothing much during the week, unless you’re a member of a car club and you head to a Club Meeting once a month. Generally though, you leave your cool car at home and take the daily, and there’s no fun in that! So I thought, why not try something on a Wednesday night where people have an excuse to get their cars out. It became very obvious, very quickly that people didn’t need to be pushed too hard to come along.
Normally these types of events don’t happen during winter, but I thought why not keep them going anyway and see what happens. And guess what, still the ample car park at Oporto’s filled! The monthly get-together is open to legitimate car enthusiasts no matter what their taste in cars is. We bring together traditional street car owners, with fours and rotors, the late model crowd and everything in between. Check out the cars that turned up for the last meet of 2022! The dates for the 2023 meets are listed on page 113 of this issue and fall on the second Wednesday of each month, weather permitting.
It had been a few years since I made the trip down the Hume to Shepparton for the Springnats, but upon entering the Showgrounds on the Friday afternoon, it was just how I remembered it. Blown cars were literally scattered all over the ground, waiting for the chance to send it across the huge Springnats driving events arena. If you were a fan of all model Commodores, you were in heaven. It seemed like every second car was a blown, injected, LS-powered Commodore with stock rear wheels fitted and just one goal in mind – getting the assembled crowds to their feet! Of course, it wasn’t just Commodores lined up to impress with a big mix of old school and new from many different brands making up the entrant list.
There’s no denying the Springnats have evolved over the years. When I first attended, the event was held at DECA, the driver education centre, where entrants could cruise the grounds, take advantage of the massive concrete skid pan and for those wanting to smoke their tyres into oblivion, they had a purpose-built burnout pad with raised mounds offering spectators easy viewing. The move to the Showgrounds in the centre of town offered plenty of incentives including an air-conditioned building for the Showcars, a grandstand to view the driving events and a manicured lawn area for the show and shine. Sadly, there’s no cruise route, but that’s forgotten about with the inclusion of the Street Cruise, where the entrants get to cruise their cars, not matter how wild they area, from the Showgrounds to the Aussie Hotel on Saturday afternoon for an hour-long display.
One thing that has remained the same is that the Springnats is most definitely horsepower orientated. Whether it be in the ever-popular burnout competition, or the Wilful Damage Autokana, Jack Daniels Grab-a-Flag or the Outlaw Speed Shop Go-Whoa battles, horsepower is definitely king! Blown cars were everywhere, and not just V8’s either, with plenty of pumped six-packs staking their claim in the driving events with big efforts. Obviously you don’t need a wild blown engine to compete and
in some cases, even win the driving events; but in the burnout comp, having a big pump bolted to the top (or side) of your engine certainly helps. As they say, “you’re not known, unless you’re blown!” All of the driving events are well subscribed with awards being handed over to both Male and Female competitors, with the points determining the eventual Springnats Grand Champion, which this year, was won by Chris Bosevski in his VL Commodore.
Ken Logue is a regular at the Springnats in his stunning HT GTS Monaro and although the Monaro spent plenty of time on the pad ripping up the driving events (and actually winning the Go-To-Whoa King of Springnats), it still impressed the show car judges to the point where he was awarded Champion Overall Showcar. He also scored a spot in the Top 10, Top Coupe/ Tudor (Showcar) and the Pro’s Choice (GM). Another car that grabbed our attention inside the Showcar Pavilion, was Geoff Seiter’s XY Falcon – featured elsewhere in this issue. Powered by a tough 434-cube Windsor, the Falcon offered up superb detailing throughout, resulting in a place in the Top 10, Top Sedan, Top Interior, Top Undercarriage, Top Engineered (Showcar), Pro’s Choice (Ford) and even the Mayor’s Choice! That’s quite a haul! The building also housed Adam Haldane’s purple HQ (GMHQ8U), Paul Harris’ DRKDVL VE Commodore and a pair of stunning Mustang’s to name but a few.
Without doubt, it’s the Burnout competition that most people come to see, and with tyres starting to melt into the Springnats pad as early as Friday evening, there was plenty of opportunities to see your favourite skid car send a smokey message to the heavens. After each session, walking through the pit area was like walking through the field of broken dreams with blown out tyres, rubber-clad panels, missing bumper bars and scorched paint seemingly the norm. At least you can’t say they didn’t give their all! At the end of the event, Britt Kirby and her HAMMERTIME Feroza took home the Queen of Springnats Burnout Title, just ahead of Amber Davey in her ABUSED Commodore. Britt’s husband Brad jumped into the Feroza and matched his wife’s feat by winning the Champion Overall N/A Burnout. But it was Wagga Wagga resident Jack Seaman who out-smoked the competition in his blown injected HQ tonner “LOOSEQ” to win the ultimate award, the Champion Overall Pro Burnout, and the bragging rights that go with it.
I really enjoyed my return to the 2022 Springnats. It’s always great to see a bunch of cars I haven’t seen before and meet up with guys that I don’t get to see too often. The atmosphere is always great too. I’m going to do my absolute best to get my Chev down there in 2023 and be part of the action, well not all of the action, I’ll leave the burnouts to those guys and girls… For a full list of trophy winners, go to www.autofest.com.au
It seemed like every second car was a blown, injected, LS-powered Commodore with stock rear wheels fitted and just one goal in mind...
Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of cool custom XY Falcons. Mostly they have been base-line Falcon 500’s that have been inspired by the legendary GT of that era. We’ve seen full-tilt Pro-Street cars like Owen Webbs graphic’d blue sedan and at the other end of the scale, Craig Parker bought Australia one of the first Pro-Tourers with his slammed red version. We’ve seen plenty of drag racing Falcon’s and even Summernats Grand Champions of the same model. It makes sense that the humble XY Falcon is one of Australia’s most popular cars, not just Fords!
Geoff Seiter’s PRO434 XY Falcon is part GT lookalike, part Pro-Tourer and all tough street car. This isn’t the first XY that Geoff and his wife Jo have had the keys to. Their initial Falcon build started with a green Fairmont with 302-power. That look didn’t last too long however, with the Fairmont eventually resurfacing with Electric Blue paint and a more potent 351-cube Clevo. Fast forward a bunch of years and it was a rusty shell that sparked that build you see here, on display at the recent Springnats in Shepparton – a local event for the Seiters.
Originally, the HK left the factory covered in Silver Mink with red trim – one of the most desirable colour combinations for this model. The first thing Pete did was to remove the panels (including the complete front end) and then sandblast the underside to clean it up and make sure there wasn’t any nasty surprises waiting for him. When the dust had settled, the bare floor proved to be in great shape and it was at this stage that Pete added a 3.55-geared Detroit Locker diff as well as HQ drum brakes and all new lines and bushes. And with a big horsepower engine upgrade planned, Pete dropped the HK off to Brett at Wicked Industries to add some chassis connectors and minitubs – just the thing to through those 15x8-inch Auto Drag Centerlines under complete with the 28x10.5inch Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pros. Completing the underside makeover are HQ disc brakes, 90/10 shocks and lowered Lovells springs on the front end with 15x5.5-inch rims and 640-15 Excelsior tyres. The rear end now sits lower too, thanks to reset leaf springs and Koni adjustable shocks.
The shell had obviously seen better days and with the help of DDR Customs, both Geoff and Jo had hopes it would be better than it ever was. They say you don’t mess with perfection and to many, the classic XY lines should, and have been, left well enough alone. The team did add some minitubs, with the engine bay and boot area being sheetmetaled for a smoother look. With the body work complete, it was time for colour, and whilst Geoff could have had any colour he wanted laid onto the Falcon, he decided to go for a custom mix PPG called Grassy Grey. In the right light, a hint of gold pearl shines through. The colour works in perfectly with the highly polished, 20-inch FR1 Simmons
wheels. Nestled in amongst the reworked engine bay sits a single carb, 434-cube Cleveland that has been pieced together by Pavtek and makes in excess of 700hp, thanks to the Dart block, Scat crank, SRP pistons, ported CHI 3V heads and intake manifold that hosts a 950cfm Holley carb. All of this good gear sits below the custom Shaker scoop that was fabricated by the guys at DDR Customs. A suitably built C9 auto backs the angry Clevo and uses top-shelf internals and a 4500rpm Dominator converter to get the power down the 3.7-geared 9-inch located with a custom 4-link setup and coil-over shocks, the same as used on the RRS-spec, power-steering front end.
Inside, it’s almost like taking a trip back to 1971 and jumping behind the wheel of a brand spanking new GT. The gauges are period correct as are the dials and radio. The seats, door trims and headlining are all wreaking of factory GT muscle car. That is until you go to put the Falcon into gear, where you’ll be grabbing a tough street style B&M shifter.
The Falcon first made its debut at Summernats 34 where Geoff and Jo exceeded their expectations by not only placing in the Elite Top 60, but also taking home Runner-Up Elite Standard Paint and the opportunity to run for the Grand Champion sword. At the recent Springnats, the Falcon took home a swag of awards including a Top 10 berth, Mayor’s Choice, Top Sedan, Top Interior, Top Undercarriage, Top Engineered and Pro’s Choice Ford. The rusty old shell seems like a lifetime ago…
With around 380 members, the Street Outlaws Car Club is probably the fastest growing car club in the southern state. It also boasts the toughest mix of tough-street street machines and hot rods in the country! It’s no secret that Adelaide has a huge population of prostreet styled cars that hit the street regularly and when they come together as a club and idle into a location like Benjamin Street in Newton, you can feel the ground beneath you shake.
The club has held many events since its inception and finished off a big 2022 with this Christmas Street Party where Adelaide’s toughest street cars lined the street from 9am to 12pm to show off all kinds of cool, tough and unique cars to a bunch of people with hi-octane fuel running through their veins. There was plenty of food and drinks on offer, a live band and of course the line-up of over-powered, tough as hell, cars that converged on the area to provide all the colour, chrome and horsepower you could handle.
As you’d expect, the common theme amongst the cars was Pro-Street, with big and little wheel combo’s (usually satin-finish Centerlines!) dominating the exterior visuals. No matter where you turned, there was horsepower in full view, where it was in aspirated form or coming from a blown, injected mechanical monster, that turned more heads than a dozen Supermodels walking arm in arm through Glenelg on a Sunday arvo!
In amongst the 250-plus cars on display, was one very special car that always gets plenty of attention – the blown Dodge Charger owned by Frank Bergamin. Based on the Fast and Furious Charger. Frank did some slow passes on Benjamin Street, the blown Dodge’s menacing idle delighting everyone that lined the roadway. The Christmas Street Party topped off a big year for the club that holds two other similar events as well as many cruises around the Adelaide area. You can find out more on their events from their Facebook Page or website – www.streetoutlawsadelaide.com.au
Street Outlaws Car Club Inc. is an Adelaide based car club for car and motorcycle enthusiasts. The club was established in July 2020 by a group of persons who wanted a club with a culture of bringing people together to have fun, share passions, and talk cars. Community is a big part of the club. The club received recognition of a motor vehicle club for the scheme for the purpose of offering conditional registration (Club Rego) in December 2020. The club has over 380 members, which has more than exceed expectations based on initial forecasts. Our current president is James Orlando and vice president is Anthony Barone . They and the committee didn’t expect the club to grow so quickly; but have manage growth and look forward to continuing to provide members and the community, different experiences in the years to come. More info can be found at www.streetoutlawsadelaide.com.au
No matter where you turned, there was horsepower in full view, whether it was in aspirated form or coming from a blown, injected mechanical monster...
There’s a lot more women involved in the car scene now than I’ve ever seen before. Back in the day, the ladies were the ones in car clubs organising raffles, looking after the club’s bank balance and usually handling the food at club outings. Whilst that’s probably still the case today, there’s more and more ladies jumping behind the wheel of their own cars and taking part in the front line of car events. Danica is one such lady. Sure, her 2016 VF SSV Redline Commodore may not look like the wildest on the street, but it’s what you can’t see that makes the difference on her bad and black VF. Externally, at least for the time being,
To many, the modified car scene is a big boys club, dominated by guys who thrive on high-horsepower motoring. Danica Pupuncoska is out to change that…
the standard issue Redline body kit remains and is complimented with the addition of the staggered offset, 20x8.5 and 20x10-inch Simmons rims – black of course! The red wall tyres are a great addition and certainly stand out against the Phantom Black exterior, which by the way is kept in pristine condition thanks to the efforts of Kanzen Auto Detailing. There are a few changes on the way including a full custom, one-off bonnet that should set Danica’s VF from the rest. It’s the same deal with the interior. At the moment, it’s still as per factory specs, but that will change with a full retrim in a much brighter colour than it is now…
Danica doesn’t shy away from the fact that she loves horsepower, and whilst the power coming from the Redline’s 6.2-litre LS3 would be enough for most, Danica wanted more.
Now this is where it gets interesting. Gone are the days where women were generally compelled to drive something more suited to doing the school run or getting the weekly shopping, rather than something that built to drag race, punt around a circuit or just having some highpowered fun on the street. Danica doesn’t shy away from the fact that she loves horsepower, and whilst the power coming from the Redline’s 6.2-litre LS3 would be enough for most, Danica wanted more. After doing her own research, she made the trip to Sam’s Performance where the boys worked out an engine package that would see the factory intake removed and replaced with a Harrop 2650 supercharger. The guys also added a set of LS7 lifters, 1000cc injectors, a stage 4 cam and dual valve springs at the same time, with a full Hurricane exhaust system following soon after.
Danica knew her Redline was about to get boosted into big numbers, but I reckon she was a little shocked to see her VF on the hub dyno producing 726.7hp (that’s 541.9kW in the new money!) at the tyres! Is it any wonder why there’s a constant smile on Danica’s face? Maybe it’s the over indulgence in coffee?
Nah, it’s the blown LS3… There’s a Harrop short shifter fitted to the six-speed box ensuring the gear changes are swift and sharp. Other changes made so far include a considerable drop in ride height thanks to the XYZ coil overs.
Danica loves to get out and about in the Commodore and I can tell you, she probably attends more events, cruise nights and coffee and car events than most people I know. In fact, as soon as the photo shoot was done, she grabbed her stuff and headed to Sydney Motorsport Park to join her mates in the last Roll Racing Meet of the year – an event she has attended many times, winning her fair share of races in the process. She is quick to add though, that losing races is also part of the game. If you can’t handle being defeated, go do something else! Meanwhile, Danica is planning the next event that she is going to attend in her mega-horsepower VF SSV Redline… See you on the street…
With so many different sectors that make up the Extreme Auto Expo in Adelaide, this is more than just a car show, it’s an extravaganza of horsepower!
Being Adelaide’s only indoor car event, ensured the crowds were treated to a host of stunning cars and bikes indoors, as well as a host of other sections added to offer more value for money to the horsepower hungry spectators than ever before. Without doubt, the absolute star of proceedings is the Extreme Auto Expo Showcars where the best of the local and not so local scenes converge on Adelaide to display their cars and bikes in an effort to not only wow the judges to take home an award or two, but also wanting to score one of the MotorEx invites for 2023 – a much sought after deal. Last Issue’s cover car, the twin-turbo, 440ci LC GTR Torana owned by Rob De Sciscio was an absolute standout of the event, as was
Adrian Haynes’ amazing LX Torana Hatch, who made the trip across from Canberra to be part of the line-up. Dean Rickard’s
HT GTS Monaro went home with plenty of class wins, as did Brian Imlach’s ’34 Chev Sedan – a feat repeated from every show appearance so far. Both Rob and Adrian will be loading their Torana’s for the trip to MotorEx in May next year taking both spots in the Street Machine section, whilst Brian Imlach’s stunning ’34 Chev will be there in the Hot Rod class. Both the Torana’s, HT Monaro and ’34 Chev filled four of the five Top 5 positions, the other spot taken by Joe Esposito’s beautiful ’68 Camaro. Brian’s ’34 Chev took the Top Elite Car of the Show – a well-deserved win!
Other show and shine standouts this year included
Romeo’s HQ Monaro (Best Street Machine), Frank Russo’s big-blocked VC Commodore, ‘Batman’ George’s Commodore Ute, Bob Briggs newly finished ’34 Ford 3-window coupe (all the way from Qld) and Stelio Birbas’ tough VF Valiant coupe that was on debut as well. There were so many great cars and bikes on display that the judges certainly had their work cut out for them in deciding the winners. Brenton Dalwood’s all-conquering ’35 Ford coupe that dominated last years show, was on show as exhibition only this year.
Whilst the indoor section of the show was in full swing, there was plenty happening outside on the Saturday morning as well, including a show and shine for those wanting to be part of the show, without having to go to the lengths of setting up a full show display. As these cars assembled in the Jubilee Plaza, Geof had organised for a Cars and Coffee event to happen in Hamilton Boulevard. This section is perfect for those on a time frame. They can come, show their car off, check out what’s on show and leave without having to spend the day at the showgrounds arena. I have no doubt this will be a big part of the Extreme Auto Expo in years to come.
When you add in the 90-years of ’32 Ford display, the Adelaide Import Salon section, the Zippel Cruise and Aussie Classic and Muscle Car Cruise, the Dream Car Garage area, the Barn Find Auction, Tuff Street, Honest Geof’s Used Cars and of course, a well-stocked bunch of traders peddling all kind of cool gear, you start to realise that the Extreme Auto Expo is more of an event made up of several sub sections that obviously catered for a wide group of motoring enthusiasts.
By all accounts, the 2022 Extreme Auto Expo was a complete success, despite the weather gods doing their best to dampen the enthusiasm of all involved. Thankfully the show continued on regardless and succeeded in bringing together a wide cross-section of the automotive scenes from the full-tilt show cars, to the drag racers, custom bikes, Auto Salon style Imports, Classic and muscle cars and more. The dates have already been locked in for 2023, so keep Friday 17th and Saturday 18th November aside and if you can, head across to the Southern state and check out one of the countries most impressive motoring events!
Bill found a well-used candidate for the upcoming Project but quickly realised the task ahead was going to need some professional help. After purchasing the purple ’58, Bill’s next call was to Gary at Gary’s Hotrods & Harleys where a game plan was worked out and before too long, the ’58 was in the shop being disassembled for a better look at what was hidden beneath the Delivery’s paint. Gary is well versed in creating bespoke custom cars and this ’58 Chev was going to be no different. Whilst the body retains most of its original GM styling, there are a few subtle changes made to the factory sheet metal.
BY GARY’S HOTRODS & HARLEYS
To give the ’58 a smoother look, the door handles were replaced with flush mounted Kindig items, and the front and rear windows were flush mounted as is the fuel cap. Gary added a style-line in the roof panel and also narrowed the rear bumper to create a snug fit to the body. Fabricated floors replace the rusty panels and incorporate mini-tubs to house the planned larger wheel and tyre combo. Lifting the bonnet reveals an engine bay that has been reworked with the fitting of a fabricated firewall and inner guards and radiator cover. With the metal working tools back on the shelf, it was time for colour, and try as hard as he did to talk Bill out of it, the smoothed out ’58 Delivery body was coated in House of Kolor Candy Tangerine. The colour also covers all of the previous chrome work. To compliment the body colour, the grille, front indicator surrounds and wheel centres scored a coat or two of a contrasting bronze.
Some people build cool cars because it’s in their blood. Some build them because they want to have a ‘toy’ in their collection like their mates. Bill Chrisman however wanted to relive the good times he had in the past when he cruised the streets in a ’58 Chev Delivery.
The engine bay was never going to see an old school engine combo again, and now holds a Texas Speed built, 416-cube LS3 that not only looks sensational, but also packs 580-odd horsepower! Transferring the power to the Ford 9-inch diff is a built 4L80E that makes cruising a breeze. There’s also a triangulated 4-link used to locate the diff. The driveline is kept at cruising height by airbag suspension that work in with Strange shocks to provide a firm but comfortable ride, no matter what the conditions are. Disc brakes with Wilwood calipers live inside the 18-inch Schott billet wheels.
Opening either door reveals an interior that would rival any late model luxury car. The factory bench has been given the flick to make way for the 2011 Buick Lacrosse buckets that have been retrimmed by Interior Revolutions in brown leather. The same material was added to the custom door trims, the centre console and the Billet Specialties steering wheel, that tops an IDIDIT column with shifter. The original Chev dash surround has been kept in place, but now hosts Dakota Digital dials. Incorporated into the interior makeover is a Retro Sound setup providing the cruising tunes.
So impressed were the judges, that they awarded the Chev 1st Place in its class, a feat that was replicated at the
After a five-year build period, where the ’58 consumed lots of the folding stuff, the time had come for Bill and Barbara, along with Gary, to debut the newly finished Delivery at the Salt Lake Autorama. So impressed were the judges, that they awarded the Chev 1st Place in its class, a feat that was replicated at the Sacramento Autorama! For Bill and Barbara, the next showing will be at the Grand National Roadster Show where
they then plan to put that LS3 to good use and drive it every chance they can get! It’s obvious that Bill and Barbara are more than happy with the car Gary has created for them, and from Gary’s end, he wanted to thank the Chrisman’s for the opportunity to build a car of this calibre for them. A special thank you goes out to Bo Warner for all of his help too and also to Jack Anderson for introducing Gary to Bill and Barbara!
The engine bay was never going to see an old school engine combo again, and now holds a Texas Speed built, 416-cube LS3...
Words/Pics - Paul Beck Race Pic - Grant Stephens
Elliott Scott had always liked the look of the R31 Skyline, and when the opportunity to purchase one from a used car lot in Fyshwick came along in 1998, he jumped at the chance. That purchase started a long journey for the two that continues today. If you’d said to Elliott back then that he would have an 8-second, turbo LS combo sitting in the Skylines engine bay, he probably would have laughed – hard! But we are getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Before making that switch to the current L98 Chev V8, the R31 had used a stock RB30 with T04Z turbo making 400rwhp, followed by a 600rwhp tougher RB30 which called it a day at the drags before Elliot t grew tired of the inline six and purchased a basic L98 V8 complete with a GTX4202 turbo which saw the horsepower increase to around 800rwhp. But after he bent No.2 rod at Drag Battle, the chase was on for another, more potent LS to repower the Skyline.
When someone tells you about a tough Skyline, you instantly think of a twin-turbo six-pack and all-wheel-drive. In this case though, you’d be wrong. Very, very wrong…THANKS TO: Stevan Skyes – Skyes Automotive, Canberra. Bobby Brown – Shoalhaven LS Tuning and Performance, Nowra. Matthew Marsh – Pro-Street Industries, Albion Park Rail. The family and friends that all helped out along the way.
Elliott decided to strip down the 6.2-litre engine and rebuild it himself after Southern Engines machined the necessary parts. Externally, the Garrett GTX4202R turbo is more than obvious and is the hero piece of the build. Inside the stock block, you’ll find a Molnar crank swinging matching brand rods and CP Bullet pistons wrapped in Mahle rings. The camshaft is a Comp Cam item suited to turbo applications and works in with Morel tie-bar lifters. The L98 heads have been upgraded with bigger valves, PAC springs and had the ports cleaned up. A standard issue LS3 intake sits in its designated place. Custom turbo headers have been fabricated by Skyes Automotive and include 4-inch dump pipes that unwind into a 3.5-inch full system with one muffler. Backing the engine is a 2-speed ‘glide
built to handle the 970rwhp the new combo is producing. The box is trans-braked, uses a Dellow SFI bellhousing and TCE converter to send the power back to the 9-inch Ford diff, fitted with 3.25-gears in the Tru-Trac centre and 31-spline axles. You’ve probably noticed that the Skyline sits much lower now, and that’s thanks to the coil-over shocks fitted to each corner. Also fitted to each corner are DBA discs with R32 Skyline calipers. The rear end has adjustable upper arms and custom lower arms while the front-end steers better thanks to the fitting of an electric steering pump from a Holden Astra. The wheels of choice are 17-inch front and 15-inch rear RC Comps and give the Skyline a much tougher look than the previous Simmons and Auto Salon-esq 19-inch Chrome wheels it started with.
But it’s not purely a race car, with plenty of miles added to the speedo from cruising the streets – which is where I first saw the car at the Killer Rides Mid-Week Meet-Up.
The stock lines of the R31 have been retained but have been treated to a new coat or two of House of Kolor Copper Red/Green that was laid down on to the body by DeeColour after Elliott took the original blue paint off, leaving the Nissan in bare steel. It’s hard to believe that paint job is 20-years old! Inside though, it’s nowhere near as stock. The factory seating has now been recovered in black cloth, suede and vinyl by P&L Quinlan Auto Upholstery. An AGI bolt-in ANDRA-spec roll cage has been installed allowing Elliott to run in the high 8-second zone without the fear of being kicked out and the AiM MXL Strada Dash replaces the factory item. Other upgrades include a B&M shifter and Pioneer/Vibe sound system.
The wheels of choice are 17-inch front and 15-inch rear RC Comps and give the Skyline a much tougher look...
The build is ongoing as Elliott hits the quarter-mile when time allows, searching for that extra tenth or so with each pass. But it’s not purely a race car, with plenty of miles added to the speedo from cruising the streets – which is where I first saw the car at the Killer Rides Mid-Week Meet-Up. Elliott can also see a fresh paint job coming up in the future too, along with an ECU upgrade, some changes to the rear-end to suit the radial tyres. And maybe, just maybe, that single turbo will be joined by its long-lost twin! Now that’s a tough Skyline…
It was wall to wall Blue Oval madness at Heathcote Park Raceway on Nov 26th for the 2022 Ford Nationals.
Promoter Todd Foley has been building up both the Ford Nationals and the Holden Nationals for a number of years now, and it’s now at the point where each event is attracting entries from as far away as NSW and SA to take part in the action. That action actually started on the Friday as with previous events, where Todd has offered up a Test ‘n’ Tune session for those wanting to get a working tune suited to the Heathcote track. Testing saw plenty of contenders in each class, but what happens on Friday really doesn’t matter come race day. It’s a new day where anything can happen, and usually does. More than 100 cars had entered this event and was ready to go into battle come race day.
There were the usual contenders in each class of racing, including the Outlaw Bracket where anything goes – it’s open to any make, model and configuration – including a couple of big guns, the KNG3L VL Commodore and the JETLNR Supra – both big 8-second runners.
As you’d expect, there were plenty of Barrapowered cars in attendance showing just how popular these six-pack engines have become in recent times. And is it any wonder when they are making the sort of power that they do? I reckon before too long, there will be a dedicated class just for these engines –or maybe a six-pack category that has Ford, Holden/Nissan and Toyota varieties pitting against each other…
Testing saw plenty of contenders in each class, but what happens on Friday really doesn’t matter come race day.
Race day started bathed in sunshine, and it looked like the racing was going to beat home the predicated wet weather, until a downpour around 7pm put an end to proceedings prematurely. This happened midway through the third-round eliminations and unfortunately left the organisers without the ability to crown any class winners. A decision was then made to split the $4000 prize money equally amongst the remaining 23 racers that were still in contention. A fair call considering the circumstances. No matter the ending, the 2022 Ford Nationals was certainly still considered a success and will no doubt be bigger, better and badder next time around. Keep an eye on the website for regular updates on all Todd has planned. www.holdenandfordnats.com.au
A decision was then made to split the $4000 prize money equally amongst the remaining 23 racers that were still in contention. A fair call considering the circumstances.
JAN
5-8 SUMMERNATS 35
EPIC Canberra
14 BERRIGAN SHOW AND SHINE
Berrigan Golf & Bowling Club Janice - 0429 028565
15 DAY OUT FOR DON
Campbelltown Showground, TAS 10am-3pm
22 NSW ALL AMERICAN DAY
Macarthur Shopping Centre Campbelltown NSW Patrick - 0401 103501
26-29 CRAKK RUN
Canberra and Surrounds www.chra.org.au/CRAKK
19 DAYLESFORD MOTORFEST
Victoria Park, Daylesford, VIC Keir - 0419 918229 24-27 POWERCRUISE #89
Sydney Motorsport Park powercruise.com 25 ROLLIN’ CHROME
Crookwell Showgrounds, NSW facebook.com/RollinChrome2583 25 CUMNOCK
Cumnock Showground & Pavillion Baden - 0466 156151 25 MOPAR NATIONALS
Heathcote Park Raceway https://HPR.FAMILY 25 TONGALA’S BEERSHEBA ROD
FEB
2-6
Queanbeyan Showgrounds www.autofest.com.au
CUSTOM CLASSIC AND BIKE SHOW
3-5
Ingenia Holiday Park, Moruya NSW Lee - 0419 845890
11 BURNOUT MAYHEM
Leeton Motorsports Club, NSW lmscburnouts1@outlook.com
Mangan Street, Tongala, VIC Mick - 0407 350956 MARCH 4 MOTORFEST 2023
Lardner Park, Lardner, VIC info@motorfest.com.au
10-12
Mt Panorama, Bathurst www.autofest.com.au
12
Wigley Reserve, Glen Elg, SA corvetteclubofsouthaustralia.com.au
The Gleneagles Reserve, Seaton SA
17-19 30th CHRYSLERS ON THE MURRAY
Albury / Wodonga www.chryslersonthemurray.com
Please check closer to the day to see if any of the events have been cancelled due to Covid.
