CIRCLEWORK ISSUE 9

• FEATURE CAR SPECIAL EDITION PART 2

Online Edition NINE - Motoring & Sports Media. Incorporating

BAD ASS STREET CARS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

ROADSTER GLORY

On a recent trip to Busselton with my partner Brooke and photographer Brian White, we came across this stunning roadster, owned by 54 year old plumber Lyndsay Arnold.

“That’s a nice hot rod,” I remarked to my lovely partner Brooke.

“What makes it a hot rod?” she asked.

Well if I had to define something as making a hot rod this would be it. To quote Wikipedia, hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for speed. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the term ‘hot rod’. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of ‘hot roadster’, meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Open roadsters were the cars of choice to modify because they were light.

Hot rods certainly have that general appeal to take a non car enthusiast and make them take the time to realise just what effort goes into these machines and the emotions that people have for them.

Arnold’s car has a bit of ‘hot’ up front to go with the rod, that’s for sure. A 350 Chev V8 resides there with Holley 450 dual throat carburettors sucking in the air. The engine has been bored out slightly to give it a larger capacity while a mild camshaft has been installed to bump up the power even more.

It’s all hooked up to a T400 automatic transmission and a nine inch diff.

The number plate [2IX] takes a bit of thinking, it means the car is a 1929 Ford Roadster. It has the great curves

Story : Luke NieuwhofPhotos : Brian White

of the era in all the right places and looks glamorous on the roads. It’s car with charm, with personality not found in the plastic interiors and cold, accountant-designed looks of today’s vehicles.

A little known fact is that the paint on this car makes it visible from space. The Rapid Yellow XR8 hue has been employed to make even French Stewart squint.

The interior is a nice place to be. Black studded vinyl has been used on the trim, which Arnold eventually plans to change to leather, along with a wood grain steering wheel and some basic gauges showing the vital information on oil and water temperature. It’s also got a cool pop-out bench seat in the back in case a few more people want to tag along for the ride. And with something as cool as this it’s bound to have a queue.

The wheels are 16 inch Dragway mags, nothing too extravagant but blinging enough to get attention. With a good power to weight ratio, [2IX] can certainly motor along so Ford Fairlane discs have been employed at all corners to bring things to a quick halt if necessary. There is four link suspension keeping the roadster planted to the tarmac.

The car gets taken out weekly for a drive, so Arnold makes no apologies for there being a few paint chips.

“It’s a good road car, you could drive it daily if you wanted,” he said. “You don’t get ticked off with it at all. The trip to Busselton was a dream. Some rods aren’t that flash if you drive them for a long time.”

Admittedly it lacks a little vision with the top on, and in the rain it could get a bit hairy, but that’s half the fun of owning a hot rod.

Arnold enjoys attending the weekly runs the hot rodding fraternity has as well as doing shows such as that recently held in Busselton.

“I enjoy getting to the gatherings and seeing lots of the cars I like to see,” he said.

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Hot rodding is certainly a passion and for Arnold it has been around since he was a kid. He grew up in a golden age for hot rodding and once his own kids were out of the way he was free to live out his dream to own a rod.

“I was at Bathurst at the time when I got the call that this rod was for sale,” he said. “I bought it sight unseen, I just had to trust my contact that it was a good car.”

Thankfully that was true and it is a purchase Arnold has never regretted making. The rod came to him in a complete state which he says is the best way to do it if you don’t want to go through the hassle of waiting for work to be done and purchasing all the individual parts that make up this stunning piece. In fact there’s virtually nothing he wants to change, except from adding a few chrome pieces here and there.

“The whole car is just a heap of fun,” he said. “My wife enjoys driving in it as well.”

I can appreciate why. Powerful, attractive and a convertible to boot – it’s like Nicole Kidman going topless. Well, maybe not that good.

PRAISE THE LOWEREDWhat is immediately striking about the car is just how low it is. This has been achieved with lowered springs and a custom rear leaf spring set up. What’s more this wasn’t low enough to be scraping pavement on a regular basis so Cavanagh has put in even further down for the Motorvation car show since these pictures were taken. Toads best watch out.

Cavanagh wanted an original but tough theme throughout the Falcon which is why it retains many stock pieces highlighted by several carefully chosen features. It doesn’t need flashy wheels, that stance is more than enough to impress. With the current trends being cookie cutter wheels and lairy paint jobs, this is one way to actually

stand out from a bling-obsessed crowd.

The 27 year old business owner of Executive Mechanical is very much under this car’s spell. He claims to not really know why he chose it, other than the whole ‘look’. It’s as if it lured him towards it.

He purchased the car from an uncle of one of his mechanics for just $900. It had been sitting in a shed for 10 years and was just waiting for someone to come and claim it. Other than faded paint and a few rust spots the Falcon was in pristine condition.

“I’m only the cars second owner,” Cavanagh said. “The

Big, green and mean – it sounds like Kermit the Frog’s dodgy second cousin. Such a Muppet could only wish to ride in something as cool as this - it’s Paul Cavanagh’s 1965 XP Falcon.

Story : Luke Nieuwhof Photos : Brian White

panels were all good and it had the original six cylinder in it.”

That wasn’t to be for long though as soon a V8 heart transplant was to take place to turn mild into wild. To get this thing really croaking a 302 Windsor was slotted in, popular with many Ford street machine creators.

Essential to any naturally aspirated engine is good breathing so on went a custom exhaust (it also helps bring out that sweet noise) and a Holley 600 carburettor. A mild cam helped shift the power band to a sweeter spot while a Weiand performance manifold has been employed to flow things a bit better into the combustion chambers.

Cavanagh is not sure how much power is made with this combination but guesstimates would put it between 300 and 350 horsepower.

An old school auto is pretty much a given in cars like this and the oft used C4 transmission has been put in place here. Having a manual in a heavier car like this can be

a bit of a practicality nightmare. It comes armed with a stage two shift kit and an Allfast stall converter. Power flows through to a Fairlane tailshaft and a shortened nine inch diff with LSD centre. It’s all a tough enough package to hold the power levels when the foot is flat to the floor.

Keeping things cool is an XY Falcon GTHO radiator and EL Falcon thermo fans and in hot Australian weather that’s never an area to skimp on.

So what does this mean machine feel like to drive? “It’s a quick cruise car,” Cavanagh explains. “It can be a bit of fun when you crack open the throttle, she likes to dance around, but it’s still cool and a laid back drive.”

That ‘original look’ comes through in the interior, which to the untrained eye may look no different to stock, however it has been retrimmed in a different colour combination to factory with the original stitching style still used to retain authenticity. XD Falcon bucket seats have been installed which are a lot smaller than the originals and some Redline gauges and a performance shifter are in place to add to the hot street machine credentials.

Exterior wise everything has been kept original aside from

a respray in a green metallic which was actually a Honda colour. Who said we couldn’t learn a few things from the Japanese?

As the car is, Cavanagh believes it is as close to finished as he is going to get.

“Most cars are never really finished, but I can happily drive this around now,” he said. “I can’t sum up what I like most about it, it’s just that whole package and how it all looks together.”

The car gets driven about once a month, which is fairly regular for a car of such quality inside and out.

Cavanagh does have another project ready to go. It is another XP but this time a ute. He has had the ute for ten years and has some big plans to use an injected 5.0 litre motor. All going well he

expects the car to be ready for Motorvation next year.

His current Falcon can be seen at Motorvation this year.

Ribbit. If you’ve switched on a television in the last six months then you have more than likely seen the Telstra Bigpond VW Kombi. Now, although it’s not a WA car, it’s a fair bet you’ve seen more of it than a lot of local show cars.

Matte Raine of Sydney used to be into cars that were half the height and twice the cylinders of his current ride. Muscle cars were his weapon of choice but something just wasn’t right. Matte is your typical Aussie bloke, laid back and easy going – maybe the intensity of driving an angry car got to him? Who knows, but these days he is glowing with satisfaction and pride with his Kombi – for him a kickback of the Woodstock era and more classy and cool than anything.

Being a fitter/machinist by trade made the long road of building up a project car a lot smoother. He picked up this 1955 Safari Kombi back in 1998 and has only had it completed and driving again since early 2004. Five long years of toil saw the transformation of a rolling shell into the fine example of ‘cool’ you see before you on these pages.

Except for the upholstery, Matte has done all the work on his Kombi by himself – no mean feat but it has saved him a fortune not having to pay labour costs for someone else

to do the job. During any buildup process there is always the temptation to throw in the towel and get someone else to do the hard work but Matte is a perfectionist and wanted complete control over the outcome.

It is running a fully reconditioned 1600cc dual-port motor with a mild workover to keep it fresh but still with enough power to keep up with traffic over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The transmission is from a Type 3 Notchback. He added an adjustable front beam from a 1969 Kombi to the front suspension along with disc brakes from a ’71 model; the rear setup having adjustable spring plates and IRS conversion along with the booster and drum brakes and shock absorbers from a Kombi Camper model.

The interior is dead stock but professionally re-upholstered and in beautiful condition. The only addition being a CD

BEEN EVERYWHERE MAN

Photos & Story: Brian White

welcome to ANOTHER edition of pscThe annual ‘Motorvation’ car show has come and gone with huge numbers turnng out to see the fi nest modifi ed auto machinery West Australia has to offer.

Over the next few editions we’ll be doing feature stories on many of them. There’s a real mixed bag of great content ahead with enough variety to please everyone.

For this fi rst edition of 2008 we’ve gone for classic V8 power in the shape of a low riding XP Falcon...and on the fl ipside a NSW Kombi which has been the focal point of the Telstra Bigpond ad campaign over the last few months. Both cars are unique in their own rights.

Our Circlework motorsport team is having a big year in 2008 as well. We’ve expanded our team of talented photographers to incorporate New South Wales,

Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and we even have a chap in France who will be supplying some photos and editorial.

The Circlework photography studio is fl at chat in Subiaco, fi nishing photoshoots on magazine

feature cars and also knocking over private photoshoots for individuals who want to have their cars immortalised in print to hang on the pool room’s walls.

With a new year comes new challenges and we look forward to

powering ahead as West Australia’s leading supplier of quality motoring

photography.

Cheers,Brian

stereo to the factory layout. Matte loves the overall shape and when it came to bodywork made sure he didn’t take any shortcuts. He learnt his panelbeating skills from an old friend who believed in lead-wiping and all the old school ways of preparing and painting vehicles.

The Dove Blue two pack paint, together with bits and pieces to prepare the body, cost over $4000 in materials alone. It was during this stage he again realised the advantages in doing the work himself and not paying an exorbitant amount for another panelbeater who may not do anywhere near as thorough a job as he was doing. Matte fi tted a factory safari windscreen, six pop out windows, ambulance vent fans, with semaphores and fl ashing indicators. The Vintage VW company helped him track down the rare rubbers he needed to fi nish it all off. To slightly modernize the specs he upgraded the electrics to the twelve volt system and fi tted two-speed wipers as well.

The moral of Matte’s story is not to be ‘too’ impatient. When he was almost fi nished the only thing he had left to do was to fi t the new motor. His wife was busy around the house and wanting to get it going he decided that he could do it all by himself. A bit of ingenuity and one skateboard later he had balanced the motor into position and was negotiating getting the heat exchange out of the way. Suddenly the skateboard took off, the motor dropped out, and fell right on top of him, pinning him to the ground! Luckily his wife heard his cries and came to the rescue. Valuable lesson indeed!

welcome to ANOTHER edition of pscThe annual ‘Motorvation’ car show has come and gone with huge numbers turnng out to see the fi nest modifi ed auto machinery West Australia has to offer.

Over the next few editions we’ll be doing feature stories on many of them. There’s a real mixed bag of great content ahead with enough variety to please everyone.

For this fi rst edition of 2008 we’ve gone for classic V8 power in the shape of a low riding XP Falcon...and on the fl ipside a NSW Kombi which has been the focal point of the Telstra Bigpond ad campaign over the last few months. Both cars are unique in their own rights.

Our Circlework motorsport team is having a big year in 2008 as well. We’ve expanded our team of talented photographers to incorporate New South Wales,

Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and we even have a chap in France who will be supplying some photos and editorial.

The Circlework photography studio is fl at chat in Subiaco, fi nishing photoshoots on magazine

feature cars and also knocking over private photoshoots for individuals who want to have their cars immortalised in print to hang on the pool room’s walls.

With a new year comes new challenges and we look forward to

powering ahead as West Australia’s leading supplier of quality motoring

photography.

Cheers,Brian

stereo to the factory layout. Matte loves the overall shape and when it came to bodywork made sure he didn’t take any shortcuts. He learnt his panelbeating skills from an old friend who believed in lead-wiping and all the old school ways of preparing and painting vehicles.

The Dove Blue two pack paint, together with bits and pieces to prepare the body, cost over $4000 in materials alone. It was during this stage he again realised the advantages in doing the work himself and not paying an exorbitant amount for another panelbeater who may not do anywhere near as thorough a job as he was doing. Matte fi tted a factory safari windscreen, six pop out windows, ambulance vent fans, with semaphores and fl ashing indicators. The Vintage VW company helped him track down the rare rubbers he needed to fi nish it all off. To slightly modernize the specs he upgraded the electrics to the twelve volt system and fi tted two-speed wipers as well.

The moral of Matte’s story is not to be ‘too’ impatient. When he was almost fi nished the only thing he had left to do was to fi t the new motor. His wife was busy around the house and wanting to get it going he decided that he could do it all by himself. A bit of ingenuity and one skateboard later he had balanced the motor into position and was negotiating getting the heat exchange out of the way. Suddenly the skateboard took off, the motor dropped out, and fell right on top of him, pinning him to the ground! Luckily his wife heard his cries and came to the rescue. Valuable lesson indeed!

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FLAWLESS FLATHEADGrass Valley is a somewhat unspectacular town. Nestled away a couple of hundred kilometres east of Perth, the sleepy farming village has precious little to get excited about. There is one thing that may get your heart rate racing though; A 1965 XP Falcon powered by a Flathead V8.

It was at that time that Ken became the proud owner of a couple of Flathead motors, which he purchased from local guru Ron West. The original plan involved dropping one of the Flatheads into a hotrod, but out of nowhere Ken devised a brilliant scheme which would see him undertake

The story behind Ken Fomiatti’s XP Falcon is a tale of two halves. Way back in 1979, Ken spotted an advert in the paper advertising an XP. Being a hardcore Ford fanatic, Ken went and had a look. What he found was a pretty tidy Falcon with next to no miles on the clock.

“The body was in very good nick,” recalls Ken. “And the motor was only average because the old bloke that owned had driven it like he did in the 1930s.”

So, Ken parted with just $500 and drove off down the street. A quick engine rebuild soon followed, and Ken never looked back. That was, of course, until about five years ago.

Story : Andrew Van Leeuwen Photos : Brian White

the arduous task of fitting one into his XP. For Ken, it was all about doing something different.

“I really wanted something off beat, I’ve never been one to stick with the crowd,” says Ken. “I’ve never seen another car like this anywhere.”

The first step was building one hot Flathead. Ken decided early in the project that this would be a no corners cut job, and the engine build is highly indicative of just that. What’s more amazing, Ken, a boiler maker by trade, did all the work himself.

The 51 8BA bottom end is a solid piece of work. The block has been ported, stroked 1/8th, and bored 60-thou, and features s number of hot-rodding goodies. One such goodie is the Iski JR-400 camshaft which features 400mm

lift and 258 degrees of duration. The pistons are Arias pop-up units and determine a 7.5:1 compression ratio. The valves are Manly while the springs are Iski.

Ken modestly describes the Barron cylinder heads as the “best heads in the world.” Imported from the United States, Ken believes the long-standing hot rod family develops the best Flathead components on the planet, and largely attributes the car’s performance to the heads. However, he does warn that the price matches the performance.

Feeding the Flathead are two 350 Holley carburetors, which ride atop an Offenhauser 360 Turbo inlet manifold. The inlet manifold came from Mike Davidson’s Side Valve Supplies in South Oz, and is impressive in its ability to be easily converted for electronic fuel injection purposes.

The Flathead also features a Holley fuel pump and a twin Mallorey distributor. The cooling system is quite impressive, with a Landcruiser radiator providing the main cooling, and an equalizing tube system balancing the cooling to the two halves of the block.

In terms of performance, Ken has never had the engine on the dyno to know an exact power output. But based on other cars he’s owned, he makes a careful estimation of somewhere around 200hp at the fly.

The exhaust system consists of a set of headers made by Ken himself, and a 2 ½ inch system built by Walkers. The resulting sound is as sweet as you would expect a Flathead to sound.

The transmission to rear axle setup is fairly original, with the standard C4 ‘box still swapping the cogs and the standard diff still doing the driving. The brakes are still relatively original, although the rear drums have been slightly upgraded to those from a ’66 Fairlane. The dampers and springs are all original spec equipment.

Ken’s choice of wheels forms one of most aesthetically appealing parts of the car. Instead of going for a set of bid wide chrome hotrod wheels, Ken decided to stick with original 14” steel rims, and match them with a set of stylish hubcaps that were designed for a ’58 Dodge. The unique looking caps weren’t exactly easy to obtain, with Ken eventually tracking them down in the United States.

The Falcon’s look is made even more unique by Ken’s insistence that it be painted with acrylic paints. As with most facets of the car, Ken completed the panel-and-paint job on his own, including the application of about 20 layers of acrylic. The colour on the body is the original Ford silver

grey while the roof features the standard Ford grey. Just to be different, Ken also painted the bumpers silver grey. All glasswork came from Roadrunner Glass.

Despite receiving a complete overhaul by Karatha Upholstery, the interior is still the original design. The standard steering wheel still sits proudly in the cockpit, and the dash looks unbelievably period thanks to a well made fascia Ken bought from Sydney. These days there are a few extra gauges to help monitor the vitals.

With the hard work behind him, Ken’s aim now is to enjoy the car.

“My plan now is just to drive it and have fun,” says Ken. “I will continue to make small improvements, but I really want to get some enjoyment out of it.”

“There’s no doubt this car is a driver. I don’t understand trailer queens. I could never spend thousands of dollars on a car and not drive it.”

In terms of future projects, Ken has some pretty big plans. How big? Sitting in a paddock just up the road from Ken’s house is an old Ford three-ton truck body. With another Flathead sitting in Ken’s garage just itching for a home, well anything could happen.


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BLACK BULLET


This story was run in another magazine a while back but it’s such a nice piece of Japanese machinery, and we haven’t run many quality rotary stories for a while, that I thought it was time to dust off the cobwebs and give you another look!

George Coules has given a whole new meaning to the term ‘pocket rocket’. All it took was a Mazda RX3 shell, a love of turbo rotary power and an overwhelming desire to “wipe the smiles off HSV drivers.”

George’s first contact with this car was when he was approached to help restore it on a commercial basis. The car was a re-sprayed roller with all of the bits there, but none of them in place. Surprised by how long such a rebuild would take, the then owner of the RX3 began to eye off George’s 11.4 second RX7. A bit of haggling later and George had swapped the 7 for the pile of bits and a handsome little sum.

When George got the car, the exterior was pretty much done in jet-black paint. It had been sitting in the shed for a while since being painted, so it took a few bottles of polish to find the lost shine. Original is definitely the theme of this car, with the interior mostly standard. The front seats are ex-Honda buckets that have been re-covered, with a trick looking Mazda RX3 badge embroided into the new trim. George says it was tough finding someone prepared to do seat embroidery, but Unique Image Auto Upholstery came through doing a sensational job. There are some unoriginal gauges, including Autometer boost and oil gauges, and a Monsta tacho. Don’t bother asking to turn on the stereo, this things all about performance.

Speaking of performance, a look under the bonnet of this car is enough to make any V8 purist nauseous. A Rotomotion

built 13B Series 6 motor fits snug into the engine bay, even with its T04E turbo. Series 6 RX7 gear takes car of fuel. The engine has been extend ported and dowelled, and was rebuilt with brand new housing and 2mm Hurley Apex seals. Turbo accessories include a custom built front mounted intercooler measuring 450x500mm, and a GFB Twin Trumpet blow off valve. There is also a Turbosmart 45mm Pro Gate. A Carter Black pre-pump is coupled with a surge tank, with a Bosch Motorsport EFI pump sending Fuel through 3/8 lines. A Mal Passi regulator keeps watch on the fuel pressure. The brain of the power plant is a Microtech LTX8 computer with a cockpit controller. The noise is made through a 3-inch Mandrill exhaust system, with two stainless steel Ultra Flow mufflers.

So just how much power can this combo create? At 12 pounds boost, the motor puts out a massive 307 bhp at the wheels. When increased to 18 psi, it was a lot closer to 340. It’s not the biggest horsepower machine around town, but weighing in at a miniscule 965Kg, this pocket rocket has power-to-weight on it’s side. The result is some pretty awesome quarter mile times. On slicks, the car has a personal best of 11.1 seconds @ 124mph, with 11.9 @ 123 the best on street tyres. Both runs were done with the full exhaust system and the full trim. George prides his RX3 on being a street racer, not a racecar with number plates. It is pretty much an eleven second daily driver! As for the output, George says it was most satisfying around the 300 bhp mark. Any more makes rears too easy to light up, resulting in increased mph on quarter runs, but slower ETs.

All of this power is delivered through a Series 4 RX7 gearbox, with an ASK lightened flywheel and an RPM Four Puck solid clutch thrown in for good measure. A standard

BLACK BULLET


This story was run in another magazine a while back but it’s such a nice piece of Japanese machinery, and we haven’t run many quality rotary stories for a while, that I thought it was time to dust off the cobwebs and give you another look!

George Coules has given a whole new meaning to the term ‘pocket rocket’. All it took was a Mazda RX3 shell, a love of turbo rotary power and an overwhelming desire to “wipe the smiles off HSV drivers.”

George’s first contact with this car was when he was approached to help restore it on a commercial basis. The car was a re-sprayed roller with all of the bits there, but none of them in place. Surprised by how long such a rebuild would take, the then owner of the RX3 began to eye off George’s 11.4 second RX7. A bit of haggling later and George had swapped the 7 for the pile of bits and a handsome little sum.

When George got the car, the exterior was pretty much done in jet-black paint. It had been sitting in the shed for a while since being painted, so it took a few bottles of polish to find the lost shine. Original is definitely the theme of this car, with the interior mostly standard. The front seats are ex-Honda buckets that have been re-covered, with a trick looking Mazda RX3 badge embroided into the new trim. George says it was tough finding someone prepared to do seat embroidery, but Unique Image Auto Upholstery came through doing a sensational job. There are some unoriginal gauges, including Autometer boost and oil gauges, and a Monsta tacho. Don’t bother asking to turn on the stereo, this things all about performance.

Speaking of performance, a look under the bonnet of this car is enough to make any V8 purist nauseous. A Rotomotion

built 13B Series 6 motor fits snug into the engine bay, even with its T04E turbo. Series 6 RX7 gear takes car of fuel. The engine has been extend ported and dowelled, and was rebuilt with brand new housing and 2mm Hurley Apex seals. Turbo accessories include a custom built front mounted intercooler measuring 450x500mm, and a GFB Twin Trumpet blow off valve. There is also a Turbosmart 45mm Pro Gate. A Carter Black pre-pump is coupled with a surge tank, with a Bosch Motorsport EFI pump sending Fuel through 3/8 lines. A Mal Passi regulator keeps watch on the fuel pressure. The brain of the power plant is a Microtech LTX8 computer with a cockpit controller. The noise is made through a 3-inch Mandrill exhaust system, with two stainless steel Ultra Flow mufflers.

So just how much power can this combo create? At 12 pounds boost, the motor puts out a massive 307 bhp at the wheels. When increased to 18 psi, it was a lot closer to 340. It’s not the biggest horsepower machine around town, but weighing in at a miniscule 965Kg, this pocket rocket has power-to-weight on it’s side. The result is some pretty awesome quarter mile times. On slicks, the car has a personal best of 11.1 seconds @ 124mph, with 11.9 @ 123 the best on street tyres. Both runs were done with the full exhaust system and the full trim. George prides his RX3 on being a street racer, not a racecar with number plates. It is pretty much an eleven second daily driver! As for the output, George says it was most satisfying around the 300 bhp mark. Any more makes rears too easy to light up, resulting in increased mph on quarter runs, but slower ETs.

All of this power is delivered through a Series 4 RX7 gearbox, with an ASK lightened flywheel and an RPM Four Puck solid clutch thrown in for good measure. A standard

shifter swaps cogs when the Monsta’s shift light says so. A 3-inch custom tailshaft runs to the 4.3 Hilux diff (Locked by BOC). The rear is 20mm lower than usual, and is held up by a custom Pedders shock-and-springs combo. The front is also lowered 20mm, although the Pedders springs are dampened by KYB drag shocks. The car features stunningly rebuilt Simmons V4 rims measuring 15x7, with 225 GT Radials on the front and 245 TAs on the rears. Big rolling stock for a little car.

Having a car that goes fast is fine, but a little stopping power doesn’t go astray either (especially from 124 mph).

Most of the stopping is done by the Magna rotors clamped by Commodore callipers on the front, with Series 2 RX7 discs playing the supporting role on the rear.

It’s been a two-year project to get this car to this stage, and while George has done a lot of it on his own (too many late nights he says), he also owes a few thankyous. Armadale Smash have helped touch up some minor paint blemishes from the previous job, as well as any other bodywork issues along the way. Rotomotion have played a huge part in tuning the engine and computer. The electrics were done by ‘Todd the Lecky’, with Pedders in Cannington assisting with the suspension. Chris Sheridan is responsible for the exhaust manifold and the intercooler, while Stan from Allstreet Wheels did the re-build job on the rims.

V6 HT STUNNERThe station wagon is sadly more home to the weekly shopping trip than it is to outright customisation but that hasn’t stopped Stan Smith from taking his HT Holden and turning it into a green, mean cruising machine.

“I had it since it was brand new in 1970,” Stan said. “It sat in the carport for a while and then my friend who was into hot rods convinced me to start work on it.”

There’s nothing more Australian than a Holden. Except maybe kangaroos. How fitting then that this Holden almost met it’s end after an impact with one of the unfortunate marsupials before hitting a gum tree and ending up in a ditch. It was that series of events that led to it being built into what you see before you.


Work would start with a full engine conversion. After many years of fine service the old 186 six cylinder was a little bit tired. Stan, a 65 year old sheet metal worker, chose to fit out the HT with a 3.8 litre V6 motor from a VS Commodore, he’s a big fan of their reliability and relatively good power. It hasn’t been hotted up too far past stock with the exception of a stainless steel sports exhaust to make things breathe a little easier and a heat treated and coated manifold. Cosmetically it has copped some “V6” emblazoned heads and a painted cover and that is about as far as it goes, though Stan has some chrome pulleys to attach to the front, just to give it the little bit he thinks is missing. Some original equipment remains in the engine bay including the heater and washer bottle.

“I thought about putting a turbo on but the idea came too late,” Stan said. “I might eventually go for one of the new V8 motors and have a turbo on that.”

Commodores have been faithful donor cars for this wicked wagon, with a four wheel disc brake package coming from a VP Commodore, along with power steering and air conditioning – luxuries Stan was left without when dealing with the car in factory condition. The VP model also handed over its back axle set up, to be attached to the stock transmission, only altered with a 1972 Torana automatic console. A Monaro steering column is now in place, though Stan laments the turning circle is not what it used to be.

“You really need to make sure you have enough room when you park it,” he said. Not that it would see your local Coles or Woolies too often.

Wheel choice is always critical in a street machine such as this and Stan has made a good choice. 16 x 7 inch Dragway DB83s with billet centres sit on all four corners, looking as though they are keen to tear apart the tarmac rather than just cruise across it.

Now on the exterior, the car had its paint stripped right back to bare metal before getting a respray in Hothouse Green, Stan remarked they took the edge off the colour with some Emerald Pearl, which is sure to have the paint geeks out there nodding in agreement.

If you think it looks different to a normal HT at the front you’d be very right and probably very much a fan as it carries a Holden Monaro bonnet and guards, giving the distinctive flares on the side.

The entire look look of the car is something Stan rates as very special and we’re not going to argue.

“With the Monaro front on a wagon it looks totally different,” he said. “The tint is also as dark as you an get it. I’m pretty sure the cops don’t worry about it just cause I’m an old bloke.”

Things didn’t stop there with the inside also needing a make over following three decades of work. It was stripped

out completely and the green theme took over. If this is the kind of ‘green future’ they all talk about, well bring it on. Seats, doors - it all got the Kermit treatment. The roof escaped with a cream finish. VS bucket seats have been used in the front while the rears are the original items, just with some fresh upholstery.

The wagon has already become an award winner, taking such honours as Top Modified Street Car at the Albany Show and Shine and Top Post 66 Holden at the Peter Brock Holden Show held on Bassendean Oval.

The plan is to enter the car in Motorvation 2009 with a group Stan describes as the “Over The Hill Club”. Their collection of hot rods and street machines is sure to be a display worth seeing if Stan’s HT is any guide.

In terms of future projects, Stan would like to build a Chev pick up hot rod and he also has a passion for things two wheeled, saying he would like to restore a Triumph at some stage.

Going green – it’s never been so fun.

Stan passes on his thanks to another Stan in Stan Starcevich for his help with the project.

Wheel choice is always critical in a street machine such as this and Stan has made a good choice. 16 x 7 inch Dragway DB83s with billet centres sit on all four corners, looking as though they are keen to tear apart the tarmac rather than just cruise across it.

Now on the exterior, the car had its paint stripped right back to bare metal before getting a respray in Hothouse Green, Stan remarked they took the edge off the colour with some Emerald Pearl, which is sure to have the paint geeks out there nodding in agreement.

If you think it looks different to a normal HT at the front you’d be very right and probably very much a fan as it carries a Holden Monaro bonnet and guards, giving the distinctive flares on the side.

The entire look look of the car is something Stan rates as very special and we’re not going to argue.

“With the Monaro front on a wagon it looks totally different,” he said. “The tint is also as dark as you an get it. I’m pretty sure the cops don’t worry about it just cause I’m an old bloke.”

Things didn’t stop there with the inside also needing a make over following three decades of work. It was stripped

out completely and the green theme took over. If this is the kind of ‘green future’ they all talk about, well bring it on. Seats, doors - it all got the Kermit treatment. The roof escaped with a cream finish. VS bucket seats have been used in the front while the rears are the original items, just with some fresh upholstery.

The wagon has already become an award winner, taking such honours as Top Modified Street Car at the Albany Show and Shine and Top Post 66 Holden at the Peter Brock Holden Show held on Bassendean Oval.

The plan is to enter the car in Motorvation 2009 with a group Stan describes as the “Over The Hill Club”. Their collection of hot rods and street machines is sure to be a display worth seeing if Stan’s HT is any guide.

In terms of future projects, Stan would like to build a Chev pick up hot rod and he also has a passion for things two wheeled, saying he would like to restore a Triumph at some stage.

Going green – it’s never been so fun.

Stan passes on his thanks to another Stan in Stan Starcevich for his help with the project.


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Mick purchased the car back in August ’96 in fair condition. That was the beginning of a three-year restoration. Being a spray painter by trade has helped Mick present a visually stunning example, with a host of show awards to prove it.

The sparkling gold PPG paint is an AU Falcon colour and was done by Mick at Avon Valley Spray Painting in Northam. Valley Vintage Car Upholsterers have provided an excellent job in finishing a very original interior. The front and rear seats are genuine leather Premier seats, with a brand new stock roof lining up top. This is coupled with a new stock carpet set. The door lining is Premier leather and carpet.

There are only basic mods done to the cockpit. A shining wood grain steering wheel is attached to the slightly modified steering column. An Auto-Meter tacho is matched with temp and oil pressure gauges on top of the dash to compliment the original dials. The only extra switches operate the Thermo Fans.

Under the bonnet lies arguably the prettiest part of the car. The six-cylinder HD block has been bored 30-thou and blueprinted to make one nice 179 power plant. The

pistons determine a 9:1 compression ratio and are held to 202 Blue Motor rods. The rods then run to a steel crankshaft. Oil flow runs back to a standard sump. The cylinder head is a Bathurst 6000 with fuel being fed by 3 45mm DCOE Weber carbys. The engine bay is presented in pristine fashion and has won awards at shows such as Kalgoorlie in 2002.

The six’s power is fed through a M20 four-speed transmission with a stock shifter with the torque being sent to the wheels through a Borg-Warner LSD with a 3.55 ratio. The rear sits at stock height on standard springs with Monroe shocks. The front is lowered 2 inches, with the Monroe shocks fitted with Lovells springs. The car sits on chrome Dragway Billit rims measuring 15x7 inches, with a set of sticky Goodyear 225s for good measure.

Mick’s street machine has won a host of awards at regional and metro car shows since it was finished. In fact, between 1999 and 2004 the car has won 24 trophys! In 2000, The EH took out the popular people’s choice award at the Street Machine State Titles, as well as winning the dyno comp for six-cylinders at Motorvation. In 2000, 2001 and 2002 Mick was runner-up in the street machine sedan

A simple question requires only a simple answer. Ask Mick Williamson why he lovingly restored a ’64 EH Premier and he will simply tell you it’s because he wanted “to have a nice street car.” Has Mick achieved his aim? I think you’ll find he has.

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class at Motorvation, but in 2003 he took out the top prize. He won the modified street car class at Narrogin Revheads two years running (’99 and ’00), and even has a runner-up in the top contemporary class at the Summer Nats.

Not bad for just a nice street car!

COOLGARDIE CRUISINGIt takes a lot to stand out from the crowd of modified Holden Commodores, but Tim Baldock has done an admirable job in his Coolgardie-based VK model.

the power it so deserved.

The engine is a 355 cubic inch V8 stroker, hence the number plate [STROKE IT]. Attached to the COME crank are Scat rods and forged pistons which ensure the motor will live on as it makes an estimated 350 horsepower at the wheels. Crane roller cams with 294 duration, cylinder heads CNC machined by the Kostecki Engine Centre, a dual three inch exhaust with extractors and an 830 Holley double pumper carburettor make up the rest of the go-fast components on the machine.

That’s not quite enough yet for Tim though, he’s currently in the process of setting up the motor to take a 150 horsepower shot of nitrous oxide to the lungs, which should see it hit the 11 second zone on slick tyres when it

It’s a hot, inland town. There aren’t as many recreational facilities as in the city which leads to many people turning to cars as their hobby.

“There’s quite a few hot cars around,” Tim said. “There’s not a lot to do so boys turn to their cars. My brother has a HX Holden he’s done up.”

Small towns are small towns though and the local constabulary enjoy looking over Tim’s car as much as he does.

“It’s had ten yellow stickers since I’ve had it,” he said. “It’s fairly loud so it gets a bit of attention.”

Tim purchased the Commodore from his father, who had only given it a lick of paint and still had the stock six cylinder motor in it. This was in dire need of an upgrade so Tim, an ardent Holden fan, set to work on giving this car


attacks the drag strip sometime in the coming year.

“The engine is my favourite part of the car, I just love driving it,” Tim said. “I enjoy building it up to. It can be just as much fun, with the driving being the reward at the end.”

In fact most of the work on the car has been done by Tim, his father and his mates. It may be partly a symptom of living in a small town, but Tim maintains he would prefer to do it himself no matter what the scenario. It does mean having to overcome the occasional challenge, in Tim’s case it was quite a big teething problem when he had a crank snap in the motor.

A Turbo 350 transmission is being used, with a full manual valve body. It uses a 3800rpm stall on the torque converter, leading to the Ford nine inch diff between the axles.

The engine bay is positively gleaming when the bonnet is opened. The wiring has been hidden away to ensure it is as neat as possible and the amount of chrome and polished alloy used means you can check your hair from any angle.

The aggressive stance of the Commodore is obtained using Pedders Low Rider shocks and K Max springs, reducing the ride height by three inches. Pulling things to a quick stop if necessary is a VT Commodore upgrade on the brakes, featuring cross drilled and slotted rotors. Hanging outside of those are ROH Adrenalin Shadow Chrome 17 inch rims, wearing 235/45/17 rubber.

As well as creating a bit of noise in old Coolgardie town, the Commodore has the looks to back it up. Blue pearl paint has been applied to the Group Three body kit. The bonnet has been modified to allow the flame-engraved air cleaner to come up through and get some nice, cool oxygen while a set of Splitfire exterior gauges help keep an eye on vital engine information. The dual exhaust exiting through the body kit really sets off the back of the car and leaves people in no doubt as to the performance intentions of this beast.

The interior has been given a full re-trim in black and grey, as is generally needed for cars of this age. Monza racing seats have been brought in to keep the front passengers well gripped as the corners approach. A shiny Megashift shifter takes pride of place in the centre console, just in front of the vital fire extinguisher should things every get a bit too hot to handle. The door trims have also been embossed with [STROKE IT], no doubt acting as a fantastic conversation starter when your mother in law jumps in for a ride. The fuel cell in the boot has been recessed slightly to allow for the exhaust.


attacks the drag strip sometime in the coming year.

“The engine is my favourite part of the car, I just love driving it,” Tim said. “I enjoy building it up to. It can be just as much fun, with the driving being the reward at the end.”

In fact most of the work on the car has been done by Tim, his father and his mates. It may be partly a symptom of living in a small town, but Tim maintains he would prefer to do it himself no matter what the scenario. It does mean having to overcome the occasional challenge, in Tim’s case it was quite a big teething problem when he had a crank snap in the motor.

A Turbo 350 transmission is being used, with a full manual valve body. It uses a 3800rpm stall on the torque converter, leading to the Ford nine inch diff between the axles.

The engine bay is positively gleaming when the bonnet is opened. The wiring has been hidden away to ensure it is as neat as possible and the amount of chrome and polished alloy used means you can check your hair from any angle.

The aggressive stance of the Commodore is obtained using Pedders Low Rider shocks and K Max springs, reducing the ride height by three inches. Pulling things to a quick stop if necessary is a VT Commodore upgrade on the brakes, featuring cross drilled and slotted rotors. Hanging outside of those are ROH Adrenalin Shadow Chrome 17 inch rims, wearing 235/45/17 rubber.

As well as creating a bit of noise in old Coolgardie town, the Commodore has the looks to back it up. Blue pearl paint has been applied to the Group Three body kit. The bonnet has been modified to allow the flame-engraved air cleaner to come up through and get some nice, cool oxygen while a set of Splitfire exterior gauges help keep an eye on vital engine information. The dual exhaust exiting through the body kit really sets off the back of the car and leaves people in no doubt as to the performance intentions of this beast.

The interior has been given a full re-trim in black and grey, as is generally needed for cars of this age. Monza racing seats have been brought in to keep the front passengers well gripped as the corners approach. A shiny Megashift shifter takes pride of place in the centre console, just in front of the vital fire extinguisher should things every get a bit too hot to handle. The door trims have also been embossed with [STROKE IT], no doubt acting as a fantastic conversation starter when your mother in law jumps in for a ride. The fuel cell in the boot has been recessed slightly to allow for the exhaust.

“I wanted the car to be a bit different (to other Commodores),” Tim said. “I like doing my own thing.”

To ensure the sound when driving is not only that of the modified V8, a Kenwood deck has been installed to provide appropriate tunes. Hooked up to it are Kenwood 6x9 inch speakers, an Alpine amplifier and a single 12 inch subwoofer.

The car is a frequent visitor to events in Perth so Tim can get maximum enjoyment out of owning a modified machine.

“We go to Motorvation every year and we’re booked in for Powercruise already,” Tim said. “If there are any events in the area out here we always try to make it to those too.”

www.c i rc lework.com.au

“I wanted the car to be a bit different (to other Commodores),” Tim said. “I like doing my own thing.”

To ensure the sound when driving is not only that of the modified V8, a Kenwood deck has been installed to provide appropriate tunes. Hooked up to it are Kenwood 6x9 inch speakers, an Alpine amplifier and a single 12 inch subwoofer.

The car is a frequent visitor to events in Perth so Tim can get maximum enjoyment out of owning a modified machine.

“We go to Motorvation every year and we’re booked in for Powercruise already,” Tim said. “If there are any events in the area out here we always try to make it to those too.”

www.c i rc lework.com.au

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Buddy Heider is a typical American man, with some very American hot rods. What’s so unusual about that, I hear you ask. Well, Buddy lives in the most unlikely of places - a tiny Western Australian town called Goomalling.

Goomalling is not near anywhere, or known for anything. It’s a good 300 kilometres away from any sort of metropolis, and the townsfolk are either true blue Aussie farmers or small business proprietors who make their living off the road trains that constantly stream from Australia’s east coast to the west and back again. Then there’s Buddy, and with his thick American drawl and his not-so-subtle 1956 Ford F100 truck, Buddy kind of stands out.

The sun is setting in Goomalling as we stand at the local grain terminal admiring the F100. We have just left Buddy’s shed, where he keeps his ‘A’ model Ford hot rod complete with 327 Chevy, and the fading light is bouncing off the giant domes that house the local produce, casting a magical glow over the F100. It truly is a special looking

truck, so unlike the common Australian hot rod that it simply demands attention.

The story of Buddy migrating to Australia is one of love and a Chevy Camaro. Actually it was the Camaro that originally saw Buddy jump on a plane and leave his native Las Vegas for the sunny shores of Western Australia. Ten years ago a friend of Buddy’s, who was residing in Oz, commissioned Buddy’s services to do a right hand drive conversion on a Camaro. The country captured Buddy’s affection, and soon enough he was a full time resident. Not to be without his toys, Buddy had a sea container filled with a couple of his favourites, the F100 and the A model, and sent to Perth.

Buddy’s 1956 Ford F100 truck is powered by a 350 Chevy. In Australia, there’s a certain order of things: If you have a Ford, that Ford has a Ford engine. And if you like Fords, you dislike Holdens, Chevs, or anything to do with General Motors. If you have a Holden, same goes for

GOOMALLING F100Story: Andrew van Leeuwen

Photos: Brian White

the blue oval. It’s just how things work. And that’s what makes Buddy’s truck so different; a recognized Ford body fitted with a big Chevy lump. It defies Australian automotive logic, not that Buddy is fazed.

“It’s the most common thing to put a Chevy in a Ford in America,” laughs Buddy. “They’re easier and cheaper, and there are millions of parts, and I really Like Chev engines.”

They 350 Chev in Buddy’s truck is one sweet sounding, home built engine. There’s nothing overly special about the build; it features mostly standard 350 Chev internals, with only minor modifications such as a Schneider camshaft and cast pistons. The heads feature 1.94 intake valves, while a big Holley feeds the intake manifold. It is a typical 300 horsepower hot rod engine; a simple build with surprising output. Finishing the engine off are a few little trinkets, such as a high volume oil pump, Holley fuel pump, and a deep 4”x12” K&N air filter which Buddy had to have specially imported from the United States. The engine bay itself is as tidy as any show car around, complete with custom stainless steel shroud for the cooling fan.

Further adding to the aesthetic appeal of the F100 is the full custom exhaust system, which starts with a set of Chevy ‘Rams Horn’ exhaust manifolds – a classic small block touch. The F100s transmission set up consists of the ever-popular Turbo 400 gearbox matched with a 2500 stall converter and a 10-bolt Transam differential.

Buddy has used the suspension and rolling stock as a way of bringing some modern comfort to this classic truck. The front end has been lifted straight out of a Camaro – simple as that. The rear end features a re-set mono leaf. Other creature comforts include power steering, and power assisted disc brakes which are powered by a brake booster from a Subaru. The result: “It drives just like a Camaro, which is what I wanted…”

Getting the truck’s spick and span bodywork just right was the most painstaking part of the restoration. The chassis was stripped back to bare metal, before Buddy sanded it 20 times to get it right. In short, the body alone took Buddy two years. These days the classic lines of the rounded cab are accentuated by Regency Red, which was a factory Ford colour that was applied to the Australian Ford Falcons of the late ‘90s. With a little extra pearl, the metallic colour looks fitting on a truck that spends its life in the red Australian outback. Just to add to the paint, subtle red flames are blazing down the side. Finishing off the classic look are custom made steel rims which measure 15”x7” on the front and 15”x8” on the rear. Complete with

original Ford hubcaps and BF Goodrich Comp TA tyres, the classic American style is oh so evident.

Talking to Buddy, you get the feeling he is prouder of the truck’s interior than any other aspect. And that’s no surprise, given the awesome balance of classic and street rod that the inside of the cab inspires. The interior is basically clad with Connolly Leather and Rolls carpeting. Then there’s the matching tweed headlining, and the repro dials pounted in Jarrah. Sound stylish? It is. There is a host of other goodies in the cockpit, such as Grant banjo steering wheel, full climate control, and a custom tilt steering column. To the rear of the cab are limousine type mood lights, which are from a ’31 Caddy. The interesting thing about the mood lights is that while

the globes and covers are white, the outgoing light is a shade of pearl. Even Buddy doesn’t

know why…

Buddy’s logic behind owning the truck is simple: “I just like the look of this particular truck,” he says, and backs the statement up by revealing he has an identical truck sitting back in the United States. There are some pretty

wild plans afoot for the A model as well, but that’s another story. As for the F100?

“I just want to enjoy it; drive it.” And if you live in the rural paradise that is Goomalling,

why wouldn’t you?

PERTH POWERCRUISEFor a first event, to pull over 600 entrants is pretty amazing in anyone’s language. The Powercruise organisers were well impressed with the enthusiasm they received from Perth. And Barbagallo Raceway was a great venue for it. There were the usual teething problems which will always occur at new venues, but will they come back bigger and better next year? You bet they will.

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NORTHERN EXPOSURE

The Commodore crowd can be a tough one to stand out from. As one of Australia’s most-sold cars, modified examples are very common and many modifiers have already tried to put their unique slant on the once family sedan now often turned into a sports machine.

Daniel said.

And you should expect it to have some pull too, this combination produced a massive 428.7 horsepower at the rear wheels, approaching double the figures of factory models. MWS are the workshop behind the big power in this case and their factory-like install really shows its worth here, you would be hard pressed to say what the factory would have done differently.

An 80mm BBK throttle body assists in getting the air through to the combustion chambers, where an external fuel pump supplies enough 98RON juice to keep things burning nicely.

Ceramic-coated Pacemaker extractors lead into a Di Fillipo exhaust system, giving that throaty V8 gargle and

For Hedland’s Daniel Axisa he let a mate do the early owning work and then bought [MISTRSS] for what he described as a steal. We’re sure the car was not literally stolen, but the price may have been black-market like indeed.

He wanted to take his own path with this 2003 VY SS Commodore, following the crowd is all to easy an option with the Holden gang but putting thought in the way you want your car to turn out pays its dividends in the end.

Now one thing the SS Commodore didn’t come with out of the factory was a intercooled M122 Eaton supercharger sitting atop the LS1 V8 sucking in copious amounts of atmosphere, 10.5psi of it to be exact.

“I love the supercharger most on the car, the pull it’s got,”


extra performance to boot. A Street and Strip 4L60E transmission links up with a 3.73 diff. A six speed manual is on the to-do list.

Now bear in mind all of this modifying needs to be done in a town still struggling to come to terms with the advent of the wheel. OK, maybe that’s a bit harsh. But suffice to say Hedland isn’t exactly a hub of automotive artists.

“I do the trip to Perth about two or three times a year,” Daniel said.

“The car is going to be left in Perth until it is finished, I entered it in Powercruise to enjoy it while I was there.”

Bilstein fully adjustable coil over suspension and super low springs sit at all four corners accompanied by XHP wheels in 20 x 8.5 inch size, fitted with Nankang 245/45 tyres. The front wheels are equipped with HSV four piston

callipers and 350mm slotted discs, while 332mm slotted discs have been fitted to the rear wheels.

One of the few things Daniel was able to sort out in old Hedland town was the bodykit. An SSX concept front end has been used, accompanied by a Chev grille, VZ SS vented guards and Clubsport side skirts and rear bumper. The resulting look isn’t garish, but enough to make sure that this Commodore stands out from the crowd.

To add to the confusion of passing pedestrians, SSX and ‘500’ badges have been used to have them questioning if Holden really did release a monster such as this.

The green theme was kept going internally with green leather door inserts and neons inside and out. Boost and oil pressure gauges have been added to ensure all is going well under the bonnet when the foot is against the firewall. The end result is like sitting at a nuclear power control

station in glowing toxic waste meltdown. I imagine.

Keeping Daniel comfy on those long trips down to Perth is a couple of fleeces some kind sheep donated to his front seats. Over factory leather it would make for quite the livestock

Just as vital on a long trip is a good list of music to keep you entertained. But what good is music without a thumping stereo system that scares small children and makes old ladies turn up their nose. An Alpine head unit has been put to work for this role, sending signals out to three Alpine amplifiers, Rockford Fosgate front and rear speakers and two Eclipse subwoofers. Symphony orchestras have been known to produce lesser quality music than this set up.

So does this Commodore stand out from the crowd? We say it does. And that’s an achievement to be more than proud of.

Daniel would like to thank Mark from Mark’s Work Shop, John from Street Quick Performance, Daniel from Chipmaster, Milo from Hedland Automatic Automotive, Graham from Stone Racing, Alberts Car Stereo in Cannington, Malaga Springs and Suspension, Steve from Auto Leather Solutions, Kyell from Walsh’s Detailing and the well-named Luke from Metal Obsession Smash Repairs.


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MISS MOTORSPORT ‘08The annual Miss Motorsport event was on again in September at Black Betty’s Nightclub in Northbridge where dozens of entrants vied for the title for 2008.

The event, now in its fourth year, raises much needed funds for various Western Australian animal charities and is a crowd pleaser every time.

Judges this year included Big Brother 2006 contestant, Michael (aka Ashley), WA Sporting Car Club Marketing Manager, Jennifer Harrison, our own Luke Nieuwhof (West Australian Newspaper) and rising race star Nathan Calaghan.

Each of the contestants competed in the categories of swimwear and clubwear and were judged for their physical fitness, personality and appeal to the packed room of eager spectators.

Miss Motorsport is run as a joint venture between Circlework Photography, Black Betty’s Nightclub and Crazy Sexy Cool.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Performance Streetcar when we’ll reveal this years winner of the Miss Motorsport title for 2008 together with the runner-up and Promoters Choice award recipient.

BRINGING SEXY BACKVery few of us can lay claim to owning a car for fourteen years straight. Less can say that their long standing vehicular relationship is with a true Aussie legend, a turning point in a series of vehicles that has been around for thirty years under the same banner.

that it’s a brand synonymous with motoring greatness in this country. In 1984 Holden released the VK which was it’s rst major overhaul in it’s six year history. And this is exactly what attracted Paul May to pick up a pristine one.

Paul was initially attracted to the tougher and squarer lines

The Holden Commodore has had it’s fair share of ups and downs over it’s glorious history (the four cylinder VC….what were they thinking?) but there’s no arguing

Story and Photos: Brian White

and more aggressive look of the VK, which was Holden’s aim too when they remodelled the Commodore from the prior VH release. The extra glass and squarer grille with larger ns gave the car a whole new visual appeal. Holden gave the interior a makeover as well with better seats and a redesigned instrument panel. Paul tossed the stock seats and bolted in some race seats along with a monster tacho and B & M quicksilver shifter and a Momo steering wheel. Apart from that the interior is as it left the factory.

If you are a Motorplex regular you might not have seen

this particular VK have a run down the quarter but you will certainly have heard it’s motor. Previously it’s home was in the red VK owned by Brett Stewart from the Walkinshaw Performance Formula Tech Dyno Centre; and it was Brett himself who threw together this re breathing V8. On the techy side it’s a 304 cube running crankshaft X rods and ACL at top pistons with lled back rings. The Pro Head Shops’ Bog Gaikhorst ported the heads from a VN Commodore to add to the picture. A Crane Cam was used with sky valve train components to get the gasses in and out. Ignition comes from the HI-6 discharge unit through the crane coil and into the zenith electronic distributor. All sucked in by a Holley 750 on a Harrop single plain manifold.

The annual Miss Motorsport event was on again in September at Black Betty’s Nightclub in Northbridge where dozens of entrants vied for the title for 2008.

The event, now in its fourth year, raises much needed funds for various Western Australian animal charities and is a crowd pleaser every time.

Judges this year included Big Brother 2006 contestant, Michael (aka Ashley), WA Sporting Car Club Marketing Manager, Jennifer Harrison, our own Luke Nieuwhof (West Australian Newspaper) and rising race star Nathan Calaghan.

Each of the contestants competed in the categories of swimwear and clubwear and were judged for their physical tness, personality and appeal to the packed room of eager spectators.

Miss Motorsport is run as a joint venture between Circlework Photography, Black Betty’s Nightclub and Crazy Sexy Cool.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Performance Streetcar when we’ll reveal this years winner of the Miss Motorsport title for 2008 together with the runner-up and Promoters Choice award recipient.

MISS M

OTORSPORT ‘08

Congratulations to this year’s winners, (from left to right):

Lauren MacPherson (promoters choice),

Amanda-Marelle Paterson

(Miss Motorsport Winner 2008),

Dana Bourne (Miss Motorsport 2008

Runner-Up)

Shifting the gears is handled by a turbo 400 box tted with a Transco manual valve body and a 4800 rpm Dominator stall converter. Heading further back the rear wheels are held together by a ten bolt Detroit locker diff running 4.44 gears. My two cents, and no I’m not on commission, but Simmons rims are the coolest and most iconic of all time. There..I said it…..yep they rock! They were cool all through the 90’s and they are still cool now. Paul’s got a big set….18’s all round wrapped in ultra low prole tyres measuring 225/40 on the front and 245/40 proles on the rear.

One bad-ass VK bringing sexy back to the streets!

MAD MONAROThe stealth bomber was renowned worldwide as a marvel of engineering, evading enemy radar as it sought to unleash all kinds of American fury on the unfortunate opponent. It was designed for the Cold War and became an icon of the skies.

Miskiewicz said the motor has been tuned to within an inch of its life. Fortunately there are bigger injectors now in place to provide enough fuel, which there will also be enough of once the Monaro is used to take over a small country.

The car is on its third clutch as the rigours of war have taken their toll. Let us take a moment to remember the fallen discs. A billet rear end is in place to provide maximum strength under attack and it’s all enough to hand out 500 rear wheel horsepower of damage to any target. It will eliminate a quarter mile in 12 seconds flat. There’s no collateral damage here – it’s swift and to the point.

At ground level there is no radar, but there is a war just as intense. The Reds this time have a stealth fighter of their own, code sign GM 00 WA. Holden is ready to take the battle to the Blue Ford Army where only the best equipment will do as both sides paint the streets black.

The pilot and creator of this dark Monaro knight is Greg Miskiewicz. He has ensured it has an arsenal that will run a shock and awe campaign against any competitor – there are nuclear weapons not as ferocious as this car.

The bonnet opens on the engine bay, where the weaponry lies. A Harrop supercharger takes in the air, breathing life into the famed LS motor and strangling any opponent. There’s a Stage II cam which we can only assume is twice as good as a Stage I, not to mention some head work. Always a good thing.

Speaking in hushed tones and with a cautious eye as to anyone who may give away intelligence to the enemy,


Remember this is a stealth craft, avoiding enemy attention where possible but able to hand out a whooping when needed. The HSV GTO body kit is all that is needed to set off the already good looks of the Monaro. It gives a lower appearance and also provides some slightly better ground effects for low level flight. The debadged look ensures no witness will know what hit them.

Inside the cockpit retains a stock appearance. As a factory CV8Z the Monaro already came with leather. A HSV dash and gear notch have been brought in to tighten things up and let people know this is no ordinary coupé.

TEIN height adjustable suspension has been used to allow Miskiewicz to change his combat settings on the fly. Ultimate Harrop brakes on front and rear will let him change direction faster than an American President can declare war, while 20 inch wheels provide plenty of tyre-to-ground advantage.

When it comes to piloting the black beast, Miskiewicz says it corners like it’s on rails. In a good, curvy rail way that is, not like a train. Steering is a matter of controlling not just the wheel but also the throttle with a delicate balance required given the raw power. No need for smoke grenades here – those rear tyres will do nicely. There is power right through the rev range ensuring that no matter what dogfight Miskiewicz is in he can come out the ace.

Much like the stealth bomber, the Monaro is an Australian icon and that is what Miskiewicz says he loves about it. There isn’t too many about, certainly none in enemy hands, they’re prestigious and hey, it’s a coupé.

Future development for this warbird is being put on hold, with plans to sell to a worthy buyer. The car will enter its last sortie at Motorvation and then be retired from battle with many a victory to its name.

If you would like to contact Greg about purchasing this weapon of mass destruction, call 0418 901 930.

You’ll just have to beat the Russians.


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PHOENIX RISINGStory: Peter D’Opera Photos : Brian White

Phoenix (fee-niks) n. mythical bird fabled to burn itself and rise renewed from its ashes.The dictionary sums it up, from a pile of junk to a killer crewzer this phoenix was almost ready for the srap yard. But with 5 years of blood, sweat and tears and a bit of thought,

This bird of fire soars again!

Built in Kalgoorlie over 5 years, Pete Dopera’s big Dodge got a lot of mods and improvements.

Running the original big block motor, bored out 10 thou with flat top pistons, a mopar cam, mopar manifold and edelbrock carb, its a perfect crewzer, hence the plates “CREWZIN”.

The original heads were replaced with edelbrock performer aluminium ones and a custom pair of headers flow into a stainless exhaust system.

This among other things, like the 4 link suspension were done with thanks to Lindsay and Costa from CCP Racing. To fit the huge Mickey Thompsons on the rear a shortened LSD 9 inch with billet axles and new disc brakes was fitted.

The bodywork and paint was done by an artist in Kalgoorlie, named Dave Neve. This work was done over a long period in Daves shed. As well as removing the door handles, mouldings and badges to give it that shaved look, the side windows have been discarded as it does not go out in the rain.

The bonnet scoop was cut up and moulded into the hood, from an old fibreglass bath tub that Dave had sitting in his backyard, the gutter rails have been removed and the rear beaver panel has been moulded into the bumper.

The cherry black colour and solar gold flames were added, which also appear on the inside of the boot and in the engine bay.

The upholstery was done by Fiesta Canvas also in Kalgoorlie. This was kept original just redone in black with chrome pipeing and modified door trims to close the gap where the windows once were.

A billet flamed wheel and rear vision mirror set the cockpit off, wih a B&M shifter replacing the original grandpa column.

The cars now clocking up some miles with a couple of recent crewzers down the south west, so keep an eye out for this flamed phoenix flying down the highway.

MISS MOTORSPORT ‘08

Congratulations to all our nalists from this year’s Miss Motorsport event held at Black Bettys Nightclub. Many thanks to Circlework.com.au, Crazy Sexy Cool, Auto Trader, Galeforce Studio and Matty O Photography. It’s a tough job...

Local tarmac rally drivers, John O’Dowd and Todd Zani are set to take on the Mountain in the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour Enduro as part of a two car team fielded by their company , TJ Motorsport.

John and Todd are teaming up with Melbourne racer Jim Pollicina and driving duties will be shared in a newly acquired HSV VY2 GTS Sedan. The GTS and the GTS Coupe, the one that some will be familiar with seeing sideways through the shires of Chittering and Toodyay during the Quit Targa West, have been meticulously prepared by Greg Murphy Racing in Braeside, Victoria for the event.

‘We met with Dean Lillie, whom is the Team Manager at Greg Murphy Racing, last year when over in Victoria to meet with HSV and ended up buyng his car and earmarking it for this event” says Todd, who together with John and the local tarmac rally boys affectionately known as “Team Holden” competed at the Quit Targa West, the Dunlop Targa New Zealand and Bathurst Sprint last year.

“Dean offered to prepare the car for the Bathurst 12 Hour which we have been very keen to do for some time and we jumped at the opportunity. He and the guys from Greg Murphy Racing will be providing full pit crew support for the event and have also been involved in preparing the GTS Coupe for the event.

They will also take delivery of my HSV Maloo this week and give it a once over as it too is being used at the event, but as a hot lap car for the Team’s valued sponsors, some of which, are flying over for the event.”

“I would have loved to have run the Ute, now that they are allowed to compete, but we plan to take that to Targa Tasmania in April and we may run it in the 12 Hour in 2010” says Todd when asked after campaigning the Maloo for many years now, why that wasn’t the vehicle of choice.

The WPS Bathurst 12 Hour has 49 cars entered across various categories and being the Australian Manufacturers Championship season-opener it features many motorsport stars and a movie star or two.

Some of the countries current and past V8 Supercar

Story : Todd Zani Photos : Todd Zani, Michael VettasROAD WARRIORS

drivers will be competing, namely Russell Ingall, Steven Johnson, Paul Morris, Marcus Zukanovic, Nathan Pretty, Andrew Jones, Tony Longhurst, Craig Baird, Glenn Seton and Neil Crompton. It will also see movie star Eric Bana compete in one of 12 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOs and will also see Grant Denyer return to action after his back injury performing a monster truck stunt for Channel 7 last year.

“It is a star studded field and I wonder if some of them will mind if I ask them for an autograph” joked Todd.

TJ Motorsport have been competing in tarmac rallies

since 2005 but most recently were required to compete in circuit racing at Barbagallo as part of fulfilling the licence requirements needed to compete at the WPS Bathurst 12 Hour.

“John and I campaigned a HSV VY Clubsport that was also used in the Challenge Category of the Quit Targa West last year by Paul and Mitchell Thompson in a couple of events at Barbagallo but we were also lucky enough to have the use of Michael Kennedy’s SS Commodore for a few events where the Clubsport was not available!” laughs Todd now in hindsight.

The Thompsons had a “little incident” on the last day of the Quit Targa West last year that took the car out of action for a while but Michael, whom is also a valued member of the local tarmac rally team was kind enough to allow both Todd and John to use his car at events.

“We are very grateful to Mike for allowing us to use his car last year and we would hope to return to the 12 Hour in 2010 and have Mike as a fellow driver. He has been a great team member and navigator in all of my tarmac rallies and he has “got the bug” pretty bad.

The event will be very tough on competitors and very

tough on the cars and it was interesting to hear Grant Denyer say that he thought the winners would be the team prepared to flog the absolute bejeesus our of their car! That won’t be our strategy!

I think it is important to manage the car and ensure that you continue to circulate and make sure you are around for the end. If we can do that I think we will be very happy with our result. To finish first, you first must finish….”

The WPS Bathurst 12 Hour will be telecast nationally on Channel Seven on March 14th.

“ROAD REGISTERED RACERS - COULD THERE BE ANYTHING COOLER !!!”

MORGANA is almost 24 feet long and weighs close to three tonnes! What a cool ride to the afterlife!Morgana, as she is affectionately called, is one of the rarest and most sought after hearse models in the world. The 1959 Cadillac hearse is often referred to as the Holy Grail of hearses to hearse enthusiasts worldwide. There are very few of these on the road in the world today. Morgana is the only one like her in Australia and the only one of three of this type currently known to be on the road in the world.

She was built by the Superior Coach Company in 1959 after the commercial chassis and front sheetmetal were sent to the coachbuilders by Cadillac for final bodywork and detailing making her into the hearse she is today. She would have then been sold to her first working position as a hearse for quite some years in the USA. Retired from service she came to Australia in 1997, via Joes Golden Gasolines, and after some restoration by the second owner in Australia she came to be owned by Karen Morang in Perth as the fourth owner in Australia.

Morgana is almost 24 feet long and weighs close to three tonnes. She carries all original 390 ci V8 motor and automatic transmission. Only 67,000 original miles on the clock. Power steering makes her a dream to drive.

BUCKET KICKING

Story:Karen Morgan Photos : Brian White

MORGANA is available for promotional work and specialist funeral carraige. Contact Karen on 08 93789910 or 0434 861 841.

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Story & Photos: Brian White

If you own a car, especially one that is classic, restored, rodded or modded, you’ll value the pastime that is as simple as turning the keys and heading out on a road to nowhere.

I use the term nowhere loosely. Recently I decided to take some time to go cruising and ended up covering six capital cities and a few thousand kilometres, but a cruise can even just be down to the shops for a loaf of bread, via checking out the beach perhaps ;)

Summer in Perth has officially ended and although we’ll have many more weeks of beautiful driving weather through Autumn it’s still technically over as far as the official months are concerned. This last summer has been a cracker for seeing some fantastic cars on the roads. Almost every weekend you’ll hear of more than one car club who’s having a cruise to the beach or the hills or an event or just across the city for some fish and chips. You

can’t stand beside West Coast Drive or have a coldie at the Cottesloe Hotel for more than sixty seconds before spotting someone driving something special rolling by. People around you point out the cars to their mates with the usual “check that out!” comments.

Now look closely at the occupants. What an eclectic bunch of people and personalities who are cutting laps out on a cruise. It takes all sorts. There’s blokes with quite serious looks, not making eye contact with passers by as their cruise involves looking cool without trying to hard. There is the Commodore full of mates, one may be mooning some old ladies – no harm other than the look of shock from the old dears followed by a screech of tyres and hilarious laughing from the boys. There’s the Dad, mum and kids all out enjoying a Sunday drive in the restored classic Ford. We can’t forget Nigel-no-mates who, in his Hyundai Excel with an exhaust tip large enough for pigeons to nest in, is seeking out the most numbers of sidewalkers with all his windows down and the stereo cranked up to eleven. There are even more and more girls getting involved and I’ve spotted some drool-worthy classic American iron being piloted by mysterious beautiful women….or have I been watching ‘American Graffiti’ too many times?

The two wheel brigade is also worth a mention here. Whether it’s the latest Ducati or a ratted up old Honda with ape hanger bars, the motorcyclists are probably enjoying cruising even more so than those of us cooped up behind glass. I’m not a bike rider but I imagine it must be a fantastic feeling to be out on a Chopper or Harley, either solo or with some friends, just enjoying the open road and some twisty corners. Winding up at a country hotel for a (light) beer and the return trip home again.

I guess what I’m saying is that with all the mayhem and disaster that we get pummelled with in the media everyday; the stresses from our jobs and everyday lives; the weekday traffic; finances and noisy neighbours; there’s that little spark inside of us that yearns for Summer weekends when we can forget our worries and turn that ignition key.

It brings us all together. Cruising.

Cranksters Pipeline Cruise participant.

El Camino at Big Als Poker Run.

Driving for Dreams Porsche Convoy

Busselton Run

Way too cool! - Big Als

Laps at Motorvation

AUSSIE MUSCLEFrom the first second I saw this Kinger in the flesh, I knew I had to have it and with only one thing in mind. Motorvation 23, 2009. It was ready to go but all I needed was a 671 blower for that extra fun and some sick rims to top it all off.

Now there’s getting an engine re-conditioned and there’s getting an engine rebuilt. There was only one person right for the job, Pure Grunt Performance in Dixon Road Rockingham. So off I went to talk to Chris Michel about my options. All I knew is if I couldn’t have a blower then it had to have a hell of a lot more grunt, it had to be a stroker. I pulled the motor out and delivered it to Chris it was now up to him.

After acquiring the HQ from a Kwinana local, with it’s retrimmed doe skin interior and fresh apple-green metallic paintwork I had already priced up a blower and was ready to purchase.

But after driving it a couple of times we had a mysterious engine failure. None of which anyone could diagnose. My dream was slipping away. One thing was becoming clearer. This small block Chev needed a rebuild. Rebuild = $$$$$$ = No blower.

Story : Owner Photos : Brian White

The 383 is a SBC 010 block with 4 bolt mains, bored to 30thou. Scat crank and conrods, a Mellings high volume oil pump, Speed Pro pistons, Moly rings and solid lifters and a solid Crane Cam. Heads have been high flowed with Crane double valve springs and retainers. Chrome Moly pushrods, guide plates, screw-in studs and Crane gold roller rockers. It’s also got a double row Rollmaster timing chain. Squirting the fuel in is a 750 mighty demon carb and a high-rise victor junior manifold.

Headers are port matched to the heads and ceramic coated and polished thanks to CIC High performance ceramics in Kelmscott. The transmission is a turbo 400 freshly built with a 3800-stall stage 2-shift kit and Corvette servo. It’s got a 3 inch heavy wall tail shaft and a large Salisbury diff with mini spooled 3.55 gears and to stop the big Q are a set of drilled and slotted rotors on the

front and standard drums on the rear and running the hole show is a MSD 6AL ignition with a Holley Blue fuel pump and remote filter. The car has a permit for the air filter to protrude through the bonnet for that Sunday fun.

We had a great time at Motorvation but now AUSSIETUF is up for sale to make way for a HQ two door build. You can find the sale details in these very pages or on the net at the usual car sites.

Circlework: So your real name is Michael.

Michael: Yeah there were two of us with the same name going in to the house so we went by our middle names instead.

Circlework: The old turkey slapping event went pear-shaped. Personally I reckon you were ripped off mate. Did you get up to much afterwards?

Michael: After it all happened and me and John got kicked out - still did the nightclub tours all around Australia.

Circlework: How were people’s reactions?

Michael: Had mixed reactions. About 97% of people were really supportive and told us we were good blokes and didn’t deserve to be kicked out. Then there was the occassional one that called us dickheads but they didn’t know the full story.

Circlework: So tell us about the Holden.

Michael: I needed a work ute and found this one advertised for a good price. This is when I was about 18 or 19. Drove it around stock as a rock for a couple of years then started adding stuff to it. After a while it became impractical to use every day.

Circlework: So what’s the basics of it?

Michael: LS1 with full cam, valve spring retainers, over the radiator cold air intake...all up it’s 550 brake horsepower at the flywheel. 400 hp at the rear tyres.

Circlework: It’s certainly cool. Any more plans for it or have you maxed out?

Michael: Still got heaps to do to this one - bigger and better. Larger rims, either a twin turbo or supercharger on this motor as I’ve dropped about ten grand already on it (the motor) with the cam etc. There’s heaps more stuff I want to do to it. Depends on how much money I can save up to spend on it!

Circlework: Thanks for your time Michael. Good luck with it and we’ll see it in print soon in Street Machine too.

wheel nutsWe chat to West Aussie celebs about their rides!

This edition: ‘Ash’ from Big Brother 2006

WANT TO SEE MORE OF MICHAEL’S UTE? CHECK OUT THE NEXT EDITION IN PRINT OF STREET MACHINE COMMODORES MAGAZINE - DUE OUT IN

NEWSAGENTS JUNE 3RD.

photo: Brian White

Check the next edition of Performance Street Car in May for a full feature story on Michael’s Ute. Also it will be glorifying the pages of Street Machine Commodore’s magazine real soon!

Circlework: So your real name is Michael.

Michael: Yeah there were two of us with the same name going in to the house so we went by our middle names instead.

Circlework: The old turkey slapping event went pear-shaped. Personally I reckon you were ripped off mate. Did you get up to much afterwards?

Michael: After it all happened and me and John got kicked out - still did the nightclub tours all around Australia.

Circlework: How were people’s reactions?

Michael: Had mixed reactions. About 97% of people were really supportive and told us we were good blokes and didn’t deserve to be kicked out. Then there was the occassional one that called us dickheads but they didn’t know the full story.

Circlework: So tell us about the Holden.

Michael: I needed a work ute and found this one advertised for a good price. This is when I was about 18 or 19. Drove it around stock as a rock for a couple of years then started adding stuff to it. After a while it became impractical to use every day.

Circlework: So what’s the basics of it?

Michael: LS1 with full cam, valve spring retainers, over the radiator cold air intake...all up it’s 550 brake horsepower at the flywheel. 400 hp at the rear tyres.

Circlework: It’s certainly cool. Any more plans for it or have you maxed out?

Michael: Still got heaps to do to this one - bigger and better. Larger rims, either a twin turbo or supercharger on this motor as I’ve dropped about ten grand already on it (the motor) with the cam etc. There’s heaps more stuff I want to do to it. Depends on how much money I can save up to spend on it!

Circlework: Thanks for your time Michael. Good luck with it and we’ll see it in print soon in Street Machine too.

wheel nutsWe chat to West Aussie celebs about their rides!

This edition: ‘Ash’ from Big Brother 2006

WANT TO SEE MORE OF MICHAEL’S UTE? CHECK OUT THE NEXT EDITION IN PRINT OF STREET MACHINE COMMODORES MAGAZINE - DUE OUT IN

NEWSAGENTS JUNE 3RD.

photo: Brian White

Check the next edition of Performance Street Car in May for a full feature story on Michael’s Ute. Also it will be glorifying the pages of Street Machine Commodore’s magazine real soon!


“ ...still got heaps to do...twin turbo or supercharger...depends on how much money I can save...”

photo: Brian White

TM

We guarantee toimprove your take-offacceleration by aminimum of 30-40%!Quick turn-around... You getyour vehicle back in less than24 hours*

Free octane boost if you mentionthis ad.*Subject to availability of parts

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We proudly stand behind every job becausewe know it is right before it goes out the door.

Let us quote on your next diffor gearbox rebuild.• Diff Repairs• Ratio Swaps• Large Salisbury converted to late model

Borg Warner – Tough!• LSD Repairs and Replacement• Spools and Lockers Supplied and Fitted• All Gearbox Repairs

At ADDIFFERENTIALSwe believe that experience counts for a lot.

Over the past 18 years we havebuilt over 15,000 diffs!Our philosophy is simple:Use quality genuine parts with all the timeand detail each job requires.

VY Commodore

3.9:1 Ratio Swaps.

From $1250

DIFFERENTIALS

Call Aldo for all your Diff andGearbox requirements

UNIT 3, 32 LEDGAR ROAD BALCATTA, WA 60219240 5033



We specialise in building fast street cars for Super Street

and Super Sedan

Call us for:

• Engine building

• Race car setup – suspensions

• Automatic transmissions

• Hi stall torque converters

• Diff swaps & ratio changes • Auto electrical

• Brakes & exhausts

We also do Fords & Chevs

Unit 6/202 Camboon Road,Malaga, WA 6090

Ph: 9248 9308Fax: 9249 9304

Email: [email protected]

EFI – HOLDEN V8 STAGE 1Fully rebuilt engineMild hydraulic camshaftLiftersNew oil pumpOil & oil fi lter2 year/50,000km warranty

EFI – HOLDEN V8 STAGE 2Fully rebuilt engineCustom stage 3 hydraulic camshaftFlat top pistonsLT1 springsRe-sized rods with ARP bolts

EFI – HOLDEN V8 STAGE 3Engine fully rebuiltCustom solid camshaftSolid liftersACL race series engine kitFlat top pistonsResized rods & ARP boltsPowerband competition balancerHigh energy sumpMildly ported cylinder headsRoller rockersRollmaster timing chain2 year/50,000km warranty• Fitting additional• Reprogrammed computer required,

additional $600

EFI CYLINDER HEADS VN-VTFully reconditionedCrane valve springsRetainersColletsUp to 496 lift camshaft

EFI B8 CYLINDER HEADS VN-VTFully reconditionedCrane valve springsRetainersColletsMildly ported up to 496 leftCamshaft

355 STROKER KIT A355 cast steel crankshaftScat conrodsACL race series main & conrod bearings

355 STROKER KIT B355 cast steel crankshaftPrepared A9L Holden conrodsARP boltsACL race series pistonsMoly ringsACL race series bearings

355 STROKER KIT C355 cast steel crankshaftScat 6” ‘I’ beam conrodsACL race series pistons & ringsACL race series bearings

355 stroker crankshaft 500hp rated $850

355 stroker crankshaft 600hp rated $1290

HOLD 383 STROKER KIT A383 modular iron crankshaftScat ‘I’ small journal conrodsHypertectic pistons & moly ringsMain & big end bearingsFully internally balanced

HOLD 383 STROKER KIT B383 modular iron crankshaft4340 ‘H’ conrod setHypertectic fl at top pistons & moly ringsMain & big end bearingsFully internally balanced

HOLD 383 RACE STROKER KIT C4340 steel billet crankshaft4340 steel ‘H conrodsAvias/Wiseco fl at top forged pistons and plasma ringsFully internally balancedACL race series mains & big end bearingsCometic headgaskets

TRANSMISSIONS

T700 – STAGE 1VN-VT fully rebuilt from $1600

T700 – STAGE 2V8 automatics fully rebuilt, manualised, shift kitted from $2600

Turbo 400 from $750*Turbo 350 from $750*V8 trimatics from $600** fully rebuilt

Differentials overhauled from $450Ratio swaps from $350Histall convertors (allfast) from $400

I have owned it for about 9 years, it’s build number 091. The day I picked up the car I was going to pick up a t-shirt from Titan Ford and come home with the GT instead! Since then I have slowly been doing little things to the en-gine and driveline.

The first stop was Mark’s Workshop in York to fit the blower. It was good for around 350hp at the tyres which was pretty good considering it was running through a stock auto transmission. I then had Graeme Stone from Stone Racing trick up the trans, then back to York for some more power, more boost, intercooler, new tune etc I saw the power rise to 416hp at the wheels. At this rate I was starting to stress components so in went a new 3.1:1 lsd diff centre then it

was back to York for an engine change to what it is now with all the good bits .Now the car makes around 550hp and does the ¼ mile 11.7 at 122mph with a 1.9 second 60 foot time.

The car has been repainted twice by Sam Rhodes from Vulcan Panel & Paint. One of the times was a full respray and the next was after a rotor exploded at Powercruise last year, both times he has done a great job. It’s now resting in the shed waiting for the next show.

HEY TRUE BLUE

Story : Owner Photos : Brian White & owner

in the back. Vans however were luckier than their utility cousins as the cargo area and tailgate was never exposed to the elements.

The previous owner had the van for some 20 years and word has it that it has been various colours, including white, yellow, red and finally grey. Added to this were the various engine and transmission combinations over the years.

When John got the vehicle in April 2005 it was in desperate

This vehicle is probably one of the last remaining Perth built windowless panel vans. And what you see here is a totally rebuilt example that has been 5 years in the making.

In 1965 it rolled off the Perth production line with a chassis number of 18666P. The early history of the van is unclear but one can assume that it played a sedate roll in either delivering bread or dry cleaning as the floor pan and wheel arches show no signs of tradesman’s tools being chucked

Story : Owner Photos : Brian White

SHADES OF GREY.

need of attention. The first job was making it road worthy before heading off for panel and paint work. The mechanical work was given to the lads at Street Scene then to ‘Shorty’ who had done the original restoration, and was now given the task of rebuild number two.

The colour choice and they paint type was easy as it had to be the original GMH Gundagai Grey – but with a modern aspect, therefore some blue was added in Acrylic. The dash was to remain the General’s Dartford Grey whilst the engine bay which would soon be devoid of superfluous

wires and holes, retained the Perth production line ‘off black’ colour.

Whilst the panel work was taking place in a back yard shed, all bright work was stripped and sent to be re-chromed. Some much worn EJ premier seats that came with the vehicle were stripped, repaired and repainted before being re-trimmed in two tone vinyl. The crash pads were modified to suit the new instrument cluster and also re-trimmed in grey. The new instrument panel was milled from a block of billet aluminium and VDO Cockpit

Royale gauges were added. The EH style gauge cluster was overlooked and twin HSV style binnacle pods were put in its place.

It was now time to consider a complete heart and drive line transplant. The van had a stout 186S with a Yella Terra head and twin SU carburettors paired with a Celica 5 speed gearbox and standard Banjo diff. All of which were now very tired.

John had seen V8 conversions before but didn’t like how the modern EFI engines looked ‘shoved in’ and a Chev was out of the question, as these too had been done to death. John wanted to have a vehicle that GMH should have made way back then, so an early Holden V8 was the answer.

After a few months of getting ‘advice’ on whether a 253 or a 308 was better, his good friend from the EH Club had

an original bore 253 out of his wife’s first car. The engine came as a block and several buckets of parts. John was also in the right place when another complete 253 with Trimatic came up. So both engines were sent off to build a warmish motor for the van.

As the once sedate 149 powered delivery van was now becoming a V8, modifications to the firewall and tunnel were required. Under the watchful eye of the build master, John Donis from Street Scene Automotives in Wangara, he set about cutting out the General’s sheet metal.

The new tunnel was hand rolled from stronger steel and lifted a good 25mm to allow for the Trimatic. The firewall now gives a good 15mm clearance to the block. John D made new engine mounts, cross member, extractors, stainless exhaust, brake lines, fuel lines and many other things on the car. His brother Vic made the 80 litre fuel tank that will allow the PV to have a longer range than the

standard 40 litre tank.

A Holley 670 Street Performer on top of an Edelbrock manifold feeds the 98 RON to the motor which was painted in Holden 179 red. Spark is provided by a retro distributor and coil setup. A set of finned old school aluminium rocker covers found their way into John’s hands, but the decision to stay factory won the day.

The Trimatic was rebuilt and modified to give better performance and a 9” diff with 3.00:1 ratio, 28 spline axles was added to the rear end to give good cruising and indestructibility.

A front mounted rack and pinion steering based on a HR front end, Torana drop spindles, Commodore collapsible column married to an HQ head was installed. The steering wheel is billet. As with the engine, John received plenty of advice re the pros and cons of rear racks v front racks. It all comes down to turning circle.

The van now had more ‘get up and go’, so the issue of stopping was addressed by adding 290mm cross drilled and slotted disk brakes up front with boosted EH drums at the rear.

As the van needs to get out and cruise the Perth streets during summer, and attend the odd country car show, a reliable cooling system was in order. A custom 4 core, triple flow radiator (18 litre capacity) fitted with twin rear mounted thermo fans was ordered. Unlike most cars this radiator leans backwards in order to gain an extra 100mm of height, thus gaining more surface area, and therefore more cooling.

To keep in line with the Aussie made flavour, John went for some custom made 16 inch billet alloy rims from Dragway. The front is 16 x 7 whilst the back has 6 x 8, these were shod with some German rubber 205x45 Front and 245x45 rear.

The car was finished just in time for the EH Holden All State Run (Nationals) held this Easter at Busselton and took off Top Modified Commercial.

John consulted with a DPI certified engineer all through the build process and this makes life a lot easier when it comes to licence your modified vehicle.

Thanks must go to, John, Vic and George Donis, Shorty, Mitch O’Brien, Phill Hutton and of course his wife, Vera Nolan.

This is what it’s all about! The Summersun mid week cruise to Rockingham. Kicks off in Joonda-lup and hits the freeway, gathering momentum and hotrods all the way to the Rocky Foreshore.

Kombis to Northam Cruise

COMING SOON: It’s black and it’s bad. Stay tuned next month...

Autotrader and Circlework.com.au present Miss Motorsport 2009. Not long now until we launch the details and open entries for Miss Motorsport 2009. It’s an event that just keeps getting bigger and better every year.

For 2009 we have a new format and even better prizes not only for the beautiful entrants but also for you the public as well. You’ll be able to vote for your usual People’s Choice award and we’ll showcase all the girls right here in the Performance Street Car section of the Autotrader magazine.

If you are interested in entering for this year’s competition, send your details and some recent photos to [email protected] and we’ll put you on the registration list.

CIRCLEWORK ISSUE 9

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Transcript of CIRCLEWORK ISSUE 9