Innehållsförteckning för June 2022 från Street Machine

THE early 2000s saw our cinema screens filled with reboots of old films and TV shows. Some were a great success; others fell flat. 2005’s Herbie: Fully Loaded hovers somewhere in between. The film sees the return of one of Disney’s most-loved characters, Herbie, the #53 Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own, first introduced way back in 1968 in the The Love Bug. Whereas the first five Herbie flicks all followed a very similar formula, this new-millennium remake opts for a fresh storyline and an overhaul of the franchise for more modern sensibilities. Proof of this comes from Herbie’s new owner being a young woman, Maggie (Lohan). She gets to choose a car as a college graduation present from her dad, NASCAR team boss Ray (Keaton). They scour…

WE LOST Anthony Robert ‘Chic’ Henry, the founder of the Street Machine Summernats, on 14 April after a long battle with cancer. He was 75. As he had always done, Chic lived his life to the fullest even in his last months. In January, he took great pride in bestowing the Grand Champion sword to Jason Mansweto at Summernats 34, and was thrilled to learn that the ’Nats burnout pad grandstand was to be named in his honour. A couple of weeks later, Chic was able to see his son Kody get married and walk his new daughter-in-law Filia down the aisle. In early February, Chic took his famous ’62 Impala on a Camp Quality Charity Cruise and remained in regular contact with his many friends right up to the…

EK HOLDEN AS THE covers slid from Peter Kelly’s EK Holden during the Great Meguiar’s Uncover at Street Machine Summernats 34, it represented so much more than just showing off a freshly minted high-end build. For Peter, it was his vision come to life – a sleek pro tourer to enjoy with his family. And for the team at Ol’ School Garage, who’d been tasked with the four-and-a-half-year build, it was an opportunity to display their fabrication and customisation talents. The result is one of Australia’s cleanest EKs. Peter’s impetus for the build arrived around 2016, when the Sydneysider grew weary of cruising an original EK. “I had been driving around in my old EK for five years, but the family didn’t enjoy the lack of air conditioning and the…

BACK in 1990, Perth’s John Simunovich was just starting high school. One of his first metalworking projects was to create a brass keyring with some lettering stamped into it. While many other students most likely stamped their names, John’s keyring spelt out ‘GTS MONARO’–and yes, he does still have it. Holden’s Monaro had captured young John’s imagination, and, as you can see from these photos, it still hasn’t let go 32 years on. When teenage John began the search for his first car, he was adamant it had to be an HQ Monaro GTS. “My dad said, ‘Well, if you want a V8, I’m not helping you pay for anything,’ which was kind of good, but kind of shit,” John laughs. “We went looking for HQ coupes, and I found…

IT’S A RACE AGAINST TIME AT THE 2022 YOKOHAMA WORLD TIME ATTACK CHALLENGE AFTER the cursed spicy lung put the kibosh on big track events for the best part of two years, lovers of crazy-fast one-lap sprints rejoiced with the return of the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge to Sydney Motorsport Park in early April. For those not familiar with the Time Attack concept, the aim is to run the quickest single flying lap around the 3.93km Gardner Grand Prix circuit in a production-based vehicle. ‘One perfect lap’ is the name of the game! There weren’t any international entries this year thanks to the ’Rona and serious worldwide logistics issues, but the locals were out in force to provide plenty of on-track action. WTAC’s CEO Ian Baker must have sold…

BUYING a car trailer might seem like a straightforward task: find one that fits your car and your budget, hand over the required dollarydoos and drive off into the sunset with your car strapped to the back, ready to make a whole bunch of new friends. However, there are myriad trailer designs and factors to consider before you burn your hard-earned on something that might not be legal or suit your intended usage. Budget and space will be the overall deciding factors for what type of trailer you wind up with. We’d all love an enclosed, airbagged and electric-winch-equipped tri-axle rig with a leather sofa and bar, but you still have to be able to pay for it, have a large enough vehicle to haul it, and have somewhere to…

Aged around 21 or younger and have a neat ride? Send some pics and info to: Young Guns, Street Machine , Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 or email us at: readerscars@wheelsmedia.com.au. JACK Mill and his VS ute showed just how little money you have to spend to have a ripping time at Street Machine Summernats 34. He smashed tyres all weekend long in the LS-swapped machine, which he built at home just weeks out from the event. What’s the story with the LS swap? It’s a cammed LS1 I found cheap for $500, and we swapped it in just three weeks before Summernats. The car is a factory 5.0-litre, and that’s what it had in it before, but I figured for this year we had to give it a bit of…

GIVEN some of the crazy events of the past few years, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to imagine the world devolving into a state resembling something out of a Mad Max film. That’s what made Todd Allsop’s concept catch our eye. His idea was simple: What would Max Rockatansky’s Pursuit Special Interceptor look like if it were based on today’s Mustang? Being such an iconic car, it’s hard to imagine the Interceptor as anything other than an Aussie XB hardtop, but as it turns out, the movie car was initially set to be based on an early Mustang. But because the car had to be fully functional and driven hard for the film, parts needed to be readily available, so the Mustang was swapped out for local metal instead. This…

01 GASSED UP WHETHER you’re an aspirated, turbo or supercharged kinda person, everyone loves a cheeky shot of giggle gas. The lads at Speed Pro know this, which is why they’ve just taken delivery of a fresh stock of Nitrous Outlet Weekend Warrior kits. Included is a 4150 wet-plate flange with .122in and .177in solenoids. You also get universal brackets for said solenoids, braided stainless hose, gaskets, hardware and nitrous jetting for a 100-350hp shot. You can find out more and order one now by calling Speed Pro on (03) 9794 5177, visiting speedpro.com.au, or just scanning the QR code. 02 MAKE A BRAKE FOR IT IF YOU’RE after a brake master cylinder upgrade for your XD-XE-XF Falcon, the boys at Castlemaine Rod Shop have just whipped up this neat Wilwood bolt-on…

JUNE 2022: ALL THE NEWS THAT MATTERS HAVING COPS TARGET CARS AT LEGAL, SANCTIONED EVENTS SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE AND PROMOTES A DIVIDE BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES AND THE CAR COMMUNITY. THIS RISKS DRIVING THE SCENE UNDERGROUND A GROUP of modified-car owners have been hit with letters from Transport For NSW demanding they present their vehicles for inspection to ensure compliance with New South Wales’ roadworthiness regulations. If an owner didn’t present their car at the time, date and location listed in the letter, they risked a $2200 fine and cancellation of their rego. The inspections were all scheduled over the ANZAC Day long weekend at the Transport For NSW facility in Silverwater, and while some who received letters were able to reschedule the inspection if they had work or pre-booked…

LETTER OF THE MONTH VALE CHIC I WANTED to briefly pay my respects to Chic Henry and all he did for the Aussie car scene. I was up at Rockynats when the news of his passing broke and was in the unveil hall to hear Andy Lopez’s tribute. If it weren’t for Chic and his efforts all those years ago, none of us would’ve been standing there in front of those incredible cars. I never met the bloke personally, but I know his spirit will live on in Canberra, Alice Springs, Rockhampton, and just about everywhere else. Brad Langdon, email BEAUTIFUL words, mate, and we’re right there with you. Check out page 26 of this issue for our tribute to Chic. – Broads PREMIER LEAGUE I THOUGHT I would let…

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THE LAIDBACK STREET DRIVING WAS REPLACED BY THE DELIGHTFUL SOUND OF LIMITER BASHING AS THE BURNOUT PRECINCT FIRED UP IT MAY have only been its second-ever running, but Rare Spares Rockynats 2 felt right at home in Rockhampton from day one. This recent addition to the ’Nats roster is a sprawling three-day extravaganza that takes over the Central Queensland city over the Easter long weekend. The inaugural Rockynats was originally slated for 2020, but COVID dramas saw the launch pushed to 2021. While that debut event was a successful (if damp) affair, rolled-back COVID rules nationwide and perfect blue skies helped make Rockynats 2 a bigger and better show in every way. Just like last year, the horsepower party heralded its arrival with a gargantuan street parade through Rocky’s CBD.…

THERE’S no questioning Vicky Williams’s devotion to the mighty Blue Oval. Introduced to the world of cars by her late dad, she began her Fordowning journey with an XT Falcon 500. A few more Coke-bottle Falcons ensued, including an XW she sold to cover her first home deposit. The factory 302 XE Fairmont Ghia you see here was always bound to be special, given it first belonged to Vicky’s dad. “He passed on the XE before he passed away,” she explains. “I’ve had it for the past 24 years. He never would’ve imagined what it looks like now!” Melbourne-based Vicky and her hubby Ben had already rebuilt the Fairmont once, swapping in an LPG-huffing 351 Clevo and refinishing the car in Ford Blueprint. A few years later, they approached Kilsyth’s…

HI-PO HOT ROD GLENN BRAIDWOOD FACTORY FIVE 1935 FORD PICK-UP “MY CURRENT project is this awesome 1935 Ford truck from Factory Five Racing. The engine is an LS3-based 416ci stroker with forged internals, and it’ll also feature the newest-generation three-litre Whipple supercharger. All up, the combo should make around 1100hp on the dyno, but because the car will weigh less than 1000kg when it’s done, we’ll probably dial it back to 700rwhp when it’s ready. The transmission will be a 1000rwhp-capable 6L80E, running back to an 8.8-inch diff with billet internals and a Truetrac centre. It’s all going to have race-tuned Koni suspension and big brakes, with a tubular chassis. It’ll be built as a tough all-rounder for the street, circuit, drags and various car events around the country. The…

DAMIEN WATT LJ TORANA “HERE is my 1972 LJ Torana that I’ve owned since I was 19. I bought it with a 308 and used that as my starting point over the years. We chipped away at it and made it into something fast, so now it has a crate LSA with all the usual mods: bigger cam, injectors, ported heads, more boost, etc. The car makes over 700hp to the rears through an Elite Automatics TH400. Spot On Performance has installed a rollcage, and a Race Products diff helps it hook up when I need it. Overall, the car is super-reliable, gets driven on the daily and is raced all the time. It has taken a long time to get it to where I want it, and I couldn’t…

OFFICIALLY nicknamed ‘Project Seagull’ by Ford development engineers, the Barra six-cylinder certainly has dropped the dookie on many of the most popular engines in the modified car world since it first took flight 20 years ago. The big 4.0-litre twin-cam has since been fettled to make more than six times the original 321hp (240kW) output while retaining a standard cast block and cylinder head. This blacked-out monster from Newcastle’s Blacktrack Performance will make all the numbers thanks to a nuclear-tough package. “The whole idea behind the engine is to have a 2000hp-capable package, but we’re only going to run 1600-1800hp, as the owner wants to run laps and have it last forever,” says Blacktrack owner Justin Gregory. “It is going into an FG Falcon with a TH400 and solid nine-inch…

GROWING up in a family where his parents both drove V8 Falcons and his older siblings soon followed with their own cool rides, Dave Gregson was destined to travel the sometimes treacherous car-building path. Armed with a keen eye for detail and a willingness to step away from the norm, Dave has a number of cool cars and bikes to his credit and a few more currently in the stable. In part one of our delve into Dave’s automotive life, we take a look at some of his earlier builds that paved the way. 01: WHAT a time to be an impressionable, carloving teenager. “I just lost my biscuits over cars like Greg Carlson’s VK Calais and Howard Astill’s Rock 3 XA Falcon in the late 1980s and early 90s,”…

IT’S been more than 20 years since The Fast and the Furious hit the big screen, kicking off a movie franchise that’s still going today. Whether you love or hate it, there’s no denying that the original flick is an iconic piece of automotive cinema. We shared our Fanging Flick review of the film on our Facebook page and asked for your thoughts. Here’s what you had to say. John Smith – I literally just finished watching this movie for old time’s sake. I can’t believe it’s been 21 years since they released it. Brad Hepburn – I’ve never watched it and I never will – nor any of the others. They’re embarrassing. Rodney Dreher – Take the Point Break script, cross out ‘surfboards’ and replace with ‘cars’. Matt Kahl…

IF YOU think you might be suffering from a mild case of déjà vu, as I did when I first saw images of Trent Carter’s breathtaking 1970 Barracuda, don’t worry, there’s a perfectly good explanation. Back in the January 2020 issue of Street Machine, we featured Rob Zahabi’s ’70 Challenger, ‘Havoc’. Rob is the boss at Gold Coast workshop Rides By Kam, and if you remember his Challenger, you’ll notice a definite family resemblance between it and Trent’s ’Cuda. Rides By Kam’s distinctive design cues are stamped all over both cars, and Rob and his talented crew have transformed this ’Cuda from a tidy streeter into a stunning shows-topper dubbed ‘Notorious’. I WANTED A METAL INTERIOR WITH A LITTLE BIT OF LEATHER, AND IT HAD TO BE A MANUAL AND…

TURNING your daily driver into a cool project is an awesome trick most of us have pulled at some point, but Justin Pitsikas of BYE Performance has taken it to a new level. The West Aussie started with a 2015 BMW F30 M Sport sedan that served as comfortable daily transport and turned it into this righteous blown event car called REFINED. Turned out in just three months, this angry more-door was built to bang tyres and showcase the depth of the BYE crew’s talents, while giving the punters something new to look at. “I bought the car to build a skid car, but because it was so nice, I drove it for a year while I collected parts,” Justin laughs. “I planned this build for quite a few years,…

CURVES and chrome: the automotive style of the 1950s is a baseline for a lot of car crafters, even if they were born decades later. Like 32-year-old Queenslander Anthony Fuller, for instance. He works as a panel beater at resto specialist Weavers Autobody Restorations in Beenleigh, and in his spare time, he created this terrific FJ Holden two-door coupe built to a ‘factory’ theme. Like many of us, Anthony got into cars through his dad. “He always had shitty old cars!” he laughs. “I grew up in the back of old Holden wagons and stuff, so that’s what got me into it. Dad’s still into cars – he has a couple of FE/FCs and they’re both on the road.” Being a car-loving kid is hardly unusual, but how many of…

IT’S not uncommon for street machiners to undertake Drag Challenge-specific builds, but Nathan Camilleri and his sidekick Michael Ludviksen went one step further. They decided to start a YouTube channel, Hackshop Garage, to document their antics as they prepared Nathan’s turbo NF Fairlane for Drag Challenge. “I’d never drag-raced before, but I love using my cars and that’s why I loved the idea of Drag Challenge,” says Nathan. “So I decided I wanted to do it. We started getting the Fairlane ready and filming videos about the build for YouTube, and it just grew from there.” Since then, the boys have amassed nearly 20,000 subscribers in just two years, and have taken on other big projects alongside the Fairlane, including LS swaps on both an HQ sedan and a BMW…

A CHILDHOOD passion for classic Hollywood films from the 1930s to the 1950s has seen Sammi Holyoak now deeply rooted in all things vintage. Yet it was the 70s-made, 50s-set film American Graffiti that kicked off her love of 1932 Ford coupes. We caught up with Sammi to chat about the tumultuous journey that led to her awesome Deuce Customs-bodied ’32 three-window. Tell us about your car journey. I’ve always loved cars; it’s how I met my hubby, Mark. I had a VW Beetle when I first met him; I find Beetles have so much character. I bought a panel for the car from him and I asked if he could recommend a good mechanic, as I’d had a run of mechanics that ripped me off. He just smiled and…

GAG OF THE MONTH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE FRANK was a cab driver, but sometimes he got bored on the job, so he came up with a game: If he saw a lawyer walking along the footpath, he’d mount the kerb and run them over. One day, Frank picked up a priest. During the trip, the priest sat in the passenger seat in silence, intently studying his Bible. Just then, Frank saw a lawyer. Momentarily forgetting that the priest was with him (because he’d been so quiet), Frank swerved and mounted the kerb. But just before he ran over the lawyer, he remembered there was a man of the cloth in the car, so he swerved back onto the street. “I’m sorry about that, Father,” Frank said. “Don’t worry, my son,” the…