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HEAVY METAL
From the Desk
IS IT GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE ‘AVERAGE JOE’ TO OWN A NICE STREET CAR?
I recently read a post on Facebook from my old mate Kenny, from Kenny’s Hot Rod Shop in the USA, who had obviously grown tired of having to explain the costs of building a custom car from the ground up. Kenny roughly outlined the associated costs involved in building a car, using a classic ’55 Chev Tudor as a base. Going through such necessities as sand blasting, a new driveline, new chassis, body, paint, trim etc, the amount came to around half a million US dollars. That’s a staggering $750,000 Australian pasos! And for that amount, you got a nice street car. Not a show car where you’d be showing off a fully detailed underside!
Rumours have been around for years of those ‘million-dollar builds’ that have been a part of the show car circuit here in Australia, and for the most part, those rumours appear to have some truth to them! Of course, before you could even think about embarking on such a build, you need a car to start with. And that in itself is a double edge sword. As they say, “nothing cheap is good, and nothing good is cheap!” So, unless you’ve inherited something special like a Monaro, XW/XY Falcon or a Torana, you’d better have deep pockets or be happy with something like a Datsun 120Y – which will still cost you a bundle, but not as much as something with more street car cred.
It seems the days of being able to build a tidy streeter with a moderately tough driveline, for under $100K, are well and truly over, unless you’re one of those guys that can tackle any job required. Lately I’ve been hearing stories of some interiors costing around the same amount to complete! If that’s the case, is it any wonder that more and more people are opting to build street driven cars?
I feel really sorry for those who have only recently found themselves in the modified car scene, and wanting to own their own rolling piece of art. Unless you have an annual income of six-figures or more, having someone build you a quality street car may be out of the question. Maybe that’s why we see so many late model cars at events now. The banks are happy to lend out large amounts of money for a late model car, but simply turn you away if you wanted to borrow the money to buy something classic, that history proves, will increase in value each year. These are certainly crazy times…
See you on the street,
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
73RD SACRAMENTO AUTORAMA
With over 500 cars on show indoors and another couple of hundred outside, the 73rd Sacramneto Autorama was one of the biggest in this event’s long, prestigious history. Sacramneto is widely regarded as the Custom Capital of the World, so it comes as no surprise to see so many high-end customs on show, supported with a bunch of slick hot rods, tough Pro-Street builds, bikes and the most impressive line-up of Lowriders you’ll ever see. All in all, the 2024 Sacramento Autorama was a complete success…
WHAT’S HAPPENING
KILLER RIDES LIVE #6 - JUNE UPDATE
So here’s the T-Shirt art for this years show? What do you think? It features the Top 3 Vehicle s from Killer Rides Live #5, expertly designed by the team at Wild Ink by Activated Industry! Whilst the entrants will receive a shirt with their show entry, we will have more stock for sale at the show. If you want to pre-order a shirt (from Small to 10XL!), message me for ordering details!
Once again, we will be offering some very special Memorial Awards. Dedicated to some hardcore car guys that have left us way too soon, the winners will be selected by the families. These memorial trophies are in the memory of Steve Davitt, Tony Roberts, and of course, Chic Henry. These will be presented on Sunday at 3pm. Speaking of cool awards, none are cooler than our Peoples Choice Bar Fridge. Vynil wrapped by Graphic I ndustries and featuring the T-Shirt artwork, the fridge is signed by all the entrants of the show along with the Killer Rides Live staff. It’s one that everyone wants to win!
For more info, head over to the website - www.killerrides.com.au
WHAT’S HAPPENING
KILLER Video
Pro-Touring 1962 Chev Belair Bubbletop
Video By Scottie DTV
WHO’S UP FOR AN EPIC ROAD TRIP?
I was devastated when I had to make the call to cancel the first (then) Performance Street Car Road Trip. With all that was happening in the world at the time, it was always going to be a struggle. But times have changed, and we have our freedom back again. So its back - the Killer Rides Road Trip! You’ve got plenty of time to get holidays sorted, save your pennies for fuel and get your car ready for three days of cruising from Wollongong to Albury with a bunch of likeminded car guys and girls. I’ve scheduled this to take place late October, 2025, with the exact cruise route and dates to be advised soon, so accomodation can be booked and locked in. And if there’s only a dozen cars set to leave Wollongong for the cruise, so be it. We’ll be going anyway. We have to start somewhere right? So, who’s coming along? Send me an email with your details and a pic of the car you’re bringing and then get ready for the coolest car cruise ever - Killer Rides Road Trip!
GOT SOMETHING IN THE BUILD?
WE WANT TO SEE IT!
Everyone loves to check out new cars in the build, that’s why I have implemented a section at Killer Rides Live so people car see just how much work goes into creating the final masterpiece. Its also one of the most popular sections in the magazine too! So if you’re currently up to your elbows in a new project, send me some pics and info to paul@killerrides.com.au
GOT TO START ‘EM YOUNG!
The Power Wheels Drag Racing series is aimed at getting young kids into drag racing in battery powered ‘toy’ cars. Run over 60ft, there’s Stock, Modified and Outlaw classes run, depending on the battery voltage. How much fun does this look?
NEW HOME FOR LOWRIDER SUNDAY
After a run of events at The Entrance on the NSW Central Coast, the ever-popular Lowrider Sunday is making the move back to Sydney with an indoor venue found at 85 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park, just north of Homebush and the Olympic Village. To be held on Sunday, November 10th, the Lowrider Sunday will still feature a bunch of traditional Lowriders, air-bagged customs, classics, Vicla’s and those crazy custom Lowrider Pushbikes! The event attracts cars and bikes from all of Australia and is without doubt the biggest gathering of the Lowrider Lifestyle this side of East LA! For more info, go to www.lowridersunday.com.au
GOT A POOL TABLE YOU DON’T USE?
Here’s a great idea for kids of all ages! Take that unwanted pool table and cover it with a hand-built slot car track! With a little imagination, and lots of track pieces, you could own a custom track just like this!
HAVE YOUR SAY
Got something to say? Send it to paul@killerride.com.au or message us from the Killer Rides Facebook page.
FAMILY HIERLOOM
G’day Paul,
My late Grandfather left me his prized HQ Belmont Ute in his will, and I have just taken possession of it. Whilst it’s all original and only has just over 80 thousand miles on the speedo, it looks like my Grandfather used to drive by feel judging by the amount of scrapes, dents and scratches on every panel. The 202 runs like clockwork and the three-on-the-tree box is still tight and changes like new. But I’m at a crossroads in what to do with it. I’m not a fan of the factory poo brown, even though the similarly coloured interior is almost unmarked. I’ve been told that to do the body and paint, a complete colour change, will cost me around $30,000! Likewise, doing an engine swap to a V8 is also going to set me back ten thousand plus. Then there’s wheels, suspension and brakes etc. Being a Belmont, is it worth doing or should I sell it and look for something else? Thanks for your time.
Angus F - Toowoomba
G’day Angus,
I’m sure your Grandfather left his pride and joy to you for a reason. Maybe he thought you would take the time to look after his Ute. At the end of the day, taking on a project like this will always be expensive, which is why rebuilds can take years to complete. I guess you need to ask yourself are you prepared to either invest the time and money into the Ute to keep the Ute in the family for many years to come, or would you regret parting ways with it? There’s no guarantee the next car you come across won’t cost you just as much, or more, and there’s no family history or connection to it. It’s a big call. Good luck with it all…
PROST1 - SIMPLY THE BEST!
Hi Paul,
I was so happy to see Phil Rillotta’s rebuilt Torana on the cover of Killer Rides! It was an amazing car back in the day, but now, my god that is brilliant! Phil and his team have done a superb bringing back the coolest Pro-Street car in Australia. I wanted to get to MotorEx to see the car, but just couldn’t get there. So thank you for the cool pics and video on this iconic car. Keep that tough stuff coming!
Simon H – Yass
Hi Paul,
Congrats on getting PROST1 on the cover of Killer Rides. Like you, I went to MotorEx to see this car in all its glory. It was well worth the (over) price of entry just to see it. I was there on Sunday and although the crowd didn’t seem too big at the show, there was always a big crown around the Torana. I must have spent an hour just drooling over the new look, and I killed the battery on my phone with all the pics and video I took. To Phil and his crew, well done on the new and improved PROST1.
Michelle J – Mildura
G’day Paul,
Yay! PROST1 is back and better than ever! If this is the sort of stuff that cruises the streets in Adelaide, I’m packing up and moving there! Well done on the great feature. It was awesome to see you get it out there so quickly.
Vaughn L – Merimbula
Hey guys,
We couldn’t not have Phil’s Torana on the cover of last Issue. Ever since word got out that Phil was rebuilding the LC, I’ve been hanging to see it finished. And yes, it was one of the big reasons Kathy and I made a quick trip to MotorEx. Without doubt, this is one of the most iconic cars in the Street Machine world in Australia. If you get the chance to see it somewhere, make sure you give yourself some time. It really is that good…
NO LAUGHING MATTER
Hi Paul,
Damn it’s getting hard to drive a custom car on the road in NSW. Not only do we pay a premium for rego, insurance and of course custom number plates, but the price of fuel is also getting out of hand! Then, on top of that, the Police are targeting anything that doesn’t resemble a factory standard car, and issuing defects. I got pulled over in LH Torana recently and instantly, the officer asked me to pop the bonnet. As soon as he saw the nitrous solenoids under the carby, he said “Well, that’s a defect!” I told him there was no bottle in the car and showed him the brackets in the boot where the bottle normally was, but he told me it didn’t matter and gave me a defect anyway. WTF!! I got it cleared the next day no problem, but if this is going to happen regularly, what chance do we have? Great mag, keep up the good work.
Tony P – Blacktown.
G’day Tony, I agree we do get shafted with everything relating to our cars in NSW. Hopefully it doesn’t get any worse. As for the Police targeting modified cars, I know they do have blitz’s from time to time in certain areas where they are instructed to bring modified cars to RMS stations for a full inspection – which is never a good thing. The problem is that they really don’t need to prove if something is legal or not. If there’s a suspicion that a modification is defective, that’s enough to gain you a defect notice, no matter how easy it is to rectify. Unfortunately, that’s the game we all play.
COOL IN COOTA
Hey Paul,
I couldn’t believe my eyes when travelling through Cootamundra recently, seeing all these tough cars in the small town. When I approached a couple of car owners, they told me about the Coota 400 event at the airport. So I headed there for a look, only to be told by a guy in a Hi-Vis vest that it’s not an event for spectators and I could only watch from the outer fence. I was disappointed but did get to see some long smokey burnouts. I reckon if they offered some spectator passes, they would make some extra dollars! I’ve since googled the event and will keep an eye out for the 2025 dates. Hopefully, there will be room for spectators. Great coverage in Killer Rides too!
Michael G – Watson, ACT
Hi Michael,
It was an awesome event, kicking off on the Thursday with the cruise from Pheasants Next servo to Cootamundra. I think it’s more the Airport that puts the restriction on spectators, but there’s no harm in sending Chris an email about it to get it direct from the event promoter.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
SCRATCH BUILT
SOUTHERN ROD & CUSTOM 1955 CHEV CONVERTIBLE WORDS - PAUL BECK PICS - SRC
RESKINNED BODY
CUSTOM FLOOR PANELS
WHEEL TUBS
Classic
CUSTOM INTERIOR FABRICATED TRANS TUNNEL
The crew at Southern Rod & Custom don’t do things by halves. Point in case, this full-tilt ’55 Chev Convertible.
We are used to seeing high-end builds coming from Southern Rod & Custom in downtown Shepparton, Vic, but this ’55 Chev is going to be something else. People regularly use the phrase, “I built it from scratch”, but rarely do people go to this extreme. Once the well-worn Chev was stripped down to its bare bones, the factory chassis was separated from the aging body and shown the door for the scrap metal guy to put to better use. The Chassisworks Australia (CWA) team then set about designing and fabricating a full custom chassis to slide under the ’55 to not only make the car handle and drive like a new car, but it also looks so much smoother than the factory ever thought possible.
LT4 CHEV CRATE ENGINE CUSTOM SUPERCHARGER COVER CUSTOM VALVE COVERS
INDEPENDANT FRONT END
15" DISC ROTORS
CUSTOM CHASSISWORKS
AUSTRALIA CHASSIS
ONE-OFF CWA 20/22" WHEELS WITH CENTRELOCKS
6-SPOT HARROP CALIPERS
REWORKED RADIATOR SUPPORT SMOOTH FIREWALL CUSTOM INNER GUARDS
The new chassis features an independent front end with coil-overs with 15-inch disc rotors and Harrop 6-spot calipers. Down the back, there’s matching brakes and a four-linked 9-inch diff, again with coil-overs. The design team also included cut-outs in the rear crossmember for the exhaust to run through to keep it tucked up tight. The wheels of choice will be one-off 20 and 22inch CWA with centre-lock hubs for that unique look the guys are well known for. The driveline starts with an LT4 crate engine that has been dressed with one-off CWA designed and machined valve covers and supercharger cover. The factory-spec power will find its way to the 9-inch diff via an auto box. The body has been completely reskinned with all new sheet metal that has had lots of custom touches made to it along the way. The rear wheel tibs have been enlarged to accommodate the planned wheel and tyre combo with a smooth firewall and reshaped inner guards surrounding the new-look LT4. Inside, new floors and trans tunnel have been added with raised sections included for exhaust clearance. At this early stage, the seats have been trial fitted and will eventually be off to get trimmed.
We are used to seeing high-end builds coming from Southern Rod & Custom in downtown Shepparton, but this ’55 Chev is going to be something else.
The wheels of choice will be one-off 20 and 22-inch CWA with centre-lock hubs for that unique look the guys are well known for.
This ’55 is a full elite show car build and going by the quality turned out by Shane and his staff at Southern Rod & Custom, there’s no doubt the Chev will be well worth waiting for…
Years On!
Over the past 10-years, the Sydney Hot Rod and Custom Auto Expo has grown into one of the biggest Hot Rod Shows in Australia. Number 10 was an absolute cracker!
I remember having a conversation with Andy Minas about having a Sydney Hot Rod Show happening again it had been missing from the scene for some time, and the only other indoor show in Sydney, that being MotorEx, had departed the harbour city for Melbourne. Knowing full well how expensive the venue at Homebush was to hire, I suggested to Andy about Rosehill Racecourse and after having a meeting with the venue management team, Andy decided he was going to make sure Sydney once again had its own show! The early years saw the event at Rosehill Racecourse slowly build up a reputation amongst the car owners and the paying public. Whilst they were great shows, it took a little while for spectators to show up in suitable numbers to make the show profitable. Having been part of the HotRodding scene for many years both as owner/operator of Andy’s Restorations and also as part of the ASRF Judging team,
Andy knew he had to keep going with the event and, eventually, the crowds would back up his dream. Happily, the last few years have seen a huge turnout of both entrants and spectators to the event, ensuring that the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo has a very bright future.
I’d been looking forward to the 10th Anniversary of this show for months now, after hearing about a few new rides that were being prepared to be unveiled. And I wasn’t disappointed. I arrived on Friday afternoon during setup to get some pics and video of people setting their cars up and managed to see a few of those cars before the officially unveiling on Saturday morning. I’m amazed at just how many new, high-end cars are being built these days. And the quality just keeps getting better and better. Spread over both levels of the main building, the cars that were on show for the first time drew a big crowd to see the covers coming off. These unveils have become a big part of this show now and I have no doubt there will be a bunch of new cars ready to be launched in 2025.
With plenty of space for entrants, the variety was, as we’ve come to expect, astonishing. No matter if you were into Nostalgia styled cars, custom bikes, pure show cars, tough street cars or just your regular Hot Rods, you would have been sporting a big smile as you weaved your way through the show areas. Both levels of the main pavilion featured the traditional show section, with the lover level being feed from the car park show and shine setup for those who bring along their cool drive cars. We didn’t get out there until later in the day, but when we did, there were some really great cars parked up outside.
Making our way out of the main building saw us in amongst the Nostalgia Lane section of the show. It’s here were the Cars and Culture of the scene all get together for an amazing display of Hot Rods, competition cars, custom bikes, lowriders and lowrider pushbikes and a bunch of associated traders. You could easily spend half a day checking this building out, as it was overflowing with coolness. You could even get a rockabilly style haircut as the crowd watched on! This building sported more hardcore Hot Rods and
customs than I have seen together for a long time. If nostalgia style cars, bikes and performance cars are your thing, this is the place for you! That just left the betting ring area of the show for us to cover and its here where there’s more traders, the stage area where live music was been played and where the trophy winners will get their awards at Presentation on Sunday. There were more cars on display from the ProFlo Performance group to a bunch of Street Elite cars and Rods – many attached to some of the trade stands.
Overall, the 10th running of the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo was an amazing event – probably the best yet. With cars travelling from Victoria and Queensland to take part in the festivities, and showing the ‘locals’ something they may not have seen before, I reckon next year’s event will once again be a cracker. To find out who won what, just onto the website – www.hotrodandcustom.com.au
TIESFamily
This heavy Chevy has been in the Vergis Family for as long as Michael can remember, and for the past 33-years, he has not only taken over ownership, but has continued to build this ’65 Impala into one of Victoria’s toughest street cars.
Michael Vergis 1965 Chev Impala
In that 30-plus years that Michael has been ‘tinkering’ with the Impala, it has progressed from the one-time family run-around, to a bad-arse 8-sec street car that has run over 150mph over the quarter mile. Pretty tough considering the ’65 weighs in at 4500lbs and runs a single carb big block and two stages of nitrous. OK, so just to make it clear, this isn’t your normal big block Chev, rather a 615cube, tall-deck Dart inspired fat block built by Flow Craft Race Engines. To reach the magical 1000hp mark, the guys filled the 10.2 Dart block with a Callies crank swinging matching rods and CP pistons. A Moroso oil pump makes sure the engine is well lubricated from the custom oil pan.
The alloy heads have been fitted with titanium valves wrapped in PSI springs. Filling the gap between the heads is an Edelbrock intake with a APD mega-cfm Dominator carb with a NX Nitrous plate system that delivers 150hp on the first hot and an extra 100hp second time around. When the MSD Grid ignition system fires the big block into life and the 98-Octane fuel burns, the gases are shown the door via a pair of custom headers and exhaust fabricated by Mikes Pipes. Michael relies on the expertise of James Melmoth at MCE Melway Competition Engines and Anthony Tawaf at TRE Automotive to keep the big cube engine tuned for regular street duties.
Those 1000-ponies are pushed through a purpose-built Turbo 400 auto built by Ray Caruana and fronted with an Ultimate 5000rpm converter, to the bullet-proof 9-inch rear end. Helping the Impala have better road manners when out cruising are a quartet of double-adjustable Vikings shocks and standard-spec coil springs, and to make sure Michael can pull up the Chev after a run down the quarter, there’s Ford discs and calipers fitted to each corner, in behind the 17x4.5 and 15x10 bead-locked Centerline Auto Drag wheels. When Michael started this initial build on the Impala, the body and paint had seen much better days. The years hadn’t been kind to the Chev, so Michael sent the rolling body to the crew at Belair Panels, where Joe straightened all the panels to better than new before laying on a silky-smooth coat or two or PPG Custom Blue. With all new chrome fitted up, the ’65 was looking pristine once again.
Not wanting to take away the cool cruiser look that these Chev’s are known for, Michael kept the comfy bench seats in place, but he did include some race car elements into the interior space as well. The original dash has been retained, but now it has two small AutoMeter gauges and the 5-inch Tacho mounted to the column just behind the pearled factory steering wheel, with two more gauges mounted to the lower section of the dash in front of the B&M shifter. The seats and door trims were retrimmed in Oxen White by Sunshine Motor Trimmers 33-years ago when the build first started and still present nicely today. There’s also a full roll cage and harness belts to keep Michael safe when he is in race mode.
In that 30-plus years that Michael has been ‘tinkering’ with the Impala, it has progressed from the one-time family run-around, to a bad-arse 8-sec street car that has run over 150mph over the quarter mile.
It’s obvious Michael intends to keep the Chev in the family for many years to come, and loves nothing more than jumping behind the wheel and firing up that potent big block for a cruise, a drag meet or a run at the Coota400, where a lot of these pics were taken. Whilst you get the feeling that he’s not entirely done with the changes to the Impala just yet, Michael says he is happy just the way it is, and more than content to cruise anywhere, anytime! I guess time will tell…
OWNER: MICHAEL VERGIS
VEHICLE: 1965 CHEV IMPALA
ENGINE: 615CI NITROUS CHEV BIG BLOCK
TRANS: BUILT TURBO 400, 5000RPM ULTIMATE CONVERTER
REAR END: CUSTOM 9-INCH
COLOUR: CUSTOM PPG BLUE
WHEELS: 17X4.5 / 15X10 CENTERLINE
THANKS TO: FLOW CRAFT RACE ENGINES. JAMES MELMOTH @ MCE MELWAY COMPETITION ENGINES. RAY CARUANA. ANTHONY TAWAF @ TRE AUTOMTOIVE. MIKES PIPES. JOE @ BELAIR PANELS. SUNSHINE MOTOR TRIMMERS. GEOFF @ STREET TECH. MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT HAVE HELPED TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN.
CALOUNDRACruising
The annual Downunder Beachfest once again took over the seaside town of Caloundra as hundreds of crazy, cool and collectable rides get together for a few days of cruising and showing.
Kicking off mid-week, the Downunder Beachfest is all about jumping behind the wheel of your car and having a great time. Whilst there’s a show and shine held on Saturday around the streets of Caloundra’s CBD, it’s the drive cars that are the stars of this event. This year, the organisers made the move to hold the event the week before Cooly Rocks, so they didn’t clash with that event, meaning more entrants we able to enjoy both! The ‘Beachfest’ attracts enthusiasts from all over the country, all heading to Queensland to enjoy the winter sunshine. Wednesday morning was spent doing the usual registration before the group headed off on the first of many cruises planned for the week. Starting at Kings Tavern, the entourage headed to Helltown Hot Rods for a shop tour and lunch before heading back for a display at Autobarn in Maroochydore under lights.
Registrations continued on Thursday afternoon, after the early entrants departed at for a cruise to Bowden’s Own where the crew on hand kept them fed with a BBQ while onlookers enjoyed the show and shine. Bowden’s had a selection of their prized car collection on show and with the shop open, everyone took the opportunity to purchase some of their amazing car care products. Thursday also saw a cruise to Lake Baroon after leaving the Power Boat Club, for drone photos and video!
Even those with blown engines were out and about hitting the blacktop!
It was more of the same on Friday with a Lotto Run, live music at King Beach again and then the big Friday night cruise through the centre of town. It was a mass of cars idling through the streets, even though the weather wasn’t ideal, it didn’t dampen the spirits of those cruising or those lining the streets to check them out! Even those with blown engines were out and about hitting the blacktop!
Kicking off mid-week, the Downunder Beachfest is all about jumping behind the wheel of your car and having a great time.
2024 BEACHFEST TOP 11
The show and shine part of Beachfest happens on the Saturday, with cars arriving as early as 5am to secure a good parking spot in the town centre and any of the adjoining side streets. By 8am, just about every parking spot was filled and hundreds of cars lined the streets for what would probably be the largest gathering of cars the Beachfest has ever attracted. Mixed in amongst the cars were lots of trade stands, giving people plenty of opportunity to part with their cash and go home with some new goodies. The event bought lots of people into the shopping area ensuring those businesses that opened were kept incredibly busy, especially the food outlets and local ‘watering holes’. The presentation of the Top 10 trophies were awarded that night, bringing an end to a great event. With Cooly Rock’s the following weekend, many people from out of town decided to take in both events, and with the weather in Sydney raining for much of that time, who can blame them for wanting to hang onto the warmer, sunnier days for just a little longer…
SMALL TOWN HOOKER
If you are unfortunate enough to break down in your cool ride, getting a lift home in something like Rodney Updegrave Jnr’s home-built C30 Tow Truck would certainly ease the pain…
AFTER BEFORE
Rodney Updegrave Jnr
1978 CHEV C30 TOW TRUCK
As a 20-year Hot Rod newbie, Rodney cut his teeth on a ’56 Chevy that he built with his Dad, Rod Snr. At that stage, they had no tools, and no welder. But what they lacked in equipment, they more than made up for in enthusiasm. That first car was a massive learning curve, and since that initial build, both Snr and Jnr have pieced together 13 more cars, spending every winter toiling away in the garage. Rod Snr actually opened his own shop when he was 17, spending the next 20-years building up his skills. Back in 1974, Rod Snr purchased a new Chevy Tow Truck, the picture of which, with Snr’s Dad (Jnr’s Pap) standing proudly beside it, still hangs in the family garage, and provided the inspiration for the build you see here. This Tow Truck was purchased from the original owners Son. It was only ever used on a small car lot in North Jersey, so it never really had a tough life out on the highway. Not ones for keeping things original, the Father and Son duo got stuck into the aging body, treating it to a host of Hot Rod mods including shaving the door handles, adding LED taillights, tubbing the rear tray and replacing the single Beacon light with two new ones. The engine bay was smoothed off with new metal section fabricated to flow from the radiator support to the engine. Once the boys were happy with how the sheet metal looked, Rod Snr filled his spray gun and laid on the shiny new colour – High Teck Victory Red which was topped off with House of Kolor clear coat. Rod then had Hot Rod Jen hand-paint the R&R Rod Shop logo on the doors. Old school rules!
Moving inside, the boys ditched the shapeless old bench seat and bolted up a pair of comfy 2009 Dodge Durago bucket seats (minus the headrests), separated by a 2002 Chevy jump seat console. The dash now features a pair of billet drink holders and the well-worn factory gauges have been binned in favour of a full complement of Intellitronix items along with a Dakota Digital shift indicator. The billet “Forever Sharp” steering wheel tops the Flaming River tilt column. Rod Snr, proving just how hands on his is, did the stitchwork on the seats and door trims himself. When the boys are out cruising the Truck, they get their tunes through a quartet of Kicker speakers fed by the Classic Car Bluetooth head unit. And just to make sure that the pair are kept cool when cruising in summer, the Vintage Air keeps the temperature
be all business, but this one is the exception! Engine wise, there was only one choice for the team – an LS. Having a few other cool rides tucked away with LS-conversions, it was the logical choice to add to the Trucks big engine bay. The 5.3-litre engine has been kept in standard form, but detailed to match the rest of the build quality. The gearbox of choice is the ever-popular 4L80E which sends the power back to the 4.10-geared, factory installed 14bolt rear end. No doubt you’ve noticed just how low this C30 can sit! The chassis has been fitted with Slam Specialties air-bags on each corner, along with Belltech shocks and drop-spindles on the nose. The rear section of the chassis has been C-notched to get the back down low and also features a Watts-link. GM brakes live inside those perfectly suited 16-inch Ion polished
Rod’s Pap proudly standing in front ot the Tow Truck that started it all!
The name Small Town Hooker came from a small dirt track we visited when I was a kid at Lake Mocatek, in the Poconos. The tow truck there was called the “Mocatek Hooker”, and we always remembered that, so the “Small Town Hooker” was born. It’s taken the pair two and a half years to get the Truck to where they are both happy…and ready to hit the scene for all to see! The only change they can see being made is a new oil pan as the current one isn’t suited for just how low the C30 is.
OWNER: RODNEY UPDEGRAVE JNR
VEHICLE: 1978 CHEV C30 TOW TRUCK
ENGINE: 5.3 LITRE LS
TRANS: 4L80E AUTO
REAR END: 14-BOLT DIFF, 4.10-GEARS, SLAM SPECIALTIES AIR BAGS, BELLTECH SHOCKS, WATTS LINK, GM BRAKES
COLOUR: HIGH TECK VICTORY RED / HOUSE OF KOLOR CLEAR
WHEELS: POLISHED 16-INCH ION
THANKS TO: MY DAD - ROD SNR! THIS TRUCK WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT HIM. HOT ROD JEN FOR THE COOL SIGNAGE.
We’ll let Rod Jnr finish the story. “We’ve always learned as we go, I often say there is no book in this hobby, but we enjoy talking to folks at shows and help them out so they don’t make the same mistakes we did. Most likely, this is out last big build. Now we can enjoy the cars we have. In the years we’ve been doing this, we have met so many people. We chopped a roof with Gene Winfield, got to meet Chip Foose, George Barris, Carol Shelby, Boyd Coddington, Charlie Hutton, and the list goes on. We’ve made friends that we still keep in contact with and share advice back and forth. We have won two designers
Dozen awards at the Syracuse Nationals, a Street Rodder Top 100, Goodguys Builder Choice awards, Celebrity Choice awards, and we were featured in the Goodguys Gazette. Basically, we’ve achieved goals we thought were unachievable. This hobby has been an amazing ride for Dad and I. We’re just a father and son who enjoy building cool rides together in a one red-light town in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. We do a huge Halloween haunt at our garage every year and we open Dad’s garage so folks can stop in and talk shop.” And no doubt to check out the coolest Tow Truck around…
TITLE FIGHT
What promised to be an all-out battle for the bragging rights of King of the Street, was dampened slightly by Mother Nature yet again…
They say if you want to bring rain to an area, run a car show or drag meet! Sadly, this happens way too often, just ask the guys from Tunnel Vision who staged the ever popular King of the Street event, run each year at Heathcote Park Raceway. Set to take place over the weekend of May 10th and 11th, the team planned to kick the event off on the Friday with a Test ‘n’ Tune with racing to follow on the Saturday.
Unfortunately, Friday was a complete wash out with plenty of rain falling on the track making it impossible for any form of racing to take part, despite the efforts of the track stuff who tried to get the track dried. With Friday done and dusted, hopes were pinned on Saturday being a much more racer friendly day. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be, with rain continuing through the night and into the morning.
After a driver meeting was held to discuss the plan of attack, it was decided to run a few hours of testing, before finishing up with a Street Car bracket...
After a driver meeting was held to discuss the plan of attack, it was decided to run a few hours of testing, before finishing up with a Street Car bracket where everyone had to race whoever ended up in the opposite lane in a full elimination bracket, without returning to the pits. The end goal being the crowning of the Grand Champion. The crown was presented to Quentin Feast after withstanding so many battles with so many tough street cars in his GMPWR Torana. It may not have been the way things were planned to be, but the resilience of the track staff and organisers resulted in everyone getting to at least run their cars as much as the dry track allowed.
THE BUG GETTIN’
After being introduced into the VW scene many years ago, I’ve grown to have a fond fascination with the brand…
There’s no denying that VW movement is massive. Like any group devoted to one brand, those in love with the Volkswagen, support dedicated events en masse and the 2024 VW Nationals was to be no different. The event actually kicked off on the Saturday with a cruise etc, but it was the show and shine that I made it to, filling the expansive undercover area of the Fairfield Showgrounds.
The variety and style of the cars on show was as varied as they owners themselves.
The variety and style of the cars on show was as varied as they owners themselves. In amongst the hundreds of Beetles, Kombi’s, Passat’s, Karmann Ghia’s, Golfs and even some unique Kit Cars, were highly modified supercharged versions mixing it with lovingly restored cars, daily drivers and show quality rides. There really was something for everyone. I’m already looking forward to next year…
Like any group devoted to one brand, those in love with the Volkswagen, support dedicated events en masse...
LOVEAt First Sight
Stan Yacoumis spotted this XC Fairmont way back in 1985 late on a Saturday night whilst driving past a car yard in Tanunda, in the South Australian Barossa Valley. Come Monday morning, he was back there with cash in hand…
Stan Yacoumis
XC Fairmont GXL
Sometimes things are just meant to be. If Stan didn’t have to head in that direction to do some deliveries, he wouldn’t have seen the XC and chances are some non-car loving person would have snapped it up and it would be gone forever. Thankfully, when Stan arrived at the Yard, the XC was still on the lot with a for sale tag attached. After a brief inspection, the then factory 302, auto, white GXL was sold to a happy Stan, who by now had probably already knew the XC wasn’t going to spend its days the way it currently was. For the next two years, Stan enjoyed the Fairmont in its original form before swapping out the old 302 Clevo for a more potent, 430hp version with a suitable transmission. The XC stayed this way for some 20 years, serving as a daily driver. Then, in a moment he was soon to regret, Stan sold his beloved XC to a nephew. Realising he had made a mistake he then bought the car back after parting with it a few years earlier.
After taking back possession of the XC, Stan set about working out a plan to make his Fairmont fit right into the Adelaide tough car scene. The makeover was going to be a major one, a full nut and bolt rebuild which would ultimately see the XC emerge a much tougher car than it currently was. Because the body was in such great shape, Stan decided the white paint was coming off, to be replaced by a smooth coat of Black. After all, he was yet to see any other tough black XC’s roaming the streets! Stan decided to keep the factory look, with the exception of removing the fuel filler. It’s the same deal once you open the doors. The interior sees the original interior recovered in black leather by Aaron O’Hara Motor Trimmers. The original dash now features a full complement of AutoMeter gauges, with an Aeroflow Pistol Bang shifter now taking place of the factory fitted item. A retro sound head unit feeds the tunes through Pioneer speakers.
Capping off the build is a set of 15x5.5 and 15x10 deep-dish Centerlines wrapped in appropriate rubber – just the thing to fit in with that popular Adelaide tough-street crowd!
Even though the XC had a stout driveline already installed, like any self-respecting street machiner, Stan wanted more. He called upon Bullet Race Engineering to piece together a much tougher combination, starting with a 351 block that was kitted out with a Eagle forged steel stroker crank swinging matching H-beam steel rods and forged JE pistons giving the bottom end a capacity of 434 cubes! A custom Comp roller cam was added along with a Mellings oil pump, and Rollmaster chain to complete
the short engine. A pair of cnc-ported CHE 3V alloy heads were soon added but not before they received T&D rockers, Manley stainless valves and Pac springs, locks, locators and retainers – the whole lot covered with polished sheet metal rocker covers. Filling the gap between the heads is a CHE intake that has been match ported for optimal performance. A Quick Fuel 1050cfm carb feeds ample amounts of premium fuel through the thirsty big-cube small block. On the dyno, the engine made just over 660hp!
A reverse-pattern, full-manual C10 auto trans, with a 4800 Dominator converter, was built by Sam at SA Race, and bolted up to the back on the 434 and easily passes the horsepower down the line to the 4-linked 9-inch sporting 3.89-gears and 31-spline axles. Other underside improves include Vikings coil-over shocks, and a quartet of Wilwood discs and calipers being controlled by the Wilwood master cylinder. Capping off the build is a set of 15x5.5 and 15x10 deep-dish Centerline wrapped in appropriate rubber – just the thing to fit in with that popular Adelaide tough-street crowd! There are plans in place to eventually add a full-floater rear end and a set of 15x12 rear wheels one day down the track.
Stan has owned this car for an amazing 37-years all up and this last build took up the last 8 of those. It’s now been on the road for around 6-years and there’s absolutely no chance of Stan ever parting with the XC ever again, with plans to drive the wheels off it for as long as he can.
Stan has owned this car for an amazing 37-years all up and this last build took up the last 8 of those.
OWNER: STAN YACOUMIS
VEHICLE: XC GXL FAIRMONT
ENGINE: 434CI FORD WINDSOR STROKER, EAGLE STEEL CRANK, EAGLE STEEL RODS, JE FORGED PISTONS, COMP ROLLER CAM, CHE 3V ALLOY HEADS, CHE INTAKE, 1050CFM QUICK FUEL CARB, CUSTOM HEADERS
POWER: 668HP
TRANS: C10 AUTO, FULL MANUAL, REVERSEPATTERN SHIFT, 4800RPM DOMINATOR CONVERTER, AEROFLOW PISTOL BANG SHIFTER
REAR END: 9-INCH, 3.89-GEARS, 31-SPLINE AXLES, FOUR-LINK, VIKING COIL-OVERS
WHEELS: 15X5.5 / 15X10 CENTERLINE AUTODRAG
BRAKES: FOUR WHEEL WILWOOD DISC AND CALIPERS, WILWOOD MASTER CYLINDER
COLOUR: BLACK
THANKS TO: BULLET RACE ENGINEERING (ENGINE). SAM AT SA RACE (TRANSMISSION). AARON O’HARA MOTOR TRIMMER (INTERIOR)
CELEBRATING IN Style!
Whilst the Hot Rods, Customs, Muscle Cars and Bikes are a massive part of what makes the Kingpin Kuztums annual Rats, Tatts ‘n’ Pinups event so special, they play just a part of the festivities that keeps the crowds happy. Add to this the numerous traders and market stalls, food trucks and live music that all come together to ensure the popularity of this event continues to grow year after year.
Ten years after the first ever Rats, Tatt’s ‘n’ Pinups happened, the crew at Kingpin Kuztums celebrated with one of their biggest events yet!
Held over two days, Rob Bellio and the team behind Kingpin Kuztums work in with the management of the Sandown Park Hotel to put on an event that brings everything the custom car culture has to offer. The venue offers plenty of space outside to house hundreds of cool cars, whilst inside, the bands have the perfect space to rock up a storm. This year saw Benny & The FlyBye Niters performing their R&B set whilst Kid James’ Rockabilly Show entertained the masses on Sunday. Both bands had a special guest fronting them, with Rob flying in Rusty Pinto from WA to get things rocking over the weekend. In Rusty’s presence, the room was packed on both days! Both bands performed flawlessly even though they had minimal time to rehearse with Rusty. Also performing over the weekend were The Bread Makers and Rhiz & The Sugar Plums, both making their inaugural appearances at the Rats, Tatts ‘n’ Pinups event.
After ten years of bringing amazing events to the people of Melbourne, there’s no sign of the trend slowing down anytime soon.
Whilst the Hot Rods, Customs, Muscle Cars and Bikes are a massive part of what makes the Kingpin Kuztums annual Rats, Tatts ‘n’ Pinups event so special, they play just a part of the festivities that keeps the crowds happy.
Outside, each day saw a huge turnout of all kinds of cool cars filling every available spot on offer, giving the spectators plenty to check out while visiting the venue. The number and variety of cars on show was, as we’ve come to see, was plenty. Like all events run by Kingpin Kuztums, the 10th Anniversary of the Rats, Tatts ‘n’ Pinup’s event attracted a great bunch of people, cars, traders and music lovers. After ten years of bringing amazing events to the people of Melbourne, there’s no sign of the trend slowing down anytime soon. To find out what they have coming up, jump onto their Face Book page or click the logo below for all the latest news.
1978 Corolla Wagon
Small car. Big engine. Got to love that feeling!
WAY GONEWagon!
Scott Briant
It’s been 20-years since Scott Briant completed this oh-so-tough KE Corolla wagon, taking a well-worn stock Corolla and creating a V8-powered monster. Back in 2004, the engine bay was filled with a stout 5-litre Holden engine topped with a single carb, and producing enough power to turn the rear tyres to smoke at will. Scott’s wagon was well-known on the Victorian car scene, having been a big part of all kinds of events. Soon after its completion, I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to feature the car in the pages of Extreme Magazine.
Five years after he completed the build, Scott and the Corolla parted ways. The new owner did just a handful of events before parking the wagon in the shed where it didn’t see the light of day for some 15-years. When the opportunity to buy his beloved Toyota back presented itself, Scott didn’t hesitate, handing over the cash in exchange for the keys. Interestingly, the wagon still has the original Forrid Green Glasurit paint over the subtley modded body, and the interior that was fitted in the initial build, still remains in place. Seeing how well it has held up over such a long period is a testament to the preparation put into the build first time around. The 15-inch Convo Pro wheels were swapped for big Intro billets which have now been swapped out for a set of gold Simmons measuring 18x7 and 20x10 – filling each corner of the small Toyota perfectly!
The insides of the wagon are all business, with just two JAZ seats on offer, the rear of those taken up with the wheel tubs, roll cage and polished fuel cell. A TCI shifter sits between the seats with the original dash now filled with AutoMeter gauges and necessary switches. Everything is reflected in those highly polished door trims! Before selling the Corolla, Scott had ditched the single carb set-up for a pair of big Holley’s and a 6/71 blower to give the Corolla a “muscle machines” style look. That over-the-top combo is, thankfully, still in service. A full-manual Trimatic box (with 4500 TCE converter) backs the blown 355-stroker, sending the power back to a narrowed Borg Warner rear end with a spooled 4.11-geared centre and 31-spline billet axles. These pics and video were taken at MotorEx this year, where the Corolla was on display for the first time in many years. To my surprise, Scott even had one of my pics on his display from the original photo shoot in 2004! Scott now spends his days at Southern Rod & Custom surrounded by all kinds of cool and custom rides, so don’t be surprised if this wagon gets a little wilder sometime soon.
OWNER: SCOTT BRIANT
VEHICLE: 1978 TOYOTA COROLLA WAGON
ENGINE: HOLDEN 355 STROKER, 6/71 BLOWER, TWIN HOLLEY CARBS, COME CRANK
TRANS: BUILT TRIMATIC, FULL MANUAL, TCE 4500 CONVERTER, TCI SHIFTER
REAR END: NARROWED BORG WARNER, 4-11 GEARED SPOOLED CENTRE, BILLET AXLES
COLOUR: FORRID GREEN
WHEELS: 18X7 / 20X10 SIMMONS
THANKS TO: EMILY, SOPHIE & CARTER, ANDY H, ANDY L, ANDY M, NOEL C, JOHNY P, JOE T, ADAM STYLYN, KEN A, ROOTER, BURKO, DICK H, ALL RACE, RICK & BRETT, RICHARD R, CHRIS RACEWIRES, ADAM 54, MARK T, BRYCE S, GILBO, ROB MC, BOCAM, NUDGE, JAKE C, MARK S, SHANE R, SOUTHERN ROD & CUSTOM, CHARLIE BATTISTI & CO.
COMING EVENTS
