Killer Rides Mgazine #23 - April 2020

O B R U T

t a e r T e l p Tri

ISSUE #23 - APR 2020

N I L HAU

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s e b u c 440 S U O R T I N p h w r 8 2 10

X275 HG UTE HEADIN’ FOR 4’S!

‘57 Chev VR Ute XA Falcon

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534ci Boss-powered Mustang 4000hp Hemi Mazda Chryslers on the Murray Detroit Autorama

KILLER RIDES IS PROUDLY PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA

From the Desk FIRES, FLOODS AND NOW THIS DAMN CORONAVIRUS! CAN WE GET A BREAK?

As if it’s not already hard enough to try to stage a successful event, promoters around the country are now having to cancel their events – some that are just a few weeks off happening.

It all started with the news that the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne was canned even though qualifying for many classes had already taken place. Can you imagine the logistics involved to get all those teams and equipment to Australia? The financial cost alone would be staggering, not to mention the huge financial impact it would have on the business’ that would have benefited the most.

From that point on, the Government has banned anyone from staging an event where there would be more than 500 people in attendance for outdoor events and 100 people for indoor events. The Street Rod Nationals set for Goulburn over Easter is now cancelled, as has the Narrandera Rod Run that was still a goer, but with an amended program which will see the show and shine and cruising on Saturday night removed from the program, until the Government recommended otherwise. It’s now been announced that MotorEx is to be postponed as well until the end of November, and the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo has been cancelled for 2020, with a return planned for May 2021.

Hopefully, before too many more events get canned, a vaccine can be found and made available to counteract the effects of Coronavirus. If you’re concerned about the Virus, there seems to be conflicting reports about just how bad it is. Media outlets will have you believing is the new plague, but experts in the Virus fields, claim that it’s just another flu and 99% of people will recover just as they have every other year from the common cold.

Still, with business’ closing their doors daily, its a serious situation that can’t be taken lightly.

So with all of these events being cancelled or postponed, it looks like Killer Rides will be either sourcing events from overseas or just run feature cars for the immediate future. Looks like 2020 is going to be a different year for sure. So if you’re under self-imposed isolation, make good use of the time at home and get stuck into that Killer project that’s been waiting in the wings. Maybe it’s not such a bad time after all...

See you on the street…maybe!

Shop online now @ WWW.SPEEDPRO.COM.AU 11 A I R L I E AV E N U E , D A N D E N O N G V I C 3 17 5

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ISSUE NO.23 Apr 2020

CONTENTS REGULARS 03 EDITORIAL From the Desk 08 WHAT’S HAPPENING News, views and things of interest 16 HAVE YOUR SAY Tell us what you think 20

CYBER CRUISIN’ 4000hp Hemi-powered Mazda

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MAKING THEIR MARQUE The biggest Chryslers on the Murray yet

26 Nitrous X275 HG Holden Ute

60 DETROIT ROCK CITY The 2020 Autorama exceeded all expectations.

92 IN THE SPOT LIGHT 1932 Ford Hot Rods 6 120 KILLER PIC Smokin’ HR Van

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114 WINDOW SHOPPING What’s new and from where!

116 PERFORMANCE DIRECTORY Quick Find Ad’s

38 Chryslers on the Murray

72 Turbo LSX VR Ute

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FEATURES 26

SERIOUS BUSINESS Forget the payload, this HG hauls arse!

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SIX SHOOTER Turbo Barra-powered XA Falcon

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JUST PLAIN TOUGH Turbo LS-power in a tough VR Ute

Turbo Six Pack XA Falcon

Rammed, Boss-powered Mustang

WHO’S THE BOSS Big cube, Boss-powered Pro-Street Mustang

102 57 SHADES OF GREY Twin-turbo , tubbed ‘57 Chev Tudor

Don’t forget to Subscribe at www.killerrides.com.au

60 Detroit Autorama

102Twin-Turbo, tubbed 57 Tudor

WHAT’S HAPPENING

COMMODORE PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE TO JOIN STABLE

The brand may no longer be on offer, but that doesn’t stop more and more Commodore vehicles being modified for varied uses of motorsport. It’s no secret that Commodores dominate the entry list of events all over Australia, and with good reason. I will be publishing the new magazine, Commodore Performance twice a year initially. Stay tuned for a release date.

EJ-EH NATIONALS CHANGES

As of March 20th, the EJ-EH Holden Nationals, that were part of the Bathurst Autofest, will have a name change and will now be known as the Classic Holden Nationals. No longer a part of the Autofest series, the Classic Holden Nationals will be staged in City’s that have been affected by fires and floods to help in achieving an increase in tourism and the economic flow on associated with it. The Classic Holden Nationals will be open to owners of 1948-1976 Holden vehicles whether modified or stock and owners do not need to be part of any club to enter.

More information will follow soon…

WINTERNATIONALS ARE GO - IN SEPTEMBER!

Wirthout doubt, the annual Winternationals Drag Racing event is the biggest Drag Racing spectacle in Australia - an event that drags in teams from every part of the country to Willowbank Raceway in Queensland. Whilst it did look like 2020 was going to go without this iconic meet, the board at Willowbank Raceway have decided to schedule the Winternationals to be run from the 17-20 of September. Of course, with the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemnic still headlining the news, the Board are determined to stage this event. I would recommend keeping an eye on the Willowbank website to keep up to date with any changes as they occur. Hopefully, we will be at Willowbank in September to take in Australian Drag Racings most impressive event! www.willowbank-raceway.com.au

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/////////////////// WARNING

DRIVERS WITH CONCESSIONAL REGO BEWARE!

Due to the many restrictions placed on our lives with the Covid-19 pandemic, those who have concessional rego on their weekend toys have been warned to leave those cars locked up in the garage unless you have to drive for an essential reason. Cruising with your mates is completely out of the question. Police are keeping an eye on those flaunting the law. So play it safe guys, stay at home unless you absolutely have to…

HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED YET? GO TO www.killerrides.com.au AND DO IT NOW!

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WHAT’S HAPPENING ALL COMMODORE DAY FOR SYDNEY

After the first All Commodore Day was postponed until Oct 11th due to Coronavirus laws, Michael Stephen’s is planning on a Sydney event to take place in November (22nd) at the Hubertus Club at Luddenham in Sydney’s west. With plenty of show area, the venue should be filled will all model Commodores to celebrate what was Australia’s number one selling car. Killer Rides sister magazine, Commodore Performance will be there covering the event for a future issue and scouting for feature cars. Look for more details in the first issue of Commodore Performance when its released. There’s also talk of the event venturing into SA and Qld too…

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KILLER

Video

CRASHES, WHEELSTANDS AND SAVES!

Drag Racing isn’t as easy as you think!

WHAT’S HAPPENING BUY A PIECE OF AUSTRALIAN BURNOUT HISTORY!

For 25-years, the Summernats burnout pad made hero’s from some of the best drivers ever to front the massive crowd at the event. Before Summernats 26, the event organisers laid a new pad and now you can keep a piece of the original burnout arena! Two sizes are available and both come in their own clear Perspex case complete with a plaque and a letter of authenticity. Pieces are limited to just 250, individually numbered items with the small check of pad selling for $180 and the larger one costing just $250. You can order yours if you’re quick at www.burnoutpads.com.au

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

ITS BUSINESS AS USUAL HERE AT KILLER RIDES HQ.

Though the Coronavirus has closed many business’ and stopped even small gatherings of people from going about their normal lives, it’s business as usual here at the Killer Rides World Headquarters! I’ll still be doing photo shoots as its generally only me and the car owner anyway, and we are always at least a couple of metres apart and outdoors! The only downside is that event coverage will be virtually non-existent until Show Promoters are given the green light to stage their events again. But for now, I’ll keep Killer Rides, Super Rod and the new Commodore Performance magazines coming…

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

FALCON HELL!

Hi Paul, I have always liked the XD/XE Falcon and was so happy to see the SPDPRO XD on the cover of Killer Rides. What an amazing car and the fact that Marcus went from a V8 engine to a turbo 6 shows how much potential this kind of engine swap has. I think we will be seeing more Barra’s fitted into tough street cars moving into the future.

Well done to those people who helped get this wild XD Falcon into the 7’s!

Andrew W via Messenger G’day Andrew, Yes, we will be seeing more Barra swaps in the future, in fact we have another in this issue!

Zoran’s tough XA Falcon also has a turbo Barra 16 6 up front where you’d normally expect to find a tough V8! The Barra engine makes complete sense, with plenty of donor engine around which are very cheap to start with and now there’s a wealth of knowledge and performance parts available to get them making huge power. And, they fit in just about anything! What will we see one in next?

BATHURST IS BEST

G’day Paul, Thanks for taking the time out to chat with me and my son at the Bathurst Autofest – it was great meeting you as we have been fans of Killer Rides since Issue 1. This was my first trip to Autofest at Mt Panorama, but it certainly won’t be my last. The organisers need to know that the work they put in behind the scenes to make everything run as smoothly as possible doesn’t go unnoticed and even those workers on the ground were helpful to us whenever we had questions. It’s so nice to go to an event and know I’ll be safe to take my son with me. The Bathurst Autofest is our new favourite event.

Roger & Dean M Via Messenger Hi Guys, It’s always great to speak to those that read any of my magazines. I love getting feedback so I know what I need to improve on or tweak to get right. In regards to the event, I know Les and his team put a lot of effort into each of their events and have a winning formula that focuses around the Entrant’s experience. Being car guys themselves and having been around many events for many years, they have gained plenty of knowledge from what works and what doesn’t. Like you, Bathurst Autofest is one of my favourite events too. See you back at the mountain in 2021!

STRANGE DAYS

G’day Paul, I was so disappointed to learn that the Pro-Street Sunday wasn’t going to happen. Even though I guess that was due to lack of numbers, with all of this Covid-19 hysteria would have seen it canned anyway. It’s so weird to see so many events just disappear. I try to get to 17 as many car shows, drag meets and night time meets as I can, and now I am finding that there’s nothing happening on weekends. It’s truly a strange time we are all going through. Hopefully we will see things go back to normal and then be flooded with all kinds of events again. Keep the tough cars coming – Killer Rides is the only thing keeping my sanity at the moment.

Gavin T via Messenger G’day Gavin, Yep, these are very strange days mate. Self-isolation, shops closing, people putting weddings on hold and home-schooling. It’s been a very ordinary 2020. It certainly will be a year that will be spoken about for decades to come. I’ll keep producing Killer Rides, Super Rod and get the first Commodore Performance Magazine out as per my schedule until I am told otherwise.

CAR & BIKE ENTRY BY INVITATION ONLY! ALL NEW CARS AND BIKES ON DISPLAY FOR 2020!

4 # E V I L

NEW FOR 2020

REVEALS!

AUGUST 15-16, 2020

ILLAWARRA HOCKEY CENTRE, UNANDERRA

www.killerrides.com.au

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON: CAR & BIKE ENTRY TRADE STANDS & SPONSORSHIP Please contact Paul Beck @ Killer Rides (0432) 795336 paul@killerrides.com.au or Via Facebook

STREET MACHINES HOT RODS DRAG CARS CUSTOM BIKES TRADE STANDS & MORE!

CYBER CRUISIN’

r e t s n o M MASH-UP

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Mixing together a lightweight Mazda sedan with a twin-turbo Hemi big block is complete insanity! And we love it!

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P H 4000

In drag racing, lightweight and lots of horsepower go hand in hand. Having an insane power to weight ratio is what every driver dreams of. So who was crazy enough to dream up this wild Mazda? Randy Westmoreland and the crew at Leash Electronics are the ones responsible for placing the outer shell of the Mazda 3 over a purpose-build, custom tube chassis that has just one ultimate goal in mind – get down the eighth-mile as quickly as possible…

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Officially it’s a 521ci Brad Anderson Hemi sporting twin 98mm Comp turbo’s and a host of top-shelf gear that pushes the horsepower figures upwards of 4000 rampaging ponies!

Originally finished in white and dubbed the “Zombie Snow White”, the Mazda was all but destroyed in a sickening accident during racing that saw it violently turn right and punch the wall at speed, flipping over the wall and pirouetting to a stop, badly damaged but with Randy suffering just a few bumps and bruises. The amount of work put into the impressive roll cage and chassis certainly saved the him from more serious harm when the Mazda decided to go AWOL. That accident sparked the rebuild that resulted in the rebuilt Mazda 3 emerging in a slick coat of silver.

By now you would have spotted that huge Hemi engine that has been shoe-horned into the frame that sits under the Mazda. Officially it’s a 521ci Brad Anderson Hemi sporting twin 98mm Comp turbo’s and a host of top-shelf gear that pushes the horsepower figures upwards of 4000 rampaging ponies! Backing the pumped big block Hemi is an M&M-prepped Turbo 400 that uses a Pro-Torque converter to send that power to the fabricated, and very narrow rear end. The car is full of Leah Electronics motorsport components including the Boost Controller that makes getting the car down the track a little more manageable.

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At the time writing, the rebuilt car was almost race ready. With thoughts of the incident still clear in their mind, those involved in the Mazda’s ‘second coming’ don’t want to take any chances and won’t even consider hitting the track until its 100% ready to rock and roll. When that happens, the team are confident the Mazda will run around the 3.8-second zone. We’ll keep you posted…

SERIOUS

s s e n i s u B

During the Ute’s evolution, it has gone on a considerable diet, with most of the factory metal replaced with fibreglass and carbon fibre parts.

With its days as a street car now over, the only thing Rob Hogan hauls in his tough HG Ute now is 1000hp over the 1/8 mile. The end goal? Break into the 4-second zone!

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When Rob and the Ute came together, the HG had seen better days. To say it was run down is an understatement. It was a roller with a 350ci small block, but Rob knew he could transform it into something special – a task he has done on more than one occasion. The latest rebuild though, was by far the most serious, taking it from being a tough street car, to a dedicated race car, built to compete in the 1/8-mile Radial class. Knowing that to achieve the outcome he desired, he needed to surround himself with some of the best people in the industry to get the job done right with minimal fuss.

ROB HOGAN - 1971 HG HOLDEN UTE WORDS / PICS - Paul Beck RACE PICS - Grant Stephens / Cackling Pipes

During the Ute’s evolution, it has gone on a considerable diet, with most of the factory metal replaced with fibreglass and carbon fibre parts. The front guards, doors and spare tyre door came from Alfa Motorsport Fibreglass while the reverse-cowl bonnet was sourced from the Fibreglass Factory.

The tailgate, one of, if not the heaviest removable part of the Ute, was also replaced with a fibreglass item from Repliglass. The only problem there is Rob is constantly reminding people not to push on the tailgate. With that much metal ditched, the Ute would be a contender for any weight loss award at Jenny Craig. With that said, Rob still wanted the Ute lighter, so he had Michael Cavendish at Mick’s Motorsport Composites fabricate carbon fibre

front and rear bars and brackets (with titanium bolts), tray panels (with Probolt alloy bolts) and a fuel tank delete panel made to clear the antiroll bar, utilising titanium fasteners to hold it in place.

With the weight reduction process complete, Rob handed the lightened Ute body over to Gavin at G&S Prestige Paint and Panel in Kirrawee to lay on a fresh coat of PPG Blueprint, complimented with silver on the bars. The load area has been coated in grey Aquafleck making it both clean and practical. The tailgate accommodates the parachute to help pull the HG up a little quicker after each barnstorming run. The door glass and rear window is now Lexan – taking even more weight from the HG.

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The roller cam has been ground up by Crow to Jason’s custom spec’s – and no, we won’t be handing over the specs.

Taking a quick look into the interior will prove the point that the Ute’s only use now is on the race track. Everything added to the confines on the interior serves a purpose.

If it’s not required to get down the track, it didn’t get a look in, simple. A pair of alloy Kirkey seats with carbon fibre mounts sit where the old bench seat once sat providing a spot for Rob and his faithful companion – the nicely warmed bottle of nitrous! An RCI cam-lock, 5-point harness holds Rob securely in place when on track. From the driver’s seat, Rob can reach the MOMO steering wheel, ‘chute lever and Precision Performance Products shifter, that is operated by air – the tank mounted to the 6-point cage fabricated by Jeff Bryant and Tim Nielson. Speaking of the cage, it runs through the rear window into the load area to stiffen the HG considerably. The cage is tied into custom chassis bracing, which also attaches to the rear suspension mounts.

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The latest rebuild though, was by far the most serious, taking it from being a tough street car, to a dedicated race car...

A Racepak IQ3 drag dash replaces the factory analogue instrument panel and mounted to a custom, 3D printed facia that replicates the original HG design that was made by Down Town Kustoms. The interior also holds the entire 16V electronic nerve centre of the Ute including the Edelbrock progressive nitrous controller, the MSD Power Grid ignition system. There’s also a host of switches to operate the vital parts of the engine wired with a Leash Electronics PDM. And to keep the lightweight theme going, there’s even more carbon fibre added to the interior with the door trims, kick panels and parcel shelf all made from the material.

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The heart of the Ute is where most of the hardcore work took place. Rob has had Jason Mansweto involved in his previous engines, so it was an easy choice when the new power plant was to be built. Starting with an Iron Eagle Dart block, Jason set about building one tough bottom end. The prepped block soon hosted a Scat billet crank swinging Callies rods and forged JE nitrous pistons and matching rings. The roller cam has been ground up by Crow to Jason’s custom spec’s – and no, we won’t be handing over the specs.

The stout bottom end was completed with the addition of the Crower roller lifters, Jesel belt drive, ATi balancer, Mellings oil pump, ASR drag racing sump and TCI flex plate. The capacity is now 440-cubes, for now... Jason opted for 23-degree raised runner, Racer Pro heads that Tristan Triccas CNC and handported for optimum performance. After Tricky finished his part, the heads were fitted with Ferrera valves and springs and T&D rockers – the whole lot bolted onto the block with

ARP Pro-series bolts. The Edelbrock Victor Junior intake manifold had two days of hand porting performed on it to match it to the heads. The carb of choice is a Holley 1250cfm Dominator mounted to the intake with a Wilson 1” spacer complete with burst panels.

A custom Lexan air-scoop tops the induction and pokes through the cowl for unrestricted air flow. A complex Wilson nitrous system surrounds the intake and gives the small block the added punch Rob wanted to get down the track that much quicker. A dualcross bar system with flowed “trash-can” solenoids found their way onto the intake and is controlled by an Edelbrock progressive nitrous controller. There’s also a Nitrous Outlet flow control valve and filter and bottle heater to ensure everything works right, every time.

A Magnaflow Prostar fuel pump supplies the engine with ample amounts of fuel and after the bang takes place, the custom, Liverpool Exhaust fabricated headers send the gases out via the 4-inch collectors.

THANKS TO: My wife Sara and son Trav for their help and patience. Ma and Pa for letting me take over their home garage and for their support over the years. Jason

Mansweto. Tristan Triccas. The Gazzard Bros - Scott and Paul Cortina - you guys are now family. Kevin Morton from KPM Performance. Mark Brew at Proforce Motorsports for all the help with the Racepak. Michael Cavendish at Micks Motorsport Composites. Jeff Bryant. Fred at ProTrans. Robbie Abbott at Abbott engines. Kon at Diff Technics. Gavin at G&S Prestige Paint & Panel. Michael at Engadine Trailers. Craig Harding at Race Car Engineering for helping me with issues the Ute had at Kenda 2018 - I can’t thank you enough.

My pit crew – Jeff Harkness, Gavin (for the Skull door knobs) & Brad. All my mates that I have made along the way!

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A Pro-Trans built, Reid cased Powerglide backs the potent small block and uses a transbrake and 5500rpm Dominator nitrous converter to send the power back to the Competition Engineering sheet-metal diff that handles the power with ease thanks to the Strange Pro-alloy case with 4.11-gears, Mark Williams 35-spline axles and spool. A Mark Williams carbon-fibre tailshaft with Strange yoke and 1350 uni-joints connects the two.

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A complex Wilson nitrous system surrounds the intake and gives the small block the added punch Rob wanted to get down the track that much quicker.

The suspension of a drag car is just as important as having plenty of power. Get the set up wrong, and you’ll smoke the tyres from the hit of the gas, get it right though, and hard launches with low 60ft times are guaranteed. With Scott Cortina sorting the suspension and Jason Mansweto, Tristan Triccas and Kevin Moreton watching the tune, the Ute has gone 1.23 in the 60’ to date. Rob fitted the front end with 2” lowered King Springs and tubular control arms along with custom valved Gazzard Bros AFCO shocks. Wilwood Dynalite drag racing discs and calipers on ’69 Camaro spindles were also added.

Down the back, there’s more Gazzard Bros gear including their split mono leaf’s with sliders; re-valved AFCO shocks and for the time being, drum brakes. Titanium wheels studs are used on the front, with Strange items serving duty on the rear. Rob ditched the old Weld wheels for a new set of Weld V-series on the front and the first set of RC Comp 15x8 Beadlock Comp rims in Australia that squeeze the Mickey Thompson X275 Radial Pro tyres under the mini-tubbed guards.

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Phone Tricky - 0408 612027

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With all the parts back together, Rob had the Ute bolted up to the Precision Racing Hub Dyno where the nitrous small block recorded a best figure of 1024rwhp and 1148Nm of torque. With the Ute weighing in at 3200lbs and those power figures, Rob and the HG are well on their way to achieving their aim of breaking into the 1/8 mile, 4-second club.

The Ute recently went 5.1@135mph at the Kenda Radial event at WSID, so Rob is almost there! The great thing about this Ute is, although it is currently a dedicated race car, Rob can bring back its street car heritage quite easily as all the changes made can be reversed if needed. For now though, it’s purely track-spec for Rob and the HG‌

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28TH ANNUAL CHRYSLERS ON THE MURRAY, GATEWAY LAKES, WODONGA WORDS – Paul Beck PICS – Paul Beck, Luke Hunter / Hunter Media, Websters Dyno

R I E H T MAKING

MARQUE

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The annual Chryslers on the Murray event has always been a huge event. In fact, it’s the largest gathering of Chrysler vehicles in the Southern Hemisphere! In 2020, all expectation were exceeded as entries hit an all-time high, with an official final figure of 931 registered entrants! The big, just got bigger!

Being a Mopar tragic, the Chryslers on the Murray, is one event I always look forward too. Why? More than anything it’s the variety of the cars that turn up to be part of the event. There’s no denying that cars built in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s had bucket loads of style - and the design engineers looking after the Chrysler brand (and associated brands) always seemed to take that styling to the next level. What may have been considered ‘ugly’ then, is much sought after and cool now. An there’s always lots of that unusual stuff on offer each March.

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The event actually kicks off early on the Friday with driving events taking place at the local Driver Education Centre (DECA). Entrants are encouraged to take their rides out onto the circuit no matter if it’s a muscle car set up for this type of track, or a bulbous old-school cruiser with body roll so bad, you’d get sea-sick after just two laps! It’s all about having fun - though some people do take it more seriously than others... After the sprints are run, the entrants get to race the clock in the Go-Whoa. In the sprint section, the fastest recorded time belonged to Mick Nollar in his stunning, 2008 Dodge Viper with a 58.208-sec time slip, whilst Robert Spiller out drove everyone in his VG Valiant Hardtop to win the Go-Whoa in 8.91-secs.

2020

CHRYSLER OF THE SHOW

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Aristidis Perdikoyiannis - 1973 CH Chrysler Hardtop

Seeing all that muscle lined up beside each other on the Pub’s green lawn was nothing short of spectacular.

Friday evening see’s the focus move to the events home base, the Gateway Lakes in Wodonga where a meet and greet is held along with the Great Reveals taking place. With the rain threatening to end proceedings early, the unveils did happen though the final two did get a few drops of rain on them. It didn’t take long for the cars to depart the venue and head out onto the strip off road leading into Albury where hundreds of people were eagerly awaiting some cruising - usually a bigger deal on Saturday evening. After a storm passed through on Friday night, Saturdays proceedings took place under clear skies - the perfect weather for all those vehicles to fill the grassed display area. And fill it they did, with the organisers worrying that they would run out of space to fit the cars in! Apart from the show ‘n’ shine, there was a huge swap meet that had everything from complete engines to that hard to find badge, moulding or interior trinket. This part of the Chryslers on the Murray always tends to be a busy area as parts supply starts to dry up, and the reproduction parts tend to be a little over-priced.

The Gateway Lakes was a hive of activity with what seemed like a never ending stream of cars coming into the grounds, as well as the judging taking place for the Street Car categories and the Top 5 Cars in both the US and AUST categories. At 11am, special guest Matt Dean - a long time Mopar employee from the USA, took centre stage inside the Merchandise Tent with a seminar that included his vast knowledge of the product and the adventures from his life-long affair with the brand. The always competitive Websters’ Dyno shootout was in full swing on Saturday with a long line up of cars all eager to put on a show for the big crowd that the noise had dragged in. Lots of high horsepower figures were recorded over the two days, with the highest being Michael Brown’s blown, injected 351ci Rambler Hornet with 762.2hp closely followed by Michael Pappas’ Hellcat Challenger with 635.4hp!

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At 2pm, the trophies were awarded to the winners, bringing to an end what was without doubt, the most impressive Chryslers on the Murray yet.

With the spotlight on US Mopar Muscle this year, the owners of those cars left the show arena at 2pm for a cruise out to the Gerogery Pub for the annual spotlight photo shoot - which proved quite a spectacle. Seeing all that muscle lined up beside each other on the Pub’s green lawn was nothing short of spectacular. With music from the live band providing the atmosphere and the smell of the sausage sizzle wafting through the grounds, it was a great afternoon to be had by all. And with the streets around the Pub lined with Mopars, it’s a fair bet to think this was the biggest crowd they have had in a long time, if ever!

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KILLER RIDES AUSTRALIAN TOP 5

Sue Wales Wayne Spiers Brent Matherson Aristidis Perdikoyiannis Andrew Katrakazas

1970 VG Valiant Ute 1971 VH E38 RT Charger 1971 VH E38 RT Charger 1973 CH Chrysler Hardto p 1966 VC Valiant Sedan

Officially, the event moved to the SS & A Club for dinner and live music, but unofficially, many entrants headed back to the street for an impromptu cruise session in front of what appeared to be thousands of car lovers all wanting to see the cars cruising.

Some of the locals also joined in with some tough cars joining in on the festivities as well. It reminded me of the early years of the Summernats where you just had to wait for someone to move to grab yourself a vantage point. The atmosphere on the street was awesome, with just a couple of people playing up later in the night.

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TOP 5 RANCE AMERICSeAN SHANNONS INSU 1972 Rambler Hornet dan

Michael Brown Theo Totos Lou Carpinato Leanne Collicoat Rodney Neindorf

1973 Plymouth Barracuda Hardtop 1969 Dodge Dart Hardtop ible 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Convert 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Hardtop

Lots of high horsepower figures were recorded over the two days, with the highest being Michael Brown’s blown, injected 351ci Rambler Hornet with 762.2hp closely followed

by Michael Pappas’ Hellcat Challenger with 635.4hp!

Come Sunday, even more cars filed onto the lawn for the Show ‘n’ Shine under clear blue skies. With a huge contingency of Mopars arriving just for the day, the venue was filled to capacity and was a sea of colour, chrome and of course, horsepower. Old school, new school and those that combine both added to the already spectacular mix of cars on display.

At 2pm, the trophies were awarded to the winners, bringing to an end what was without doubt, the most impressive Chryslers on the Murray yet. The organisers will have their work cut out for them in 2021 to better this year’s event. I for one, can’t wait! Check out the full list of trophy winners at www.chryslersonthemurray.com

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KILLER RIDES CHOICE - MICK COX AP6 WAGON

As an event sponsor, each year I get asked to pick a car that I think is fitting to win the Killer Rides Editor’s Choice award. As I wondered around the show and shine, several cars took my fancy, and I could have easily offered a Top 5 of my own. This year though, the Killer Rides Editor’s Choice went to Mick Cox for his retro AP Wagon that sported a mini-tubbed rear end, and a cool Gen 3 Hemi conversion that featured a custom air-box set-up and exposed plug leads. Recently finished, the wagon made the trip over from South Australia.

ZORAN GJORGJIJOSKI - 1972 XA FALCON

WORDS / PICS / VIDEO BY – PAUL BECK

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R E T O O H S Bought sight-unseen as a run down, six-pack Falcon 500, Zoran Gjorgjijoski built up a tough as nails XA – keeping a six under the bonnet!

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Anxiously awaiting his new purchase to arrive, Zoran’s excitement turned to dismay when the XA eventually arrived in his driveway. Zoran stared in disbelief as he thought to himself, “what the hell have I bought!” It wasn’t exactly what the seller had described, but thankfully it had very minimal rust which is a bonus in an old car. While the body was far from pristine, it still presented a solid platform for Zoran to build his killer Falcon. Getting the sheet metal prepped for paint was a job handled by Zoran with help from mate, Nick Russo. At every opportunity he could find, Zoran would head south to Mittagong to Nick’s place to help work on the aging body in preparation for Nick to lay on the colour.

Initially, Zoran wanted to turn the Falcon into a sleeper with a big horsepower driveline sitting inside an essentially standard issue body.

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With the addition of the new wheel and tyre combo, the plan to build the XA into a highpowered sleeper was no longer on the table.

With that in mind, Zoran kept the body changes to the very minimum, not even contemplating adding any GTinspired additions. What did change though was the factory appointed vinyl roof. When the vinyl was peeled back, there was collective sighs of relief – the roof wasn’t bad at all! With the thoughts of building a sleeper still firm in his mind, Zoran decided the Falcon was going to be painted PPG Ultra White with a contrasting black roof. All of the Falcon 500 factory badges were returned to their spot giving the ‘untouched’ look. With the paint completed, it was time to add the driveline. And yes, there’s still only six cylinders under that plaint Falcon body. Ok, so it’s not the factory fitted, taxi-spec, 250ci carby engine that was connected to the mounts when the XA got delivered to Zoran’s door. That engine is long gone. It’s probably 10,000 tin cans by now. Whilst it would have been easy to go the traditional route and build up a wild, big-cube V8, Zoran wanted to be different. He wanted his old school XA to have some new school technology, so it was an easy choice to fill the engine bay with a big horsepower, turbo Barra 6-pack screamer.

Built by Atomic Performance with maximum performance in mind, the block was prepped with the standard Ford crank being heat-treated before being reinstalled on ACL bearings along with Spool conrods and CP pistons wrapped in matching rings. A Horsepower Junkie sump holds plenty of the slippery stuff for the modified oil pump from the same company to share around the engine. Up top, the factory head had been upgraded with Atomic valve springs that cover standard issue valves, with a six-pack of AEM coils have been relocated to the top of the rocker cover for easy access.

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A Plazmaman intake was next on the list along with a dozen 1650lb Bosch injectors and 80mm throttle body. Hanging off the other side of the engine is custom exhaust manifold holding a big Garrett turbo charger and fabricated four-inch exhaust incorporating an AES dump valve. Also painted black, an intercooler is almost hidden from sight behind the basic Falcon grille. The pumped 4-litre lives strictly on a diet of E85 that gets forced into the engine via three Welbro pumps attached to the alloy fuel cell in the boot. To make sure everything did what it should, Zoran had good mate Domenic (DomDom) handle all the wiring tasks. Domenic also handles the tuning of the engine.

Having already run a 9.9-sec ET at Sydney Dragway off the footbrake and mostly untested, he is keen to get back on the quarter and see if he can dip into the 8-sec zone.

A Turbo 400 auto built by John and James bead locks. With the addition of the new at RENU to handle 1500hp, is fronte d with wheel and tyre combo, the plan to build a 4000rpm Dominator converter and the XA into a high-powered sleeper was attached to the Ford engine via a To rque no longer on the table. And wi th the plans Power bellhousing. A B&M Pro-Ra tchet to go racing the Falcon down the quarter shifter takes care of the gear changin g. A and on the airstrip at Cootamu ndra, the nine-inch diff has found its way unde r the interior needed to have som e inclusions Falcon’s rear and houses 35-spline Moser that simply wouldn’t fit the sleeper theme axles and is help in place with Ca lvert anyway. Zoran bolted a Kirke y race seat mono-springs and shocks. Other ch anges in for himself complete wi th a harness to the underside include PSR coil-o vers when in race mode, while a mo re padded on the nose with Wilwood disc bra kes seat was placed beside it. Zoran then had fitted to each corner inside the 17 x4.5” Tully at Monsgter Fabricati on fit a roll and 15x10” Weld V-series rims, the rears cage, that hugged the body, still allowing being fitted with Enemies Every where access for the family to go cruising.

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Ok, so it’s not the factory fitted, taxi-spec, 250ci carby engine that was connected to the mounts when the XA got delivered to Zoran’s door. That engine is long gone.

Attention then turned towards the factory dash, which was modified to accept the Motec dash that sits inside a facia made by Danny at Concept Garage. A billet steering wheel tops the new column and when Zoran grows tired of that turbo whistle, he can pump up the tunes on the Kenwood sound system.

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After spending a few years creating one of the most unsuspecting performance XA Falcon’s in the country, Zoran just wants to enjoy it. Having already run a 9.9-sec ET at Sydney Dragway off the footbrake and mostly untested, he is keen to get back on the quarter and see if he can dip into the 8-sec zone. Likewise, he is aching to make the trip back to Cootamundra to run the Falcon down the airstrip for the next Coota 400 – an event that he says is the most fun he has ever had. But most of all, its cruising the street where the Falcon offers the most enjoyment. And for Zoran, that’s what it’s all about…

DETROIT k City

68TH ANNUAL DETROIT AUTORAMA WORDS – PAUL BECK PICS – WORLD OF SHOWCARS

Roc

Dubbed America’s Greatest Hot Rod Show, the 68th Detroit Autorama certainly lived up to all expectations.

It may be the Greatest show, but it’s also one of the most anticipated shows for car enthusiasts around the globe all eager to see who the contenders for the Ridler Award will be and ultimately, who will win the most coveted award in the Show Car world. That’s not to say that the 800 or so other vehicles on display aren’t worthy of a mention, but it seems most of the attention is always steeped onto those Great 8 winners that go head to head to win the Ridler award.

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When it came time to announce the big one, it was Brad, Brady and Cory Ranweiler that made their way onto the stage to accept the 2020 Ridler Award for their take on a humble ’63 Chevy wagon.

The task to find the Great 8 starts early on during the events set up on Thursday, with a select group of Judges scouring the shows many floor spaces to find those cars that may make the cut for the prestigious group of just eight cars. There are some stipulations though and only those that have never been seen in public or on the internet before will be considered first and foremost, adding to the prestige.

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a m a r o t u A t i o r t e D The t s u j n a h t e r o m s i , though g n i n n u t s t h g i e e s o th s d e r d n u h ’s e r e h T . rides l r i G p u n i P , s r e d of tra a , c i s u m e v i l , t s e t n co d n a t s e t n o c r a c l mode much more.

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Frank Hinman - 1955 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

George Conrad - 1966 Ford F100 Pickup

Jerry Logan - 1934 Ford Pickup

When the eight contenders received their flags to let the crowds know who had made the cut, the punters saw a bunch of cars that were as diverse as we’ve ever seen. The mix included customs, classics, hot rods and muscle cars.

Bob Matranga – 1955 Chev Tudor

Brad, Brady & Cory Ranweiler - 1963 Chev Wagon

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Tim & Angie Wheeler - 1969 Camaro

Greg & Gail Wilson - 1929 Ford Model A Truck

Jerry Hess - 1956 Olds 98 Convertible

Each of the eight Ridler contenders were amazing builds, and of the eight, not one stood out as the overall winner. Check out the Great 8 and you’ll see what I mean. Brilliant paint work over reworked, hand-built bodies and engines that are as much about horsepower as they are about looking pristine. It was anyone’s guess who was going to win the ultimate show car award, and from what I was reading on the net during the shows weekend, most were suspecting that the ’55 Caddy had it in the bag.

But, when it came time to announce the big one, it was Brad, Brady and Cory Ranweiler that made their way onto the stage to accept the award for their take on a humble ’63 Chevy wagon.

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Thousands upon thousands of spectators converged on the venue over the three days, taking in what most people are touting as the best Detroit Autorama to date.

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The Detroit Autorama though, is more than just those eight stunning rides. There’s hundreds of traders, Pin-up Girl contest, live music, a model car contest and much more. And because of the show’s stature, there’s always a wealth of guest appearances by a wealth of famous celebrities including Hot Rod Royalty Gene Winfield, WWE star Ric Flair, Roadkill host Mike Finnegan, Cody Walker from Furious #7 and Spiderman – all of which spent plenty of time signing autographs for the fans.

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The show also takes in the ‘basement’ where once you ride the escalator down, you were greeted by the Autorama Extreme – a show within the main show. This section of the Autorama is for owner-built Hot Rods, Customs, Trucks and Bikes all built to the old-school theme. Gene Winfield had a Chop Shop display in this area that also held rockabilly bands and the Miss Autorama Pin-up contest.

Another show section that always gets plenty of attention was the Cavalcade of Customs.

Situated smack bang in the middle of the venue, this section is reserved for those traditional customs of the 50’s and 60’s. Here, the wilder the better with the emphasis placed on major sheet metal changes, crazy custom paint and engineering feats to blow your mind.

CAN YOU AFFORD TO LET YOUR

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S R O T I T E P M CO

ADVERTISE HERE?

With more than 800 cars spread across the Cobo Hall display area, it’s a good thing the show was open for long hours over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Thousands upon thousands of spectators converged on the venue over the three days, taking in what most people are touting as the best Detroit Autorama to date. With the uncertainty surrounding car events across the world at the moment, maybe the next Detroit Autorama will see an influx of new cars that simply couldn’t be shown anywhere else in 2020. Time will tell…

GET D N A N IO T U L O V E R L A IT JOIN THE DIG AR! L L O D G IN IS T R E V D A R U INNOVATIVE WITH YO 69

Thanks to the team at World of Showcars for the use of their photo’s.

CONTACT PAUL BECK FOR ALL YOUR ADVERTISING NEEDS! (0432) 795336 paul@killerrides.com.au www.killerrides.com.au

n i a l P Just TOUGH!

RONNIE MUFSUD_1993 VR COMMODORE UTE

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WORDS / PICS / VIDEO – PAUL BECK

Destined to spend life as a mistreated burnout mule , Ronnie Mifsu d stepped in a saved the VR nd Ute, opting in stead to build tough street a a nd strip Pro-S treeter.

After previous ly owning an 1 1-sec VS Comm that was tubb odore ed and sporte d an aspirated 6-speed and 355, 9-inch combo , Ronnie jump the chance to ed at own this Ute w hen good frien Zammit (of GO d Joe D383 VL Comm odore Super S fame) decided edan he would rath er spend the d on rebuilding ollars the VL’s engine , and not on th “I grabbed it b e Ute. efore Joe sent it to the scrap I didn’t touch heap. it for another two years as working inters I was tate in a fly in , fly out deal didn’t leave m which e anytime at a ll!” Ronnie exp “As soon as I lained. could get a sta rt on it, I reall stuck into it. 5 y got years later, it’s done! It’s now to enjoy it and time when the time is right, start ra it as that was a cing lways my end goal.”

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As with any major build, there have been some very trying times. The body and paint being one of the biggest hassles during the build. Ronnie had the body and paint done back in 2018, but wasn’t very impressed with the job he was presented with. After hearing about the crew at YES Smash Repairs in Pt Kembla south of Wollongong, Ronnie had a chat to owner Yugi and before long, the Ute was in the shop getting done the right way. But, when the paint was removed, the sheet metal underneath had seen better days and Yugi was more than reluctant to use what was there. Ronnie knew that trying to get replacement panels was like trying to find that

elusive pot of gold at the rainbow, but Yugi was determined to find them regardless and started the search. To Ronnie’s amazement, Yugi managed to find brand new old stock quarters, doors and guards in different parts of the country. When the new gear arrived, Yugi and his team stripped the Ute back to its bare bones and added the genuine GM replacement steel. When everything was secured in place, the body was prepared for paint. Now some people may call your basic white, well, a little boring, but Ronnie wanted a subtle look for his tough VR and instructed the guys to lay on the Fuji White paint from the Glasurit range.

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So how does the engine perform? On the hub dyno, the engine produced 723hp, but with a bigger turbo unit and intercooler still to come...

Fitted with an HSV Maloo kit (and tailgate) as well as a four-inch cowl bonnet from Alfa Motorsport Fibreglass, the Ute looks amazing in its all white coat laid on by YES Smash Repairs. For a relatively small shop, the work they do there is first class. The colour continued over into the load area that has been heavily modified with the enlarged wheel tubs, roll cage extension and fabricated fuel cell. Ronnie, being a welder by trade, handled this side of the build himself.

Finishing the external looks is a set of FR Simmons measuring 20x8.5” and 20x12”, the rears offering up a big dish and filling the tubs perfectly.

Open either door and you’re greeted by a reworked Interior. Even if you only had a slight interest in cars, you’d be able to tell that this interior means business. The factory seats are gone, replaced by one-piece SAAS items that offer more support and look much better than what the Holden engines were allowed to add in. A six-point IHRA-approved moly cage surrounds the interior and is there for when Ronnie ventures out onto the quarter mile. From the driver’s position, the familiar VR dash layout comes into view, and has been gutted and filled with more accurate AutoMeter gauges that sit just behind the MOMO Race steering wheel. And making sure the shifts are short is a B&M Stealth Pro- Ratchet shifter that sits on the now enlarged transmission tunnel. Dave King at King’s Auto Trim recovered the interior is a mix of dark grey leather-look vinyl and suede. There’s no stereo added as Ronnie reckons the sound of the turbocharged LS jammed under the bonnet is music to his ears, as is the sound of those 315-tyres screaming for mercy when Ronnie jumps on the loud pedal!

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Speaking of the driveline, the decision to go with a LS set-up was an easy one, and after talking to Robbie at Edmargs Engine Reconditioning, a plan was put into place to build a single turbo, 6-litre version LS-2. Robbie started with a Chev performance cast iron block before adding Lunati rods and CP Bullet pistons to the stock GM crank. The cam is perfectly suited to the turbo set-up and works in with Morel lifters to get the job done.

The heads are stock LS-2 castings fitted with Ferrea valves and better springs for when Ronnie decides to take the tacho needle into the bright red “fun” zone.

THANKS TO: First and foremost, my wife Michellin for never complaining about the build time and the long

nights and days in the garage! To my mate Lewis who was always there to lend a hand and offer motivation when needed – thanks mate! Yugi, Matty, Billy and Jake at YES Smash Repairs for an awesome job on the panel and paint!

Milrad from Automotive Control and Eithan – two sparkies who handled the electrical work at different points in time. Wayne Little for the use of the workshop and hoist when needed. Dave Vassalo for the tough transmission.

Robert Spagnol at Edmargs Engine Reconditioning for the tough engine that just keeps getting better! Dave King at Kings Auto Trim for nailing the interior! Brad Grech at Ultimate Metal Work for the firewall. Brendon Benge at Fast Times Fabrication for bending up the cage and advice on the set-up. David Bosnjak at Bosnjak Engineering for the tough diff centre. Kon from Wollongong Automotive Services for tuning the car. Scotty Brown at Carnet Fluids for the fuel and trans lines. Ray Bajada at Mobile Brake and Hose Solutions for the brake and power steering lines. Damian & Jason at Chubby’s Garage for the awesome job on the powder coating. Jason Vella, Steve Grima (LAUNCH), Daniel and Mick Farrugia for helping get things sorted while I was away working!

The factory injection has been given the flick to make way for the Holley HiRise incorporating a 105mm throttle body from the same company. Feeding the induction system is a Garret GTA42 bush-bearing turbocharger and Bosch 2200cc injectors while the Haltech Elite 2500 ECU calls the shots for optimum performance. The factory LS2 coil packs have been reinstated for duty and combine with MSD leads to put the fire into the belly of the turbo LS2 beast. A single 3.5-inch exhaust shows the gases the door via a pair of Speedway-spec, 5-inch mufflers from Dan Wheeler in the USA.

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So how does the engine perform? On the hub dyno, the engine produced 723hp, but with a bigger turbo unit and intercooler still to come, that figure will rise considerably. Dave Vassalo built Ronnie a tough Turbo 400 auto that now features a reverse pattern shift, full manual valve body, shift kit and Dominator converter. Transferring the 700-odd ponies through the box to the diff poses no problem at all. The diff itself isn’t a weak link either, with the F100, 9-inch housing being narrowed before being kitted out with Strange 35-spline axles and Pro-gears from the same catalogue. Located with a chrome-moly four-link, anti-roll bar and diagonal link, the rear end is about as tough as you can get. As far as suspension goes, the VR has King Springs and Koni shocks on the nose with Strange coil-overs handling the rear end duties. Factory GM disc brakes live inside the wheels, with a master cylinder from VX Commodore handling the braking with ease.

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There’s no stereo added as Ronnie reckons the sound of the turbocharged LS jammed under the bonnet is music to his ears, as is the sound of those 315-tyres screaming for mercy when Ronnie jumps on the loud pedal!

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So now the Ute is all but finished, Ronnie and wife Michellin try to enjoy the Ute as much as they can. At the end of the day, Ronnie built it to hit the strip with and when that happens, he is hoping for some times slips that have an “8” at the front. That will be one big goal ticked off the list of things to do. There’s also plans to join in on the Drag Week events and see just how the Ute performs in competition. But first things first. Some shake down runs will happen as soon as he can get some more road miles on it. It’s still pretty fresh from a five-year build, so Ronnie wants to make sure the Ute and himself are ready to tighten those harness belts and take on that green bulb at full-noise! Bring on that 8!

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BECAUSE

LIFE BEGINS AT

1000HP!

e h t s ' o h W

s s o B

It was third time lucky for John. His brother had purchased this Mustang in 1975 and cruised it until he started a family in 1980 and wanted to part company with it.

John’s Mum knew how much John loved that car, so instead of someone else taking ownership, dear old Mum came to the rescue and bought the car from her son.

One year later, and with his newly gained driver’s license in hand, John bought it from his Mum and has owned it ever since. Before

John became the owner, the Mustang was just a regular driver, a lifetime away from where it is now! A truck driver by trade, and part time automotive photographer by choice, John was never going to leave the Mustang just how he bought it. That’s not how a young, impressionable car guy works!

John wanted his Mustang to be tough and being built right about the time that the Pro-Street movement was in full swing! The poor Mustang never stood a chance!

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JOHN NEMETH - 1966 MUSTANG WORDS - Paul Beck PICS - John Nemeth / Bart Cepek

Some families keep rare artefacts, antiques and other collectables amongst themselves for generations. John Nemeth is the third member of his family to own this ’66 Mustang…

As far as Ford’s go, an engine package just doesn’t get any tougher than a big block Boss engine! Those Hemi-heads scream performance and are amongst the most desirable of all Ford V8 engines. John’s Boss started life as a typical 429-cube big block, but that’s to Eric Simone, the engine has been rebuilt with more cubes, more power and more visual appeal. The Mustang spent lots of time at Kenny’s Rod Shop where Kenny and his crew made the Boss engine and gearbox fit into the engine bay. Now sporting no less than 534 cubic inches, Eric added a Scat stroker crank and H-beam rod combo along with Diamond pistons, Total Seal rings and a Competition solid roller cam and lifter kit.

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John was never going to leave the Mustang just how he bought it. That’s not how a young, impressionable car guy works!

Those big Shotgun Hemi heads have received a thorough going over as well with Comp valves and better springs added in readiness for John to push the limits. A Weiand tunnel ram was extensively modified by Eric before filling the gap between the heads and holding up two, 1050cfm Holley carbs high above the bonnet line, topped with a custommade scoop. The carbs were prepped by Dale Cubic for optimum performance. An MSD 7 ignition system provides more than enough spark to light the first in the beast before the spent gases are sent packing via the stainless two and a quarter inch headers with 3.5-inch collectors. On the dyno, the rammed big block recorded an impressive 928hp!

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A suitably-strong Turbo 400 auto has been adapted to the Ford big block via a JW bellhousing and features a Phoenix Transmissions 9” converter to handle the angry Boss. Copping the brunt of the power is a severely narrowed 9” diff with tough Currie 35-spline axles. The work continued under the Mustang with the obvious wheel tubs (by Pat Fifleski at Patrods) dominating the view from any angle. John had Robbie Miller back-half the Mustang inside his home garage, using an Art Morrison clip. Robbie did the conversion like it was a full-tilt race car with chrome-moly steel and then tigwelded everything in place. Located with an Art Morrison ladder bar set up with Chris Alston anti-roll bar and Art Morrison coil-over shocks, the diff holds Wilwood disc brakes and massive 15x14” Sander Engineering rims wrapped in equally big 31x16.5” Hoosier tyres. Up the front, the American Racing wheels measure just 15x4” and roll on Moroso DST 25x4” rubber. Wilwood disc brakes sit inside the front runners too. The front end also scored 2” drop spindles and QA-1 coil-over shocks.

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Being an avid photographer, John has plenty 87 of cool photo’s of his Mustang taken over the years he has spent behind the wheel!

Photo by Grant @ Exhausted Media

The body has also changed quite a bit. It seems that every owner the mustang has had, has added a colour to its panels. John knew he needed a colour change and spent way too much time stripping back no less than four previous paint jobs the Mustang had scored over the years. With the body ready to go, John had Kenny Welch at Kenny’s Rod Shop lay on a smooth coat of PPG Dark Slate Grey topped with a coat of Lamborghini Matte Clear for that nasty, back street bruiser look. Complimenting the body colour is a cool pinstripe from Von Dago. The colour covers an essential stock body with the exception of a chunk of bonnet steel missing for the engine to hang through and the all-important parachute – a necessity for any Pro-Street monster.

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John’s Boss started life as a typical 429-cube big block, but that’s to Eric Simone, the engine has been rebuilt with more cubes, more power and more visual appeal.

Inside, it’s all business. A mass of chrome-moly roll cage encloses the interior space that includes alloy door trims, lightweight Jaz seats, the ignition system and a row of AutoMeter gauges fitted to the standard Mustang dash facia just behind the billet Le Carrera steering wheel that tops the billet Ididit column. The TCI Outlaw shifter is mounted where the original shifter and console once sat. Some would argue, but I reckon the coolest part of the interior makeover is the Carrol Shelby signature on the dash!

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The colour covers an essential stock body with the exception of a chunk of bonnet steel missing for the engine to hang through...

THANKS TO:

Robbie Miller Racecars, Upland, California. Kenny Welch at Kenny’s Rod Shop, Boise, Idaho.

Patrick Johnston. Kenny Welch Jnr. Pat Fifleski at Patrods, Boise, Idaho. Jonny Monza at Monza Enterprises.

John has now owned the Mustang for more than 39-years, with the gradual transformation from a daily driver to Pro-Street pavement pounder taking around 18-years from when it all started in 1995. It’s turned out just how he had planned and wouldn’t change a thing if he was to do it all over again. Neither would I….

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

1932FORD

In many Hot Rodders eyes, the 1932 Ford is the ultimate Hot Rod!

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Affectionately known as the “Deuce”, the ’32 is most likely the most popular of all Hot Rods around the world. When introduced as an allnew replacement for the Model A, the ’32 was the first Ford vehicle to score a V8 engine – a 221ci Flathead V8. These days, the humble ’32 has been repowered by just about any engine combination you can think of. Some still use a “flatty” for power, whilst many others opt for Chev’s (both small and big blocks) as well as more common 302ci Ford V8’s and for those with deeper pockets, a Hemi big block! Almost from day one, the ’32 was subjected to varies forms of modifications. It’s

true that when there’s power available, it’s never going to be enough and there’s always going to be someone to find a way of extracting more horsepower. The very early days of Hot Rodding were built around street racing and seeing who could get the most of the power plant they had.

But it wasn’t just about the power. Owners were starting to add flames, lower their rides and fit “mag wheels” in the true sense of the term. When more modern parts were to become available, they always found their way into the cool cars at the time – and in Hot Rodding, that was more often than not, the ’32 Ford.

By far, the most popular body style chosen is the three-window coupe, closely followed by the five-window version and of course the Roadster.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

It’s no surprise that a ’32 Coupe was used in American Graffiti – the iconic Hot Rod street racing movie. The producers at the time knew the popularity of that model and cashed in on it. That yellow 5-window – the Milner coupe, is now one of, if not the most famous of all ’32 Fords!

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Almost from day one, the ’32 was subjected to varies forms of modifications.

Thanks to guys like Andy Brizio and his son Roy, Boyd Coddington, Chip Foose, Bobby Alloway and others, the ’32 Ford has been given several high-profile makeovers during the years as high-end show car builds dominated the show scene and magazine covers around the world. Each builder has taken the basic ’32 Ford lines and added their own take to build a never-ending array of uniquely-style Deuces.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

By far, the most popular body style chosen is the three-window coupe, closely followed by the five-window version and of course the Roadster.

The ’32 has also been rebuilt as a Vicky, Tudor and four-door sedan, Tourer and Pickup offering many choices when potential builders were looking for a starting point. As well as many options in bodies, so too have there been 96 many various build styles. Show car. Race Car. Pro-Street. Nostalgia Racer.

High-Tech. Rat Rod. Street Rod. The 1932 Ford has been there, done that!

Thanks to guys like Andy Brizio and his son Roy, Boyd Coddington, 97 Chip Foose, Bobby Alloway and others, the ’32 Ford has been given several high-profile makeovers during the years...

There’s no denying that an original all-steel ’32 Ford is the most wanted of all Hot Rods for most, but with supplies well and truly dried up, Rodders around the world have been turning to fibreglass bodies (or plastic as some older guys call them!) to start their project off with. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s plenty of variations available and in most cases, the body requires minimal work to make them paint ready.

More recently though, you can purchase a reproduction steel body manufactured by Brookville Roadster.

Available in a Roadster, 3-window coupe, Limited Edition Phantom/Tourer (Designed by Foose) and closed cab pickup, the new steel bodies offer those that prefer steel a further option. Brookville Roadster can also supply a chassis kit and any individual parts required.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Such is the popularity of the ’32 Ford that there’s even whole shows dedicated to the one-year model. In 2019, almost 1400, ’32 Fords congregated in the sea-side city of Victoria in the Canadian Northwest for the annual Deuce Days which is held every three-years. Whilst we don’t have anywhere near those numbers here in Australia, heading to any sizeable Hot Rod event here will always guarantee a big turnout of ’32 Fords. And that is a trend that will continue for as long as there will be hot rods…

Affectionately known as the “Deuce”, the ’32 is most likely the most popular of all Hot Rods around the world.

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LUKE BOND_1957 CHEV 210 TUDOR

WORDS / PICS / VIDEO – Paul Beck

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S E D A H S OF GREY

the f o e n o d l i u b o t t u o t e s d n o . a i Luke B l a r t s u A n i ’s v e h C 7 5 ’ e u most uniq Job Done…

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The Bond family, in particular Luke and his Dad Phil, have had plenty of cool cars parked in the home garage over the years. Phil still has a cool ’55 Chev wagon and a couple of hot rods ready to cruise any time and his love of cars has obviously rubbed off onto Luke, who has previously cruised the streets in a ’28 Model A Ford hot rod. Whilst the Rod was cool, he always had a desire to own a tough ’57 Chev. After a short search, he found a run down, but sound ’57 Tudor out the back of Kempsey on the mid north Coast of NSW. It proved to be the perfect candidate for the build he always wanted to take on. With the deal done, Luke and Phil towed the rolling body back home, eager to put their combined plans into action…

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All up, the ’57 took just 8-months to transfer from the rolling wreck to stunning streeter you see here.

The body was far from pristine, but did have minimal rust to deal with – a bonus on such an old car. Before getting the sheet-metal gun-barrel straight and ready for colour, the father and son team got stuck into the underside of the ’57. The boot floor was removed and replaced with a new section that included much bigger wheel tubs, a recessed fuel cell and a modified transmission tunnel.

Whilst paying plenty of attention to the underside, Phil modified the chassis, fitting a four-link setup to the rear and VL Commodore rack and pinion steering to the front end, helping the ’57 to steer so much better than it ever did. RodTech coil-over shocks have been fitted to both ends, with VE Commodore calipers clamping over drilled and slotted discs to up the ante in the braking stakes. For rolling stock, Luke fitted 17x6” Pro-Drag rims on the nose, whilst 15x12 Weld Pro-Star rims wrapped in 31x18” Mickey Thompson rubber fit under the tubbed rear end perfectly. Pro-Street lives!

With the underside completed, attention turned to getting the body work sorted. 1957 Chev’s are classic for a reason and you just don’t mess with that styling. Plenty of hours were put into the body preparing it for what was going to be a bold choice of colour combinations. Sure, Luke could have played it safe and painted his Tudor red or black that seems to be crowd favourites, but then it would blend in with the crowd and that’s not what Luke wanted. With the prepped ’57 sitting in the booth at Focus Bodyworks, the decision to paint it Nardo Grey from the Audi range came to fruition as the colour was expertly laid on. To compliment the base colour (and probably upsetting the purists in the process), the chrome work was coated in black. You want unique?

Luke certainly got that!

Obviously, it’s the twin-turbo set up that dominates the engines visuals when lifting the ‘57’s bonnet.

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A tough ’57 Chev Tudor needs, no make that commands, a tough driveline. Luke was being realistic when he decided on the engine package. Yes, ’57 Chev’s (like any car), look awesome with a blower hanging out of the bonnet, but Luke knows that by adding a blower to his Chev would be like waving a red flag at the boys in blue, daring them to bring out their defect book.

Instead, the ’57’s engine bay was filled with a twin-turbo LS2 built by Phil at home in their garage. The 6-litre LS package lends itself beautifully to a twin-turbo set-up, and Phil built this engine to not only make plenty of power, but do so with reliability in mind. The standard issue block scored a set of Scat H-Beam rods and SRP dish top pistons and JE rings swinging off the standard LS-2 crank. A Lunati cam works with LS7 lifters and there’s a Mellings oil pump to keep the entire bottom end well lubricated from the HQ-spec sump. The heads are L98 items that have Pac springs wrapped around the original valves.

Obviously, it’s the twin-turbo set up that dominates the engines visuals when lifting the ‘57’s bonnet.

Using custom headers, the turbo’s form the biggest part of the engines top end that also includes a standard LS2 intake manifold, Holley Terminator X EFI and ECU system, 92mm throttle body and 1000cc Bosch injectors. Although the engine hasn’t

seen a dyno as yet, it should be good for around 750hp at the sizeable treads. A trans-braked Powerglide with an SDE turbo converter and airshifter B&M shifter handling the gear changes, backs the LS2. From there, the power feeds through a custom 3-inch tailshaft to the narrowed 9-inch diff sporting 31-spline billet axles and 4.11-gears.

The completed car drove out of the family garage in November 2019 and has seen plenty of use since...

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The engine package isn’t the only highlight of this build.

Luke entrusted the interior makeover to Darren and the team at Stitched Up Custom trim. Well versed in producing show-winning custom interiors, Darren certainly knocked it out of the park with Luke’s 57! Using a pair of VE Commodore buckets and a modified rear bench seat for the basis of the interior redo. Keeping the “Shades of Grey” theme happening, the Chev’s insides feature a combination of vinyl and suede materials that complement the body colour – which blends across the dash and window frames. Luke once again added

a unique touch to the interior with the addition of the full metal door trims – designed and fabricated by Dad, Phil. The trims are finished off with Billet Specialties handles, winders and armrests. The original styling of the ’57 dash has been kept in place, though Luke decided not to add the trim panel between the two dash pods, but did add a Retro Sound head unit, Holley dash screen and the all-important mobility controls that have been custom made to suit the Chev and sit just behind the billet steering wheel. The ‘Stitched-Up’ logo’s in the scuff plates complete the tasty interior overhaul.

All up, the ’57 took just 8-months to transfer from the rolling wreck to stunning streeter you see here.

It’s an amazing transformation that is a credit to not just to those who contributed, but to the dynamic that both Luke and Phil have when working together to create this killer Chev. The completed car drove out of the family garage in November 2019 and has seen plenty of use since, including a trip to Mt Panorama for the Bathurst Autofest. For Luke, this is exactly what he envisaged and wouldn’t change a thing. The Chev is destined for plenty of cruising, but Luke did hint that he would like to have a crack at an upcoming Drag Challenge to see just how well that twin-turbo LS2 performs…

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THANKS TO: Firstly, my Dad,

Phil for the endless hours on the car from the chassis work, building the engine, handling the body work and all the small touches along the way. Ozzie from Easy Motors for the machine work. Ryan Loft for the wiring. Kev, Aaron, Trent and all the boys at Focus Bodyworks for the great paintwork. Darren and the team at Stitched Up Custom Trim for the awesome interior work.

With the deal done, Luke and Phil towed the rolling body back home, eager to put their combined plans into action…

KILLER PIC PHOTO - Paul Beck

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More rubber was added to Pit Straight at Mt Panorama during the 2020 Bathurst Autofest than the past 20-years of the Great Race thanks to big efforts like this tough, blown, injected HR Panel Van. Rumour has it that there’s still a smoke haze hanging around Bathurst!

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So with the self-isolation well and truly keeping people home, why not spend some quality time in front of your TV watching the Killer Rides DVD series. Each of the four DVD runs for at least one hour! Priced at just $10 each including postage. Order yours now. Contact Paul on 0432 795336 or via email, www.killerrides.com.au paul@killerrides.com.au EFTPOS or Direct Debit is available.

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PUBLISHING EDITOR

Paul Beck paul@killerrides.com.au Phone 0432 795336

MAILING ADDRESS

PO Box 165 Oak Flats NSW 2529 129

WEBSITE

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VALUED CONTRIBUTORS

Lauren Jade @ Xposed Photography Tim McCormack @ Sweet Aussie Rides Chad Silvey @ Pics by Chaddo Leisa Bonnici @ Fordgal Images Blake Williamson @ Insane Grunt Photography Stephen Taylor @ The Motorsports Project John Antoniw @ 9000rpm Photography Jimmy Tee Photography Greg ‘Beach’ Ball - Joe Crispin - Jason Lowe Ben @ High-Explosive Media Luke Hunter @ Hunter Media