Where will our automotive tradesman come from moving into the future? It’s no secret that the Automotive industry isn’t the highest paid bunch out there, and as an apprentice who has financial pressures right from the outset to buy a decent car and have enough money for rego, tyres, servicing and of course fuel, is it any wonder these youngsters are looking at more financially viable options?
Let’s face it, I honestly believe that the tradesman we will have come through the ranks, will be those that are either following their parents footsteps or have been involved in the car scene in some capacity and just has a love for cars – and it’s those that we need to concentrate on. If you’re passionate about anything, you’ll put everything you have into becoming the best you can be, with the focus being the end result. So how do we keep those people in the car game?
I think the Government have a responsibility to introduce Automotive based courses into high schools. The students, both male and female, will be able to learn everything from changing a tyre, to replacing fuses, doing an oil change or even changing a clutch, diff centre, or brakes. These are things that can help these kids in everyday life, but could also spark an interest to make these young people look at the possibility of a career on the tools. I really do believe that the basic Apprenticeship wage structure needs to be looked at too, to keep it in line with other trades. Just my two cents worth…
With that in mind, I hope you enjoy Issue #51 of Killer Rides that features another great line up of cars, both in static and video form along with some killer event coverage and more! See you on the Street,
WE NEED TO FIND THE NEXT GENERATION OF AUTOMOTIVE TRADIES AND WE’VE GOT TO START THEM YOUNG!
One of the Street Outlaw favourites, Daddy Dave Comstock was well known for driving the ‘borrowed’ Chevy pickup before building his own Nova. Whilst rumours were circulating about a new car, no one could have guessed what the covers were going to reveal at SEMA! Even Dave himself hadn’t seen the finished car, so he was surprised at just how good the Audi S5 had turned out. Built for the No Prep Kings racing season, the candy coloured Audi was built by Tynan Race Cars and features a Procharged XRE 565cube Hemi for power! Can’t wait to see how the other teams react to Dave’s EURO racer!
Gary Myers - Burnout Legend!
“I only use the best parts in my cars, that’s why I use Lovells Springs!
Lovells are the ONLY choice for Team Myers! Make them your choice too!”
For owners of Torana’s, all roads will lead to Canberra over the weekend of March 10-12, 2023 for the return of the popular Torana Nationals. There’s quite a few changes being made for this event, so to keep up to date with all the happenings jump onto the website at www.torananationals.com.au
Got something to say? Send it to paul@pscmag.com.au or message us from the Performance Street Car Facebook page.
G’day Paul, You know what I love about Killer Rides (and Performance Street Car)? You never know just what style of front cover you are going to get. I love the fact that each new issue is unpredictable, with the last cover shot showing the two guys with their haul of trophies and the Torana just awesome! I’m a fan of your creativity. Keep up the great work!
Daniel J – Terry Hills, NSW
Hi Paul,
I was pleasantly surprised to see the return of the video features to Killer Rides. It certainly adds to the normal car features you do each issue and with the two combined, Killer Rides is the complete package now. Thanks for everything you do for the car scene – especially in our local area. Without you and your team, the car scene in the Illawarra region wouldn’t exist. Well done.
Tony F – Brownsville, NSW
I thought it was about time to bring back the video features to compliment the new style of Killer Rides. There will be more innovation added to the pages in the coming months as I implement some changes I have planned. One thing is for sure, you’ll never know what you’ll find in each new issue of Killer Rides. Thanks also for supporting the events we stage as well. I can put all the plans into place, but if you guys don’t attend, then my time is wasted. Bring on a big 2023!
G’day Paul, I work most weekends so getting to events is extremely difficult for me, but thanks to the amount of event coverage you have in each issue of Killer Rides, I don’t miss out on too much. I love the fact that you feature all kinds of event, not just the high-profile ones. Thanks for going that extra mile with Killer Rides, I’m sure I’m not the only one that appreciates it.
Michael K – Logan, QLD Hi Michael,
Before I got involved in the magazine industry, I spent plenty of time checking out shows from around the country in various magazines. I didn’t have the money to travel to shows but seeing what was in the pages of various magazines made up for that. Fast forward all these years later and I hope I am doing the same for other peopleinthescene.IhavetothankguyslikeJimmyT,ChadSilvey,LaurenatXposed Photography, Greg ‘Beach’ Ball and others for sending in pics from various events that I’m not able to get to.
Hi Paul, Why do car events attract the clowns (both male and female) that have to revs the shit out of their engines when idling through a carpark overflowing with muscle cars and genuine car enthusiasts? And if that’s not bad enough, when they leave, they leave with the tacho bouncing off the limiter and think it’s cool. Hey guys! Do us all a favour and find somewhere else to do that stuff, you’re simply not wanted where we are!
G’day Bryce, Unfortunately mate, a meet full of modified cars will always attract those undesirables who cause a fuss and then leave – usually just before the Police arrive responding to complaints. I have the same thing happen at our Mid-Week Meet-Up’s. I asked one guy not to do anything stupid because there are camera’s everywhere and there are Police watching. He just laughed at me and the proceeded to do the exact opposite of what I asked. Funnily enough, he hasn’t been back! Maybe the Police caught up with him down the road? We can only hope…
G’day Daniel, Thanks for the support mate. Like you, I am a fan of seeing cool covers, and no one does it better than the American’s! I grew up reading Hot Rod, Car Craft, Street Rodder etc and they always put so much work into their cover shots. I guess not having to answer to anyone about my idea’s helps too, so I hope they are liked more than they are hated! More coolness to come!
Shane Rowe and his team at the Shepparton based Southern Rod & Custom have been responsible for building some of the most outstanding cars ever seen in this country. Only a few weeks ago, the Les Lawry owned ’30 Ford Vicky was awarded Australia’s Most Beautiful Hot Rod award at the Hot Rod & Harley Expo – despite being built more than 20-years ago. It’s quality like that, that people will pay good money for. And when you see the high-end projects on the go in the workshop, you can see just how big a reputation Shane and his team actually have!
SOUTHERN ROD & CUSTOM 1955 BUICK COUPE WORDS - PAUL BECK PICS - SRC
There’s no denying that the one-time forgettable mid 50’s Buicks are on a rapid rise in the desirable stakes, with your basic drive-spec rides going for crazy money – exceeding the 5557 Chev price range! This particular ’55 Buick coupe being built up in the Southern Rod & Custom garage will definitely be a Buick to behold!
You can tell by these pics supplied by their inhouse photographer, that this ’55 Buick coupe is going to be special. The guys have taken a well-worn coupe and waved their magic over the body bringing the exterior back to what appears to be a perfect rendition of how the Buick engineers designed it. But, as with most SRC-built rides, there are subtle changes made to the body to make the fit and finish much better. The guys also replaced the floors, added a set of minitubs and completely redesigned the boot area. The workmanship, as you’d expect, is first rate and its almost a shame to cover the bare steel with colour.
The conversion from left to right hand drive has been done using a fabricated steering column and pedal assemblies, whilst at the other end of the interior makeover, sees a fabricated parcel shelf with recessed speaker pods added. Retractable seat belts have been added as well.
But,aswithmostSRC-builtrides,therearesubtlechanges made to the body to make the fit and finish much better.
Under the Buick’s big bonnet sits a KATECH Performance LS-based engine that is surrounded by a fabricated engine bay and firewall. The underside of the front-end features tube control arms, rack and pinion steering and coil over shocks. Each corner scored a set of Wilwood discs and calipers that live inside a large Diametre Billet Specialties wheels. As well as the minitubs, there’s also a 9-inch diff located via a four-link.
The Buick is a master class of how to build a show-winning classic with subtle mods, and modern day power. It’s a typical Southern Rod & Custom build in the fact that it not only is built to the highest quality, but its built to be a driver too, and at the end of the day, having both of those attributes is what we all strive for.
Words - Paul Beck / Pics - Chad Silvey
As far as impact goes, Pro-Street will always be king! There’s nothing subtle about a ProStreet car, just hardcore performance at its very best. And that’s exactly what Rob’s stunning LC GTR is all about. Even though its detailed like a seasoned show car, make no mistake, this build is all about raw, unadulterated horsepower. Don’t believe me, check out the Torana’s engine bay! Yep, that’s wall to wall performance there! In amongst all of that turbo plumbing sits a 440-cube Dart LS block that’s been stuffed full of top shelf gear with just one goal in mind – producing bulk horsepower! The block features such goodies as a Callies billet crank with matching Ultra rods, JE pistons and a secret-spec hydraulic roller cam. The reworked LS heads scored PAC dual valve springs wrapped around much bigger valves. Right from the outset, this engine package was going to score two turbo’s and EFI, so a Plazmaman billet LS7 intake with no less that 16-injectors was added to fill the gap between the heads and now works in with the twin Garrett GTX3528R mirror turbos and custom twin-entry Plazmaman intercooler to get the small block screaming quickly! Custom exhaust headers get rid of the spent gases, with the engine being told how to react to Rob’s right foot via the Motec Global engine management system. The engine package was meticulously pieced together by Powerhouse Engines. Making its long-awaited debut the recent Extreme Auto Expo in Adelaide, Rob De Sciscio’s wild LC GTR was the star of the show!
A tough-as-nails Turbo 400 auto built by Al’s Raceglides, sits behind the megahorsepower LS and utilises a manual, reverse pattern shift, to get the power back to the custom sheet metal 9-inch diff with Strange full-floaters, a Detroit TruTrac and Race Products 35-spline axles. The almost unbreakable rear-end sits inside a modified rear clip that was handled by the master, Frank Zagari. The ¾ chassis features a fourlink and wheel tubs big enough to swallow the 20x12-inch Weld Racing RTSs71 rims and 29x15 Mickey Thompson tyres. Upfront, the wheels measure 18x6 and roll on 26x6-inch
Mickey Thompson Sportsman rubber. The standard issue front suspension has been ditched in favour of a custom K-frame, tub arms and Viking double adjustable shocks. Wilwood Pro-Series disc brakes feature on
Even though its detailed like a seasoned show car, make no mistake, this build is all about raw, unadulterated horsepower.
Apart from the wheel tubs, the Torana still resembles a factory-fresh resto – at least with the bonnet down, with Southern Classic and Customs laying down the custom mix over the Platinum Silver base as finishing off the body to perfection. The familiar GTR striping completes the external look nicely and ties in with the black centres of the rims. What can’t be considered even remotely close to what the factory had intended, is the interior. In amongst a mass of roll cage sits a full custom interior, with lots of red Nappa and Alcantara leather used to cover the Recaro seats, door trims, and dash. Speaking of the dash, Rod added a digital version of the original dash cluster, keeping the heritage, but updating the look! That piece of technology sits behind the factory thin rimmed steering wheel. Trims by Mooch handled the stitch work.
Whilst Rob’s wicked LC GTR has only just been unleashed onto the scene, don’t think that Rob’s intention is just to show the car and collect trophies. Hell no. You don’t spend that sort of coin on that sort of engine just to look at it! Whilst the driveline certainly has the capabilities to run into the 7-second zone, Rob is playing it down a little saying that everything needs to be right on, on the day. But when you consider the Torana is fully engineered, and ANDRA teched, you get the feeling this Torana is going to be part show, part street and part strip! Just how we like it…
SEMA was back with a vengeance with more cars, more products and more people flowing through the doors than ever before. Thankfully, for those of us that couldn’t make the trip to the US to take in the event first hand, our well-travelled correspondent, Greg ‘Beach’ Ball was there and snapped a bunch of pics to make us all jealous. Enjoy!
After a couple of years of planning, the first Killer Rides Hot Rod & Harley Expo was on! And after a highly successful Killer Rides Live in the same venue a few months before, we were looking forward to another big show…
For years, I’ve been wanting to put together an indoor show specifically for Hot Rods, Customs and Harleys, but the time was never quite right. Then Covid came along, and we all know the impact that had on car events around the country. 2022 was going to be the year and plans were ramped up to make it happen. At that early stage, when I booked the venue, there was very little else on that was being advertised, but the closer to the event, the more I found happening. But, I was committed and stuck to the schedule. The plan for me was simple. Bring together a mix of Hot Rods, Customs and Harleys that showcase all parts of their respective scenes from the obvious Showcars, to the regular drivers, the homebuilt cruisers and those built to go fast. By all accounts, the handpicked group of cars and bikes that greeted the crowds as they flowed through the doors was spot on.
The Hot Rod section featured some iconic cars that have been around the scene for quite a while, yet still manage to impress. One Hot Rod in particular was Les Lawry’s 1930 Ford Victoria. Built by Southern Rod & Customs, Les bought the ’30 back to the Hockey Centre 20-years after it made its last showing in this building. Looking as fresh as the day it was built, people who knew the car stood and stared in amazement and those that hadn’t seen the car before, thought it was a new build. Also back on show after being built some decades earlier, was Mark Stacey’s “Buccaneer” Dodge Pickup that was built by local Odd Rods Club founder John Watts. Not wanting to mess with the history in this build, all Mark has done over the years was to add a blower to the small block. Matt Olver made the trip down the highway from Qld for the event and had jaws dropping at the site of his stunning ’34 Ford coupe. The quality of the hot rods on display was of the highest quality with the variety unmatched! From a pair of Rattletrap racers, to blown pro-streeters to full-tilt, show-only builds.
The plan for me was simple. Bring together a mix of Hot Rods, Customs and Harleys that showcase all parts of their respective scenes...
The custom section also had some historic vehicles on show. The late Mario Colalillo’s KINGCAD still looks amazing, as did Ben Gatt’s candy ’39 Lincoln Zephyr, which it was pointed out, was painted around 20-years ago. And if seeing one Lincoln Zephyr blew your mind, we had two on show with Chris Cobaine entering his orange ’39 Convertible! This was the first (and maybe last) time these two were seen as the same show. This section also saw Peter Strojen’s ’60 Caddy back inside the venue after Killer Rides Live in August along with John Trunzo’s historic FJ coupe, Gordon Day’s candy Gold Buick Riviera and Andy Colalillo’s slammed Lincoln Continental as built in the USA. This is one part of the Hot Rod & Harley Expo I can see expanding in coming years for sure.
The bikes that made this year’s event were nothing short of mindblowing. From the candy, pinstriped and muraled paint to the use of gold plating, airbag suspension and engraved chrome work, these bikes all deserved to be winners. Peter Pulford travelled from Canberra with not one, but four cool Harleys including the Captain American and Billy bikes, made famous in the movie Easyrider. Peter also entered a mild custom Harley and a replica, board track racer that took everyone by surprise without the use of an abundance of chrome or the need for fat tyres! At the other end of the scale, Mohamed Habib’s Night Rod used lots of gold plating, candy paint, a massive rear tyre and turbocharged V-Twin to impress
everyone, no matter how bad their eyesight was. Fadi Rudd’s HTMAN Vicla is one of the most impressive bikes I have seen and it absolutely glowed under the stadium lights, the candy teal paint standing out like a beacon. Likewise, Daniel Bennett’s daily ridden Vicla looked every part a show bike set up inside the building.
Gus Seklaoui’s VRod was just plain tuff! The candy bronze paint mixed with satin charcoal is a winner. It’s hard to believe, but Bill Gazilas’ Vicla was a pile of parts just a week before the show. But Bill’s determination to be there saw the bike come together at the last minute and actually arrived at the venue just an hour before the show opened to the public. This was the bikes first showing, and one that Bill will remember for quite a while.
When I was putting together the trophy list, I needed to cover all the necessary categories within the Hot Rod, Custom and Harley sections, there were three big awards that I wanted to have included. They were not only awarded to the best in each category, but it would give the winner the ultimate bragging rights. So, to the victors, go the spoils. Les Lawry was awarded the Australia’s Most Beautiful Hot Rod trophy, with Australia’s Most Beautiful Custom going home with John Trunzo, his FJ coupe topping the point score in that section. And it was Bill Gazilas who came up to accept the Australia’s Most Beautiful Harley trophy. I bet has was happy he persevered with getting his Vicla together for the show.
Whilst we had to compete with the local Air show, less than ideal weather conditions and a few other events up and down the coast, the first Hot Rod & Harley Expo was a complete success. And announcement will be made soon in regards to the next Hot Rod & Harley Expo as we search for an alternate date away from the hustle and bustle of November. Stay tuned…
Words / Pics - Paul Beck
They say that most things that come from the 80’s should have stayed there!
That simply doesn’t apply to Darren Harris’ ‘still’ stunning XP Futura Coupe.
Some cars are just timeless. There’s no other way to put it. Can you believe this oh-so-cool XP Futura hit the streets way back in 1984? I remember seeing this car for the first a few years later at the Street Machine Nationals in Wagga Wagga. The candy paint glowed in the sunlight and at that time, and it had a tunnel ram topping the small block Windsor. One other thing that caught my eye was that the 15x6 and 15x10-inch Centerline wheels were highly polished, not satin finished like everyone else was doing at the time.
Originally, the HK left the factory covered in Silver Mink with red trim – one of the most desirable colour combinations for this model. The first thing Pete did was to remove the panels (including the complete front end) and then sandblast the underside to clean it up and make sure there wasn’t any nasty surprises waiting for him. When the dust had settled, the bare floor proved to be in great shape and it was at this stage that Pete added a 3.55-geared Detroit Locker diff as well as HQ drum brakes and all new lines and bushes. And with a big horsepower engine upgrade planned, Pete dropped the HK off to Brett at Wicked Industries to add some chassis connectors and minitubs – just the thing to through those 15x8-inch Auto Drag Centerlines under complete with the 28x10.5inch Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pros. Completing the underside makeover are HQ disc brakes, 90/10 shocks and lowered Lovells springs on the front end with 15x5.5-inch rims and 640-15 Excelsior tyres. The rear end now sits lower too, thanks to reset leaf springs and Koni adjustable shocks.
Darren bought the XP when he was just 17 back in 1982. Yep, he has owned this car now for 40-years and over that time, it’s remained pretty much the same as it did when first completed. Darren and a now deceased mate, Colin Young took on the build themselves getting the Futura ready for the streets after much after hours work. When it emerged, the coupe was coated in the Spray Chief Candy Apple Red but after an incident in Melbourne, the paint had to be redone. Fast Forward 40-years, and amazingly, it’s still the same paint that currently adorns the Futura’s smooth panels. The body is essentially all XP with the most obvious change being the rear wheel arches which share
Inside, the coupe has been treated to a host of upgrades that include AutoMeter gauges, a Billet Specialties steering wheel and B&M shifter. The low back bucket seats and matching rear seat have been trimmed in black to compliment the painted surfaces that have been coated in grey. The interior is practical, and like the body and paint, shows nothing that should have been left back in the 80’s.
Some cars are just timeless. There’s no other way to put it. Can you believe this oh-so-cool XP Futura hit the streets way back in 1984?
These days, the 347-cube Windsor relies on a single carb to provide plenty of fuel into engine to produce enough power to keep Darren happy. Built by Danny Selva, the engine is nicely detailed and looks a treat surrounded by the candy coloured engine bay. A C10 auto backs the small block and is fronted with a 4800rpm Converter, which easily sends the power through to the 9-inch rear end. Darren gets the XP sitting low, very low in fact, thanks to the full airbag suspension system fitted by Von Bros Engineering.
You can imagine my surprise to see this XP still looking amazing, in the street cruise at Springnats! Sure, the twin carbs are gone, but damn, it’s still one very impressive car! Darren has no plans to ever part with the car, and actually intends to make a future subtle changes as he continues to cruise the coupe as often as he can.
The biggest gathering of Lowriders in Australia converged on The Entrance again for 2022 bringing together a mix of clubs and individuals for a display not to be missed.
They came from all over the country. Lowriders of all makes, models, styles and build quality. But that’s the beauty of the Lowrider lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the most stunning show quality paint, the shiniest undercarriage or the most chromed pumps jammed into the boot area – it’s all about enjoying the lifestyle that surrounds this unique section of the car scene. Whilst the Lowrider scene is massive in the USA where it originated, there’s no denying that on our shores, Lowriding has been gaining momentum over the past few years, with more and more cars appearing at events all over Australia.
The event officially kicked off on the Friday night with a ‘Meet and Greet’ dinner and drinks, followed by a cruise around the area at 9am on Saturday morning which was well attended and showcased what was to come the following day. Sunday was definitely the main day – especially for spectators, with all of the entrants lined up in Memorial Park and on the closed off section of Marine Parade, creating a spectacle unmatched in
When you think Lowriders, you instantly envisage 64 Chev Impala convertibles cruising on 13-inch wheels and sporting custom paint. These days though, any cool car can be a lowrider and at the Lowrider Sunday, these are broken up into groups such as the traditional Lowriders; The Hoppers, The Bombs, The Kustoms, The Classics, The Bicycles, The Viclas and of course, the Minitrucks. They all combined to make this a huge show and shine with something for everyone. In amongst the many show cars were an abundance of trade stands offering all kinds of related products, cool DJ’s and of course, the hard-fought tug-o-war that pitched club against club. After the winners were found, the action moved to the nearby carpark where the single car entered in the Car Hopping did its thing – the Aussie Fairlane bounced up a storm in front of the appreciative crowd.
By all accounts, the 2022 Lowrider Sunday was a complete success. The venue was bathed in clear blue skies making the colour and chrome absolutely glow for the thousands of people wondering through the show area. Bring on 2023…
They came from all over the country. Lowriders of all makes, models, styles and build quality.
Wondering around the recent Lowrider Sunday (check out the feature elsewhere in this issue), it was hard not to notice Adam Tyson’s amazing 60 Chev Impala. Once you got past the crowds that seem to surround this car all day, you got to witness one of the most finely detailed lowriders in Australia. From the body to the interior, engine bay, boot and even underside, this Chevy looks like it was built to take to shows and never see any road use. But you couldn’t be further from the truth. Adam enjoys jumping behind the wheel and cruising the Impala every chance he gets.
The choice of colours spread across the smooth body, draw you in like a magnet, especially when there’s bright sunshine beaming down across the candy coloured artwork that adorns the Impala’s back half. Even the Continental kit scored the same paint scheme. When combined with the factory base colour, the multi-shades of blue and silver that have been added by Kyle at Smith Concepts take the ’60 to the next level. Closer inspection of the artwork reveals just how intricate the design is, featuring not only a myriad of candies, but also white gold leaf and amazing pinstriping and scroll work. Honestly, you could stare at the Chev’s bodylines all day!
Lifting the big bonnet reveals a crate 350 Chev engine that would have looked way out of place if it had kept the Chevy Orange colouring. Instead, Adam stripped the external parts of the engine before detailing it to keep the theme flowing into the engine bay, especially now that Kyle has added more graphic artwork to the smoothed out inner guards. The rocker covers, air cleaner and
upper control arms feature lots of painstaking engraving. And just to show it all off a little more, the underside of the bonnet now features mirrors to reflect the hours put into the detailed small block.
It should come as no surprise that Adam has also taken on the task of detailing the complete underside in a mix of chrome (both engraved and plain), body colour and more.
The factory styled interior is an already cool place to hang out, and Adam knew that Chev got it right way back in 1960, so why mess with something that is already impresses? There are some subtle changes though, like the Dakota digital gauges, and the chromed and engraved from windscreen trims. Other than that, Adam enjoys the practicality of the stylish interior, even more so when the weather allows the roof to come down. The boot area didn’t escape the makeover either with painted and pinstriped panelling added along with chrome pumps and tank mounted to a matching ‘stage’. As you’d expect, the artwork on top of the bootlid is mimicked underneath.
Even with all of this detailing in, on and around the ’60 Convertible, Adam has no problem driving the Impala around, whether it’s up the coast to events like the Lowrider Sunday or down the coast for a cruise, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what owning a cool, in-yourface Lowrider is all about?
Lifting the big bonnet reveals a crate 350 Chev engine that would have looked way out of place if it had kept the Chevy Orange colouring.
It may have had a few false starts, but when it did happen, the Tuff Day Out certainly delivered the goods, with plenty of muscle on offer.
Brad Gordon had the Tuff Day Out concept in his head for quite some time before it actually happened. Yep, Covid, and other setbacks struck, forcing back his plans to bring a bunch of high-powered cars and bikes to the home of the Summernats for a one-day, horsepower-fuelled fiesta, all the while raising money and awareness for Men’s Mental Health Charities. Once
Brad managed to get a wide variety of cars and bikes to Canberra for the event, many coming from interstate, showing their support for a great cause. If, like me, you’re a fan of all makes, models and styles of cool cars and bikes, the Tuff Day Out was motoring heaven. No matter where you looked, there was something on show that bought a smile to your face. Drag cars, street cars, Showcars, trucks, Speedway cars, exotic Euro’s, restored muscle cars and more filled not just the two pavilions, but also the forecourt of each.
Luckily there was plenty to see in front of the main building – the one where the Summernats Top 60 show is held each year, as the line up to get inside the building weaved its way through some amazing machinery parked outside under the brilliant Canberra sunshine! The Moreau Racing team set up camp in the parking lot, showcasing their stunning ’37 Ford Coupe Drag Car, that was pulled apart to let people get up close and personal with a purpose-built quarter-mile blaster. The team shared the space with plenty of tough street cars that kept the waiting
If, like me, you’re a fan of all makes, and styles of cool cars and bikes, the Tuff Day Out was motoring heaven.
Once inside, the quality of entrants continued. One of the first cars to get your attention was Simon Waugh’s wild, blown injected XA Falcon Coupe. With its orange paint glowing and its mountain motor on show, it was hard to battle the crowds to get a pic - a trend that continued through both buildings as thousands of people flowed through the venue. Equally as impressive was the ONIT Torana. Even though the car could easily do the show circuit, this one is all about destroying tyres, not that the candy green paint showed many battle scars! Wild Commodores were plentiful, many having been subjected to a high-horsepower makeover – just how we like them!
Yep, Covid, and other setbacks struck, forcing back his plans to bring a bunch of high-powered cars and bikes to the home of the Summernats...
Walking through both buildings revealed more and more cool cars and bikes, many that I hadn’t seen before; and I spend my life at car events! Brad did an amazing job gathering together such a diverse range of cars and bikes and I reckon that if Brad does decide to go ahead with the Tuff Day Out in 2023, there will plenty of people heading back to Canberra to get a big horsepower fix!
Words - Paul Beck
Built By Mike Goldman Customs
Named REFLECTION, as a tribute to his former drag raced El Camino, Sonny Freeman bought this Chevelle in Las Vegas with the intention of having a nicely constructed car capable of holding its own at shows. But, when he decided to get the team at Mike Goldman Customs, the Chevelle was destined to be more than that…
Once the Chevelle arrived at the workshop, the team gave the coupe a once-over to establish what they were actually starting with. But, the more they looked into it, the more issues they found. Right there, things changed. Eric Brockmeyer was brought in to do a concept drawing of what the Chevelle was going to look like completed and with everyone in agreeance, work started on the new look Chevelle. The body has scored some major changes, even though they may not be so obvious. Check out the roof! Those not familiar with the Chevelle, would never have picked that the roof has been grafted from a 1967 Malibu. Nor would you have picked that the boot opening has been reworked to line up with the new, custom rear window openings – which, by the way, has the glass installed from the inside for a much cleaner look. The ‘A’ pillars have been lowered and laid back and once again, the windscreen mounts from the inside. Chevelle fans would have noticed the door openings have been played with as well.
It’s so good in fact, that at the 2019 Detroit Autorama, Reflection made its debut and scored a place in the prestigious Great 8...
The rear bumper assembly has been custom made along with the rolled pan that never existed on the factory spec model. Even the taillight assembly is a one-off, created on paper by Brockmeyer and handformed by the talented crew at Mike Goldman Customs. There’s a billet alloy grille, custom door handles and custom mirrors. Once the body was sorted 100%, the body was covered in a tweaked version of Marina Blue. Dark Shadow Grey complements the body colour and is used on the under bonnet and interior components. That reworked, shiny-as-hell body now sits on an Art Morrison chassis fitted with Ride Tech shocks, rack and pinion steering, chrome-plated upper and lower tubular control arms, C6 Corvette style hubs with Wilwood
discs hidden behind the 18x8-inch and 20x10-inch Brockmeyer designed, Mike Curtis machined custom wheels. The bespoke chromed billet four-link locates the smoothed Strange 9-inch diff with 4.11-gears and those large Wilwood discs. Providing ample power is a 427-cube LS7 built by Mast Motorsports and externally polished. Making in excess of 900hp, the engine is topped with a Whipple supercharger and features custom billet rocker covers, also from Mike Curtis. The engine sits in a hand-formed sheet alloy engine bay, making the blown small block the main focus! Internally the engine features only the finest gear on the market. Backing the engine is a Bowler T56 Magnum box that’s sends the power to the aforementioned 9-inch diff.
The body has scored some major changes, even though they may not be so obvious.
Inside, the interior is much like the body – full of custom work, but as subtle as they come. Paul Atkins hand crafted the interior, forming the custom dash in steel, filling it with a custom gauge cluster. The interior also features a fabricated four-bucket seating set-up, Ididit tilt-steering column, and a custom console that provides a place for the power window switches and sound system. To offset the body colour, Paul covered the interior in Slate
The engine sits in a hand-formed sheet alloy engine bay, making the blown small block the main focus!
The collaboration between Mike Goldman Customs and the owner resulted in a oneoff 1965 Chevelle that has been taken to the highest level possible. It’s so good in fact, that at the 2019 Detroit Autorama, Reflection made its debut and scored a place in the prestigious Great 8 which made it a contender for the Ridler Award. Since then, the Chevelle has won many awards at NSRA and Goodguys events and many other events, testament to the quality of the build…
The HQ would have to be one of the most versatile models in the Holden range. Over the years, we’ve seen them drag raced, circuit raced, used as work hacks for all kinds of tradies, modified beyond belief for street and show and let’s not forget the hundreds of thousands of families who have used them as daily drivers, with some continuing to do just that all these years later. We’ve seen them every colour imaginable and seen just about any engine you can think of bolted into that big welcoming engine bay – including a turbo diesel, big cube Oldsmobile, Chevs of all sizes, and dare I say it, even a blue oval small block! If you can think it, it’s probably already been done to the humble HQ…
As mentioned, the HQ engine bay can swallow any make of engine, but Guy opted to go with some later model technology in the form of a 5.7-litre LS1.
Guy Archer however, didn’t want to go too crazy on the look of his HQ Ute, instead opting for a more subtle approach, leaving the surprise for under the bonnet. Between himself and son Keiryn, they worked out a build plan that would span a considerable amount of time as well as two different home garages! Essentially, the exterior is all HQ, with an upgrade from the stock Kingswood look with the addition of the Statesman front end and GTS guards – each option a bolt up deal, that gives the Ute a more upmarket look. After the rear end was mini-tubbed and the engine bay shaved clean of unnecessary items, it was time for colour. Guy chose a Grey used on the Land Rover to cover the HQ body, with all the bright work coated in black – which works in perfectly with the 15x6 and 15x8.5-inch Street Pro rims.
Originally, the HK left the factory covered in Silver Mink with red trim – one of the most desirable colour combinations for this model. The first thing Pete did was to remove the panels (including the complete front end) and then sandblast the underside to clean it up and make sure there wasn’t any nasty surprises waiting for him. When the dust had settled, the bare floor proved to be in great shape and it was at this stage that Pete added a 3.55-geared Detroit Locker diff as well as HQ drum brakes and all new lines and bushes. And with a big horsepower engine upgrade planned, Pete dropped the HK off to Brett at Wicked Industries to add some chassis connectors and minitubs – just the thing to through those 15x8-inch Auto Drag Centerlines under complete with the 28x10.5inch Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pros. Completing the underside makeover are HQ disc brakes, 90/10 shocks and lowered Lovells springs on the front end with 15x5.5-inch rims and 640-15 Excelsior tyres. The rear end now sits lower too, thanks to reset leaf springs and Koni adjustable shocks.
Inside, there’s very little of the old HQ heritage left in place. The seats once served duty in a VF Commodore, and the factory gauge cluster has been given the flick to make way for the Powertune digital dash display unit that sits behind the GTS steering wheel and later model ‘H-series’ column.
The standard issue centre console remains in place, and now plays host to the B&M shifter. Once again, the approach is subtle, but practical.
As mentioned, the HQ engine bay can swallow any make of engine, but Guy opted to go with some later model technology in the form of a 5.7-litre LS1. Whilst some may have been happy to drop the stock LS onto the mounts and “go with the flow”, our man Guy wanted more. If you’re not already drawn to the Proboost GTX42 turbocharger, then you’re probably reading the wrong magazine. With that turbo hanging off the side of the engine and the Holley Mid-Ram intake replacing the factory injection, it’s a fair bet this LS is far from stock. There’s a 100mm throttlebody added to the intake along with 1000cc
injectors and Holley fuel rails that feeds the good stuff from the tray mounted cell via two Bosch 200 pumps. Internally, the 5.7 copped a Kelford cam, LS7 lifters and guides, Warspeed oil pickup bracket, ARP cam bolts, Manton pushrods, PAC valve springs, a Mellings oil pump and double row timing chain. All tried and tested stuff that ensures the LS’s longevity. The turbo install also included a Turbosmart BOV, 50mm Progate waste gate, and Bullet Fab turbo manifolds that have a 4-inch dump and 3.5-inch exhaust. Guy isn’t letting on how much power the LS1 now makes, so let’s just say, considerable!
Backing the higher-horsepower small block is a purpose built Turbo 400 auto with TCI flexplate, B&M pan and a 4000rpm converter from TCE. The trans has no problem feeding the power down the 3.5-inch tailshaft to the narrowed 9-inch diff from Ultra 9 with 31-spline axles and a tough centre section more than capable to handle the load. More power means better brakes and suspension, so Guy added VL rear brakes to assist the HQ front discs. You’ll notice the ride height has changed too, with super low King springs added to the nose and reset leaf springs used on the rear to take out the gap between the wheel and guard. All in all, Guy has pieced together and usable, practical, drive-anywhere HQ Holden that wouldn’t look out of place at car meets, shows, and cruises. It may look subtle on the outside, but you have to remember, everyone has a nasty side too! In this case, it’s under the bonnet…
Guy isn’t letting on how much power the LS1 now makes, so let’s just say, considerable!
The blue skies certainly bought out bikes from everywhere, with the show area surrounding the Harley Heaven showroom and workshop, filled to capacity. And with parking designated on the streets around the venue, you can imagine how difficult it was to find a spot. As I did each of ten laps around the area trying to find a spot, I could see the bikes overflowing down the sides of the building. I just had to find a spot, I couldn’t miss out on what looked like an awesome show! Luckily, as I came back for what I had decided was to be my final try, a car pulled out and I drove straight in…
After what seemed like an eternity of wet weather, that would have seen most Harley owners craving for a ride, the weather gods played fair for the Vicla View gathering at Harley Heaven in Tempe, on the outskirts of Sydney city.
Whilst the focus was primarily on the Vicla style of bike, that didn’t stop plenty of other cool Harley’s (and others) from rocking on up to be part of the display. Even as I was leaving, there were still more bikes making their way into the show area. As for the Vicla’s on show, the ‘lowriding’ style Harley was well represented by many unique and custom versions on offer. Whilst some owners preferred to keep the basic Harley style and tweak their rides to suit the Vicla heritage, some decided to go to the next level and add custom engraving, pin-striping over candy paint and all kinds of bars, from low-slung versions to the familiar ape-hangers. Whatever style you preferred, there was bound to be more than just a few that ticked all the boxes for you. The show finished up at 3pm after hundreds of people wondered through the mass of colour and chrome, taking advantage of the free BBQ and listening to the Live DJ belting out the tunes under the clear blue skies.
WHAT
A VICLA? Once a beacon of pre-World War 2 “bombs” and lowrider Impalas, California is the proud birthplace to an ever-growing style of custom motorcycles dubbed Viclas, which have roots back in the 60s, but over time have loosely come to mean lowrider-inspired Harleys.
When this event was first kicked off by the Northern Suburbs Hot Rod Club, it was purely a Hot Rod and Custom event. Set in the snowfields area of country Victoria, Bright is by all accounts, one of the most picturesque towns in the area, so it makes sense to fill it full of cool cars. Whilst the host club have moved on to kick off another event on the other side of the Hume Highway at Yarrawonga, the Bright Rod Run has continued on, with more and more muscle cars and street machines making the trek each year.
You know an event is going to be awesome, when you ring up to find some accommodation months out from the start date, and the person on the other end of the phones is laughing when telling you “good luck with that!”
And for those wanting to join in on the fun, that haven’t been before, you either camp somewhere, or find something out of town and commute each day. Luckily, our man Chad Silvey loves to camp out beside his bagged Chevy pickup and made the trek to Bright with his camera in hand. Here’s a snap shot of what was there. Enjoy…
Carisbrook Race Course, VIC www.chopped.com.au 03 AUSSIE VICLA NATIONALS
- 0488
Sydney Motorsport Park www.powercruise.com 10 SUNDOWN CAR FEST
Penrith, NSW S22/35
Berrigan Golf & Bowling Club
-
Oporto’s Albion Park Rail from 6.30pm 17
Wetherill Park
Macarthur Square Shopping Centre
- 0401
Ingenia Holidays Park, Moruya, NSW 0419 845890
Leeton Motorsports Club, NSW lmscburnouts1@outlook.com
Wigley Reserve, Glen Elg SA corvetteclubofsouthaustralia.com.au 19 ALL AMERICAN DAY CAR SHOW
The Gleneagles Reserve, Seaton SA - 9am-2pm.
Please check closer to the day to see if any of the events have been cancelled due to Covid.
