ON THE STREET 40-year old Candy Coloured XP Futura

ON THE STREET KILLERRides Rides Words - Paul Beck Pics - Insane Grunt Photography GUY ARCHER HQ HOLDEN UTE

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 Inside, there’s very little of the old HQ heritage left in place. The seats once 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 28x10.5served duty in a VF Commodore, and the factory gauge cluster has been inch 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 given the flick to make way for the Powertune digital dash display unit tyres. The rear end now sits lower too, thanks to reset leaf springs and Koni adjustable shocks. 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!

VIEWVicla

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.

As for the Vicla’s on show, the ‘lowriding’ style Harley was well represented by many unique and custom versions on offer.

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 IS 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.