KILLERRides Rides KEN LOGUE

Words / Pics - Paul Beck

On Track Pic - S8TEN Photography

Whilst the Monaro still retains its showcar appeal, Ken has made sure that when the urge arises, the Monaro is capable of handling anything Ken can throw at it. And trust me, he gives the HT plenty, especially at events like the Autofest series, where Ken and the Monaro have taken home Grand Champion and Go to Whoa Champion at their Mt Gambier, Bathurst and Shepparton Springnats, which is where I caught up with Ken inside the Showcar pavilion. The smooth factory style body, with reverse-cowl bonnet looks stunning in its Sebring Orange paint that not only looks like it’s been poured from a can, but extends into the engine bay and underside. Before the colour was added, there were some subtle mods made including the fitting of a flush mount fuel filler, mini-tubs, and pumped rear guards. The Alfa Fibreglass bonnet is secured to the body via a pair of stylish billet hinges. Complimenting the body colour is a quartet of Weld Pro-Star’s measuring 15x6 up front and 15x10 on the rear.

1969 HT GTS MONARO

When Ken Logue added this HT GTS Monaro to his fleet of cool rides, it was a full-tilt showcar. That didn’t really suit Ken so he made the transformation to show and go!

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.

Lifting that Alfa Fibreglass bonnet reveals a small block Chev sporting no less that 434-cubic inches. Making around 720hp, the engine looks every part as good as it performs. Starting life as a Little M Dart block, the build soon added an Eagle 4-inch crank and 6-inch rods, JE high-comp pistons with Perfect Circle rings and a Howards roller camshaft that lets the world know there’s no stock small block under the bonnet. A pair of alloy Brodix heads were bolted into place, but not before being fitted with Ferrera severe duty valves and Manley Nextek springs, all topped off with more suitable roller rockers. The intake is also from Brodix and is matched to the heads for maximum performance. Feeding ample amounts of E85 fuel into the engine is a Quick Fuel 950cfm carby. After the complete MSD ignition system fires the big cube small block into life, the burnt gases are shown the door via a pair of custom headers that flow into dual 3-inch exhausts.

Backing the engine is a Reid-cased Powerglide with Sonnax straight cut gears, manual valve body, transbrake and an 8-inch Dominator converter with a stall speed of 5800rpm. Gear changes are made with a B&M shifter.

As you’d expect, there’s a nine-inch diff (a Strange one at that!) sitting under the Monaro’s rear end, with 4.3-gears in the Tru-Trac centre. But it’s not just the driveline that’s been upgraded in this Monaro. The front end has been swapped out for a Rodtech independent version that is equipped with coil-over shocks, HQ discs with VS Commodore calipers and rack and opinion steering. Down the back, the brakes are Wilwood and there’s a pair of Koni adjustable shocks working in with the lowered leaf springs – yes, you read that right, the Monaro still uses its leaf springs!

Inside, the Monaro has a balance of old and new. The seating has been upgraded to CV8 Monaro front and rear with a custom-made parcel shelf, door trims and centre console all finding their way into the HT after being trimmed in buckskin leather with body coloured stripes by Blackmans. The factory dash facia now holds AutoMeter Pro-Comp gauges, with extras added to the centre console to keep Ken informed of what’s happening with all the Monaro’s vitals. The billet tilt column is topped with a billet steering wheel, matching the winder handles on the door trims. The theme is carried through to the boot area where Ken had Daniel Broadbent install part of the Pioneer/Audison sound system and TV.

Since being completed to Ken’s liking, the Monaro has not only scooped the pool at Autofest events, with wins at the Monaro Nationals and State Titles in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2022. It’s a trend that will continue for Ken, who will keep giving his elite Monaro a hard time in as many driving competitions as he can, while he can…