Performance Street Car #42_Nov 2021 by killerrides

p i r T d a Ro

ISSUE #42 - NOV 2021

UPDATES

TUBBED BIG-BLOCK CAMARO

S ’ A I L A R T AUS T S E H G U O T MONARO!

PRO-STREET Special Issue! TURBO SR20 TUBBED DATSUN

LUS P BLOWN INJECTED TORANA HATCH

BLOWN & TUBBED 57 CHEV BELAIR HARRIGAN’S ROD & CUSTOM SHOW

451-CUBE XE

From the Desk THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT A PRO-STREET CAR THAT EVOKES THAT HORSEPOWER JUNKIE IN ALL OF US.

For many of us, Pro-Street cars are the absolute pinnacle of the performance street car scene. The big rear tyres, exposed engine hardware and race car like styling are us good as it gets. In the early days of Pro-Street in Australia – the late 80’s and early 90’s, the scene was full of cars that looked more at home on the drag strip then on the street. But with state rego standards being somewhat relaxed compared to what we have now, it was common to see these mechanical monsters pounding the roadways in any town or city. It was just the done thing. That all changed when those who write the rego rules, frowned upon steamroller rear tyres, 3.5-inch front runners, a multitude of roll cage lining the interior and of course any kind of engine hardware jutting through the bonnet line. Many thought it was the end of the Pro-Street era as we knew it. But the diehards decided otherwise and kept their engineer-certified Pro-Street car registered and whilst they didn’t cruise them as regularly as they once did, these OG Pro-Streeters were still taken out on “special occasions” much to the delight of those around them. These days, it’s an entirely different Pro-Street car we have to build, if we want legitimate registration and be able to cruise it freely anywhere and everywhere without the fear of having it taken off the road for good. The rules and regulations we have to deal with vary from state to state, but they are available for everyone to see and in most cases, are not negotiable. With that said, you can still build yourself a tough Pro-Street style car in 2021 – you just have to incorporate the features the engineers will demand. The biggest issues we face are the usual Pro-Street style wheel and tyre combo. Forget 15x15-inch rims with 21inch Mickey’s – that’s never going to get the tick of approval from any engineer. The same goes for blowers and the like hanging high above the bonnet line. That doesn’t mean you can’t build a cool Pro-Street car anymore, it just means you have new guidelines to follow and you’ll probably end up with a nicer car to cruise the streets in, compared to a race car with number plates. Unless of course you live in the US where it seems anything goes. If only we had that sort of freedom here… Enjoy the first Performance Street Car Pro-Street Special issue.

Paul

YOUR OFFICIAL SUPPLIER OF OPTIMA® BATTERIES

• SPIRALLCELL TECHNOLOGY • UP TO 3X LONGER BATTERY LIFE

THE ULTIMATE POWER SOURCE Power your ride from any of our 27 company owned R&J Batteries branches

• AGM BATTERY DESIGN • 15X MORE VIBRATION RESISTANT

Wholesale and trade enquiries welcome

/ 1300 769 282

/ rjbatt.com.au

Issue No.42 November 2021

CONTENTS REGULARS

03 EDITORIAL From the Desk

10 WHAT’S HAPPENING News, views and things of interest.

Blown big block HT GTS Monaro

18 HAVE YOUR SAY Tell us what you think. 20

COMING ATTRACTION Turbo Barra XE Falcon .

38 MY FAVOURITE PHOTO CRAZYE LJ Torana 50 ON ANY SUNDAY Harrigan’s Pub annual Show ‘n’ Shine 88

FULL PIT ACCESS Motorsport News.

104 KILLER PIC Pro-Street Legend - Rob Bertolacci

40 Turbo SR20 Datsun 1200

72 Rammed 451-cube XE Fairmont

50 Harrigans Pub Show and Shine

60 Blown injected small block LX hatch

106 PERFORMANCE DIRECTORY Quick Find Ad’s. 108 WINDOW SHOPPING What’s New. 124 PARTING SHOT Smokin’ 57 Slammers

FEATURES

UNFINISHED BUSINESS Is this the baddest Monaro in Australia?

DATS TOUGH Proof that any car can look tough Pro-Street’d!

WHITE HOT HATCH Blown, injected mega Torana.

BREAKING BAD Big cube aspirated XE Fairmont.

82 94

KING OF THE ROAD The most iconic US car done Pro-Street style.

Blown big block 57 Chev

MUSCLE BOUND Big blocked, tubbed Camaro. Yes, please!

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

Aspirated 540-cube 67 Camaro

October 17th - 22nd, 2022 REGISTRATION DAY - Wollongong, Sunday 16th Oct

DAY ONE: DAY TWO: DAY THREE: DAY FOUR: DAY FIVE: DAY SIX:

Australia’s Only Rolling Car Show!

WOLLONGONG - GOULBURN - CANBERRA CANBERRA - GUNDAGAI - WAGGA WAGGA WAGGA WAGGA - ALBURY / WODONGA WODONGA - SHEPPARTON - BENDIGO BENDIGO - DAYLESFORD - BALLARAT PRESENTATION / SHOW N SHINE BALLARAT

www.pscmag.com.au

PROUDLY SUPPORTING GOTCHA4LIFE www.gotcha4life.org

TRAVEL PERMIT T22/01

WHAT’S HAPPENING SEMA RETURNS

After a forced break, the world’s largest motoring event, SEMA, is set to make a huge comeback the day this issue goes live – November 2-5. Though it’s not an option for Aussies to make the event this year, it’s still great to see the organisers bringing the event back. Look for some pics next issue…

BATHURST AUTOFEST EXPANDS

It’s already regarded as one of those “must-do” events, and now the Bathurst Autofest has expanded to four days and two nights of high-powered action. Due to the popularity of those wanting to take part in the burnout comp, Les and his team couldn’t bare to turn those entrants away, so instead of disappointing them, and with the blessing from the Bathurst Regional Council, he simply added two more days to the program in order to fit them all in. The opportunity now exists for those entrants to be part of the Bathurst Autofest Burnout Shoot-Out on both Thursday and Friday. The top two highest scores from each category with go into the Autofest Burnout Championship. The Bathurst Autofest now happens from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th March, 2022. For all the latest news, check out www.autofest.com.au

DESIGNS BY RALFUS CUSTOM ARTWORK

Have you been looking for a cool gift to give that car guy or girl in your life? How about a drawing of your car? Ralf Severyn, better known as Ralfus, has been designing and drawing all kinds of cars for years and can do you a custom, one-off drawing of your pride and joy! For more info, chat to the man himself - https://www.facebook.com/ralf.severyn

Photo by Hi-Octane Motorsports & Photography

FRYDAY #4 IS COMING NOVEMBER 19

After the huge success of their first three events, the team behind the FRYDAY event held at Queensland Raceway (and featured in the last issue of PSC) have booked the venue for Friday, November 19th for another day of hard-revving, tyre-smoking, sideways action. There’s room for just 250 and when the limit is reached, the entries close. For just $160, you can hot the track and destroy as many tyres as you can bring. For more information on being part of FRYDAY, head to www.Hi-Octane.com.au and click on the “Event Tickets” button. 10

UPDATE IT’S OFFICIALLY LESS THAN 12-MONTHS UNTIL THE PSC ROAD TRIP!

As this issue hits the website, it will be well under 12-months before the cars roll from the Beach front in Wollongong for the start of Australia’s coolest car cruise.You’re now on a time-frame to get your holidays and car sorted. Get cracking...

WHO IS CRUISING WHAT? ENTRANT 005

Wayne May - 1970 302-powered Escort

CONDITIONAL REGO PERMIT NUMBER

To see all of the entrants taking part in the Road Trip as they come on board, check out the website: www.pscmag.com.au/road-trip

www.pscmag.com.au

Thanks to the guys and girls at the Australian Street Rod Federation, members of the Association can now take part in the Road Trip on their Conditional Rego, without having to use up any of their 60days. The ASRF Travel Permit number is T22-01 and features on the event flyer.

KEEP UP TO DATE AT THE OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE - CLICK THE LOGO! 12

Jake Myers - Burnout Champion!

ve ha I at th g in th e on d an e lif y m l al rs ca “I’ve been around tough tang us M y m hy w ’s at Th . ity al qu on e is om pr m co learned is never to ” o! to r ca ur yo r fo lls ve Lo on ST SI IN s! ng ri is fitted with Lovells Sp

www.lovellsauto.com.au

WHAT’S HAPPENING KILLER

Video

Pro Street / Pro Mod - Street Machine Shoot-Out, Ozark Raceway Park Video By Urban Hillbilly Action Video

SPRINGNATS RESCHEDULED TO JAN 2022

SPRINGNATS MOVES TO JANUARY FOR 2022 Normally held in Shepparton over the last weekend of November, the Springnats is one of the largest events in the country. But once again in 2021, Covid has put paid to the event going ahead in its usual time slot. So rather than wait another 12-months, Autofest head-honcho, Les Adams, has decided to move the event to the weekend of Jan 21-22-23, 2022, when the Shepparton Showgrounds will once again be overflowing with all the colour, chrome and horsepower you can handle. If you’ve already entered, you entry will just roll-over to the new dates. If you now want to enter, head to www.autofest.com.au and get your entry in now!

WHAT’S HAPPENING

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT – HIGH-TECH PRO-STREET VETTE

The days of Pro-Street cars having full-tin interiors, carbs and race car roll-cages are obviously over judging by the style of this stunning early Corvette. Relying on an LS9 supercharged engine with all the mod-cons, show quality leather trim and eye catching paint, this Vette shows the style that the new-era Pro-Street cars are being built to...

FREE MAGAZINE OFFER

TAKE YOUR VEHICLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF TECHNICAL PERFECTION

TO GET YOUR FREE COPY

CLICK HERE

www.liquidintelligence.com.au

INCLUDES CASE STUDIES & ARTICLES OF ONE OF A KIND PRODUCTS

Mailed to your home or business

HAVE YOUR SAY Got something to say? Send it to paul@pscmag.com.au or message us from the Performance Street Car Facebook page.

KEEP PSC ALL STREET

Hi Paul, Don’t get me wrong, I love the mag, but I am sick of seeing full-tilt drag cars in its pages. As the name suggests, I would rather see true street cars featured rather than race-only cars. Sure, Pro-Street is cool but unless the car is being used on the street, I don’t think it deserves a place in Performance Street Car. Just my two cents worth. Having said that, I still look forward to each and every issue. Andy T Via Email

LOVE THE ONLINE AVAILABILITY

Hi Paul, Recently I was forced to endure a lengthy Hospital stay and whilst I had access to a TV, the crap it offered daily wasn’t worth the effort of turning it on. Fortunately, I mate bought up an iPad for me and with that, I found Performance Street Car, Killer Rides and Super Rod magazines. The fact that I could log on anytime and read the mags was a saviour for me as I was confined to bed for six weeks. To be honest, I don’t think I could ever pay for a magazine ever again after reading your mags online. So thanks for keeping me sane during those terrible weeks. Really enjoyed the reads and look forward to future issues. Curtis Irwin Via Messenger G’day Curtis, Hope you’re on the mend mate! I’m so happy you managed to find the mags and that they helped you get through your Hospitalisation. That’s the great thing about being online, its available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter where you are. Thanks for the support.

AUSSIE STREET OUTLAWS

Hi Paul, I’m a huge fan of the Street Outlaws TV show and seeing that we tend to copy what the guys in the US do, do you know if there’s any plans for an Australian version of the TV show? Likewise, are there any street racing going on anywhere around that we can check out. Keep the tough cars coming. Aaron C Via Email G’day Aaron, I haven’t heard anything about any TV shows regarding street racing in Australia. I have heard about some street racing taking place, but I have no idea where. And even if I did know, promoting it in the magazine would be silly for all involved.

BRING BACK THE NATS!

G’day Paul, I have to agree with Will B in regards to bringing back the real Street Machine Nationals. I remember going through some pics my Dad had of the Street Machine Nationals from many years ago when they were held (I think) in Griffith, NSW. Though they weren’t the size of what we have now, Dad used to rave about how much fun the events were. I recently went looking on the internet and found some pics and video’s from Wagga and Calder Park too. I stopped going to the Summernats many years ago when it appeared the cars were being pushed aside for the music and burnouts. So how about it, will we see the Street Machine Nats make a comeback? Warren J Via Messenger Hi Warren, I have attended the Street Machine Nationals in Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn and Penrith. Yes, they were smaller than what we have seen from events such as the Summernats, Autofest series and Powercruise, but damn they were fun! I would love to see the Street Machine Nationals make a comeback, but there’s just so many hurdles to jump over first, it could take quite some time before it did. But as they say, never say never…

G’day Andy, The cars featured in PSC will always resemble street cars, those with opening doors etc. Whilst I do from time to time, feature blatantly obvious Pro-Street race cars, they all still resemble a street car. It’s the heritage on which PSC was built up on in the early days of the magazine. The bulk of the feature cars in each issue though, are genuine street cars. 18

COMING ATTRACTIONS ISMET VOJIC – TURBO BARRA XE FALCON WORDS – PAUL BECK PICS – OWNER

-PACK S

Tough Falcon’s aren’t a new thing for Ismet. Whilst his beloved XY Falcon may look like a faithfully restored stoker, it is in fact a high-powered street car sporting a 434-cube powerplant backed by a Powerglide auto and nine-inch diff. Depending on his mood, the XY could hit the road wearing stock wheels and hubcaps or more impressive Centerlines. There will be no mistaking with the XE though.

R E M A E SCR

After ditching the original plan of restoring his S-Pack XE Falcon, Ismet Vojic bought an F6-spec turbo Barra and the rest, as they say, is history!

RESTORED BODY WORK 20

SMOOTHED & DETAILED ENGINE BAY IN PREPARATION FOR F6-SPEC TURBO BARRA TRANSPLANT 21

When the well-worn XE rolled into the home garage, Ismet was hell bent on putting the Falcon back to the original factory specs. Three years on though, and that plan has not only gone out the window, it’s been sent packing! The reason behind the new outlook is in part the F6-spec turbo Barra engine that has now been fitted into the Falcon’s smoothed and painted engine bay. Before the engine was bolted into place, it was treated to tougher valve springs, new head studs and head gasket along with a heavy-duty timing chain, and oil-pump gears. The turbo is a 76mm version with an FG intake.

Running on a strict diet of E85 fuel, and controlled by a Holley ECU, the pumped six-pack will make plenty of power. Luckily, Ismet planned ahead bolting up a tough C4 auto trans to the engine that feeds the power back to a Tru-trac, 3.5-geared nine-inch diff. Not only will the engine perform better than most XE’s, visually its stunning, detailed with black highlights.

The reason behind the new outlook is in part the F6-spec turbo Barra engine that has now been fitted into the Falcon’s smoothed and painted engine bay. 22

Before Ismet took possession, the Falcon had been stored for nearly 12-years and the body was in really great shape – a bonus when it came time to tackle the body and paint. Originally blue with familiar S-Pack striping in red, Ismet decided to keep the Falcon’s identity just how Ford had intended. A change of colour saw a darker blue added to the restored sheet metal – a colour that really enhances the Falcon’s shape.

Ismet’s 434ci XY Falcon

Yet to happen in the Falcon’s rebuild is the interior make-over. It’s safe to say that the shapeless striped seats and lifeless door trims will be replaced with more spectacular items to bring the new look from the outside in. We can tell you however that the bland XE dash has been given the flick for a Holley dash insert that will feed Ismet all the info he can ever need. The Falcon is getting close and will be a great stable mate for his over-powered XY sleeper. Built Ford Tough? You’d better believe it!

UNFINISHED

s s e n i s u B

Sometimes you have to bite the bullet, and finish off a mate’s dream car! In Memory of Simon Rasic

BRETT HEWERDINE – 1969 HT MONARO WORDS / PICS – Paul Beck

The history of this Monaro goes back to 2011, long before Brett Hewerdine ever thought about building a Pro-Street Monaro. Brett’s close mate Simon Rasic started the build on his Monaro, giving the ’69 HT the start of a ProStreet make-over. Unfortunately, Simon passed away in 2014, leaving the Monaro to sit idle in a shed untouched. Fast forward to September 2018 and Brett, wanting to continue what his

mate had started, become the new owner. The car was then shipped to Pro-Flo Performance where Paul and his team put in a massive effort over the next three months to build possibly the toughest Monaro since Wayne Pagel’s GAS69! Thankfully, the body and paint work on the Monaro had already been completed, leaving Brett and the Pro-Flo team to concentrate on the mechanicals and chassis upgrades.

The engine features Pontiac “Big Chief” alloy heads on the Donovan alloy block with the 14/71 Littlefield blower attached via a custom intake.

Apart from the wheel tubs, four-link, narrowed nine-inch and coil-over shocks giving the Monaro’s rear end the full-tilt pro-street treatment, the pointy end of the underside also scored some major modifications too. The factory front end has been swapped out for a Rod Shop version that features a modified rack attached to the standard HT column. The control-arms were modified to bring the wheel track in after the boys found 28

the front wheels hitting the guards. A complete Wilwood braking system replaces the factory set-up for a more positive feel. It’s important to get the right rolling stock on a Pro-Street car and Brett’s Monaro has it spot on. The front Weld Wheels measure 17x3.5” whilst the tubs are filled with 15x14” version of the same wheel, wrapped suitably sized Mickey Thompson rubber. From either end, this Monaro means business. 29

As mentioned, the Spies Hecker Black paint was added many years ago, and covers a gun-barrel straight body. Brett knew there were some imperfections in the paint, but a rub down and buff soon had the paint looking like new again. With the exception of the badges and mouldings being removed, (and a large section of the bonnet now missing!), the HT’s body is untouched. Like the outside, the interior is part resto, part race car! The front half of

the trim is partly how the General ordered it to be back in ’69. The factory seats have been retained, but have been repadded before being recovered in the original style. The door trims are stock too, as is the three-spoke steering wheel and GTS dash – which has been partially blocked from view by the AutoMeter tacho and shift lights. A black B&M shifter now takes pride of place where there once sat a console and factory gear selector.

Moving rearward though, it’s all business. There’s a mass of roll cage, exposed wheel tubs and tin work – all painted gloss black. The same theme continues into the boot where the gloss black covers the tubs and the massive fuel tank. There’s also the battery and fuel pump which are exposed to make them easily accessible if the need arises.

Brett’s close mate Simon Rasic started the build on his Monaro, giving the ’69 HT the start of a Pro-Street make-over. 30

Engine wise, it’s hard to look passed the blower and injector hat. The 510ci big block Donovan was built by Bluey Arnold in Queensland and once served duty in Paul Cannuli’s boat, back then making around 2000hp on a strict diet of methanol. Brett however wanted to drive this Monaro around, so Paul Sant pulled the engine down and detuned it to run on E85 petrol. The power is now rated at around 750hp at the tyres for now, but will soon be cranked up!.

Brett wants to thank Paul Sant & the team at Pro-Flo Performance for the huge effort in getting the Monaro finished in such a short time as well Mark Sant at Ontrak Auto Electrical, Adam at Just Engine Management for the Tune, Anthony Caronna Custom body works for the Engine bay paint, Darren at

Stitched-Up Trim and Shaun’s Custom Alloy for playing a part in the build as well. I’m sure that Simon was looking down upon the build the entire time and had a massive grin on his face – no doubt impressed with what Brett had done to complete the project for his fallen mate… This one’s for you Simon…

As mentioned, the Spies Hecker Black paint was added many years ago, and covers a gun-barrel straight body.

MY FAVOURITE PHOTO

CRAZYE by name, CRAZYE by nature! Mick Perry’s SCF Race Cars-built LJ Torana was one of the toughest Pro-Street cars in the country back in 2003 when I did this shoot for Extreme Magazine. Imagine the looks Mick was getting when he and side-kick Craig Burns, were cruising the LJ around the streets for pics! Great times...

Paul Beck

! H G U O T S T DA

BILLY BOURCHDAN - 1973 DATSUN 1200 WORDS / PICS – Paul Beck

proof that is n da se 00 12 n su at D h Billy Bourchdan’s toug a crowd pleaser. it e ak m d an r ca y an et re St you can Pro-

Anyone that knows me, knows that I can appreciate any well-built car no matter what is providing the power up front. To me, a modified car is a modified car. Sure, I’m a V8 guy, but that doesn’t mean that cars like Billy’s Datsun doesn’t get my attention! Just check it out! Tubs, awesome trim and paint and a turbo 2.2-litre four up front making in excess of 600hp! What’s not to like? Killer Rides first ever four-cylinder feature car is an absolute cracker! Billy has always liked the shape of the Datsun 1200 since having one as his first car. When the opportunity to buy a suitable project car presented itself, he jumped at the chance.

On a diet of E85 fuel and with a massive 32-pounds of boost, the potent four makes in excess of 600hp at those 275 Mickey tyres.

The previous owner had painted the car orange and had full intentions of fitting a more powerful, later-model SR20 engine package. Billy had the same intentions and thought that adding a tough driveline to an otherwise stock appearing 1200 Datto would be a great way to surprise people at events like Powercruise where you can legally fry the tyres at will. So, the plan to fit the engine went full steam ahead. 42

It just so happens that Billy’s brotherin-law, Brett is a seasoned fabricator and spends his days building all kinds of wild cars at his Wicked Industries workshop. Between them, the boys decided to go fulltilt on the little Datto and create a Pro-Street monster! Before too long, Brett had the entire back section of the Datsun on the workshop floor in readiness to accept the wheel tubs, chassis clip, four-link and fabricated sheet-metal diff complete with 3.75-geared Strange centre and

35-spline axles, floaters and Wilwood brakes. A pair of coil-over shocks keep the rear end suspended. Brett also fabricated the fuel cell that takes up most of the Datsun’s small boot area. To accommodate the 15x10 Weld V-series bead-lock wheels, Brett stretched the rear quarters, but then had to massage the rear doors lock assembly to allow it to work correctly. Not that you would know that now! The front wheels measure 15x4-inches and give the perfect Pro-Street stance.

Whilst Brett was working on the Datsun’s body, Maatook’s were giving the SR20 engine a major workover. Billy wanted plenty of power, and Maatooks are well versed in doing just that with all kinds of turbo-charged engines of all capacities. The SR20DET engine scored a 2.2-litre stroker billet crank, JE pistons, Nitto I-beam rods, and a modified cylinder head that now has oversize stainless valves and a Greddy sump. A Plazmaman intake manifold occupies one side of the engine and is balanced on the other side by a 6466 Precision turbocharger. Plenty of spark is provided by the R35 Skyline coils. On a diet of E85 fuel and with a massive 32-pounds of boost, the potent four makes in excess of 600hp at those 275 Mickey tyres. Dealing with that power is a C4 auto box that has been built with “all the fruit” and is fronted by a Maatooks special converter. Gear selections are done via a Precision shifter.

Before shipping the body off to 2SUS Custom Resprays for the new Candy Blue colour, the sheet metal scored some subtle changes including a GX Bonnet and the removal of badges and side mouldings for a much cleaner look. With just the interior left to complete, Billy sent the Datsun to renown custom trimmer, Michael Gaven at SewTime Custom Trim to transform the interior space into something that now matches the paint, engine bay and overall appeal of the Datsun.

The factory gauges have been removed from the dash and in their place sits a Racepack digital instrument panel... 46

Michael used plenty of black leather in the Datsun covering the Mazda front seats, custom rear seat, door trims, dash, headlining and even on the floor. The orange stitching and billet inserts give the seats a lot of contrast as do the billet handles, winders and accessories added to the door trims and floor panels. The exposed trans tunnel and wheel tubs copped the same colour as the body. The factory gauges have been removed from the dash and in their place sits a Racepack digital instrument panel and Clarion had unit that controls the extensive sound system. Completing the interior package is the granny-spec Venetion blind. A Pro-Street car with a Venetion blind? Why not… 47

In the 12 month’s it took to create this Pro-Street Datsun, Billy went so much further than he originally wanted to, but is absolutely thrilled with the finished product. It makes plenty of power, looks amazing and gets driven every chance he gets. The big winner out of this all though is his 11-year old Son who will get to call this his car when he is old enough to enjoy it. Lucky bugger…

Completing the interior package is the granny-spec Venetion blind. A Pro-Street car with a Venetion blind? Why not…

As with any build of this magnitude, there are many people involved in the build and Billy would like to extend a big thumbs up to Brett at Wicked Industries Custom Shop for taking on the build (the first car to roll from his shop); Michael from SewTime Interiors; Bassa from 2SUS Custom Resprays; Jason Sammut for helping track down parts and always being ready help out; Anthony from All Wired Up Installations for the stereo install and construction of the parcel shelf etc to make it all fit and Maatooks for the killer engine build. Now its cruise time…

PUB RUN

HARRIGANS ROD & CUSTOM SHOW_JACOBS WELL_QLD SUNDAY OCTOBER 17TH WORDS – PAUL BECK PICS – CHEZ IMAGES

Set on the picturesque grounds of the Harrigan’s Drift Inn, the annual Harrigan’s Rod & Custom Show continues to draw in a huge array of Street Machines, Hot Rods, Customs, Bikes and other specialty vehicles…

Harrigan’s Rod & Custom Show has quickly become one of those “must do” events on the Queensland custom car calendar.

Harrigan’s Rod & Custom Show has quickly become one of those “must do” events on the Queensland custom car calendar. Not only is the venue the perfect location to hold such an event, its laid-back nature ensures those that enter, come back time and time again. Organisers Dani Werner and Joel Rodriguez did a great job of setting up this year’s show, making sure the transition into the venue was smooth and hassle free. Calypso Bay, where the Pub is situated, is perfectly located between the Gold Coast and Brisbane making it an easy drive for all enthusiasts to attend. And let’s face it, who doesn’t want to cruise their cool custom ride along the water ways under brilliant blue skies?

8.30am was the cut off for those entrants and when that time arrived, the venue was a sea of colour and chrome.

It was an early start to the day for those wanting to be judged to be in the running for one of the fabulous trophies that also came attached with prize money! 8.30am was the cut off for those entrants and when that time arrived, the venue was a sea of colour and chrome. The cars lined up on the grass area amongst many trade stands, food vendors and other entertainment including face-painting and balloon twisting for the young, and young at heart. A seemingly endless line up of cool, classic and custom cars and bikes streamed into the show area all morning, offering so many different makes, models and styles that everyone’s tastes were covered. No matter you were into, there was something on show that you’d love to take home!

At 2pm the trophy presentation took place and with so many high-quality cars on display, the judges certainly had their work cut out for them.

By mid-morning, the first round of the Miss Harrigan’s Rod & Custom Pin-Up competition got under way, followed by a second round held an hour later. This side of the show is proving to be gaining in popularity each year and will no doubt be a major part of the event in years to come. Keeping the entertainment going was a DJ, live music, raffles and giveaways.

And let’s face it, who doesn’t want to cruise their cool custom ride along the water ways under brilliant blue skies?

At 2pm the trophy presentation took place and with so many high-quality cars on display, the judges certainly had their work cut out for them. Whilst many people left after the last trophy was handed over, some decided to stay on and kick back inside the pub taking in the live music that continued on. Overall, the 2021 Harrigan’s Rod & Custom Show was a huge success. Keep an eye on the website for details of next years event: www.harrigansrodandcustomshow.com

E T I H W

HOT HATCH

Anthony Starcic has always liked Torana Hatchbacks. Now he owns one of the toughest!

ANTHONY STARCIC – 1978 LX TORANA HATCHBACK WORDS / PICS – Paul Beck

Anthony purchased the run-down LX Hatch in Sydney, that was just begging to be saved. Not one for factory faithful resto’s, Anthony quickly put the plans in motion to turn his new project into a tyre-melting ProStreeter. Forget building an A9X replica – that was never going to happen. Bolt-in flares and spoilers weren’t on Anthony’s to do list. What topped that list was a big engine, big blower and big injector hat! It was at this stage that he spoke to Aaron and Steve at APM in Narellan about building a tough, pumped, small block Chev.

The guys are responsible for building some of the wildest engine combo’s on the street and strip, and their combined knowledge and skill ensured Anthony’s Torana lived up to expectations. Although it’s a small block in size, its cubic capacity is more what you’d expect from a big block. With the right crank and rod combo, this small block now boasts a capacity of 434ci. 62

Whilst Anthony didn’t want to divulge too much about the Chev’s innerworkings, there’s no hiding the blackanodized Blower Shop 6/71 supercharger and equally as impressive, Big and Ugly mechanical fuel-injection hat sitting way above the bonnet line for all to see. Anthony wanted a power plant that could keep a smile on his face whilst torturing the big Mickey Thompson rear tyres. Nowhere was this more evident that at the Sydney Powercruise, where Anthony put every last one of those 1200-plus ponies through the smoking tyres on

the main straight during the “Powerskid” competition. A tough engine relies on a tough driveline to get the power down to the tyres. No problems here with a purpose-built 2-speed Powerglide backing the blown small block that transfers the grunt to the narrowed nineinch diff. And after all that fun happens, a quartet of Commodore disc brakes provide the stopping power thanks to the Wilwood master cylinder. Those brakes are hidden behind the front V-series Weld Wheels and the much wider, bead-lock Welds on the rear.

Not one for factory faithful resto’s, Anthony quickly put the plans in motion to turn his new project into a tyre-melting Pro-Streeter. Already impressed with the Torana’s lines, Anthony knew the hatchback body was going to stay just how the general intended the SS to be. With that said, all badges except the grille “SS” have been removed with the sheet metal copping a couple of coats of white with the black bonnet and window trim by the team at Tony’s Prestige Smash Repairs after their talented body guys got the panels free of any dents, rust and imperfections. The result is one tough looking Hatch. 64

As you’d expect, the insides are practical. The factoryappointed bucket seats are long gone. In their place sits a pair of Kirkey race seats with Harness belts to keep Anthony and a game passenger strapped in tight. From the drivers position, the MOMO steering wheel, AutoMeter gauges and TCI shifter come into play. And when the blown small block tries to turn the Torana inside out, there’s a full roll-cage to combat that problem. Oh, and the engine doubles as the sound system too – and it only plays one tune all day, every day!

Already impressed with the Torana’s lines, Anthony knew the hatchback body was going to stay just how the general intended the SS to be. 66

Oh, and the engine doubles as the sound system too – and it only plays one tune all day, every day!

After having heaps of fun at the recent Powercruise in Sydney, Anthony and the boys will be back time and time again to add to the smoke haze that lingers over Sydney Motorsport Park for days. He may even try his hand on the quarter mile strip to see how the 434 performs in that situation. Other than that, he is content to cruise it to a few local events and enjoy the experience while he can…

E E S O T T N A W U DO YO R A C T E E R T S E C PERFORMAN BACK IN PRINT? I am looking at putting together a printed version of Performance Street Car Magazine every two months. The digital version will still be available free of charge online every month. If this is something you’d like to see, click on the link and check out all of the details and register your interest. www.pscmag.com.au

Y L N O N O I T P I R C S B U S s t n e g a s w e N in le b a il Not Ava Only $77.70 per year! . le b a il a v A s ie p o C d e it Lim

LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN - IT’S UP TO YOU!

BREAKING BAD Zoran Safkulovski’s tough-street XE Fairmont already sported a big cube, big horsepower Windsor, but he wanted more…much more! When it returned to the street, his XE was badder than ever!

ZORAN SAFKULOVSKI_1982 XE FAIRMONT WORDS / PICS – Paul Beck 72

Zoran’s XE has certainly come a long way since his Dad drove it out of Geelong Ford in 1982 as a brand spanking new Fairmont. Not in his wildest dreams did Zoran’s Dad ever thinking his Fairmont would end up looking anything like this. When Zoran took over the ownership, the Fairmont was to undergo a major transformation. Growing up in the Illawarra region – a hot bed of tough street and strip cars and having mates who all have high-octane fuel running through their veins, there was no way the Fairmont was going to retain too much of its humble, family-spec image. Whilst the colour is still as per the factory order, as are the seats and door trims, but that’s as far as the trip down memory lane goes…

On the dyno, the engine – now stretched to 451-cubes, made an impressive 801hp. For those involved, it was smiles all round…

You’d have to have pretty ordinary eye-sight to not realise that the hero of this build, the second the XE has been subjected to, is the tough Windsor squeezed in between the shock towers. When Zoran did the first rebuild, the engine of choice was a single carb, 438ci small block that made north of 700hp. For most, that would be more than enough, but for our man Zoran, that was just a stepping stone into a bigger, badder big cube small block. This time around, Kon at Wollongong Auto Services got the nod to piece together the engine starting with a ManO-War block that was soon filled with a Scat stroker crank, tough Oliver rods and Diamond pistons. A custom cam provides an idle that removes any doubt about just how tough this Windsor is. A high-volume oil pump sends the slippery stuff from the Moroso sump to the necessary parts. Victor Glidden heads from the Edelbrock catalogue scored a set of triple springs around the bigger valves and complete the tough long engine.

Zoran kept old-school technology for the induction system, bolting down a pair of 750cfm APD carbs and Bain-fabricated sheet-metal intake to the waiting engine, not only making sure the supply of 98-octane fuel flows freely, but also looks impressive at the same time. A pair of big custom headers made by John Shavkulovich, hang off the outer edge of the alloy heads and flow into a dual, 3.5-inch exhaust system – which is more than capable of getting rid of the gases after the MSD ignition does its thing. A PWR alloy radiator and 16-inch fan keeps the power plant on the right side of the temperature gauge. On the dyno, the engine – now stretched to 451-cubes, made an impressive 801hp. For those involved, it was smiles all round…

Speaking of which, the factory fresh sheet metal was still in pristine condition from the first build, eliminating the need for almost any body work at all.

A purpose-built C4 auto fronted with a 5800rpm converter takes the bulk-torque and sends it rearwards to the narrowed nine-inch diff fitted with 4.11-gears and 35-spline axles. The standard issue suspension has been beefed up with Pedders shocks on the front and a pair of coil-overs on the four-link rear end that was fabricated and installed by Wild Fabrications in Queanbeyan. The boys also handled the minitubs as well. The braking system is still a disc and drum arrangement, but works well enough for now. Zoran intends to fit Wilwood brakes to the Fairmont’s front end when he gets the chance. This rebuild saw the big diametre gold Simmons wheels ditched in favour of a set of 15x10-inch bead-locked Weld Wheels shod in 275/60 Mickey Thompson rubber, whilst the front copped a pair of 17x4.5-inch Welds with 185/55 M&H tyres. Zoran opted to be different and not coat the bead-locks in black – the all polished look much more appealing against the body colour. 76

Zoran kept old-school technology for the induction system, bolting down a pair of 750cfm APD carbs and Bain-fabricated sheet-metal intake to the waiting engine...

Speaking of which, the factory fresh sheet metal was still in pristine condition from the first build, eliminating the need for almost any body work at all. Just the bonnet has changed to allow the twin carbs to proudly hang out for all to see. NM Autobody handled the paint duties the first time around, with mate Bob ‘Stoj’ Stojanovic laid down the factory appointed Copper Bronze colour on the new bonnet. Inside, there’s just a few necessary changes made with important items such as the Hurst shifter, all-

important oil pressure and water temperature AutoMeter gauges and essential Ford SVO monster tacho with shifter light added to the mix. Apart from the standard radio, there’s no sound system added and the dash remains just how it was when it rolled from the showroom floor way back in ’82. The black venetian blind harks back to a time when a younger Zoran sat in the back seat on family outings. Along with the mini-tubs, Wild Fabrication also sheeted the boot area which now holds the big polished fuel cell and pumps.

It goes without saying that the Fairmont has consumed plenty of the folding stuff over both builds and with the boys all gathering in Zoran’s garage to work on the XE, there’s a fair bet the local bottle shop owner has probably bought himself a new house and yacht, but that’s the joys of having good times with your mates working on cars. So where to from here? Zoran reckons the XE is done just how he wants it – at least for now. He would however like to do a number on an XD Falcon if the right one came along. Until that happens, the XE will be getting out and about with the rest of the ‘Port Crew’ as much as possible…

THANKS TO: Kon Michaloudakis for the engine. Ilo Safkulovski for putting the car together. Bobby Stoj Stojanovic for the paint work and helping put the car together. Steve Tongz electrical. Fred Soleiman gearbox. Wild fabrications for all the fab work. Daniel Hristovski. Christopher Hristovski. Jase Lnemup. Chris Loumanis for the diff centre. John Shavkulovich for the custom headers and exhaust.

The black venetian blind harks back to a time when a younger Zoran sat in the back seat on family outings.

DANNY XUEREB - 1957 CHEV

WORDS /PICS - PAUL BECK

KING

Get any group of hardcore car lovers together and ask them what their Top 5 street cars of all time was and I guarantee the ’57 Chev will be in there somewhere…

OF THE

ROAD

Danny Xuereb was like so many others before him. He found a deep-seated passion for the ’57 Chev that saw him go on the search for a suitable project car. Time and time again, Danny found cars that we reportedly great cars, only to find that the owners idea of great was a long way from where his idea of great was. Just when things were looking dire, Danny lucked onto an original four-door pillared Belair – a reasonably rare car that was owned by John Cain, a name synonymous with all things classic American. After asking around, Danny was assured by those in the know, that John could be trusted, and so armed with this new info, bought the Belair sight unseen. Danny knew the dangers associated with

doing this, but his fears were put to rest when the Chev rocked up on his doorstep. It was everything John told him it was. The body was fairly solid, but did need quite a bit of love to make it good enough that Danny was happy to cruise it regularly. After looking around for a suitable shop to take on the task of rebuilding the ’57, Danny decided on Angelo at Cool Customs – a man who is not only capable of doing the job right, he is passionate about classic American iron. Angelo gave the Belair a once over and agreed that Danny had bought well. It was certainly reassuring for Danny. Angelo stripped the Chev down to its bare bones and proceeded to replace any piece that wasn’t one hundred percent.

Danny wanted to keep the classic ’57 Chev styling – after all, that’s what drew him to the car in the first place. The only deviation from the original look is the piece of bonnet metal that was removed to allow the top part of the engine to hang through, but more on that soon. Whilst Angelo was massaging the Chev’s sheet metal, there was an abundance of aging chrome work that was getting redone. American cars of the 50’s and 60’s are well known for the amount of chrome added to the body and the ’57 Chev was one of the cars that topped the list. When combined with the original colour scheme of Turquiose and white, the chrome finishes off the exterior perfectly. The Belair flashes were added back to their original spots as well. Whilst Angelo was reworking the bodywork in preparation for paint (and while the body was at its bare minimum), the underside came in for some upgrades in readiness for the power plant that was to come. Knowing full well that the big block that was going to end up powering the Belair

was going to produce plenty of power, Danny made sure the Chev was going to be able to handle the grunt. The rear end now features minitubs with a triangular four-link; coil over shocks and a braced 9-inch diff featuring a host of Mark Williams top-shelf gear including a fullspool, 40-spline axles and billet supports. Even equipped with 3.00 ‘highway gears’, those big tyres still turn to smoke when Danny jumps on the loud pedal! The front end is a far from 1957 spec as you can get. Pedders springs and shocks supply a comfy yet firm ride and the rack and pinion steering assembly provides a more positive feel through the billet column. Tubular control arms replace the bulky Belair originals. When first completed, Danny had the ’57 slammed over 20-inch billet rollers which looked great, but didn’t give him the tough look he was after. It wasn’t long before the big diametre wheels made way for 15inch Weld Magnum III rims measuring 15x5 and 15x12 giving the Chev a prostreet look.

Time and time again, Danny found cars that we reportedly great cars, only to find that the owners idea of great was a long way from where his idea of great was.

Inside, it’s a mix of factory original and custom streetcar. The seats and door trims are reproduction Belair style, whilst the factory US-spec dash has been converted from left to right whilst Angelo was taking care of the body. Gone though are the original circa ’57 gauges which have made way for more stylish Dakota Digital items. The upgrades didn’t end there with a billet steering column replacing the original shaft and gearshift unit, with a billet steering wheel topping the new column. The downsized wheel makes driving the ’57 more like a later model car. The dash now features a trick alloy trim where the GM cast item once belonged. The interior remake was a combined effort between Angelo, All Trim and Danchuk who supplied the interior trim from the USA.

From the drivers seat, you’d have to have pretty bad eyesight not to see the twin Demon carbs and polished BDS scoop jutting from the bonnet. Danny was always going to have a big block engine filling the ‘57’s tight engine bay, and to get the job done right, he went straight to Steve Nicholls at Sinclair Performance where a Mark 5, 454ci roller engine was built to order. The 6/71 Weiand blower and 850dp Demon carbs is obviously the hero of the engine build and one that dominates the view when the bonnet is lifted, but there’s so much more to this engine that what first meets the eye. The four-bolt block has been prepped in the usual fashion before taking a host of highend components on board. The parts list includes a Scat crank and rod combo; Probe 8.1 blower pistons wrapped in ACL rings; and a Camtech roller cam. In fact, the second Camtech cam fitted to this engine as the initial build featured a wilder version that just made the car a pig to drive on the street regularly. The new cam is milder but still delivers great power right through the rev range.

Even though Danny had the engine tamed down a little for more reliable street use, he is still confident that the engine is producing around 1000hp on premium pump fuel.

Next to get some attention were a pair of AFR alloy heads that in standard form would do a good job, but for Steve and Danny, good is simply not good enough. The ports have been opened up and polished to allow the engine to breath much better than ever before. The standard rockers were then swapped for a set of Crane versions that would handle more stress than the original ones could. A pair of Chev alloy rocker covers hides all of the good gear. Putting the fire into the belly of the beast is a host of MSD gear including a Boost Retard ignition system and leads. And after the spark has lit the fire, the gases are shown the door via a pair of custom 4-into-1 headers and dual 3.5-inch Ceramic coated exhaust system that exits via a cool cutout in the rear bumper. The system is the handiwork of Jimmy at Liverpool Exhaust.

Even though Danny had the engine tamed down a little for more reliable street use, he is still confident that the engine is producing around 1000hp on premium pump fuel. Sure he dropped a little power from what it initially was, but the Chev’s demeanor is such that the residents of the local retirement village could take turns of driving each other to bingo in it. Backing the potent big block is an Al’s Race Glides built turbo 400. Featuring a 3000rpm Dominator converter, a custom valve body and custom reverse shaft, the box is built to last with a power handling rating of around 1500hp. Gear selections are made via a B&M shifter.

It’s taken some seven years to get the ’57 to the point where it is today. There’s been the usual problems, plenty of swearing, plenty of laughs and plenty of frustrating times too.

It’s taken some seven years to get the ’57 to the point where it is today. There’s been the usual problems, plenty of swearing, plenty of laughs and plenty of frustrating times too. But when you have the right people involved, things just happen and have a way of working themselves out. Danny is under no illusions that without the help of Angelo and Trudy at Cool Customs, his Belair beauty would probably be half the car is has turned out to be. For that, he will forever be greatful. As with any self respecting car nut, Danny has a few plans up his sleeve including the possibility of a new blown engine, this time sporting around 632ci to get even more horsepower without sacrificing reliability. Apart from that, Danny says he is wrapped with the car. “As you see the car now, that was my vision seven years ago when I bought it. Its perfect!” Say no more… 88

FULL PIT ACCESS WHAT’S ON WHERE?

SYDNEY DRAGWAY www.sydneydragway.com

Every Wednesday Night - Aeroflow Race 4 Real Nov 13/14 NSW All Ford Day Swap / Show HIDDEN VALLEY DRAG STRIP www.hiddenvalleydrags.com No Events Listed at this Time STEEL CITY DRAG CLUB www.steelcitydrags.com SUNSET STRIP MILDURA www.sunsetstrip.org.au Oct 30 Race Ya Mates. BENARABY DRAGWAY www.benarabydragway.com SOUTH COAST RACEWAY www.southcoastraceway.com.au Nov 13 Chicago Shoot Out Dec 4 South Coast 5K Dec 11/12 South Coast Nationals PERTH MOTORPLEX www.motorplex.com.au Every Wednesday – Whoop Ass Wednesday SPRINGMOUNT RACEWAY www.springmountraceway.com WILLOWBANK RACEWAY www.willowbankraceway.com.au

HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED YET? GO TO www.pscmag.com.au DO IT NOW! IT’S FREE! 90

IHRA & SYDNEY DRAGWAY HEAD TO COURT

After what seems like an eternity since any cars have hit the strip in anger, comes news that the IHRA have initiated legal proceedings against Sydney Dragway over their decision to cut short their contract with the IHRA and realign with ANDRA. The contract between the IHRA and Sydney Dragway was in place until 31st December 2023 to be the official and exclusive sanctioning body. IHRA Australia are now seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent Sydney Dragway from proceeding with the purported contract Sydney Dragway says it now has with ANDRA.

BECOME AN ANDRA STEWARD ANDRA Drag Racing is one of the most popular motor sports in Australia with an accessibility and excitement that can’t be matched. Off-street meetings are run by all ANDRA Member Tracks, giving newcomers to the sport a chance to test their skills with their own street car or bike. It’s not a big step from there to the competition events, which are often run on a dialyour-own handicap to make it even for everyone. From the outside, drag racing looks simple – two cars or bikes race each other to the finish line after getting the green light – but there’s more to it than that. Newcomers can find it a little daunting with pre-stage and stage lights, red light starts, reaction times, handicaps, break-outs and so on. The ANDRA Rulebook can be viewed online or purchased from Head Office or through the ANDRA online shop and will give you information from the fundamentals of drag racing to what you need in a Top Fuel dragster. This won’t make you an expert racer overnight but at least we can give you a head start.

VS So where does that leave the racers and fans? It’s likely that there won’t be any racing held at Sydney Dragway until this legal stoush has been put to bed. Hopefully, that can happen sooner rather than later. Knowing how legal teams can stretch these things out (time is money after all!), I wouldn’t be fueling up the race car anytime soon. I really hope I am wrong and between them, this mess can be sorted quickly so racing can once again return to Sydney. The big question still remains though, how many more tracks will this affect? Stay tuned... To find out more information, please contact your relevant Division Director by clicking the appropriate division tab in the ‘About’ section of our Main Menu. Becoming an ANDRA member delivers many benefits to racers so if you’d like more information please email info@andra.com.au. 91

FULL PIT ACCESS

VIDEO OF THE MONTH

LEGAL STREET RACING AT HARTSHORNE STREET DRAGS - OKLAHAMA Video by Urban Hillbilly Videos - Youtube

SICK WEEK - FLORIDA 2022

First there was Sick the Mag, then came the Sick YouTube channel and now Tom Bailey and his team, including Aussie Luke Nieuwhof, are putting together their own event, aptly named SICK Week. Based loosley on the the Hot Rod Drag Week, Tom wanted to include more time to chill out and enjoy the road trip more, rather than concentrating so much on the racing element. “We want our event to be as much a social gathering as a competition, creating memories alongside records.” Set to kick off with Registration at Bradenton Motorsports Park on Feb 6th before departing the venue the next day, SICK Week will then visit Orlando Speedworld, Gainesville Raceway, South Georgia Motorsports Park before winding back to Bradenton Motorsports Park. As well as the obvious focus on the racing elements, SICK Week will also include a Beach Day, Burnout Night and a show and shine at the Big Daddy Drag Racing Museum. As far as Drag and Drive events go, SICK Week will be as unique as it will be familiar. For more information on entries, classes and the route to be taken, click onto www.sickthemagazine.com/sick-week

HALTECH CELEBRATE 35TH BIRTHDAY WITH MONSTER EVENT IN SYDNEY!

Sydney Dragway is the place to be on Saturday 18th December to help Haltech celebrate 35-years of bringing performance products to the custom car industry. Expect to see a huge car show, Haltech Hero’s display, Motorkhana, Dyno Comp, Drift demo’s and of course Drag Racing! There will also be $10,000 worth of Haltech gear to be won! For more information on this event - go to www.haltech.com

OUTLAW DRAG RADIAL TOP TEN LIST 1/8 MILE - OUTLAW 1. Wade Wagstaff 2. Kyle Hopf/Terry Seng 3. Steve Ham 4. Joe Gauci 5. Perry Bullivant 6. Craig Burns 7. Daniel Szabolics 8. Harley Hamilton 9. Ben Bray 10. John Ricca

3.790 @ 200.26mph 3.831 @ 204.94mph 3.837 @ 205.63mph 3.850 @ 201.00mph 3.860 @ 202.61mph 3.890 @ 192.92mph 3.890 @ 190.00mph 3.940 @ 197.00mph 3.959 @ 201.76mph 3.964 @ 199.49mph

1/8 MILE – 275 TYRE 1. Farrugia/Androutsos 2. Stu Henry 3. Tim Cross 4. Tony Webb 5. Michael Kalaitzakis 6. Sam Metro/Maatouk 7. Steve Bezzina 8. Sean Muscat 9. Matt McCarthy 10. Varun Sharman

4.155 @ 186.12mph 4.196 @ 176.80mph 4.290 @ 178.95mph 4.347 @ 177.42mph 4.363 @ 186.02mph 4.422 @ 175.25mph 4.436 @ 171.71mph 4.437 @ 168.22mph 4.450 @ 168.75 mph 4.470 @ 16.736 mph

¼ MILE - OUTLAW 1. Joe Gauci 2. Sam Metro/Maatouk 3. Farrugia/Androutsos 4. Daniel Nunziante 5. Dom Luppino 6. Profab/Forster 7. Perry Bullivant 8. Mark Leake 9. Steve Bezzina 10. Harley Hamilton

6.052 @ 241.50mph (315) 6.472 @ 219.94mph (275) 6.557 @ 215.93mph (275) 6.580 @ 228mph 6.600 @ 230mph (315) 6.620 @ 192mph (315) 6.670 @ 217mph (315) 6.700 @ 220mph (315) 6.723 @ 208.88mph (275) 6.782 @ 168mph (315)

¼ MILE – 275 TYRE 1. Sam Metro/Maatouk 2. Farrugia/Androutsos 3. Steve Bezzina 4. Varun Sharma 5. Tim Cross 6. Nader/Maatouk 7. Joe Gauci 8. Robert Marjan 9. Frank Tarabay 10. Danny Busbridge

6.472 @ 219.94mph 6.557 @ 215.93mph 6.723 @ 208.88mph 6.790 @ 212.16mph 6.800 @ 214.00mph 6.840 @ 209.00mph 6.850 @ 215.00mph 6.868 @ 204.20mph 6.940 @ 204.00mph 6.940 @ 199.64mph

D N U O B E L C S U M

A trip to Queensland to take in the 2010 Winternationals Drag Meet saw Dom Demasi bring home a well-used ’67 Camaro…

DOM DEMASI_1967 CAMARO WORDS – PAUL BECK PICS – JOHN ANTINOV / 9000RPM PHOTOGRAPHY 94

When Dom and his mates touched down in Queensland, they found themselves with a little extra time on their hands, so being a bunch of car guys, they did what car guys do and set about checking out some cool cars for sale. With the GPS in the rental car set, the boys checked out plenty of Camaro’s at dealers, but nothing had taken Dom’s fancy as yet. It wasn’t until they rocked up at a Mustang shop that Dom asked whether they knew

of any solid Camaro’s on the market. As fate would have it, the owner said there was one sitting out the back, but it had already had a deposit paid on it. Dom checked it out anyway and knew this was the one. He made an offer on the chance that the sale would fall through, which it ultimately did and a couple of months later, the ’67 arrived on his door step in Adelaide and the journey to make this a tough ProStreeter was about to begin.

Stance is very important to any tough streetcar, especially a Pro-Street styled car. No problem here though, Dom got his Camaro spot on. 96

Ultimately, the Camaro was going to be a streeter first and foremost, so even though Dom had planned to fill the engine bay with lots of horsepower, it needed to stay below the bonnet line. The easy fix was a big cube big block. Dom had Sawka Performance piece together a 540cube Chev that started with a Merlin block that was soon housing a Scat crank with matching brand stroker rods, SRP pistons and a cam and lifter combo from Crane. Next up were the Brodix alloy heads, that scored larger valves and Crane springs before being bolted down onto the prepped bottom end. The gap between the heads was quickly taken care of with a Brodix intake manifold dropped in between the heads.

Supplying the fuel is up to a single 1050cfm Holley Brawler race carb. A set of Western Welding custom headers kickstart the exhaust system that incorporates 3.5-inch Magnaflow mufflers. Getting the fire lit in the cylinders is left up to an MSD Digital 6-plus ignition system with billet dizzy and Blaster coil. Dom isn’t letting on how much horsepower the big block makes, but let’s just say it makes plenty. All that horsepower is transferred through a stage two, Turbo 400 auto fronted with a Hughes 3000rpm converter to a narrowed 9-inch diff that relies on 35-spline Moser axles and Detroit Locker centre to handle the power being pushed through them. A heavyduty, four-inch steel tailshaft connects the two. 97

Ultimately, the Camaro was going to be a streeter first and foremost, so even though Dom had planned to fill the engine bay with lots of horsepower, it needed to stay below the bonnet line. Whilst the engine was getting sorted, the body was getting plenty of attention lavished onto it. Though in pretty poor condition initially, the team at Proformance Body Works in Adelaide took the job of resurrecting the sheet metal in their stride, knowing full well that when finished, the Camaro was going to be one tough street car. The body was always going to be restored back to factory specs, though much smoother. You simply don’t mess with these classic muscle car lines. But it’s not all original. The firewall is now flat (after the left to right conversion was completed) and the floor was modified with new chassis rails added, a custom cross-member and those big wheel tubs. After the body shaping was finished, it was time for colour. Dom wanted a custom blue pearl and that’s exactly what he got. The

colour is sensational, and the finish is first class. Inside, is pure muscle car. Forget about splashes of colour, true muscle cars had black interiors! The Camaro keeps its heritage alive with the black and white Deluxe trim kit that covers the factory styled door trims, original bucket seats and modified (for the tubs) rear seat. Frontier Trimmers handled the stitch work, bringing the interior up to the same standard as the body and paint. Whilst most of the interior is circa ’67, the same can’t be said for the gauge cluster. Where the older gauges once sat, you’ll now find a group of AutoMeter “American Muscle” series gauges. The silver-faced gauges scream muscle car without looking like an after-thought. The other nonfactory additions are the B&M shifter, Ididit steering column and the retrodigital stereo head unit.

Stance is very important to any tough streetcar, especially a Pro-Street styled car. No problem here though, Dom got his Camaro spot on. It’s not too low, and sits high enough to show off those 29x15-inch Mickey Thompson tyres jammed under the modified rear-end. The wheels of choice are Centerline Convo Tristar that measure 15x12 on the bum and half that on the front. Getting the ride height right is a set of Koni adjustable shocks front and rear with

coils on the nose and heavy-duty leafsprings hanging off the diff. The front end was upgraded with a power rack complete with billet pump from the crew at Retro-Rack. For brakes, there’s only one way to go – four-wheel discs! Providing the braking power are ’69 model calipers on the front and Wilwood calipers on the rear. The master cylinder is a Wilwood tandem 1 1/8” bore unit that works in with twin boosters to slow the Camaro down from any speed.

The car battled a little through the build process, but nothing so bad it couldn’t be sorted without too much fuss. 100

101

Individually, each section of the build is done to the highest standard, so when the Camaro finally come together as one complete car, Dom was over the moon with the finished project. The car battled a little through the build process, but nothing so bad it couldn’t be sorted without too much fuss. Four years and around $100K were sunk into the Camaro’s resurrection, and since hitting the South Australia scene, it’s amassed plenty of show awards, proving it’s more than just a tough street car. Even though the build was relatively hassle free, Dom is convinced that if he was to do another build, he’d be starting with a project that was close to being finished and then add his finishing touches. Time will tell…

The wheels of choice are Centerline Convo Tristar that measure 15x12 on the bum and half that on the front.

THANKS TO: Sawka Performance Centre, Western Welding, Tubs CDS Engineering, Proformance Body Works, Frontier Motor Trimmers. 102

103

KILLER PIC

Pro-Street Legend Rob Bertolacci

104

105

PERFORMANCE DIRECTORY Advertise your business here from just $55 per month* * Based on 6-month Booking @ 1/8 page size.

All the big brands!

Email: paul@pscmag.com.au for more info.

www.speedpro.com.au 0411 620918 Australian Made Engine Coolants & Additives

oldskoolrestos@gmail.com

1800 441163

www.liquidintelligence.com.au

07 3488 7831

www.superformance.com.au

Performance Pulley Systems to suit a wide range of engines

www.wheelswithinwheels.com.au

Phone (02) 42850300

ADVERTISE HERE

JUST $55 PER MONTH CONTACT PAUL - 0432 795336

Unit 2, 25 Badgally Rd, Campbelltown NSW

Ph 02 9820 6800

www.prostreet.com.au

www.lovellsauto.com.au

www.blautomotive.com.au

ADVERTISE HERE

PUBLISHED ONLINE QUARTERLY READ EACH ISSUE FOR FREE! 106

H T N O M R E P 5 5 $ T S U J 5336 CONTACT PAUL - 0432 79

107

WINDOW SHOPPING

ENGINE SAVING PRODUCTS FROM LIQUID INTELLIGENCE

Peter Maher has spent a big part of his life developing products that help your engine survive for more kilometres with his specialty products that includes Oil Leak Seal Expander, Blown Head Gasket Repair and Gasket Test Kit, Cooling system cleaning kit, Waterless coolant and many more. Peter is a Member and Contributor to the Institute of Automotive & Mechanical Engineers and stands behind his products with a wealth of knowledge. To check out the range of products and find out how they can work for you, click on any of Peter’s ad’s in each issue of Killer Rides and don’t forget to click on the free Magazine offer on page 17 for even more info. Alternatively, you can speak direct with Peter on 1800 441163 or go to www.liquidintelligence.com.au

BATMAN MODEL KITS NOW AT PRIZED PIECES

Fans of Batman are going to love these two plastic model kits now available at Prized Pieces. The first kit is a 1/25 scale Batmobile that also includes a resin Batman Figure. Priced at $50, this kit is a must have for all fans.

Kit #2 is the same 1989 version of the Batmobile and is detailed with everything from the turbine engine to the computer maintenance panels and authentic dashboard. The model itself is injected in black plastic with chrome and clear parts along with rubber tyres and a full colour Axis Chemical backdrop display. This kit is also priced at $50. Please note that each model requires paint and cement to complete. For more information on securing your Batman kits, contact Matt at Prized Pieces. www.prizedpieces.com.au or phone 0413 112682 108

OPTIMA RED TOP BATTERY - R&J BATTERIES

The Optima range’s colour-coded Red Top® high performance AGM battery is the ultimate starting battery designed to deliver the strongest five-second burst of ignition power for a reliable start-up every time. The Red Top battery will outperform and outlast conventional batteries in demanding starting applications. Its characteristic high-power delivery and extreme resistance to the most common causes of battery failure make the Optima Red Top a suitable choice for street cars, hot rods, trucks, SUVs and other applications that require a powerful starting battery. Optima’s patented Spiralcell Technology® allows for more tightly compressed cells within the battery, giving it 15 times more vibration resistance and up to twice the life of traditional batteries. The Red Top contains 99.99% pure lead and features solid cast inter-cell connections for increased durability and maximum plate height. With a Red Top battery fitted under the bonnet of performance street cars, driving enthusiasts can expect superior performance, reliable start-up power and longer lasting battery. For more information on Optima Red Top, please visit rjbatt.com.au or call 1300 769 282.

THE ALL-NEW 7.3-LITRE FORD V8 CRATE ENGINE COMING TO SPEED PRO

Originally fitted to the 2020 F250 Super Duty Truck, these fuel injected 7.3-litre, 430hp big block engine are the ideal candidate for a conversion into basically any Ford. Due to their relatively compact size, these can be fitted into any early Falcon muscle car without the need to remove or modify the strut towers. Featuring a cast iron block, alloy heads, forged steel crank and a composite intake with 80mm throttle body, the 7.3-litre engine crate engine is hard to go past. Speed Pro have these engines coming into their warehouse very soon, so if you’re looking for something different to repower your Ford, contact Marcus and his team now at Speed Pro 03 97945177, www.speedpro.com.au or drop in at 11 Airlie Ave, Dandenong.

109

COMING EVENTS NOVEMBER

5-7 NSW - TORANA MUSCLE ON THE MURRAY Quality Siesta Resort - Albury Steve - 0429 644184 7

NSW - STEPHEN SHORT MEMORIAL CAR SHOW Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill Henry - 0467 705456

NSW - CARS UNDER THE STARS Wetherill Park - Permit No. T21/46

NSW - NSW ALL FORD DAY Sydney Dragway

DECEMBER 5 NSW - SUNDAZE CRUISE NIGHT Guzman V Gomez, Penrith 5pm-9pm 11

NSW - CARS UNDER THE STARS Wetherill Park - Permit No. T21/46

VIC - LYGON STREET BREAKFAST Kingpin Kuztums - 7am-12pm

NSW - CARS UNDER THE STARS Wetherill Park - Permit No. T21/46

NSW - SUBLIME CARS Sublime Point, Buli Tops 11am-2pm

2022

NSW - CARS UNDER THE STARS MAY Wetherill Park - Permit No. T21/46 13-15 NSW - LATE GREAT CHEV CONVENTION Shellharbour & Surrounding Areas 21 VIC - DAYOF THE VOLKSWAGEN www.pscmag.com.au/lgcconvention Yarra Glen Racecourse www.vwclub.com.au AUGUST 21 SA - HDT & HSV OWNERS CLUB SHOW 13/14NSW - KILLER RIDES LIVE #4 Civic Park, SA. Andrew - 0422 902902 Illawarra Hockey Centre Unanderra www.pscmag.com.au/killer-rides-live 20

26-28 VIC - GEELONG REVIVAL MOTORING FESTIVAL Eastern Beach, Geelong www.geelongfestival.com.au 27

NSW - GOULBURN SHOW N SHINE Goulburn Showgrounds Andrew - 0418 482202

NSW - SUBLIME CARS Sublime Point, Bulli 11am-2pm

110

OCTOBER 17-22 NSW / VIC- PSC ROAD TRIP Wollongong to Ballarat Charity Cruise www.pscmag.com.au/road-trip NOVEMBER 12/13NSW - HOT ROD & HARLEY EXPO Illawarra Hockey Centre Unanderra www.pscmag.com.au/hot-rod-harley-show Please check closer to the day to see if any of these events have been cancelled due to Covid 19.

CRUISING SHOW AND SHINE SWAP MEET

Late Great Chevy

CONVENTION 1958 - 1964

RESTOS CUSTOMS RACE CARS LOWRIDERS PROJECTS

TRAVEL PERMIT T22/03

MAY 13-15, 2022 - SHELLHARBOUR, NSW

For more information, contact Paul 0432 795336 - paul@pscmag.com.au Check out the website - www.pscmag.com.au/lgcconvention

Magazine

4 # E LIV

www.pscmag.com.au

TRAVEL PERMIT T22/02

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

AUGUST 13-14, 2022

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

ILLAWARRA HOCKEY CENTRE, UNANDERRA www.pscmag.com.au

Shepparton Showgrounds, Shepparton Vic NEWNOVEMBER 24th to 28th JANUARY 21-22-23, 20222021

DATES! Proudly Supported By

Enter Online at www.autofest.com.au

1 2 0 2 H T 1 1 C E D SATURDAY

PARTING SHOT See you next Issue!

130

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR FREE AT:

www.pscmag.com.au

2003 AUSTRALIAN DRAG RACING NATS WILLOWBANK RACEWAY

131

HERE’S WHAT WE OFFER!

e v i t a v o n n I Get with your g n i s i t r e v d A

EXCEPTIONAL RATES! GLOBAL AUDIENCE! ONLINE 24/7! VIDEO ENHANCED AD’S! ALL AD’S LINKED! NEW PRODUCT PROMOTIONS! For more information on advertising in Performance Street Car, please contact;

Check Us Out on our Social Media Pages!

Paul Beck 0432 795336 paul@pscmag.com.au

PUBLISHING EDITOR Paul Beck paul@pscmag.com.au Phone 0432 795336

MAILING ADDRESS

PO Box 165 Oak Flats NSW 2529

WEBSITE

www.pscmag.com.au

VALUED CONTRIBUTORS

Lauren Jade @ Xposed Photography Chad Silvey @ Pics by Chaddo Leisa Bonnici @ Fordgal Images Blake Williamson @ Insane Grunt Photography John Antoniw @ 9000rpm Photography Jimmy Tee Photography Greg ‘Beach’ Ball - Joe Crispin - Jason Lowe Luke Hunter @ Hunter Media Charlie Sant @ Pro Flo Performance Gary Rosier - www.carsplaneslandscapes.com