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SHOW PONY This Mustang may be show quality, but damn its tough
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When your Dad holds the keys to a blown V8 HR Holden, and is a gun spray painter, chances are you’ll be cruising in something just a little special too…
Mark Bartyn had been looking for a project car for some time. Something that he could spend quality time in the shed with his Dad, creating a cool cruiser to hit the streets in. After looking for a month, but what would have seemed an eternity, the father and son combo found a well-worn HK Kingswood in Melbourne that fitted the bill perfectly. It was rusty, both with both Bartyn boys seeing the potential, they were never going to head home empty handed. As you can see, there’s been plenty of effort put into the HK’s body since it landed in the home garage. Day after day, night after night, Mark and his Dad spent just about every available hour removing rust, smoothing out years of abuse and generally getting all of the factory sheet metal better than it ever was. Being a custom car built though, there was always going to be some changes made to what the Holden engineers had prescribed. The engine bay has been smoothed out and the firewall is now void of anything that take away from that clean look. The boot floor was badly affected too, so it was chopped out and replaced with a flat sheet, and while the attention was on the rear of the car, the wheel tubs were opened up and taken to the chassis rail to fit the planned increase in wheel width.
Externally, the body was relieved of almost all of the badges and mouldings, with just the Holden badges retained on the bootlid. The front guards are now desirable GTS items. The reverse cowl bonnet is all steel – yep, even the scoop itself! With the boys satisfied the body couldn’t get any better, dear old Dad loaded up his spray gun and laid down a couple of silky coats of Firenze Red – a pearl mix usually found on a Range Rover. Instead of complimenting the colour with chrome accents, Mark decided his HK would look tougher with all the chrome work painted black, including the bumpers, door handles, grille and light surrounds on both ends. The black Street Pro wheels finish off the exterior make over perfectly. Inside, the customising keeps going. Dominated by the WRX seats, the interior has been expertly restitched in a chocolate brown leather by Steve at All Trim, that also covers the rear bench seat, original-styled door trims and dash pad. Just rear of the MOMO steering wheel sits a bunch of AutoMeter gauges laid into the custom dash facia along with a couple of important switches. While all of that gear is in full sight, what you can’t see is the brake booster and master cylinder mounted under the dash (remember the smoothed out engine bay?) along with remote cylinder reservoirs mounted inside the reworked glove box for easy maintenance. A TCI shifter sits between the comfy seats.
THANKS TO: Cain from Xtreme Fabworx. Steve from All Trim. All the people who conributed to the build in some way. The biggest thanks goes to my Dad. Without him, this car wouldn’t be where it is today! Thanks to Mum too, for all the times she stepped in and stopped Dad and I from killing each other when we had different idea’s of how things should be done.
Sitting inside that highly detailed engine bay is a 350-cube small block that Mark pieced together himself after the previous engine, a wilder 383-inch version, proved to be more hassles than what it was worth. The constant problems was enough for Mark to rip it out and start again, kicking the new engine off with a standard issue block, before filling it with a factory crank swinging standard rods with SpeedPro pistons and the same brand rings. A milder cam was inserted as were Clevite bearings. A modified HQ sump completes the rebuilt bottom end. Up top sits a pair of cast Dart heads that were saved from the previous engine, as was the Victor Junior intake and single Holley carb that gets fed plenty of 98-octane fuel via the Magna pump. A pair of pacemaker headers unwind into a dual 3-inch exhaust that ends at the diff, providing an easy escape route for the gases after the MSD ignition does its thing. Mark isn’t too concerned with the horsepower from this engine. This 350 is only in place to get the HK moving again, while he works on a more powerful, bigger cube small block destined for the HK. Backing the current engine is a Powerglide built by Al’s Race Glides that features a transbrake and TCE converter with a 3500rpm stall speed. From there, the power goes through a 3.5-inch seemless tailshaft from Ricky’s Tailshafts to the sheet metal 9-inch diff with 35-spline axles and 3.89-geared TruTrak centre.
Great steering isn’t what you’d usually associate with the HK Holden and when the cost to rebuild the original front end is around 75% of what a new, independent version would cost, the decision to add a RodTech version in under the HK’s front was an easy one. Now, the HK runs coil-over shocks, VR Commodore discs and calipers and stainless control arms. The steering is more precise with the power rack set-up that is controlled by a remotely mounted (in the boot) Astra electric pump – a conversion that is not only gaining popularity, but is also a cost effective way to add power steering to an older car. Down the back, the triangular four-link locates the diff, with Strange coil-overs providing a nicer ride. Again, VR Commodore discs and calipers live inside the 15x8.5inch Street Pro rear wheels.
Like any build of this magnitude, it hasn’t been without its fair share of drama’s. But after spending the best part of six years constructing NUTZHK, all of those problems were quickly forgotten when Mark got to fire the HK into life and hit the blacktop for the first time. Sure, there’s been a few teething problems to work through, but that’s just the game we play. Now, the vacant spot in the garage is to be taken up for the HR which is now about to get a complete makeover. Hope Mark and his Dad have no plans for the next few years…
StripStreet &
What a great way to end a week – cruising from the NSW Highlands to Cootamundra with a bunch of tough cars before unleashing the horsepower on the airstrip! Welcome to the Coota400!
You know you’re in for a great time when you arrive at the designated meeting point on a brisk Thursday morning to be greeted by a carpark full of tough street cars all ready to hit the highway enroute to Cootamundra for two days of headsup racing on the local airstrip. The COOTA400 event is a Pre’90 cruise/ drag event, attracting plenty of classic muscle cars all ready to race. Out on the highway, those going about their day were treated to seeing some of the coolest muscle cars cruising together down the Hume, creating quite the spectacle in the process. In amongst the GT Falcons, Torana’s, Capri’s and early Commodores were some cool rides including plenty of US muscle, rotaries, some race-car inspired rides and even an early Toyota Corona with a tough turbo six-pack on board. Once in Cootamundra on Thursday, the guys booked into their motels and started prepping their cars in readiness for the racing ahead. It’s fair to say Cootamundra rumbled to the feel and sound of thousands of horsepower as the entrants made their way through town, announcing to everyone that the COOTA400 was about to happen. As the cars arrived in town, blue skies greeted the drivers, a trend that continued over the next couple of days for racing.
Friday is set aside for those drivers who were keen enough to drive their cars from the Pheasants Nest Service Station on the Hume Highway just outside the NSW Southern Highlands to Cootamundra a journey that would take in around 250klms. Friday morning saw the cars lined up at the Airport, all eager to take advantage of the cool air temperature and get down the strip as quick as possible. Friday’s shoot out was all about the street driven cars, where two groups were to go into battle – Naturally Aspirated and Forced Induction. The winners from both groups then line up against each other to get the Overall King of the Street. As the pairings dwindled down, only two winners could take home the gold.
The King of the Street in the Forced Induction class was Louie Katsiaras in his XE Falcon, whilst Jason McGrath drove the wheels off his stunning LC Torana to be the outright champion in the aspirated class. For the first time, five Victorian drivers took part in the racing with a small, but powerful contingency making their way from down south including Robert Adamo in his MRCUBE Bronco, Kon Tsiokos with his slick Nova and Rohan Gordon in his Torana, just to name a few. Having these guys take place this year and putting on such a great showing, should bring more cars from down south and opens the door for a State of Origin Battle too…
Come Saturday, it was time for the Overall Toughest Car Shoot-Out where those who trailered their cars to the event go the opportunity to cut loose on the airstrip. They may have been a little too wild to make the drive to Cootamundra, but these big bangers were always going to bring the horsepower. After the grudge racing kicked off Saturday’s proceedings, it was time for the Shoot-Out where every one of the 104 entered cars can partake in. Once again, they are split into the same two groups (Aspirated and Forced Induction) and after the finalists were decided, they got to race for the overall Champion Trophy. After the racing finished, the top spot in the Forced Induction class was Kon in 66NOVA, who not only headed that group, but also ran the quickest time of the day with a 9.6-second pass. But, with his gearbox hurt, Kon was unable to make the final pass against Aspirated Class winner Peter Tsekenis to determine the overall Champion, effectively handing the title over to Peter and his tough Falcon.
I doubt that the Cootamundra airstrip had seen as much horsepower as it had during these couple of days. From the reviews I saw online, everyone who took part in the event claimed it to be a complete success. The main man behind the COOTA400, Chris Ioannidis is justifiably proud of what he has created and couldn’t heap enough praise on those drivers who made the event the success that it was. Chris had a dream to run a safe, legal muscle car battle away from the dangers of the street and the airstrip in Cootamundra proved to be the perfect spot. In a roundabout sort of way, its half way between Sydney and Melbourne and for that reason, the State of Origin Shoot-Out could very well be a possibility in the future. Imagine the rivalry. Two classes of 50 cars from each state going head to head. I can’t wait for that one…
Australia’s Only Rolling Car Show!
PROUDLY SUPPORTING GOTCHA4LIFE www.gotcha4life.org October 17th - 22nd, 2022
REGISTRATION DAY - Wollongong, Sunday 16th Oct
DAY ONE: WOLLONGONG - GOULBURN - CANBERRA DAY TWO: CANBERRA - GUNDAGAI - WAGGA WAGGA DAY THREE: WAGGA WAGGA - ALBURY / WODONGA DAY FOUR: WODONGA - SHEPPARTON - BENDIGO DAY FIVE: BENDIGO - DAYLESFORD - BALLARAT DAY SIX: PRESENTATION / SHOW N SHINE BALLARAT
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