NZV8 issue 174 : Two Sides To Every Coin

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ISSUE 174 ∞ NEVEMBER 2019

NOV. 2019 ISSUE 174

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HIS AND HERS MONAROS

RNET E T N I HE YED T O R T S AT DE H T D IR FIREB T L I U IWI B THE K

WEDDED BLISS

HIS AND HERS MONAROS

MUSCLE GARAGE

R E T U R N S

1 3

O C T O B E R

O N

FEATURE 1971 HOLDEN MONARO HG AND 1968 HOLDEN MONARO GTS HK CAR

WORDS: PETER KELLY PHOTOS: STRONG STYLE PHOTO

MILD OR WILD? JACK AND TRACEY TORRINGTON SHOW US THAT THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT

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here’s nothing quite like being behind the wheel an angry, heavily modified car with an even angrier V8 bolted between the uprights: the tingling that runs up your feet and into your spine as eight cylinders’ worth of mechanical angst reverberates through the cabin around you; the inescapable grin when you grip the wheel as the car shakes from side to side, its lopey idle lurching you down the street like a bull pawing the ground before a charge. Pure nirvana.

Whether it’s an inch-perfect megadollar hot rod, a tube-frame weapon built to dominate the quartermile, or a street car with more than a few secrets inside, heavily modified machines are what make life worth living. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? We’re all creatures of habit, and no car is safe from our unhealthy and sometimes irrational need to modify — to make a

machine faster, lower, louder, tougher.

While the vast majority of us dedicate a good portion of our lives to making our machines ‘better’, there is also something undeniably special about a pristine, restored original vehicle. It’s got to be of the right car, of course. No one cares about your neighbour’s mint-condition 1999 Mondeo — “She’s a real beauty, mate; can you believe it’s 20 years old?”. However, if all the right boxes are ticked — high desirability, excellent sporting pedigree, and a whole lot of luck that has seen it dodge angle grinders, big wheels, and even bigger motors through the decades — it can hold a satisfying, intangible charm that, dare we say it, no amount of horsepower can provide. So, which side of the coin is better? Restore a car to factory-original condition, or go wild and see where your credit card and the internet take you?

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After hedging their bets in this department, Jack and Tracey Torrington, owner-operators of Compas Kustoms in Silverdale, are in a unique position to provide some insight. Jack and Tracey first met back in 2013, but the story of their pair of first-generation Holden Monaros goes back much further than that, especially for Tracey and her 1968 HK GTS. “I can remember walking down the back block at school and telling my friend that I’d own a Monaro when I grew up,” Tracey says.

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A few years later, that dream became a reality when, on her way to polytech, she drove past a certain 1968 HK Monaro GTS parked on the side of the road with a ‘For sale’ sign in the window.

“I drove straight over to Dad’s work to tell him and get him to come take a look at it,” she says.

Later that same day, more than 23 years ago, the Monaro had a brand-new owner, one who would be in it for the long haul.

Tracey remembers, “The car cost me $5K. It was running, but a surfer had been using it

to head to the beach, so it was in pretty poor overall condition.”

The 186S in-line six–powered GTS was going to need a full restoration, and, while Tracey had the motivation at the time, there was a whole wide world out there to explore. After driving the Holden as it was for a couple of months in the late ’90s, Tracey put it into storage at her dad’s place so that she could head out into the world and see what it had to offer. There was plenty to see and do, and the months turned into years, but the Monaro was

True Aussie Icon It’s been just over 50 years since Holden’s venerable Monaro muscle car hit dealerships, and the icon of Aussie motoring has had its ups and downs ever since, going from small and agile to big and bloated, to dead and buried, to mid-2000s modern resurrections, and to tantalizing future concepts. The first generation of Monaros — the HK, HT, and HG — will arguably always be the most pure in concept and design. Simple, clean lines wrapped around a well-proportioned and lithe body that housed a range of engine options, kicking off with the base-model 161 Red Six in the pedestrian non-GTS. From there on up, the GTS models were fitted with a 186S Stromberg-fed straight-six like Tracey’s GTS, or big spenders could opt for V8s with the 307 and 327. The next year’s HT saw the Chev 307 replaced with a locally built 308, the 327 replaced with the 350, and a smaller 253 also on offer. These offerings carried on through to the last of the first-gen models, like Jack’s HG.

never too far from Tracey’s mind as the years rolled by, and she knew that it would get the attention it deserved one day. Until that day came, it would have to remain safely parked up in the care of her father.

Jack’s Monaro story began a little more recently, relatively speaking, when he spotted a 1971 HG sitting in the back of a customer’s workshop eight years ago. He instantly fell in love with the lines of the car and its presence, despite it being in lessthan-perfect condition, and offered to buy it right away. The owner was in no hurry to sell, so phone numbers were exchanged, and it was agreed that Jack would be the first person on the list should the muscular coupe ever come up for sale. Five years passed before that actually happened.

“The guy rang and told me he wanted to buy a boat, so the Monaro had to go,” explains Jack. “It had a warrant and rego; it was in OK condition, painted gold with black stripes, but the paint was very thin and it had a few dents.”

Underneath, the car was going to need a full going over. The wiring needed serious work, and the 350 Chev / Turbo 400 running gear was more than tired. It was a start, though, and one that had a chance connection back to Tracey’s side of the equation.

“When we first went to take a look at it and take it for a test drive, Tracey said, ‘I’m sure that’s Dad’s old car’ as soon as we came down the owner’s drive, and she was right,” Jack recalls.

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Specs

1971 HOLDEN MONARO HG

Tracey’s dad had indeed owned this very same Monaro, but had on-sold it many years before as he had too many projects on the boil at the time.

That wraps up the story of the origin of these two special Aussie icons, but there still was a long road ahead for both before they’d be in a state that the Torringtons were happy with. A deadline always helps when it comes to big projects like these two, and the pair had the perfect date in mind: their wedding. Plans were set in motion to see both cars in attendance, although in very different guises.

Jack’s HG was to go down the fast, heavily modified street route — it had been well fettled long before Jack got it anyway — while Tracey’s tired-butoriginal HK GTS was the perfect candidate for a restoration to factory-original condition.

The parallel projects kicked off in earnest as both machines were torn down and the race towards wedded bliss began. While Tracey’s GTS was slowly but surely brought back to life piece by piece whenever a spare moment presented itself, Jack focused on the HG, pulling out the old 350 and Turbo 400 and setting them aside in a corner

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of the workshop to make way for something much better. Built by Ken at KG Automotive and Jack himself, the 383ci small block Chev build is a great match for the smaller dimensions and lighter weight of the first-gen Monaro. Jack always intended the HG to be a fast street car, which meant that it needed power but not at the expense of drivability and general comfort.

The stroked small block build is all motor, producing 350hp at the rear treads thanks to a combination of just the right proven parts: four-bolt mains, flat-top pistons, a 383 stroker crank, and an Isky race cam reside down below, while a 750cfm Holley Double Pumper carb on an Edelbrock Performance RPM Air-Gap intake manifold sits between Dart Alloy rocker covers hiding dual-spring flat tappets and dual-spring hydraulic rollers. A set of tried-and-true Pacemaker four-into-one headers dumping into a threeinch stainless X-pipe exhaust gives the Monaro a menacing rumble without being too over the top — exactly what Jack was looking for. With a fresh manualized Turbo 350 and high-stall converter

ENGINE: 383ci small block Chev V8, four-bolt mains, flat-top pistons, 3.750-inch stroker crank, Isky racing cam, dual-spring flat tappets, hydraulic roller cam, 750cfm Holley Double Pumper carb, Edelbrock Performance RPM Air-Gap Nascar Edition intake manifold, Holley electric fuel pump, Aeroflow fuelpressure gauge, MSD 6AL ignition, Pacemaker fourinto-one headers, three-inch stainless X-pipe exhaust, Flowmaster stainless mufflers and resonators, Desert Cooler burnout radiator, twin electric fans DRIVELINE: Turbo 350 three-speed transmission, manual valve body, 2800rpm stall convertor, Ford nine-inch Truetrac LSD

SUSPENSION: Koni adjustable shocks, rear 1.5-inch lowering blocks, front King springs

BRAKES: Front four-pot Wilwood calipers and rotors, rear Wilwood calipers and Holden VN rotors, Wilwood master cylinder

WHEELS/TYRES: 17x8-inch -0 offset and 18x9.5-inch +5 offset US Mag Roadster wheels, 215/45R17 and 265/35R18 Bridgestone RE005 tyres EXTERIOR: PPG Diamond Ice White Pearl and gold stripes

INTERIOR: Custom leather retrim, GTS steering wheel, Autometer Pro Comp Silver gauges, custom dash cluster, custom centre console, Pioneer head unit, Fusion 1600W mono amp, six-inch speakers and tweeters, 1400W Pioneer subwoofer

PERFORMANCE: 350hp and 450ft·lb torque at the rear wheels

JACK’S HG WAS TO GO DOWN THE FAST, HEAVILY MODIFIED STREET ROUTE … WHILE TRACEY’S TIRED-BUT-ORIGINAL HK GTS WAS THE PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR A RESTORATION

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from GRP Automatics thrown on the rear of the new small block, the running gear was slotted back into the engine bay and bolted up to the Ford nine-inch Truetrac LSD out back: a welcome extra that came already fitted to the Monaro.

It was early 2017 at this point, and Tracey’s car was well and truly off the road, as rust was being banished and 50-year-old components littered the garage floor, ready for a refresh. The wedding was set for mid 2018, so the pair figured that they’d have enough time to take a pause and

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get Jack’s newly powered HG up to a drivable standard to hit Beach Hop; who could resist?

Koni adjustable shocks and King springs replaced the tired old originals, and a set of big Wilwood stoppers found themselves sitting behind 17inch and 18-inch US Mags Roadster rims and Bridgestone RE005 rubber.

A successful week at Whangamata done and dusted, the crunch began as soon as the pair returned to the workshop at home. The car was completely stripped and lovingly prepped for

new paint and interior, with help from Dan at Compas Kustoms, a man who played a big part in both these builds. Jack wanted to change the Monaro’s exterior look, while staying with the original ’60s muscle aesthetic that makes these early Monaros so great.

After months of careful prep, the empty shell was sprayed by the team at Compas Kustoms in beautiful PPG Ice White Pearl and finished off with a pair of classic gold stripes running the length of the car. While this was being done, the interior

Specs

1968 HOLDEN MONARO GTS HK ENGINE: Holden 186S straight-six, Yella Terra head, two-barrel Stromberg carb, two-inch free-flow exhaust, Coby muffler

DRIVELINE: Factory Opal four-speed manual SUSPENSION: Factory original BRAKES: Front factory discs, rear factory drums WHEELS/TYRES: 14-inch factory wheels, BF Goodrich TA tyres

EXTERIOR: PPG Silver Mink by Compas Kustoms INTERIOR: Factory ICE: Factory PERFORMANCE: 145hp (factory rating)

was taken to Greg and Sheryl at Abacus Upholsterers in Whangarei, who got to work laying down luxurious gold-stitched black leather.

Running two businesses, planning a wedding, alongside an inquisitive toddler, and building not just one but two cars has got to really put the pressure on. As D-Day neared, Tracey’s HK, with its refreshed original six — still fed by the factory Stromberg carb — ready to go, was rolled into the paint booth. Dan again laid down some magic, spraying the ’68 in PPG Silver Mink, a colour that perfectly accentuates the simple, clean lines wrapped around a well-proportioned and lithe body. Jack, Tracey, Tracey’s dad Milton, and friends leaned into the projects as the weeks seemed to

get shorter and shorter. With the day approaching at breakneck speed, the pair had to take a step back and re-evaluate.

The restored HK was nearly there, but the rumbling HG just wasn’t going to make it.

As Jack explains, “We were rushing too much with my car, so we decided to pull pin with a few days to go.”

Energies were instead focused on making sure that the ’68 was ready for Tracey’s dad to drive her to the wedding, as that had always been the one non-negotiable goal in this whole saga. A couple of days later, it all came together and the beautifully original HK sat in pride of place at the wedding venue, having safely delivered the bride.

Although both Monaros weren’t able to make

THE ’68 WAS SPRAYED IN PPG SILVER MINK, A COLOUR THAT PERFECTLY ACCENTUATES THE SIMPLE, CLEAN LINES

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Drivers

JACK TORRINGTON AGE: 42 OCCUPATION: Director PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: Ford F150 Anniversary

DREAM CAR: ‘55 Chev two-door post BUILD TIME: 2.5 years LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: Three years JACK THANKS: Compas Kustoms, Tracey and Lilly, Dan at Compas Kustoms, Brian and Jason at Compas Tyres, Kyrie at Quest Fabrication, Ken at KG Automotive, Mike the Sparky, Steve Willicott, Lee at Diffs R Us, Greg and Sheryl at Abacus Upholstery

TRACEY TORRINGTON AGE: 42 OCCUPATION: Director PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: Ford Prefect DREAM CAR: 1956 Chevy Nomad BUILD TIME: 23 years LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: 23 years TRACEY THANKS: Jack and Lilly, Dad (Milton Frost) and Mum, Compas Kustoms, Dan Hill

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it, sometimes you’ve got to know when to call it, put down the tools, and focus on important life moments. In the grand scheme of things, the missed deadline turned out to be much to the benefit of the HG, as it meant that Jack and friends were no longer scrambling to get the car finished, and could instead take the time to do it right and not cut any corners. It all paid off in the long run: with a fresh dyno tune under its belt (350hp and 450ft·lb at the rears), the Holden has since picked up Best Australian at the Kumeu Hot Rod Festival and spent plenty of time cruising Kiwi streets and events.

Two very different approaches to classic car ownership, with two very different results. Sure, Tracey’s considered swapping out the original 186S for some V8 power plenty of times, but she’s glad now that she hasn’t. There’s a certain something

special, not to mention dollar value, that’s lost once you start messing with cars like this, and, once it’s gone, it’s a very hard thing to regain.

After spending plenty of time pouring over these two beautiful and iconic Aussie classics, we’re still not sure which appeals more. Mild or wild? There’s no denying that Jack’s Monaro is astronomically faster, but it’s not always about speed. The pair agree that both cars are fun to drive in their own way, and each machine has its own charm. After all, life isn’t always about going fast, and there’s certainly something to be said for preserving the past and enjoying it for what it is, or, rather, what it was.

What would you build? Maybe the safest option is to think like the Torringtons and just have both.

Now … how to get the other half on board?