Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Street Machine

THEY reckon more people have walked on the moon than have gone faster than 400mph on land. I’m not sure ‘they’ are correct about that, but either way, 400+mph land speed runs are extraordinary achievements. George Poteet has done it more than just about anyone in his Speed Demon streamliner (pictured in 2018). In August, the 71-year-old set a new record for the world’s fastest piston-powered vehicle, with a 470.016mph (756km/h) average during the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Speed Week on the Bonneville salt flats in Utah. The previous record holder was Danny Thompson, to the tune of 448.75mph in 2018. He did it in the Challenger II streamliner, powered by a pair of 500ci, nitro-burning Hemis. In doing so, Thompson finished the job started by his father Mickey…

LETTER OF THE MONTH LOST & FOUND HI GUYS, I thought I would send some pics and a bit of a story of my XM ute. It was a feature car in your magazine back in November 2002. It was a very successful show car within the Adelaide scene, taking out many top awards. I regretfully sold it due to a relationship in late 2004, and not long after my father passed away suddenly. That’s when I was at my lowest. I always swore I would buy it back if I ever had the chance. I looked, and had friends look high and low, but no luck. I was ready to move on, when one day I was having my morning coffee with the wife and it popped up for…

I’M IN I.T., SO THE TECH STUFF ROCKS MY BOAT. EVERY ASPECT OF TUNEABLITY IS UNLIMITED: TIMING, FUEL CURVE, FUEL DELIVERY, ENGINE PROTECTION AND TORQUE MANAGEMENT TO HELP WITH TRACTION THIS beautiful black XY stopped us in our tracks when we first clapped eyes on it at Meguiar’s MotorEx 2018. The miles-deep Onyx Black duco and righteous stance were complemented by one hell of an engine bay, filled up with 440 cubes of Ford’s finest Windsor, tunnel-rammed and topped by a pair of EFI throttlebodies. According to the show board, the XY belonged to one Peter Haravitsidis and was apparently destined for duty in the Pacemaker Radial Aspirated class at Drag Challenge. To be honest, the car looked way too tidy to be subjected to such torture, but we were…

FROM the Grand Champion sword at Street Machine Summernats to the medals at MotorEx, there are plenty of gongs in our sport, but only the Valvoline Street Machine Of The Year is decided by you, the readers of this magazine. For the past couple of years, we’ve thrown the privilege of selecting the 16 finalists over to you as well, but unfortunately the impact of COVID-19 has made that impossible to co-ordinate this year. Instead, for 2020 the finalists have been chosen by Street Machine staff and contributors. That said, the responsibility of choosing the ultimate winner of SMOTY 2020 still falls to you! It’s a personal choice not necessarily determined by dollars and sense – it’s all about which cars speak to you. As such, it is the ultimate…

LONG-time readers may be familiar with my love of Queensland’s Warwick Dragway. I got to know the eighth-mile track when I visited their headline Dragfest event back in 2004, and have returned many times since for the Six-Banger Nats and our own Drag Challenge Weekend. What I dig most about the volunteer-run facility is the vibe. The atmosphere is friendly, the track staff welcoming and there is always an interesting bunch of cars in attendance. But like just about every drag strip in the country, 2020 has been a challenging one for the Warwick crew. COVID-19 has meant they’ve had to cancel their usual program, including the Six-Bangers, Dragfest and the VW Nationals. “With the borders shut, we decided not to run those events,” says Warwick Dragway’s Matt ‘Junga’ Loy.…

An easy way to keep safe on the road is purchasing quality tyres from reputable brands. MITCHELL GOLLEDGE, Managing Director at Continental Tyres, the leaders in tyre safety, shares his tips on things to consider next time you purchase new tyres. WET WEATHER As we head further into winter, it’s important that when purchasing new tyres to consider how well they react in wet braking conditions. Tests at Continental’s Contidrom Test Center in Germany have shown that on wet roads, most cars require a stopping distance of an additional 12 metres when travelling from 100km/h compared to dry conditions. When cars are fitted with budget tyres, stopping distances can increase even more – up to an additional 18 metres! It’s important to purchase tyres that can perform strongly in all…

YOU’D be forgiven for thinking that Chris Cutajar’s VE SS-V ute is just another burbling, workaday load hauler, but underneath the unassuming exterior lies over 1500rwhp of force-fed mayhem. You’re also probably thinking that simply popping the bonnet would reveal all the secrets to this colossal oomph. But while you will find a non-standard LS donk and some fancy hardware in place of the original L77, the real party piece lives deep within the bowels of the ute, in the form of two rear-mounted hairdryers. Chris got his hands on the brand-new VE ute in 2011, and after detonating the standard driveline a number of times, he turned to LS gurus MPW Performance to sort him out with something more stable. “I did a lot of research and asked around,…

01 GRILLED SOMETIMES it’s the small parts that can bring a build to a grinding halt, and they can be a nightmare to track down second-hand. Rare Spares is aware of this, which is why the company makes more than just patch panels and replacement badges. Radiator support upper grille mounting kits are about to be added to the range to suit XW, XY, ZC and ZD Fords, which should make the restoration process even easier for all you Bluebloods. You can find out more at rarespares.com.au. 02 CRATE EXPECTATIONS READY-to-go crate engines are an awesome and drama-free way of sticking some more shove under your bonnet, and Chevy’s beloved LS engine is one of the most popular options. Performance Wholesale now offers a killer new LS crate mill: the…

EVER since Dodge made it possible to order its behemoth 707hp, 6.2-litre supercharged V8 as a crate motor, people have wasted no time in cramming them into just about everything – including this Mercedes CLK 320 coupe. It’s fair to say that a posh German conveyance is not the most obvious home for an off-tap Hellcat motor, and this build is unusual for another reason, too. Its main purpose is not to set the timeslips on fire; rather, it’s to help those going through tough times due to illness, giving them an outlet to experience the better things in life and open up about their challenges. The owner of the car is Andy Kahle, a longtime drag racer and a breast cancer survivor. She is also the CEO of Therapy…

BUILDING cars with mates in the garage is a favourite pastime for us gearheads. But while the sharing of beer and breaking of bolts can sometimes result in great things, it’s not often that it results in an 870rwhp, nine-second, street-driven monster. But that’s exactly what went down in the case of Corey Sant and his LS-powered VH Commodore. “I’d always had a thing for the VHs, being the last of the chrome-bumpered Holdens,” he says. Corey grew up in a Holden family, his love affair with Commodores beginning with a V8 VS Berlina. “I got it when I was 19, and I built the engine for that and had a lot of fun. Then after a quick break I got into this VH.” He searched high and low for…

SOMETIMES keeping things simple and going back to basics can yield the best results, and few builds demonstrate that as plainly as Steve Metcalfe’s cheap-as-chips FE Holden project. Steve is no stranger to classic Holdens, with a collection of big-horsepower, show-quality rigs in his stable. But for this build, he decided to take a different approach. “I wanted to build something to show that you can do it all yourself, and you don’t need big bucks either,” he says. The other big trigger for the project was spending a few weeks in the he US with the he Team En Enemiee Everywhere crew for the Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout, a challenge forcing teams to build stupidly quick cars in a small timeframe on very strict budgets (see sidebar). “The…

THE Dodge Daytona – and this car in particular – is a very special vehicle. It was a NASCAR stocker, years ahead of its time. These days, Daytonas are incredibly rare. Most were swiped from the showroom floor and raced. To find an original lightweight is incredible, because only 44 were made from a run of 502. To find one outside the States was considered an impossible dream – until we discovered Kevin Monk’s machine. Sydney bloke Kevin is a car freak. At last count, he owned 16 ’32 Ford rods, a whole host of other machinery, and 45 garages! It was Kevin’s love of ’32 Fords that brought this man and this machine together. In 1973, Kevin travelled to the US in search of ’32s. First stop was Los…

QUEENSLANDER Brianna Barker grew up in a family that was mad-keen on motorsports and the American Motors Corporation (better known as Rambler in Australia). Her daily driver is a Mitsubishi Lancer, which she also races on occasion, but she’s been thrown the keys to something much cooler – and a hell of a lot quicker. Tell us about the car. It’s a 1971 AMC Hornet, and it’s actually my dad’s. It was just sitting there and we thought, “Why not take it out again?” I don’t remember how it came about that I would race it; I was just always so interested in it. My first race was Mopar Sunday 2019. When Dad stopped racing it, we would take it out every Sunday and just cruise around to keep it…

HT MONARO LUKE KESTLE “IN MARCH this year I was working on concepts to promote our Motor Fab ’68-’71 Aussie Rivals Drag Day that was coming up in June. So I decided to drag my HT Monaro shell out of storage and slap it together junkyard-style in three months to debut at Aussie Rivals, documenting the journey on YouTube. However, not long after, COVID-19 hit, so the Aussie Rivals day had to be put on the back-burner. But by this stage my new YouTube channel was receiving a lot of interest, and I learned that there were other Aussie YouTubers documenting their junkyard builds too, so I immediately came up with the idea of a YouTube builders race-off! Straight away I started calling people out – Harry Haig from Haulass…

GAG OF THE MONTH WITH THIS RING… THREE men are standing outside a jewellery shop looking at an expensive ring in the display window. The first man says: “That ring is perfect for Susie. I just wish I could afford it.” The second man says: “I was planning on proposing to Julie soon. She’d love that ring.” The third man says: “Okay, I’ll make you both a deal. You two race to the bottom of the street. Whoever gets there first gets the ring, at my expense. Deal?” The men are thrilled at the offer and both agree. So the third man starts them off: “On your marks… Get set… Go!” The other two men tear away down the street. The third man then smashes the shop window and pockets…

A FEW minutes into Two Hands, we’re outside a strip club on Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross, when two menacing Aussie legends fill up the frame: actor Bryan Brown in the passenger seat of a purple XA GT hardtop. It’s an arresting, iconic image. Brown plays Pando, the local crime boss, and the GT is the prized possession of his merciless enforcer, Acko (Field). A few scenes later, Pando prevails upon Acko to lend the coupe to the gang’s new recruit, 19-year-old Jimmy (Ledger): Pando: “Give him your fucking keys.” Acko: “You’re not taking my fucking car!” Pando: “It’s only going to take 20 minutes; he needs a car, so give him your fucking keys.” Acko: “I just got the gearbox done. Pando: “Good, that means it fucking works. Now give…

JON Van Daal is a rarity in the magazine business, having been a major player on both the creative and commercial sides of the game. As a photographer and journalist, Jon has contributed to countless magazines, including Australian Hot Rod, Street Machine, Performance Street Car, Street & Strip, Dragster and Drag News. He also edited both National Drag Racer and The Drag Racing Yearbook. In 2014, Jon was awarded an Australian Nostalgia Fuel Association Pioneer Award. As an ad guy, Jon led the commercial charge during the golden era of HOT4s and Auto Salon. He has also penned three books: The History of the Summernats, Traction Action and The Boss: The Brett Stevens Story. Jon is currently working on a biography of his father. We sat him down to spill…

THE CONSOLE LOOKS STOCK BUT TOOK 100 HOURS TO CREATE, INCLUDING THE 3D-PRINTED SHIFTER SURROUND AND CONTROL PANEL FOR THE BLUEWIRE AUTOMOTIVE BUTTONS DAVID Galea saw no need to reinvent the wheel when building this gorgeous HT Monaro. And why would he, given that he’s dealing with one of the most stunning and timeless silhouettes in Aussie motoring? First-generation Monaros are quite simply one of the most visually appealing muscle cars ever built, and with small-block Chevs and Powerglide transmissions riding between the rails from the factory, the mechanical side of the equation ain’t half bad, either. So David reasoned that there was no sense in modifying the thing to buggery when simply honing, refining and fettling the factory offering could result in a staunch and tasteful street machine. “70…

IT IS a damn shame that Australia didn’t get any homegrown two-door wagons. Ford could have easily done it with its early Falcons, since such a thing already existed in the US. But no doubt the economies of scale and the conservative tastes of Aussie motorists meant it was never to be. Which is probably why many Down Under car pervs today have a bit of a thing for the two-door longroof. Maybe it is the allure of forbidden fruit? While they look impractical to Aussie eyes, two-door wagons often served as a budget offering for many US brands in the 50s and 60s. But these days, they are among the more desirable of the litter, with their long coupe doors and even longer rear quarters. Don Hardy from Don…

MONSTER V8-powered SUVs are all the rage in new-car land these days, but a Tasmanian bloke called Arthur Hayward was right onto the concept 45 years ago. Arthur took brand new Holden utes, vans and wagons and transformed them into off-road weapons dubbed the Overlander. The Overlander was no backyard job, and started with brand-new vehicles only – at least until Holden stopped making the donor cars. While GM-H made Arthur buy complete cars, they honoured their warranties, giving the project a factory-approved sheen. Arthur later added wagons to his product list, providing an affordable alternative to the Chev Blazers and Range Rovers of the day. In total, 120 Overlanders were built, and attracted a cult following that included a young petrolhead named Mark Allen. GENUINE OVERLANDERS WERE HARD TO…

MOST of us are familiar with the concept of fuel injection systems and the Engine Control Units (ECUs) that run them. But Haltech’s new NEXUS R5 really stands out from other ECUs, as it is designed to manage so much more than just the engine. That’s why Haltech is calling it a VCU – Vehicle Control Unit. The box plays host to not only an ECU but also another three-letter acronym: a PDM, or Power Distribution Module. What’s that, you ask? Well, first let’s talk about wiring. The most conventional way to wire up a car is to use a fuse-and-relay system, where the wiring loom connects any high-current-draw devices (thermo fans, electric pumps and the like) to the battery, first through a relay and then through a fuse. This…

DRAG Challenge brings a whole bunch of killer street cars out of the woodwork for us to gawk at, and Shane Locke’s 1975 Chevy LUV is certainly one of those. That’s partly due to it being a bit of a rarity on Aussie roads, but also simply because it’s a 10-second aspo Bunnings hauler. “I got it around six or seven years ago from Melbourne, and other than the engine, the old boy and I have done just about everything to this car,” says the Queenslander. Underneath the LUV’s skin sits a 634hp small-block Chev, stroked to 383ci with a bunch of forged internals and Dart heads, with a custom-built 750cfm carby drinking pump E85. During last year’s Drag Challenge Weekend, a Turbo 350 ’box and VN Commodore BorgWarner diff…

MARK LINNERTSON 1971 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE “I BOUGHT the Chevelle from the States in the middle of last year. It was a pretty honest car, and other than a few cosmetic changes, it’s as it was when it arrived. It runs a Reher-Morrison 540ci big-block Chev with Reher-Morrison CNC-ported Brodix Big Brodie heads, Dart intake, 1050 Dominator carb and Lemons Headers with a twin four-inch system. The B&M Pro Ratchet shifter works a Coan Racing Turbo 400 with a 3500rpm stall, and out back there’s a Ford nine-inch diff with 4.11 gears. The car sits on Weld Full Throttle 17x4.5 front wheels and Enemies Everywhere bead-locked 15x10 Weld V-Series rears wearing 275 radials. It went 6.80@102mph in eighthmile Kenda radial racing. Future plans include getting to all the Queensland Kenda radial…

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