Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Street Machine

TRIBUTES have flowed following the passing of veteran drag racer and Dubbo City Car Club stalwart Jim Fife. Jim had been a key figure of the club since its inception and spent 30 years on the committee, primarily as secretary. During that time he organised countless race meets, shows and burnout events. He was instrumental in bringing drag racing to the Bodangora airstrip in the late 1980s, and was front and centre in the ongoing fight for a permanent dragstrip in Dubbo. In his younger years, Jim had been an accomplished drag racer behind the wheel of his Brambles Red XW GT-HO Phase II. “Cars were a way of life for Jim, and Ford blue blood surely ran in his veins,” said longtime mate Craig Leven. Jim bought the GT-HO…

WHEN an assassination attempt on veteran police detective Lon ‘McQ’ McHugh (Wayne) happens within minutes of learning his longtime partner Stan Boyle (Bryant) has been shot, McQ immediately strikes out for revenge. He initially suspects that the crimes are the work of local drug lord Manny Santiago (Lettieri), but after he leans on Santiago a little too hard, McQ cops disciplinary action and ends up resigning from the force. Against the wishes of his captain (Albert), McQ surrenders his gun and badge before joining the team of local private eye Pinky Farrell (Huddleston), with a view to keeping his credentials and investigation alive. Leaning on two of his local snitches, local hipster Rosey (Mosley) and McQ’s part-time love interest Myra (Dewhurst), he learns that Santiago plans to steal a $2…

WEST Australian locals were forced to make their own fun at this year’s Motorvation. With border restrictions still in place and a requirement for all people entering the Perth Motorplex to be double-vaxxed, the entrant and crowd numbers at the 36th instalment of the best fest in the west took a noticeable hit, but there was still plenty of cool stuff to check out. The Elite Tent had some amazing new builds, with everything from over-the-top lowriders to corner-carving Pro Tourers, and some unexpected stuff in between. Topping the latter list was Simon Birch’s batshit-crazy Suzuki Mighty Boy. I mean, not only is it unexpected for someone to hot-up a Mighty Boy, it’s virtually unfathomable that they’d build it to such a level that it would win Grand Champion! Unprecedented…

ONLY a handful of cars can lay claim to twice being a Street Machine cover car, and Gerry Mediati’s show-stopping 1971 HQ One Tonner (SM, Jul ’04 and Feb ’07) is one of them. From the outset, Gerry’s goal was to turn his Holden commercial into an Elite-level showstopper. The original build on the Panther Mica Tonner dubbed FLAME GRILLED featured an incredibly detailed engine bay (complete with injected 5.0-litre iron lion) along with a fully smoothed chassis and undercarriage. This, combined with phenomenal fit and finish, saw it snag Top Ute/Pick-Up and a Top 20 spot at Summernats 17. A further 12 months of refinement was rewarded with a Top 10 gong, 3rd Top Engine Bay and 2nd Top Ute/Pick-Up at ’Nats 18. Even in our original 2004 feature,…

YOU may be wondering how a 21-year-old Young Gun comes to be tooling around in an eight-second, twin-turbo LS-powered One Tonner – the little so-and-so must have won Lotto! Well, it just so happens that Connor Begley lucked out when it came to picking his mum and dad. Those who follow WA drag racing would know the Begley name. Connor’s sister Emma and father Anthony both drive in the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car series, so there’s a pretty good pedigree and a whole heap of drag racing knowledge in the fam. But that doesn’t mean Connor got handed this car on a platter. A fair bit of work and some deep R&D went into making it what it is today. I guess it’s pretty obvious you grew up around…

SEND photos of your car and a few details of what went into the build to Readers’ Rockets, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 or email readerscars@wheelsmedia.com.au. Please note: Send us copies of prints as we are unable to return your photos. BEN STRICKLAND VN COMMODORE “IT’S hard building a car when you live in the bush. You’re always making phone calls and planning when to tow the damn thing to the city! I have spent the better part of 12 years getting my 1990 VN to where it is, and I have to stop now; it has gone too far! I have managed to drive it around recently without getting into too much trouble, and, boy, does it get attention! People are drawn to the car due to…

WITH last year’s five-day Street Machine Drag Challenge kyboshed by COVID, the last time we had a chance to test Australia’s fastest street cars was the three-day Drag Challenge Weekend 2020, held in between lockdowns up in Queensland. On that occasion, Ben Vlekken’s VH Commodore wagon nabbed first place outright. We haven’t had the full event since 2019, when Harry Haig’s ‘Shonky’ HQ took the gold. Now we’re back, and set to run the three-day event in Victoria for the first time. With Warwick Dragway currently undergoing a massive birthday, we couldn’t get our usual Queensland program done in the early part of the year, so we figured the best course of action was to take it south. We’ll kick off on Friday, 25 March at Heathcote Park Raceway, then…

Write to: Your Stuff, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 or email streetmachine@wheelsmedia.com.au. Make sure you include your address (not necessarily for publication). Keep it short and sweet! > LETTER OF THE MONTH WHEELY IMPORTANT HI ANDREW and team. I was reading through the February 2022 issue, and one particular car stood out to me: Dave Barnard’s HQ Monaro (pictured). Aside from the great finish inside and out, I’m all about the wheels. Looking at the featured HK ute, XY, Barra-swapped VK, and half the cars at Summernats, they’re all on Welds! I get that trends evolve, and they’re still better than crappy one-piece Simmons rims, but in my opinion the look is already starting to get tired. I’m guessing Facebook Marketplace will be flooded with Welds in a…

PROJECT cars scar your hands, cause sleepless nights, push your patience and stress-test your bank account like little else in life. But they can also bring amazing, like-minded people together, and the satisfaction of overcoming a difficult automotive problem is a hit of dopamine you can’t buy in a back alley. Cars have been a life-long passion for Sydney’s Michelle White, culminating in the five-year build of her beloved HZ Holden. Unveiled at Summernats 34, Michelle’s blown, Elite-level streeter is a car she has envisioned since her formative years. “I’ve been into cars since I was about 14 years old,” Michelle says. “There was a guy down the end of my street with an EJ wagon. He’d be out the front every Saturday working on it or washing it. His…

THE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY YELLOW BUT MY WIFE PERSUADED ME TO GO ORANGE, AND IT’S PROBABLY THE BEST THING I DID IF YOU’RE worried that the youngsters of today aren’t getting into street machining, then this bloke – and this car – should set your mind at ease. At just 26 years old, Paul Camilleri is at least half the age of many of us (me included), but he was brought up right and had the desire to own a Torana from a very young age, purchasing this one five years ago. “I’ve always been around old cars,” Paul says. “My old man has a genuine Barbados Green LH SL/R 5000, so I’ve just always liked them. I said as a kid I wanted a green Torana, but he beat…

DRAG-and-drive is now a certified phenomenon. The scene is exploding in popularity, with half-a-dozen Hot Rod Drag Week-inspired events now taking place across North America, not to mention our own phenomenally popular Street Machine Drag Challenge in Oz. Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0 is one of these new events, and the 2021 running followed hot on the heels of Hot Rod Drag Week, beginning just two days after its completion. For a crazy few, it was an opportunity to attempt what was basically a Drag Fortnight. Don’t let the name fool you. Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0 takes place far away from the peaks. The name is a branding remnant from when the original event, now named RMRW 1.0, was created. Where 1.0 directs racers through scenic mountain drives between…

IT’S A hard road losing someone you love. You can trust Darren Gojak on that one; he’d been with his wife Sue for 17 years when she passed suddenly in 2019, leaving him at a loss. There’s no rulebook on how to cope with grief, but eventually you’ve got to move forward. And few things move a man forward like a worked small-block V8. It was simpler days back in 2013 when Darren spied a green Mustang coupe on Gumtree. Sue agreed it was worth checking out, and before long, it was in their driveway. There were a few imperfections bringing it down, including an untidy set of 80s-spec Delta Wires, but wheels are easily fixed. Importantly, Sue liked it, the paint was excellent and the potential was evident. Darren…

IF THE idea of a megawatt-powered block of flats that can haul lawn mowers, rev to 10,000rpm and chop almost everything at Powercruise appeals to you, then you might just be Mendoza ‘Millsi’ Miller. The Queenslander became an internet sensation back in 2018 when the first iteration of his Barra-powered 1980 CF Bedford van was featured on The Skid Factory’s YouTube channel. “I built a really full-on Suzuki enduro dirt bike and Al from The Skid Factory wanted it, so we worked out a deal for him to get the bike and I get my van Barra-swapped,” Millsi explains. “I got it from a mate who had it on a Defence Force base with a 202, and it was pretty much rust-free, as it had been stored undercover. “The original…

Send your favourite funnies to: LOL, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 or email them to: streetmachine@wheelsmedia.com.au. GAG OF THE MONTH SUPER CAR A MAN put his $400,000 Lamborghini up for sale. A few days later he got a call from a bloke and they met up. The prospective buyer offered to exchange his old jalopy of a car, which would have been worth no more than $500, for the Lamborghini. “Are you out of your mind?” the seller cried. “This car costs $400K – one tyre is worth more than your old heap!” “Yes, I know,” the other bloke calmly replied. “But mine has a special genie. Let me show you!” The bloke clapped his hands and a genie magically appeared from the car’s boot. “How may I serve…

WE STREET machiners are a diverse bunch. Our hobby encompasses everything from professionally assembled big-dollar builds to folks tinkering away in their backyards on multiple projects with plenty of hands-on passion. Scott Sheppard falls into that latter category, having enjoyed nearly four decades of expression with his own projects. “I bought my first car in 1983 as a 14-year-old – a ’69 XT Falcon,” he says. It began a Ford addiction that now sees him on car number 35. “I’m definitely not a purist,” Scott says. “I modify my cars to suit my own tastes and don’t care what others think.” Amen to that! Let’s take a look at how it all started for Scott, before delving into his more recent projects next issue. 01: THIS is Scott’s grandfather, George, proudly…

MILL ABOUT WE RECENTLY bought ourselves a two-door TA Torana for our Carnage YouTube show, and we’re beyond stoked about it! What isn’t so cool though is the crummy four-banger these TAs came with, so when we announced the new project, we also threw the door open for suggestions about what we should swap into the little Holden. Here’s what you had to say. Kurt Hewitt – A Starfire four-cylinder and an auto. Nikk MacRae – Mazda rotary 20B! Ashley Yates – Do something random like a V6 Alloytec from a VF Commodore with twin turbos. Randy Davidson – One-up the boys from the Castlemaine Rod Shop and put a Lambo V12 in it. Joey Hollywood – A 202 with a 6/71 blower hanging off the side of it. Brad…

I’VE BROKEN EVERY PART OF THIS CAR EXCEPT… NAH, I’VE BROKEN EVERY PART OF THIS CAR! JOSH Tuskin didn’t get much of a say in where his automotive allegiances would lie. “My old man always had an XR Falcon, ever since he was 18,” he says. “He had that many XWs and XYs, I guess that’s why I fell in love with them. Dad was right into buying and selling these cars; at one point it was one or two a week. I listened to him and when I was 12 I bought a set of XY guards for $750 and sold them for $1500.” Josh’s careful buying and selling of parts and cars led to him purchasing this XW as a shell on a rotisserie when he was 16.…

WITH MARIO FROM VCM IN TODD’S EAR, THE PLASTIC V8 WAS SOON DROPPED IN FAVOUR OF A MORE AMBITIOUS LSA TRANSPLANT TODD Blazely bleeds Holden red. The Yarra Glen-based dad has owned a raft of hot HSVs over the past few decades, alongside a range of collectible Commodores, with 20-odd cars passing through his stable. One personal favourite was an Atlas Grey VN SS, sold in 2000 to finance his first home. It was a fairly wise decision in hindsight, but it left Todd pining for another one. “I still loved the shape and look,” he says. “So I always wanted to build a really nice one that looks standard but isn’t.” To that end, Todd managed to snap up a solid Atlas Grey SS in 2017. “It had been…

THE calibre of burnout cars being built in Australia seems to know no bounds, and in the past decade we’ve seen the sport escalate to dizzying heights. Big-dollar engines and drivelines were always par for the course, but nowadays we’re seeing many top skid cars detailed to a level that’d earn them a spot in the Elite Hall of any major national car show. Phil Kerjean is a competitor who’s seen this evolution first-hand. Two decades ago, in a modest VN-headed, 304-cube Holden V8-powered VC wagon, he had his first flirtation with a sport that’s now consumed him for over half his adult life. “My first ever burnout was on the Summernats pad – I even managed to get both tyres off!” he laughs. At the time, the VC was…

GOT a sweet ride that’s currently in the build? Send photos of it along with some details to: In The Build, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 or email inthebuild@wheelsmedia.com.au. Please note: Send us copies of your prints as we are unable to return photos. MICHAEL HUDSON HT KINGSWOOD “MY HT Kingswood wagon only just made it to Summernats this year after a mad rush at the end of a two-year build. It was a two-owner car when I got it, and my best mate Damon and I decided to build it into something decent. We did an LS conversion ourselves in the shed at home, including the mini-tubs, all the wiring, panelwork and so on. It only left the shed to get tuning done and the paint sprayed…

I LOVE MOTORS STICKING OUT THE BONNET, SO WE TUNNEL-RAMMED THE 302CI AND ADDED TWIN 600CFM HOLLEY CARBS AND A MILD CAM A CAR nut since she was a teenager, Anna Smith has owned plenty of sweet steel over the years. Yet the ride she truly desired remained elusive until six years ago, when her husband Gary secured this stunning 1970 XY GS Fairmont for her. How did your revhead journey begin? I started dating Gary when I was 15 years old, and our older friends always had hotted-up cars, so we’d hang out with them. My mum and dad weren’t into cars, but Dad had an XY Falcon, and that’s why I’ve always loved them. Gary and I bought a ZC Fairlane when he turned 18, and after that…

Send your photos of fun with cars to: Sunday Too Far Away, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166, or email high-resolution images (1mb+) to: sundaytoofaraway@wheelsmedia.com.au. Please send copies of prints as we are unable to return your photos.…