THe unveiled the Street Machine Summer Nets 35 as an absolute gift of mind-blowing metal, but Matt McIntosh’s twin-turbo small-block-powered HQ Statesman was unmissable, and not just because of his Bay. Shelter rose gold thanks to Simmons!
Owen Webb and the judging team seem to agree, awarding the Stato the Top Engineered, Top Bodywork, Top Undercarriage/Driveline, Top Engine Bay, and Top Pro Custom gongs along with Top Judged.
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“We wanted a nice, clean street car, but as we went along, we turned it into an Elite car,” Matt says of the build, which was almost entirely done at Matt’s Echuca Service Center. I was done.
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A look at the incredibly sharp engine bay reveals not an LS, but an engine masterbuilt, a Dart-blocked 403-cube small-block sheave mounted to a pair of precision turbos. It’s good for 1000hp on run-in tune and E85, and Matt believes another 500 ponies await. gave [Haltech] The Nexus R5 was simple, and with all the sensors it’s controlling everything,” he explains.
Impressively, it all sits under a flat bonnet. “We’re amazed that it all fits and the bonnet closes,” enthuses Matt. “It was a big deal for us.” There’s a remote-operated XA Falcon brake booster tucked under the dash to help the Wilwood brakes do their job.
Land Rover-spec Carpathian Gray paint was laid out in the shop’s spray booth, explaining that Matt took a hit over the popular Nardo Grey. It’s a stark contrast to the rose gold wheels and sail-exit exhaust outlets.
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“A month out [from Summernats] We looked at the wheels and they were gray, and we thought it needed something else to make it pop and match the trim,” he says. “So it was really a make or break decision. We were amazed at how he made it.
Body mods are extensive, but not all immediately obvious, with sills stretched 30mm to house the pipes, wider door sills, and a WB-style lower guard treatment. There are even handmade one-piece, clip-in molds. Matt sums up, “There’s heaps of metals and fab work, including a super-smooth undercarriage thanks to boot-mounted catch cans and a transmission cooler via a custom full-length center console.
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“The interior trim was the same throughout,” says Matt, including four skate pro seats in The Trim Shed by Shane and VE Commodore mounted on custom door cards fabricated at the Echuca service center. Includes internal handles.
3D printing also features heavily, helping to integrate modern bits like door handles and the Haltec dash and CAN button pad.
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Matt says the response to the car at the Elite Pavilion has been incredible. “We took the thing out of the trailer and wondered what kind of reaction we’d get,” he admits. “But it’s been absolutely amazing.”
An appearance at MotorEx is next on the Statesman’s list, after a few minor changes. “Then we’re going to the Grand Champion at Red CentreNATS; that’s where we’ll drive,” he says.
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Matt thanked his team for the epic final result. “90 percent of this car is built in our workshop. Shane from The Trim Shed has covered all the interior for us, and Steve from Boosted Fabrications has been a great help as well.”