Mark Arnold
Ford XC Fairmont
“This is our street and strip XC Fairmont, which I’m building with AFL superstar and fellow car nut Charlie Dixon!
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We’re going a little more old school with this build, getting power from a one-stroke, 460-cube big-block Ford V8. We’re obviously going to do all the driveline to match the power to it, but the idea is to keep the exterior as close as possible to what it is now.
The car may look rough, but it actually has solid bones underneath, so it’s a perfect candidate for a build like this. It will get tubs to go with a nine-inch differential, with the build thought to reflect what South Australia’s aftermarket automotive industry has to offer.
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So far we have support from Tuff Mounts, Adelaide Motorsport Fabrication and Dave Leigh to help build the race engines.
At the end of it, we aim to have a streetable car that we can use for things like drag challenges as well as our car events that we’re doing around Adelaide.
Josh Oates
1957 Pontiac Super Chief
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“This is an Australian delivered 1957 Pontiac Super Chief that I’ve been building for quite a few years.
It originally ran a Pontiac 347 V8 and a three-on-the-tree manual box, so in 2017 we put in an LS1 and Turbo 400 just before we got married, which it was a part of.
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Since then, I’ve upgraded the engine to a forged and stroked 427-cube LS with a four-liter Whipple supercharger running 19psi and E85 fuel. It also has full Series III Jaguar front suspension fitted underneath, so it has rack-and-pinion power steering as well as four-pot brakes.
I decided to go with a 93/4in four-link rear end, and it’s airbaged at all four corners with an AccuAir E-Level system.
Jarrett Scott
EH Holden
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“This is my 1964 EH Holden Special sedan that I bought for my 18th birthday. I also got myself a donor car for a full LS1 conversion to EH, which I’m in the middle of doing.
As part of the conversion, I’ve mini-tubbed it so I can run the rear 15×8.5 Street Pro wheels, and it also has a Castlemaine Rod Shop chassis kit.
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There’s a Southern Chassis Works IFS up front, and it’s got a lot of stuff so far.
It has always been a dream of mine to turn the car I built into a street machine!
Zach Torrisi
Holden VL Berlina
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“This is my blown VL Berlina project. The engine is a LY6 iron block LS with a K1 crank, Callies rods, CP billet pistons and 823 CNC ported Higgins heads.
The blower is a TBS 8/71 with twin APD E85 carbs, sitting on Shawn’s custom alloy long blower with two inch spacers. I aim for about 700rwhp at 13-15psi.
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The gearbox is a 1200hp Powerglide, while in the rear I am currently making a custom nine-incher to help fit 20×12 Simmons rims, which will run 305 wide tires.
The project is going great so far, and I’m hoping to get it done soon.
Terry Rasmussen
HQ Holden ute
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“My HQ has come a long way, from sheep herding in the hills of Harcourt North to countless camping trips, collecting firewood, finding back roads and a whole bunch of shenanigans.
But after all that, it sat in the backyard for over seven years before I decided it was time to restore it to its former glory.
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I chose to go the original and factory spec route, but I plan to eventually get another HQ and build a modified one that I can have some proper fun with!”
Josh Lisa
1967 Chevy Camaro
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“This is my 502-cube 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RSS. During the lockdown, my dad and I decided it was time for some more power and bigger tires, so we took the car to a local dealer on Frontery Street. Took to the metal fabricator to get smaller tubs to fit the 295/55R15 tires and some welded V-Series rims to give the car a solid street presence.
We got round shoulder tubs complete with flat boot floor and swage support to support the fuel tank. We had the tank reinstalled on chrome moly supports.
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The lower and upper chassis arms were mounted to a triple four-link setup, with nine-inch billet 35-spline axles. An Enemies Racing Australia anti-roll bar was fitted with new QA1 coil overs.
The ‘Maru, as it’s affectionately known, was taken straight from the fabricator to Danco on Addicted Performance to replace the old manual box and Holley Double Pumper Carby.
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The 502 was fitted to a four-speed Muncie when we first bought it, but Dad felt a late model 4L80E would be a better match for the big block. The ‘Maru is still used to getting the 4L80E, along with an Aeroflow transcooler and an Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold with fuel injection.
The interior is also getting some attention, including a Haltech iC-7 digital dash and a B&M Stealth Pro ratchet shifter. All this will happen with the Haltech Elite 2500 ECU.
Kevin Motley
1969 Ford Capri.
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“My Coyote-converted Mk1 Ford Capri has taken over 600 hours of work to make it what it is today.
The car received a full rotisserie rebuild, including a rear tub job and a full roll cage. It now has Yukon alloy nine-inch differentials, with 15-inch Welded wheels shod with 295 tires at the rear. In the middle of the driveline is a red Powerglide, but the real party piece is the supercharged Coyote V8 from FG FPV.
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Upgrades include an MFP blower snout, a 10-groove pulley kit with 15 percent overdrive, a 102mm throttle body and E85 fuel. It also has FG Falcon brakes all around and coil overs with CalTracs bars in the rear.
Have a sweet ride that’s currently under construction? Send pictures of it with some details to: In The Build, Street Machine, Locked Bag 12, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 or email to inthebuild@wheelsmedia.com.au. Please note: Send us copies of your prints as we are unable to return images.