TThat Geelong Revival returned to its traditional date last weekend, kicking off with a sunset carpark meeting on Friday evening. Dozens of tough streetcars and cool oddities rolled into this beautiful place, known to locals as ‘Shaggers’.
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Sunset in the Park replaced previously held CBD cruises, allowing owners to come and go as they pleased without disrupting regular traffic. Save for a rogue El Platter before the neutral bombarded his VT Commodore and disappeared, there was no peek at the trouble from the attendees.
We’ll bring you more coverage of the revival soon, but in the meantime, here’s a taste of Friday night’s action.
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Paul Grzybek brought his 350 Shea powered HT Kingswood to Friday night’s meeting. Good for 450hp on the alloy-headed dunk flywheel, paired with a TH350 and a shorter 9in rear. “We’re still cleaning up a bit but it’s very roadworthy,” says Paul. “My wife Kylie raced here last year and did about 13.7 without pushing it.”
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This rally homologation special Daihatsu Astoria X4 was rebuilt in an Australian-supplied Sirion shell. It directs 100kW to all four wheels on 21psi of boost, taking care of a twin-cam 713cc four-cylinder with a screaming 9000rpm redline. At just 820kg, it’s a reliable recipe for fun.
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Dave reckons his XD Falcon needs a little cosmetic love, but its bright yellow color attracts Friday night visitors and bugs alike. Between the rails is a 347 Windsor, which matches the C9 with a 4500rpm stall and 9in third member. “I had an XW that was pretty rusty, but I kept all the running gear and threw it in,” he explains.
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Steve cruises through Little River in his HJ sedan, which wears HX graphics and a HZ GTS dash. Purchased as a “bit of a wreck”, Steve slotted the car into a hot 308 and auto combo before coating it in VE Commodore Green.
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In proper Geelong fashion, Andrew Larkins dropped his XA sedan on the centerlines, bumped the numbers-matching 302 Clio to 351 cubes, and called it a day. “I bought it from a guy who was about 74 years old, and I’m the third owner,” Andrew said. “It’s nothing radical; everything else is standard.”
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Chris Topozakis embarked on the wrecker hunt of a lifetime when he found this one-owner VC Commodore in a Casterton yard. “It was a one owner car with logbooks and 140,000km!” A little work and polish later, and the 173-powered manual L model hit the road. “It has one speaker, and that’s it,” laughs Chris.
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With its steamroller rear mats, you can’t miss Sam Gawkey’s killer XB. Since appearing on our May 2022 cover it has received a fresh 408 Clio, built in the same specs. “It’s due for a facelift, but I’m currently making an XY for my daughter,” Sam says of the former George Anthony Best.
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Inspired by the iconic Vogue Boy Pacer, Michael Bertucci’s use of a VF hardtop was actually seen in the third film episode, Vogue Boys forever. “I built this car from my favorite movie, so words can’t describe how happy I am,” he enthuses. Purchased from Adelaide as a practically stock car, Michael added a hot cam and the desired rear quarter strip to the 360 under the bonnet.
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Nick Townsend snapped up this XC as a rolling shell 12 years ago. “I put it on my PS with a crossflow, and as soon as I finished my PS the 351 went right into it,” he says.
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Nick handled the engine rebuild and paint himself, creating a neat straighter, though future plans include a repaint and stroker or big-block power.
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Tony Masters’ 66 Mustang fastback is one extreme piece of gear. The powerplant is a 520ci big-block, with dry sump management and custom billet ITBs controlled by an autotronic system. Behind it is a TKX five-speed manual and a full-floater 9in with a 35-spline axle, Detroit locker and 3.25 gears.
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“I probably should have gone 3.00s, because it has so much torque that it doesn’t need the lower gears,” admits Tony. It’s extremely stiff thanks to extensive braking, and it’s all VicRoads approved. “That got their head in,” he laughs. Mozzie ran in February’s revival, and even had a crack at it in Tasmania.
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Liam Bonney’s very sleepy ’92 Cressida is hiding 1JZ power, bent from a higher. Liam finished the conversion this year, and has already earned 4,000 hassle-free keys.
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“It’s a little heavier than a Soarer, just because it has an all-leather interior,” he says. “It’s pretty quiet, but it can be loud when you step on it!”