Sean Livingstone’s HQ began as a restoration for his late mum to drive, but it’s now evolving into a serious drag-and-drive build. And he has Drag Challenge in his sights.

First published in the September 2025 issue of Street Machine

“This is my 1972 HQ Holden. This car means a lot to me; we rushed to transform it from a rusty, non-running shell to how it looks now so that my mum could drive it before she passed away.

“That was really special, and after she passed, the car was handed down to me.

“Not long after, I pulled out the old 308 and swapped in a nitrous-fed LS3. It went 10.98 in full street trim, driven to and from the track.

“It was a solid set-up, but I always wanted to take it further. I’ve since taken it off the road to do a full rebuild and turn it into a drag-and-drive car.

“It’s now got a full Rod Shop front end and is currently at Psidup Fabrications getting some big upgrades, including a Mood Motorsports 9in with Race Products floaters, M&M shifter, Reliable Race Solutions steering wheel, full bar work and a rollcage.

“It’s got Max Dumesny wheels all ’round and tucks a 275 Radial Pro tyre. Once the car comes back, we will finish off all the little things and build the engine in-house at All GM Automotive.

“We haven’t decided on the new engine combo just yet, but I’m leaning toward a basic twin-turbo big-block.

“The plan is to have it finished and ready for Drag Challenge 2027, but who knows! It’s been a big journey so far with some amazing people helping – some I now call family – and we are building it to be fast, reliable, and something I can drive on the street and race in memory of my mum.”

Got a sweet ride that’s currently in the build and want to share it with our readers? Email photos of it (2MB+ each) along with some details on the build to inthebuild@streetmachine.com.au.