First published in the June 2026 issue of Street Machine

“A lot of people tend to confuse this ute with a Mazda, but it’s actually a 1977 Toyota RN25 HiLux!

“My grandfather bought it near-new and used it as a work ute. It was the first manual car I ever drove, and after he passed, I brought it back to Canberra. I got it sorted while it was still a four-cylinder, but then I decided to change it up.

“It now has a bridgeported Mazda 12A rotary in it with a Weber 48 IDA carby, backed by a four-speed manual, and while it doesn’t make a heap of power, it’s a great cruiser.

“The toolbox set-up on the back is something a bit different; the ute had a ratty old tray on it when I got it, and I had a tub on it for a while, but I saw the toolbox look somewhere and decided to make my own.

“The signage on the door is a made-up business using my mother’s maiden name, but it gets people in Canberra talking all the time!

“I’m tempted to repower the ute at some point, and I have an RB sitting there, but it’ll need a lot of work to make it fit. But if that swap does go ahead, I’d love to do some racing in it.”

Want your pride and joy featured in the mag? Just send some photos of your car (minimum file size 2MB each) and a few details of what went into the build to readerscars@streetmachine.com.au.