The race is on to get your entry in to our 2026 Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse Young Street Machine of the Year, with entries set to close on Monday, August 10.

If you or someone you know is 24 years old or younger, get entered now at the link below to ysmoty.com and go in the running to share in $9000 of cash and prizes.

We’ll be choosing 16 finalists to go to a public vote to choose a winner, but until then, let’s take a look at some of the Mopars, Euros, yank tanks and others currently in the mix. You can check out similar stories for Holdens, Fords and Japanese entrants as well.

Tyler Hodge – 1974 Valiant VJ ute

This is my VJ Valiant ute, with a 245 Hemi and three-on-the-tree. I bought it when I was 15, and have been piecing the old banger together ever since. Every spare dollar, weekend, and plenty of late nights in the shed have gone into keeping the old girl alive. There was never a big budget or a fancy plan—just whatever parts I could find. It isn’t fast, it isn’t shiny, and it definitely isn’t a show car. It rattles, squeaks, and leaks like a cheap hooker. But turn the key, pump the throttle a couple of times, and that old 245 fires up ready for another floggin’. The three-on-the-tree keeps you honest, and driving it is about as old-school as it gets. No touchscreens, no traction control, no cup holders—just a big steering wheel, a gearbox hanging off the column, and the sound of an ole Hemi six singing like opera. The VJ has hauled engines, gearboxes, diffs, parts, mates, and probably enough random crap to build another Valiant. Every dent has got a story, every scratch was earned, and every oil stain under it just marks its territory. If something falls off, it probably needed to come off anyway. If it breaks, it gets fixed with whatever’s in the shed, then it’s back out doing what it was built to do. It’ll never win trophies, and the blokes polishing their trailer queens probably wouldn’t give it a second look. But this old bus gets driven, loaded up, and absolutely flogged without a second thought. At the end of the day, she’s not perfect—and that’s exactly why I love the old banger.” Insta: @tylerhodge101

William Boon – 1978 BMW E24 635CSi

“Under the bonnet sits a fully built 3.45-litre BMW M30 straight six, bored to 93.35mm with an 84mm stroker crank, Mahle flat top pistons, a BMW M90 cylinder head that has been ported, polished and fitted with swirl cut valves, steel rocker arms and heavy duty springs. The engine breathes through a Schrick 284/280 degree performance camshaft, and is fed by three Weber 45 DCOE carburettors on a custom inlet manifold. The exhaust exits through a custom fabricated equal length 3-2-1 stainless steel header system by Spot On Performance — one of the most challenging fabrication jobs ever attempted on a right hand drive E24 — before flowing through a single three inch stainless pipe into an Exhaust Innovations Group C replica side exit muffler. This build has been more than a mechanical project. Every challenge — and there were many — taught patience, problem solving and the value of doing things properly the first time. The dream behind this car is bigger than the build itself. To inspire Australian enthusiasts to look beyond the mainstream and explore what European performance cars can become in the right hands — and one day to channel everything learned into a performance workshop of my own.” Insta: @wills.boon

Zac Lister – 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham D’Elegance

“Being raised by a family that was into lowriders and years of being a passenger in Dad’s, it really gave me the motivation to get my own. So, this is my 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham D’elegance, brought in June 2025 stock as a rock. I’ve ended up doing 13 inch wire wheels, blacked out underbody for a cleaner look , painted boot and batteries with a  two pump, eight battery hydraulic setup. The engine also got a cleanup, I went over all the interior parts and fixed and replaced everything wrong. I wanted to give it a simple look, but make it stand out and turn heads.” Insta: @yxchtylister

Sebastian Lo Giudice – 1974 Chrysler Valiant Regal

“When I was 14, this Valiant was going to be parted out. Dad had decided it wasn’t worth saving, but I couldn’t let it go. Instead, I took on the challenge of bringing it back to life. I spent countless afternoons after school and weekends in the shed learning. There were plenty of setbacks, but hearing it fire up for the first time made every late night worthwhile. Once it was running, I worked towards getting it roadworthy. That day eventually came to pass was a huge milestone, and before long I was driving the very car I’d saved on my learners permit. There was no better feeling than driving something I’d rebuilt with my own hands. As my skills grew, so did the project. I swapped the original 265 Hemi for a built 318 V8 small block, choosing a Comp Cams Big Mutha Thumper cam and building the engine to suit. It has the tough, lumpy sound and shakes the car at idle that I’d always dreamed of. Today, my favourite part isn’t just driving the car, it’s cruising alongside my old man in his Charger. The same car he was ready to scrap has become something we both enjoy, creating memories every time we go for a cruise. This Valiant is more than just a car. It’s a reminder that with enough determination, patience, and hard work, you can give something a second chance and end up with memories that will last me a lifetime.” Insta: _seb_lo_

Koby Wade – 1989 BMW E30

“There is a huge story behind this car, when I was 12 my dad bought the car for me to learn to drive in and race in. We sadly went through a rough patch and sold the car to one of dads mates, it sat in his workshop for eight years. I bought the car back last year, and started going at the car building it to what I had visioned for it. This E30 is two combined, a 318i and a 325i. It has a fully built motor, stroked out to 2.9L from its original 2.0L. A built gearbox and built diff. It has E36 M3 Evo front suspension and an E36 rear conversion, along with five stud to run bigger brakes. It has a full BBS bodykit with an M3 touring wing. I have fully restored the interior, stripping the roll cage and putting in a full leather interior. The theme was black and white. My vision was to create a look like a BMW E30 M3 touring car.” Insta: @itsstocke30

Luka Brix – 1969 Volkswagen Type 3 Squareback

“This is my first car, a 1969 Volkswagen Type 3 Squareback. I bought it as a rolling shell off one of my Dad’s mates when I was 15, I’m now 17-years-old. It was supposed to be an easy and reasonably quick resto, but ended up being close to three years. I did about 80 per cent of the work myself, with the help of my Dad and a few friends. I built it on a budget, so I did as much as I could myself. Even the interior door cards I bead-rolled aluminium sheet and the carpet is cut up spotlight rugs. We don’t really know the full history of the car, it was originally a US-spec car that someone at some point in time converted to RHD and brought over here. It’s a very rare factory three-speed auto. It is all original paint, that I spent a long time sanding back through to show the fading and patina. As far as modifications go, it is reasonably stock, apart from it being lowered on some Porsche 911 Fuch wheels. It still has the little twin carb 1600cc engine in it, with a nice throaty exhaust. It’s an awesome car to daily and have fun with on the weekend with mates.” Insta: @lukabazooka31

Alessia Calabrese – 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E

“Growing up I had always loved a naturally aspirated v8 but I loved the styling of the 90s European market. I bought a $1500 Mercedes 190E about two years ago. The car was rough, and needed a lot of TLC to get it running properly. With some time, I was able to get the stock four cylinder running healthy, and it was my daily for the last year and a bit. Over the Christmas break, my bosses gave me the opportunity to have full reign of the workshop and respray the car. I worked four 14 hour days and pulled off a colour change and full respray, including all door jams. I made a custom colour with a black base that flips to green, and added magenta, green, blue and purple metallic to make the colour pop in sunlight. As much as the four cylinder in it is proven, it needs more umph – and I like a challenge. I am currently pulling down a 350ci small-block Chevy to rebuild and fit into the Merc. To pull this off, everything that makes the car drive now needs to be ripped out, swapped out or custom fabricated.” Insta: @thatmercchick

Jack Quigley – 1957 Chevy 210 two door

“My 1957 Chevy was imported from California 15 years ago, completely bone stock with its original paint, patina, dents and bullet holes. Since then, it has been transformed with a custom diamond stitched interior, mini tubs with four link nine-inch rear, with airbag suspension all ‘round. Originally powered by a 350 small-block Chevy, it now runs a 632 big-block crate engine paired with a Turbo 400 transmission. Runs perfect, just a great street car!” Insta: @jack_quigley57