When transformed from a stocker riding high on skinny steelies to a contemporary pro street toughie slammed over bigs ’n’ littles with a 960hp blown small-block poking through the bonnet, it doesn’t get much better – at least for those of us not in the habit of writing angry Facebook posts about incorrect chalk marks or era-incorrect tyre tread patterns.

First published in the August 2026 issue of Street Machine

Angus Pirotta clearly agrees, as he’s the fortunate soul who gets to check out this freshly debuted stunner every time he opens his garage door. Built by Paul Sant and his team at ProFlo Performance, Angus’s HG is yet another top-tier build from the legendary Western Sydney workshop.

“It’s come out better than we expected,” Angus says. “We’d bought the Hemi-powered XY Falcon, BIGQBS (SM, Dec ’14), and when we went over to pick it up from ProFlo, we got chatting with Paul. I think he was going to build the HG for himself, but then he said a Monaro would look good in my collection, so we did a deal where I’d buy it if Paul and ProFlo finished the car off.”

What Angus had purchased was a fairly straight HG Monaro roller that needed to be redone from tip to tail. With ProFlo handling the work, this was obviously not going to be your cookie-cutter restoration – Paul and the crew are far more creative than that. But it was still a departure for Angus.

“We like the early-70s cars like XYs and LCs, but we also have a ’57 Chev,” he says. “This is the first car we’ve got with fat tyres and that pro street look, as most of our cars have plus-sized wheels with smaller-profile tyres for more of a show look. For TUFF G, we wanted to keep an old-school look with the black interior, the small-block, and the orange paint.”

Early Monaros definitely didn’t sit as low and staunch as TUFF G from the factory, and the car’s epic stance was made possible through ProFlo’s hard work in improving the under-car packaging. The stock wheel tubs have been widened to the rails, affording real estate to tuck those meaty 255/60 rear tyres up inside the curvaceous guards. 

The stock leaf springs are long gone, having been replaced by a pair of coil-over struts, as well as one of ProFlo’s parallel four-link rear ends and an adjustable Panhard bar to keep it all square. It is joined under the HG’s rear by a fabricated nine-inch packing an Eaton Truetrac LSD centre, cruisy 3.25:1 gears, and heavy-duty 35-spline axles. 

Up front, ProFlo found more space in the engine bay by ditching the steering box in favour of one of their steering racks, connected to a Billet Works column. The stamped steel control arms were ditched for tubular items, with coil-over struts replacing the monster truck-spec stock springs and toothpick shocks.

The Monaro’s body was in fair condition when the job started, but it is a long way from that now thanks to the hard work of the team at AA Panel Craft. They began by de-skinning the shell to uncover any hidden tinworm; unfortunately, they found plenty. 

“There was a little bit of rust in the doors, but there were lots of little areas of rust in it internally,” Angus explains. “Thankfully, it wasn’t a dramatic amount, and they were able to get the car done pretty easily.”

Once the Monaro was straight and rot-free, AA Panel Craft slicked it to perfection before laying down the amazing custom-mixed PPG Sunset Pearl orange two-pack. It is a riff on the iconic Indy Orange first offered with the HG GTS, although Angus admits he was more inspired by another early-70s GM ride previously featured in Street Machine.

“We really liked Cooper Zahabi’s ’70 Chevy Nova built by Rides By Kam [SM, Nov ’19], and we wanted our own spin on that colour.”

While the custom touches with the paint are subtle, there is no hiding the enormity of what is happening under, and through, the HG’s vented GTS bonnet. Sure, original HG GTS 350s packed a Heartbeat Of America between the rails, but this blown example is in on another level of performance altogether, having made 960hp at 7600rpm on the engine dyno.

Based around a 400ci Chevy block stuffed with a Lunati crank, RaceTec forged slugs and Oliver rods, it thumps thanks to a custom solid-roller cam and breathes through AFR 235 alloy heads. Of course, the real party-starter is that BDS 8/71 blower mounted on a Weiand manifold and topped by the super-cool Enderle Bird Catcher hat. 

Backing the feral mouse motor is a 4500rpm converter and a manualised, reverse-pattern TH400 auto that’ll cop whatever abuse Angus wants to throw at it, and it will see a lot more action now Street Machine Summernats 38 is over.

Featured as part of the Meguiar’s Great Uncover at ’Nats 38, TUFF G landed a spot in the prestigious Elite Hall Top 20 on debut, but this isn’t what the rowdy two-door was built for.

“It’s a cruiser, and to go to local car shows or events like the Bright Rod Run where there’s cruising,” says Angus. “It got Top 20 at the Summernats Elite Hall now, so that’s done. I’m not sure what the future is, but we designed it to be practical; that’s why we have done things like the black interior. All our cars are built to be used and enjoyed, so that’s what we’re doing already.”

Hey, if you owned a muscle car as killer as this one, why wouldn’t you want to drive the wheels off it?

ANGUS PIROTTA
1970 HOLDEN HG MONARO

THANKS
ProFlo Performance; Ontrak Auto Electrical; X-Trim; AA Panel Craft; KOAT Detailing

STOP PRESS!

Just as we went to print, we received word that TUFF G had been sold to Charbel Rabie, who fell in love with the car and made Angus an offer he couldn’t refuse. We can happily report that Charbel is having an awesome time enjoying the Monaro with his family.