Articles by Simon MAJOR
A custom panel van tragic from childhood, Simo’s car-loving DNA was further sharpened as an impressionable 1980s teen, immersing himself in the pioneering builds of Greg Carlson, Wayne Pagel, Rob Beauchamp and others in the pages of Street Machine. He went on to create a number of mainly Chrysler-based builds of his own, one of which – a Valiant police car – caught the eye of SM’s then-deputy editor Telfo in 2008, who offered him the opportunity to cover the next Nostalgia Drags for the mag. More than a decade on, Simo has become our resident modified-car historian, bringing to life a time when real men smoked Eagers, matching numbers were only important for the Lotto and a pair of shorts were, er, short.
Vale Rob Beauchamp
We pay tribute to a true pioneer of Aussie street machining
Double Nickels (1977) – ripper car movies
They enforced the speed limit… but broke every rule of the road
Summernats 36 Grand Champion-winning Dodge Charger
Joe Bauer’s 3000hp Dodge Charger took on Street Machine Summernats 36 and emerged as Grand Champion
Tech: Breakdown Basics
Has your broken-down ride got you hot under the collar? Here are a few tips to help get your car charged, cool and back on the road
Ferrari (2023) – ripper car movies
Our deadly passion. Our terrible joy
Paul Murray’s Iron Man HR Holden van
We can rebuild him, better than he was before.” Okay, Brisbane’s Paul Murray might not have said those exact words, but I’m sure he was thinking something similar. See, his candy red HR Holden, Iron Man, was once a show-stopping 90s playboy, built by Mark Ivey and known as Badass (SM, Sep ’93). ‘A-ha!’ I […]
Australian Van Nationals 2024 – Top 10
The Top Ten vans from the 49th Australian Panel Van Nationals in Stanthorpe
Midnight Express Holden HT Belmont panel van
Steve Dobson’s Midnight Express was one of the hottest vans on the show scene in the 80s
Watch Out, We’re Mad (1974) – ripper car movies
It's up and at 'em!
Deathcheaters (1976) – ripper car movies
Meet Steve and Rod - stuntmen, saboteurs, hellraisers!
Simon Major’s 1977 Chrysler CL Valiant panelvan – DISTURBIA
Street Machine's Simon Major dreamed up this van when he was nine years old. Three decades later, he built it for real
The van that time forgot: Neil Dieckmann’s FJ Holden
A rare time capsule of 70s and 80s street machining that is still going strong!
Cheap thrills – Blowin’ Gaskets
Simo ponders whether a street machiner’s natural desire to constantly evolve their rides can kill some of the fun along the way
Damien ‘Chubby’ Lowe’s VB Commodore
Just like Ian Hazel’s HG Premier in the 80s and Ron Barclay’s HQ ute in the early 90s, Damien Lowe’s VB Commodore set the standard for his own generation of street machiners to follow
Wheels of Terror (1990) – ripper car movies
Evil waits. With the motor running
Pro Street pioneer Wayne Pagel – interview
Widely regarded as a founding father of Australia’s pro street movement, Wayne Pagel shook the foundations of our sport with a legendary HT Monaro. Three decades on, his passion for tough, high-quality builds is as strong as ever
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) – ripper car movies
Their world is a two-lane blacktop. No beginning, no end, no speed limit!
My life with cars: Kathryn Moran
Kathryn Moran has had a lifelong obsession with cars and has been restoring them since she was a teenager. Here are some of her favourite rides through the years
Better Off Dead (1985) – ripper car movies
Comical mishaps behind the wheel of a drag-racing LTD wagon graduate to some very cool tyre-smoking Camaro action
Artist Aden Jacobi – interview
Even if Aden Jacobi doesn't own the coolest car, poster or T-shirt in Oz, it might well be his art that you love about him