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.
BLOWIN’ GASKETS: UNDER THE PUMP
How many times have you sat queued at the pumps, waiting for some nimrod to finish their weekly shop before finally moving their car away from the bowser?
Chopped FC Holden
A wild, chopped FC Holden, built for dragging in the dirt and freaking out the squares!
BLOWIN’ GASKETS: TOUCHY FEELY
Does ‘Please Do Not Touch’ have a silent ‘Not’?
BLOWIN’ GASKETS: ALL SOLD OUT
The internet has made selling stuff much easier. Hasn’t it?
GALLERY: HEAD HUNTER
How two teenagers built and raced one of Australia’s most iconic funny cars
Ian Hazel’s Prem 70 HG Holden wagon
One of the most influential street machines of the 80s is alive and well
GALLERY: THE TRUE STORY OF MR DAMAGE
One of the true legends of the early 80s panel van scene, Mr Damage!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? STREET LEGAL
One of the last high-end survivors of the wild and crazy van era
Found – Mystic Illusions
ONE of the most popular Ford vans of the panel van era was Doug and Janette Cundy’s Mystic Illusions XY.