Andrew Marantos’s HQ Monaro has been a part of his life for almost two decades. After recently deciding to swap the existing 355 stroker to a fresh LS3, one thing led to another and he was suddenly knee-deep in a complete ground-up resto – resulting in this stunning GTS tribute. Here’s his story.

First published in the June 2025 issue of Street Machine

“I have owned my 1974 HQ Monaro since 1999, and over the years it has had a few different looks, engines and paintjobs.

“In 2021, I finished a ground-up resto on it to turn it into a GTS tribute, running a 600hp LS3, Turbo 400 transmission and 9in diff.

“I started by stripping it down to a bare shell and respraying it in its original Sunburst Gold. I fitted a fuel-injected 5.0L from a VS Commodore, and it stayed that way until 2015, when I rebuilt the engine into a 355 stroker and added a shortened 9in diff to fit some deep-dish 8.5in Convo Pros.

“However, like a lot of people, I eventually got bitten by the LS bug, having previously owned a few LS-powered Commodores. So, in 2019, I decided to take the plunge and replace the 355 with a fresh LS3. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was deep into a full ground-up restoration!

“Rob and the team at North East Crash Repairs brought the body back to life, respraying it in Sunburst Gold with Glacier White stripes. Adam at Trim By Mooch took care of the black GTS interior, and George and Dimi at Pro Action Automotive tickled up a new crate LS3 with Higgins heads, a Comp Cams stick, Victor Jr manifold, and a Holley four-barrel throttlebody.

“That’s backed by a Transtec-built Turbo 400 with a 3500 stall and a Truetrac with 4.11 gears. I handled the wiring and re-assembly at home, with plenty of help from George and Dimi – honestly, I couldn’t have finished the car without them.”

Photos: Corsa Lumina

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