“This 1969 XW GT replica was my dad’s car for about 22 years, up until January 2020, when I purchased it off him.

First published in the December 2022 issue of Street Machine

It’s pretty sentimental to me, as I used to get dropped off to school, soccer and work in it, and do all the swap meets in the car.

It started life as an Imperial Burgundy Futura with a brown interior. By the time my dad bought it, it was a custom dark green metallic with black interior.

Eighteen months ago, I bought the car and put it through a spruce-up. I used to be a spray painter by trade, so I did a complete colour change from the green to Brambles Red. The colour moves from red to a bright orange depending on the light.

Driveline-wise, the car runs a rebuilt 351 Clevo, similar to a GT-spec engine. It’s paired to a Top Loader and nine-inch rear end.

The interior has been fully overhauled, with retrimmed seats and a heap of new parts like the dash, door trims, steering wheel and more.

The car only has about 180 miles since the rebuild (I’d love to clock up a few more, but the typical Melbourne weather has stopped that), but every time I’ve driven it, there’s been lots of nods, waves and comments.”

Photos: Shawn McCann