Inspired by Charlie Wilson’s ‘Mongrel’ Torana ute, Matthew Ede set upon what has so far been a two-year build on his ’75 HJ sedan. With help from Charlie and enlisting the services of The Render Garage, here’s a brief rundown of where it’s up to.

“I’m currently in the final stages of a two-year build on my 1975 HJ sedan, FATJ.

“When I met my partner’s dad, Charlie Wilson, we had an instant bond after I was introduced to his Torana ute, ‘Mongrel’ (SM, Jan-Feb ’99, pictured below).

“This inspired me to start my own build with help from Charlie, and I commissioned Matt from The Render Garage to get some ideas down on paper (below).

“We have stripped the car back to bare metal and started the fabrication needed to fit a 383ci LS, T56 gearbox and 20×12 Simmons FR3 wheels.

“We decided the engine bay needed a birthday, too, so Charlie and I got stuck into the sheet-metal fabrication there, which has now spread throughout the whole build. All the work is being done in-house, including the paint and panel, with many beverages consumed along the way.

“We motivate each other to build the best possible car we can. Currently, the HJ is on the rotisserie and has just been painted in a custom colour underneath, and the panels are now ready for a final splash of colour, too.”