First published in Street Machine’s Australia’s Toughest Fords #2, 2004

Okay, kiddies, it’s back-to-school time. However, before you go sticking chewing gum on the underside of your desk, whacking the nerdy-looking guy in front of you in the back of the head with your ruler, or trying to sneak a peek up Charlene’s school uniform, let me tell you about today’s lesson. It’s to do with formulas and style.

Now, don’t go getting all cold-shivery and frothy at the mouth at the mention of the word ‘formula’, as this is one equation that I’m sure you’ll understand, no problem. Drag out your A4 ring-binder folder (yes, the one with Kylie plastered across the front), open it up and scrawl this down at the top of the first page.

Street Machine’s formula for sure-fire street cred: take one good-looking late-model car, dump it on its guts, whack on a stylish set of big-diameter wheels, splash on a coat or two of in-your-face – but tasteful – paint, and tint the glass good and dark, and you’ll have the makings of a bitchin’-looking streeter that’ll rip eyeballs out of their sockets.

Of course, you can spice up the basic package with hard-core peripherals like a big engine, big diff and even bigger brakes, if you feel you need to up the ante a little further. However, this cool-looking AU ute is proof positive that the formula works. Originally put together by wheel specialists Wheelboyz as a promotional vehicle for their import/retail business, it has proven to be a sure-fire attention grabber everywhere it’s been.

Wanting to start with something iconically Australian, Wheelboyz approached Ford, which saw the promotional merits in such a project and wisely supplied an XR8 ute. In stock form, the AU XR8 ute isn’t a bad looker, but didn’t have anywhere near enough impact on its own. Wheelboyz had a secondary motive for going with the AU. At the time, few people offered aftermarket rims for this model. Therefore, having a set of billet wheels bolted up to an AU nicely demonstrated that Wheelboyz are capable of supplying custom wheels for any automobile imaginable. Shrewd move, huh?

Originally Kelvinator white, the donor ute was a former test mule that was in less than pristine condition. Ford happily donated the ute on the proviso that Wheelboyz gave the tired hack a new lease of life and did the Ford logo proud. It was immediately stripped to its bare undies for an intensive six-week metamorphosis. During this period, the door handles and locks found their way into the circular filing cabinet, to be replaced by electric solenoids operated via remote zapper.

Next task was to judiciously fill those cavernous arches with some big-inch wheels. When you’re surrounded by a warehouse full of the world’s sexiest wheels, choosing the right ones is kind of like restricting a kid in a candy shop to just one selection. In the end, a set of stylish Boyd Coddington Blasters got the nod. Unravelling the tape measure reveals that the rears spec out at an impressive 20×9.5 inches, while the fronts are a petite 18×8. Wrapped around these cylindrical beauties are four black strips of Falken licorice. The staggered wheel and tyre diameters are a neat hot rodder’s trick to give the ute ‘tyre rake’ (see more below).

With big wheels firmly bolted in place, it was time to dump the ute on its guts. Aussie suspension experts Pedders were jumping up and down in the corner with a spanking new range of ride-altering (or should that be ride-correcting?) Sports Rider spring and shock packages. The addition of one such package got the AU all down and dirty. While they were at it, Pedders slipped in a camber kit to ensure the front end retained correct geometry. After all, the last thing you want is for an out-of-whack front end going on a frenzied, tyre-eating rampage.

To satisfy the paint part of the formula, one of Boyd Coddington’s design gurus came up with the spectacular paint scheme. A few swooshes with the magic paint brush saw the ute wearing a special House of Kolor mix of Tangelo up top and Ivory Cream down low, split by a slash of Passion Purple through the middle – all nicely finished off by Race Paint in Melbourne. They also added the neat billet grille and a new front undertray. Completing the last piece of the formula was the application of a heavy (but legal) smoked tint by Tint-a-Car in Fountain Gate.

Mechanically, the untouched Wheelboyz ute is no tear-arse. But everyone knows that the stock-as-a-rock EFI 5.0-litre Windsor is plenty capable of smokin’ up a storm. Remember, this is a show vehicle, designed to be admired when stationary. So it’s all about looks at 60 metres, not 600km/h.

The same cannot be said of the interior or audio. Open the door and you’re greeted by an all-new Warren Smith Trimming leather interior. They attacked the seats and door trims with brightly flavoured cowskin, stitching up an exterior-matching interior theme. Show crowds need more than just gobsmacking impact; they want all their senses delighted. To help out in the aural department, there’s a killer Lightning Audio system that’s powerful enough to double as a portable rock concert.

As successful as it’s been, Wheelboyz have pensioned off the eye-popping, ear-appeasing ute. But it’s been so well conceived that the car still wows crowds at every show to which its new owner takes it. Proof that, when correctly applied, the ‘formula’ unquestionably works.

RAKE AND ROLL

Achieving the right look is half the battle. It doesn’t matter how much time and money you throw at a car; if it doesn’t fundamentally look right, it won’t cut the mustard.

One of the numerous little tricks employed by American crafters, when fitting large-diameter wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber, is to run larger-diameter wheels on the back than the front. This gives the car that all-important ‘tyre rake’. The effect can be very subtle but is highly effective, as it stops the rear wheel/tyre package from looking undersized.

This trick is nicely exemplified by Fred Burrows’ ’39 GMC Pickup (SM April 2001). The Dave Tucci-built truck features massive 20s out back and small (eh?) 17s up at the pointy end. This same ploy has been applied to this AU ute, except here the fronts are marginally larger 18s..

WHEELBOYZ
FORD AU XR8 UTE