If you grab your cherished copy of the December 2018 issue of Street Machine and flick to the Sleepers section, you’ll find our story on Ian Wright’s patina-flecked, white and gold-roofed, LS-powered HT Kingswood. Now, have a look at the HT you see here – yep, we know it’s hard to believe, but this is the same car!

First published in the April 2025 issue of Street Machine

The Kinger’s metamorphosis from a stock-appearing, naturally aspirated cruiser to a stroked, twin-turbo LS-powered weapon in eye-searing red is the result of two separate overhauls – the first by choice, the second by necessity.

It began with Ian’s simple desire to give the car a bit more oomph. “I wanted more power and wow-factor, as everyone was now running turbos and superchargers,” he explains.

Utilising a mate’s workshop to house the project, Ian got stuck into the HT each night after work, using his expertise as a stainless fabricator to sculpt pipework and engineer additional cooling necessities into the car, all while keeping rego requirements firmly in mind.

He then levelled up the Kinger’s power potential with the installation of a 403-cube LY6-based motor, screwed together by North Vic Engines. The now 6.6-litre donk is topped with cylinder heads fettled by Yatala Head Worx, and boasts an Isky cam, CP-Carrillo forged slugs and a forged stroker crank. Boost comes via a pair of 6662 Aeroflow snails, while the KEAS 4L80-E transmission is rated to 1500 neddies.

As the fabrication finished up, Ian realised that the original duco would no longer cut the mustard. With the body and interior also in need of some love, Ian commissioned relevant professionals to knock the body into shape and drench it in Mazda Soul Red Crystal, while the mostly HT-spec cabin copped a Buckskin vinyl retrim and a bunch of modern gadgetry.

With critical elements of the build now falling into place, a deadline of Summernats 34 was set. “My mate Todd did most of the assembly for me; he was a massive help on the project,” Ian says. “We spent every night for six months drinking beer and working on the HT, and we made it! I had a quick tune put in it, then it was on the trailer to Summernats 34 – 14 months after first being pulled off the road.”

After a successful ’Nats, a contented Wright family, including their three-week-old son, were heading back home to Queensland in the freshly completed Kinger – and then disaster struck.

“Near Ballina, the HT’s bonnet flung open at 110km/h. It felt like opening a parachute on a drag car,” Ian laments. “The fibreglass bonnet split in two, bending the front support and guards, and denting the roof. The billet hinges just fell to bits.”

Down but not out, Ian chose to turn the calamity into an opportunity to take the HT to yet another level. First, he engaged Revolutionary Resto & Race to tub the car and fit a four-link, a fabricated nine-inch and a Rod Shop chassis kit. Next, Oz Rods was chosen to not only repair but level-up the finish. Up front, the damaged bonnet was replaced with a steel Monaro item, while the cabin and boot trim were tweaked by Kev’s Kustoms. To finish, the HT was entirely resprayed in the same Mazda Soul Red, but this time using PPG paint.

“I got the car back and it was exactly as I had imagined – it looked like a show car!” Ian grins. “It was almost Elite-level, but it had the black undercarriage for driving.”

After this second comprehensive do-over, the Kingswood returned to Summernats in 2023, where it was selected for the ’Nats 35 City Cruise and earned a Top 30 Street gong. “I was so pumped; it was such an achievement after all the hard work,” Ian says.

Throughout the car’s evolution, driveability and family fun has been the priority for Ian. “The HT is brilliant to drive, and at the moment we’re just enjoying cruising it,” he says. “The main reason I chose the 4L80-E gearbox is the overdrive for cruising as a family and ease of use for my wife, Sharon. And I can put it in manual mode when I want to go fast. The street tune is on pump fuel, so it’s easy to pull into any servo and fill up – it’s quite economical.”

That’s not to say the HT lacks grunt – far from it. The twin-turbo LY6 puts out a not-inconsiderable 685hp on 14psi, while a conservative E85 tune on 18psi yields a hefty 802hp at the hubs.

And while straight-line action isn’t on the horizon for Ian, the HT is already fairly well prepared should he have a change of heart. “Revolutionary Resto & Race would set it up for racing for me if I wanted,” he says. “One day I will turn it up and shoot for over 1000hp; eventually it should do 1200-1500hp.”

IAN WRIGHT
1970 HOLDEN HT KINGSWOOD

THANKS
Sharon for the support and letting me do my vision; Brad Maddern & Bruce Clape at Revolutionary Resto & Race for their amazing workmanship; Todd Cuthbert at Positive Auto Electrical Mechanical Services; Kev’s Kustoms Motor Body Trimmers; Aaron at ASG Motorsports; my boys Noah, Cooper, Zach and Lachlan; HKTG Club Queensland.