Ben Magor
Ford XM Falcon ute

“Here is our XM Falcon gasser project. After going to Chopped a couple of years ago we thought, ‘This was a cool event, but how much better would it be with a car of our own?’

“I bought the ute on the tail-end of COVID prices, so I probably paid a tad too much, considering how much rust needs fixing. It’s been a bit of a process working out the front end, having no hot rod shop in Tassie.

“I have gotten lots of valuable information from Damien Kemp, of Funderbolt Fairlane fame. I own the car and my son Axel owns the engine: a Windsor with a converted Detroit Diesel 6/71 blower. It will be a four-speed manual, and we’re trying to build it on a budget while using all new parts in the front end, including the axle, springs, spindles, and brakes.

“Thanks to my sons for giving me a chop out, and my legend of a wife!”

Wayne Duffy
’66 Chevy Nova

“As a kid flicking through your magazines, I was always keen to build something American-based. I always liked the Camaros, but then I saw the Nova. It was like a magnet that just took over! I love the simple, clean lines and basic concept of the 90s pro street look.

“My Nova was a drag car when I purchased it, but with a lot of planning and an engineer on-board, our journey started. I’m not going to give away all my build secrets and the colour, but this Nova has had many hours spent on it already. It’s all been done by me in the shed, having a true Aussie go.

“Cars are my passion, but I’ve never really sunk my teeth into something this big! I’m using Chris Alston’s Chassisworks components for the front and rear ends, as they’ve done all the R&D already. I built all the chassis in-between for clean lines.

“This Nova will be running a 496ci supercharged big-block, transbraked T400 and 35-spline full-floater diff. I’m very happy with my build and vision so far, with a few headaches along the way! I hope you like it. It’s named Whiskey, as there have been a few consumed already.”

Alan Bourke
Rambler Horner

“Hi guys, currently in the build is my 1971 Rambler Hornet, located in Tassie. It was fitted with a 302 Windsor and painted dark blue in the mid 80s, then ended up in pieces in a shed for about 16 years. I brought it home, and it’s now running a rebuilt Cleveland and C4 combo.

“I used a Cortina sump and extractor set-up, and the trans is fitted up to the factory pistol-grip shifter and console. A V8 Hornet was on my wanted list from age 17, and 40 years later I now have one, with a lot of help from my mate Scott at Taboo Restorations.”

Josh Van Den Broek
HZ Holden ute

“This is my Acacia Ridge, Brisbane-built 1979 HZ ute. It was optioned from the factory with a 253 V8, four-speed manual and Salisbury 10-bolt diff.

“Inside it’s got a full-length centre console and bucket seats trimmed in light blue, plus a yellow-needle GTS dash and GTS steering wheel. It was also optioned with a Premier twin-headlight front end (which was pinched years ago) and metallic Nocturne Blue paint.

“The ute is currently sitting on a rotisserie waiting for rust repairs to be carried out; the chassis has also been stripped and is ready for sandblasting and repainting. I’m a qualified mechanic so I’m doing the work myself when I get time on weekends. I hope to see it back on the road in the next few years.”

Anthony Temple
Holden TE Gemini

“I bought my 1981 TE Holden Gemini at the very start of the year to have as a daily driver for my Ps. It had a faulty Welsh plug and the auto had no fluid in it, but that wasn’t stopping me.

“Once we made a deal, Dad and I tried driving it. We made it down the street and ended up pushing it the rest of the way home. I washed it and then it went straight on a truck to my workplace, where I fixed the coolant leak and did a few other jobs, like rebuilding the carby and replacing the alternator. Rebuilding the carby was a learning process; I spent a lot of time in the shed with my dad and my boss just trying to get the car to run properly. I also kept a screwdriver handy so I could adjust it on the go.

“The day I got my Ps, my mate and I just cruised around. I was loving the car, but as I took my mates for rides and to car meets, I started wanting it to look better. I cut the springs and learned about that the hard way, as the boot would pop open if I hit a bump hard enough!

“After driving the car for months, the engine let go one night, and I pulled it out the next day. I’m now in the process of rebuilding it, while also fixing and repainting parts to make the car look better. The goal is to have it as my daily driver again soon!”

Got a sweet ride that’s currently in the build and want to share it with our readers? Email photos of it (2MB+ each) along with some details on the build to [email protected].