First published in the January 2026 issue of Street Machine

“I bought my 1979 HZ One Tonner in 2017 from an old farmer. It had been a farm ute all its life, and had been pulled apart and roughly repainted.

“I picked it up as a non-runner that was half-assembled, with a 202 red motor and Aussie four-speed manual.

“I pieced it all back together, cleaned up as much as I knew how to at the time – as I was only 13 years old – and got it running and driving.

“I had little knowledge about cars or how to do anything, but I decided to strip the car back down and start a restoration. Fortunately, there were a lot of YouTube videos I could watch to help me work things out.

“I sanded everything back, and repainted the car and chassis with some help from my step-dad. Then I ran a gasket kit through the motor and put the car back together.

“I finished the car while on my learner’s, so I got to drive it around with my folks for six months before I got my licence. Unfortunately, I was driving it home one night and a skippy jumped out in front of me and I had no way of avoiding it, so I am now in the process of another full rebuild.

“This time, I have gone to the effort of stripping every nut and bolt off the car and replacing everything with brand-new parts.

“I also have a 308 lined up to go in, along with a T5 gearbox from a Falcon. It’s not yet finished, but I’m pushing along, getting more done every weekend and after work each weekday.”