While she’s a self-professed Ford fan, Kylee Kappe unconditionally cherishes her 1972 HQ Monaro GTS. Her love affair with this Munro goes back decades, and now the freshly rebuilt coupe has rekindled that initial spark.

When did this HQ come into your life?

In 1988. Dad was a mechanic at the Broken Hill Ford dealership and had built beautiful XWs and an XA coupe. I wanted something similar for my first car. When we drove to Adelaide to buy one, I was keen on a black XA coupe with a 351 and manual, but Dad said it was too powerful for me. Eventually, we came across this HQ GTS coupe with a 253, Aussie four-speed and 10-bolt diff. To my surprise, Dad let me look at it. Ironically, the man was selling it because it was too powerful for his son – go figure!

A Lion in the Blue Oval den, eh?

I never intended to look at a Holden, let alone buy one, but I loved the shape and the lines. Back then,
the Monaro was my daily, and I’d also take it to drag race meets along the outback roads – it did all right. About 18 months later, the coupe was damaged while parked; a council truck’s tailgate swung open and scraped over the boot and along the driver’s side. The council covered the cost of the repairs but we figured we’d strip the car to do rust repairs and a full respray. However, once it was a bare shell, it was put on the back-burner due to a lack of time and money.

When did you crack back into it?

Thirty years later, when I met my partner, Ryan. HQs are his passion. Ryan and Dad took the coupe back to bare metal, and then Luke at Born Again Restorations did the bodywork and painted the genuine factory Baroda Silver with Lone O’Ranger GTS stripes. Over five years, every part of the car was restored or replaced thanks to Ryan and his business, H Series Customs. His attention to detail and meticulous workmanship is truly inspiring.

How’d it feel to get your Quey back on the road?

The day I drove it out of the shed was an amazing feeling. Dad was there, and we shed a tear. My first drive was both nerve-wracking and exciting, but before long it felt normal, like I’d stepped back to 1988. Now she’s got a built 383ci stroker Chev, tricked-up TH400 and Strange nodular nine-inch. I’m still getting a hang of the difference in the power, but I’m absolutely loving it.

Sounds like your Ford-loving Dad has still got a soft spot for the Monaro!

On Father’s Day, I handed Dad the keys and said, “We’re going for a lap and you’re driving.” It was an awesome moment – the smile on his face was priceless. And he still has that lead foot I know and love! Dad is my idol; he gave me the passion for classic cars.

Girls — wanna be famous? Become an Iron Maiden! Email car details, pics (2MB+) and contact deets to gday@streetmachine.com.au. You and your ride could appear in the mag!