Matt ‘Brownie’ Brown squares up the question and responds without a hint of sarcasm. “I built the HK Premier to run down to the shops to get something to eat.”

Strange answer, you’d reckon. But the more Brownie talks about cars, the more sense his attitude makes. It’s not all about trophies or time-slips. For Brownie, cars are about mates, cruising the local area, and simple pleasures. Hot cars aren’t sport, they’re just normal life. And normal means building it as tough as you like, and driving as often as you like, without being too precious.

First published in the February 2007 issue of Street Machine

How often does the Prem get out, Brownie? “Always.”

His Holden is 100 per cent old-school and his approach to the build was less about reacting to current trends than sticking with street machining values from days past. These values mean that regularly driven cars can still be detailed to the nines, inside and out. And this Prem is a beaut example. Panel work is show-class, as is the underside, which is highly detailed and features heaps of chrome and powder-coating. It takes some cleaning and cops stone chips, but so what?

“Believe it or not, the paint’s all acrylic,” Brownie says. “It’s actually 17 years old.”

Brownie bought the HK from a mate, Dave Dahl, who runs Rockets Paint and Panel. It had been sitting around in its current Pearl White over Cyan Metallic glory, gathering dust for the best part of 11 years.

It was a good starting point, with plenty of the expensive hard yakka already taken care of. Bar the GTS front guards, the Prem remains just as Holden’s designers intended, right down to the tidy chrome trim.

In fact, the old girl has spent most of its existence in fairly good nick. “It’s got the entrant window sticker from the first Summernats still in the glovebox,” Brownie says. The Prem even makes a brief appearance in the old Summernats ’89 video.

While there were no dramas outside, the 350 Chev had seen better days so it was rebuilt recently by Mick Leonardie, who runs USA Motorcycle Centre in Brownie’s Albion Park Rail stomping grounds. He’s created a pretty stout donk for regular street duties. It runs forged flat-top pistons, a solid Crane cam, Pacemaker four-into-one headers, and drinks like a bored publican through twin 600 Holleys atop the tunnel ram manifold — all the hallmarks of an engine that loves to rev hard.

So what’s it like to drive?

“It’s got plenty of torque, but from three grand up to 7200rpm it just screams its tits off,” Brownie reckons.

Running on premium unleaded, he says that’s about as hard as he’ll push the iron-headed donk. Some minor around-town overheating gremlins had to be overcome — achieved with a triple-flow Aussie Desert Cooler radiator — but it now runs like clockwork and makes for a good bit of fun when unleashed on the street.

It’s got the entrant window sticker from the first Summernats still in the glovebox

How much power? Brownie neither knows nor seems to care. “I just know that there’s plenty of poke, and that it’ll fry the tyres.” Fuel consumption? Pfft.

Getting power to the bags called for a full-manual two-speed Powerglide with a 3200rpm Dominator stall converter, feeding torque through a custom Daniel Engineering tailshaft to a trusty nine-inch LSD and tough 28-spline axles. Like the engine, it’s a fairly fearsome driveline for running down to the shops. But in Brownie’s book it’s all normal gear for cruising.

There’s nothing usual about the suspension; shorter front coils and re-rated rear leaves are complemented with the latest Pedders shocks, all stitched together using black Nolathane. The brakes, though, are a little unorthodox: Ford hardware at all corners.

“My mate Keenie helped me out with the car and had these modified front stub-axles that allow fitment of XB-XC disc brakes. They work better than the HT gear, and they fit straight on without a problem.”

The HK also runs the nine-inch diff’s standard rear drum set-up, so it’s Ford stud pattern all around.

“I’m not into big wheels and tubs and stuff,” Brownie says, explaining his wheel choice of classic 15×7 Weld Pro Stars front and rear.

As you’d expect, interior styling is planted in the good old days, complete with touches of late-60s fake woodgrain and the HK’s glorious broad-swinging speedo. It’s all retro cool; the seats and door trims have been restitched in light blue velour with white vinyl and piping, and you don’t see too many cars these days with the classic tri-spoke SAAS tiller.

Look really closely and you’ll find a couple of modern touches. The seat belts are one; racing harnesses up front and retractable belts in the rear. And if it wasn’t for giving Brownie’s mate Reno a plug for his handiwork, we might’ve forgotten to mention the Pioneer CD/MP3 stereo system carefully hidden from plain view.

Brownie’s also given his HK a nickname: Cool Change.

“That’s because it’s a bit different to what everyone else has got these days. You just don’t see many street machines like this cruising around any more.”

MATT BROWN
1968 HK PREMIER

THANKS
Dad, Pucko, Egg, Steven ‘Keenie’ Keen; Mick Leonardie, USA Motorcycle Centre; Pano, Rocket Industries; Gary, Revolution Racegear Wollongong; Peter Gallo; Oak Flats Muffler Men; Shane Von; Dave Dahl, Rockets Paint and Panel; Jenny, Frankie ‘Bling Bling’ and Macca, Steve’s Speed Shop; Brett, Johnno, and everyone else who helped me with the car.