Australia’s own V8 is enjoying something of a resurgence in popularity of late, and we’re here for it. “I love doing Holdens,” grins ProFlo Performance’s Paul Sant. “Maybe it’s from the good old days when I had my own blown alcohol Holden; I reckon they’re the best sounding engine.

First published in the February 2025 issue of Street Machine

“This one came to us as a nitrous motor, but the owner got sick of buying nitrous and figured that a blower is like a bottle of nitrous that never runs out,” Paul continues. “He was going through half a dozen bottles and a ton of C16 in a Powercruise weekend – it was setting him back three grand per event.”

It was already a fairly staunch little mill when it got wheeled through the doors at ProFlo, measuring in at 383ci with a COME steel crank and Oliver rods. The team treated it to a refresh, switching out the pistons for custom RaceTec jobbies to give an 11:1 compression ratio, and replacing the camshaft with a more blower-specific solid-roller with 272/[email protected] duration and .720in lift.

The block is a factory Holden casting that has been four-bolted, grout-filled to the water pump, and treated to some basic internal oiling mods. This, coupled with a Peterson R4 dry sump pump, counters the inherent oiling issues Holdens encounter when the envelope is pushed.

The heads, too, are OEM Holden VN-style units, heavily ported and sealed to the block with fire-ring head gaskets and half-inch studs.

The custom sheet-metal manifold was already on the engine in its past life as a nitrous combo; the ProFlo team simply ditched the carbies and nitrous hardware and modified it to accept the 8/71 BDS blower – recycling at its best!

ProFlo’s own PFP Products injector hat is the crowning glory, fed a steady diet of methanol from a mechanical pump driven off the rear of the oil pump. An MSD dizzy and Power Grid ignition system lights the fire.

Loaded on the engine dyno, the little Holden made a whisker shy of 1000hp – 997hp at 7000rpm on a modest 14psi of boost. “We called it quits there,” Paul says. “You start to get a little nervous at that point with the factory block!”

We can’t wait ’til this thing is plugged into the customer’s VL Commodore so we can hear it howling at an event in the near future!

PUMP ACTION

Sticking a 71-series pump on a Holden V8 isn’t a bolt-on affair, but this isn’t ProFlo’s first rodeo. The crank support is from Newby Engineering, while the belt guard and idler were all made in-house to suit.

ProFlo Performance,
Campbelltown, NSW
profloperformance.com.au