First published in the December 2025 issue of Street Machine

“I was about seven when I got my first Holden ute, an HQ, and I’m now 17, so that’s been a long-term project. So long, in fact, that I ended up also getting this HZ around two years ago.

“It had a 179 and a three-on-the-tree, and I bought it for $4500 with the intention of just getting it on the road as-is to drive on my Ps.

“My brother and I soon ripped the interior apart and fixed the floorpans, which were absolutely trashed.

“My dad helped me fix the rust in the doors, sills, and anywhere else that required it. Then we started the bodywork, removing a couple of pretty nasty dents and straightening everything out to make it look a bit more presentable.

“At this stage it was meant to be something I would have on the road in a couple weeks, but while it was apart, I thought I might as well throw in the built 308 and four-speed combo out of the HQ.

“This was a pretty big turning point for the build, and a lot of late nights after school and weekends have been spent ripping grease off, pulling the front end apart, and paint stripping everything.

“The banjo diff was also shortened, and we mini-tubbed the rear to fit a set of Welds under it.

“As it sits now, the ute is nearly ready for a full respray in a yellow that looks almost identical to GM-H Chrome Yellow but is actually a PACCAR engine and frame colour.

“I can’t thank everyone enough who has been involved in the build, and I can’t wait to hopefully have it done for the Bright Rod Run.”

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].