“My VR ute is mini-tubbed with raised rear shock mounts and a two-inch chassis notch in the rear end to help accommodate the Simmons FR 18-inch rims.

First published in the April 2023 issue of Street Machine

It’s still running a 304, rebuilt with the standard block and pistons and running high-flow factory heads, port-matched to suit. A Harrop dual-plane manifold was drilled and machined to suit EFI, and the Aeroflow polished billet fuel rails have custom-fabricated mounts to suit the manifold.

It’s fed by an externally mounted Holley fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, 90mm throttlebody, and a 105-degree plenum with a one-inch spacer. Fuel comes from an Aeroflow cell with a high-mount breather system. The factory T5 manual has a heavy-duty Exedy clutch, and runs to the factory diff with Dana Spicer 3.9:1 gears.

The fuel filler, front guard indicators, tonneau hooks and tonneau studs were all shaved. There’s a fabricated extinguisher mount welded to the tray as a permanent fixture, plus handmade stainless bonnet pins and dual exhaust cut-outs in the centre.

The interior features a Pioneer audio system with custom door pods, VR Calais seats, suede headliner and custom floor mats, just to name a few parts. The polished nitrous bottle behind the seats is actually an urn with my uncle’s ashes in there – no joke!”