Since forming his first automotive memories in his grandfather’s Duchess Gold Quey as a kid, HQ Holden Run organiser Scott McAlinden has owned a few of the iconic breed. They’ve had some cool combos, including a revvy 355 Holden stroker, but the sneaky force-fed LS under this one’s bonnet is the spiciest by far!

First published in the October 2024 issue of Street Machine

Scott operates Willy’s Wash ’N’ Wax in Underwood, Queensland, so he has an eye for slick paint and fine detail, but when he bought this car, it boasted neither of those things. “It was painted before I owned it, and as a guy that does paint corrections, it was horrifying,” he says. “I use the word ‘painted’ lightly. I’m pretty sure a monkey had its paws in the prep – do monkeys have paws or hands?”

Thanks to Scott’s corrective talents, the paint now scrubs up pretty nicely. “Every paintjob is terrible to my eye,” he admits. “I told photographer Steve Kelly to make it look its best so people that have seen it don’t ask, ‘How did that get in the mag?’”

Scott and his mates have a much bigger stake in the car when it comes to its driveline, having sorted just about everything between themselves. Geoff Ryan and Geoff Trapnell claim shared credit for the 346ci LS1, which moves a stock crank, Compstar rods and CP pistons. A 92mm FAST Big Mouth throttlebody and cathedral-port LS2 manifold take boost from a Proboost S488 snail, and the whole lot is managed by a Holley Terminator X ECU. “I thought it was going to be quiet, to match the sleeper theme,” Scott says. “Nope!” He puts the current combo somewhere in the region of 500hp on the hub dyno.

“The motor went in, and it was off to Scott Hoffman for a tune,” Scott recounts. “Some peanut – me – left the 3psi spring in the wastegate, so we couldn’t get full power. Luckily enough, that saved the motor: I ended up with low oil pressure by the end of the first day on the street, and I would’ve been sweeping up my rods if all the horsepowers were in it!” Caught up in the excitement of driving the HQ for the first time in seven years, Scott didn’t check the oil pressure gauge until he’d covered 28km!

“I whipped the motor out and Geoff Trapnell said he would cast his eye over it,” Scott says. “Long story short, he pulled it down, measured everything, put new bearings in, and it’s been good since. The motor had sat for three years before it went in and possibly turned over twice on the engine stand, so that may have had something to do with it, lube-wise.”

There’s still a fair bit of work to do on the HQ before Scott’s ready to do a spot of racing, including a rollcage installation and a thorough re-bushing to keep it off the walls. “This was a tight-budget, vanilla build for a reason,” he says. “I’m not out to chase numbers at the track. I just want to street-drive the wheels off it and turn tyres in anger at events for fun, with the odd drag-and-drive thrown in – but that’s just for fun, not racing for sheep stations!”

That said, Scott’s been very pleased with the manners of the turbo LS thus far, including its fuel economy. He says it drinks a fraction of what his high-revving 355 did, even though it’s on E85. “It doesn’t sound anywhere near as good, but on the LS start-up tune, it already had more power than my much-loved little Holden motor,” he enthuses.

Scott’s ever-supportive partner, Skye, has also begun joining in on the action, getting a feel for the boosted goodness. “She had a slow drive around in it just recently and realised you don’t have to use it like it’s a race car and be scared it’s going to take off at a million miles an hour,” he says.

While Scott’s more than happy to take the piss out of himself and the project at large, it’s clear the Quey has come to have real meaning for him. “There’s been a lot of background noise with this car over the years that I won’t go into, but a lot has happened, and the car would have to be pried out of the family’s kung fu-like grip, even though it’s nothing special to anyone but us,” he says.

“I won’t forget the first drive with Skye – she cried – or the first drive of this build with my kids, as the last time they were in it they were so little. It’s different now they’re older and can appreciate it all a bit more and know how old Dad feels about the car.”

Skye’s now on the hunt for a Gemini to pair with the HQ, which will replace her rare-optioned 308 HQ Statesman. Scott’s recipe calls for 300hp in that package, which should make for a heaps-fun street-and-strip toughie.

SCOTT McALINDEN
1974 HOLDEN HQ KINGSWOOD

THANKS
My partner, Skye; Jason Legrand; Geoff Ryan; Geoff Trapnell; Mitch Godfrey; Bruce Woodward; Skinny Ackworth; James Oram; Mark ‘Mr HANFUL’ Schwarz; LongBoost Performance Parts; Greg Brooks; Nick Oldridge at Radial Fabrication; Scott Hoffman at Cleveland Dyno; Andrew Mirfin at Muscle Car Tyres; my son, Willy. I can guarantee I’ve forgotten people, but they know how appreciated they are for their help, whether it was lending a tool or putting a single bolt in!

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