HSV H3

Live axles, a HSVtuned LS2 and 37-inch mud tyres, this is the H3 Holden should have built.

- Dan Everett

PICTURE this: you’re a bona fide car-guy with a love for off-roading. You’ve had a staple of cars that range from AC Cobras to a rotary powered 400kg Mini Cooper, and you’ve just been handed the keys to a H3 Hummer fresh out of warranty. It’s a safe bet your mind wouldn’t be racing with dreams of a roof rack and snorkel; a build like that isn’t going to cut it amongst your automotive hall of fame.

This is the exact situation Dean found himself in when it came time to trade in the wife’s soccer-mum-spec H3 – the last iteration of a 30-year-old brand, and the smallest by far. So, what exactly would you build? If you’re anything like Dean, the answer is simple: the best H3 Hummer in the country, and potentially the world.

Before we fall too deep into the rabbit hole, it’s important we address the elephant in the room. Why would you build an H3 Hummer? It’s about as common as an honest politician, so we had a few questions when we first came across Dean’s build a few months ago. “It was my wife’s choice,” he told us. “We’d always had seven-seat 4x4s for the four kids, but when they grew up she still wanted a 4x4. The H3 had all the bells and whistles and made a good family car.”

After a few years of family service, Dean figured the big wheels and chrome should take a back seat to a blacked-out look and tyres large enough to crush a Prius in one blip of the throttle. “I used to take it 4x4ing all the time when it was IFS, but it kept breaking CV joints and front diffs. Things sort of snowballed from there.”