READERS’ ROCKETS

WANT your pride and joy featured in the mag? Just send some photos of your car (minimum file size 2MB each) and a few details of what went into the build to [e-mail].

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ANDREW MARANTOS HQ MONARO

“I HAVE owned my 1974 HQ Monaro since 1999, and over the years it has had a few different looks, engines and paintjobs. In 2021, I finished a ground-up resto on it to turn it into a GTS tribute, running a 600hp LS3, Turbo 400 transmission and 9in diff. I started by stripping it down to a bare shell and respraying it in its original Sunburst Gold. I fitted a fuel-injected 5.0L from a VS Commodore, and it stayed that way until 2015, when I rebuilt the engine into a 355 stroker and added a shortened 9in diff to fit some deep-dish 8.5in Convo Pros. However, like a lot of people, I eventually got bitten by the LS bug, having previously owned a few LS-powered Commodores. So, in 2019, I decided to take the plunge and replace the 355 with a fresh LS3. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was deep into a full ground-up restoration! Rob and the team at North East Crash Repairs brought the body back to life, respraying it in Sunburst Gold with Glacier White stripes. Adam at Trim By Mooch took care of the black GTS interior, and George and Dimi at Pro Action Automotive tickled up a new crate LS3 with Higgins heads, a Comp Cams stick, Victor Jr manifold, and a Holley four-barrel throttlebody. That's backed by a Transtec-built Turbo 400 with a 3500 stall and a Truetrac with 4.11 gears. I handled the wiring and re-assembly at home, with plenty of help from George and Dimi – honestly, I couldn't have finished the car without them.” Photos: Corsa Lumina

DANIEL DI STEFANO

VH COMMODORE SL/E