KIWI FRUIT

DRAG RACER PETER SCHIMANSKI’S 1200HP, 8/71-BLOWN HT MONARO IS STREET-LEGAL IN NEW ZEALAND. HOW GOOD ARE KIWI REGO LAWS?

- CARLY DALE

EARLY Holden Monaros fetch big bucks these days, so one that’s been modified to the extent of Peter Schimanski’s incredibly tough, pro street-style HT will surely have purists sobbing into their cups of Earl Grey. But the New Zealander has built the car of his dreams, so it’s fair to say his care factor is zero.

Packing a brutish, blown 1200hp big-block Chev up front, this Monaro has been built for the street, despite its show-quality finish. The stunning creation is the work of Kendal and Rachel Smith from Kruzin Kustoms Rod & Kustom Shop in Palmerston North.

Things kicked off back in 2008 when Peter and wife Delilah took a trip down to Invercargill, returning with an HT Monaro complete with Orchid paint and a tunnel-rammed 350ci Chev. It was an emotional purchase for Peter, with the HT replacing the ’69 Bathurst Monaro that he’d regretfully let go around 30 years prior.

For six months, the pair cruised the tidy coupe while reliving their youth, before Peter handed over the keys to Kruzin Kustoms. “It was going to be a pull-down to fix rust, add fatter tyres and then have fun,” he recalls. “Ten years later, it finally came out of the shop!”