IRON MAIDEN
BEC MOSSMAN
YEPPOON, QUEENSLAND
STORY & PHOTOS PETER BATEMANU
P ON Queensland’s Capricorn
Coast, even the farm utes are V8s.
Local hairdresser Bec Mossman
loves her cars and certainly treasures
the motivational forces a V8 under the bonnet
delivers. Her pride and joy – and daily driver- is this immaculate Ultra Blue 1977 HZ
One Tonner.
How long have you had the Tonner?
Going on three years.
What have you done to it?
It was in pretty good nick when I got it – very
neat and straight. After I hit a rock and holed
the sump I replaced the 308 with a 355 stroker.
Lionel Durre from Engine Improvements in
Yeppoon has built some massive engines and
I asked him to build the stroker; it’s a great
engine! When I bought the Tonner it had
unsightly marine carpet on the tray, which had
to go! So while it was off the road I decided
to put a polished timber tray on the back. I’ve
done a few cosmetic things to the interior; there
are now blinds in the rear window and new
seatbelts. But really only little things.Is there anything more you’d you like to
do to it?
Not much. I love it as it is. Maybe a new diff, but
that is all I want to do to it now.
Have you taken it to any shows? Weren’t
you at Summernats?
No shows yet, as it has been off the road for a little
time getting the stroker fitted. I did go down to
Summernats 30 with my partner Stephen Crisp,
who had entered his ’75 John Goss Special
coupe. I really wanted to take the Tonner, but
taking two cars all that way to Canberra is hard
work. Steve lets me drive his car, so that made
Summernats great fun.
Who decides on which car to take out?
We usually take the two cars. We have a two-
year-old son, Gos, so the little fella goes in the
coupe with Stephen and I drive the HZ.
So, what got you into cars?
My dad’s always had Holdens: Monaros, an HZ
wagon, a WB ute and he also had an HZ One
Tonner. Mum told me they traded their WB ute
for the 308 HZ wagon; they took me home from
hospital in that car. It was the family car when
I was growing up, and it was the same colouras my One Tonner. At one stage Dad also had
a yellow and black V8 Monaro; he has a photo
of me as a real young ’un under the car, helping
him with a spanner in my hand! So I started really
young. I helped Steve rebuild the Goss Special.
It started as a rusty shell. I really enjoyed helping
him and he pushed me into getting a drive of
my own.
How do you cope with the salty sea air
up here?
That’s hard. The garage is well sealed and the
cars don’t stay out in the air for too long, although
I’m a hairdresser and I’ve had a salon for about
eight years so you’ll find it parked outside the
salon when I’m there. I often use the Tonner when
travelling to weddings and special events at the
local resorts.
Any plans to take it on a longer drive?
I’d love to take it to the Red CentreNATS at Alice
Springs. Not this year, but hopefully soon.
Do you have your eye on another ride?
The Tonner is forever, but I’d like to get an HZ
wagon like Dad had, and also a sedan – brings
back memories of his cars. We’ll have to get the
space first! sAFTER I HIT A ROCK AND HOLED THE SUMP I REPLACED THE 308
WITH A 355 STROKER. IT’S A GREAT ENGINE