Coatings experts at your door
http://www.rali.co.nz ͘0800 108 008
WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME FANTASTIC CARS BEING BUILT OUT THERE, SO DON’T BE SHY — FLICK US AN
EMAIL WITH A BIT OF A BLURB AND A FEW HIGH-RESOLUTION PICS OF WHAT YOU’RE UP TO. ONE PROJECT
EACH MONTH WILL WIN A $100 VOUCHER FROM RESENE AUTOMOTIVE AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL!THE WORKS
T
he team at Custom Street Rides (Walsh Auto
Services) are working on a seriously trick truck
— a 1951 Chev 3100 Thriftmaster, to be precise.
Entering the workshop as a completely original
survivor car, it has made the perfect blank canvas
for the team to show what they are capable of and
to build the customers the car of their dreams.
The most obvious aspect of this metalworking
magic is visible in the detailed chassis —
a completely custom work of art built
around a Heidts Mustang II front clip, with a
Currie Enterprises nine-inch diff hung off a
triangulated four-link rear, and tubular cross
members throughout. Handling is guaranteed
thanks to adjustable coilovers at each corner,
Wilwood brakes, and power-assisted rack-and-
pinion steering. The Chev is sure to need those
solid underpinnings, with power provided by a
hotted-up LS1 and Tremec T56 six-speed manual.
The mechanical side of things is looking fantastic,
and, with the team sorting the panel and paint,
it’s sure to look just as good outside. Even more
impressive, the goal is to have the truck ready for
Americarna in February 2018. If anyone can do it,
it’s these guys!CLEAN
AND MEAN
T
he team at TTT Auto Engineering in Hamilton
have wrapped up stage one of an epic build on
Sonia and Kamal’s insane Holden VK Commodore.
Driven in around five months ago with 308 power,
it has been transformed into a tyre-shredding
monster, thanks to the addition of a small block
Chev mill — and not just any old 350.
“It’s been stroked to 377ci,” says Tim from TTT.
“Based around a Rodeck block, [with] forged
pistons and rods, chromoly crank, and a Peterson
two-stage dry sump.”
Because the dry-sump pump is front-mounted and
driven directly off the camshaft, the TTT boys had a
fair job mounting the engine further back, and the
job facilitated a custom radiator, engine mounts,
transmission crossmember, and transmission
tunnel among many other smaller bits.
The 377 has been topped with a BDS 6-71 blower,
and if it looks too high to be legal, that’ll just be
150mm blower spacer for maximum intimidation
factor! Running a conservative tune with 10psi of
boost and a 5500rpm limiter, it spun the Te Rapa
Automotive dyno to just under 500hp at the treads.
Electric power-steering has been fitted to free up
engine bay space, which also explains those trick
headers — done to get around the driver’s side
starter motor and steering shaft.
“It’s running a Tremec T56 gearbox, Centerforce
clutch and flywheel, and a Tilton pedal box so
we could remove the master cylinder from the
engine bay,” Tim mentions. “We removed the brake
lines, shaved and smoothed the firewall, and Marc
at Marc’s Auto Electrical has fully deloomed it,
removing the old fuse box from the engine bay,
and wiring in the MSD ignition.”After the silly season, the Commodore will return
for stage two, which will include widening the
rear wheels, mini-tubbing the rear, installing a
fuel cell, and a possible conversion to EFI. This
isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of this weapon on
these pages!