smoty.com.au
PICKING up an unfinished project can be a dream or a nightmare. Thankfully for
Chris Campbell, he lucked onto a gem with this LJ, packing a new 355 stroker
and sheet-metal nine-inch rear end. However, he’s made it his own unique
machine with a killer trim job by Simon Judd at Elite Custom Interiors, and
glass-smooth paint and bodywork by Exclusive Customs, who also mixed up the
custom PPG ‘Brake Light Red’ duco. The tough stroker Holden makes almost
500hp, which is plenty in the little LJ! Chris debuted the car as part of the Great
Meguiar’s Uncover at Summernats 32 and landed on the cover of SM!12
CHRIS CAMPBELL
LJ TORANA
JULY 2019
ALTHOUGH Sylvester Stallone’s ensemble action romp The Expendables never
won any awards, it should be recognised for restarting many people’s love affair
with hot rod trucks. Maurie Pickering was one such bloke enamoured with
Sly’s ride in the flick, engaging Charlie and Rhea Fakes of Fakes Engineering
to build his epic pro touring truck. Silky-smooth panelwork and gaps far better
than Henry ever intended hide clever engineering, including late-model Falcon
suspension and a 435hp five-litre quad-cam Coyote V8. “Maurie wanted a truck
that looked old but drove like a modern, brand-new car,” says Charlie.11
MAURIE PICKERING
1955 FORD F100
APRIL 2019
CRISP lines, killer stance, an angry Clevo and lush trim are key ingredients to
a cool car, and Rick Galloway’s FAT XB is has all those facets and more. Built
by Pat’s Pro Restos, the car’s ice-fresh House Of Kolor solid white is contrasted
beautifully by the Galaxy Grey stripes and red pinstripe. TOCA Performance put
together a 611hp 383ci Clevo that Rick has used to clock up several thousand
kilometres, fulfilling his promise to make a nice, tidy, straight car he could
drive. “It’s a beautiful bit of engineering,” he says. “It absolutely boogies when
you want it to, but it can also drive around on a summer’s day no problems.”15
RICK GALLOWAY
XB FALCON
OCTOBER 2018
WE’RE in a golden age of performance, where street cars pack insane
power outputs and run wild timeslips, just like Billy Papas’s nickel-tough
Charger. The VH packs a 650hp 418ci R3/W9 Mopar race motor, but
began life with Billy as a stock-standard grandma-fresh XL six-pot. It has
copped mini-tubs and a mono-leaf rear end set-up, with some pro street
attitude given through 15x4.5 and 15x10-inch RC Comp Exile wheels.
The body is resplendent in Fountain Blue, with a near-stock blue interior
keeping a classic style for this weekend cruiser.16
BILLY PAPAS
VH CHARGER
MARCH 2019