BROCK SHOCK
A genuine HDT VL Group A, with 1800hp sticking out through the bonnet
THERE are those who reckon that when Peter Brock fettled Holden’s humble Commodore into a bona fide Bathurstwinning classic in the shape of the HDT VL SS Group A, he got it spot-on. Then there are blokes like Shane Ross, who believe there isn’t a car on this planet that can’t be made better by inserting a blown, injected big-block.
If you’re the type of enthusiast who rocks an HDT hatpin and recites trim codes in your sleep, it’s likely that Shane’s Brocky has already sent you into an almighty tizz. But spare us the abusive emails, because Shane has heard it all before, and he cares not for your opinion on his car.
“Yeah, we cop it hard from the purists!” he says. “They all say: ‘How could you do that to a genuine car? You’ll destroy its value!’ The short answer is I did it because I can, and I don’t plan on selling it, so resale value isn’t important.”
Shane isn’t running around hacking up classic Commodores willy-nilly, though. “I can appreciate original cars, too. I have a VL Walkinshaw that’s all original, with a genuine 1000km on the clock. It hasn’t been registered since the 90s. I’ve also got another Walky that’s tubbed with a 1000hp turbo LS motor!”
In fairness to Shane, MRGRPA had already been messed with by the time he bought it. It kicked around the scene for many years with a tough 355ci Holden motor, custom trim and bigdiameter Simmons wheels. That’s what it was like 10-or-so years ago when Shane bought the car.
“I wanted to change it up and make it my own, so we put an 8/71-blown LS motor in it,” he explains. “We had some dramas with it, so eventually I decided to pull it off the road and build the craziest Brocky around.”
If ‘crazy’ was the design brief, then Shane and his team have excelled. The car rolls on 22-inch Simmons FRS all ’round, with the rear tyres measuring in at a massive 295/25/22. It makes for
WE COP IT HARD FROM THE PURISTS: “HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO A GENUINE CAR?” BUT I ALSO HAVE AN ALL-ORIGINAL VL WALKINSHAW
a considerable grip on the earth, but that counts for nothing when Shane stomps on the gas, the butterflies on the Enderle Big & Ugly injector hat swing open, and the 540-cube big-block begins to sing the song of its people.
Assembled by Russell Jones Race Engines, the motor runs a Crower 4340+B crank, Carrillo Pro H rods and JE pistons. The camshaft is a custom grind, while a Barnes four-stage oil pump keeps the whole show nicely lubed. Heads are Cnc-ported AFR 345s, topped with an Indy blower manifold, Littlefield 14/71 pump and the aforementioned Enderle hat, running EFI metered by a MOTEC M800.
How much power does it make? An utter shit-ton – 1836hp on 27psi at the crank, to be precise. “The dyno operator said it would make 2000hp all day with a pulley change, but what’s the point?” Shane says.
The bulletproof drivetrain includes a Protransbuilt Pro Outlaw Powerglide and 35-spline nine-inch diff, linked by a single-piece chromemoly tailshaft.
Styling-wise – aside from the obvious – it’s still all very much as Peter Perfect prescribed, with factory HDT body kit and livery. One subtle change, however, is the move away from the factory Permanent Red paint in favour of Durif Red, which was standard on the later HSV VN Group A SS. Sydney Prestige Autobody is responsible for applying the duco, and Shane prefers it on account of it being slightly darker than the factory hue.
The interior still retains a factory flavour thanks to the Scheel buckets, standard cluster and HDT steering wheel, but it’s been treated to a black leather and suede retrim by Trim FX, and significantly modernised in the process. Other additions include a B&M Pro Bandit shifter, Auto Meter tacho and leather panelling on the floors.
For Shane, a big highlight of owning the car was the opportunity to belt the tyres off it on the streets of Surfers Paradise at the 2016 Gold Coast 600. “It was such an awesome experience,” he says. “I enjoyed it so much that I’m building a VF GTS for the event next year so I don’t have to beat up on the VL so much. It’ll look like a brand-new car, just with a big blower through the bonnet.”
These days Shane is busy with the running of his MONSTR Clothing business and doesn’t get many opportunities to drive the VL, but despite having another project on the go, it isn’t going anywhere.
“Put it this way: I’ve owned some bighorsepower cars in my time, and this is by far the scariest car I’ve driven in my life; it’s another world,” he says. “My 1000hp Walky is a piece of shit compared to this thing. The adrenaline is still pumping long after you get out of it. It always puts a smile on your face, that’s for sure!”