MODERN-DAY SORCERY
> JOHN ZEIGLER’S MADMAX UTE, THE SORCERER, IS COMING BACK TO BLOW MINDS ALL OVER AGAIN
SPLASHING across silver screens in
Mad Max, John Zeigler’s custom HJ Holden ute, known as The Sorcerer, is now a firm part of Ozploitation movie folklore. Parked up at Fat Nancy’s cafe with its Mercedes headlamps and custom green paint, in the ensuing decades it has been dubbed the ‘ Madmax ute’ by many.
But the story of The Sorcerer stretches well beyond its five seconds of screen fame. It’s a journey spanning more than 40 years, and now a new chapter is being written.
In 1975, John Zeigler plonked down the readies for a new HJ Holden ute as a workshop hack for his Shell garage. John, a seasoned hot rodder, hotted up the HJ with a set of ROH Wildfires and a rear wing, and it’s widely acknowledged as the first commercial Holden to sport an HJ Statesman front. It was looking cool and earning its keep, but John felt there were too many appearing that looked the same, so it was taken off the road and treated to an extreme makeover.
The HJ copped full custom bodywork, which included the aforementioned Mercedes headlamps, splitter front spoilers and a tube grille for the nose, while flared guards and sail panels altered the side view. The tail end had the wing repositioned and smoothed, while two pairs of tail-lamps were joined to create one of the coolest ute rear ends in the history of the world. Dark metallic green paint with green and yellow highlights rounded out the body, while a massive set of Hotwires completed the exterior.
The interior retained many of its Gts-spec fixtures, however, was treated to a wild retrim in green and yellow cloth and included a portable TV as a centre piece. The rear was lined with mirrors, headphones and yet another TV, all kept safe from most elements with a clear Perspex hard lid.
The factory 308, Turbo 400 and Salisbury driveline were retained, yet detailed to the styles of the time, and it was in this guise that The Sorcerer appeared in Madmax and attended myriad hot rod runs and car shows, quite often with a skeleton and/or cockatoo riding shotgun.
The Sorcerer was treated to further changes and refinements to keep it fresh and innovative, including a T-top roof conversion and shaving of the door handles, but road use and age were taking its toll so the HJ was treated to a full nut and bolt rebuild – the culmination of which we featured in SM, Jul/aug ’86.
The removal of the front spoilers and opening of the sail panels were two of the most notable body mods, while a colour change to solid black and a whopping set of chrome spoked rims brought the HJ into a new era.
The 308 was swapped out for a 350 Chev, while a chromed Jag rear end was slotted underneath. The engine, chassis and driveline were detailed in bright red, while the interior was retrimmed in red velour and vinyl.
The ‘new’ Sorcerer kept up appearances for a number of years and was treated to a flame job and other minor updates as we approached the new millennium.