MEAN STREAK

A Blue Meanie tribute on steroids, with a 570hp iron lion under the bonnet

MARIO ZAHRA HAS BUILT THE ULTIMATE BLUE MEANIE TRIBUTE, CROWNED BY AN ULTRA-RARE VL WALKINSHAW TWINTHROTTLEBODY INTAKE

NOW a rare and highly prized muscle car, the HDT VK SS Group A (or Blue Meanie, as it’s popularly known) is holding its own in the value stakes among the Monaros, Torries and Falcon GTS. Some low-kilometre examples command prices upwards of $200,000. Only 502 of these SS Group A Commodores were built, plus 48 Group A/group 3s, so it’s generally only purists that are willing to make such a steep investment – these cars are simply too expensive and too scarce to chop up.

It’s for this very reason that Mario Zahra’s perfectly executed Blue Meanie is a tribute build rather than the real deal. “I own an HSV and I wanted an HDT as well, because HDT built the foundation cars,” Mario says. “But I wanted a modified version.”

In 2013, as Mario could see the Holden brand beginning to fade, he set about crafting an all-aussie Blue Meanie on ’roids, with almost every aspect given an upgrade on the original. “My plan was to build a car with no chrome and a Touring Car feel – retro 80s, yet modernised. But not a race car; I wanted a tough, driveable street car that could rock up to a show.” This stout VK certainly ticks those boxes.

With a helpful push from mate Rob Petkovski, Mario nabbed a sweet, grandpa-spec 1985 VK Vacationer six-banger for the princely sum of $3000. “It was a straight car, with no rust,” Mario says. “There was no accident damage at all.”

Mario wasted no time in getting stuck into the build. “I did it all myself,” he says. “I’m a mechanic, so I’m used to working on other people’s cars all the time and I enjoy working on my own stuff after hours.”

The build took both hard yakka and research. “Every night I’d be on ebay sourcing all of the parts,” Mario says. “It was the right timing, as I would struggle to find the parts now.” And no doubt the prices have quadrupled, too.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the rare VL Walkinshaw twin-throttlebody intake manifold sitting front and centre in the engine bay was the hardest piece to track down. But in fact, Mario found it easily – and didn’t pay a cent for it! It was a gift from his nephew, Alex Seychell. Lucky bugger!

While we’re already taking a gander under the VK’S bonnet, let’s run through the 570hp iron lion. Mario had John Ramsdale bolt together a 370ci stroker based on a VS Commodore block, complete with modified VN heads and custom COMP cam. Below, Cp-carrillo Bullet Series slugs are anchored to Callies Compstar rods, swinging off a custom

stroker crank. An MSD 6AL2 sparks the PULP, fed forward by a Bosch 044 pump.

Keeping with the Touring Car vibe, Mario has upped the entire driveline, adding a Tremec TKO600 fivespeed cogbox mated to a two-piece chrome-moly tailshaft. A spiced-up Borgwarner diff takes up the rear, packed with 3.9:1 gears, a Harrop Truetrac and Moser 31-spline axles.

The suspension copped a decent upgrade, too. There’s a VN Commodore rack and K-frame, Whiteline strut brace, KMAC adjustable camber kit and Koni adjustable shocks on all four corners. The car also pulls up easily thanks to Harrop’s Monster discs and four-piston calipers, which are housed inside 20-inch Simmons FR three-piece rims, powdercoated in white as a nod to the HDT Aero factory fitment.

It’s a look that perfectly complements the Formula Blue paint. “I got it ready to roll into the paint booth, and then my mate Jason Cumbo put the colour on,” Mario says. “I did all of the panelwork and everything.”

Continuing the Hdt-spec styling, the cabin contains every mid-80s Holden lover’s wet dream: a sporty Scheel interior. “I bought the full kit from

I WANTED AN HDT BECAUSE THEY BUILT THE FOUNDATION CARS – BUT MINE WOULD BE A MODIFIED VERSION

Scheel, including the seat frames, foams and head lining,” Mario says. “I just had to supply a rear seat for them to trim.” Teamed with a VK Group A tiller, bolt-in rollcage and a raft of Auto Meter gauges, Mario has neatly melded factory appointments with Touring Car-esque requirements.

“I had an image in my head, and that’s exactly how the car looks now; there’s lots of little details on the