Petrolheads: A 30-year labour of love
Whanganui’s Glenn Brewer bought his 1972 Holden HQ Ute in 1990 and began racing it a year later. As part of our Petrolheads series he speaks to Mike Tweed about its ongoing evolution.
Over the past 30 years Glenn Brewer has transformed his 1972 Holden HQ Ute into what is known as “The Cubic Monster”, a V8 beast that is a regular feature at drag meets throughout the North Island in the Super Sedan class.
Brewer said work was under way to make it more powerful than ever before.
“I’ve had it since I was 18, and since 1991 each motor has got a little bit bigger,” Brewer said.
“The first one was the original 308ci (cubic inch), then it was 396ci, then 402ci, 454ci, and 621ci.”
Brewer said the next engine to be fitted would be 632ci, and it was waiting to be fully tested by Dave Tunnell at TPE Racing on London St.
“It’s a full aluminium Merlin tall deck big block, with tunnel ram 2SV1 pro system carburettor. It’s got some compression, let’s just say that.
“It’s got a Milodon Gear Drive, JE pistons, 4340 steel crankshaft, heavy duty I-beam rods, and an .800 lift roller cam.
“I’ve thought about changing it (the ute) over the years, but it’s part of the family now, you know? All my kids have been in it and grown up in it, and we used to go on holiday in it too. It was my everyday drive and now it’s a 10 litre street eater.”
Aside from a procession of bigger engines, the Cubic Monster also features a tubbed rear, a custom rollcage, Wilwood brakes, transbrake, and a turbo 400 spragless transmission. While it is still street legal, Brewer said, his ute rarely makes an appearance around Whanganui these days.
“It took 8 litres (of fuel) to go from Seddon St to town and back. People have offered to buy it over the years, and I’ve ‘ ummed and ahed’ about it, but I’ve always said no.”
Brewer currently runs the All Paintworx painting service in town, as well breeding rottweilers, and he
People have offered to buy it over the years, and I’ve ‘ummed and ahed’ about it, but I’ve always said no. Glenn Brewer
said his schedule meant sometimes he wasn’t able to spend as much time on The Cubic Monster as he would like. “I’m trying to run my business and things, so often this ends up at the bottom of the list. Things just get so busy. The plan for the future is to go up to a 763ci, and I want to get The Cubic Monster up to the top of the ‘New Zealand’s Quickest
Streetcars’ list as a NA (naturally aspirated) vehicle. “Who knows what it’ll look like in another 30 years. My sons might be doing something with it by then. I’m just in the process of building my son a burnout car actually, which is a 2006 Holden Commodore with a tunnel ram big block 468ci in it. Hopefully we can get that out soon too.”