I’VE GOT THE PINK ONE

Dear Todd,

Nice to see the photo of the pink Monaro in the letters page of the November issue [No. 162]. As someone with more than a passing interest in the brand — I’ve always had one since the age of 21

— I enjoyed the article on the white Monaro in the October issue [No. 161], but didn’t think it was once the pink one that I purchased off Douglas Anderson back in the very late 1980s. That’s because I still have it, after nearly 30 years.

I am “that guy that spent a fortune on go-fast parts for it for drag racing”, which formed the basis of magazine series back in the ’90s looking at adding parts and testing for improved ETs. It was all going so well until the car caught fire spectacularly just prior to a muscle car shoot-out at the late great Thunderpark. That was the end of the drag racing career in the Monaro, although after a rebuild it was the last car to make a pass on the strip before the bulldozers came in to tear it up for grapevines.

I kept it in Strike Me Pink, despite the opportunity for a colour change after the engine bay fire, as it’s unique, and I kind of like it when Holden ‘experts’ ask derisively “Why would you paint it that colour?”, not realizing that it’s a Holden colour. Retiring the Monaro from racing didn’t kill the drag racing urge and I’ve built up an HZ ute in ’70s street machine style to quell that.

John (That guy from Hastings) Wow, thanks for the great explanation, John, amazing that you’ve still got the car all these years later. Impressive that it’s not only survived the test of time — with a few close calls — but that you’ve held on to it. Thanks again,