ROD HYLAND

> WYNYARD, TASMANIA

ROD Hyland is a dyed-in the-wool Holden man, and the proprietor of Rod Hyland Cars & Parts in Wynyard, Tasmania. Rod’s passion for classic Holdens is what got him involved in the automotive business in the first place, and aside from the healthy stash of Lions he has tucked away in the yard, his personal collection boasts some of the most desirable Aussie muscle cars from the 60s and 70s. Looks like you’ve got a couple of old Holdens kicking around, Rod! Oh yeah, there’s a few of them here. There’s probably 40 or so old Holdens. But we wreck and sell parts for all makes and models. There are probably around 1000 cars in the yard in total. How long have you had the yard? We’ve been here for about 18 years. I basically started out dealing in classic Holdens and drifted into everything else as the demand grew. It started out as a hobby and ended up as a headache! But we’re still Holden specialists, for sure. Especially in this end of Tasmania; there’s no one else around with anything like it. What are your favourite cars that have come through the place over the years? I really like the HK Monaros, and I’ve got a few of those. We’ve also had three or four HT ambulances come through over the years, and they’re great too. Stuff you just don’t see anymore. Do you ship many parts to the mainland? Yeah we do. Not just classic Holden parts either. We send all kinds of parts over to the mainland. It looks like you’ve got a personal project on the go, too? I’m building an HK Monaro at the moment, and since the photos were taken we’ve actually painted it black and I’m starting to put it back together. I’m sticking with a 350 Chev and twospeed auto and the interior is all original, but I’m going to put a decent set of wheels on it. I’ve got another couple of HKS that are finished and on the road; a Silver Mink one and a Warwick Yellow one. You wheel and deal in this stuff every day, but is there anything you own that’s definitely not for sale? Probably the Silver Mink HK. It’s a GTS 327ci auto, and it’s the first one I bought, so I’m a bit more sentimentally attached to it. I’ve had it for about 14 years now. Any other toys that you’re particularly proud of? I’ve got an HQ coupe which I’ve had for a long time, and a genuine LX SL/R 5000. The Torana is all restored, but it didn’t have the original engine with it when I bought it, so I put a 304ci V8 and five-speed in it. I bet the Torana is a blast on those twisty roads you’ve got down there in Tassie. It is, and [at Wynyard, in north-west Tasmania] we’re right at the good end of some of the best roads. You can go for a couple of hours without seeing a cop. Nothing like what you’ve got to put up with over there. The west coast of Tasmania in particular has some great roads. What’s your take on the big money Aussie muscle cars and parts seem to be fetching these days? It’s got a little bit out of control. The biggest concern these days is the security of the vehicles. You can’t leave them parked anywhere anymore; that’s the biggest worry.