HX KINGSWOOD

“SIX years ago I purchased the HX – dubbed The Reverend – sight unseen on ebay for $1200. It was being stored in a hayshed in St Arnaud in Victoria and the owner said it hadn’t been started for three years. So my mate Aaron and I made the trek five-and-a-half hours north-west, armed with a permit, battery and a few tools. We put the battery in, pulled the choke out, cranked it over and it ran quiet as a mouse. It then didn’t miss a beat for the long ride home. Once home I found all of the paperwork in the glovebox from when it was purchased. It was first owned by the reverend at the local church – hence the nickname. Initially I had just wanted to freshen it up a little and put a decent motor in it, but things quickly got out of hand. It got stripped down to a rolling shell, the front end was rebuilt and powdercoated, then it was sent off to Lukes Custom Fabrications for the metalwork and on to Ringwood Body Works for the off-white paint and reverse-cowl. For the interior I wanted a standard look with a modern twist, so I handed it over to Lyndon at Croydon Motor Trimming and asked him to trim in maroon, use twin stitching and wrap the dash. I then fitted out the dash with VDO gauges set in the original positions, Retrosound stereo and B&M shifter on the floor. Under the bonnet is a mild 350 Chev and Turbo 350 trans. Stainless brake lines run to Wilwood brakes. The hidden wiring and first start-up was done by Scott at SG Auto Electrics, who does an immaculate job. The HX was finally finished three weeks prior to marrying my amazing wife (I knew she was the one when she helped put the motor in) and was the perfect wedding car.”