STREET SPIRIT

REAL-WORLD STREET CARS VIE FOR TOP HONOURS AT SUMMERNATS 33

IT WAS damn hot; the temperature in the Summernats Top Street show just outside the Elite Hall soared beyond 44°C. But that didn’t melt the smiles from the faces of Jason Pace and Peter Sidoti, whose beaut cars, parked adjacent to each other, had earned the honours of Top Judged Street (see breakout, page 146) and Street Champion respectively.

Peter has been bringing his jet-black 1965 Mustang – powered by a blown, alloy-headed 302-cube Windsor V8 – to Summernats for around 15 years. In that time, he’s taken home plenty of awards, but this was his first Street Champion gong, and his first ’Nats with his family by his side, so this year’s win was pretty special!

Another happy fella was this year’s Encouragement Award winner, Curtis Ryan. “The trim was the best part of the car when I bought it,” Curtis said of the powder-blue and flared LH Torana SL/R he purchased about 12 years ago. The former mechanic put his trade skills to good use by buying a damaged LS V8 and rebuilding it with a 383ci stroker crank and ported heads. Both the mill and a Tremec

TKO600 manual were installed using a mix of Tuff Mounts and Mal Wood components, with most of the work done in the home garage. “It was just going to be a nice motor in a nice car,” he laughed. Yeah, we all say that!

These were just three in a lolly-shop display of more than 30 of Australia’s best real street machines. For the Elite-class cars in the nearby big hall, the judges inspect the whole car – body, undercarriage, interior and engine bay – but for Street entrants the vehicle undercarriage isn’t judged, which meant the metal on show, whether old or new, offered a veritable how-to for anyone intending to build a terrific cruiser.

“We’re seeing people make a decision about what they want and what they can afford,” says Summernats Chief Steward (and past Grand Champion winner) Drago Ostric. “In the early days of Summernats it was Elite, and sort of nothing else. But these days, they can choose to build a street car, and with the judging the way it is, they can earn just as much respect for going the street car route. They can put their effort and money into where they can see it, use it and enjoy it.”

TOP JUDGED STREET

JASON Pace’s Blue Meanie SS Group A-inspired VK Commodore was bought three years ago already built as a 308-powered trueblue tribute. The car’s path to Street-class perfection began soon after the rear suspension failed during a hit at Sydney Dragway. A bit of metalwork under the rear soon grew to a full-on build that saw the car arrive at Summernats last year. The body and paint is a team effort by Steve’s Custom Automotive, Malibu Paint & Panel and Ground Level Panel & Paint.

“I built it as a Street-type car, but the judges encouraged me to run it in Elite last year,” Jason explained. “But for this year I put it in Street, which is what I intended all along.” Rolling on 22s, it’s powered by a naturally aspirated, 750hp, 440ci LSX built by Westend Performance.

“The underside is just stoneguard, so I can use it on the road without any worries,” Jason said. “I take it out to a fair few shows, dinners and cars-and-coffees. Whenever I say we’re taking it out, the kids [Nicholas, 13; Monique, 11; Justin, 10; shepherded by wife Ann-marie] are the first ones in, before me!”

The VK went home with Top Engine Bay, Top Standard Paint, 2nd Top Bodywork and Top Sedan, all adding up to Top Judged Street.

Mark Farnell’s wonderfully crusty, original-skin FC Holden has been treated to a 304ci Holden V8 running Haltech throttlebody EFI on a highrise manifold. A VS Commodore floor graft allowed easy installation of retrimmed Commodore seats, and the metal of the interior, underside and under-bonnet areas have been painted in a deep mulberry

Is Peter Sidoti’s ’65 Mustang the winningest car in Summernats history? The B&Mblown, street-driven, Windsorpowered Muzzy has won stacks of Street-class tinware over the past 15-odd years, and this time went home with the accolade of Street Champion This is why we come to Summernats – to see crazy stuff like Derek Mackay’s two-door ’68 Cortina. It’s been repainted in the original Candy Apple Red, but under the bonnet is where the action is, with the now 2.1L SOHC motor topped with a 3/71 blower pushing 5psi and 51mm EMPI carb These blokes had the best seats at Summernats! Andrew Burns (grey lounge) and John Morton (black) crafted their Summernats cruisers from a couple of old lounges and a pair of electric wheelchairs. Plans for next year include a bar fridge beside each lounge so the lads can enjoy a couple of cool bevvies This Chev sedan delivery is owned by Sam Gritzalis, who cruised it up to Summernats from Melbourne. “I bought it three years ago from a mate who imported it,” he said. “We added a bit of bling to it such as the curtain pattern and some metalflake.” The delivery wears 1959 Caddy tail-lights and is pushed along by a cammed 350

Mercedes-benzes don’t seem to have caught the attention of Aussie street machiners, but that might change thanks to Malcolm Sterling’s 1967 W110-series ‘fintail’ sedan. An unfinished project when he bought the car, Mal completed the ex-holden LS V8 and auto transplant and added a 9in

Was your pop’s car as cool as this? This Ford Fairmont wagon had the box ticked for the mighty 5.8L Cleveland V8 when it was bought new in 1978. Eventually it ended up disassembled in a workshop before being bought by Sean and Matt Stapleton. Dad Sean fixed the body before son Matt applied fresh Desert Gold paint Curtis Ryan’s super-sano LH Torry took out the Encouragement Award in the Street judging and nabbed a slot in the coveted PPG Vibrance Supreme Entrant showdown on Sunday morning. With a 383ci LS mill and TKO600 ’box, it looks like a fun drive!

This pair of Morrises were unmissable parked on the grass all weekend. Bruce Perry’s silver ute is a 1960 model running a Toyota Corolla motor. There’s plenty going on here, including the 4in roof chop, suicide doors, flared front guards, custom tray and a billet grille. Peter Claydon owns the other one, painted in EH Holden Valley Mist green and chopped 3in at the front and 6in at the back. Originally built by Paul Kelly, it’s powered by an 1100cc A-series motor with a Corolla five-speed