Imagine going into the garage to pull the cover off your much loved Monaro, only to find an EH Holden sitting there instead. You’d be suspicious, and shocked, especially since you’d walked past the covered car many times and never noticed anything wrong.

This was the situation Neil Rutherford found himself in five years ago now.

The Monaro was part way through a rebuild at the time, the second build under Neil’s ownership, and in his eyes it was just about ready for paint.

Neil’s son Steve was the instigator of the plan to take the car while Neil and his wife Tilly were away for a few weeks, then give it a (more…)

The crowd is fixated, standing on tip-toes vying for space. Through the thick acrid smoke you can hear the whine of a supercharged small block being dealt to. Through the murk the front of a blue HK Monaro emerges. The crowd is loving it, cheering, arms in the air. Bang goes a tyre. The crowd goes even wilder. A few seconds later another bang, as tyre number two explodes.
As the smoke clears the driver emerges through the sunroof to stand on the front edge of the car’s roof, arms aloft in celebration. He’s not alone, as the crowd cheers and applauds his efforts.

It’s this type of behaviour that brought Tristan Teki and his HK Monaro to our attention. Brutal is the best way to describe the manner in which Tristan treats the HK, but as hard as he is on the car, he’s equally skilled at screwing it together — and he’s pretty flash behind the wheel too. In fact, he’s built a combination that’s been tough enough to handle this sort of abuse for several years now without any major meltdowns. Instead he’s got a few trophies on the mantelpiece at home for his efforts.

Tristan has been destroying tyres for as long as he can remember, but the HK only came into his possession around five years ago. When Tristan purchased the HK, it was fitted with an injected 5.0-litre Holden motor. But it didn’t take long before his driving style didn’t really suit the mechanical componentry of the car. It was a combination of the third broken gearbox and the dislike of showing people a plastic cover in the engine bay that saw him devise a plan to refit a Chev motor.

A quick search on Trade Me uncovered a steel Chev small block for a decent price, so it was bought and dropped in the hole with a turbo 400 trans. The salespeople at Pro Parts in Palmerston North must be bloody good, because Tristan went there looking for a few shiny bits to tidy up the engine bay but instead came out with a complete 8/71 supercharger kit. I guess you could say that it’s shiny and makes the engine bay look the part, at least that’s what Tristan told his wife.

A day later he’d fitted a Holley pump and half-inch lines to feed fuel to the thirsty setup, and with cable ties holding the accelerator cable on, Tristan was off down the road testing. After nearly shitting himself at the car’s new power and dislike for traction, he knew he was onto a good thing.

Little did he suspect that the stock bottom end would last three and a half years of abuse before needing to be cracked open. Included in that time were many burnout comps, street drags and even a few trips down the quarter mile, with a best ET of 11.9 seconds.
Around two years ago and with a bit more cash under his belt, Tristan decided it was time to build the engine properly. For this he called upon the services of Rivers Speed and Spares, who stroked the motor out to 383ci with Manley pistons and an Eagle crank. Edelbrock Victor Junior heads were fitted, as was a Comp Cams cam and roller rockers. The days of it being a budget beater were over.

As a qualified mechanic, Tristan did most of the work at home, including fitting a whole bunch of MSD ignition gear and a well thought out cooling system. The latter includes an electric water pump, larger alloy radiator, the biggest electric fan he could find and a turbo timer. The turbo timer lets the car continue cooling even after the engine has been switched off and Tristan has walked away.

With the engine build going on, Tristan decided to crack open the transmission at the same time. Cameron Head at Automan Specialists was given this job, and as well as freshening it up, he fitted a manual valve body and a Hughes 3500rpm stall converter. So far the combo has been able to handle all the abuse Tristan has dealt to it, as has the nine-inch rear diff.

With the diff came Ford callipers and discs, which have remained in place and are now paired with HZ front callipers. In fact a whole HZ sub-frame and suspension assembly has been grafted into the car. New shocks were added at the same time, while the springs remain standard. Tristan wasn’t too worried about handling, though, because he’s got a Camaro race car for when he fancies turning corners.

It was always important that the car looked good, and thanks to some expert panelwork by Prestige Panelbeaters and paint by Jellymans Panel and Paint it now does. The colour is a bit of a ‘she’ll be right’ custom blue. With the chrome bumpers and bug catcher sticking through the bonnet, it doesn’t look bad. The mix of 14-inch front and 15-inch rear Cragar rims adds to the purposeful look.
Tristan has made sure the car’s interior is as comfortable for cruising the streets as it is sitting on the burnout pad. A set of bucket seats replaces the factory items and a Pioneer stereo system pumps out the tunes should he ever tire of the blower whine. It hasn’t happened yet, so it doesn’t seem likely that it ever will.

With recent success at the Powercruise Burnout competition, among others, he’s got a few titles to defend, so we don’t think the car’s future will change a lot from what it’s become accustomed to. It’s been such a reliable combination despite the trashing that it gets so regularly, and of course Tristan knows how to drive it, and knows how to get the crowd on its feet, so why would he want to change a thing? Except tyres, of course.

1968 Holden GTS HK Monaro – specifications

Engine: 383ci (6.3-litre) Chev, 010 overbore, four-bolt Chev truck block, Manley coated pistons, Eagle 4340 forged rotating assembly, stroker kit, Victor Junior alloy heads, Comp Cams roller rockers, Comp Cams cam, twin 650cfm Demon double pumper blower carbs with bug catcher, Weiand 8/71 supercharger, standard tank, 13mm braided fuel lines, Holley high-flow fuel pump, Barry Grant four-port regulator, MSD 6BTM ignition, billet MSD distributor, MSD leads, twin 2.5-inch pipes, alloy radiator, electric water pump, 356mm electric fan all on turbo timer, MSD 7000rpm chip, MSD BTM adjustable boost control
Driveline: Turbo 400 transmission, Hughes 3500rpm stall converter, manual shift kit, nine-inch diff
Suspension: HZ Holden suspension, aftermarket shocks, stock springs
Brakes: HZ front callipers and rotors, Ford rear callipers
Wheels/ tyres: 14×7-and 15×8-inch Cragar rims, 205/60R14 and 265/50R15 Cooper tyres
Exterior: Custom blue paint
Interior: Bucket seats, Pioneer audio system (head unit, components, 6x9s and twin 12-inch subs)
Performance: Approximately 600hp (450kW)

Tristan Teki – Owner profile

Age: 33
car club: Wanganui Road Rodders
Occupation: Foreman/director
Previously owned cars: HQ, HZ, WB Holden utes all with 350 Chevs, VS SS ute, VX Commodore
Dream car: My ’69 Camaro. Now I have to think of a new dream car
Build time: Six months about five years ago
Length of ownership: Five years
Tristan thanks: Big thanks to Grant and Dean at Rivers Speed and Spares 06 345 4402, Mark, Dean and Nigel at Pro Parts Palmerston North 06 355 2992, and all the family and friends who helped, and my understanding wife Joanne. Thank you.

Words: Todd Wylie    Photos: Adam Croy

The September issue of NZV8 Magazine has just reached shop shelves and it’s full up with a whole load of feature cars, news, event reports and everything you need to know about the V8 scene in NZ. Grab a copy before they sell out.

In this month’s issue we have a striking cover car in the form of ’69 Holden Monaro HT. This LS3-powered machine is beautifully detailed and finished to a standard that’s rarely seen, even in a NZV8 feature car. Other cars in the new issue include a big block Plymouth Satellite and a 1987 Ford Thunderbird drag machine that runs a 522ci big block Chevy engine. We also check out Craig Date’s drag-spec T-bucket which can pull 9 second passes making it one of the quickest in the country. Our final feature car is certainly unique, it’s a Nissan Navara ute powerd by a twin turbo LS1 engine, with 700+ horsepower this is one scary mini truck. We also have an special feature showing some of the craziest engine conversions in the country and then we get serious with advice on how to do a conversion properly. We take a close look at Ford’s new supercharged ‘Coyote’ V8 engine and get some technical advice on choosing the right clutch.

All this plus the usual advice, readers’ rides, shed visit and news to keep you up to date with all that’s happening on the NZ V8 scene. This is an epic issue so make sure you pick up a copy now before they sell out!

What better way could there be to take your mind off cancer, than to build a kick-arse drag car?

Tough times don’t last but tough people do. It’s an old adage but one that definitely applies to Gavin Green and his life-changing Monaro. Gavin started out as so many of us do, a hard-working bloke with a passion for cars and most things mechanical.

Starting with a humble Viva, Gavin progressed to a hot small block HQ which he raced with success in the early meetings at Hood Aerodrome, winning his class at his first eighth-mile meeting there.

Gavin did what many of us have done, sold his toys and embarked on his big OE, starting in Australia, then a short stint in Canada. While working there his boss gave him an unexpected bonus, the use of his credit card to buy whatever he wanted from Mopac Engine Supplies.

Having been to the US Winter Nationals and having his love for drag racing rekindled, Gavin decided another hot Chev was the go. A 350 small block, Z60 Isky cam, Dart heads, Edelbrock performer intake and hypereutectic pistons were supplied. Everything Gavin needed to build a tough street motor which he would find the right car for in the future. When Gavin eventually moved back to Australia the engine came back with him. (more…)

What started as a father/son build has turned into a rolling memorial that would make any dad proud.

4 Wheels Are Better Than 2

In 1996 Nathan Smith and his father were looking for a project. Nathan’s dad was into restoring motorbikes and Nathan had helped him on a couple of his builds. When it came time for Nathan to start a project of his own, he was looking for something a lot larger than a motorbike and with more than two wheels. Having had a couple of HQ sedans in the past, Nathan decided an HQ coupe would be the ideal next step.

Dad found what they were looking for through the local Invercargill Holden Club. It was an ex-tow vehicle for a drag machine that had then itself been turned into a straightliner. In its drag form it ran a tunnel-rammed 454ci big block, but by the time it got into Nathan’s hands it was just a rolling shell with a trans and diff, a factory interior with a not-so-factory roll cage, and a big hole where the 454 used to be. It looked as if it had seen much better days. (more…)

It’s time to smash the piggy-bank and get down to your local dairy or book shop because the April 2011 issue of NZV8 has just hit the shelves.

This month’s issue is absolute pearl and has a awesome Chevy Impala cover car. This beast of the street puts out 800+ horsepower from its 540ci big block engine and is finished with an eye for detail. Other feature cars include a flawless ’65 Ford Mustang Fastback powered by a Roush engine and also a super tidy 1971 Holden Monaro LS with a 350 Chev powerplant. We report back from the 21st Muscle Car Madness event in the South Island and have a full report from Americarna in the Hutt City. For you motorsport fans we have info and photos from the recent CMC Round 3 and also the first round of the Century Yuasa power series. We continue our Dream Shed special features and our final feature car is a 450ci big block XW Falcon GT Replica.

All this plus the usual advice and technical information, readers’ rides and competitions to keep you up to date with all that’s happening on the NZ V8 scene. Pick up a copy now before they sell out!

The final Monaro manufactured in Australia, under the Monaro name. Marketed as the CV8Z, an instant Classic.