1972 Holden GTS MONARO

Hi my name is Mario,

I have owned the car for 42 years and it has gone through a lot of changes in that time,
originally a 253 Holden engine, progressed to 327 Chev with Muncie gearbox, then a mild 350 & turbo 400 , then a 292 Turbo headed 350 that still made 453HP after 19 years to now where a Aluminium headed 383, now 406 SBC. It also went through the fad of when fitting HZ fronts to HQ's was all the craze, racing at the Mole factory and Pipe Rd was always on agenda. Drag racing at Calder Park Raceway became a regular event with times running a consistant 11.83 @ 115mph, and that was back in 1991. At that time even though the car looked great I had the urge to get the car looking back to original HQ form, on went the hunt for guards, front panels etc until i had everything to put it back to HQ. The car was stripped back to a bare shell ready for the rebuild which took 18 months in total. The car has one various trophies from Top Coupe, best Body and Paint to Top Street Machine judged at Bayside . Recently got 2nd Place in HQ Modified at Flemington All Holden Day March 2011.

Featured In Street Machine Magazine in Dec 1985 and May 2011. also Holden Mania No 4 and more recently in Holden Muscle Magazine , October 2011

Car is a 1972 HQ GTS Coupe

Engine a Dart Block 406 SBC,
decks squared, bored & torque plate honed, zero +.003 deck height.
SCAT 3.75 Steel Crank, COMPSTAR 6" H Beam rods , ARP Main and Head Studs. AFR 227CC Aluminium Heads,PAC Springs, Jesel Shaft rockers, Rollmaster timing chain, CRANE Cams Mechanical Roller, 700" lift & 264,276 duration at 0.50", Roller lifters.
SRP Flat top pistons, 12.13 Static compression, TREND pushrods, Mellings oil pump. ASR Pan Clevite H series bearings.
Romac Harmonic Balancer, Tilton Starter Motor. Whole assembly has been Blueprinted , Balanced. Aluminium Radiator from 1985 Trans Am / Camaro , AU Thermo Fans
Producing 642HP 550ftlbs.

Induction system consists of port matched and plenum worked Edelbrock Super Victor Manifold (12.06.2011), Quick Fuel 950 HP Ultra Carby. Barry Grant 220 Fuel pump with 4 Port Reg, 3 Ltr surge Tank fed by a Bosch 044 lift pump.

Ignition is a MSD 6 system

PowerMaster 140amp Alternator

Exhaust is 1.75'" Pacemakers leading to dual 3" System with Hooker Mufflers

Transmission prepped Turbo 400 with 5200 rpm TCE convertor, TCI trans cooler, B&M shifter.

Diff is a shortened 9", Detroit True Trac, 4.30 Strange gears, Strange Nodular with Strange Alloy Daytona pinion support, 31 spline Chrome Moly axles.

Body is all HQ painted in Glasurit 2 pak, colour is Volvo Dk Blue, many hours of work there.
Interior is all original with inserts, electric factory tint windows, central locking, Auto Meter gauges, felt headlining

Wheels are Center Lines Auto Drags , 15x 5.5 with 195/65 Dunlops & 15 x 8.5 with Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials 275x 60x15).

Has run 10.52ET and 130mph