Feature Car: Mortakis' Holden LX Torana

408ci 1976 Old-School Torana

Interesting fact: The very first feature car I photographed (for Street Commodores magazine) was a VN HDT Aero Lexcen powered by a V6 – and it was built by Leo Mortakis, the same guy that built this pastel yellow LX Torana.

The Aero was a legit HDT and very nicely restored to original condition. Leo has made a name for himself over the last 13 years for performing very nice restos and custom builds. Off the top of my head, this is the third or fourth that I’ve personally photographed.

This LX was built as a family project for he and his father Steve and the shoot was featured in the February 2023 issue of Street Machine.

Feature Car: Matt Lomas' Holden Torana

Blown LS2-Powered LH Torana

I always love it when I get to work with a car owner on more than one occasion. Sometimes it’s because more than one magazine has requested the same car (sometimes years apart!) and sometimes it’s because the owner has built something new – or like Mark Sullivan… many new things! hahah

So I was happy when Matt Lomas contacted me a few months ago about a new Torana he’d built. Around 2014 or 2015 I photographed his old white VL Commodore for Street Commodores magazine in an industrial area in Kurri Kurri. It was a nice car and pretty indicative of its time.

THis new Torana is on another level, with a Harrop Stealth 2300-blown LS2 up front, 9in and TrueTrac, phat stance and lovely House of Kolor metallic blue paint. Inside you’ll see there’s acres of tan leather, too. All up, it’s a killer ride and what’s even better is that he drove it the half-hour to get to the shoot location!

The shoot was featured in the Street Machine 2023 Summer Special.

Feature Car: DTK Chevrolet Monza

485hp 383ci SBC 1976 Monza

Within a few weeks of one another, I photographed two gunmetal grey small 1970s US coupes from the ‘forgotten’ segment of vehicles. When was the last time you saw either a 1970s Mercury Comet or a Chev Monza built like this!?

What made my brain hurt even more was that both cars were from entirely unrelated workshops, probably started at different times and completely free of influence on each other.

The result for both cars has been amazing and this latest creation from Down Town Kustoms in Taree on NSW’s mid-north coast, is one incredible street car. 485hp from its 383ci SBC in a diminutive 1400kg coupe. Sounds like fun to me!

My shoot appeared in the Jan 2023 issue of Street Machine.

Feature Car: Stefan Tomevski's VL Calais

Top 60, 500rwhp+ RB30 = THEKNG

There’s no doubting the perennial-faveourite status of the VL Commodore/Calais. I’ve been writing about them and photographing them for over 20 years!

When you see examples like Stefan Tomevski’s THEKNG, respendent in its glossy undercoat grey and red Coulsen-style trim, you can understand why.

I photographed the 500+hp turbo sedan near Stefan’s home south of Sydney in late 2022 on a cold rainy evening. A shiny new pre-fab concrete industrial building gave us our backdrop and the rest is history.

You can see the shoot and read the story in the January 2023 issue of Street Machine.

Feature Car: Ian Wood's Holden EH Van

Gen IV-Powered EH Panel Van

Street Machines are often an extension of an owner’s personality and they come in all shapes, sizes and colours (well, maybe except the trendy builds like VK Blue Meanies and the seemingly ageless Falcon GT clones).

Ian Wood’s 1964 EH van is a great example of a personality shining brightly. Sure, it’s got a modern powertrain… but look at the aesthetic treatment. Gorgeous HOK Emperor orange metallic paint mixed with a cream leather trim may not seem so out of the ordinary. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find the Mexican-style airbrushing, sugar skull buttoned seats and western-style embossing/carving in the leather.

Either way, the shoot was pretty extensive, given the addition of the chandeliers (installed just for the shoot on aluminium trussing from Ian’s company) and orange lighting out back. But I think you’ll agree that the finished images were worth the effort.

This shoot appeared in the December 2022 issue of Street Machine.

Feature Car: Steve Santos' Holden EJ Wagon

LS-Powered EJ Wagon

Sorry that I’ve been so lax about posting content in here recently. I’ll try and do better in 2023!

This stunning LS-powered retrotech EJ Holden wagon was originally meant to be a birthday present for Steve’s dad. I posted photos from the Valiant that actually ended up becoming his dad’s surprise gift HERE.

This EJ (yes, it’s an EJ – with EH tail lights) ended up staying in Steve’s shed and boasts a host of upgrades that make it the perfect cruiser, including 6-speed auto’, extensive audio system, power windows and all the mod cons.

Front Cover: Ray Elia's VN Commodore

Ray Elia's VN Commodore

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Ray Elia’s latest creation for the front cover of Street Machine’s December 2022 issue, which is on sale now.

Keen readers will remember his white blown LS-powered VK Brock-alike that I shot for Street Machine’s Commodore title a few years back.

Best of all, this beast is already getting driven on the street despite not yet being done with show season.

Feature Car: Peter Kelly's 1961 EK Holden

LS-Powered Elite EK Holden

Peter Kelly’s 1961 EK Holden is ‘retrotech’ personified. Not only does it boast an LS1 conversion, but you’ll also find every mod-con under the sun within the 1961 sedan. Even if it didn’t come with all the special sauces, the car still features all the right cues, from a perfect stance and big billet rollers to flawless Audi RS4-inspired leather trim and die-straight panels and smooth metallic blue paint.

You can read all about the build in the June 2022 issue of Street Machine.

Feature Car: Tony Murr's Ford XA Falcon

8sec 454ci XA Falcon Street Car

Tony Murr’s Ford XA Falcon was photographed for the May 2022 issue of Street Machine magazine.

It runs a 454ci Clevo, based around an Arrow block with a 1050cfm Pro Systems carb, CNC ported heads and backed by a custom 9in rear with 35-spline axles.

Feature Car: Marcus Nikolic's Holden VL Calais

Blown LS2-Powered VL Calais

Marcus Nikolic is bound to make most people jealous. The fact that he’s a young guy will only exacerbate things. Marcus owns this super smooth, supercharged LS2-powered Holden VL Calais at an age where most folks are still lucky to be punting around in their first sub-$2000 shitbox.

With a strong and savvy work ethic, he built up enough coin to buy the VL with the LS2 conversion already done and he says the car was in immaculate condition when he found it for sale. But as you can imagine, a whole lot more took place before it came to be voted People’s Choice in the Top 60 hall at Summernats this past January.

The car now boasts a built LS2, topped with a Harrop TVS2650 blower and backed by a T400 and braced 9in. If that weren’t enough, the car now rides on 22in Simmons FR rims, measuring 12 inches wide under the ass.

I shot the car on a dismal rainy day at Marcus’ work and it featured in the May 2022 issue of Street Machine.

Tag: holden

408ci 1976 Old-School Torana

Blown LS2-Powered LH Torana

485hp 383ci SBC 1976 Monza

Top 60, 500rwhp+ RB30 = THEKNG

Gen IV-Powered EH Panel Van

LS-Powered EJ Wagon

Ray Elia's VN Commodore

LS-Powered Elite EK Holden

8sec 454ci XA Falcon Street Car

Blown LS2-Powered VL Calais