Photos: Ben Hosking. One thing I was certain of was that I wanted to build a big-horsepower twin-cam RB for it. Steve sourced new GM-H headlights and tail-lights, boot garnish, blinkers, Calais moulds, boot mould, eyebrows, bumpers and badges.
The engine bay has had the strut tops, back of the headlights and the firewall smoothed, the front chassis rails boxed and smoothed with all seams welded, and a custom radiator support added. Hardware in the engine has been mirror-polished, with the turbo cover and intercooler piping chromed. Even the stainless cap-head fasteners were machine-chamfered and polished! To prepare for the manic six, Steve took the car to Wild Fab for a nine-inch diff and full-floater, four-link, rollcage, chassis connectors and brake conversion, as well as a sheet-metal parcel tray and tubs, though they left the stock chassis rails alone.
The VL was then turned into a two-seater and treated to a custom aluminium dash and trim by Steve from Cools Auto Trim. Nineteen-inch Simmons rims were also added, before the car was media-blasted and Yugi at Yes Smash Repairs took care of the jet black-over-silver bare-metal paintjob.
I knew I wanted to take this build to the next level, but with family commitments and a lack of funds, I lost interest in it and it sat in the naughty corner for a good five or six years. Those giant, gold-plated Simmons FRs span 22x8in front and 22x13in rear.
Birrong fitted a 3. ITSWAR now wears a tonne of custom billet components: oil pump block-off plate; water pump; dry sump pan; engine main caps and girdle; header tank; thermostat housing; intercooler mounts; inlet plenum; oil filter housing; cam and timing covers; intercooler and radiator end tanks; and a mm throttlebody. The monster 3. Steve had a custom exhaust manifold made to hold the giant huffer, boost-controlled through a 60mm Tial wastegate, 5in dump and 4in system.
