Back From The Dead: 'PSYCO' Iconic Autosalon Showcar Reborn

In a tale befitting its spooky graphics, two mates are bringing this piece of show car history back from the dead.

“It’s a funny story, the owner lives in Perth and he bought the car from the East Coast. He had it shipped over and got it running but it was clear it was in a pretty bad way. He and I knew of one another but we’d never met, but he called me one day and asked if I’d be interested in helping him restore the PSYCO ute,” begins the ever-humble Darryl Harrington, the man charged with resurrecting one of the most iconic Holden VS Commodore utes on the planet.

Living just outside of Orange in NSW’s Central West, Darryl spends his days toiling away at Zelukovic Smash Repairs but in a previous life he designed and installed wild custom car stereos in Kalgoorlie in remote WA, meaning his unique skill set across auto-electrical, fibreglass, upholstery and now paint and panel work made him perfectly suited to the task at hand. Amazingly, Darryl and the new owner of PSYCO have managed to make contact with the original owner and builder, Jamie, and have kept him involved in the vehicle’s restoration.

“If he was closer I’m sure he’d come and give me a hand!” laughs Darryl. “Basically, we want everything we’re doing to be an extension of what Jamie would have done if he’d continued modifying it in the modern era,” he elaborates, making them the perfect custodians for this piece of Australian show car history.

Mind you, simply getting the car back to its former glory - let alone making any improvements - has been more than just a matter of washing off layers of dust. “After Jamie sold it, it went through a few hands and we suspect the final owner left it out in the weather. The tray had filled with water and spilled into the cabin. A lot of what had been damaged was either removed or totally missing, so in a lot of ways we’re starting again,” explains Darryl.

With a mere 4000 original kilometres on the car, Darryl explains that much of the car has been a joy to work on, however their focus is very much on making the car low maintenance and returning it to the show circuit, with street duties every now and then.

“The stereo wiring had been butchered at some stage in its life so we’re rewiring everything, moulding a one-piece fibreglass headliner and changing the original smooth steel floors for fibreglass versions. We’ve put sound deadening throughout the car too - it was originally removed to do the graphics but it was so hot and noisy you could barely drive it!” laughs Darryl.

Due to the extensive water damage and the many missing components, Darryl is completely rebuilding the tray, but notes that he’s only got a few old photos to reference. “The car was built before the digital age so I’m basically referencing a few low res photos from the internet and magazines that it was featured in to get the tray right. We really want to keep the original form, but make it more functional,” he explains.

And while the paint and trim are getting attention to bring them into the current era, Darryl insists that some elements will be left in place to deliberately age the car. “The Nintendo 64 integrated into the centre console still works! We’ve managed to source some replacement components that are in line with the original build. One of the key things we’ve changed are the subs in the cabin - the original 12-inch subs were too big and bulky so we’ve changed them for more modern, slimline 10-inch subs and had the original airbrusher Wayne paint them to match. Most people wouldn't notice that if we didn’t tell them.”

For practicality’s sake the VS Commodore Ute is being airbagged to prevent damage to the Supercar-style front bar whilst on the street or coming on and off trailers. Happily, the Vortech S1 supercharger has been refitted. Darryl admits that the goal is to have the car completed and displayed at the next Summernats, after which it will tour the show scene for a year before returning home to Perth for a lazy life of Sunday drives.

You can keep up to date with the rebuild by checking out the PSYCO VS Ute Facebook page, or watch the extensive restoration work on Darryl’s YouTube Channel.