Sneak Peak at Summernats 35 Unveils

Not long now until the epic car crazy madness of Summernats 35 begins! This year is shaping up to be another crowd buster with over 2500 entrants - you can feel the excitement in the air already.

The show wouldn’t be complete without the continually impressive Meguiar’s Elite Pavilion, where some of the finest street machines in the world will be on show. Even more impressive is the fact there will be 30 new and exciting unveil cars to drool over. We’ve gone and picked five to give you even more reasons why you need to come see them finished and on show at Summernats 35.

Craig McKenzie - Holden HR Ute

Craig McKenzie is no stranger to the show scene, neither is his standout 1967 HR Holden HR Ute. The ute’s first unveiling at Summernats 20 sporting the iconic two-tone yellow/silver custom paint with a cool pinstripe detail that flows through the entire build. Over the years it has won a string of awards, from Top 10 at Summernats seven times to best of breed at MotorEx. A whole sixteen years later it’s back at Summernats 35 ready to rip that cover off once again.

Craig bought the HR back in 2018, doing the show circuit for a year with his new pride and joy before deciding to give the ute a complete makeover. Starting as just a freshen up it quickly turned into a whole new design after seeing a rendering done by Aidan Donald. Craig has spent the last two years bringing this new dream to life.

You can really see Craig’s dedication to this build in the untold man hours, taking on the elite standard of paint work all himself. The ute is currently with Simon Judd from Elite Custom Interiors, and with Summernats just around the corner it’s a race to the finish! This is going to be one epic unveil.

Carolyn Hayes - Holden LH Torana

Carolyn Hayes was one of eighteen involved in the first ever Street Machine Drag Challenge back in 2014, this being the main inspiration behind the build of her 1975 LH Torana. Carolyn bought the Torana in December of 2016 running and driving. Enthusiastic and fresh from Summernats Carolyn and husband Mark got stuck straight into the build. This pair have spent all their time in the shed between their busy schedules, and besides the roll cage and paint everything was done in-house.

The design is race inspired, so of course swapping out the stock 173ci Holden motor for a 415ci Small Block Chev was a great choice, with the addition of some fun gas bottles that might just match the car’s brand-new colour scheme. Choosing a stunning BMW blue for the exterior and throughout as well as pairing it with new Weld wheels will be a perfect match either way.

With the motor making make over 900hp on the engine dyno, combined with a two-speed power glide and nine-inch rear end Carolyn has made this build comfortable for the street and a monster for the track. You can just sense the amount of fun Carolyn is going to be having after her unveil, and we are just as excited.

Daniel Mussared - Holden VK Commodore

Daniel Mussared’s couldn’t be more eager to unveil his Holden VK Commodore after purchasing the car in 2009. Daniel hit the ground running for the first few years, building himself his first ever high-performance engine, a blown 355ci Chevy engine. Taking the weight from the rear is a Protrans Performance Automatics Turbo 400 with a sheet metal nine-inch diff, 35-spline floating hubs and a tough exhaust system built by Pro Street Industries.

With life getting crazy as it does, the VK was pushed into the corner for a little over five years. Daniel stated the car is an overtime funded build (he chuckles) hence the car being named ‘DBLTME’. Working hard and doing lots of overtime he got back into the full swing of the build, sending the car off to Oberon Smash for a glossy makeover. The pop of colour from the DNA Deep Blue Candy is truly stunning against all the chrome accents.

Driving the streets with the family will be extremely comfortable with the VE GTS ClubSport front and rear interior, complete with a full console. This VK shows that hard work really pays off. There will be some sore necks when the covers get pulled off this beast.

Matt McIntosh - Holden HQ Statesman

Matt McIntosh’s choice to purchase his 1972 HQ Holden Statesman comes from a deep love and appreciation of the great model of his era. With already great features Matt hasn’t taken away from the design itself. Instead making some tasteful changes over the last five years in the build, deciding to stay away from the LS combo and opting for a twin turbo Small Block Chev instead.

The new engine tucked away nicely into the impressive fully fabricated and flushed engine bay, with the fresh paint extenuating all those edges and curves for that crisp finishing detail. You’ll have to wait till the cover comes off at Summernats 35 to find out Matt’s colour combo. Let’s just say it’s pretty damn cool.

From first glance at the big boots on the rear, the ride height and the stance on this big frame, it’s definitely one tough ride!

Chris Franklin - Ford XR Falcon

Ford fans out there will be loving Chris Franklin’s 1967 Ford XR Falcon as nothing has been left untouched on this elite sedan. Chris’s favourite part of his build has been the crazy amount of body modifications, extending the quarters, sills and smoothing the floor. Chris has also customised his entire engine bay to fit his new 434ci Cleveland that punches out 660 horsepower. This is crazy when you think Chris only purchased the car in June 2020.

It’s taken two years of hard work and it’s about to be on show for the first time ever! When it comes to the hardest part of his project, Chris says it was choosing the exterior paint colour. Considering a lot of important parts of the build rely on that decision, you can’t really blame him. This is a must-see Ford Falcon.

With 2500-plus entrants and many trying to sell their left kidney for platinum passes you can already feel the FOMO setting in. This Summernats is going to be HUGE. So get your tickets and don’t miss the best car festival on the planet.