Sneak Peek- Monaro Build

Craig Hewitt is a name that has long been associated with amazing Commodores, shooting to stardom thanks to a pair of Walkinshaw VLs that became iconic in both the Commodore community and the Australian modified car scene in general. His gorgeous genuine Walky known as 88GRPA was a stunning example of the model, although that was eventually sold to make way for his more vicious VL.

Now if the plates PROGPA don't instantly bring to mind drool-worthy images of his 632ci-powered, 1500hp, 7-second, strip-scorching terror here is a refresher course. The car is a force to be reckoned with in Pro Street drag racing and has been for many years. It’s one of only a handful of Australian cars that can cross into any of the diverse subcategories that make up the larger Australian modified car scene and succeed at all of them, with accolades from just about every major Australian car show including Summernats, Powercruise and an unparalleled back-to-back-to-back win at Sydney’s Supernats event.

Craig is a man that suffers from an affliction common to many of us – the itch. He got the urge to start modifying again, and rather than birth the Walkinshaw with another rebuild he opted to start from scratch, with a goal of building a car that’s sure to solidify his reputation at the top of the competition Commodore ladder.

“We wanted to keep it as an iconic Australian shape instead of importing an American racer,” explains Craig, bucking the trend that’s sweeping the scene at the moment where cashed up racers simply import a turn-key package and lay down some serious numbers. As such, he began a search for the perfect candidate, an 18-month endeavour that ended when he stumbled across a bare V2 Monaro production shell in Geelong.

“We’re headed down the Pro Street path rather than a fibreglass custom body,” says Craig. “We’re looking at mid-to-low-6sec, but because it started life as a real car it’s going to be a car that people can relate to." From the photos we've seen so far, it's definitely going to live up to that statement. The boys over at Street Commodores are avidly following the build and will be documenting Craig's progress in monthly updates so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.