Street Machine
November 2021Street Machine is the country’s biggest selling, most widely read and most respected modified car magazine. Combining great photography with accurate, expert coverage of the Aussie modified car scene and in-depth technical features, Street Machine celebrates Australia’s passion for older cars, V8s and the lifestyle that surrounds them.
in this issue
broadcast
WE’RE almost out of the woods with this bastard COVID-19 thing, but sadly not enough for us to proceed as planned with Street Machine Drag Challenge for 2021. We’d hoped the event would still take place even if it meant only Victorian entrants were able to attend, but unfortunately the cards didn’t fall our way. All is not lost! We’re excited to announce an awesome suite of Drag Challenge events for 2022, and you can read all about those on page 12 of this issue, but it’s a bummer all the same. Everyone who has attended Drag Challenge says the same thing: the cars, the racing and the road trips are amazing, but it’s good times shared with even better people that makes DC such a must-do event. It’s those interactions that…
drag challenge 2022
OUR fingers were crossed that it wouldn’t come to this, but the worsening COVID-19 situation in Victoria means that we’ve had to cancel Street Machine Drag Challenge for 2021, which was scheduled for 18-22 October. The event had sold out in six hours, with 250 entrants and another 100 on the waiting list. With racers coming from every state and territory, it was set to be massive. But it is not to be! We’ll run our five-day Drag Challenge once more in October 2022, and we’ll announce dates for that early next year. Most of the existing entry list has rolled over to next year and we’ll fill any drop-outs from the waiting list. But if you missed out or just can’t wait that long, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be…
> hot gossip
’BIRD IS THE WORD NOW, this is a prize! You could win a superbly restored 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and a brand-new Indian Chief Dark Horse motorbike, plus more prizes, valued at up to $110K! For info on how to enter, call Shannons on 13 46 46 or visit shannons.com.au/transam. XBOSS AUCTION WANT to buy one of the most awarded Aussie Street Machines of all time? You’ll have your chance in November when Chris and Colleen Bitmead’s XBOSS Falcon hardtop will be offered without reserve for auction by Grays Australia. Keep you eyes on streetmachine.com.au for more info as it comes to hand. NEXT! IT’S been a year of milestones here at Street Machine, and it ain’t over yet! Hot on the heels of our 40th-anniversary issue, the December 2021 edition marks our 400th…
grand slam
IT’S fair to say Australia is pretty starved of real-world car action right now. Lockdowns across the country have seen the cancellation of more events than you can poke a stick at, and in some places we haven’t even been able to go for a recreational drive on our own. Thankfully, there are still ways to socialise with like-minded gearheads, even if it’s in the virtual world. The long-running Grand Theft Auto video game series has always featured cars and driving action, but GTA Online’s latest downloadable update has kicked things up a notch. Los Santos Tuners is all about car culture, and introduces a whole new way to cruise and race against your mates. The LS Car Meet is a fresh addition to the online map, offering a space to show off…
craig o’brien
“WHEN I NEEDED THE BRAKES BLED OR THE WHEELS PUT ON, MY GIRLS MADISON AND MAKENZIE WERE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP” WHEN Craig O’Brien stumbled upon his dream car hidden in the garage of his then-girlfriend Kelly’s grandmother’s house, he was told it could be his for the price of an engagement ring. Twenty years, one wedding, two kids and a complete rebuild later, we caught up with Craig to talk about the deal of his lifetime. What’s your history with Holdens? I bought my first Torana when I was 16 at a motor auction in Newcastle. It was a 1977 LX, and I paid $2100 for it. When I was 30, I decided to trade it in for a new car. The next day I was so distraught that I bought it…
john scanlon
FEW modified-car genres doubled as a lifestyle choice quite like the humble panel van of the 1970s. John Scanlon was wholly immersed in both the show and social aspects of the vanner life, when times were simpler and both freedom and imagination reigned supreme. This issue we take a look back at a few poignant snapshots from John’s memories of that time. 01: AS A young bloke, John loved immersing himself in hot rod magazines and going to the drags, and cars like the Pirotta/Caruana ‘Satisfaction’ Mk1 Cortina, with its custom candy paint, really stood out for him. “It was the amazing effort with the colours and detailing that set them apart from the rest,” John says. “A plain-looking rail could be a tough and quick runner, but you’d see another…
