In the mid ’90s, a new term entered the automotive lexicon: ‘restomod’. An amalgam of ‘restoration’ and ‘modified’, the concept was self-explanatory, even if the definition could be very broad in its application.
Cars fitting the description would be built using the bodies of familiar classics, but beneath those shapes from fifty years ago were mechanical and other components that hadn’t existed even in fantasy when the ‘donor’ car was built.
Some restomods spent their lives entirely as trailer-bound show cars, pushed into position at high-profile events to be admired and assessed, while never feeling coarse bitumen under their massive tyres or basking in the admiration of passers-by at a beachside café.
Then there are the less extreme variations – cars still presenting as products of a bygone time but equipped to higher levels of comfort and convenience than the originals. These cars were also engineered to extraordinary levels and came with prodigious but perhaps not obvious amounts of power.
This is the path chosen by Danny Brian, owner of the stunning HK Monaro featured on RR Auctions, and for whom the ‘restomod’ tag fails to adequately define a car that excels in a range of roles.
“I prefer to describe it as ‘Pro Touring’ because it is a more diverse and versatile car than most restomods,” Danny explains.
While it has been to shows and won trophies, the Monaro has been engineered as a car that can be used. If you wanted to, this car could be a daily driver.
It comes with significant improvements to the suspension and braking systems that set it far above the original 1960s design, with power steering and air conditioning and other features that make it more than a show car.
In original form, the HK had been very basic indeed – a plain, white six-cylinder stripped to its bare shell for a restoration that somehow never happened.
“I had a previous Monaro that I took to the Nationals about 15 years ago,” Danny recalls. “Somebody there fell in love with it and offered enough to buy it, so I was left with an empty garage and the challenge to build a better one.”
That was in 2012, but Danny knew of the bare shell and quickly snapped it up. Being a basic three-on-the-tree Monaro, it hadn’t been ‘bashed around’ and was almost free of rust, allowing Danny and his various suppliers and restorers to work immediately on how the car would look and perform.
“The [5.7-litre LS1] engine is out of a VY SS Commodore, so slightly bigger in capacity than the 5.3-litre ‘327’ V8s offered in the HK, and modified to develop much more power.”
Danny’s first attempt at building a motor that would survive the stresses of supercharging proved disastrous, however he and the team picked up the pieces (literally) and designed something vastly more durable.
“The motor in the car now is built to LSA specs, so good for over 500kW. At present, with 11-12 pounds of boost, it makes 412kW at the wheels which is plenty for road use.
“We built a second engine to the same spec, which when we turned it up to 18psi produced around 700 horsepower (520kW) at 6800rpm.”
All that power needed to travel reliably to the huge rear tyres on their 20×9-inch Simmons FR Series rims. To do the job, Danny defied accepted practice and went with a six-speed Tremec T56 manual gearbox.
“I did it because nobody else had done it that way, they all were using automatics,” he reveals.
“You couldn’t do what we did with the Tremec to something like a genuine GTS327 though because the transmission is huge, and we had to split the car down the centre then fabricate a new tunnel to make it fit and sit high enough in the car.”
In addition to modifying that section of the Monaro body, the rear floor was also altered to accommodate a 10-bolt limited-slip differential with billet axles. In addition, the entire driveline has been meticulously aligned to achieve the correct differential pinion angle.
Anyone familiar with early Chevrolet Camaros might smile when looking under the rear of the HK. There you will see mono-leaf rear springs – as used in early Camaros – in place of the heavy multi-leaf originals. These are attached to the body not by regulation bolts, but with roller bearings that allow the angle of the springs to change with the car’s movement.
“It’s all about making the car ride and perform smoothly,” Danny says.
“A lot of these very powerful older cars shake and vibrate because people don’t pay enough attention to the components they choose and how things are mounted.
“For example, with this one I’ve used fluid filled engine mounts not the Nolathane that a lot of people currently run and it makes a difference.”
Shimmering in the stunning outdoor shots you see here, the Monaro might present as a near-standard Warwick Yellow GTS, but what you’re actually seeing is a custom colour.
According to Danny, the original Warwick Yellow used on HKs was just a little bland for a car with the character and performance of his Monaro. He wanted paint similar to the factory shade, but in a variation that “just popped”.
After some experimentation, the car was painted in ‘Not Quite Warwick Yellow’ with a dribble of this and dab of that helping add a special edge to its visual appeal. Should the new owner need to undertake any body repairs, a copy of the unique paint formula comes with the car.
Then we reach a the interior, which is far more lavish than anything originally found in an HK Monaro.
We already know that hidden beneath that custom centre console is that massive manual gearbox. There is also no point looking for a tachometer hiding behind the gear lever in this Monaro, as Danny Brian’s car features the latest in digital instruments from Haltech.
But how about a set of Ford Falcon seats in a Holden? “Not just any Falcon seats,” Danny quickly responds.
“They are out of an XR8 ute which means the backs tilt for access to the rear seat. They are narrower than standard as well, all specially made for the car and trimmed in leather with the headrests set lower so they don’t change the profile of the original Monaro.”
Since 2014, Danny’s car has won its share of show trophies – most notably ‘Outstanding Car’ in the Show N’ Shine category at Summernats 29 in 2016 – but that isn’t the sole reason for its existence or appeal.
“I wanted a car that had plenty of power, but was nice to drive and retained the look of a genuine classic Monaro.” Danny concludes.
“I hope whoever buys it will treat it the same way and take it on weekend club runs, plus to the occasional car show. It needs to be used.”
To find out more about this incredible car, or to even place some bids, head to RRAuctions.com.au where you’ll find this Monaro and many other impressive machines.
