DAVE GUILFOYLE

1973 HQ HOLDEN MONARO GTS

DECEMBER 2015

THERE were only 10 Purr-Pull HQ Monaro coupes built, and even fewer survive – but Dave’s thrives. Part resto, part bonkers big-block, this Monaro is guaranteed to raise the purists’ ire, but Dave Guilfoyle didn’t built this stunning HQ with others in mind; he’s planning on keeping it forever.

Building cars for a living has given Dave mad skills, but precious little progress occurred on the Monaro over the years as customer cars took precedence at his business, DJ Automotive & Towing.

It was Dave’s speculation that he might sell the coupe that reignited the rebuild: “My brother Shane was storing it and he said he wouldn’t let it back to my place if my plan was to sell it!” he laughs.

Although the big coupe sat in high fill for another year after that fateful day, progress was being made on the mental motor. “I normally get another bloke to build my motors, but everything else I’ve got is Holden; this time I wanted a Chev expert,” Dave explains.

Fortunately, Dave could count on mate Rod Camilleri to screw together a stout combination; starting with a bare Gen VI Vortec big-block, Rod added Scat rods and crank, file-fit moly rings, Mahle forgies, a healthy Comp Cams bumpstick, Bowtie Signature Series alloy heads and a BDS 6/71 large-bore blower, topped by a Joe Blo Engineering EFI kit and bug catcher.

Of course, no engine comes with this level of bling straight from the suppliers; Dave had a bunch of stuff polished and chromed and hit up his mate with a CNC milling machine.

Although Dave’s painted all his cars in the past, he wanted the touch of Matty Petrovics in the case of this very special Monaro. The process was made more difficult when Dave decided to tub the already-painted car, but the headache was worthwhile; it sits tough, sporting an old-school stance, yet successfully offsets the insanity with original-style paint, interior and nana-spec venetians.