Kody Booms proves that following your passion pays off. The Holden-loving 17-year-old recently buttoned up his 90s-spec HX Tonner, SIC1TON, which in turn landed Kody his dream job as an automotive refinisher.

When did you purchase the HX?

Back in February 2020 when I had just turned 16 years old. I always wanted a classic Holden but knew my chances were slim, as they cost a fair bit. On the way home from looking at a VS Commodore and realising that it wasn’t for me, I was scrolling Gumtree and saw this One Tonner for a pretty good price. So, I called the guy up and looked at it straight away. The Tonner had potential and it’s what I really wanted.

Why a Tonner?

I’ve always liked the look of One Tonners; I think they look tough. Thanks to my dad, I have been around and working on classic Holdens for as long as I can remember.

Did you do much of the work on it yourself?
I stripped the car down and took the cab off the chassis, and then had it all sandblasted by DJ’s Sandblasting & Restorations. Next, I fixed the rust in the doors and plenum, and then tidied the bodywork, laid down primer and blocked it all back before Dad sprayed the two-pack pearl blue.

As I hadn’t seen too many One Tonners with the HZ single-headlight front, I decided to be different and change from the commercial front clip.

What’s the donk?
I have kept the 202ci red motor so that I can legally drive it, but added a few modifications. Bob at Mueller Brothers Automotive did all of the mechanical work. It runs a 500cfm four-barrel Edelbrock carb on a Redline Performance intake, with a shaved head and Yella Terra roller rockers. Below that is a Crow cam with a Bathurst XU-1 grind. Pacemaker extractors run through to a two-and-a-half-inch exhaust, which makes a pretty nice sound when I put my foot down.

To finish the car off, there’s a set of 15-inch Street Pro wheels, with a 265 tyre at the back. It’s decent-sized rubber with plenty of grip – plus, big tyres at the back make it look tough!

What’s next?

To enjoy cruising it around. Alhough, when I get my full licence, I want to put a V8 in it. As much as I love the six, nothing beats the sound of a lumpy V8.

And your HX build resulted in your dream job?
Yes! I drove the Tonner to my automotive refinishing technician apprenticeship interview, and when they realised that I’d done much of the work myself, they hired me. I feel that my car shows that it doesn’t matter how young you are, if you put your mind to it and focus on achieving your goal, anything is possible.