DAN Nissen and Rich Guido are regulars at Hot Rod Drag Week, and this year they turned up in the Week Wagon – a 1983 Chevy Malibu. In a previous life, the car was a US Forest Service vehicle, and has the scars to prove it.

For Drag Week, Dan has outfitted the Malibu with a 496ci big-block that makes 672hp on pump 91-octane fuel. Backing up the rat motor is a full-manual Turbo 350 and a Trick Chassis nine-inch diff with a 3.50:1 Strange centre.

Street Machine’s Scott Taylor rode shotgun in the Week Wagon yesterday and had a blast. “Yesterday’s road trip was 280 miles,” Scotty says. “That is the longest Drag Week leg I’ve done, but it’s not the longest Drag Week drive. Some have been as much as 400 miles.

“The wagon cruises at around 3000rpm, which is 65mph. We had a minor issue with a wheel bearing last night, but that was about the only drama. Harry Haig and the Chevelle guys pulled up to lend a hand and talk shit. Then they blasted past us with flames out the pipes.”

The 3695lb wagon has so far run a best of 10.971@121mph at Drag Week, but on Day Three the car lost a gear in the transmission. Luckily, Dan was able to find a replacement and has already swapped it out.

And the coolest part of the deal? After Drag Week, Dan is going to pull the engine out and sell or auction what’s left for charity.