Street Machine Magazine August 2024

The August 2024 issue of Street Machine is on sale now! This issue’s cover star is one heck of an XY Falcon, sporting what we believe to be Australia’s most powerful Coyote V8. We haven’t embraced the Coyote platform Down Under quite like they have in the States, but they are a formidable thing once a pair of turbos are hung off them – this one makes 1650hp at the hubs on 27psi of boost, and there’s plenty more where that came from!

Dale Millican’s HR ute was supposed to be a street-and-strip car, too, but that all went sideways when he enlisted the perfectionists at Southern Rod & Custom to finish the project off for him. Before he knew it, Dale had an out-and-out trophy magnet on his hands, and while it’s still got the hardware (including a Harrop-blown LSA) to go quick, it’s now a little too pretty to beat up on quite like he’d planned. A good problem to have!

Kiwi fella Justin Walker has taken full advantage of New Zealand’s liberal rego legislation to take an all-out race car and convert it to street use, with no concessions made with regard to performance. The head-kicking 430ci Windsor remains affixed to Justin’s ’65 Falcon Sprint, with a crank-mounted F-2 ProCharger in turn affixed to that, drawing in massive gobs of atmosphere through a bellmouth in the grille. God defend New Zealand!

Jordan Lord’s schmick-as HQ Premier continues the procession of artificially aspirated toughies this issue, with its nitrous-huffing 582ci fatty set to propel this MotorEx Superstars finalist into the nines – in amongst ferrying Jordan and his mates to the local for a counter lunch. 

For the Mopar fans, George Poulson’s Dart Swinger boasts Scat Pack street cred and a delightfully old-school pro street vibe, but the powerplant is a well-fettled Gen III Hemi for a sprinkling of contemporary muscle.

Likewise, Riley Matekovic’s VH Commodore benefits from modern V8 shove thanks to a 403ci L98 stroker, and is slammed low over a set of Weld Magnums. It’s a tough little streeter that Riley drives the wheels off any chance he gets.

We’ve been testing the waters by sneaking the odd four-pot into Street Machine of late, and the feedback has been unanimously positive. John Healey’s Datto 1600 wagon is a cool one, with John thumbing his nose at the Datsun/Nissan purists by opting for the current low-buck hero of the four-banger world – Honda’s K24. It’s no junkyard swap, though – this Warspeed-built, ITB-fed screamer sings past 8000rpm and makes 215hp at the bags on pump fuel.

Lastly, we’re proud to bring you a yarn on the late, great Levi Clarke’s epic ’32 Ford, dubbed The Drift Rod. Resting on a modified Datsun 720 ute chassis with a Toyota Supra IFS and Nissan GT-R IRS, it’s powered by a howling, carby-fed, tunnel-rammed stroker LS. Our thoughts are with Levi’s family – especially his wife Kristi and young son Taj – and his many mates following his recent passing.