HOT-TUBBED TIME MACHINE
Street Machine Australia|August 2022
A CHILDHOOD FASCINATION FOR MASSIVE TUBS AND WILD GRAPHICS INSPIRED CHRIS DICKER TO BUILD THIS TOUGH-AS-NAILS HQ
BORIS VISKOVIC
HOT-TUBBED TIME MACHINE

CHRIS Dicker is a serial offender when it comes to getting his cars featured in Street Machine. The first was an HQ Monaro coupe (SM, Aug '07) which was silver with orange stripes; then 'Sandbarra' (SM, Nov '18), the polarising Barra-powered HZ Sandman tribute, also with orange stripes. There was also a VS ute that made the cover of Custom Utes & Vans and was - you guessed it - silver and orange, this time in a two-tone scheme.

Chris's latest creation is this HQ Kingswood, a throwback to the wild 80s pro street monsters he drooled over as a teenager. It carries on that silver/orange theme but incorporates it into 80s-inspired graphics.

It all started when Chris had a hankering to build some kind of events car - he wasn't sure what - and spotted an ad for an HQ that might fit the bill.

"It had a turn-key LS and auto, the floors were stuffed, it had a heap of parts and the guy wanted $7K, so I went for a look," Chris says. "I actually should have walked away, but I asked him what would take it home, and he replied '$4000', so I grabbed it. I'd no sooner got the car in the shop when my son's mate grabbed the LS set-up for $4000."

As luck would have it, a ladder-bar rear end came up for sale with a set of 15x15 wheels "and I had my way forward laid before me," says Chris. "I immediately thought of Howard Astill's XA, Brian Willis's HK and Bam-Bam Martin's HQ with their big rubber. It also brought back memories of my first job in the early 80s unpacking newspapers; the owner would pay me in US and occasionally Aussie car mags with the top of the cover ripped off. The cars were all pro street - big rubber with wild paint jobs and motors."

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM STREET MACHINE AUSTRALIAView all
ROYAL CARRIAGE
Street Machine Australia

ROYAL CARRIAGE

BENNY ROYAL TOOK A FAMILY HEIRLOOM TOYOTA CORONA, SHOVED A 1JZ IN IT AND HEADED OFF FOR FIVE DAYS OF DRAG-AND-DRIVE

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024
DEBUT TOUR
Street Machine Australia

DEBUT TOUR

WITH A SCREAMING HOLDEN SIX, DEAN TROUNSON'S HOME-COOKED HR STEERS WITH THE BEST OF 'EM

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
FULLY FRANKED
Street Machine Australia

FULLY FRANKED

A SNEAKY 670 HORSES OF FRANK MARCHESE POWER MAKES ROB GORGIEVSKI'S CONCOURS XW A PROPER TREAT

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
NOMADIC LIFESTYLE
Street Machine Australia

NOMADIC LIFESTYLE

DON'T BE FOOLED BY ITS DEMURE APPEARANCE THIS '57 CHEVY NOMAD IS A RAUNCHY RESTOMOD PACKING MODERN MUMBO

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
PERFECT 10 '!!!!
Street Machine Australia

PERFECT 10 '!!!!

THE SYDNEY HOT ROD & CUSTOM AUTO EXPO TURNS 10

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
VAN WILDER
Street Machine Australia

VAN WILDER

PETER MARRIOTT BUILT THIS TOUGH, 350 CHEV-POWERED HK PANEL VAN IN TRIBUTE TO THE LONG-LOST HT VAN OF HIS YOUTH

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
EXPRESS DELIVERY
Street Machine Australia

EXPRESS DELIVERY

IF YOU'VE ever been to the Bright Rod Run (and you damn well should've), odds are you've seen Joel Beatson lapping in an early Falcon.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
RED HOT & BLUE
Street Machine Australia

RED HOT & BLUE

A REBORN PROGM8 SHOOTS FOR THE TITLE OF AUSTRALIA'S BEST SHOW-AND-GO COMMODORE

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
PEOPLE LIKE US
Street Machine Australia

PEOPLE LIKE US

WHEN Michael Gonzalez isn't busy making eight-second passes in CHOCTOP, his street-driven, LSA-fed VC Commodore, or cruising one of the many other cars in his collection, he can be found managing Springmount Raceway, home to Far North Queensland's biggest horsepower hoedown, Northern Nats (see p. 48 for full feature).

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024
DRIVING INNOVATION
Street Machine Australia

DRIVING INNOVATION

EVER WISH YOU COULD HAVE A BRAND-NEW VERSION OF AN ICONIC 1970s AUSSIE MUSCLE CAR, FULL OF THE LATEST TECH? DRIVE SOUTH IS WORKING TO MAKE THAT A REALITY

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024