DESPITE the rise in EFI and digitally controlled niceties being fitted to street machines, building killer cars is still seen as a largely analogue process. Not at Down Town Kustoms in Taree, NSW, though. The shop should be familiar to regular SM readers, having built the likes of Dave and Lyn Keen’s chopped LS1-powered FJ coupe (SM, Nov ’13); Glenn Profilio’s LS3powered ‘Refined’ FC ute (SM, Dec ’15); and Peter Sharp’s in-the-build wide-body HQ Monaro coupe, SHQRP. Over the past few years, DTK has been moving towards incorporating higher-tech solutions to the myriad engineering problems that confront the team on a daily basis, so we sat down with DTK’s frontman Graeme Brewer to get the good oil. And you can check out their use of 3D printing on page 118.
How did DTK kick off?
It all started in about 2001 when I went to the very first East Coast Cruise minitruck meet in Sydney and was hooked. I started doing suspension as a hobby at home; people caught wind of this and soon I was doing airbag jobs amongst other chassis work. I decided to open DTK when I moved up to Forster-Tuncurry. Nine months of running the shop three days a week, on top of my regular job, almost killed me, so DTK went full-time in December 2007. I was 22 years old and, to be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into [laughs].
Did you get into full car builds straight away?
I was initially doing ’bag jobs, but it rapidly progressed into bigger builds. Around 18 months in Damo Parker and I discovered Troy Trepanier and that changed everything. All we could think about and chase was quality, and we wanted everything more nicely finished and working better.
Having started off in a tiny old industrial unit in the back of Tuncurry, how big is DTK these days?
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Street Machine Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Street Machine Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
ANIKA HODGES
THE CAR DROVE INTO OUR SHED AS A CREAM 202CI VC AND DROVE OUT AS A SILVER CAR WITH A 355 V8
STAGE FRIGHT
IT TOOK OWEN SCOTT MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO BUILD A TROPHY-WINING, 600HP EH HOLDEN UTE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME
THE Ummmal SUSPECT
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MINI-TRUCKS. THIS SUMMERNATS TOP 60 HILUX IS A PROPER STREET MACHINE
FULLY UTILISED
HARDWOOD ROD & CUSTOM TURNS DARREN ISON'S HAND-ME-DOWN HT INTO A SMOOTH OPERATOR
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
PEOPLE POWER
WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT 36 YEARS OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS - AND MOST DEMOCRATICALLY AWARDED - HONOUR IN OUR SPORT: STREET MACHINE OF THE YEAR
OUT-AND-OUT MAYHEM
STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE IS ALREADY A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME, BUT WHAT CAR EVENT CAN'T BE MADE EVEN BETTER BY ADDING A BURNOUT COMP? INTRODUCING OUR INAUGURAL RODS OUT!
BAD TO THE BONE
THANKS TO HIS SON, ANDY, THE LATE MARIO COLALILLO’S 39 PLYMOUTH COUPE IS BACK ON THE ROAD AND STILL ONE OF THE BADDEST HOT RODS IN THE COUNTRY
THE CHALLENGE IS REAL
FROM TRACK DRAMAS TO SOARING TEMPERATURES, DRAG CHALLENGE 2024 THREW US SOME OF ITS TOUGHEST TESTS YET, BUT IT ALSO BROUGHT SOME OF THE QUICKEST TIMES THE EVENT HAS EVER SEEN
