TANGERINE DREAM

SHAUN SCERRI ORIGINALLY RESTORED HIS HQ GTS TO FACTORY SPECS, BUT THE 253 SOON MADE WAY FOR SOME FAR STRONGER FRUIT

- IAIN KELLY

ONLINE battles between classic car purists and street machiners have raged in recent years, as the values of our favourite chrome-bumper models soar. Melbourne’s Shaun Scerri has tasted life on both sides of this fence with his ’73 HQ GTS Monaro sedan, rebuilding it to a dealer-fresh state several years ago before binning the thong slapper and M21 in favour of an 800hp blown 406ci Chev.

“Over three years, my cousin Jason and I restored the car to factory-original specs,” Shaun begins. “I drove it around like this for about six years, but I really didn’t enjoy driving it as the power didn’t excite me. So I went down the path of modifying it.”

Genuine Tangerine HQ GTS four-doors aren’t exactly dropping out of trees today, but Shaun lived the Hollywood fantasy when he found his, rescuing the more-door dirt-cheap from a scrap-metal yard way back in 2006. “It was $2500, and that was cheap for that time, but it was a complete car,” he explains. “It was in undercoat with all the factory drivetrain, and although it needed a full restoration, it was a really good starting point.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for HQs and I’ve had Monaros before this one: an HT, then an HJ coupe, and then I got this HQ sedan,” Shaun continues. The factory-style resto was something new for him, though. “Normally I’m more into performance cars,” he admits. “When I did start modifying it, Monaros weren’t worth what they are today. In the end, I built it for myself to enjoy it, and I don’t worry about what I’ll sell it for.”