Fords of Milwaukee Young Street Machine of the Year

The inaugural Milwaukee Young Street Machine of the Year is going off like a frog in a sock, with cars of all genres flooding through our entry inbox from Australia's best and brighest youth.

We've got a big roster of ripper YSMOTY cars in next month's mag, but the sheer number of entries means we just can't cram them all on the page.

So here's a 25 more of our favourite contenders from the Blue Oval side of the fence. We'll bring you even more soon, including a massive roster of Holdens.

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DIMITRI STOUMBOS

"My TD Cortina features a Competition Engines twin turbo 378-cube Dart Block Windsor V8 running a FuelTech FT600 ECU, two-speed Powerglide trans with a fabricated diff, and four-link rear helping put some 1318hp to the ground.

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The car has completed multiple Drag Challenges and is knocking on the door of a 7 second pass with a best run of 8.00@173.6mph."

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MATTHEW ADIN

"I purchased this at the age of 19 after selling my XE ESP. It’s a 1970 XW Fairmont GS factory 302 Cleveland auto car, now a Vintage Burgundy XW GT replica with a 351 Cleveland, C4 with 4500 stall and 9” diff. Bought in late 2020, it immediately underwent rust repairs and a closed-door respray. Later had an engine and gearbox swap from Feneck’s Race Engines. The interior was changed to a full black GT interior and a Bathurst tank was added.

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Suspension was changed to King Springs and all the ball joints were changed. A Mallory ignition system was installed, as was a restored re-cored XA radiator to keep the engine at 140 degrees. The car puts out 330rwhp."

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KODY SCOTLAND

"I’m currently building a MK3 TC Cortina to be a 275 radial car with the hopes of making a reliable 1000hp. It will be a fun streeter and a tough looking cruiser."

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CURTIS MOWBRAY

"This is my ‘82 XE Falcon ute that I purchased as a stock 250 crossflow. I’ve since ripped the crossy out and installed a Barra motor and BTR box. The old farm ute is now making 550rwhp."

57

SASHA MITREVSKI

"This is mine and Dad’s ED XR8 that we Barra swapped. It makes 340kw at the wheels. We’ve done all of the work on it besides the exhaust and wiring and it’s going into get some major work done soon. It’s getting a three-speed Turbo 400, Nitto rods and pistons, Garrett G40 turbo and a few more little bits.

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After all this is done we are going to respray it. Dad’s loved this car ever since he bought his first one back in 1998. He had it supercharged and back then it was a beast. Unfortunately it was stolen and dumped in a river and since then he’s been on the hunt for one. When we found this and flew down to Melbourne without even seeing it beforehand and bought it. We went through a stage where we wanted to stick a NASCAR engine in it but then decided on the Barra."

57

SCOTTY PEARCE

"This XG Falcon is my first car and first project car I did with my dad in my grandma’s garage. It’s been resprayed in Dulon acrylic midnight black, had rust repair, sound deadening, an engine rebuild, Raptor-lined tray and wheel wells, new headlights, new smoked rear taillights, AU Falcon indicators, aftermarket touchscreen double DIN with Pioneer sub and custom twin 6x8 speaker box, stage 3 aftermarket cam, twin 2.5” turn down exhaust, black interior, deleted aerial, and bodywork (bog/welding/fibreglassing front lip).

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I did it all when I was 19 and it’s still going strong - but not saying it hasn’t been on a tow truck a few times! I’d never done automotive work or panel beating work as a job, I’ve just always been a hands-on person since a young age and always wanting to create something uniquely mine. It might be a straight six with duals but it just goes so well with the black and chrome!"

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SIMON ZAHOS

"I have a 1980 XD Falcon S-Pack with matching numbers. Back in 2020 when I got the car at the age of 15, my dad had to drive it ‘til I got my licence. During the two years of not having my Ls and Ps I had worked two jobs and at the Easter Show to save up to build a 351C, C4 and 9-inch. I found tearing down the 351 very fun to do so I bought a book on how to build it for max performance, and decided to get parts and build the engine myself at home. The engine only needs the manifold machined and pushrods and it’s complete. Hopefully my building skills from the book work out and the engine runs. After eight months I got the built C4 back and now I’m only waiting to save up a bit more money to get my diff shortened and built.

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When I first got the car I was planning on leaving the 250 crossflow in, but after I found out that a 351C is P-plate legal in an XD in NSW, I knew I had to build one. The number one question I get asked when driving the car is ‘how did you get those plates,’ and I simply say ‘they were available so I got them!’"

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SAXON SAVILLE

"It’s a 1981 XD falcon ex-cop car, sporting a 383ci Cleveland with solid roller cam and 4V heads, freshened by TOCA Performance. Behind that is a C4 transmission, 5000rpm SDE torque converter, and 9-inch diff with 4.11 gears. It has ran a PB of 10.56@126mph."

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CHRISTIAN ANGILLETTA

"I originally built a TE Cortina with a full house crossflow and it simply wasn’t enough. I always loved the curves of a TC/D and a lot of my uncles have TC/Ds, one of them being WARTNA, the 7-second TT SBF TC. My TD has a 302 Cleveland backed up with a C10 auto and mini tubbed coil rear end.

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The car is rolling on 20” Simmons out back with a 275/30 tyre, and 19” Simmons up front. Interior is all original except the dash which I have replaced with modern gauges. I do have plans to go bigger but being 17 turning 18 I don’t have the funds to hit that next level, but it will be done in the coming years."

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JOSHUA DOWELL

"This is my 2002 AU Falcon circuit car. I brought the car when I was 15 as a wreck to rebuild and have a bit of fun in. It's got a Advanced Engine Dynamics-built N/A SOHC making 300rwhp, with hopefully more to come. It has a standard crank, I-beam rods custom pistons, custom grind cam, ED CNC ported head, bigger valves, dual valve springs, bigger injectors and the standard AU manifold opened up. The gearbox is a standard T5. It also has a standard diff with 3.9 gears. All the suspension is 2-inch lowered Pedders Sports Rider springs and shocks. It has a AGI cage and a Proforce seat. It's an awesome car to throw around the track and to skid. The fastest time it has been around the Winton long track is a 1.34.4 and it also did a 12.94@107mph around 3 years ago at Heathcote with the previous engine combo.

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ROWAN WARD

"This is my 1970 XY Falcon I bought roughly 5 years ago. Since then it has undergone a few different engine combos, now being a turbo Barra. It also copped a resto by myself and a mate. I’ve done Drag Challenge and about every local event you could think of with it."

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JACOB CIANTAR

"I bought this car out of pure luck after being told it was for sale by a good friend of mine. The old bloke who owned this XE bought it brand new and had driven it every day since. As they got popular more and more people kept pestering him to sell it, so he asked his neighbour to see if anyone was interested in the car and lucky enough I was. The best part was the car was only around the corner from where I lived, so the same day my father and I went to look at it. After realising what a gem of a car we had found we bought it then and there. I never thought I’d ever own a XE S-Pack like this one. It was all there and the car had done 500,000km!

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Over the last two years I got a Cleveland, toploader and nine-inch for the car. After the original six decided to give up, the conversion began. Everything was done by myself and my dad besides the engine, which was built by a good friend of dad’s and the engine paint was done by another friend. We built custom aircon brackets to mount the a/c pump low, with a custom power steering pump mount to match. It’s got a full -8AN style fuel system to give the Clevo all the fuel it could ever use. All the wiring was done at home with the help of a friend of mine. The car’s been fully re-bushed front to back. There’s plenty more we’ve done that I haven’t mentioned but I’m proud to say it’s a car I’ve built with my dad in our garage on a budget, and that it presents as well as it does. Next job on the list is to paint the car which would be another big mission."

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JESSE BLACKHAM

"This is my ‘97 XH XR6 I’ve been picking away at for the last 18 months. I bought it off the side of the road with intentions of a cheap turbo daily, which has since escalated! It runs a stock bottom end 4.0 SOHC and manualised BTR.

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I’m currently in the process of getting a 2-speed Powerglide built for it which I’ll match with a built engine later on. This combination was solely built with Drag Challenge in mind."

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ADENA KACKELL

"Maud is a ‘67 Mercury Monterey coupe. She has a 390 big block and is a loud sexy redhead like me! This is my daily ‘mum car.’ My two-year-old son calls it ‘mum’s cool car’ and will refuse to go in my Kia over Maud (I can’t say I blame him). It is definitely a step up from my first love, my ratty bagged ‘62 Falcon, but still has that beautiful natural patina.

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My plan for her is to run some Astro Supremes and bag it all ‘round. It should be a crime to cruise in such a head-turning machine!"

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LUKE LATTER

"I bought my AU Series 3 XR8 Pursuit 250 in about June of last year at the age of 19, going on 20. I’ve done a bit of maintenance like replacing bushes as well as throwing on a nice set of extractors and an exhaust system to go with it. I’ve also added factory-optioned Brembo brakes."

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KADE PERRY

"So I’ve owned this XE for quite some time but only since I’ve had my licence has it been on the road. Everything on the car that needed fixing or replacing, me and my partner have done on the shed floor with jack stands. Trust me, it has made me a lot more resilient as a mechanic. All my mates love loading it up and driving places. We alternate regularly between the jellybean wheels for the old school look and the big P-plate spec Simmons for events such as Springnats.

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Being a young bloke and owning and wrenching on a car like this makes me very proud. My mum and her partner Glenn (who has built Street Machine cover cars) have had a strong influence on me getting the car driving. They’ve also listened to me piss and moan constantly when I can’t fix it, so I couldn’t thank them more!"

57

HEATH BLACKETT

"My XA runs a solid roller 393 Clevo on E85, a C4 and 9-inch, making 545hp at the hubs. The car was initially bought because we couldn’t find a decent sedan, and I figured I’d be different from the crowd by getting a wagon. I picked it up from Jimboomba, QLD, as a 16th present from my parents. From there we spent the next two years fixing rust and bodywork and had it in paint just in time for Summernats 30 still as a six. Shortly after that the head gasket let go so out it came. We spent a few months shaving the engine bay and in went a 302 Cleveland ‘til I finished my Ps.

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After a few different engine combos it's ended up with the current engine and driveline which has put the car to a PB of 10.80@127 off the footbrake. I’d love to put a big block in it, but we have a few other XAs on the go so until they are finished the little Clevo will suffice. I couldn't have done it without the help of family and good friends!"

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JAMIE MACDONALD

"Buying the XE has been a dream since I can remember, with dad owning an XD throughout my childhood. This car popped up in a factory in Hallam just over a year ago and I had to have it. It wasn’t running and was stock as a rock with a logbooked 164k. It’s a zero rust car with a great Caribbean Blue interior and a layer of original Sno White paint to top it off. I got it running, replaced a few of 1984’s finest bushings and was on the road enough to be able to test drive around my estate.

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Plans for a 351 and toploader combo are in the works but for now the 250 crossflow purrs along enough to get me from show to show."

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ADAM CAC

"This is my XR ute running a 393 Cleveland, backed by a fully manualised C10 and a nine inch with 3.7 gears. It’s a pretty basic old school build and I love it. I’ve always wanted a 393 for as long as I can remember, and once I got my hands on the ute it was all I had in mind for it, nothing else. I’ve owned the car for 2-3 years now and am still playing around with it. I’ve done pretty much everything except the body work. The majority of the build was done in my back shed with my dad."

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MAXIMUS DAEMEN

"My dad built this car from the ground up. It’s a 1957 Ford Thunderbird two-door coupe that he gifted me. It has 351 Windsor and C10 auto with 9 inch limited slip differential running 3.55 gears. The engine bay is shaved, as are the doors, and it has a Dakota digital dash. It’s the ultimate cruiser with a custom front grill and bar."

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JOEL CLEMENTSON

"This ‘69 XW originally came from a farm in Albany, WA. It was used as any ute was intended in its day and age, and has definitely seen its fair share of beatings. The farmer is still alive, but from stories he’s beginning to age. It was purchased from another Albany man who began its restoration. After running low in funds it came to my hands. I finished the old girl off trying to restore her to former glory. It still has the 250 pre-crossflow engine and three-speed in it. It has a mean note and is well loved. I like to call it Mater from Cars, after its previous hard life. It’s had work done since these photos but I still think this shows the best side of it."

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DAMIEN CAMERON

"This is my 1995 XG XR6 replica ute, purchased in 2016 just after I turned 15 for $1200. It was a neglected old work ute. I have kitted it out pretty well with an AU LPG engine rebuilt by myself with some help from my dad where needed. The motor has a standard bottom end, EF Tickford head that’s been shaved and port polished, a Crow cam, Aussiespeed four-barrel manifold, 465cfm four-barrel Holley carb, and MSD ignition. The AU engine is backed by the factory T5. I have pulled all the standard suspension out of the front and replaced it with a kit from Castlemaine Rod Shop that included tubular upper and lower control arms and Viking coilovers. I have also added a Whiteline 27mm front swaybar. I threw a Truetrac centre in the diff and kept the stock 3.27 ratio for highway cruising. I have fitted a genuine XG XR6 front end to it to make it look different to every other ute driving around.

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Later on I bought a fibreglass race air dam from an XD that I cut, shut and re-fibreglassed to fit the XG bumper. I have adapted FG XR6 seats to the interior and modified an EF centre pull handbrake to fit the so I could take my Ps test in it. I also fitted the EF rear brakes. The car is sitting on 14x8 Road Rebel wheels that I bead blasted painted and spent a heap of time polishing back up. Nine months ago the ute got rear-ended pretty badly, so I had to cut the back corner out of the tray, weld in a new corner and find all the other parts that got smashed up. I’m currently in the middle of respraying the whole ute. I did most of the prep work and have handed it onto a professional to finish it off."

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BILLY CARNABY

"My 1964 XM Falcon has been lowered all ‘round. Inside are Fairmont bucket seats, plus extractors and a twin 2 inch exhaust. Otherwise it’s pretty well all still original."

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BAILEY COOK
"Here’s my XE. It runs a stroker 408 Cleveland good for 600hp, through a built C10 and 9” diff. It rolls on Street Pro wheels."

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ALEX MARTELLO

"The XB is my first car, which I bought at Lloyds Classic Car Auction. It’s a dream come true. Cruising in the old-school three-speed column manual is the best feeling and always puts a smile on my face. Hanging around my dad and his mates doing up big V8’s makes me excited to one day swap the 250 six-cylinder to a nice V8 engine."