Sunset in the Park at Geelong Revival

The Geelong Revival returned to its traditional date last weekend, opening with a sunset carpark meet on Friday evening. Dozens of tough street cars and cool oddities rolled into the picturesque space, known by locals as 'Shaggers'.

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Sunset in the Park replaced the previously-held CBD cruise, allowing owners to come and go as they please without being interrupted by regular traffic. Save for a rogue L-plater neutral-bombing his VT Commodore and before disappearing, there was not a peep on trouble from attendees.

We'll bring you more Revival coverage soon, but in the meantime, here's a taste of the Friday night action.

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Paul Grzybeck brought his 350 Chev-powered HT Kingswood to the Friday night meet. The alloy-headed donk is good for 450hp at the flywheel, paired to a TH350 and shortened 9in rear. “We’re still tidying up little bits but it’s very streetable,” Paul says. “My wife Kylie raced it here last year and did about a 13.7 without pushing it.”

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This rally homologation special Daihatsu Storia X4 was rebodied into an Aussie-delivered Sirion shell. It directs 100kW to all four wheels on 21psi of boost, care of a twin-cam 713cc four-cylinder with a screaming 9000rpm redline. At just 820kg, it’s a reliable recipe for fun.

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Dave reckons his XD Falcon needs a bit of cosmetic love, but its bright yellow attracted bystanders and insects alike on Friday night. There’s a 347 Windsor between the rails, matched to a C9 with a 4500rpm stall and 9in third member. “I used to have an XW that was pretty rusted out, but I kept all the running gear and ended up throwing it into this,” he explains.

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Steve cruised from Little River in his HJ sedan, which wears HX graphics and an HZ GTS dash. Bought as “a bit of a wreck”, Steve slotted in a warm 308 and auto combo before coating the car in a VE Commodore green.

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In proper Geelong style, Andrew Larkins dropped his XA sedan on Center Lines, stroked the numbers-matching 302 Clevo to 351 cubes, and called it a day. “I bought it off a guy who was about 74, and I’m this third owner,” Andrew said. “It’s nothing radical; everything else is standard.”

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Chris Topouzakis made the wrecker find of a lifetime when he found this one-owner VC Commodore in a Casterton yard. “It was a one owner car with logbooks and 140,000kms on it!” A lowering job and polish later, and the 173-powered manual L model hit the road. “It’s got one speaker, and that’s it,” Chris laughs.

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With its steamroller rear meats, you couldn’t miss Sam Gauci’s killer XB. It’s received a fresh 408 Clevo since appearing on our May 2022 cover, built to the same specs. “It’s due for a facelift,” Sam says of the ex-George Anthony beast, “but I’m building an XY for my daughter at the moment.”

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Inspired by the iconic Wog Boy Pacer, Michael Bertucci’s VF hardtop actually saw use in the third movie instalment, Wog Boys Forever. “I built this car off a movie I loved, so words can’t describe how happy I am,” he enthuses. Bought from Adelaide as a virtually stock car, Michael added a hotter cam to the 360 under the bonnet and the requisite rear quarter stripe.

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Nick Townsend snagged this XC as a rolling shell 12 years ago. “I had it on my Ps with a Crossflow in it, and as soon as I finished my Ps the 351 went straight into it,” he says.

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Nick handled the engine rebuild and paint himself, making for a neat streeter, though future plans include a repaint and stroker or big-block power.

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Tony Masters’ ’66 Mustang fastback is a pretty extreme bit of gear. The powerplant is a 520ci big block, with a dry sump arrangement and custom billet ITBs controlled by an Autronic system. Behind that is a TKX five-speed manual and a full-floater 9in with 35-spline axles, Detroit Locker and 3.25 gears.

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“I probably should’ve gone 3.00s, because it’s got so much torque that it just doesn’t need low gears,” Tony admits. It’s super-rigid thanks to extensive bracing, and it’s all VicRoads-approved. “It did their head in,” he laughs. The Muzzy raced at the February Revival, and also had a crack in Tasmania.

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Liam Bonney’s super-sleepy ’92 Cressida hides 1JZ power, yanked from a Soarer. Liam finished off the conversion this year, and has already notched up 4000 trouble-free kays.

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“It’s slightly heavier than a Soarer, just because it’s got all the leather interior and that,” he says. “It’s pretty quiet, but it can be loud when you step on it!”