THE trip to Hobart over the Easter long weekend by Scott Mckenzie and Des Gillett with their beloved FE Holdens was well worth the hassle.
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This year’s biannual — and 15th — FE/FC Holden Car Clubs of Australia nationals, the highest quality event held for the models, attracted 117 vehicles.
Mckenzie’s highly modified FE was awarded grand champion modified, its category’s highest award.
Mckenzie’s car, which is finished in what the Granya plumber calls vanilla peach, has been a constant trophy winner since it was completed in 2001.
“It has been in events such as the Victorian hot rod show in 2004, the Victorian All Holden Day several times, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Albury and Bright rod runs and numerous small displays,” he said.
Mckenzie has attended every FE/FC nationals since 2005 when he first showed the car at Jindabyne.
Its first champion modified trophy was at Phillip Island in 2006.
It has also been shown at Mount Gambier, Orange and Perth.
“I am the second person to win grand champion twice with the same car in 15 years of nationals,” Mckenzie said.
He has owned the car since 1989, but it wasn’t completed until 2001.
It recently had a complete engine bay freshen-up that Mckenzie said would have impressed the Hobart judges.
It’s powered by a naturally aspirated 350 Chevrolet V8, driving through a turbo 350 automatic transmission and nine-inch differential.
It has a custom interior and individual paint colour, is fully engineered and registered with the V8 and all other modifications.
Mckenzie said it made 300 horsepower at the rear wheels and could scamper over the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds at 180.247km/h with 3.5:1 diff ratio and 3000rpm converter.
Albury car dealer, Gillett, who was attending his 11th Nationals, was awarded top-10 overall trophy for his award-winning FE utility.
“There is no trophy for the best overall car at the nationals. Judges award trophies for the top-10 vehicles,” Gillett said.
“There were some magnificent examples and it was fantastic to win another trophy for the old girl.”
The FE utility has been a constant winner for Gillett since he bought it from its Talgarno owner in 1986.