CFMEU members know the value of work and of rest. In the case of Rigger and Crane Operator Liam Mitchell, it’s work and restoration.
Liam has done an incredible job of restoring a couple of classic Holden muscle cars to their former glory. And he has two more in the shed ready for a rebuild.
Liam’s first pride and joy is a 1972 HQ Monaro coupe he bought in 2008.
“I gave it a complete rebuild. The engine was built in New York by Shafiroff Race Engines. Its capacity is 434 cubic inch or 7.1 litres, it made 600 flywheel horsepower on their in-house dyno. I had the engine sent here and put it in at my mate’s workshop. It has a manualised Turbo 400 Transmission and a Ford 9” diff and, best of all, air conditioning.”
“I used the car to do weekend weddings for about 4 years which I gave up due to heading back to the FIFO industry. After 11 years it’s time to move on, so I’ve got a mate Angelo, at Performance Vehicle Warehouse, selling it on my behalf.”
“The yellow one is a 1974 HQ GTS sedan with a 253 V8 and 4 speed manual transmission. I rebuilt the whole car over 15 months on my time off with my 2/2 FIFO job. I’ve tried to build the car period correct, which is the way it would of rolled off the showroom floor in 1974. I learnt a lot building this car, as it’s the first time I’ve done this type of build.”
“I usually build modified cars, which is what I personally enjoy driving, but doing the period correct build has been fun, but with two more cars in the shed to build the yellow one is also up for sale.”
Top work keeping the Holden Marque alive. CFMEU members build a lot more than this city.
If you’re interested in viewing or buying Liam’s restored Holdens, contact Angelo at Performance Vehicle Warehouse on 0438 908 560.