2011 Street Machine of the Year finalists!

[prasac]

well guys, it's that time of the year the 2011 SMOTY award is up for grabs, check out www.smoty.com.au for the Top 16 finalists. you can vote on the site for your favourite and it also includes the Street Machine article on the cars.

4 Ford's this year, including my own brother's 1970 4L V8 Twin Turbo Capri. everyone that worked/works on it is absolutely honoured that the car has made the Top 16. especially with all the Elite cars up this year. the Capri is far from show, it's 100% street/strip, 95% built by family and mates in the garage it's all engineered and RTA legal, driven at least 2 or 3 times a week. even drives to the track on racedays, changes tyres, plugs and put the chute on and runs 8.20@166mph (7's coming soon, we hope )

[FalconForce]

that is a beautiful car, i really love it, so much so i actually voted for it and i never vote in these

[prasac]

Originally Posted by FalconForce

that is a beautiful car, i really love it, so much so i actually voted for it and i never vote in these

thanks mate. the photographer was really good spent alot of time on it. he said it is really hard to photograph a Black car outdoors, luckily it was cloudy made things a slightly easier. after washing and polishing it the night before, we took the car to Wollongong, it had to rain so it got all wet and muddy on the drive down

[GTP owner]

Congratulations on him making the top list - that is a great honour.

I have to say though, none of the cars really grabs me and says YES!. They are all very nice pieces of machinery, but they all lack that special something that makes them really stand out. Even the XC on the cover, with all of the work done on it just does not interest me. Maybe I am getting to old....

[prasac]

Originally Posted by GTP owner

Congratulations on him making the top list - that is a great honour.

I have to say though, none of the cars really grabs me and says YES!. They are all very nice pieces of machinery, but they all lack that special something that makes them really stand out. Even the XC on the cover, with all of the work done on it just does not interest me. Maybe I am getting to old....

thanx, yep, definitely honoured, something i don't think anyone of us expected

i saw a couple of the cars at Summernats this year, they are definitely something to marvel at. it's the little things that get me, all the intricate details and engineering. looking at what they did to fit it all in etc.

on the site was the Camaro grabbed my eye, i had to look twice as i wasn't sure was it a drawn car or was it real, i thought it was a cartoon car

[GTP owner]

Originally Posted by prasac

thanx, yep, definitely honoured, something i don't think anyone of us expected

i saw a couple of the cars at Summernats this year, they are definitely something to marvel at. it's the little things that get me, all the intricate details and engineering. looking at what they did to fit it all in etc.

on the site was the Camaro grabbed my eye, i had to look twice as i wasn't sure was it a drawn car or was it real, i thought it was a cartoon car

Yeah the cartoonish nature seems to be the flavour. Maybe that's why I need to see them in the flesh. The last one that really did that for me was the Hilliers gold XP coupe. I saw that at summernats and it just knocked me over. What it had as impact. Others that have done the same are the coupe of Howard Astill, and the FJ humpy with the widened body

[Jason[98.EL]]

just voted for the capri

that thing looks fantastic

Jason

[prasac]

Originally Posted by Jason[98.EL]

just voted for the capri

that thing looks fantastic

Jason

sweet as, thanks Jason.

[Oxa384]

another vote for your brothers car.goodluck!!

[prasac]

Originally Posted by oxa384

another vote for your brothers car.goodluck!!

sweet n thanks.

GTP Owner, anything Howard Astill touches is pretty much gold. Arby brought WAR440 down to Northmead Auto's a couple months back do a lil work on it, i was working on mine at the time. he had it up on the hoist, i went over the thing top and bottom, had to say 'WOW' to make a show car is one thing, but to make a show/street/strip car is a whole other kettle of fish as everything must work and work well

[Tribal]

Funny thing, this is actually a real street machine! 'bout time I reckon - well done to all involved...

[prasac]

Originally Posted by Tribal

Funny thing, this is actually a real street machine! 'bout time I reckon - well done to all involved...

i think that's why the guys at SM voted it in. the mag has changed its way over the years, but, you move to what the buyers want i guess.

Scott (blownhemi) did a really good job focussing on the street aspect, for 20 years its been street legal and 20 years been fast, from 11.5's 20 years ago, 10.5's 10 years and 8.20's (hopefully 7's soon ) now. all while remaining under the RTA weight to cube rules. the car is also far from light 1370kg with the Windsors and 1400kg with the TT setup.

it's easy for people to go big cubes, but, we have shown it's not needed a well setup car, well built and thought out engine can net u a quick time. small cube DOHC/EFI engines are just brilliant for a fast street/strip car.

[davenl5l]

yep got my vote would be good to see a driven car win not a trailer queen and its a 2 door ford what more could you want

[prasac]

Originally Posted by davenl5l

its a 2 door ford what more could you want

my sentiments exactly, Ford did good and brought out some sexy looking 2-doors

[Tucool]

Got mine paulie.

Good Luck.

[Bad Bird]

I too voted for the Capri. I guess I'm a sucker for good engineering rather than 'bling'. As they say, form follows function.

[prasac]

thanks guys. nothing better than jumping being able to jump into the car and drive it whenever u want, wherever u want without a worry. we went for a cruise with the boys last night. was rainy, muddy alot of Police around and the Capri doesn't get a second glance from the law (couple of the boys in blue even gave it a thumbs up )

[Thornie]

geez how much has war440 changed over the years

[MR.BA.GT.332]

well, for the 1st time in years im gunna vote in SMOTY and this capri has my vote. Street Machine has gone very "show machine" or "burnout machine" of late and quite boring to read, but its SO refreshing to see a car like the capri grace the pages, thats truly street driven and raced hard, is 100% legal and has a rego sticker on the window!

Well done to everyone involved and congratulations on making the top 16
cheers
MR460

[FordFalconBF]

Voted! Everyone on the forum should =)

[Yellow_Festiva]

Voted, sweet car

[FreddyDUZ747]

Recieved my vote.

Are these 6bolt mains from factory Prasac?

The HJ is my second pic of the bunch.

[prasac]

thanks for all the support and kind words guys, they are truly appreciated. the car wasn't built for anything but to be street driven and driven fast, legally we hope people can associate with it and vote for us, but, we can truly say it's an honour just to be nominated. we took it out last night and alot of people came up saying they voted for it, and love it for that reason that it is driven around. it's amazing just how many people know the car. you'd be driving by and every few cars people roll there windows down and ask is that the Capri with the 1UZ in it

Rattus, his car has changed alot. if Joe's car wasn't up i'd vote for it for sure.

Freddy, yeah mate they are a 6-bolt main. same setup as our modulars, 4 in the top n 2 in the sides. they are a VERY VERY strong engine. one of the reasons Joe picked it, cube wise it matched perfectly and could handle the power wanted and then some.

[Thornie]

Originally Posted by prasac

thanks for all the support and kind words guys, they are truly appreciated. the car wasn't built for anything but to be street driven and driven fast, legally we hope people can associate with it and vote for us, but, we can truly say it's an honour just to be nominated. we took it out last night and alot of people came up saying they voted for it, and love it for that reason that it is driven around. it's amazing just how many people know the car. you'd be driving by and every few cars people roll there windows down and ask is that the Capri with the 1UZ in it

Rattus, his car has changed alot. if Joe's car wasn't up i'd vote for it for sure.

Freddy, yeah mate they are a 6-bolt main. same setup as our modulars, 4 in the top n 2 in the sides. they are a VERY VERY strong engine. one of the reasons Joe picked it, cube wise it matched perfectly and could handle the power wanted and then some.

I chucked a vote in for your brothers machine too, looks like the only properly street driven thing in the running. After all it is called 'STREET machine of the year'

[Bad Bird]

Originally Posted by RaTTuS

I chucked a vote in for your brothers machine too, looks like the only properly street driven thing in the running. After all it is called 'STREET machine of the year'

Surprisingly, that Camaro is also driven regularly.

[GEE-347]

Just submitted my vote for the Cap, Good luck!

[prasac]

Originally Posted by Bad Bird

Surprisingly, that Camaro is also driven regularly.

love the Kamaro it's bad ***.

thanks GEE-347

[2011G6E]

Yep, voted for the Capri...always had a soft spot for them since a mate had a bright green V6 GT Capri maybe 25 years or more ago.

I do think they are stretching the boundaries of "Street" machine there to sometimes...look at that XA ute, HSV GTO (a "Dedicated Burnout Car"), and VK sedan in particular...you wouldn't get out of your driveway before The Plod descended like a storm of crap upon your head.

My son used to buy Autosalon magazine, and they had "street car of the year" award, which rewarded not only outstanding bodywork and mechanical prowess, but several other controversial points as well.
The vehicle had to not only pass a roadworthy, it had to pass noise tests, handling tests, braking tests, and some other things that related to a proper street driven all-rounder.
I vividly remember a few cars with mega-bucks race brake setups that, during the brake test, did worse than a standard street car. The test was of the brakes when cold, in the magazines words, "a real world test of leaving your driveway first thing in the morning, getting to the first intersection, and being met by some half-asleep guy going through a stop sign"...no "warm up" time was allowed.
I also recall one R32 Skyline which won, and while it put out nearly 750hp, still whispered past the noise test at less decibels than a standard car. Clever exhaust design was the key.

For many years there have been calls on and off that Street Machine have two classes of cars for SMOTY...one for outright sho-only trailer queens, and another class for owners who have used maybe more ingenuity than the first group to make a car that is not only outstanding, but it useable and driveable.

Hope the Capri wins!!

[agony]

Voted and even though I like your car sorry had to vote for a mate of mine, Mario with his caddy. Good luck though.

[prasac]

Originally Posted by agony

Voted and even though I like your car sorry had to vote for a mate of mine, Mario with his caddy. Good luck though.

thanks, we need it