Mum’s old EH wagon has never looked so good

Not that she would recognise it now.

Judd spent more than a decade transforming the car into a head-turning street machine sensation.

‘‘It was actually mum’s car,” Judd said of his pride and joy. “She bought it in ‘78 and I took the car over when I was 15.

‘‘I built it up into a streeter and cruised around for a bit.

‘‘Then 13 years ago pulled it off the road and began working on it’’

Judd would devote 12 years to the car to get it just how he wanted with valueable input from his brothers Simon from Elite Custom Interiors, who trimmed the car, and Nik who is a gun panel guy.

Being a mechanic Ben handled that side of things and between the three of them the result is a car that has had the street machine world revved up.

His devotion and toil has now seen the EH named as finalist for the coveted ‘‘Street Machine of the Year’’ accolade.

With stunning paint, slick panelwork, a slammed stance and monstrous wheels, Judd’s Pro EH has a mix of styles on show with an old-school 202 six under the bonnet that boasts a Phil Irving 12-port head. 

Now that the car is finished Judd intends to get it back on the road and enjoy it.

‘‘I definitely want to cruise it,’’ he said

‘‘I’ll probably do SummerNats, maybe a few little shows and then after that get some stone chips on it’’

But first there is the prestigious Street Machine of the Year award against Australia’s greatest auto masterpieces to look forward to.

Like Judd, many of the finalists have been working on a single car project for 10 years or more. 

It’s the ultimate labour of love for dedicated Aussie car enthusiasts.

The award has been running for three decades, and 16 custom classic finalists have just been announced by leading publication Street Machine.  

Rather than the finalists being put forward by a panel of experts, as has happened in the past, the nation’s passionate car lovers have anointed the chosen few, and voting is now open to the public to find the winner from a stellar field.

“It’s exciting to see democracy at work for something that means so much to so many,” notes Street Machine editor Simon Telford. 

“We’ve put all the checks and balances in place to ensure the integrity of the voting system, and we’ll be crowning the winner in a couple of months from now.”

You can vote for Ben Judd’s EH masterpiece or your favourite Street Machine here 

Voting closes on October 8.

Colour: PPG Electric Blue/Mineral White

ENGINE 

Engine: 202 Holden

Head: Phil Irving 12-port

Intake: Phil Irving triple Webers

Carbies: Weber 50mm

Cam: Crane solid-roller, 612thou lift, 264/255

Lifters: Crane

Pushrods: Crow Cams

Springs: PAC with titanium retainers

Crank: Stock Holden 202

Rods: Yella Terra H-beam

Pistons: SRP Forged

Rings/bearings: Moly/ACL Race Series

Sump: Haddad Race Engines

Ignition: VH electronic; MSD coil & leads 

Oil pump: JP Performance

Radiator: Shaun’s Custom Alloy, thermo fan

Headers: Custom extractors

Exhaust: 3in with HiTech Muffler

Preferred fuel: 98 PULP

Power: 325hp@6200rpm at the crank

UNDERNEATH

Gearbox: Trimatic, manual shift

Converter: Dominator 4500rpm stall

Diff: VL Turbo, 28-spline, 3.89:1

STOP & GO

Front suspension: HR front end, King 3in-lowered springs, Koni adjustable shocks

Rear suspension: 5in reset leaf springs, Koni adjustable shocks

Steering: Rear-mounted Commodore rack

Brakes: HSV/Harrop; four-piston calipers and 343mm rotors (f), four-piston calipers and 315mm rotors (r)

Master cylinder: Wilwood; Wilwood pedal box

FANCY EXTRAS

Trim: Lamborghini Nappa leather

Seats: Custom bench

Carpet: Porsche, Pearl Grey

Wheel: EH with FC horn button

Seatbelts: Retractable lap belts

Shifter: B&M Hard Core Bandit

Gauges: Auto Meter Prestige Antique Ivory

Tunes: Hidden Bluetooth system operated via phone app

Speakers/amp: Vibe 5.25in/Vibe 2-channel

Soundproofing: Dynamat

ROLLING STOCK

Rims: Intro Saltster; 19x7 (f), 20x12 (r)

Rubber: Nitto; 225/35R19 (f), 345/25R20 (r)

Build time: 12 years