However, as time went on, I started to realise attempting to build an HQ Monaro just wasn’t going to work for me. There were two reasons for this:

Reason #1: I’m on a tight budget, and while Aussie muscle car stuff was cheap twenty years ago, today its massively expensive for what it is, and far more so than the American equivalents. I was paying over the odds for used up old rusty parts, and it was driving me crazy. For example, I was Trademe bidding on a rusty back bumper, and as the auction neared its completion, the price hit $350. This was for a bumper that required a few dents to be knocked out, and to be re-chromed. Alternatively, Rare Spares offer brand new HQ Holden rear bumpers, for $995! How can I not be paranoid racing a car in which the rear bumper cost me the best part of a grand? I’d be constantly watching my mirrors, worried about other drivers getting too close.

It was one morning while doing a Trademe search on rear bumpers, that I stumbled upon an auction where someone was selling a brand new 1967/68 Camaro rear bumper. It was $250. These massive price variances continue right throughout the entire car. Eg, door cards for the HQ Monaro were at the time, $1000. New front grill, $795. And on it went.

Then there were the parts that couldn’t be had for love nor money (well, they could for money), such as the stainless trim around the windows. These pieces are unique to the Monaro coupe, and are unbelievably hard to come by. And, they’re not currently being reproduced. I’ve heard of complete sets trading for as much as $3000.

Twenty years ago, there were plenty of Aussie muscle cars being raced, because they were cheap and plentiful. Hell, there were even a couple of HQ Monaro coupes being racing in the Streetstock division at my local speedway! But that isn’t the case today, and building an HQ Monaro was going to kill me financially. If I ever did finish it, I’d probably be too scared to race it.