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Gallery 12
To most people, cars are nothing more than an appliance, a means to get from A to B.
For true petrol heads, however, to say a car is merely a collection of nuts and bolts is akin to saying your life partner is nothing more than flesh and bones.
Aussie car fans understand and appreciate this more than most, with Ford and Holden tribes waging a fierce, passionate war that started in the late 1960s and will end in October 2017, the cessation of local manufacturing ensuring both sides lose.
Boomer may not have the largest HSV collection in Australia, but the centrepieces are arguably the most sought-after of their kind, some of the most unique vehicles built in Clayton during HSV’s 30-year history. Cars like VS GTS-R build numbers 001 and 002, W427 build number 0427, the final GTS Coupe built and the Coupe GTS-R concept from the 2004 Sydney International Motor Show.
Boomer first came to our attention while assembling vehicles for our recent 30 Years of HSV feature (MOTOR May 2017), kindly agreeing to lend us his immaculate VT II GTS 300. Inevitably, talk turned to what else was tucked away in the garage, leading to the discovery of an Aladdin’s cave for Holden fans.
As mentioned earlier, the car bug bit early: “I’m the youngest of four boys and all my older brothers were into cars”, explains Boomer. “As a younger brother does, I followed my older brothers’ interests; we used to see some of the other kids get picked up in HSVs and think, ‘man, one day I’d love to get one of those’.
It wasn’t long before Boomer followed suit with his first HSV, a cherry black VS GTS, although financial pressure – “I was a second-year apprentice carpenter and borrowed $24,000 on less than $300 a week” – sadly meant it stayed for a good time, not a long time.
“I really started taking notice of [HSV] in the VS sort of timeline, it’s definitely my favourite. I think with all these collectable cars, it’s what you aspire to one day get your hands on. My favourite model was the VS GTS-R, it was released when I was at school and that’s the one I really set my cap to.”
Now on a firmer financial footing, at Christmas 2007 Boomer made his first serious acquisition. “The first one to collect was the VS GTS-R, which was always the dream car. I’ve had five different examples over the years; I started with a higher-kilometre car [and] I’ve never been without one since. I’ve bought a better one and sold a higher-km one off, [but] that’s been my constant.”
It has just 86km on the odometer (not 86,000km, 86km), has never been registered and still wears all its pre-delivery stickers.
It’s also fully optioned, including the $10,000 blueprinted engine. Number 002 may have followed its garage mate off the production line, but the two have led very different lives. While 001 remains pristine, 002 is much more of an animal, heavily modified to the point of 600kW at the rear wheels.
While it may seem sacrilegious to some, Boomer isn’t afraid to tweak these rarities to his liking, though he has limits. “Some cars you certainly wouldn’t modify,” he explains.
“I wouldn’t modify my W427, and to be honest I haven’t usually modified them myself, I’ve bought them already modified and then I’ll take it further. I appreciate the modified cars but always go back to those genuine, original-type cars. I’m not afraid to modify them, but not the really perfect examples.”
Boomer has a similar approach to getting behind the wheel of his toys. The centrepieces of his collection are off limits – “one-to-one scale models, my mates call the ones I don’t drive.”
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These include W427 no. 0427 (despite the fact only 137 of the intended production run of 427 were built), the only car bar the original concept painted in Panorama Silver, the same colour as the VL Walkinshaw. It also wears Tom Walkinshaw’s signature on its paintwork, added prior to the clear coats being applied.
Obviously, GTS-R 001 will remain similarly stationary, as will Boomer’s forthcoming GTSR W1, build 017 in Light My Fire orange and the GTS-R Concept (see below). The others Boomer is not so precious about: “The VL [Walkinshaw] has done 60,000km, the Coupe’s done 30,000km, the VS has done 10,000km, so I do some kays in them.”
Another last-of-the-line rarity is the VS Series III Maloo, HSV’s final model powered by the venerable 5.0-litre Holden V8. As the ute version of Holden’s all-new VT Commodore, introduced in 1997, didn’t arrive until the VX update, VS ute production continued into 2000, with the last Maloos scoring an upgraded wiring harness to increase outputs to 195kW/430Nm.
Of course, no HSV collection would be complete without a VL Walkinshaw. “I haven’t had that VL that long,” says Boomer. “I had one five years ago that had 1600km and I needed some money at the time so I sold it too cheap and I ended up buying this one late last year – I’d really like to get a low-kilometre VL Walky again.”
“I’ve owned probably 50 different HSVs,” he says. “I bought the first [Australian-delivered] VF GTS and then when I heard the GTS Maloo was coming I sold the sedan to get the Maloo and then I’ve since just sold that to get the GTS-R Maloo.” It begs the question, is there any HSV that’s escaped his grasp?
I’d like to get a genuine Blue Meanie (Boomer’s current VK is a highly modified replica) but from the HSV point of view the significant ones are there.”
Given the scale of Boomer’s collection and his penchant for one-offs I can’t help but bring up the HRT 427, Holden’s stillborn 7.0-litre V8-powered Monaro supercar. Two exist, but only one is in private hands. “I actually looked at the HRT 427 a couple of years ago,” says Boomer.
Not everyone will understand why a man with the means to buy any matter of exotica would instead fill a garage with relatively humble Holdens, but for Boomer that’s a key part of HSV’s appeal.
“I don’t really know how to explain it; it’s still a common enough car that it’s just a Commodore, but it’s obviously an Australian brand. It’s a common-type car without being pretentious or trying to flaunt anything.”
In other words, HSVs are cars that even regular folk – ie, not multi-millionaires – can aspire to, cars that offer practicality and performance in equal measure, cars that are much more than just a collection of nuts and bolts.
The New Baby
Sadly, arguably the most mouth-watering car in Boomer’s collection was still awaiting delivery at the time of our photo shoot.
The HSV Coupe GTS-R was revealed at the 2004 Sydney Motor Show, a dedicated race car with a 335kW/605Nm 6.0-litre LS2 V8, FIA-spec chromoly rollcage, carbon-ceramic brakes, Ohlins remote-reservoir dampers, wider tracks from the Coupe4 and lightweight panels.
The car appeared for sale in Melbourne at various luxury dealers in late 2016 before returning to HSV, at which point Boomer started negotiations to purchase the car. “I was talking to the guys at HSV and got wind it might be coming up for sale,” explains Boomer.
[It was] certainly cool to buy it from the factory; one thing I liked about that idea was that you’re buying it off HSV 13 years down the track. It is driveable and it runs well, but I probably won’t drive it – it’s just for the collection.”
