Welcome to the Aussie Muscle Car Museum Website
Australia's first dedicated musclecar museum opened late March 2005. For now, take a virtual tour through history as you view road-going examples of the legendary race cars that made put Australia on the world motorsport map. You're in for an exciting journey as you watch the evolution of the Australian musclecar from its inception in the early '60s to the present day.
Creator and collection owner Jeff Bloom has painstakingly combed the entire country, in the process forming the most diverse and largest privately owned collection of Aussie musclecars ever assembled in this country, deliberately choosing unusual colours and options to faithfully recreate the automotive fashion of the day.Whilst keeping very close to their original specification, occasionally Jeff breaks protocol with some non-original 'improvements' (for instance, he has a thing about Falcon hardtops needing very large wheels, particularly rear ones). Please forgive this small indiscretion, where possible all original parts are kept to be one day reunited.
Regardless, arranged in year/model formation together, the cars look breathtaking. This website cannot even come close to recreating the spectacle, but we've done our best through the miracle of technology. Do yourself a favour. Organise with your car club or association to get in and see the collection in the metal and do a guided tour. It's an event not to be missed.
Our website will be regularly updated with new photos, historical information and links to other sites.
with your thoughts, suggestions and comments. We're keen to hear what you have to say. Enjoy the show!
Our thanks of course go to the many individuals who worked tirelessly to make one man's dream a reality: Wayne and Peter from the Very Fast Paintshop who really earned their name getting this motley crew assembled in time for the various photo shoots, Warren from Chris Nessel Spray Painting, Frank from Frank's Body Works, car &part locator/swap meet companion and part time spanner wielder Mark Farry, Ford guru and technical advisor Peter Mellor, Holden guru and technical advisor Ben Stewart, Chrysler guru and technical advisor Mike Fry, Adam and Paul for playing chauffeur and delivery boy when it had all gone past a joke, our web designer extraordinaire Barnaby dePalma, Paul Weekes the intrepid graphic designer and photographer, spannerman Grant Browning, brother Greg Bloom for sorting out Jeff's botched repair attempts, and last but certainly not least Jeff's very understanding and tolerant close friend Rachelle who's no doubt currently being extensively wined and dined to make up for almost 3 years of partial neglect. We salute you all!
P.S. Make sure you check out our One-offs/Odd balls page. It’s actually a list of 22 truly individual vehicles you will most certainly not find anywhere else.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND - AMCM OPEN DAY 16 NOVEMBER 2008
Sunday March 20 opening was a huge success, so we're doing it again!
Are you a member of a car club, and can keep Sunday November 16th free for a few hours? AMCM is hosting a special grand opening, with even more than the 12 car clubs and 300 - 400 spectators in attendance. We're looking for some special one-off cars for the day, can you help? Last time we featured Build #1 Giocattolo, a 1 of 9 VL Brock Director (with the infamous 'Polariser'), 1 of 10 Leyland Force 7V Hatchback, Bondy's old LJ XU-1 race car (authentic replica), a 1 of 10 'optimised' VS Commodore GTS/R, and more. We'll again be raffling off some car 'goodies', live entertainment and more. Details, email us, or look on our "do the (actual) tour" page.
NEW ARRIVALS
The R/T you have when you’re not having an R/T.
After Chrysler’s withdrawal from motor racing Bathurst ’72 (Doug Chivas & Damon Beck came 3rd in a Charger E49), performance became a dirty word at Tonsley Park. A 56 model lineup in the VH series was drastically reduced to 18 in the VJ. Of interest to Chrysler muscle car lovers was the loss of the mighty R/T. Yet they did offer an “A54” option on the Charger XL, which featured the 265 and 4 speed, W35 ROH 5 slot mags, 3 spoke sports wheel, flip cap, machine turned dash and funky strobe stripes, and some lairy 70s colours. There was another box worth ticking, too. “E48” brought a trio of magnificent Weber carbies, just like those featured on E38s and E49s. Though only receiving a standard camshaft and small tank, it was the nearest thing to a VJ R/T you could purchase off the showroom floor. My example is a survivor 2 owner car rescued from a wrecking yard, and looks fantastic in Sunfire Yellow with black trim, with the full complement of options. Rock on!
The best Falcon never to be called a GT
Ford lost the plot in 1976 when it killed off the GT, again in 1982 when it killed off the V8. The reintroduction of the EB GT in 1992 was a step in the right direction, but it would take another 10 years before the GT would become a regular production model, instead of an ‘anniversary special’. So, for the unloved AU series, Tickford came up with the inventive names of “TE50” and “TS50” – yeah, I have no idea what they mean, either. TE50 was based on the AU Fairmont, the TS50 on the Fairmont Ghia (kind of like a BA GT and GT-P).
Available in 3 series, the T1 had a 200kw 5 litre Windsor, the T2 was upgraded to 220kw, and the T3 had a hand built ‘stroker’ 5.6 litre pushing out 250kw. Testers at the time raved about all three, but went totally nuts about the T3, especially with the optional Brembo brakes. My car is a fully loaded T2 TE50 in Hot Chili Red with 2 tone red and black leather, handbuilt 220kw Synergy motor, 5 speed T5G, 18” Azzuro wheels, electric sunroof, performance brakes, 6 stack CD, cool Tickford mesh grille and more. It’s a great package and very fun to throw around. It’s not a GT, but it’s up there.
Dark Days
It was 1988, and for Ford, the performance cupboard was bare. In the Falcon you had a choice between an injected 6…. and an injected 6. To save the shame and embarrassment of being even further publicly flogged by GMH, a couple of aftermarket boys put up their hands to do their best to get an EA Falcon to up and party. One of them was one Peter Brock esq (read the Oddballs and One-offs page to learn more about the Brock Falcon), the other Mick Webb, long time Allan Moffatt engine builder… not that he had much to do with the engine in this model. To the standard 3.9 OHC 6, Webb added his signature Genie headers and a more free flowing exhaust – that was it. Handling was courtesy of lowered Bilstein suspension and fatter sway bars, then came subtle front and rear spoilers, unique grille, ROH designed 16” SVO alloys, MOMO wheel, two tone paint, colour matched door handles, and a splash of SVO logos. Webbie even made a turbo manual EA SVO that briefly became Australia’s fastest car (it even beat a stroked Brock VL Director!) but Ford got all wobbly and wouldn’t offer a warranty on a turbo car. Wimps! A few dozen of the garden variety SVOs were sold – most performance buyers bought HSVs instead. This Monza Red example was procured from eBay from a neighbouring suburb (owner Adrian even delivered it free in exchange for a tour of the museum – thanks, mate!) and is a stock auto S pack with all SVO accessories intact. The body kit appears to be from an EB Tickford… ..if anyone knows what it is, you have my number!
AMCM takes delivery of “new” shop truck/transporter
The long anticipated muscle car transporter has arrived and is ready for duty! The design brief: buy something from the era (mid 70s) that a race car team would have used in the day, put a ‘real’ motor in it (351 V8), put it on LPG so you don’t have to take on the national debt to pay for the fuel, paint it white, trick it up with authentic Aussie Muscle Car Museum signage and website details, add a bit of chrome and period “bling”, and use it to take vehicles to car shows, swap meets, muscle car events and other assorted duties. Ain’t she a beauty?
It’s a 1976 Ford F350 banana back (4.5m tray) with 351 on gas, 4 speed toploader, dual rear wheels, (and can be driven on a regular licence) and screams “get the hell out of my way” when it pulls up in your rear view mirror. Trainspotters will notice the front end has been upgraded to a 1979 “Louisville”, which has not just been done for cosmetics. You see, on the drive up from its previous home in Geelong VIC, my driver Eddie had an altercation with a kangaroo and the old front end is somewhere near Moree! All is fixed now.
She’s already been put to good use bringing up a genuine XC GS 4 speed ute from Mildura, and passed the test with flying colours (except for the kangaroo). The XC is currently being readied as the AMCM shop ute/parts chaser, and will be painted up in XC Cobra livery. Watch this space. And if you do see the AMCM F350 at a show near you, come over and say Hi.
Have your say: Should I paint the F350 up as a Cobra too?? Tell me what you think.
Pray that he’s still out there
Trawling eBay the other day for a cheap XA to build as a Phase IV replica, I came across this little beauty. Aussie movie buffs will recognise this as a replica of one of the 3 MFP pursuit vehicles from Mad Max 1. One was Mad Max Rockatansky’s car, (a 351 FMX ex Victorian highway patrol car) one was the “Big Bopper” XB (the one that crashed through the caravan and totaled a Mazda Bongo in the first 5 minutes of the film), and the other was the “March Hare” XA (a 6 cyl ex taxi on its last legs before being involved in a rollover whilst pursuing the “Night Rider” bad guy in the stolen HQ Monaro). My car started life as a Jewel Green with parchment trim and vinyl roof (yes it’s still on the car!) 6 cyl column auto XA Fairmont, it has the authentic Sunraysia wheels, correct MFP signage and paintwork, even working lights and sirens! Makes you wanna go out and chase bad guys…
I bought it to do the Phase IV conversion but my girlfriend says I should leave it how it is…. What do you reckon?
Peter Brock’s Darkest Hour
What does a bloke do when he falls from grace with Australia’s own carmaker after a long and fulfilling racing and car building career spanning two decades? Easy. He predelivers Russian Lada pussbuckets, then names a version after himself. Yes folks, sometimes fact is truly stranger than fiction. You’re looking at a Brock Lada. (don’t believe me? Look at the badge on the hatch and the sticker on the engine). What was he thinking?
Mid 1988 Brockie took up residence in Lada HQ in Melbourne, and Australian complied (translated: rebuilt them into closer towards what they should’ve been in the first place) hundreds of the things. Well, a bloke has to make an honest living somehow. The “Brockified” Samara received 13” Delta alloys, side skirts, rear spoiler, single slot Brock grille (squint hard enough and it you can see a slight resemblance with the old VK Group A ‘letterbox’ variety), colour matched bumpers, 4 spoke SAAS leather sports wheel, and the aforementioned hatch badge and engine rocker cover sticker. No one knows (or cares) how many were built, but the ultimate collectible is the Brock Lada Convertible (aka ‘the skip’). Apparently, there’s a couple of dozen out there, I just couldn’t be bothered to go to all that trouble of finding one. Don’t worry Brockie, mate, we’re all allowed to have a bad day.
Another XC for the collection
I must have a thing for XC GXLs. This is the 5th I’ve owned in as many years. Hot on the heels of my Modena Green 351 GXL, I’ve now snapped up a “T-code” (that means 351 4V), with FMX Tbar auto and 9 inch disc rear, effectively the nearest thing to an XB GT for a tiny tiny fraction of the price. It’s a very pretty shade of orange called “Flame” and was ordered (thankfully) without the rust promoting vinyl roof. Rust proofed from new, but it is an XC, so there is a small smattering of rust around the vehicle, but exceptional considering it was left in a paddock for 8 years! I gave her a quick polish with my new sponsor Surf City Garage’s brilliant Carnubia Wax, and threw on some trick Dragway 6” and 8” alloys, and it really. transformed the old girl.
VN Group A ‘donation’ rounds out the set
As luck would have it, I had sourced 3 of the 4 Group A Commodores (VK, VL HDT. VL HSV ‘Walkinshaw’) and had given up buying a genuine VN Group A because of the stupid prices they’re now fetching. Reluctantly I purchased a VN SS 5 litre manual, that already had most of the kit fitted (you can see it on the cars for sale page) did some minor fettling and put it alongside the genuine examples. Then I received an email from Tracie and Gary at Alice Springs wanting some temporary lodging for their immaculate genuine VN Group A.
3 weeks later the car was at the Port of Brisbane, now it sits alongside its siblings looking very proud. As it should. These things run the 215kw 4 bolt roller rockered twin throttle bodied V8, 6 speed ZF trans (the 1st Australian car to do so), 17” alloys (ditto), trick wind tunnel tested bodykit and so much more. Experts consider them the Phase 3 of the 90s. Thanks Tracie & Gary!
EB XR8 SVO Mick Webb of Melbourne’s “Special Vehicle Operations” apparently made 2 specially modified EB Series 1 XR8s, and this little beauty is 1 of the 2. Finished in two tone white over silver, the SVO features ROH made 16” wheels with “SVO” reversed lettering on one spoke (same wheels as used on the XR8 Sprint), lowered rerated suspension, tweaked 200kw motor (faster than my EB GT manual), recalibrated 4 speed BW auto, MOMO SVO logo wheel, SVO front and rear lip spoiler, SVO garnish panel on boot mould, SVO logo on tacho, modified exhaust. Mick Webb certainly knows how to make a quality product, but the SVO is still largely unknown in muscle car circles, even though Mick used to build Allan Moffatt’s race engines in the 70s, and is still active in the modification game today.
XC GXL. Although already an owner of a clean GXL, I sold it to buy this one recently off eBay because I just LOOOOVE the colour “Modena Green”, plus it’s got a grunty stout 351 and matching driveline. The Weld wheels I picked up for a great price from the Toowoomba Swap Meet, thanks to muscle car nut and petrol head Steve Wright. Thanks Steve! Love your work.
VN SS Group A (replica). Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I had a bit more of it I would have bought a magic VN Group A a couple of years ago when you could pick up a nice car for $25,000, instead of deciding I want one now and paying $80,000! The next best thing, this car started life as a manual 5 litre SS, then was given a Group A body kit, shiny coat of Durif Red, 17” wheels, MOMO wheel, and decals. I had a set of correct wheels lined up on eBay, but the vendor got all narky and pulled out of the deal. Anyone know where I can find some genuine VN Group A 17” alloys???
VG Pacer E31 Track Pack. When was the last time you saw one of these? Joy and Rod from the Gold Coast saw the AMCM site and told me they wanted to sell, so I wasted no time securing the car. Heavily modified with a 4 barrel E49 spec 265 (reportedly good for 12s), 4 speed single rail, LSD, 3 spoke Charger wheel, reshaped front seats and let’s not forget the HUGE J42 35 gallon tank with quick release cap, this thing’s got ‘tuff race car’ written all over it.
BFII GT Cobra. I’ve saved the best for last. After announcing the impending release of 400 individually numbered Cobra sedans and 100 utes at Bathurst 2007, the whole lot were snapped up in one day. Lucky I got in quick to secure mine, 302 kw quad cam V8, 6 speed ZF auto, Brembos, leather, 19” alloys, R spec suspension, the whole enchilada. Like the “GTC08” (GTCOB) personalised plates? Father and son look great together, both are build #343. I will be registering the XC later in the year. Reserve the pair for your wedding or special event!
Coming soon! Lovely old VJ Charger 265 4 speed E48 in Sunfire Yellow, A54 pack. For those who don’t know, the A54 is a replacement for the R/T discontinued at the end of the VH model run. It featured the W35 ROH 5 slot alloys, 3 spoke R/T /770 steering wheel, machine turned full instrument dash, flip fuel cap, special striping and more. This thing sat in a country wreckers untouched for about 15 years and should be an easy restoration. Just bought a brand new set of triple 45 DCOE Webers, linkages, manifold etc to fit up. Will be a stunning car when finished. Pics on their way soon.
WANTED! YOUR OLD MUSCLE CAR PROJECT, DEAD OR ALIVE. HOLDEN. FORD. CHRYSLER. ANY CONDITION!
CALL JEFF (0403) 59 1133
356 Falcon ED XR8 Sprint in Polynesian Green (these things run the EB GT 200kw motor and running gear in the lighter XR8 shell), Green Jade XC GXL complete with factory sunroof and big feet, stunning Guards Red Porsche Boxster (Jeff’s everyday car), classy Mick Webb Falcon SVO, tidy original XF 25th anniversary Falcon now sporting 351 V8 motorvation , and currently a couple of other nice cars under negotiation. Watch this space.
Congratulations to Jeff’s niece Cassey and husband Greg who got married this year. Greg’s a bit of a car nut (it runs in both families) and has asked Jeff to provide very stylish tough transportation to the church, in the form of matching XT, XW and XY GTs (refer “about Jeff” page for pics). Jeff already transported Cassey and Greg in style to their high school formal at Dreamworld a few years ago in his EL GT (and the paparazzi went nuts!) Congratulations!!
AMCM has just scored a stunning Phantom (black) HSV GTS Coupe, fully loaded with the 300kw Calloway Corvette motor, 6 speed manual, Hydratrak diff, massive Harrop brakes and signature 19” 5 spoke alloys, this one build #224. We’ll have to organise a shootout between it and Jeff’s equally stunning Blueprint 290kw BA GT.
Lakeside back on track to reopen 2008/9 ...
Stop Press! AMCM discovers HSV!!
It was bound to happen sooner or later. After years of procrastination, Jeff has finally succumbed to the inevitable… he started buying HSVs in early September, starting with a nice SV Racing Green VN SV5000, build #141 of 356, closely followed by an Anthracite (charcoal) VP GTS, complete with roller rockered 200kw 4 bolt Group A motor, #27 of 128, and just now a Diablo Red VT GTS, all 220kw of her, VT GTS is build #226 of 399, we also have a VR GTS in Alaskan White, 5.7 stroker V8 with 6 speed manual transmission, build #109 of 277. We’ve recently also sourced the ultimate HSV: a stunning GTS-R from Sydney, a very welcome addition to the HSV and AMCM fleet The Holden lineup is being rearranged to accommodate the new additions, all in strict model order of course.
AMCM gets its first donation.. err, loan!
Andrew Sheath from Wollongong, south of Sydney is a great believer in the AMCM cause, so he emailed us with news that his very special “blue meanie” VK HDT Group A would be loaned to us to display with our other Brock Commodores. Joining a VC HDT, VH & VK Group 3s, VK LM5000 and VL Group A, Andrew’s car will be a very welcome addition to the fleet (you’re a deadset champion, mate), especially given its interesting history. Apparently the original shell was destroyed in a roll over, and the car was rebuilt into none other than Allan Grice’s old race shell. The ID tag is stamped “HDT RACE” and the provenance has been verified by HDT in Revesby! Now that’s surely gotta be worth a visit to the museum by itself!
More Pictures
We also have a range of rare Aussie Muscle for sale. Check out our CARS4SALE page.