Anyone who has spent more than a little amount of time on the SquaredArches web site would be aware of Nathan and his ORIGINL VN Aero. The thread is one of the most popular on our forum and also one of our oldest- Nath being on of our longest serving posters.

It doesn't take looking in that thread for long to notice that Nathan is a diehard Holden man- and more specifically a big fan of the HDTs especially after seeing cars like 12C and TNGO5L on the cover of Street Commodores. With #22 already in the shed but starting to accumulate some K's, when TNGO5L came up on the market, it was the perfect opportunity to give the genuine a rest while still having an awesome daily. Nathan calls it an impulse buy and it's not exactly hard to see why it was so hard to say no.

When he bought it the car was already substantially modified. Starting life as an SV89, the car had been treated to the full Aero kit and bathed in the bright Lamborghini Tango Orange. More subtle was the shaved boot lock and garnish to delete the void where the HDT V8 badge would feature on a genuine Aero. All door handles were switched to rear door handle style to remove the exterior locks.

The interior had also undergone some dramatic changes with an update to a VR Statesman dash mated to a Series 3 VS console- the VS also donating it's door pods. The original seats were given the flick, replaced by custom Aerotech units that were retrimmed in orange along with the door cards to tie the whole lot together. The door cards also feature HSV embossing just in case you forget the car's heritage.

Rolling on large diameter chromies, the car was already a great example of a modified VN and Nathan was more than happy to keep it as is. There was definitely no big idea to throw his hands in his pockets and toss more money in it's direction as the car was destined to be driven and keep #22 hiding in the shed except for the odd sunny weekend.

Or so he thought. After getting caught in a freak storm the old 5litre decided to ingest a gutful of water bending a couple of rods and leaving the car in need of a new bar. Initially the plan was to upgrade to the later VT block for a rebuild, but when investigation into a Pavtek stroker proved to be cheaper an order was quickly placed and as soon as it could be freighted to Darwin it was bolted in.

Nathan - not one of the luckiest when it comes to cars- shouldn't have been surprised when the new combo didn't quite work out as expected and it's life was much shorted than expected. The power was definitely there while it lasted with a reading of 208rwKW, but no compression usually means no power and it was back to the shop to get it sorted.

A new set of rings and a quick rehone got the car back on the street but Nathan is still looking for a new exhaust system to get it sounding it's best and unlock a few more ponies. With the original intake still fitted there is plenty more potential if Nath decides to go that way. And with one eye on taking it to the strip, mods like that might be right around the corner. Oh- and the 3000rpm stall converter still sitting in it's box on the garage floor will liven things up too!

The new and improved donk isn't the only upgrade Nathan has sorted in his time with the car. The bonnet is now home to three Autometer gauges to help keep tabs on the vitals alongside the 3inch tacho on the dash and a chrome VN Executive style grill now fills the void between the headlights. Perhaps the best part of all is the fact that the car has the big tick of approval from the powers that be and Nathan can cruise stress-free.

The bright orange Aero kitted VN has now got the power to back up the aggressive look and with the new FANTA plates has come along way from when it was first picked up. One thing is for sure, it will definitely add a bit more show and shine to the Hidden Valley Drag strip when it does make it's debut!

Words by Mick

Pictures by Nathan

Bright paint, chrome and big rollers

Not a whole lot SV89 left

Procomp Ultralites keep tabs on the vitals

Custom door cards are simple but effective

Custom interior is borrows heavily from later models

From the rear you can see just how smooth it is