I’d like to think I have spoken to a fair few VN / VP owners over the last four years I’ve been working on this site. One thing a lot of them have in common is they never actually set out to buy one but sometimes one will come along that is too good to refuse.

This is especially true in Luke’s case. Having already made his mind up on one car, when that was sold before he could get to it, an Anthracite Grey VP SS with a 355 stroker proved too much to refuse. Thankfully- after a 440km trip to take a look- the SS was in mint condition without a dent or stone chip and paint that looked factory fresh.

However it wasn’t all smooth sailing. It seemed the 355 had a hefty appetite for cam lobes. It took a little trial and error and a few pull downs before a Crane 286 cam was fitted and had everything running as it should. It was during the first twelve months of his ownership that the SS copped a few more mods to wring a bit more poke out of it.

The first thing that most people are going to notice is the COME twin throttle body manifold that replaces the factory bananas. It’s a popular mod that fixes one of the major issues with the Holden V8 when chasing power plus it looks awesome in the engine bay. The old V belts were replaced with a gilmer belt set up that puts out a very distinctive sound and while there will always be arguments about whether they are necessary or not, a little more durability is never a bad thing.

Luke told me the aim was always for the car to be a nice streeter that was easy to jump in and cruise in without too many dramas. It’s not uncommon for a Holden V8 with only minor mods to get a little hot in traffic so this is something that had to be sorted. The factory radiator and clutch fan were given the flick, replaced by an alloy radiator which has the added advantage of shedding more heat than the copper cores and a set of AU Falcon twin thermo fans. Considering the whole Ford item can be picked up for less than the cost of a single Davies Craig fan it is a solid choice and certain to keep the temps down.

However for everything going on up front, it means nothing if the power never reaches the wheels. The SS had the automatic option which has been treated to a rebuild featuring a stage 2 shift kit and Corvette servo to firm up the shifts. It was also treated to new, upgraded clutches and bands so it will last a little longer under the occasionally arduous conditions it’ll be put through. To finish the package, a set of 3.7 gears were installed in the diff to make sure the SS has plenty of punch off the line and may just scare some of the later HSV owners.

Having a staunch drive line is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to a nice cruiser though. Sure, plenty of horsepower and a matte black paint job might cut it for our Skyline driving friends, but we’re a little more discerning at SquaredArches.

The factory, sky high ride height is gone thanks to some custom springs which sit the body down over the 19inch HSV Senator Signatures. The body work has been tidied up further by deleting the rear boot wing and the dark tint on the windows gives it a sinister look. It’s only a matter of time until we follow the VL guys into the world of plain glass windows, but for now tint is definitely the option of choice. For a bit more of an old school look, the fuel tank has also been polished and gives it a hint of drop tank tough.

Luke tells us that supercharger is on the cards as well as turning his attention to the interior, but for now he’s just happy hitting the streets and hopefully his right foot keeps him out of trouble.

Words by Mick

Pictures by Luke

Extremely clean with no need to play with the factory look

COME twin throttles liven the 355 up

Alloy radiator with twin thermos keep it cool

Looking sinister on black stockies

Something to keep the passengers entertained

Sigs and a couple of inches lower make all the difference