The first car I remember really liking was the KE70 Toyota Corolla coupe. At the time these cars were relatively new and — in my young mind — quite futuristic looking. Obviously, looking back 20 years later, the shape I admired wasn’t one of the future at all — and admitting this now is somewhat embarrassing. Even though my fascination with KE70 coupes ended many years ago, it could have easily spawned some form of sick obsession that saw me owning a plethora of old 'rollas.

32-year-old Kris Hines also remembers being highly impressed by a vehicle in his younger years. That vehicle was a 1987 Holden Commodore VL Berlina Sport. But in Kris’ case, his desire for the vehicle did turn into a sick obsession. From the time his uncle purchased the new, factory turbocharged VL, Kris knew he wanted one. But since just 12 cars were imported to New Zealand and only three of those had a manual gearbox, the chances of him owning one were slim, especially since he was a broke teenager. Fitted with a Nissan single cam 3000cc turbo engine from the factory, the cars were a bit of an oddity.

To this day, most Holden owners are unaware that a factory turbocharged Commy even exists.

So, you can imagine Kris’ elation when, long after his student days, he chanced upon one of the rare vehicles for sale. He jumped at the chance to own his childhood dream. It was only while looking at the ownership papers after the purchase did he realise it was actually his uncles’ old car; the very same VL turbo that started his fascination all those years ago.

Since being offloaded by Uncle Hines to a new owner, someone had (in Kris’ eyes) ruined the lines of the vehicle by fitting Walkenshaw front and rear bumpers to it. These were the first things to go — swapped for factory VL bumpers.

Being part of a family of hot rodders, and with a brother who customises cars for a living, the chances of the Holden staying stock were slim. However, this doesn’t totally explain why the vehicle was stripped completely bare just two weeks before the 2005 Auckland Auto Salon show. Surely, good things take time?

Luckily, Kris could make brother Tony’s life hell if the car wasn’t finished and ready for the show. In that two-week period, all the panels were straightened and all unnecessary items such as door handles were given the Gillette treatment. The vehicle was then rolled around the corner to see the man with the golden gun — AJ Morris of Whenuapai Auto Refinish. Not one to shy away from a bit of controversy, Kris’s colour of choice was a custom PPG “not fuchsia” Pink.

Besides the colour, not one thing on the exterior screams 'look at me’, but the combination of subtle body mods and stunning 20-inch wheels turns heads almost magnetically. Because the lads at Koya wheels were keen to get involved with such a unique vehicle, Kris has had a multitude of wheels fitted over the last two years. Currently filling the gaps are Koya Inox 15s measuring 20-inches in diameter, and 8.5 in width. Wrapped around these are super-slim-walled 225/30R20 Nankang NS2 tyres.

When fitting the big feet to the vehicle, Kris knew the stock brakes would end up being far too exposed. These days it may be acceptable for a guy to be dressed in pink, but suffering from shrinkage is never tolerable, unless you wish to be a laughing stock. So the standard front brakes have been ditched and replaced with Wilwood four-pot callipers and 330mm rotors. Down the back the stock brakes remain fitted, but now clamp Ferodo race pads.

Although far larger than standard, the wheels still left unwanted space in the guards. A set of custom Koni coil-overs wrapped in King springs have since cured the unsightly ride height and although the vehicle is now low, the lack of body kit leaves it totally driveable.

The hot rod influence on the interior of the vehicle is undeniable. It’s possibly the most standout feature of the car. Elroy at In Car Upholstery was responsible for re-trimming the Jamex front bucket seats and standard Holden interior. Aluminium inserts on all four doors and all four sills add contrast to the off-white vinyl. The lack of speakers on the front doors, combined with the stitching makes for a finish that sits comfortably between boring and over-the-top. Other unique touches include the aluminium tubing used to hide wiring to the three dash-mounted Auto Meter gauges.

The Pioneer component speakers that are missing from the doors now reside in custom panels fabricated below the dashboard. Feeding signal to these is a Pioneer CD player and a roof-mounted flip down monitor — just the thing to keep Kris’ daughter Piper entertained. Because the vehicle regularly hits the Meremere drag strip no subwoofer or amplifiers were installed and rear fill is simply a set of colour-coded 6x9s.

It was lucky that the boot area was left empty because a few months after the vehicle wowed the crowds at Auto Salon, the engine package was substantially upgraded. Part of the upgrade was a TNRD boot-mounted fuel system consisting of a custom surge tank and Bosch fuel pump.

Why the need for such a fuel system? To keep up with the massive amount of air moved by the Garrett GT35/40 turbocharger, of course.

Although it would have been easy to change the vehicle’s single cam head for a twin cam RB item from a Nissan Skyline, Kris chose not to. Many workshops in Australia are having great success with the standard item and you only need to look at vehicles like Simon Dudding’s eight-second Silvia to see how strong the stock bottom ends are.

Rajab Racing are currently leading the way with SOHC RB30s, so Kris made a call to their Melbourne workshop and ordered one of their hand crafted plenums. Not only does this offer superior flow over the original item, but it also faces forward, allowing for easy fitment of an intercooler. Attached to the plenum is a large XF Falcon single throttle body fed by 2.5-inch piping and a Hybrid intercooler. Since Kris has plans for further engine work, the turbo is currently fitted to the stock exhaust manifold, which has been modified by Nyle Buckley of TNRD to also hold a Turbosmart external wastegate. Nyle installed a Link engine management system to run the setup and added Bosch 550cc injectors to the fuel system.

With just 15psi boost dialled in, the vehicle produces 282kW at the rear treads and a substantial 614Nm of torque, making for an exhilarating ride. With three litres of capacity there is no noticeable turbo lag and the car will happily pull from 1500rpm in any gear. Sure, a C16 and high boost tune could create a higher power figure, but would add stress to what is currently a very reliable and unstressed package.

To cope with the newfound power, the standard five-speed gearbox has been fitted with an Auto Clutch Services custom six-puck clutch plate and 2600lb pressure plate. This transfers power through a custom heavy-duty driveshaft to the Steelie Gears-prepared Borg Warner LSD.

Before the diff was fitted, Kris’ personal best at the strip was a 13.4 second run. Sure, it may not leave all V8s resting in peace, but it does give them a good wake up call — especially when it’s driven to and from the track, unlike many of its dirty old, bent eight counterparts. The same applies to the show scene: unlike many vehicles that are not driven at all, the VL sees the tarmac almost every day, yet is always kept in an immaculate condition. Kris’ cool, calm and relaxed attitude has been reflected on the car, and has resulted in the style of the vehicle. And with over 280kW at the wheels from just one camshaft, maybe there really is truth to his 'less is more’ style statement. What do all the Skyline owners think about that?

1987 Holden VL Commodore Turbo – Specifications

Engine: RB30ET three-litre straight six turbo, Garrett GT35/40 turbo, Rajab Racing plenum, XF Falcon throttle body, Link ECU, Turbosmart 48mm external wastegate, Hybrid intercooler, TNRD surge tank, Bosch 984 fuel pump, Bosch 550cc injectors, GReddy Type S boost controller
Driveline: Factory five-speed, Auto Clutch six-puck clutch, 2600lb pressure plate, heavy-duty driveshaft, Borg Warner LSD
Suspension/Brakes: Custom Koni coil overs, King springs, custom top plates, Wilwood callipers, 330mm rotors, Ferodo race pads
Wheels/Tyres: 20×8.5-inch Koya Inox 15 rims, 225/30R20 Nankang NS2 tyres
Interior: Jamex seats, Billet Specialties steering wheel, full retrim, Auto Meter boost, oil temp, water temp, RPM gauges, Pioneer CD player, Pioneer 6×9-inch speakers, four-inch components, roof-mounted TV
Exterior: Shaved handles, Autoloc popper kit, custom PPG Pink paint
Performance: Dyno Power — 282kW @ rear wheels (15psi boost)

Kris Hines – Owner Profile

Age: 32
Occupation: Driller
Previously owned cars: Mazda GTX, Mazda infinity, V8 Commy, EH Holden
Dream car: The EH Holden I’m building now
Build time: 10-days and then ongoing
Length of ownership: Four years
Kris thanks: My partner Bridget and my daughter Piper, Tony at Slammed Kustoms, AJ at Whenuapai Auto Refinish, Nyle at TNRD, Elroy at In Car Upholstery, Bryan at Koya Wheels, Matt at YHI, Manukau Auto and Tyre Center, Brent Thurlow for the custom brakes and coil-overs, Bob and Grady Homewood at Hitech Motorsport Ltd

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Clutch