Giuseppe Crescentino: 1972 Holden HQ Belmont

The HQ Holden is an iconic part of Australian motoring history and Millicent resident Giuseppe Crescentino has recently secured his own piece of the golden motoring era with a purchase from Australia’s Sunshine State.

The automotive masterpiece is based around a 1972 HQ Holden Belmont, but looking closer around the vehicle it is evident the car has undergone many changes since rolling off the showroom floor in the early ‘70s.

The ground up rebuild includes a number of “retro-mod” additions and while from the outside the sleek silver paintwork resembles a somewhat-factory look, the interior is that of a modern day luxury vehicle.

Trimmed from the floor to the roof by Image Trimming in Queensland, the interior of the vehicle houses a VT Commodore dash, electric front seats and a WH Statesman rear bench seat, while the door panels were created from scratch using VT Commodore door cards as a base with the entire interior trimmed in red leather, while the backs of the seats, headlining and various cover panels are trimmed in red suede.

The modernised interior doesn’t stop there, with an in-dash Pioneer DVD player and headrest monitors added, along with custom digital gauges with chrome bezels providing modern features such as a trip computer and rev limiters, as well as a billet steering wheel and LED mood lighting adding to the vehicle’s flare.

Twin 12-inch subwoofers provide ample bass while a Vibe four-channel amplifier powers the vehicles Vibe speakers to provide crystal-clear sound when cruising the streets.

Sitting inside the vehicle you would be forgiven for thinking you were cruising in a late model luxury car.

The immaculately detailed engine bay has been shaved and smoothed, leaving the chrome and polished 350ci Chevrolet crate motor glistening from every angle while power is transferred to the 275-wide 20-inch rear tyres through a Turbo 350 transmission and Salisbury rear-diff.

The bodywork has also been massaged to allow the wide rear wheels to fit nicely under the guards, while HQ Monaro front guard louvres were grafted into the body and the window wiper cowl panel was modified to remove the factory grill panel.

The front chrome bumper has also been modified to integrate driving lamps and a custom centre grill adds to the sleek, yet menacing, front end of the HQ.

Every panel has been meticulously coated in metallic silver paint, which paired with the stunning red interior and chrome highlights creates an exquisite overall package.

Overall, Giuseppe’s HQ Holden is a work of automotive art that will continue to turn heads and be an extremely sought after vehicle for years to come.