ORIGINALLY found on a farm out between Mooroopna and Undera, Joe Monteleone from Shepparton purchased this gorgeous 1978 Holden Premier (HZ Series) as his first proper passion project. An avid car fan, Joe had done minor restoration work before, but nothing of this calibre.
The Holden needed a lot of work and Joe enlisted the help of his then 18-year-old son, Anthony. For almost five years, father and son worked hard on the cherished Holden, strengthening family bonds in the process.
There was a lot of work that needed to be done. The exterior was stripped back completely to bare metal and they replaced any rusted panels and pulled out any dints it had. The interior carpet needed to be replaced and the centre console and seats needed reconditioning. They also tuned up the original Holden V8 4.2L 253 engine to its pristine glory and gave the exterior a fresh repaint.
Nowadays, the Holden Premier growls and glows. Fitted out with the original Holden V8 4.2L 253 engine which Joe and Anthony re-tuned, you can hear the car as it approaches for miles.
Once you lay your eyes on the Holden, the sexy lipstick red repaint is sure to hold your attention as it passes. Joe and Anthony’s prized possession shines proudly – indicative of years of hard work and love.
“It’s nice to see all of our hard work paid off,” Anthony explained, “And now this beautiful Holden is something we can all enjoy as a family.
“We’ve still got a bit of work to do and next, Dad would like to finish off work on the interior. But for now, it’s nice just as it is and we try and take it out for a spin at least once a month or so.”
