OWNER: James Souvleris
RIDE: '96 Holden Rodeo
LOCATION: Sydney, NSW, Australia
When one thinks of Australia, what are some of the first things that come to mind? Boomer-angs, kangaroos, and Crocodile Dundee, of course. Maybe even Yahoo Serious for you hardcore B-movie fans. As far as James Souvleris of Sydney, Australia, is concerned it's all about the thunder from Down Under. The thunder we're speaking of is the fire-breathing 700hp monster that is contained in a petite 2.6-liter four-cylinder.
James's Holden has so much power that his roll pan has felt the effects firsthand. When Fire Breather first got running James was so excited that he jumped in sans seats and doors, threw some telephone books on the floor, and proceeded to throw a barbeque with his Nitto's for the main course. At the time the shocks hadn't been put back in, so the rear of the truck dipped hard and the roll pan crushed the ground just enough to dampen the ride. The roll pan and tray (bed) were crushed in the process. James suggests using something more stable than phonebooks for those of you that are as power-hungry and impatient.
If all of this power wasn't enough, James is in the process of yanking his beloved four-cylinder in favor of four more cylinders and the unrivaled beef of a 355 stroker in hopes of breaking into the 10's. Honestly, we don't know why anyone would want to go so fast when you look that good. James must not want anyone to focus on the superb cleanliness and detail of his mini.
The Lowdown
Rolling Attire
Wheels: Sinister 20-inch
Tires: 225/35R20 Nitto's
Chassis
Modifications
Suspension type: Air
Airbag type: Dual-port Firestone airbags
Control arms: Chromoly adjustable arms
Spindles/springs: Spindle risers
Valves: 1/2-inch Norgren
Compressors: Two Air Zenith's
Air line: 1/2-inch nylon
Air/hydro accessories: Dakota Digital air ride controls with wireless remote
Frame mods: 6-inch monster notch
Gas tank: 80-liter fuel cell (roughly 21 gallons)
Performed by: Wayne Moon Location: Sydney, Australia
Body Modifications
Shaved: Door handles, tailgate, body seams on the roof, rock guards, and tray
Frenched: License plate
Front end: '01 conversion
Back end: Roll pan
Taillights: Euro taillights
Exterior bolt-ons: Billet LT headlights, M3 mirrors, and chrome wiper panel
Misc: Smoothed bed floor
Performed by: Wayne Moon
Location: Sydney, Australia
Paint
Brand and colors: Standox transparent black
Style: Single color
Misc: Tangelo Pearl air tank rocket cover
Performed by: Wayne Moon Location: Sydney, Australia
Interior
Seats: Stock without headrest
Material: Peach leather and dark pink suede
Dash: Custom dash covered in leather
Door panels: Leather and billet inserts
Center console: Fiberglass and leather
Flooring: False MDF floor
Headliner: Suede
Gauges: Stewart Warner
Performed by: G-trim Location: Sydney, Australia
Stereo
Head unit: Alpine flip-out TV
Mids & highs: Boston 6-inch separates and 6-inch three-ways
Amplifier for mids & highs: Alpine four-channel
Subwoofers: Two 12-inch Alpine Type-R's
Amplifier for subwoofers: Mono Alpine 1,000-watt amp
Video: Head unit
Custom fabrication: Custom subwoofer box, custom amp rack
Misc: 1-farad cap
Performed by: Precision Installation
Location: Sydney, Australia
Engine/Performance
Displacement: 2.6 liter Model/year: '96 4ZE1
# of Cylinders: 4
Head type: Custom modified
Internals: Forged pistons
Ported/polished: Exhaust intake
Camshaft: Custom stage 4
Supercharger/turbo: GT35 40R
Boost: 30 lbs
Transmission: Brass button clutch
Rearend type: Custom four-link
Intake: Port matched, custom plenum
Header/exhaust: 3-inch
Ignition: Dual post coils, Haltech E6X
Battery: 55 Optima Location: Center console
Inner fenders: Custom rolled fenders
Detail work: Every portion of the motor has been detailed
Misc: 700 horspower, custom radiator, and custom cooling system
Performed by: Bonneville Location: Sydney, Australia
Special Thanks
James's family, Wayne, Moon Autobody Repairs,G-Trim, Bonneville Automotive, Mood Motorsports, Precision Installation, GT Motorsports, and all the boys