Under the Hood: Rockynats 05 - OzWheels Smokebomba Build

Published on 05 April 2025

OzWheels’ Smokebomba Build
Yatala, QLD
Holden 1977 HZ/HQ Kingswood Sedan

With Smokebomba safely loaded up in its triple-axel trailer, its gleaming body carefully kept under wraps, the OzWheels team were headed toward the Lawrences Motors Elite Pavillion at Rare Spares Rockynats 05 for bump-in. Months of relentless effort, sleepless nights, and countless challenges had led to this moment. What started as a 12-week build for MotorEx soon turned into an all-out sprint, completed in just 9 weeks and 2 days to make it to Rockynats 05. The build that many said couldn't be done is complete, and the team were pumped to finely unveil their dream machine to the public.

OzWheels, a diecast model car collectible company based in Yatala, South East Queensland, has made a name for itself by bringing Australian motoring history to life in 1:64 scale. But this time, they weren’t just recreating legends, they were building one. The idea for Smokebomba was born at a recent OzWheels launch event, where they unveiled a model burnout car that didn’t yet exist in real life. The crowd loved it, and questions stated pouring in: “Whose car is that?” “Where can we find it?” That’s when Jesse Marios, Director of OzWheels, started pushing to bring it to life.

They brought in elite car builder, Luke Mitchell, from Evil Garage to lead the build, setting an ambitious goal: 12 weeks to completion, however Luke is the first to admit that it took him a lot of convincing to get on board. “I must have turned the crew down at least 10 times,” Luke laughs in reflection. “But eventually, we were at a car show, and they said, ‘Come on, man, how cool would it be?’ And that was it, we committed.”

After sharing their early progress with members of the Summernats team, who suggested the car would be a good fit for the Elite Pavilion and Rockynats Grand Champion competition, it soon became clear the car belonged at Rockynats 05 instead. The change in plans wasn’t without consequences as the team were then forced to shorten their already ambitious build timeline to just 9 weeks.

The build itself was nothing short of a miracle. They started with a Holden HZ sedan, modifying it extensively to match the HQ design they had originally envisioned. “We couldn’t find a HQ, so we had to settle for a HZ instead,” Luke explains. “We had to chop it up and rebuild everything from the front windows forward, along with the doors, and several other components from scratch.”

Beyond the structural work, the project demanded elite craftsmanship at an insane pace. “Normally, getting some of these parts custom-built would take months,” Luke says. “But thanks to an incredible network of builders and sponsors, we were getting things turned around in a matter of days. For example, our roll cage from Todd at Superformance came back in just five days—and he’s usually booked out a year in advance.”

A dedicated team of five to seven people worked 15 to 20-hour days to get the car on the trailer in time for its journey to Rockynats. “When people hear we built it in nine weeks, they ask what corners we cut,” Luke says. “The truth? None. We just lost a lot of sleep.”

The finished product is nothing short of elite. Every detail, including the custom dash with recessed vents, flawless paintwork and leather trim, was meticulously crafted. “A lot of people throw in metal dashes when they’re doing a build, but they don’t look like real cars,” Luke says. “We wanted Smokebomba to be the full package.” They even added air jacks, like those used in V8 Supercars, so they wouldn’t have to crawl under the car to change tyres after burnout competitions.

Rockynats was the perfect place to debut Smokebomba, giving them a chance to showcase both its looks and its performance. “A lot of people assume it won’t even run,” Luke says with a grin. “We’re here to prove them wrong.”

The real thrill will come in finally getting behind the wheel. “So far, we’ve only driven it 50 meters from the dyno to the trailer,” Luke says. “I can’t wait to actually cruise the streets of Rockhampton.”

And for those who to learn more about the passion and teamwork that went into making Smokebomba a reality, the entire build process was filmed and will air on Rides Down Under on 7Mate on April 12, as well as OzWheels’ YouTube channel at a later date. Fans can also own a piece of the journey, with OzWheels having created four 1:64 scale models of Smokebomba, representing each key stage of the build, that are available on their website.

Smokebomba will be on show at the Lawrences Motors Elite Pavilion, located in the FMX Kaos Showground Precinct across the Rockynats weekend. You can also catch it in action during the Grand Champion events; Sunday at 9:00 AM in the Street Drags and again at 10:30 AM in the Burnouts at Buddy’s Fire Burnouts Precinct.

The dream that started as a 1:64 model is now very real and ready to make some noise.