Under the Hood: Rockynats 05 - Jason Steemson
Published on 05 April 2025
Jason Steemson
Rockhampton, QLD
1985 HDT VK Commodore Group 3 Sedan
We find Jason Steemson, better known around the grounds as ‘Sharky’, in the Lawrences Motors Elite Pavilion, preparing his car for display at Rare Spares Rockynats. He’s quietly vacuuming the light blue carpet flooring surrounding his car’s display, every move meticulous. It’s worth noting that it’s not just any square of carpet. It’s an exact match to the original interior of his 1985 HDT VK Commodore Group 3 Sedan. That kind of detail tells you a lot about a man.
A local Rockhampton guy, Jason is a fuel tanker driver and business owner, but his real passion lies under the hood of a car, particularly this one. “I always wanted one of these,” he explains. “Since I was about ten, when they were new. I saw one once and just fell in love. I knew one day I’d own one myself.”
His love for cars started early, watching Bathurst with wide eyes, always cheering for the Holdens. He was a Commodore man through and through.
Ten years ago, he finally found ‘the one’, his dream car listed on Car Sales. It was in Geelong. No trailer, no backup plan. Just a permit and a mission. “I drove it home from Melbourne straight away,” he laughs. “Four days, through a hailstorm in Narrabri. It didn’t look like this back then.”
The restoration process took him eight years. A slow, deliberate transformation, stripping it back and rebuilding it with obsessive care. “I wanted it exactly how it came off the showroom floor in ’85,” he says, which is exactly what he delivered.
Of course, not everything was easy.
“The hardest part was sourcing parts,” he explains. “So many bits you just can’t buy anymore. You’ve got to restore what you can, get things re-zinc’d or chromed, and hope it works. Thankfully, I had help from a guy named Ken Brown, who handled the bodywork. Without him, it wouldn’t be finished.”
What was meant to be a clean Sunday cruiser turned into something much more. His perfectionism, or in his words, OCD, didn’t go unnoticed. Judges took interest. On his very first Rockynats, Jason was picked out of scrutineering and invited to join the Elite Pavilion at Rockynats 03; a big honour in the custom car world. He has now started showing the car at events across Queensland with Rockynats 05 being his third time in the Elites hall.
“It was never the plan,” he admits. “I just wanted to build something true to the original, but people really responded to it, which still blows me away.”
Having Rockynats in his hometown is also a special one for Jason.
“It’s a huge thing for Rockhampton and a major event for Queensland” he says. “It gives us as car enthusiasts something to look forward to even if our anxiety is through the roof trying to make sure our cars are ready on time!”
Among his most memorable moments? “My first Grand Champion invite. I didn’t expect it, and I wasn’t trying to win. It was just about having fun and putting the car through its paces.”
His car, affectionately called ‘The White Pointer’ in a cheeky nod to his own nickname, is a rolling time capsule. Everything is original from the Eurovox radio to the tape deck, even the electric aerial and air con work like new.
“You can barely hear the radio over the exhaust,” he jokes, “but it’s all part of the charm.”
If the car had a personality? “A sophisticated old man that makes a statement,” Jason says with a grin.
He prefers cruising over burnouts, and behind the wheel of this manual machine, he’s right where he belongs. Just a bloke and his Commodore, living out a dream he’s had since he was ten.
You’ll spot Sharky’s 1985 HDT VK Group 3 Sedan complete with its iconic ‘SS GRP3’ plates on display in the Lawrences Motors Elite Pavilion all weekend at Rockynats 05.