06/05/2026
👨👧👦 A Grandfather’s Legacy - More Than a Valiant 🚗
Introducing our latest muscle car restoration project!! Checkout the before photos below.
We know cars carry legacies, and this one is best told through the eyes of a 10-year-old granddaughter, a memory that has stayed with her for more than 30 years and still feels just as vivid today.
I still remember my Nannu pulling up outside primary school in his army green Valiant. You could hear it before you saw it. That deep, stubborn rumble would echo through the school gates, turning heads long before the car rolled into view.
My sister and I would climb into the back, shuffling sideways across the bench seat to make room, snapping the old seatbelts into place with that familiar click-clack. The seats were covered in soft lambswool covers, though underneath, the original upholstery somehow still looked untouched by time.
As kids, we’d stare up at the roof lining, covered in tiny, embossed patterns we swore looked like little bandaids scattered across the ceiling.
Then came the part we both dreaded and secretly loved at the same time, Nannu starting the engine. It wasn’t quiet or refined. The whole car seemed to wake up with a growl. We’d sink low into our seats in embarrassment… but deep down, we were proud. Everybody noticed when Nannu arrived in the Valiant.
He drove it like a ship. Big, wide, steady turns with one relaxed hand resting on the wheel as the old tank floated through the streets. Most afternoons ended at the local plaza, where he’d spoil us with snacks before dinner while he caught up with his Maltese mates.
And hanging from the rear-view mirror every single trip was that little Santa with the pipe-cleaner body, swinging side to side as though he was there to keep an eye on us kids in the back and make sure we behaved while Nannu drove.
Funny how a car can hold so much more than metal and memories. For our family, that Valiant carried laughter, childhood, and moments that still feel alive 30 years later.
— Memories shared by Marah Houlihan
🔥 WD Restorations are proud to be the car restoration experts to bring this legacy back to its former glory.
✨ Ready to transform your muscle car? Get in touch or visit https://wdautobody.com.au/muscle-car-restoration and let’s talk muscle.
