We love to share the stories of blokes who throw caution to the wind, step out of the norm, and chase down their dreams with all they've got. One bloke who’s done just that is Kieran Barber—a BA Facebook group member who’s taken some inspiration from Luxifer and taken a risk that most wouldn’t dare. This is the story of his wild journey across the US in a motorhome, towing his 1983 blown VH Commodore, aka CUDDLES, and chasing burnout comps while showing the Yanks how Aussies do it...
Kieran kicked things off in Arizona, staying with his cousin while he sorted out his rig—a motorhome and a trailer to tow CUDDLES across the States. The mission? Hit the burnout scene hard, clock up some serious miles, and live the dream. Before long, he was picking up CUDDLES from the docks in California and hitting the road. Fast forward a 20 000km road trip, and Kieran had a lifetime’s worth of memories, highs, lows, and everything in between.
What really set the tone for Kieran’s trip was his epic Facebook promotion. For four days, every like on the CUDDLES Burnouts page meant 1 more RPM added to the engine's rev limiter. The community got behind him, racking up 7,914 likes, and in true Kieran style, he decided to push it even further—dialing it up to a wild 8,300 RPM. First test? It held together, and it sounded absolutely insane. But the next burnout? Not so much. The stock 4.8L LS couldn’t handle the heat and spat out two pistons.
Was he upset? Hell no. After pushing his rig to its limits, Kieran learned a thing or two about building something more reliable for the future. But in typical BA style, there’s no looking back with regret—only excitement for what’s next. Now, with a new engine under the hood, he’s ready to take on even bigger challenges, but with a little more caution.
Just when you thought Kieran’s story couldn’t get any better, he's back in Australia and officially handed in his notice at his gig as a radio tech. After three months on the road, it was clear to him that this was the path he needed to take, and the support from his workmates—who proudly rock their CUDDLES merch—helped make the decision easier.
He’s got another trip lined up for October, and while he’s keeping tight-lipped about the details, it’s going to be something special. New opportunities have come out of nowhere, and Kieran’s ready to grab them with both hands. Call it fate, the universe, or whatever you like, but when everything starts lining up, you’ve got no choice but to follow it through.
Keep an eye out for updates from Kieran on his Facebook or Instagram - big things are on the horizon. Shout out to his sponsors for helping make it all happen: SP Tools USA, Muscle Car Tyres, Phantom Performance Parts, Militus, and many more.
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