Kimberly Williams

Mad for Mel

Needing to form a good, well-balanced squad, I went on the hunt for a young internet gun, and all roads led to a quietly spoken guy from Adelaide who was making more money than most CEOs playing poker online.

I found it odd that shy and retiring Jonathan Karamalikis was better known as “Monster Dong” on the web, but he was certainly making his mark.

Last year, Karamalikis joined a select group of Australian pros when he was sponsored by online gaming giant Full Tilt Poker, and he immediately repaid their faith in him by winning the PokerStars Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Grand Final in Sydney in December.

Not only did the victory catapult  Jonathan into the top echelon of Australian poker, it also saw him take home just under half a million dollars in prize money. I had a chat with the Dong at the recent Crown Aussie Millions tournament in Melbourne…

Okay, Jonathan, why “Monster Dong”?

Haha! It’s always the first question. Obviously, I had a lack of confidence when I invented the name. I made “Monster Dong” my online handle to make myself feel better about my adolescent issues, and to try and convince everyone that I actually have a big dong.

When did you start playing poker?

My mate taught me how to play when I was 16. That same night, I created an account at a play-money website and played endlessly. It took me about six months to learn the basics, and from there I’ve never looked back.

What are the most obvious differences between playing online and playing live tournament poker?

Being able to see who you’re playing against live is a huge advantage. I can usually work out what kind of people [my opponents] are in the first 20 minutes. Online, there’s a lot more re-raising and aggressive play. Live play is more focused on post-flop action.

Outside of poker, what else do you enjoy doing?

I spend most of my time hanging out with my mates, watching basketball and going to the gym, when I have the time to get into a routine. I also love travelling and seeing new places. I spend four to five months of the year on the road.

Where to next, Mr Dong?

I want to do Europe sometime this year, go play some tournaments on the EPT [European Poker Tour] circuit and perhaps visit London for World Series Europe. And obviously I’ll be going to Las Vegas for the World Series—that’s a “can’t miss”; however, I might just go for the Main Event this year because my mates and I never actually play poker when we’re there…

Do you see poker as a career option, or just a hobby?

I consider poker to be both a career and a hobby. I see it as a competitive sport because you’re always looking to improve. I’m more than happy to keep doing this for now.

The original plan was to go for a fake Hoey, but the problem is that you can’t get a rolling Falcon shell for under 10 grand these days and parts are near impossible to come by. Ziggy’s Hot Rods boss, Greg Sadler, persuaded the client to consider a Mustang: “They’re easier to find, they retain value and parts can always be sourced”, claims Sadler.

With the decision made to go with the Mustang, Ziggy suggested a practical finish that would be easy to maintain, but the client simply wouldn’t have it; he rejected recommendations of a low-gloss, satin-finished engine bay in favour of the full show car under-bonnet.

The same mindset was extended to the interior, exterior, boot and undercarriage of the car until what they finished up with was a race car built to show-car specs, or should that be a show car built to race-car specs? So precise was the finished product and quality of workmanship that Ziggy’s creation took out a Top 10 award at Canberra’s Summernats 2011.

From the outset, the concept was to build a timeless classic and not a trendy fashion statement that would be dated before the paint was dry.

The overall concept of the build was a throwback to the classic feel of 1960s Mustangs. Influences such as the handcrafted quarter windows and 1969 Boss-style bonnet scoop set this car apart from the crowd. It was important for all modifications to flow into the car rather than draw singular attention.

The decision to bypass the use of electronic fuel injection was a conscious one in a bid to keep with traditional 1960s muscle car design and retain the classic, raw horsepower feel of the era.

The workmanship that has gone into the body of the car is nothing short of mind-blowing when you look beneath the surface. Every single centimetre of the body has been manipulated in some way, a process known as “surfacing”.

The front guards were sliced and shifted closer to the bonnet. A similar approach was taken on the boot lid to achieve the mandatory three millimetres throughout. The body sills, lower quarters and rear beaver panel were all handmade and designed to extend a further 40 millimetres lower than standard to help achieve the vehicle’s tough stance.

For what was intended to be a race car, this may sound like overkill, and perhaps it is, but the end result unashamedly embraces the best of race grunt and classic road style.

The interior sports a sharp, clean and simplistic finish while stylishly housing all the race-required equipment. The roll cage was built into the interior’s trim in order to meet both race and show specs and incorporates an X-frame with harness mounts. Gauges, air vents and audio controls are rounded to fit in with the era of the car’s design.

The gauges were all designed by Ziggy and then custom-made, while the Clarion control pod is a marine unit. The entire audio system, with the exception of the Clarion control pod, is hidden within the vehicle’s trim work and interior panelling so as not to detract from the race feel.

The Muzzy is powered by a 427-cubic inch small-block Windsor. The mill is estimated to be capable of around 650 horsepower and was built by Pro Flo Performance. As you’d expect with a project originally intended to produce a race car, the pennies weren’t spared on the internals.

The air/fuel mix is supplied by a Holley 850 carburettor via an Edelbrock manifold. The mix is then compressed into the Edelbrock heads by a set of JE competition pistons and the crank shaft and conrods are heavy-duty Eagle units. Ignition is handled by an MSD Blaster. Removal of the exhaust gases is provided by Ziggy’s own dual system matched to Flowmaster mufflers.

Getting all of that power to the back wheels requires the correct driveline set-up in order for the car to be competitive on race day. The gearbox is a Tremec TKO five-speed manual with a McLeod clutch in front. The diff set-up is a Strange six-inch 3.5:1 PosiTrac.

Stopping power on the Muzzy is provided by a set of Baer/Alcon six-piston monoblock brake callipers with 13.5-inch rotors, while cornering and stability is handled by TCI with RSS struts and Eibach springs up front. Triangulated four-link suspension and Varishock adjustable shocks are installed at the rear.

This is one of those cars where the more you look, the more you find. This classic Mustang represents American muscle car royalty. Tough and raw yet also sophisticated and easy on the eye.

With all the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into this automotive work of art, the million-dollar question is: Will the owner race it now that it’s complete? Greg Sadler says the owner is yet to decide, but if this creamy classic was yours, would you?