Dave scored this ’75 LH Torana back in 2005 for just $1,000 on eBay. He’d always wanted to build an LH, and when this one popped up, there was no way he could pass.
Back then, it hit the road with a stock 253 (not great) and a shed-resprayed flat orange finish with whitewalls — a far cry from how it presents today.
Originally, Dave planned to throw in a 383, but in one of the best “uh oh” moments ever, his wife convinced him to stretch the budget. By 2013, he went bigger, dropping in an aftermarket Dart block to build a way stronger 400 cube engine.
His love for Toranas runs deep. “My first car was an LC GTR, which I bought at 15 and restored with my Dad before I even had my licence. That project kicked off a lifelong obsession with classic Aussie muscle.”
Year: 2025
Date: Wednesday, 19th November
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Eastern Creek Dragway, Sydney
Weather: Clear 22C, Wind NNE 23km/h, humidity 70%
A big part of this build wouldn’t have happened without Anne — Dave’s wife and fellow enthusiast (in more ways than one, working alongside him at Enthusiast Motor Insurance).
In March 2019, one of Dave’s best mates, Mark, was over from Perth. The three of them were hanging around the shed, staring at the Torana like they’d done a million times before, when Anne dropped the words that changed everything:
“Why don’t you just get it done and ENTER Drag Challenge…?”
The car was finished the day before they left.
No testing.
No dyno.
Just jump in and send it.
When the call was made to attempt Drag Challenge 2019, the Torana was barely more than a rolling shell with a cage. The engine, transmission, and diff were done, but everything else — body, paint, the lot — still needed work.
Plans were made, scrapped, remade, and reworked. Tasks got ticked off, then added back again. Progress came at a pace we’d never thought possible. When the paint was finally done, the real grind kicked in: wiring, plumbing, and a million tiny jobs that seemed to eat every spare second outside domestic life. But teamwork won out, and when the engine fired for the first time — on the very first crank — a huge weight lifted.
Day one felt like the longest day ever, but we made it to day two. That’s where it ended, unfortunately. A shattered torque converter on the start line ended our Drag Challenge adventure. Devastating? Absolutely. But the passion in the team never wavered, and the original goal — to race this car properly — was still alive.
Keep an eye on the Street Machine Drag Challenge website for updates on next year’s event.
With the car nearing completion for the second time, that 9-second ¼ mile was back on the cards.
Enthusiast Motor Insurance jumped on board to support Dave, helping get the Torana back on track at Sydney Dragway.
His first pass was a 10.83 @ 103.98mph with no boost off the line and an early lift two-thirds down the track.
On the second pass, Dave turned the boost up at launch, which unfortunately resulted in a blown Powerglide.
