Holden Torana (1970)

• Vehicle Owner:
• Date Added: 30 October 2008 - 01:35 PM
• Date Updated: 30 October 2008 - 11:43 PM
• Color: Cameo Gold
• Views: 2,044
• Price: $ 10,000
• Odometer: --
• Body Style: coupe

Bought in 1998 for $5000.  Owner had been stripping the original stuff off the car and adding LJ stuff as the moron didnt realise it was a genuine GTR.  Engine had been put in about 8 months earlier and body was in good nic.  The interior was awful - had been done in grey velour and was not done well.  Drove for 2yrs looking the same as when I bought it.  I had the exhaust, front suspension & diff sorted & replaced the clutch.  I joined the QTCC at this point.

I decided not to touch the engine - firstly I couldnt afford to do the appearance stuff and the engine - and while the engine still ran well I didnt see the point in pulling apart a good motor to try find a slower orginal motor to put in it.  One day when it dies - then I will do that side of things.  

Currently has:
186 with 202 crank bored to 208
Triple SU's
44/84 Cam
Geardrive
M20
2.78 diff (was 3.55)
2 1/4 inch exhaust system
stocko 13' rims with 205 eagers on front/225 eagers on rear
electronic ignition
no fan/heater (no room)

It was then taken off the road and headed for the panel shop, got some rust sorted and changed the doors to ones in better nic.  I drove the car around in multi coloured glory for nearly a year saving for the paint job (was gold, big patches of grey & black from panel work - with GREEN doors).

Paint work got done back to original colour of Cameo Gold and had the black sections done & stripes put back on.  All the interior was gutted to be redone original also.  The car also needed new floor pans so these were fitted too.  Kick panels on both sides had to be plated and welded up (prev owner cut holes for speakers).  Needed to source new front windscreen and relace rear screen with a spare I found.

I then got a family friend to completely re-wire the car from scratch while there was nothing in the car.  The old wiring was shot and the car used to 'die' when driving and a wriggle of wires under the dash would get her going again LOL.  So we pulled it all out, and we put together a new wiring harness from scratch.  Not a problem for him as he does hot rod's usually from scratch.  I have 2 built in 'kill switch type' safety features, extra sections for air con or for towing needs if the desire to add these ever arose.  Also a plug from under bonnet wiring through the fire wall to stop damage spreading incase of an electrical problem/fire. All for a grand total of $650 including materials (love your work Steve!!!)

The car sat painted, with no windows, no fittings/bumpers/lights/interior etc for over a year.  I went to Summernats in Jan 04 and when I came home decided I wanted the car ready for the AMC Torana Nats in April 04.  Ordered the number plates OLC208.

So I had the dash pad & door skins done through Dashboard Restorations, new carpets from QLD Moulded Car Carpets, ordered a new original material/pattern roof liner, full seal/rubber kit, picked up a full set of newly redone seats for $600 and got an upholsterer friend to put the lot together.  He recovered visors, and all the little extras including polishing the chrome mouldings over the doors & runner strips - for $250.00

Spent countless nights after work with Dad in my garage working till midnight getting stuff fixed, fitted, swaped, fixed again .... or scouring swap meets for last minute stuff like interior lights, new 'old' seat belts and a primo set of tail lights (we have 4 spare sets in average condition now - all up it took 8 sets of lights to make one perfect set LOL).  Got a mate to fabricate a strip for the centre console, another friend did up a brag board, was alot to cram into 10-11 weeks.

The AMC Nats started April 9th ....... registrations was in the arvo from 3pm I think???  The car was finished and washed/polished that morning and using a teeny pot of model car paint I spent till 2.30pm touching up bits under bonnet, under dash, under car etc that were scuffed LOL.  

Made it to the Nationals, registered and that weekend got a Bronze in the Original LC GTR division .................. and met Grant

Oh and I need to mention the locking fuel cap thanks to Pop's-SS cause Grant swapped him parts