1971 Blown V8 LC Torana Drag Car!
Toranas are such an iconic car in Australia, with their short wheel base but tough looks they are certainly a sight to see on the drag strip.
When looking for an example of this we simply couldn’t go past Wayne Humphreys & Kaylene Gourley’s eye catching 1971 Blown V8 LC Torana Drag Car.
Top Sportsman Race Class
The car actively races in the “Top Sportsman” Race Bracket that caters for sedan based vehicles with any engine combination or any type of power adders. All Top Sportsman vehicles must run quicker than 8.99 and is a “dial your own” handicap system.
The Background of this LC Torana Drag Car
Wayne and Kaylene purchased the LC Torana back in 2003. At the time it was a street registered muscle car with a small block Chevy.
When the car first hit the track it was running high 11 second passes down the quarter mile. Now, 15 years later their 1971 Blown V8 Torana runs the ¼ mile in 8.33sec @ 163mph. Check out the video below to see this TUFF Torana in action at Willowbank Raceway’s 400 Thunder.
The decision to keep the Torana after a crash
A couple of years ago during a pass the car got out of shape, spun around and tagged the wall. This resulted in the back being pushed across about 6 inches. Given the extent of the damage Wayne & Kaylene were unsure whether to spend the time and money fixing the car or cut the Torana up. After finding a great panel beater the car was completely fixed up keeping all of its original shell.
Meet Kaylene the owner & driver
Photo of Kaylene with her eldest grandson Jaxson
What do you like most about racing the LC Torana?
“I just feel really comfortable in the car. Wayne used to race a Holden HT Monaro which I had a go running a couple of times but I never found it comfortable. The Torana felt right from the very first pass.”
Wayne Humphreys Holden HT Monaro! Photo by fullboost.com.au
How does the LC Handle down the ¼ mile?
“When we first put the supercharger on the Torana it still had small tyres and was hard to handle. It would get out of shape quiet often and I had a few incidents where I nearly hit the wall. However, since we redid the rear end and put the new tyres on, it has been a dream to drive.”
| Read next: Holden 202 Torana Runs 9.69SEC @ 134MPH
What was it like going from high 11sec to low 8sec passes?
“I didn’t really notice the change as much as you would think. When we started running the Torana we were running 11’s, then with performance upgrades we went to 10’s, skipped the 9’s and went to 8’s, so you didn’t really notice it that much. We got faster over time, it wasn’t like we went from something really slow to something really fast.”
What do you enjoy most about drag racing:
“Apart from the racing itself, I enjoy the whole atmosphere. It’s like everyone is one big friendly family. No matter what bracket you are in everyone is happy to help. There has been times where we have pitted next to someone that we have never known before and now we are really good friends with them. It is a great sport.”
1971 Blown V8 LC Torana Drag Car
Performance/PB: 8.33sec @ 163mph
Engine: Chev 383ci, 6/71 Blower Shop Supercharger with Enderle Bird Catcher
Diff: 9″ 3.89 Gears, 35 Spline with Full Floating Sheet Metal Housing.
Front End: SCF Tube Chassis, Strut Front with Adjustable Coil Overs
Brakes: Strange 4 Wheel Disc Brakes
Tyres: Hoosier 29.5 x 11.5 Slicks with 24 x 4.5 x 15 Fronts