1975 Holden LH Torana: Our shed
An old six-cylinder LH with a sentimental attachment is about to get a loving makeover
1975 LH Torana
PA'S TORANA
Pa, my best mate, gave me this ’75 LH for my 18th birthday six years ago (has it really been that long?). He never made a fuss over it, despite my enthusiasm for owning a classic. I was in love and drove it as much as I could… afford to.
It’s had quite a history since. I’ve run it out of fuel numerous times, changed my first flat, drove it in my Year 12 ‘action movie’, cruised with my mates in it, rid the boot of the ratty old
carpet and insulation, attacked some rust with converter and have kept it serviced.
In the early days of my ownership, ‘something crucial’ went kaput – remember I was 18 and knew nothing about cars. It ended up at a workshop where a second-hand LH/LJ carby was bolted in place of the dead one.
I’ll never forget buying my first polish, either, wanting to keep it shiny. Lazy customer service at a local auto retailer meant I used a tin of cut-and-polish that said on the label not to use on metallic paint. Which, of course, it is. And I did. Great.
Sadly, Pa died and there have been times when I’ve barely had a dollar to my name, struggling to pay rego on top of bills and surviving uni. Tough times. But I’m glad I never caved into the
desperate idea of selling it.
She now sits in the same garage it started life in as I now own Pa’s house.
This year will be the fifth since he passed away and I’m nearly positioned to afford the car’s renaissance. It will be paying homage to Pa, so everything will be done properly, but within a budget.
I have no interest in hotting it up, either, so everything will be as standard as possible.
A V8 would spoil it, so the 3.3-litre straight-six will get a rebuild and paint as the red has flaked after 200,000km. The four-speed M20 ’box is still pretty tight, but will get a once-over, as will the brakes, which are a bit too ‘light switch’.
I’ve sourced the houndstooth seat material and my local AutObarn is ready to get parts, but the front and rear screen sills need the rust removed first. And the ball joints are knackered, the hub caps and chrome will need a refurb, I know a guy who’ll re-do the vinyl armrest, new seatbelts will be needed and surely I can do the carpet. The leaky window sill rubbers also need replacing as an old newspaper doesn’t do much.
Fortunately, I have some good Torana-friends ready to grab tools and a beer to help. This will prove beneficial since I’m only a motoring journalist, not a mad scientist. Yet.
*****
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