1971 Holden LC Torana: Reader ride

Date: 08.10.2014

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

Annette Allan's 1971 Holden LC Torana

I met my husband Trav in 2000 and told him I wanted to build up a car, so he found me this Torana, which was originally owned by a little old lady who literally used to just drive it to the shops and church. It was white with a six-cylinder, column-shift auto and brown interior, and it was the ugliest thing I’d seen.

We decided to strip it down and do the rebuild ourselves. I did the interior and panel work and Trav did the engine. I was driving a Nissan Bluebird at the time and this was the first car that I’d built up.

I took out all the trim and dash and repainted all the trim with black spray paint, adding chrome pinstriping around the door skins. It was a bit tedious, but we got there.

The body was in really good nick. There wasn’t much rust, just lots of shopping trolley dents. I was going to get an LJ, but every one I looked at had rust. A family friend painted the body for an engagement present, but I sanded it back, which took forever – I don’t have any fingernails left. I used to go down to Autobarn covered in oil and I got a few strange looks back then.

It now has a 202ci with triple SU carburettors, MSD ignition and Trimatic gearbox with a floor shift.

It still has the standard LSD in the rear end, but has 14-inch Dragways on the front and 15s on the rear. The rear wheel diameter is taller because I regularly race the Torana at street drags at Ballarat and Heathcote and it does low 15s over the standing quarter.

It’s my cruiser and racecar and I try to beat my times every season. The blokes get quite annoyed when I beat them. I’ve beaten a few V8s and when I pop the bonnet they go, "Oh, it’s a bloody six". But a win is a win.

Unique Cars magazine Value Guides

Sell your car for free right here