We love seeing all the new builds that come out of the woodwork in the lead-up to Drag Challenge each year, and a freshie for this year’s event is Dan Oxton’s 680rwhp, turbo LS-powered Toyota HiLux.
“I bought it about four years ago; it’d been slammed by a young fella as a mini-truck,” Dan says. “I already had a plan for what I wanted, and the car was always going to be built for drag-and-drive.”
Dan had crewed with Steve Paech and his HJ Monaro for last year’s Drag Challenge, so it’s not hard to guess where his appetite to do the event himself came from. “Cars are just life,” he laughs.
To get his Drag Challenge build underway, Dan acquired a stuffed VE Commodore SS for $5000 and ripped the L98 out of it to power his ’Lux. The South Australian then used all the local support he could to piece everything together. “I took care of mounting the engine and gearbox, and modifying the chassis for the diff,” he says. “I then handed the rest of the fab work off to Luke from Oldskool Fab.
“Luke understood my vision of how I wanted it,” Dan continues. “He also did the intercooler and piping, rear-mounted cooling system, and fuel system, and finished off the rear end with shock positioning, sheet metal, anti-roll bar and an extra crossmember to suit.”
The rear-mounted radiator was something Dan had cottoned on to from early in the build. “I had a look at what the Chevy S10 guys were doing in the States, and a lot of them did that,” he says. “It runs a standard water pump on the engine, and then a Davies Craig electric one near the radiator that turns on when it’s needed. So far, it’s been running nice and cool.”
The VE-sourced L98 was renovated by Graeme Horner at Horner Performance. “I never intended it to be a record-setter; the goal was always something that would run low nines and eventually go eights,” says Dan. “So, we sat down and came up with a combo to suit.”
The standard rotating assembly was binned, replaced by a Platinum Racing Products 4.000in crankshaft and H-beam conrods to set the cubes at 403. CP Bullet pistons and a Kelford turbo-grind camshaft completed the bottom end. A pair of LS3 heads were treated to a mild port before being added to the mill, and modified LSA headers feed gases to the Proboost SX480 turbo.
The wiring for the Holley Terminator X Max LS ECU was done at Read’s Mechanical Repairs & Exhaust Centre, while the rollcage was pieced together by George Lazos at All Street Panel.
The car was completed only a few weeks ago and had its first hit-out at the Horner Performance test day at Dragway at the Bend. “It went really well; we ran a 9.6@137mph, and that was only on 4psi,” Dan says.
At a recent street meet back at The Bend, the HiLux went even better, posting a 9.51@140mph. “Touch wood, we’ve had no issues so far,” says Dan. “It drives really straight, and on the road it’s beautiful – even with the bloody Kirkeys!”
That 9.51 is right where Dan will need to be in the PSR 9.5 Radial class at Drag Challenge 2024, where you can catch him in action from 30 October to 3 November. Grab spectator tickets here.
DAN OXTON
2004 TOYOTA HILUX
Class: | PSR 9.5 Radial |
ENGINE | |
Brand: | 403ci GM L98 |
ECU: | Holley Terminator X Max LS |
Turbo: | Proboost SX480 |
Heads: | LS3 |
Camshaft: | Kelford |
Conrods: | PRP H-beam |
Pistons: | CP Bullet |
Crank: | PRP 4.000in |
Oil pump: | Melling |
Fuel system: | 2200cc injectors |
Cooling: | AFCO radiator, SPAL fans |
Exhaust: | 3.5in system |
TRANSMISSION | |
Gearbox: | MDT Powerglide |
Converter: | 3500rpm |
Diff: | 9in, 35-spline axles, 3.25:1 gears |
WHEELS & TYRES | |
Rims: | Billet Specialties Win Lite; 15×4 (f), 15×10 (r) |
Rubber: | Nankang 165R15 (f), Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pro 275/60R15 (r) |
THANKS
Luke at Oldskool Fab; Graeme Horner at Horner Performance; Cory and Katrina Read and Ryan at Read’s Mechanical Repairs & Exhaust Centre; Ryan Lee at RT Race Craft; George Lazos at All Street Panel; my mates Steve, Shane, the Waynes and Gibbo, and their wives; Ox Business Solutions; Tyrepower Mannum; Murray Valley Sheds; my wife Louisa and our two sons Ethan and Connor.
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