If you’re familiar with Sydney’s street-car scene, you’ve probably heard of Louis Younis. He’s well known for the string of tough Toranas he’s prowled the suburbs in over the years, and his latest creation, an LX sedan, continues that lineage.

First published in the September 2024 issue of Street Machine

With its 700hp Dart small-block and 235 rubber, this Torry is Louis’s version of a simple street car, and he certainly tested those credentials when he subjected it to the week-long, 1600km drag-and-drive road trip of Drag Challenge 2023.

“It only had around 100km of street driving on it before the event, so we were pretty much crossing our fingers we’d make it!” Louis laughs. “I never intended to win anything; we just wanted to have fun and finish.”

When Louis purchased the car from Kevin Foster in early 2021, it was bright red, on slicks and rocking a four-cylinder grille. “It was their family race car, and full credit to them, because much of the chassis work they did is still being used now,” Louis says. “That’s why it works so well.”

With its Perspex windows and fibreglass panels, the LX was a proper racer, so Louis got to work on replacing all that with steel and glass for street duties, and then gave it a full colour change to PPG Straight Black.

As for the driveline, that was pulled from another car. The mill is a Westend Performance-built Dart Little M small-block Chev, which is now looked after by Jason Mansweto. Sitting at around 420 cubes, it houses a Callies crank, Oliver rods and JE pistons. Heads are AFR 235s, and the mill sucks both air and 98 PULP through an Edelbrock manifold and APD 1070cfm carb. “There’s no tech in this engine – or car – at all; it uses basic MSD ignition control,” Louis says. “If you were to build a combo like this in the early 2000s, this is exactly what it would be like.” The stout small-block revs to around 7700rpm, and Louis ballparks its power in the 700-horse zone.

Prior to DC ’23, the Torry had run a best of 9.83, but Louis topped that on the very first day of competition at Dragway at The Bend, running a new PB of 9.71@137mph. That gave him a slim lead in the 235 Aspirated class of just 0.008sec over defending class champion Donnie Zurcas.

A 6.21@111mph was Louis’ best on Day Two at Mildura’s eighth-mile, followed by a hot drive down to central Victoria for Day Three at Heathcote Park Raceway. There, the Torana scored another PB with a stonking 9.69 lick, with the margin between Louis and Donnie for top spot remaining smaller than a bee’s appendage.

Day Four’s racing at Portland was rained out, so Louis spent the day piloting the Torana on the long coastal road route back to Tailem Bend for its final push.

“Overall, the road legs went pretty smoothly,” Louis says. “We just had to keep it to around 80km/h; with no Gear Vendors overdrive or anything, that’s where she was happy. We only did a fuel pump and ignition barrel, so nothing too crazy. It just took forever to get anywhere!”

On the final day back at The Bend, Louis dipped the Torana’s ET once more with a 9.59@139mph. That was enough to take the 235 Aspirated class victory, with the LX’s cumulative ET besting that of Donnie’s Capri by just 0.14sec – a massive effort on debut, especially without a trailer!

“I was just happy to make it, so to win was incredible,” says Louis. “It’s amazing to think we went from the 10.15 when the car was fresh to that 9.59, with nothing more than losing a bit of weight, better fuel and some driving. All the driveline and suspension stayed the same.”

Both Louis and the LX will be back for Drag Challenge 2024, 29 October to 2 November. He’s already hinted that some upgrades are in the works for the Torana, with the goal of dipping into the low nines. “I don’t want to give all our secrets away, but we’re doing some top-end stuff and a few more tweaks,” he says.

“Drag Challenge is the best kind of holiday you can go on, so I can’t wait.”

Update

Louis has had a big 2024, taking out the King of the Street title in at the Coota 400 back in May. He’ll be back for Drag Challenge 2024 and has treated the small block to a freshen up at Mansweto Racing. The donk made 603hp at the hubs and then ran a 9.13-second pass at 148mph at a Sydney Dragway street meet. An eight-second pass can’t be far away!

LOUIS YOUNIS
1977 HOLDEN LX TORANA

THANKS
Kevin Foster and the Foster family; Trent Sturgess; Daniel Attard; Jason Mansweto at Mansweto Racing; Pauly at Pauly & Sons Restos; Paul and the team at ProFlo Performance; Deano the sparky; Chubby at Lowe Fabrications; Con at Pro Street Metalcraft, Rob Camilleri; Fraser and Shelle at Alfa Motorsport Fibreglass; my family, including my father Tony and brother Danny at Protilt Towing.

More Drag Challenge:

• How it works
• The rules
• The classes