Unfortunately, there probably aren’t that many 20-somethings these days who’d spend all their hard-earned cash and time creating a wicked, Roots-blown, full-attitude street machine. Luckily, Daniel Fitzsimmons is not part of the norm, so at the ripe age of 19, he purchased this LJ Torry to do exactly that.

First published in the January 2025 issue of Street Machine

“My dad, pop and myself all raced karts when I was younger, so I wanted something small and with a lot of power,” says Dan. “I found this Torana locally; it was pretty hammered. The engine was on the floor; the pistons were in the boot – it was a mess, but I got it fairly cheap.”

What followed was a nine-year build, culminating in the blown bruiser you see now. “I got distracted at times with partying and all other things young people do, and later on, I also had two kids,” says Dan. “But we knuckled down to get the LJ unveiled at the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo at Rosehill last year, and boy, was that a slog! We had the engine in and out three times, but there was no way I was going to push it into the show!”

Dan built the bulk of the little LJ himself, including straightening out the wounded two-door shell. “I stretched the rear quarters, tubbed it, smoothed the engine bay, recessed the radiator and gapped the doors,” he says. “There was the usual rust that had to be sorted as well, so I tackled that during my apprenticeship.”

Dan’s original plan of a quick tidy-up went out the window shortly after that, and then came the issue of powering the little weapon. The LJ was already mod plated for a Holden V8 when Dan got it, so that seemed like the logical choice. “It’s kind of funny, because none of the old 308 remains,” he laughs. “The engine now is a far cry from that old one – and a lot dearer!”

The new mill is a 355-cuber based on a half-grout-filled VT roller block. The rotating assembly uses an Auscrank steel crank from Crankshaft Rebuilders, Eagle H-beam rods and JE forged pistons. The stick is a Sure Cam billet solid-roller, and sealing in the package is a pair of Yella Terra Dash 9 alloy heads.

The top end is where things get really spicy. “Originally, it was just going to be a single carby, but then the top-end package it has now popped up for sale,” Dan says. “I had a turbo LS HiLux I was kind of over, so I swapped it for this blower!” Said Joe Blo Speed Shop 6/71 supercharger sucks through a pair of Holley Ultra XP 750 double-pumper carbies. “It made 450rwhp on the dyno at around 5-6psi, and the trans was slipping,” says Dan. “It’s on 8-10psi now, so it’d be good for around 600hp, you’d think.”

That power is pushing through a reverse-pattern Turbo 400 and a nine-inch with all the billet fruit. “It’s set up pretty firm with the four-link right now, so if you stand on it, it’ll just fry the tyres,” Dan says. “It’s a bloody wild thing!” With just 255-wide tyres on the 15×10 rear Street Pros to get that power down, we believe him.

Yet despite its wild manners under duress, in cruise mode, the LJ is surprisingly manageable. “The first big drive I did was for a Paramount+ video shoot,” Dan says. “That was an hour in traffic, and it didn’t skip a beat! It doesn’t push through the brakes at the lights or anything like that, so it can cruise when you need.”

Being a fresh build, Dan’s short-term plan for the car is to run a number at the track. “I’ve got some tubular arms for the back, so I want to get those in, set up the rear end, bolt on some slicks and see what it’ll do,” he says. “I’m hoping for at least a 10, but it’ll all depend on if I can get that power down.”

DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
1972 HOLDEN LJ TORANA

THANKS
Brandon O’Neill; Mum and Dad; Nan and Pop; my wife and kids; Peter Lovering; Jason Wynes; Bill Kakaras; Scullard; Phil at Fuelworx; Cambo; Kirrawee Mufflers; Kevin at Wollongong Windscreens; Mothers Polish Australia; Exclusive Customs; Elite Custom Interiors.