Finding your dream car as a cherry example locked away in dry storage for nearly 35 years is a fantasy every street machiner has had. But for Nick Ursino, who’d wanted a two-door Torana since he was a kid, it was how this epic 980rwhp monster came to be.

First published in the April 2023 issue of Street Machine

“I used to have a four-door LH Torana,” he says of the beauty that we featured in Street Machine LSX Tuner in 2015. “But one day my mate was over and I told him I was after a two-door LC. Amazingly, he said, ‘I know someone with one in a shed.’”

Fortuitously, the LC was just five minutes from Nick’s house and had been sitting in that garage since 1985. “I made a deal with him that day and picked it up that weekend,” he says.

You don’t need 20:20 vision to see that the time-capsule two-door Torana didn’t stay stock.

“It’s basically a three-quarter chassis car,” laughs Nick. “The whole idea was to make it look like a standard GTR Torana dropped on a fat set of wheels and slammed really low. It now has a full chassis, the floor has been raised 100mm to tuck everything up high, all new floors, the firewall has been stepped and smoothed, the rails are beefed up, it’s got a full ’cage, and it has a rear clip.”

This heavy-duty work was done at Metal Mavericks, where the LC had initially gone for a nip and tuck. But one conversation quickly brought those plans undone. “It went to Metal Mavericks to just do mini-tubs and the LS,” Nick says. “Then Daniel reminded me I wanted one on big tyres and on the ground, so that was that.”

Hydra Blast Restorations kicked the build off by removing all the old paint, before the stock floors, firewall, and front and rear ends were cut out. Nick then dummy-fitted the engine and began fabbing out the engine bay at home, before Metal Mavericks took over for the heavy-duty welding work. And from there, it went into Nick’s dad’s shed for the next two years.

“I have to thank my dad, Peter, for the perfect body and all his hard work on it, as it wouldn’t have happened without him,” says Nick. “Plus I have to thank my mum for always giving him a helping hand.”

Spray painter Kane Cobill worked his magic on the body, while Nick built the motor with his boss, Justin Russo.

As you’ll likely know, Russo Performance is one of Sydney’s top shops for building late-model GM tin. For Nick’s LC, they put enough heat in the chilli to roll 980rwhp on 22psi and drinking E85. Based around an LS3, the 6.2-litre alloy block was stretched to 408ci thanks to a 4in-stroke Callies crank, Callies rods and CP Bullet slugs crushing 10.5:1 comp. A custom Russo Performance cam and LS7 lifters round out the short motor, while deep-breathing rectangle-port LS3 heads live up top with a custom sheet-metal intake manifold.

Custom log manifolds were used to mount the billet-wheeled BorgWarner S480, as space was at a premium in the Torry’s nose. Pushing 16psi, the standard GM ECU was tuned by Christian Russo to make 780rwhp, with the option for 22psi, plus a 100-shot of nitrous for when the party needs starting.

“I went alloy block because I wanted to keep it as light as possible, but I know it’s right on the edge for an alloy set-up,” says Nick. “I initially chose the LS3 because it wasn’t meant to be such a crazy set-up. But it grew legs and went nuts.”

Behind the late-model small-block is a Hughes Performance TH400, with a Ricky’s Driveshafts tailshaft bridging it to the built nine-inch out back. The third member is built with all the good fruit, including 35-spline axles, full spool and 3.20 gears.

Once the drivetrain was sorted, it was time to put it all together – and this is where the LC really sparkles, because the quality of the fit and finish is awesome.

“The car had been dummy-fitted several times, so it went together like Lego,” Nick says. “While I was putting the engine in, Dad was making sure all the bumper bars, surrounds and moulds were put on perfectly. I remember him taking the bars on and off until they were right.”

Pat from Ausrod sorted out the electricals before X-Trim tackled the job of hiding all the fabricated floors, tubs, ’cage and firewall behind stock-looking trim. With the goal of a standard-looking Torana dropped over killer hardware, this was no easy feat, but has been pulled off perfectly.

Since finishing the LC, Nick hasn’t racked up too many miles, as he’s trying to keep it show-ready. However, the short drives he’s had make him realise it is everything he ever wanted.

“It’s crazy to drive,” Nick says. “It’s so small; when we weighed the LC, it came in at 1180kg, so it comes on boost and pins you. In any gear, at any speed.”

It sounds perfectly nuts to us!

NICK URSINO
1970 HOLDEN LC TORANA

THANKS
My dad Peter and my mum; Kane Cobill for the paint, all the late nights and detailing it to perfection; Richy for all the late nights working in the shed; Metal Mavericks; X-Trim; Justin & Christian at Russo Performance; Hydra Blast; Ausrod for the wiring; Chubby at Lowe Fabrications; Narellan Powder Coating; special thanks to my wife for never asking any questions, and my two boys Danny and Frankie for keeping me motivated and excited to finish the car