Snapshot
- 90s IPRA racer to be transformed
- Powered by 321ci stroker Holden V8
- Tribute to SA Group C car
BETWEEN his Tuff Mounts and Muscle Garage operations, Jason Waye is a household name in any household that knows anything about making classic Aussie metal go fast. These days it seems every second engine-swapped car has a set of Tuff Mounts under the bonnet.
Jason has built a few ripper drag cars of his own, too, though his talents extend far beyond straight-line speed. Going back over a decade, he put together a striking VK Group C fantasy in Formula Blue.
A few years ago he restored a bodacious LJ Torana Sports Sedan, breathing new life into the mid-mounted Hemi and sorting out the sad bodywork. In 2019, he gave the late Clem Smith’s Charger the same treatment. This car was a hero of SA’s Mallala circuit in the 80s, so the Adelaide local was perfectly suited to the task.
Now Jason is turning his hand to yet another circuit car in the form of a VH Commodore that was built in the 90s for Improved Production racing. Packing a Holden V8 stroked to 321 cubes by PM Race Engines in Adelaide, the donk is paired to a Ford Toploader four-speed ’box, feeding a nine-inch diff with 3.5:1 gears and Detroit Locker. All in, it’s good for about 490hp with a screaming redline of 7000rpm.
Jason is now working feverishly to transform the car into a Group C racer, which will pay tribute to a local Bathurst challenger.
Bernie Stack and Bob Jennings campaigned a green VH Group C around Mount Panorama in 1983. Every sponsor on the car was based in South Australia, so for Jason it’s a perfect way to honour his native state.
Other Group C touches include a hefty bodykit and Simmons wheels with Harrop Turbofan covers.
Jason is hoping to have the VH ready to compete in Group C form at The Winton Festival of Speed in early August. Driving the car in its IPRA form, he’s already managed to shave four seconds off his best Mallala lap time.
You’re bound to see more of the VH on Jason’s YouTube channel.
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