BODY by Holden, soul by Ford. That’s the way Danny Quilty chose to get his budget VK Commodore into the mid-11s.

“I bought it as a 202 and drove it straight into the shed and ripped the motor out,” Danny says. “I did it all myself. It took me about six months to build, and I reckon it owes me about $7.5-8000.”

As you might imagine, the number-one question Danny gets asked is: Why? “It’s not the first time I’ve done it,” he says. “I used to have an HB Torana that I put a Crossflow in, and then I had a VK Berlina that I put a four-litre in; I actually used the mounts, sump and crossmember from that for this car. Those cars all went pretty well, so I figured, why not? All up the car only weighs 1200kg.”

The engine is an EB bottom end with an AU head, but other than that it runs stock internals. “I gave it a hone and put some new rings in it before I took it to Heathcote for the Ford Forum Nationals, and that’s about as much work as it’s had done.”

Danny’s flipped an EB intake manifold upside down and fitted it with a Gas Research mixer. The engine runs on a straight diet of LPG (that’s propane for you Americans) and uses a cheap eBay T70 turbo to deliver 13psi of boost. The trans is a tricked-up C4 with a Torque-Power bellhousing and a 2500rpm stall converter, while the diff is a VL BorgWarner with 3.45 gears and a mini-spool for traction.

“It been going for about three years and I’ve punished it heaps,” Danny says. “It’s run 11.55@115mph at Adelaide International Raceway, but I was only running 11.7 at Heathcote.

“I’ve had a few haters online, but I don’t care. Love it or hate it, it’s all good I reckon, but the car definitely gets noticed.”

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