PEOPLE have been doing the ‘big engine in small car’ thing for years; a Chev V8 in an early Torana, for instance, is not uncommon. However, when we came across Dan Farrow’s LJ Torana at Powercruise Tasmania a couple of weeks ago, we were gobsmacked. Dan has managed to squeeze a 598ci Dart big-block Chev under the bonnet, onto which he’s added a massive 14/71 blower with mechanical injection!

The whole deal makes around 1300hp on methanol and it hits the rear treads through a Powerglide and nine-inch rear end. Dan built it using spare parts he had lying around from other builds, so it’s a bit rough around the edges, but good fun for cruising the track and doing burnouts.

Dan only just got the car ready in time for Powercruise Tasmania over the Australia Day long weekend, after it had sat in the shed for almost a year. At Tassienats last year, the car had a big tyre fire during the burnouts and damaged the rear end quite badly. Dan tidied it up and gave it a fresh lick of paint the day before Powercruise and she was ready to go.

Dan did the powerskids and ripped up the track, but decided against the burnouts due to the size of the pad.