Up front wasn’t quite so simple, with the short nose of the four-banger LJ providing some real estate issues with Rohan’s plans to slot a turbo inline six-pot in.<\/p>\n
“When it came to the front end, apparently Holden just slapped whatever was available sitting around on the floor into the Toranas,” Rohan sighs. “We went to Hopper Stoppers and they put HQ disc brakes on it and I re-bushed the front end and put 90\/10 shocks in. Then it went to Full Flight Engineering to put a couple of knuckles in the steering joint to get the geometry right.<\/p>\n“The power is wild,” says Rohan of the force-fed RB six. “It’s so smooth and quiet, but when it hits – compared to an 18°-headed 400 Chev like what I’ve had before, it’s another world.” However, keeping the shorter four-pot nose meant there was less room to fit the RB. “We couldn’t go forwards, so we had to go back,” Rohan explains. “The intercooler is rubbing up against the front grille, and the radiator is bolted right to it. Even the pedals had to be modified because all the floors are different in this car”<\/em><\/p>\n“Full Flight also recessed the firewall eight inches to fit the RB, cut the floor out to fit the Powerglide, made the tailshaft, mounted the engine and ’box, and made the custom radiator, front-mounted intercooler and full custom three-inch stainless exhaust.”<\/p>\nThat engine is a healthy 3.0-litre Nissan RB30, as found in VL Commodores and R31 Skylines, inflated by a large turbo and given a thorough seeing to internally. That wasn’t what Rohan had originally intended to fit, however.<\/p>\n
“I was going to put a Toyota 2JZ in, but that ended up being too dear, so for the budget, I jumped on this RB30 a friend had,” says Rohan.<\/p>\n“I pulled all the interior out before it went to All Race, then modified the carpet to suit the firewall and floor, and bolted the original seats back in,” Rohan explains. “The one-piece JAZ race seat has a custom cover on it, so it looks right at home.” Apart from the B&M shifter, ’chute lever, driver’s seat and rollcage, the only other non-original part found in the cabin is the Monaro steering wheel<\/em><\/p>\nHe took the complete engine over to Danny Bresciani from Initial D Racing so it could be stripped and given a health check. Danny describes Rohan’s combo as a basic RB30 package. “It is a simple but strong package and it’s good for what it is,” he says. “The single-cam head has valve springs, a hydraulic Camtech cam and Cometic gasket, while the block has a stock crank, H-beam forged rods and CP pistons for 7.5:1 compression. It runs a custom sump and standard oil pump with upgraded gears, and there is also a Plazmaman plenum on standard runners.<\/p>\n“The turbo is a GT42 Garrett, high-mounted on a custom manifold, while the ECU is a MicroTech LT12C,” Danny continues. “It is set up to run pump fuel at the moment, so it has –8 feed and return fuel lines, 880cc Deka injectors and three Bosch 044 pumps down the back with a custom cell.”<\/p>\n
That sauce is good enough to make 531rwhp on 21psi, though there is plenty more hiding in the six-pot once Rohan and Danny switch it over to run corn juice. “We’re planning to run E85 and push boost to 40psi,” says Danny.<\/p>\nBehind the angry six is a 4200rpm Dominator converter and transbraked two-speed Powerglide auto, with a built nine-inch packing Strange axles and centre member out back. With HQ Kingswood brakes handling stopping duties, the only visual clue to the heat the LJ packs are the 15×3.5 and 15×8.5 Weld Magnum wheels, with beefy 275\/50 M\/T Street Radials providing adequate bag out back.<\/p>\n
“I’m hanging to race it,” Rohan says. “I did a 10.23 after the trans let go and I got out of it; I would love to see it do an 8.20 on E85. Ultimately I just want to drive it and get a good time out if it.”<\/p>\nAnd what does Rohan think his dad would make of it?<\/p>\n
“I said to my dad I wanted something that looked stock, was quiet, but was the deadliest thing on the street,” Rohan declares. “This car means a lot to me; I’ll die with it!”<\/p>\nROHAN GORDON<\/strong>1973 HOLDEN LJ TORANA<\/strong><\/h4>\nPaint:<\/strong> Original brown<\/p>\nENGINE<\/strong>Brand:<\/strong> Nissan RB30ETInlet:<\/strong> Plazmaman plenumECU:<\/strong> MicroTech LT12CTurbo:<\/strong> Garrett GT42Head:<\/strong> SOHC RB30, portedCamshaft:<\/strong> Camtech hydraulicConrods:<\/strong> H-beam forgedPistons:<\/strong> CP forgedCrank:<\/strong> StandardFuel system:<\/strong> 880cc Deka injectors, three Bosch 044 pumps, –8 linesCooling:<\/strong> Alloy radiator, thermo fanExhaust:<\/strong> Custom high-mount manifold, single stainless systemIgnition:<\/strong> MSD 6AL<\/p>\nTRANSMISSION<\/strong>Gearbox:<\/strong> Two-speed Powerglide, RB30 adapterConverter:<\/strong> Dominator 4200rpmDiff:<\/strong> Ford 9in, Mark Williams axles<\/p>\nSUSPENSION & BRAKES<\/strong>Front:<\/strong> 90\/10 Pedders shocks, custom rack-and-pinion steeringRear:<\/strong> Strange Engineering coil-overs, Enemies Everywhere sway-barBrakes:<\/strong> Hoppers Stoppers HQ discs (f), HQ drums (r)Master cylinder:<\/strong> HQ Kingswood<\/p>\nWHEELS & TYRES<\/strong>Rims:<\/strong> Weld Magnum; 15×3.5 (f), 15×8.5 (r)Rubber:<\/strong> Nankang 165\/80\/15 (f), Mickey Thompson Street Radial 275\/50\/15 (r)<\/p>\nTHANKS<\/strong><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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