SINGLE-DIGIT

For many years, Waiuku’s John Vollebregt owned what was arguably the quickest turbo–LS engine combination in the land — his street-driven VX Commodore. After featured the car in 2010, it went on to run a PB of 10.96s at 136mph before John decided that pushing a 2000kg car with a manual gearbox down the strip wasn’t the most practical way to get a speed fix and that stripping the car out for a roll cage would be the end of its street life. This saw him make the decision to build a VK Commodore, to which he could apply his LS-engine know-how in a much lighter chassis. The goal now is to make around 1000hp and drop into the single-digit zone. With an iron-block LS displacing 402ci, thanks to forged internals, we’d say that goal is realistic. The turbo that’s set to help is an IHI CART turbo, with a magnesium compressor housing and titanium exhaust housing with inconel exhaust wheel. The turbo weighs in at just seven kilos and cost a whopping US$20K when new. Fabricator Ajay Chapman was called in to help with the floor clearancing required to fit the four-inch exhaust off the back of the turbo, along with all the required pipework, which has since been coated by Pro Coat. Backing up the potent mill is a Powerglide transmission, which sends power to a nineinch diff fitted to boxed lower trailing arms and adjustable upper arms with Nolathane bushes throughout. Robin Miller at Pukekohe Radiators is responsible for the six-point cage and modifying the radiator, and Suspension Tech supplied the custom coilover suspension that the car runs. The rest of the build has been undertaken by John himself. With an estimated final weight of around 1300kg, a bigger engine, more boost, and the ’glide, we have no doubt that — assuming the car can get traction — it’ll soon be at the pointy end of our NZ’s Quickest Streeters list.