LJ TORANA S
Ibought this 1973 S 15 years ago from the first owner – he still had his name on the papers and lived at the same address. He was getting on and was struggling with the manual steering. I’d owned a Gemini before this. This one belonged to the father of a friend. I wasn’t really looking for a Torana, but this one was so cheap I couldn’t turn it down and, over time, I fell in love with it. It was in not bad condition. We took it back to bare metal for the paint. The engine we just painted and made it look good. Inside we did the roof lining and carpets. I painted it 10 years ago – it’s what I do for living, so maybe that’s why it’s lasted! That’s advertising for my shop Deluxe Customs in Dandenong. You meet a good group of people through them.
What do I like about driving it? I like that it’s noisy, it’s old, uncomfortable, there’s no electronics, it’s simple. Mate, it’s beautiful. It’s cool – you know you’re alive.
If you’re in the market for one, pay extra money to get a good one – it’ll cost you less than having to fix it. Find one that’s already been done and then put your touches on it.