It's mine...

UNCLE PHIL 1977 TORANA A9X TRIBUTE

I ACTUALLY had an original A9X from new, in primrose yellow. It was a fantastic car, but a bit rough to drive, like all these old things.

It was one of a string of local muscle cars I bought new over time, including Phase III, XU-1 and Blue Meanie. This one is a recent purchase and a tribute car built by someone who really knew what they were doing. A lot of very knowledgable people have seen it, and not one has so far picked it as a tribute without being told.

So it has all the good things installed, including an L34-spec engine, close-ratio gearbox, proper Bathurst drop tank – the list goes on. For me. it’s one of the best-looking Australian cars ever made.

Funny thing is it gets more attention that anything else I’ve bought over the years, and that includes some pretty wild-looking gear including a Shelby Mustang.

It’s funny how little things can trip up a good car, though. The steering wasn’t quite right and it turned out to be a twisted arm. It was something you couldn’t see, but when we pulled it out and measured it, sure enough it was slightly out. With that fixed, it drives beautifully. Lots of power and just the right gearing.