TRACK ATTACK

Built purely to have fun and blow off steam after a long week on the clock, Marcel Plaisier’s VN has been a regular at local track days for the past eight years. The VN LS (an HSV special edition) had been sitting de-reged and dormant in a West Auckland barn before being saved by a mate. After tidying it up and getting it legal again, Marcel stepped in and scooped it up. He then got a manual conversion and started hitting the track. For the first two years it was kept road legal, but once the cage went in it all became too hard and it began straying further and further from the street. Still powered by the original V6, some misfiring issues led to discussions with Simon from Delta Performance about sorting the issues and extracting some more ponies at the same time. Facing the reality that it was going to cost $10k for not a lot of power, the five-litre route was briefly considered until a similar realisation saw an LS conversion win out. Sourcing a low-km L77 from a 2012 SSV, this was mated to a TR6060 from Rare Spares. Simon was then tasked with sourcing the components for the conversion, including selecting the cam to suit the application. He will also be in charge of a complete rewire and installation and tuning of the Holley Sniper ECU. The bottom end remains stock, although the heads have been off and tidied up, while all the regular upgrades were carried out. Externally there has been a Meziere electric water pump and upgraded injectors. Russell Vare from RPM fabrication has poured in over 300 hours of fabrication so far, including the trick forward facing headers to solve the issue with a lack of clearance around the steering. RPM has also built a long list of custom parts, from the fuel cell holder, to the OTR intake, radiator, catch cans, and full stainless exhaust. There has also been a ton of sheet metal work carried out throughout including in the engine bay, and side exit tunnels. The brake package has also stepped up, with Wilwood Superlite 4 and 2-pot calipers respectively, and 355mm floating rotors upfront and 320mm on the rear. There has also been a reverse mount Wilwood pedal box with remote reservoirs installed. Inside the original cage remains, with new NZKW seats and harness’s going in, along with a 7-inch Holley dash. Following the fabrication, BM Automotive Refinishing have given the interior a fresh lick of black.

It’s been a long ongoing build, and Marcel would like to thank his family and close friends for there support in getting to this point. Once we hit level two, and then it will be dyno and track time. Marcel is eager to get back behind the wheel of what is essentially a brand new car, with the caged shell the only part reminiscent of the original car. The final piece to the puzzle will be a full wrap at Sign Fanatics.