REWORKING THE PIG
It’s not even 12 months since we featured Willy Dodson’s ’77 LX, but that hasn’t stopped him completely reworking the car from top to toe. In fact, he began tearing it apart right after the NZV8 shoot. The stout Tremec-backed Holden 383 now wears a Shaun Customs Alloy tunnel ram with a pair of Holley 650 XPs, a new cam with 620 lift, new valve train, and a 250 shot of nitrous. The bottom end will also be receiving a rebuild.
And the changes haven’t stopped there! The underbody has received all new bushes, etc, as well as a big set of AP Racing brakes. The interior has been rewound back to near stock, because, as Willy says, “I’m not a teenager anymore, I don’t need that dumb shit.” The ‘dumb shit’ he is refering to are the Momo seats, and stack of Autometer gauges — including 5-inch tacho — it once wore. In their place is an all-new dash fascia with factory gauges (all working) and a factory tacho. The seats are also factory, but have been modified with bucketed bases, and in the back it’s now a two-seater. The exterior is also set to have a massive change, with a bare metal paint job booked in for the start of next year. Before then Willy plans to get everything dialed and a new final tune ironed out so once it goes back together he can just jump in and hammer on it. It will be coated in a not-soeye-searing factory Barbados Green, although with a metallic kick to it.
To coincide with new paint, there will be wider 95mm flares to house the new 17x12-inch Simmons and meaty 315 wide rubber. No more cowl scoop on the hood, and a full seam weld and new chassis connectors to hold the front end together.
Work is progressing well, and Willy expects to be able to blow it apart around Xmas time. Next on the to-do list will be shortening the diff 2-inches to suit the wider wheels. Once complete it’s unlikely the LX will make a return to the strip, instead focusing on cruise-style events where you can pack the boys in the car. Which is also why there is a 250 shot. “I just want to be able to crack the tyres four-up at 100kph on the straights. It’s unlikely I’ll drag the car again, I don’t care how fast it is,” Willy explains. Given the rears are now 315 wide, it’s probably an insurance, and an experience we’ll be lining up for. Willy also let slip he has another LX in the build, but more on that build in an upcoming issue.