HOLDEN TORANA LC-LJ GTR
THE TORRY'S HUMBLE VAUXHALL VIVA ORIGINS WERE WELL BEHIND IT BY THE TIME THE HOT-TO-TROT LC GTR GREETED ITS EAGER AUDIENCE
When Holden’s larger and more aggressive LC Torana range appeared in October 1969 it included a model aimed squarely at buyers in the under-30 age range. This Torana not only offered bright colours and eye-catching stripes; its 2.6-litre, 161 cubic inch engine added a dual-throat carburettor, revised cam and dual-outlet exhaust system to boost power from 86 to 93kW.
Four-speed manual transmission was mandatory and thanks to clever gearing allied to light weight the LC Torana GTR would reach 170km/h and 96km/h from rest in 10 seconds. The GTR dash was modified to make space for a tachometer and extra gauges and the seats had specially-made covers.
Suspension changes meant that the GTR sat lower and rode harder than other six-cylinder cars in the Torana range. Front disc brakes were standard, as were sports wheels clad in red-wall cross-plies that were speed rated to 190km/h.
With affordability crucial to the success of models aimed at younger motorists Holden worked some magic in order to bring the GTR to market for $2766 – just $190 more than a six-cylinder Torana SL – undercutting Chrysler’s new VF Valiant Pacer by $30.
Road testers complained quite bitterly about the nose-heavy Torana’s inclination to understeer. The steering was heavy and a little slow and could get tiring. Changing technique and even adjusting tyre pressures to ‘dial in’ a bit of oversteer made sporty GTRs considerably more enjoyable than the conservative suspension designers down at GM-H thought they should be.
Advances in spring, shock absorber and suspension bush technology allowed people who raced or rallied Toranas to modify most of the cars’ inherent bad habits. A Bathurst 500 win, Australian Touring Car title and several national and State-level rally championships by XU-1 versions confirmed how well the various tweaks worked.
March 1972 brought the updated, more civilised and powerful LJ Torana range. The GTR’s presentation lost some of its brashness but there were even more new colours and contrasting black-out panels. Under the bonnet a 3.3-litre ‘202’ motor had been further tweaked to produce 101kW. Also new was a stronger M21 four-speed gearbox, Monaro-type steering wheel and redesigned seats that didn’t bounce occupants into the hood-lining.
GTR Toranas sold in significant numbers, Reliable sources suggest over 10,000 combined LC/LJ sales with hundreds as traffic cars for NSW Police. These and ‘civilian’ versions kept the market well supplied for many years but few owners bothered to retain or repair cheap Toranas when they went rusty. Some GTRs were also sacrificed to become ‘clones’ of written-off XU-1s, diminishing the numbers of original cars even further.
Authentic GTRs can be identified in the first instance by the build code 82911 in their serial number. After that the process of confirming the correct body is still attached to the ID plate and the correct engine is there as well becomes more difficult. If everything checks out the next number to consider is the price.
Recent movements have seen GTR values maintain their relativity with the cost of tri-carb XU-1s. Finding cars to track price movement patterns has been difficult, however it should be possible to buy an a good, unmodified LC or LJ for between $50,000 and $60,000.