Pump Up The Volume

For Adam Nagy, cubes are king, so his stunning lx torana hides big american grunt

- Jack Houlihan

For over half a century, the Holden Torana has captivated the hearts and minds of Aussie revheads like almost nothing else. And like many of his generation, Adam Nagy’s love affair with Holden’s gutsy little giant-killer can be traced back decades. “I’ve had Toranas and HQs since I was 16, and I’m 45 now,” he says. “Without exaggerating, I’ve owned two or three hundred of them!” One highlight of Adam’s back catalogue was a Holden 355-powered LJ Torana he campaigned in the mid-90s, which reliably put down mid-10s on pump juice and survives to this day in Queensland. “My partner Kim didn’t appreciate doing a few hoops and a fairly lengthy power skid in the LJ,” Adam laughs. “She won’t get in the car with me now!”

Adam, who is the owner-operator of Tyrepower Melton, snagged this LX hatch from mate and drag racer Matt Forbes in January 2020. “He bought the car about six years ago, but he only drove it a few times,” he says.

A considerable amount of work had already been performed on the car when it came into Adam’s possession, including a fresh lick of Papaya Orange paint courtesy of Fast Lane Speed Shop’s Daniel Cassar. Most importantly for Adam, there was a big-block Chev donk already nestled between the chassis rails.

Installed, engineered and registered in the LX back in the 90s, the 468-cuber (which Adam refers to as a “baby one”) was put together by Simon Hollingworth, chief of Ballarat’s SJH Race Engines.