followed and the car was picked for the magazine’s cover. While an honour to be so highlighted, it’s on the track that any racer worth his salt is looking to stand out and, being able to set 8.8 second times for the quarter-mile would, you might think, be quick enough for Adrian. Not so, he says - 8.8 seconds is not nearly quick enough. “What I wanted, still want, is to run a 7-second time in the car. However, the supercharger is just too hard on the engine. In fact, when I last raced it 14 months ago we had a problem and it spun the bearings. "I did fix it up, upgraded everything – it has a different crank, pistons and so on – and got it running again, but I realised that if I wanted to improve the times then I would have to change things again. "Which is why I am going to turbocharge it. A turbocharged engine is less harsh on the parts and adds a lot of power. In fact, it will probably give me an extra 400hp. Now, that should give me some good times!” Adrian hopes to have the Coming soon . . . Twin turbos will, says Adrian, give the Torana more than 1000hp
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turbochargers installed soon and the car back on the track and racing sometime early in the New Year. And with all that extra power, he might well find himself challenging for the top spot and back on the cover of a magazine or two. One thing is for sure, however. In his quest for more speed, Adrian may well tinker with the engine but there’s no thought of changing the car. In fact, a Smith could be at the wheel of this glorious motor for years to come, tearing up and down the race tracks of the country. “This is my pride and joy and there’s no way I would part with it,” says Adrian. “In fact, I think one day my son Lachlan will be racing it - which is pretty much all that he wants to do now!” By then the Torana will be knocking on the door of 50 years old. A sub 8-second, 1000hp, 50-year-old car . . . Now that’s something special. November 2016 Motor Trader | 17