Every now and then you come across a car that really stands out from the crowd, Luke’s ’77 LX Hatch not only stands out from the crowd, if you’re not careful it will jump on your head. With paint that look so deep you could fall into it and an engine bay that you could shave in.This little LX Hatchback Torana has been built to be different and to turn heads.
Originally Luke Jago was looking for a ’56 Morris when he came across the Hatch by accident as a stock rolling shell. Over the next four years, it has gone through an ever continuing massive transformation. The further you look over WLD77X you really get the feeling that Luke is totally passionate about his car. Just from the small touches, the car has like custom billet alloy trimmings from the way it is maintained and basically the way he stands near it like a rottweiler guarding their dinner.
Starting from the front, when you open the bonnet of WLD77X the first thing you will notice is an ocean of chrome, stainless and billet alloy covering a very stout 330 cubic inch stroker. Luke decided to go with a 330ci because from experience they are a “happy engine” not stretched like the 355 and 383 strokers. The smaller cubed 330 has a distinctive sound and are very happy to rev all day long. Consisting of a combination of chev pistons, hemi rods, Dave Bennet Hiport alloy heads, torque power manifold and an 825 Barry Grany gold claw carby this smaller cubed 330 makes a ship load of reliable power…
Backing up this tough little combo is a full manual reverse pattern BMS valve body Turbo 350 with a Dominator 4800rpm stally built to handle what ever the 330 can throw at it. Getting all that power to the black top is a purpose built 4 link rear end with Strange coil overs a minispooled 9” 4.1 gears and 31 spline Moser billet axles.
“Originally it was on the road for about 18 months. I went to a car show with a couple of tubbed Toranas and after following them to and from the show I decided I needed tubs. So on Sunday arvo I got home from the show and by Sunday night I had taken to the car with a grinder”.
“I haven’t thrown it down the quarter with the current combo but it should be good for mid to high 10’s, the old combo a 308 with head work went 11.7″Why Pink ? “… well to be different and brown is far too messy and i was sick of reds and blues….”The 330 cube turned out makes around 350 at the threads it still has a bit more left in it with a good tune.
What’s Next? “Well cars are never totally finished but the next things on the to-do list are a cage, nitrous, two-tone paint and would like to get it on the 1/4 for a run”.
