(^122) themotorhood.com
JASON MCKILLOP
AGE: Old
OCCUPATION: Business owner
PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: None this quick
DREAM CAR: 1968 Camaro
WHY THE TORANA? It was all by chance
BUILD TIME: This is the third build and took
eight years
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: 22 years
JASON THANKS: David Tunnell at TPE Racing;
Glen Brewer at Paintworkz; my wife, Loretta,
and stepdaughter, Isobel; and a big thank you to
Potiki for all of his help in getting the car ready
on race day
The finishing touches were added by altering the
exhaust to aid engine removal and aesthetics by
having the headers come up over the chassis rails,
then down through the rear of the front wheel
wells, all finished off with coating by HPC.
“In late 2014, the engine was fired up for the first
time. It was the sweetest sound after so many years
in the build,” Jason recalls. “The car was inspected
for certification before the first drag meeting held
at the Masterton Motorplex. Unfortunately, my first
Masterton meeting was hampered by rain, and
resulted only in a long drive home.
“After undertaking observation passes to obtain
my race licence, I spent the rest of my first racing
season getting to know the car’s capabilities,
growing my confidence and driving ability at
every meeting.”
By the time of the 2016 IHRA Auckland Invasion,
Jason and the car were beginning to understand
one another, and he and the crew were ecstatic
when the car ran into the 10.6-second zone. The
pass resulted in a very close second place in class,
and no one was more amazed at the achievement
than Jason — an achievement he repeated at the
New Plymouth street drags in March 2016, where
he won the fastest Australian car of the event.
Since then, TPE has made some alterations to
the car’s torque converter, as well as a few other
minor changes, the goal being for the car to dip
into the nine-second zone this season. Once that
goal’s been achieved — as we have no doubt it
will be — nitrous will be added to this Sicko, to
really take things to the next level.
Despite the convenience a boring old ute would
have brought him during those few years of the
Torana’s working life, is Jason glad he made the
irrational decision to buy the Torana instead? You
bet he is!
frankie
(Frankie)
#1