Purists will tell you that the only acceptable answer to building your car is to use what it came with and make the best of that. Generally, we tend to call BS on that in half of a second, but sometimes it works out solidly. Take this Holden Torana…since it’s a GM product, a wicked small-block Chevy or an LS would be the easy route to big-time power, but for owner Dom D’Agostino, that wasn’t the proper answer. Instead, underneath the big cowl hood is a 383ci stroker that is based on a Holden 308ci V8. Just like all the divisions in the States had their own blocks until the Eighties, Holden had their own design, in 253ci and 308ci versions, and they are plenty capable. The stroker was built up by Molinari Race Engines and is punting at least 610 horsepower through a Powerglide out to the Ford 9″ rear. Keeping it all original has never sounded so awesome!
The last Holden V8 was in the VT Commodore, the VT model started late 97.
The LS started to go into VT’s about two thirds through the model; I think it was around early 99. The 253’s stopped in the 80’s.