This article on Kerri’s LX Torana was originally published in the April 2018 issue of Street Machine magazine

KERRI Weeding’s a Torana nut, becoming afflicted with the disease after a chance sighting of a Torana mag when she was 15 years old. This set her on a solid Holden L-series path, culminating in ‘Yoshi’, the silky-smooth LX you see here.

Tell us how you got into Torries.

My family isn’t into cars, yet my first boyfriend’s dad was. I helped him work on cars and also came across a Torana-only magazine; it was love at first sight. I still have the mag to this day, having read it thousands of times.

And you had a Torry as your first car?

I bought a $400 LC Torana project when I was 15 years old. When my neighbour Ian saw me with the LC, he headed over to offer a hand. That was our first meeting, which led us to becoming great mates; he helped me almost every day. Thanks to him I also watched my first Bathurst.

What happened with the LC?

I started on it, but it was in really poor condition, with a lot of damage in the rear. I soon realised that the cost of fixing it wasn’t worth it, so it went to the wreckers. Next, I had a Contessa Gold LX hatch, which was written off by a truck in 2003. After that I religiously trawled through the Trading Post each Thursday, calling every single advert for Torana hatchbacks. I ended up finding a green, four-cylinder Sunbird. I built that into Yoshi, the LX I have today.

That’s a great hue!

I’d imagined a purple Torana done this way for a fair while. I wanted a colour that no one else had, so I had four different custom purples painted onto a VT guard to take with me everywhere I went for a week, to see it in all different lights. Paint is a big decision; gone are the days of $2000 resprays. The LX was set to be ready for our wedding, but the panel shop pulled the pin only five months out! I found another shop, yet they couldn’t do it in the timeframe, promising a year but taking two. Thankfully the body was almost perfect, with almost no rust or dents.

That’s no four-banger up front!

My hubby Darryn and my mates in the Victorian Torana Club talked me into fitting the worked 308ci that we had lying around, and I definitely don’t regret it! Behind is a Trimatic with a stage II shift kit and 2500rpm stall, while the diff is a banjo with LSD and 3.08s.

So now it’s all cruising and car shows?

We unveiled it at the 2013 Newcastle Toranafest, running it in during the drive there and back. I was also privileged to be chosen for the all-female Northern Gals Girl Power car show last year. It’s awesome to be among like-minded women. I love cruising and showing Yoshi; through the car scene we now have great friends locally and interstate. Yet Yoshi wouldn’t be the car it is today without Darryn’s help – thank you!