ROYAL CARRIAGE

BENNY ROYAL TOOK A FAMILY HEIRLOOM TOYOTA CORONA, SHOVED A 1JZ IN IT AND HEADED OFF FOR FIVE DAYS OF DRAG-AND-DRIVE

- KIAN HEAGNEY

AS FAMILY heirlooms go, Benny Royal's 1973 Toyota Corona Mk2 is a hell of a lot cooler than an old piece of jewellery. "It's been in the family for 35 years; I was two years old when my parents bought it," Benny recalls. "My dad hotted it up in the 90s with a 265 Hemi, and it did a best of 14.3, which was pretty quick for its time."

As the 90s came to a close, the Corona got parked up, until an 18-year-old Benny decided he wanted to give it another lease on life. "It needed some love, so I started chipping away at it with a mate," he says. "I moved to Perth for a few years, which delayed the project, but when I got back, I went head-first into it."