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GRANT PEGLER'S LX SS TORANA HATCH USES AN UNOPENED LS AND A BREATH OF BOOST TO RUN NINES AT DRAG CHALLENGE

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YOU might be a bit sick of the #LSTheWorld craze, but when you hear stories like what Grant Pegler has achieved with an unopened LS and a pair of turbos in his LX Torana hatchback, even the best lawyer would struggle to form an argument against the merits of the ubiquitous Bowtie mill.

"I haven't even pulled the heads off; it's still running the original head gaskets," says Grant of the Torry's stout L98. "All we've done is remove the timing cover for the camshaft swap and the rocker covers for the upgraded valvetrain, and bolted the manifolds and the rest to the outside of it." That's all the assistance the mill received in order to cop boost from a pair of Garrett G25-660 hairdryers.

The push for a turbo LS combo came from three-time Drag Challenge overall winner Quentin Feast. "He's a good mate of mine, so after I finished fifth in the Dial Your Own class at Drag Challenge 2016, when the car was still running low 11s with the old 500hp, 355 stroker, he persisted with asking, 'Don't you want to go faster?"" Grant recalls.