ANDRA’s Best Engineered Vehicle Award is a prestigious honour for Australian built drag racing vehicles, the winner at this year’s Fuchs Winternationals was Super Compact competitor Chris Tait in his Toyota-powered Nissan 200SX.
Winners of the award must have built or restored the vehicle within the last five years and demonstrate technical excellence in engineering along with detailed presentation.
Tait said the majority of the build was completed by himself with his father Rod Snr, brother Rod Jnr and friends.
Unlike a lot of home builds, the car is far from thrown together.
“This machine is top notch, built to a high standard using high quality parts and with the help from some of the best companies in the business,” Tait said.
The John Lang chassis was purchased from JPC in Melbourne as a roller, about 80 percent complete. The chassis was first tech inspected by ANDRA to ensure everything was in line with the rule book and after a few small changes it was given the all clear.
The body covering the full tube chassis is a mixture of steel and light weight carbon fibre. Doors, boot lid, rear bumper and one piece front clip are all made from carbon fibre and the paint was finished in several coats of Narooma Blue (Flash Finishes).
“The chassis itself is a work of art but it’s really what’s lurking under the front clip that sets this car apart from the rest,” Tait said. “Rather than going for one of the usual Japanese Import engine combos that we see so often now days, myself and the Good Times Racing crew decided to go with a locally-delivered donk. That engine is a Toyota 3RZ-FE 2.7L four cylinder usually found powering a Hilux work ute which is capable of pumping out over 1300hp at the wheels and has propelled the car to a PB of 7.13.”
Internally the engine is relatively mild with the only aftermarket additions being a set of Arias pistons and R&R rods, swinging off a modified factory 3RZ crank. Externally though, there’s a whole heap of go-fast bits that allow this engine to produce the power it does. Pressure is provided courtesy of a Borg Warner turbo blowing through a PWR cooler and into a custom designed plenum machined by Bliss Custom Engineering. The heavily modified 3RZ head was also ported in house. Power is then passed through a 7” Ace triple plate slider clutch to a custom 9” differential by Aussie Diffs.
Remember if you are racing at the Australian Nationals, Westernationals or Winternationals and your vehicle is Australian built within the last five years you are eligible for the award at these events. To nominate simply see the ANDRA staff at the event.
