WHILE it may look like it just rolled out of 1981, Sean Anthony’s Falcon was showing plenty of promise in the Haltech Radial Blown class at Drag Challenge 2018. Sean took an old bloke’s mild-mannered stocker and turned it into a street/strip monster capable of running low nines at over 150mph.

“I bought it off an 81-year-old guy,” Sean explains. “I had to tell him I was buying it for my dad as he had one new back in the day. The old bloke didn’t want it to be messed with, as it was 130,000km and perfectly original.”

Under the bonnet is a Glenn Wells-built Ford four-litre Barra six, packing forged rods and slugs, with a Precision 91mm Pro Mod turbo, Haltech Elite 2500 ECU, and Tunnel Vision plenum. “It is running 33psi, but we can’t put any more into it as it doesn’t have fire rings or a Torrington bearing upgrade,” Sean explains. “It made 1100hp at 27psi and we’re looking to push it into the eights. It has done a 9.20@151mph, but has also done a 10.50@155mph, so the mile-per-hour is there.”

Behind the Barra is a Paul Rogers-built Reid-case Powerglide, 4000rpm converter, 9in and 3.25 gears. “We blew the ’box on the Friday before DC testing the car, limped it to Paul’s workshop in first gear with the trailer on the back, and he rebuilt it. I can’t believe how much he helped us. If it wasn’t for him doing that we’d have been out before Drag Challenge started!”

Sean was also lucky the All Race boys were able to fit him in on Friday night to build and install the rollcage and get the car ANDRA tech-inspected. “I have to say a massive thanks to Paul Rogers, the boys at All Race Fabrications, Stix at QuickBits for the late-night last-minute tuning, and also my mate Corey Benning who helped me build the car.”

Struggling with some niggling problems like a dud alternator and being able to get the car down the track without blowing the tyres off, Sean ran a best time of 9.17@149mph at Swan Hill on Day Four.

SEAN ANTHONY
1980 FORD XD FALCON

Class: Haltech Radial Blown

SPECS
Engine: Ford Barra 4.0L
Turbo: Precision 91mm Pro Mod
Transmission: Powerglide
Converter: TCE nitrous converter
Diff: 9in, 3.25:1 gears
Power: 1100hp
Previous PB: 9.20@151mph