First published in the February 2008 issue of Street Machine

I bought this thing and it was in pieces,” says two-times Summernats burnout champion Peter Grmusa. ‘This thing’ is the wild XR Falcon you’re looking at, and it used to be a hell of a mess. Back then all the rust had been cut out but none of the new patches had been welded in so the XR was more square holes than body. But just six weeks later it was a rampaging methanol-fuelled monster that could shred a pair of new tyres in seconds.

“It was just insane,” says Peter, talking about the speed of the build.

Not only was it fast, the first build-up was a real hands-on affair, with Peter and his fiancée Samantha working on the car together, paint-stripping it to prep it for the paint shop.

“I also had a mate come around and give me a hand with the bodywork,” Peter recalls. Even the paint job was a high-speed affair.

“I took it to this panel shop owned by the cousin of a mate. I turned up on a Monday and told him: ‘Mate, I’ve got to pick the car up on Thursday,’ and on Thursday I picked it up, painted.”

The build nearly ended up being on an XT instead. You see, back when Peter got the idea to build this car he was looking specifically for an XR Falcon but couldn’t find one for sale. Then he spotted an XT Falcon in the Trading Post that would do the job, so he bought that instead. And then the very next week there was an XR for sale — this XR, in fact — so Peter bought it and pushed the XT out into the backyard, eventually selling it to a mate.

Being a factory 289 V8 Falcon, the XR wasn’t your average grocery-getter but, as mentioned, it wasn’t exactly in prime condition either. With purple paint and a set of Convo Pros on the outside and a basic black interior, the car soon looked like a nice streeter, however. What made the difference was the blown 408-cube Clevo that Peter slotted up front. We followed the build of the engine in Street Machine Fords (Issue #7) and the methanol-slurping beast punched a very respectable 648hp at the flywheel.

Funnily enough, the car didn’t make its debut at any of the big shows. The first time we saw this tyre-shredder in action was at a top secret shed party (Adults Only, SM Sept ’06). Pure insanity was the theme of the night and the blown XR filled the compound with a blanketing fog of thick tyre smoke in mere moments.

It was amazing to think that six weeks earlier the car was a wreck riddled with holes and here it was, destroying Bridgestone’s finest as quickly as they could be bolted to the car.

From there Peter entered Summernats 19 and the burnout competition.

“That was the first time I took that car to a burnout competition,” Peter says. And, as you’ll know if you’re paying attention, he won.

The only other burnout competition Peter had ever entered was over at Shepparton many years before and he came nowhere. It’s a pretty amazing feat to come from nowhere and win the biggest burnout competition in the land.

“All the practice came from the streets,” says Peter. “Chapel Street, Lygon Street, Altona beach, Williamstown beach and Elwood beach.” Yep, he was a bad, bad man but those days are over.

“It’s all too strict now so I just wanted to do something blown, something killer.”

Over the next 12 months Peter entered and won plenty of burnout competitions including the first Gazzanats and Revfest. Then he collected his second Summernats win, at Summernats 20.

“I picked up a few sponsors after Summernats,” says Peter. “John jr [Taverna Bros] did the tubs and Uneek Car Care beat and painted the whole car.”

While the first build might have only taken six weeks Peter took his time putting the car through the second build. This time he spent a whole nine weeks on it.

Out the back, the old mini-tubs were replaced with a set of full tubs and a back halved chassis. Underneath, the Falcon still runs leaf springs but they’ve been moved a fair way inboard and the nine-inch was given a big cut ’n’ shut. Uneek Car Care gave the outside a facelift with a new two-tone paint job using House Of Kolor Violet Kandy up top and silver sprayed over the lower extremities. Dividing the two there’s an orange pinstripe for a little extra colour. You might have noticed there are no door handles or petrol filler cap; that gives the Falcon a super-clean exterior. The handles were rendered obsolete after a remote door-opening kit was installed — each button does a different door. The interior door handles work fine just in case you have to exit quickly — such as when the car is on fire, which has happened once or twice before.

The nine-week rebuild was long enough to include an interior make-over at Auto Image. Gone was the drab black interior, replaced by a new custom creation featuring four bucket seats. In fact there was a white leather retrim first but Peter didn’t like that much; sensible, considering all the bits of rubber that would have smeared into it with every burnout. Nowadays grey, blue and orange abound, with a smattering of billet and a side order of Auto Meter gauges.

As well as the tubs at the tail end, there’s an 80-litre methanol tank and two Odyssey batteries to keep the fires alight. There’s also a Barry Grant electric pump that transfers fuel up front to a 15-litre tank from which the crank-mounted mechanical pump draws its fuel.

Peter admits the XR is a bit heavy on the juice. On the Falcon’s Easternats debut with the fresh engine, paint, interior and wheels, the beast consumed a scary 40 litres per lap of Sandown!

“I’d do just two laps and then I’d have to come in,” says Peter, ruefully.

That might have something to do with the new engine. It’s still 408 cubes of Clevo but the new set-up runs a Blower Shop 8/71, Buzzard Catcher injection, AFD 4Vs worked by Comp Head, and more boost. According to Peter the new R&N Superchargers-built donk punches 1028hp to the flywheel. That’s a pretty healthy power boost.

“You just have to touch the pedal and it’s spinning the tyres instantly,” Pete says. “You can’t take off — it just torches the rubber.”

As for the transmission, well, get ready for a disappointment, Ford fans. Peter tried — he really did — but after destroying a pile of C10 transmissions he conceded defeat and finally went to a Powerglide built by Keas Transmissions.

And what about those tyres? We know you’ve been itching to ask. When the car reappeared at Easternats it was packing a pretty meaty set of 20in wheels, with a pair of 13in-wide rollers on the back. But that’s nothing compared to what’s under there now.

“They’re the biggest you can buy,” Peter says. Before you start yelling and pointing to crazy 36in wheels in the US, we’re talking wide not high. Peter still has 20s under the rear but now the rims measure up at a totally insane 18 inches wide.

The tyres stretched over them are by Mickey Thompson and running the tape over them, you’ll come up with 18in wide and 29in tall.

“My mates just calls it Bigfoot,” Peter says. It really is an apt description. “When I bought the new wheels I thought: ‘Shit! I hope they fit.’” No worries there — they fit perfectly. Up front the wheels are a mere 19×8 — they look like front runners when you compare them to what’s down the back!

It’s a crazy car. Unbelievable horsepower, great colour combination, a kick-arse interior and wheels that would look more at home flattening the pitch at the MCG. But the craziest bit is that Peter just built this car to muck around in.

You see, he’s been building an XA ute for a long time now and the plan was to bolt the XR together as something to amuse himself with in the meantime. Of course it was never Peter’s intention that the XR would evolve into what you see today; it just happened. Worryingly, Peter reckons the XA is going to be really wild — as if the XR wasn’t already!

“I don’t want to give too much away. You’ll have to wait and see.”

PETER GRMUSA
1967 XR FORD FALCON

THANKS
My sponsors; Blitz Custom Exhaust — thanks Blitzy; R&N Superchargers (0425 851 703) — you’re the man, Rob; Taverna Brothers (03 9359 6965) — Johnny, you’ve been great support, thanks mate; Uneek Customs — the hard work paid off mate, thanks for everything; Mr Duke for the airbrushing — you’re the best in the west, thanks bro’; Comp Heads — just met a great friend, thanks; Auto Image (03 9464 1157) — you’re the best trimmer out there, trim done overnight! You’re a champ. Not forgetting Keas Transmissions (03 9460 8866) and thanks to all the crew — Trent, Roy, Zlate, Dave, Danny jr, Benny Corey and the rest of the boys. Special thanks to my missus, Samantha, and our baby girl, Alyssa, for all the time spent away from them to finish this project. Anyone I left out — sorry in advance!