“Since I’d been whinging to my wife for the past decade, I recently swapped my 533kW FG G6E Turbo for this Barra-swapped 1980 XD Fairmont. It was 80 per cent the way I wanted it, but I’ve been adding my own flavour and touches.

First published in the November 2023 issue of Street Machine

“The engine is based around a BF gassy stock-bottom-end mill, with billet oil pump gears and backing plate; 12mm ARP head studs; a Cometic MLS head gasket; FG turbo head with factory turbo cams and inlet plenum; and a Pulsar G42-1450 turbo with a T4 1.15 rear housing that sits on a custom Pro Mod-style manifold, with twin Turbosmart 40mm CompGate wastegates and 14psi springs.

“Fuelling has been upgraded with a Plazmaman billet twin-feed fuel rail, Turbosmart FPR8 fuel reg, a Taarks four-litre billet surge tank with triple Walbro 525L/h pumps staged via an adjustable Hobbs switch, and a Carter Silver series pump that acts as the lift pump and runs all 8AN lines and half-inch hardlines.

“A Raceworks 100mm Track Series intercooler keeps the intake temps at bay, but a water-meth kit is there just in case the North Queensland sun wants to melt anything outside. The trans is a built C4 from T&D Bros Racing, and includes a reverse-pattern body, transbrake, billet servo and 4500rpm TCE converter.

“A nine-inch diff with a full spool, 3.5 gears and 31-spline axles transfers the power to a set of 15×8 Weld wheels with Raiden 275 drag radials, while 17×4.5 Bristol front-runners with 165 Nankang tyres help steer it in the right direction.

“There is a set of E-series XR8 rear disc brakes to help pull the old box up. It will be on the hub dyno in October with a set of 2200cc injectors strapped in, and with a goal of 600rwkW, it should make for a cool car for school pick-ups and drop-offs until the built bottom end goes in next year.”