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Ford Motor into a Torana

Started by _JBird_ , Apr 29 2006 05:03 PM

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70 replies to this topic

#51 _LXChev366_

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Posted 03 May 2006 - 11:48 AM

Interesting thread.... I can add some facts about the owner and the car as I have known Steve for a few years... Steve and I have done some race meetings together and I have worked with him at our local Holden dealership for a few years.
The car is a genuine LC XU1 log booked Group C car. He has tried over the years to keep it close to Group C trim as possible but from hearing bad reports from the Group NC category (?) he was put off by it. So he bit the bullet and fitted the flares and finally the engine. He has raced it as a Sports sedan fro the past 10 years or so but in basic group C trim. He still has the standard boot and bonnet etc...

He is traditionally a Ford man from way back but he likes LJ/LC Toranas' etc. His old 202 engine was fast and fairly reliable but was annoying him with its faults. So he tried to sell it and possibly move to an RX7 (of all things) as they are very competitive track cars...

He has owned 6 Cyl Ford cars for years and loves them... he has gone from owning XD's, EA's and currently owns an AU XR6. He would like to move to a BA XR6 Turbo. His Wife and son Matt own EA Falcons. He also has an early Cortina. He is about 55 years old and his skills as a mechanic and basic panel beater are unquestionable.... he has forgotten more than I know as a mechanic!! His attention to detail and presentation are his trademark....

The mod of fitting the Ford 6 to this car would have been 99% done by Him and when I first heard about it I thought he was mad also. I wouldn't have done it. When I was last at his house he was modifing a sump with all new oil pickups and baffles to fit to the motor. The car then had a huge hole in the transmission tunnel and the engine was "sitting" in the engine bay. I havent seen the finished product.

So hopefully I have given you some background on the guy to basically understand where he is coming from.

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#52 shanegtr

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Posted 03 May 2006 - 01:52 PM

Think of the bright side, he's just devaluated it by about at least 50% . So when the engine packs it in and breaks down and the car is for sale, it'll be up for grabs by one of us.
Easily converted back to its original form.

Thats very true. The only thing that niggles me, get a sheet metal rocker cover made, then at least people who dont know any better wont be able to tell its a ford motor :tease:

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#53 _Loki_

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Posted 04 May 2006 - 10:23 AM

Loki the hemi has been done a long time ago, some of the other older member might recall, going back about 15 years maybe longer, street machine did a article on a LC/LJ ( I think it was LC) with a 265 hemi and tripples from memory it was baby blue colour.

Cheers Chris

Wasn't aware of that, thanks.

Either way, would imagine there's not too many around, and if an R/T Charger spec is still a 14sec (quicker than a stock WRX) car to this day, with the weight advantage in a little LC/J it would haul!
Wouldn't mind seeing more on that LC/J with the 265 if anybody has any details or a scan of the SM article!

Ohh, plus I think those 265's sound tougher than v8's

- J.

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#54 antelopeslr5000

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Posted 04 May 2006 - 10:48 AM

A Ford engine in a Holden? That's like having sex with your sister... sure it can be done but it's just plain wrong! :blink:

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#55 _gtr-xu1_

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Posted 04 May 2006 - 03:11 PM

this car was 4 sale 12 months back for 20K with a red motor and webbers. I did email the owner of the car back then, enquiring about the cars history and it only has a hillclimb log Book. So you guys dont need to be so upset.

secondly a mate of mine loves 351 clevos and liked the shape off LX toranas so he put a 351 in a yellow LX hatch and also a 351 in a genuine LX A9X 4 door. both these cars have since been sold as rollers the hatch ended up with a chev in it and another mate bought the A9X and fitted a 330 VN headed engine with nos that ran a few 10sec passes, the A9x has since been sold again about 2 years ago and i nolonger know of its where abouts.

cheers
gtr-xu1

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#56 _gmp&a_

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Posted 04 May 2006 - 04:47 PM

this car was 4 sale 12 months back for 20K with a red motor and webbers. I did email the owner of the car back then, enquiring about the cars history and it only has a hillclimb log Book. So you guys dont need to be so upset.

Phewwwwww

I nearly scratched a hole in my head! I'm all for people doing whatever the hell they want with their cars, but some should not be messed with. I think the little LJ looks great, but then again, as long as there are GT40's on this earth, I'll always be more than a bit Ford inclined too :spoton:

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#57 _age_

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Posted 04 May 2006 - 06:40 PM

My dad has an AU2 Falcon, 350,000 on the clock. All original, and untouched running gear. Still runs twice as smooth as any commodore.

my dads old vs wagon (which we still have for sale) has original engine with 400,000k's on the clock and still goes strong when we used to drive it around, have now moved onto a vy wagon.
it may not be 900,000k's but its on its way there, every holden motor may not be as reliable as our one was.
my point is that everyone has different thoughts about each car/engine. ford enthusiasts would probably call all holden engines bad, while we hate/dislike ford motors.

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#58 Peter UC

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Posted 05 May 2006 - 06:32 PM

I think putting a Ford engine in a Holden is more in keeping to the car than using a Japanese engine, simple explanation, quite a lot of people on here like Fords but not many like rice. Muscle car engine in a muscle car still makes sence.

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#59 _Herne_

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Posted 05 May 2006 - 07:04 PM

Thems ^^^ my sentiments exactly Peter UC.

Cheers
Herne

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#60 _MATTJ_

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Posted 30 May 2006 - 07:47 PM

hey all this torana is my dads car,and yeah we did this conversion to mainly just try something different, dad did want to sell it a while back but had a change of heart and plans and ended up doing this conversion, it may be"wrong" to many because of it being a ford motor, but i havent seen many 202's that still wheelspin up to 4th gear before! this motor has some serious torque!

. Love it orhate it its different and dad did it to be challenge himself both engineering wise and and as a driver it gives him more versatility in driving it now. He's running at Wakefield park this sunday at a supersprint, come check it out if anyones keen.
cheers
matty

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#61 _TORANASS_

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Posted 30 May 2006 - 09:10 PM

900,000ks from a ford 6? Ok ill beleive it but how many times has the head come off and how often was the Oil changed...

My old man used to have a HQ kingswood wagon 3 on the tree with a 173, he drove it for 20 years and avaraged at least 40,000ks a year and till the day he traded it in on his VK executive it was running strong...Oh did i mention that was a 1971 model HQ so 30years plus old technology..

Do the math..

John

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#62 lakeside

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Posted 30 May 2006 - 09:18 PM

I love it

Why use a 202 when there is something alot better around.

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#63 RIM-010

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Posted 30 May 2006 - 09:21 PM

Haha, its funny how we say its bad putting a Ford engine in a Torana, and the guys on the Ford forum think its a waste of a Ford engine...

RIM

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#64 DanWA

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Posted 30 May 2006 - 09:28 PM

totally opposite to topic title but prolly a little more liked... my old man recently bought a 1864 Ford Anglia off his mate at work.. was his grandads car... $500 licenced but didnt come with original plates... anyway i went down to visit on the weekend and he broke out with all the "olden days" (im only 19) stories.. well when he was 28 just after having my older brother him and his mates cut the engine bay out of an anglia and the little shelf thing out under their dash and put a worked 186s in it with 4 speed and had a tailshaft made for $30 (i wish we had that these days) anyway he drove it for a good 4 years before mr blue asked to pop the hood then it was over and the old lady made him palm it off... when i find a scanner i can get an old school pic to upload... apparently it smoked all gears and didnt need brake to smoke 1st on the spot.. i dont remember the car as i was 1 1/2 in the back when he was pulled over

sorry for the big spill, thought a few of the old dudes would enjoy the read

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#65 lakeside

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Posted 30 May 2006 - 10:30 PM

near 20years ago, i had a 67 toyota corona 202 tri matic. It would wheelstand off the lights. it ran a 13.1 or 12.9 at calder with a stock red 161. this is one here Toyota Corona they make a lj torana look huge

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#66 Pop's-SS

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Posted 31 May 2006 - 12:03 AM

I don't mind what motor goes into a Torana just as long as they don't do it to an original GTR/XU-1/SLR5000/L34/A9X

Regards .................. Barry

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#67 _MATTJ_

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Posted 31 May 2006 - 09:41 AM

I don't mind what motor goes into a Torana just as long as they don't do it to an original GTR/XU-1/SLR5000/L34/A9X

Regards .................. Barry

sorry man it was/is a lc GTR-Xu1 :spoton:

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#68 orangeLJ

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Posted 31 May 2006 - 07:07 PM

My god my nightmares have come true!! my neighbour, after a ride in a nowhere near stock XR6 turbo decided he wanted to put a XR6 turbo motor in a torana. I told him it just wasnt right and he gave up on the idea, and decided he'd rather a rotor motor in a ta or somthing, which still isnt my thing but atleast its not destroying a classic. its simply a clash of cultures and some may say its fine but there has always been the clear cut holden-ford rivalry and its a very passionate affair to many people such as myself. So my comment is that i wouldnt mind a swap from another model (maybe not too ricey) into a torana but when there is such ongoing rivalry this is just wrong. UP THE HOLDENS!!
CHEERS Chris :rockon:

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#69 DanWA

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Posted 31 May 2006 - 07:59 PM

When bibra lake speedway was going in perth there was 2 lj xu1 stock cars still with tags running around.. one was a top 5 runner to...

anyway back on topic

250 = torque packed... i had a td cortina... www.perthstreetcars.net (not spamming, its just a site i use purely for the cortina video - click the pic to download the vid.. 12mb)

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#70 DanWA

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Posted 31 May 2006 - 08:01 PM

just checked that link with the corona... my mate has one exactly the same sitting under his carport with a 13b and 51mm webber... i will get some pics up of this to (he has a digicam woohoo)

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#71 _mike_nofx_

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Posted 02 June 2006 - 06:37 PM

900,000ks from a ford 6? Ok ill beleive it but how many times has the head come off and how often was the Oil changed...

My old man used to have a HQ kingswood wagon 3 on the tree with a 173, he drove it for 20 years and avaraged at least 40,000ks a year and till the day he traded it in on his VK executive it was running strong...Oh did i mention that was a 1971 model HQ so 30years plus old technology..

Do the math..

John

Yeah 900,000km.

As it was owned by a limo company, it had a monthly oil change.

As for the head coming off, Im not sure if they did or not, but they said they hadn't done any work to it. I doubt they would bother fixing the engines as they get brand new ones for $600, any work done to repair a worn engine would cost more than that anyway.