THERE WAS NO WAY RAJ WAS SIMPLY GOING TO REPLACE THE CAM WHEN THE XW’S ENGINE BAY WAS GAGGING FOR SOMETHING LARGER

Unfortunately for the Falcon, it was around this time that Raj lost interest in the project and decided to embark on his big OE to see the world. Nine years later, with a spring in his step and some new-found enthusiasm, he returned to complete the build so that he could once again have a bit of fun. Almost as soon as Raj cleared customs, the work began, and Raj’s days of swapping cogs were over. The Toploader was retired and an order for a Chuck Mann special was placed. Now, old Chuck knows his way around all things transmission, and uses only the best internals; Raj wanted something bulletproof, and that’s exactly what he got. The C6 was loaded with aftermarket bits, and had a JW 3500rpm stall converter thrown in for good measure. Fortunately, Raj didn’t have to go any further rearwards than that, as the Falcon already had a Chassisworks nine-inch under the bum, filled with a Strange head, 3.31:1 gears, and 31-spline axles. With the running gear and panel and paint completed in record time, it was onto the long list of tedious stuff: wiring; installation of the bucket seats, B&M Pro Ratchet shifter, Auto Meter gauges, new carpets … the list went on and on but rapidly grew shorter. It had been a long time between drinks for Raj, and he was itching to get back behind the wheel. For good measure, and with safety in mind, Dean Scott whipped up a removable four-point roll cage. This is a street car first and foremost, and Raj needs it to perform street-car duties — in his mind, a fixed roll cage leans too much towards the ‘race car that is driven on the street’ category, and that’s not for him.