LEE KENNEDY
XY FAIRMONT
“HAVING owned many Holdens and a few Chryslers, this is my first Ford. I bought it 15 years ago as a registered, running car. It’s the first car I’ve built from start to finish on my own, including rust repair, panel, paint and interior. The motor was originally a 250, backed by a column-shift auto. My old man had a spare 302 Clevo with a C10 auto, so I planned to freshen those up and drop them in, but after talking to various people and reading heaps on engine configuration and specs, I decided to take a bit more time and turn the 302 into a 351 using a crank-and-rods donor I found on Gumtree. I used the 302 closed-chamber heads and spent three weekends porting and cleaning them up. I had a local machine shop do the guides, seats and a light machine to square them up and fully balance the rotating assembly. Once this was done I started reassembly with new bearings, pistons, rings, valves, seals etc. I then changed the Crow cam from a 302-spec cruiser to a profile better suited to a 351, and added Yella Terra roller rockers, an Edelbrock Air Gap manifold and Edelbrock 600 vac-sec carb. I also opted for a Pertronix Flame-thrower ignition system. On the dyno, the engine topped out at 380hp. After that I added a high-stall converter and Stage 2 shift kit for the C10. She sat dormant for another 12 months while I attacked the boot, bonnet, doors and interior. I then repainted the car True Blue with an Ultra White roof, with a GS stripe to break it up. Thanks to Sally and Gary at Bendigo Retro Muscle Cars, Linden Little, Adrian at Motion Exhaust, and my wife and kids for their patience and giving me an occasional hand to fit a door or a bonnet.”
KRANZY’S old-school HR Holden was a garage sale-find on a trip back from Bendigo to Geelong two years ago. The classic Holden was sporting old-school Skogs all ’round and an 80s stance, but Kranzy could see the potential for improvement. Once home, he set about shortening the diff and mini-tubbing the rear before shoehorning a set of original 15x8 Center Lines with 255/60 boots under the rear quarters. Fronts are 3½x15 running 155/80 rubber. He also added an under-dash air con unit and modified the centre console to suit. Power comes from the 186 (bored to 192ci) Holden six with a Yella Terra head, Crow cam, balanced Starfire rods and a set of triple SU carbies. Electronic ignition provides the spark, while a set of extractors remove the spent gases. A Trimatic ’box with a Dominator high-stall sends power down to the 3.36:1-ratio banjo diff. Photos: Greg Forster