Rhett Walker

I'm a lover of all kinds of Fairlanes especially the old girls, the classic Muscle looking ones from the ZB - XH and so on.

I got a 302w in mine (ZD) and I was wondering how a mildly worked 302, cam, extractors, 4 barrel etc would propel the 1,400kg beast down the quarter.

Whats your best ET's in yours?
Anyone fitted a big block in theirs?

How hard is it to change from a windsor to cleveland, is it worth it?

Any general advice, comments, questions. Post em here

ZC-Cruiser

Clevo is a big heavy lump - best thing I ever did for the ZC was turf the Clevo and put in a 6 - was a 250 2V, now a Crossflow carby - soon probably a Crossflow EFI

Handling is so far superior that on a cruise with a Clevo powered ZD, the other guy commented without my mentioning it that he was amazed at how fast I could wheel the ZC into corners - way faster than he could with the ZD.

Understeer is much reduced and brake fade is a thing of the past.

Stick with the Windsor...

__________________
"It's good to honk in a Henry"
FTW Racing - Fabricated To Win

1970 ZC Fairlane - Pictures HERE
1971 XY Falcon Ute - Pictures HERE

Rhett Walker

Yeah, I'd imagine that would be the case. With mine it actually handles and brakes extremely well for a 36 year old car! I would never go back to a six though, I reckon it needs the rumbly V8 presence and nothing looks more trick than a nice 8 engine bay but I can completely see your point. If I had the chance I would love to put in an xr6 turbo motor in an old XY or ZD, reckon it would be awes.

ZC-Cruiser

Yep, the XR6 Turbo would be a killer conversion...
At the moment, you can pick up XF and ZL cars for as little as $0 so that is what I am using to upgrade my old Z cars...

When the BAs start showing up for really low dollars, I'll look into them...

__________________
"It's good to honk in a Henry"
FTW Racing - Fabricated To Win

1970 ZC Fairlane - Pictures HERE
1971 XY Falcon Ute - Pictures HERE

Rhett Walker

ha ha ha
Be a while yet before BA's and 6 speeds come cheap!

__________________
Gimme an old classic cruiser any day over a new car. I can jump on my fairlane all day long and not even dent it, just bump a new car 'n' your off to the panel beaters...

ZC-Cruiser

Probably 15 or 20 years - I can wait...

__________________
"It's good to honk in a Henry"
FTW Racing - Fabricated To Win

1970 ZC Fairlane - Pictures HERE
1971 XY Falcon Ute - Pictures HERE

Unregistered

What diff gears are you running and is the gear box worked at all?

fairlane71

[QUOTE=
I got a 302w in mine (ZD) and I was wondering how a mildly worked 302, cam, extractors, 4 barrel etc would propel the 1,400kg beast down the quarter.

Whats your best ET's in yours? [/QUOTE]

What diff gears are you running and what gearbox do you have in.

Mine ran 15.5 with similar mods but with a high stall, shift kit and 3.5 gears, but it should be good for a low 15 with a good tune.

If your running a stock auto and diff then I cant see you getting a better time than in the low 16 range.

Unregistered

go the fairlanes.If you want cheap horsepower go the cleveland.It is little work to fit them in place of a windsor and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to make them go really well.You would notice quite a difference in the handling but it depends what you want.Big blocks are a very tight fit and make a clevo look the size of a windsor.I love windsors,such great compact little motors.Are you planning on pulling yours and rebuilding or just an in car hot up?If you want to make some horsepower you will really need to pull the heads and get busy with a die grinder.A well built 302w will be a lot fun but it will still get beaten in a straight line by a milder(and cheaper) 351C.
If you want to be really different how about a turbocharged 250 crossflow.
Theres a few guys now making big numbers with them running straight lpg(try 10's in an xd).

Rhett Walker

ha ha ha
All fantastic ideas. The idea of mine is just something to have a bit fo fun in, drive the missus and two kids around sometimes. It sounds nice, looks fantastic but doesn't go that hard. I want it good enough to do the odd skid, if later on I change my mind I will stick in a modded up 351w or clevo.

For the time being in the next week or so (got home duties first ha ha) I will be pulling the old girl out, stripping her down and basically having a play. Will get the block chemically cleaned etc, its already freshly bored so a quick hone will be fine. I want to play with the heads n a dye grinder, I may go a mild cam and the pistons are already fly cut flat tops. Basically a freshen up, get rid of the knock(s) and stop her smokin. Then, I may put on an edelbrock or weiand with a street avenger Holley and see what happens. The local engine builders say they were good for 220hp from factory with standard crappy carb, but sticking on a holley and extractors you get nearly 250, with pistons, manifold, carby, cam, mild head work and extractors should easily be 250+hp and more than enough to have fun with. Would love to get a new dizzy and stick on electronic ignition.

Its running a C4 with shift kit and no high stall (i like it that way) and the standard single spinner borg warner 2.7 or 2.9 ration diff. Off the line, even running sick, it is still quicker than my commodore which makes me wonder. I would be wrapped to get her low 15's maybe 14's with higher diff, but its mainly a cruiser not a weapon.

__________________
Gimme an old classic cruiser any day over a new car. I can jump on my fairlane all day long and not even dent it, just bump a new car 'n' your off to the panel beaters...