CHASING HORSES

WITH MORE THAN FIVE TIMES THE FACTORY HORSEPOWER, THIS BARRASWAPPED RANGER IS MUCH MORE THAN A SHOW PONY

- DAN EVERETT

LET’S CUT straight to the punch. You’re looking at the most powerful Ford Ranger in Australia. By a long, long, long way. While the internet is rife with people pushing their 3.2 Duratorqs to their limits chasing anything north of 200 rear wheel horsepower, Michael has obliterated that with an eye-watering 750hp at the rear wheels. If you’ve come here hoping for a write-up on storage drawers and roll-out awnings, you’re in for a bad time. But if forged rods, billet internals and one-off adaptors for exotic transmissions are your kind of funk then you’re in for a treat.

Let’s get one thing clear right from the start: the original 3.2L five-cylinder turbo-diesel that came standard in Michael’s 2013 PX1 Ranger (yeah, she’s a first-gen) is a distant memory. In its place is now the holy grail of Aussie motoring: a 4.0L six-cylinder ‘Barra’. Aussie-designed and -built, the big six was found in everything from naturally aspirated taxis to high-performance factory turbocharged applications, but none of them were ever as wild as this offering. 

Taking an x-ray to the Barra reveals the secret to a reliable 750hp at the wheels. ACL race bearings wrap around a factory crank tasked with keeping the forged Spool rods moving freely, with matching forged Spool CP pistons on the angry end. The combination is good for a reliable 1000hp-plus should Michael decide to wind the wick up even further. A factory Barra head is still more than handling the power. Michael’s fitted it up with heavier duty Crow Cam valve springs to fight off the dreaded valve float. A combination of ARP head studs and an MLS head gasket keep it firmly sealed to the block even when the two-step button is fired into life.