FORGED IN FIRE!

DAN MORTON'S 'FORGED' XY FAIRMONT BRINGS CONCEPT-CAR EXECUTION TO A CLASSIC AUSSIE MUSCLE CAR

- BORIS VISKOVIC

WHERE do you start when it comes to telling a story about a car that has so much going on, you're not even sure you can fit it all into 10 pages? Well, the first thing to make clear right from the start is that, while this spectacular XY might look like an out-and-out show car, it has been built to be driven, and has been fully engineered to be registered as an individually constructed vehicle (ICV). It's been 12 years in the making, and at times it tested the patience of everyone involved, but the result is one of the most amazing cars to hit the scene in the past decade.

The build is a real testament to the determination of owner Dan Morton, not to mention the highly skilled team at Pat's Pro Restos & Refinishing in Beaudesert, Queensland, who made Dan's dream a reality. It debuted at this year's Meguiar's MotorEx and stamped its authority over the competition from the outset, taking home the Grand Master award, as well as Gold for Paint, Bodywork, Undercarriage & Driveline, Interior, Impact & Display, Innovation, and Engine & Components.

The project started out as a Fairmont with a 351 and Top Loader, and a pretty nice one at that. Dan managed to knock the purchase price down a bit, as he didn't want the engine and 'box - he had much bigger plans for the drivetrain.

He'd already bought himself a Kaase Racing Boss Nine, which can make anywhere from 500 to 1000hp naturally aspirated, depending on the specs. Dan ticked the box for the 598ci version, so he's at the upper end of that range.

The engine is mated to a TCI 6x six-speed auto, which is a trick bit of kit as well. While it's based on a 4L80E, the clever people at TCI have managed to shove a couple of extra gears in it to make a closely stacked five-speed with a 0.75 overdrive on sixth. Matched to the 4.11:1 gears in the Strange nine-inch, it should make for some fun times and reasonable highway manners.