Llama had the pleasure of working on the Hogg family’s stunning XD Falcon.
The car is painted in a vibrant Suzuki Swift Championship Yellow as a homage to Allan Moffat’s Federation Insurance weapon that he peddled at Bathurst in the 1980s.
The car was running and competing, but the customer felt there was more time to be had in her, and requested a range of upgrades. She was also dynamically unstable on the race track with the current suspension setup.
The Falcon originally came in with a 429 big block, more power was required however, so we decided to go down the path of the Clevor. The Clevor is a famous “Frankenstein” hybrid engine built by mating high-flowing Ford 351 Cleveland cylinder heads to a standard Ford Windsor small-block. Building a Clevor isn’t a direct “drop-in” swap, it requires specialised custom intake manifolds and a load of other specific knowledge.
The engine is a unique combination of known airflow characteristics and short cam timing, enabling us to produce a phenomenally wide torque curve with good peak power, making for one very responsive and enjoyable drive.
Machining the intake manifold
The fuel system was upgraded to suit the new manifold with custom ITBs. The big bonnet scoop she used to sport is gone, a new fibreglass bonnet was sourced and 3d-scanned, then a custom airbox designed to pull air in from just above the firewall was built.
3d Scan mockup of the airbox and the manufactured Airbox in Situation
To make her go around corners properly, and to make her period correct we 3D scanned the car, capturing the original suspension mount points (which have been used) and built a model in Solidworks. A fully custom front suspension setup using the double A-arm concept and custom uprights and hubs, this new setup has allowed the falcon to revert to a OEM styled suspension setup whilst utilising the ability for fine tuning and handling, this was meticulously designed by our specialist engineer Frank.
3D model of the suspension setup
Significant time and research went into this process to ensure we could get the ride height correct, and give us flexibility in the camber, caster and toe adjustability. She now sits planted and is a joy through the corners.
Machining AND Test fitting the HUBs
Throughout the process we made extensive use of both 3d scanning and printing technology to ensure accurate placement of components, and to test fit prior to manufacturing. This approach allows us to reduce errors and material wastage, while speeding up delivery of the project.
3d scan and modelling of the pulley group and test fitting of the 3d printed intake manifiold, throttle body and velocity stacks
Mated to the small block is a brand new Tremec TKO 600 transmission, while power is fed through a McLeod twin-disc clutch and travels down a Collier Motor Engineers custom driveshaft to a three-linked nine-inch rear end. A brand new exhaust gives her a unique sound.
This car is a unique product of years of development and experience, all rolled into one package. It has enabled Llama to demonstrate its range of capabilities using the diverse skills from our amazing team of engineers, fabricators, mechanics and engine builders.
