Build catalogue
Don Childs' 1976 Triumph TR6 Ford 5.0 V8 Conversion
britishv8.orgas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XXIII Issue 1, December 2017
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1976 Triumph TR6 rebuilt around a Ford 5.0 V8
Don Childs swapped a 1993 Ford 5.0 V8 and T5 five-speed into his 1976 TR6, building a narrowed Ford TurboCoupe rear end and a custom adjustable 3-link rear suspension himself. The car got reinforced frame work, shaved and reshaped bodywork, and a full set of gauges and racing seats inside. It is a thorough, owner-engineered conversion finished over roughly two years and completed in August 2016.
Specs
As the owner states it.
- Engine
- 1993 Ford 5.0 V8 with GT-40P cylinder heads, Trick Flow Stage I camshaft, roller rockers
- Induction
- Edelbrock RPM Performer intake manifold, Holley 650cfm carburetor
- Ignition
- MSD 8582 distributor, MSD 6AL spark box
- Cooling
- Mark 7 custom aluminum radiator, Spal electric fan
- Exhaust
- Patriot tight tuck headers, Patriot side pipes
- Gearbox
- Ford-spec Borg-Warner T5 5-speed manual (1st 3.97:1, 2nd 2.34:1, 3rd 1.48:1, 4th 1:1, 5th 0.79:1), B&M shifter
- Clutch
- Ram Clutch, hydraulic throwout bearing, Speedway master cylinder
- Driveshaft
- Shortened stock Mustang driveshaft
- Rear axle
- Narrowed 8.8 inch 1988 Ford TurboCoupe rear end, 3:55:1 ring and pinion, stock limited slip differential
- Front suspension
- Modified QA1 Mustang II coilover shock absorbers, altered camber settings for radial tires
- Rear suspension
- Owner built adjustable 3-link with adjustable coilover shock absorbers
- Brakes
- Power booster on master cylinder, adjustable proportioning valve on rear circuit; stock front discs; TurboCoupe rear discs
- Wheels
- Cobra R 17x9 4-lug aluminum wheels
- Tires
- Kuhmo, 225/45-17 front, 245/45-17 rear
- Frame
- Reinforced with round tubing, modified for 3-link rear suspension, notched for side pipe clearance
- Body
- Bonnet cut for shaker-style hood scoop, door handles/locks/side marker lamps shaved, 1965 Mustang tail-lights, 427 Cobra bumperettes turned 90 degrees, custom grille, dual hoop roll bar
- Interior
- New Vintage USA instruments, racing seats and harnesses, door card
- Electrical
- Optima trunk mounted battery
- Weight
- 2400 lbs
- Date completed
- August 2016
Parts used
What the owner names in the write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Shop suggestions are being prepared. The owner's parts list is available below.
Engine 4
- 1993 Ford 5.0 V8 engineFord
Base engine for the swap
- GT-40P cylinder headsFord
Fitted to the 5.0 V8
- Stage I camshaftTrick Flow
Performance camshaft fitted to the V8
- Roller rockers
Valvetrain upgrade for the V8
Fuel & Ignition 4
- RPM Performer intake manifoldEdelbrock
Induction manifold for the V8
- 650cfm carburetorHolley
Carburetor fitted to the intake
- 8582 distributorMSD
Ignition distributor
- 6AL spark boxMSD
Ignition control box
Cooling 2
- Custom aluminum radiatorMark 7
Made to fit the V8 conversion
- Electric cooling fanSpal
Fan fitted to the radiator
Gearbox & Drivetrain 7
- Borg-Warner T5 5-speed manual gearbox
Ford-spec gearbox fitted behind the V8
- ShifterB&M
Fitted to the T5 gearbox
- ClutchRam Clutch
Clutch fitted for the V8/T5 driveline
- Hydraulic throwout bearing
Operates the clutch
- Master cylinderSpeedway
Clutch hydraulics
- Mustang driveshaft, shortenedFord
Adapted to connect gearbox to rear axle
- 8.8 inch TurboCoupe rear end, narrowedFord
Fitted with 3:55:1 gears and the stock limited slip differential
Suspension & Steering 2
- Mustang II coilover shock absorbers, modifiedQA1
Fitted to the front suspension with altered camber
- Adjustable 3-link rear suspension
Owner-built, with adjustable coilover shocks
Brakes 2
- Proportioning valve
Adjustable, fitted on the rear brake circuit
- TurboCoupe rear disc brakesFord
Came with the narrowed rear axle
Wheels & Tyres 2
- Cobra R 17x9 aluminum wheels
Four-lug wheels fitted to the car
- Kuhmo tiresKumho
225/45-17 front and 245/45-17 rear
Body & Trim 5
- Shaker-style hood scoop
Fitted through a hole cut in the bonnet
- 1965 Mustang tail-lightsFord
Fitted to the rear of the car
- 427 Cobra bumperettes
Fitted turned 90 degrees
- Custom grille
Fitted to the front of the car
- Dual hoop roll bar
Fitted for safety and styling
Interior 3
- NVU instrument gaugesNew Vintage USA
Fitted to the dashboard
- Racing seats and harnesses
Fitted in place of stock seats
- Door card
Reworked interior door panel
Electrical 1
- Optima batteryOptima
Relocated to the trunk
Other 2
- Tight tuck headersPatriot
Exhaust headers fitted for chassis clearance
- Side pipesPatriot
Exhaust routed as side pipes, frame notched for clearance
Photos
All 15 pictures in the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from britishv8.org. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
Engine and induction
The car received a 1993 Ford 5.0 V8 fitted with Ford GT-40P cylinder heads, a Trick Flow Stage I camshaft and roller rockers. Induction was handled by an Edelbrock RPM Performer intake manifold and a Holley 650cfm carburetor, with an MSD 8582 distributor and MSD 6AL spark box for ignition. Cooling came from a custom Mark 7 aluminum radiator with a Spal electric fan, and exhaust ran through Patriot tight-tuck headers into Patriot side pipes.
Driveline
Power goes through a Ford-spec Borg-Warner T5 five-speed manual gearbox with a B&M shifter, a Ram clutch and a hydraulic throwout bearing fed by a Speedway master cylinder. A shortened stock Mustang driveshaft connects to a narrowed 8.8 inch 1988 Ford TurboCoupe rear end running a 3:55:1 ring and pinion and the stock limited slip differential.
Suspension and chassis work
Up front, modified QA1 Mustang II coilover shock absorbers were installed with altered camber settings to suit radial tires. Out back, Childs built his own adjustable 3-link rear suspension with adjustable coilover shocks. The frame was reinforced with round tubing, reworked to accept the 3-link, and notched for side pipe clearance.
Brakes, wheels and tires
The rear TurboCoupe axle brought its own rear discs, paired with the stock front discs, a power booster on the master cylinder and an adjustable proportioning valve on the rear circuit. Rolling stock is Cobra R 17x9 four-lug aluminum wheels wrapped in Kuhmo tires, 225/45-17 front and 245/45-17 rear.
Body and exterior changes
The bonnet was cut for a shaker-style hood scoop, and the door handles, locks and side marker lamps were shaved for a cleaner look. Childs fitted 1965 Ford Mustang tail-lights, turned a set of 427 Cobra bumperettes 90 degrees, added a custom grille, and installed a dual hoop roll bar.
Interior and electrical
Inside, New Vintage USA instruments replaced the stock gauges, and racing seats with harnesses were fitted along with a reworked door card. An Optima battery was relocated to the trunk. Finished weight of the car came in at 2400 lbs, and the build was completed in August 2016.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗
Worth knowing
- Narrowing a TurboCoupe 8.8 rear end lets you reuse its rear discs and limited slip differential.
- Building an adjustable 3-link rear suspension allows fine tuning of pinion angle and ride height.
- Frame notching was needed to clear side pipes, worth planning for before exhaust fitment.
- Modifying Mustang II coilovers and adjusting camber helped the front end suit radial tires.
- Shortening a stock Mustang driveshaft was a workable way to match the T5 to the narrowed axle.