Build catalogue
Ed Peppard's 1975 TR-6 Ford 302 V8 Conversion
britishv8.orgBritishV8 Magazine, Volume XXIII Issue 1, December 2017
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1975 Triumph TR-6 rebuilt with a Ford 302 V8 after decades as a daily driver
Ed Peppard's TR-6 served as his daily driver for over 20 years and 350,000 miles before a house fire left it sitting outside for six years. Once he built his own shop, he used Dan Masters' TR6-302 article and the BritishV8 community to plan and execute a full Ford 302 V8 conversion, rebuilding the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, and interior himself, including a hand-built walnut dashboard and steering wheel. The build is notable for the owner's fabrication work, from a CNC-milled dash to custom chassis reinforcement.
Specs
As the owner states it.
- Engine
- 1972 Ford Bronco 302 cubic inch V8, bored 0.040" over, stock heads, Comp Cams street cam, stock valve train
- Induction
- Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, Holley 600 CFM carburetor with electric choke, Spectre oval aluminum air cleaner
- Ignition
- Pertronix Ignitor breakerless module in stock Ford distributor, Accel ignition coil
- Cooling
- KMJ Performance aluminum radiator, short nosed water pump
- Exhaust
- Ceramic coated blockhugger headers, X-pipe, Flowmaster Series 40 mufflers, VPE exhaust tips, 2-1/4" pipe
- Gearbox
- Tremec T5 World Class transmission, Ford Motorsports bellhousing, 10.5" F1 clutch (cable operated)
- Driveshaft
- Custom driveshaft with Spicer u-joints
- Rear axle
- R200 differential from an Infiniti Q45, VLSD, Good Parts mounting kit and CV halfshafts
- Front suspension
- 1" lowering springs, Good Parts nylatron bushings, KYB shocks, Good Parts aluminum steering rack and sway bar mounts, Woodward steering u-joints, splined stubs and DOM tubing
- Rear suspension
- Good Parts adjustable trailing arm brackets, 1" lowering springs, Monroe shocks mounted through the springs, custom 3/4" anti-sway bar with 8.5" arms, Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings
- Chassis
- Modified front crossmember, widened for radiator, Dan Masters style motor mounts, boxed rear differential crossmembers, fabricated transmission mount, 3" square tubing trailing arm framework, added frame plates
- Brakes
- Stock master cylinder, Toyota 4X4 front calipers, Maxima rear calipers, Nissan 240SX rear rotors, Don Watson bracket design fabricated by Butch Walla
- Wheels
- Konig Rewind 8-spoke aluminum wheels
- Tyres
- Dunlop Direzza Sport ZII, 205/55R16
- Body
- Powdercoated wire mesh grille, removed front side marker openings, replaced rocker panels both sides, replaced driver's side floorboard, custom fabricated transmission tunnel, Lizard Skin sound deadening, ceramic insulation sprayed underside and interior, Dodge Viper Blue paint
- Interior
- Custom walnut dashboard, Autometer Phantom II gauges, LED indicator lamps, custom walnut and oak steering wheel rim, custom walnut center console, shift knob and hood release pull knob, Miata seats with headrest speakers, Mr Mike's seat covers, BobbyD interior panels, custom CHMSL mount on roll hoop
- Electrical
- Advance Auto-Wire wiring and fuse/relay center, battery relocated to trunk, second solenoid in trunk, single wire alternator with warning light and voltage sensing, Pioneer DEH8400 stereo head unit
- Completed
- July 2014
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
- Ford 302 cubic inch V8 (1972 Bronco), bored 0.040" overFord
Base engine for the swap, stock heads and valve train retained
- Comp Cams street camshaftComp Cams
Performance cam upgrade for the 302
- Rear pickup oil pan
Oil pan style chosen to suit the TR-6 chassis installation
- Motorcraft FL-1A oil filterMotorcraft
Remotely mounted oil filter
Fuel & Ignition 5
- Edelbrock Performer intake manifoldEdelbrock
Intake manifold fitted to the 302
- Holley 600 CFM carburetorHolley
Carburetor with electric choke feeding the engine
- Spectre oval aluminum air cleanerSpectre
Air cleaner fitted atop the carburetor
- Pertronix Ignitor breakerless ignition modulePertronix
Fitted inside the stock Ford distributor for electronic ignition
- Accel ignition coilAccel
Coil paired with the Pertronix ignition
Cooling 2
- KMJ Performance aluminum radiatorKMJ Performance
Wider radiator requiring crossmember modification
- Short nosed water pump
Fitted to suit the engine bay clearances
Gearbox & Drivetrain 7
- Tremec T5 World Class transmissionTremec
Manual gearbox paired with the V8
- Ford Motorsports bellhousingFord Motorsports
Bellhousing linking engine to transmission
- 10.5" F1 clutchF1
Cable-operated clutch, required a fabricated pedal quadrant and firewall adjuster housing
- Custom driveshaft with Spicer u-jointsSpicer
Driveshaft built to connect gearbox to differential
- R200 differential (Infiniti Q45), VLSD
Limited-slip differential sourced from an Infiniti Q45
- Good Parts differential mounting kitGood Parts
Mounting kit to fit the R200 differential into the TR-6 chassis
- Good Parts CV jointed halfshaftsGood Parts
Halfshafts to connect differential to rear wheels
Suspension & Steering 10
- 1" lowering springs (front)
Front spring set fitted for lower ride height
- Good Parts nylatron bushingsGood Parts
Front suspension bushings
- KYB shocks (front)KYB
Front shock absorbers
- Good Parts aluminum steering rack and sway bar mountsGood Parts
Mounting hardware for steering rack and sway bar
- Steering u-joints, splined stubs and DOM tubingWoodward
Custom steering shaft components
- Good Parts adjustable trailing arm bracketsGood Parts
Rear trailing arm brackets for suspension geometry
- 1" lowering springs (rear)
Rear spring set for lower ride height
- Monroe shock absorbersMonroe
Rear shocks mounted through the springs
- Custom 3/4" anti-sway bar with 8.5" arms
Custom rear sway bar fabricated for the build
- Energy Suspension polyurethane anti-sway bar bushingsEnergy Suspension
Bushings for the rear sway bar
Brakes 4
- Toyota 4X4 front calipersToyota
Front brake calipers adapted to the TR-6
- Maxima rear brake calipersNissan
Rear brake calipers adapted to the TR-6
- Nissan 240SX rear rotorsNissan
Rear brake rotors used with the Maxima calipers
- Custom brake caliper bracketButch Walla
Fabricated from 1/2" steel to Don Watson's design
Wheels & Tyres 2
- Konig Rewind 8-spoke aluminum wheelsKonig
Wheels fitted to the finished car
- Dunlop Direzza Sport ZII tyres, 205/55R16Dunlop
Tyres fitted to the Konig wheels
Body & Trim 4
- Powdercoated wire mesh grille
Custom grille finished in powdercoat
- Lizard Skin sound deadeningLizard Skin
Sound deadening applied to the body
- Ceramic insulation coating
Sprayed on the underside and interior for heat insulation
- Dodge Viper Blue paint
Exterior paint colour used for the finished car
Interior 8
- Custom walnut dashboard
Hand built dashboard cut on a CNC mill Ed constructed himself
- Autometer Phantom II gaugesAutometer
Instrument gauges fitted to the new dashboard
- Custom walnut and oak steering wheel rim
New wood rim built onto the original steering wheel ring
- Custom walnut center console
Console housing the radio, built by the owner
- Custom walnut shift knob and hood release pull knob
Matching wood knobs made for the interior
- Miata seatsMazda
Seats fitted with new headrest speakers
- Mr Mike's seat coversMr Mike's
Seat covers fitted to the Miata seats
- BobbyD interior panelsBobbyD
Interior trim panels used in the cabin
Electrical 3
- Advance Auto-Wire wiring harness and fuse/relay centerAdvance Auto-Wire
Full rewiring of the car with a new fuse and relay center
- Single wire alternator
Alternator with warning light and voltage sensing connections
- Pioneer DEH8400 stereo head unitPioneer
Stereo installed with the custom console
Other 3
- Ceramic coated blockhugger headers
Exhaust headers to fit tightly in the engine bay
- Flowmaster Series 40 mufflersFlowmaster
Mufflers used in the exhaust system
- VPE exhaust tipsVPE
Exhaust tip finishing pieces
Photos
All 40 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
A long-serving daily driver
Ed bought the TR-6 in May 1977 with about 22,000 miles on it. It became his daily driver for over 20 years, through two engine rebuilds, and he estimates he put roughly 350,000 miles on it before the odometer failed in late 1978.
Fire and years outside
A lightning strike caused a house fire, and Ed's wife and son pushed the TR-6 out of the garage to save it. With nowhere else to put it, the car sat outside for about six years, at first under a tarp that eventually ripped apart.
Finding a plan
After finally building the shop he had long wanted, Ed pushed the TR-6 inside in 2007 and set out to revive it. Online research led him to BritishV8 and Dan Masters' TR6-302 article, which became the model for his own V8 swap, including guidance on wiring.
Engine and drivetrain build
Ed installed a bored 1972 Ford Bronco 302 V8 with a Comp Cams street cam, Edelbrock intake and Holley carburetor, paired to a Tremec T5 gearbox through a Ford Motorsports bellhousing and cable-operated clutch. He fitted a custom driveshaft and an Infiniti Q45-sourced R200 limited-slip differential with Good Parts halfshafts.
Chassis, suspension and brakes
The front crossmember was modified for the wider radiator, and the chassis reinforced with boxed differential crossmembers, square tubing, and extra plating at the trailing arm mounts. Suspension used Good Parts components with KYB and Monroe shocks, while brakes combined Toyota, Nissan Maxima, and 240SX parts on a custom bracket.
Interior and electrical work
Ed built a CNC milling machine to cut a custom walnut dashboard and steering wheel rim, and made a matching console, shift knob, and hood-release pull knob himself. Wiring was redone with an Advance Auto-Wire harness and relocated battery, and Autometer gauges with LED indicators were fitted.
Body and finish
Bodywork included replacing both rocker panels and the driver's floorboard, fabricating a new transmission tunnel, and adding sound deadening and ceramic insulation. The car was finished in Dodge Viper Blue with a powdercoated mesh grille and the front side marker openings removed.
On the road again
Completed in July 2014, the car had about 3,500 miles on the V8 by June 2016, including a track day at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green in April 2015, which showed Ed how much the extra power suited the small car.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗
Worth knowing
- Finding an existing template build, like Dan Masters' TR6-302 article, saves a lot of guesswork on wiring and layout.
- Widening the radiator meant the front crossmember had to be modified, so cooling changes can cascade into chassis work.
- Sourcing brake parts from unrelated production cars (Toyota, Nissan) can solve fitment problems if a custom bracket is fabricated.
- Boxing the differential crossmembers and reinforcing the trailing arm mounts was needed to handle the V8's extra power and torque.
- Building a CNC mill was worthwhile for one-off jobs like the walnut dashboard and steering wheel that off-the-shelf parts could not replace.