Build catalogue
Les Shockey's 1969 TR6 V8 conversion
britishv8.orgOriginally featured in British V8 Newsletter, Volume IX Issue 3, September 2001
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1969 TR6 rebuilt around a Ford 351W stroked to 408 cid
Les Shockey converted his 1969 TR6 to Ford V8 power in the late 1980s, and has continued to refine it over decades, including a custom tube-frame rear end with four-link suspension in place of the stock IRS. The car has covered around 100,000 miles, making it a long-term, road-proven example rather than a show piece. It is worth reading for the fabrication work on the rear suspension, cooling, and lightweight fiberglass hood.
Specs
As the owner states it.
- Engine
- 1977 Ford 351 Windsor, bored and stroked to 408cid
- Intake
- Edelbrock Stage 1 High Rise manifold, Holley 750 carburetor
- Cam / Heads
- Isky camshaft, Edelbrock heads, ported and polished
- Ignition
- MSD ignition unit with Mallory distributor
- Engine Electrical
- Ford one-wire 100 amp alternator, Tilton Super Starter, dual batteries
- Cooling
- Griffin five row 1/2 inch tube radiator, 20 amp electric fan, Ford Taurus fan shroud, Edelbrock aluminum water pump
- Exhaust
- Custom fabricated headers into side pipes
- Transmission
- Tremec 5-speed, hydraulic clutch actuation, 12 inch driveshaft
- Rear Axle
- Ford nine inch axle, Strange axles, limited slip differential, 3.50:1 gears
- Front Suspension
- Mustang coil-overs
- Rear Suspension
- Custom four link suspension mated to a custom tube-frame back half
- Brakes
- Corvette discs, Hawk Blue pads front and rear
- Wheels/Tires
- Centerline wheels, 17x7 front and 17x11 rear; BF Goodrich tires, 215/60 front and 315/35 rear
- Interior
- Autometer gauges, custom dashboard, custom upholstery, Ford LTD tilt steering wheel, Sparco seats
- Body
- Mostly stock body with fiberglass rear fenders and hood with scoop, revised trunk holding fuel cell and dual batteries, TR6 rear bumper bars used as front bumperettes, rear spoiler added
- Weight
- 2300lb
- Miles Driven
- 100,000 (as of the British V8 2006 meet)
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 351 Windsor block, bored and stroked to 408cidFord
Base engine for the conversion, later built up to 408 cubic inches
- Edelbrock cylinder heads, ported and polishedEdelbrock
Improved airflow for the 408 build
- Isky camshaftIsky
Fitted as part of the 408 engine build
- Custom fabricated headers
Feed into side pipes, later Jet-Hot coated to help with heat
Fuel & Ignition 4
- Edelbrock Stage 1 High Rise intake manifoldEdelbrock
Intake manifold used on the 408 engine
- Holley 750 carburetorHolley
Carburetor used on both the original and rebuilt engine
- MSD ignition unitMSD
Provides ignition control for the V8
- Mallory distributorMallory
Paired with the MSD ignition
Cooling 3
- Griffin radiator, five row 1/2 inch tubeGriffin
Cooling for the V8 swap
- Ford Taurus fan shroudFord
Shrouds the electric fan for cooling airflow
- Edelbrock aluminum water pumpEdelbrock
Circulates coolant in the V8 setup
Gearbox & Drivetrain 4
- Tremec 5-speed transmissionTremec
Replaced the original C4 automatic, shortened the driveshaft to 12 inches
- Ford nine inch rear axleFord
Rear axle housing for the conversion
- Strange axlesStrange
Fitted inside the Ford nine inch housing
- Limited slip differential, 3.50:1 gears
Final drive setup for the rear axle
Suspension & Steering 2
- Mustang coil-oversMustang
Used for the front suspension
- Custom four link rear suspension
Replaced the stock IRS, mated to a custom tube-frame back half
Brakes 2
- Corvette disc brakesCorvette
Fitted front and rear
- Hawk Blue brake padsHawk
Used front and rear
Wheels & Tyres 2
- Centerline wheels, 17x7 front and 17x11 rearCenterline
Wheel setup for the build
- BF Goodrich tires, 215/60 front and 315/35 rearBF Goodrich
Tires fitted to the Centerline wheels
Body & Trim 4
- Fiberglass hood with scoop
Self built lightweight hood weighing about fifteen pounds, hinges up or lifts off
- Fiberglass rear fenders
Replaced the stock steel rear fenders
- TR6 rear bumper bars used as front bumperettes
Repurposed to replace the front bumper
- Rear spoiler
Added to the body
Interior 3
- Autometer gaugesAutometer
Instrumentation for the custom dashboard
- Ford LTD tilt steering wheelFord
Repurposed steering wheel for the interior
- Sparco seatsSparco
Snug fitting seats, though noted as a little hard to get in and out of
Electrical 2
- Ford one-wire 100 amp alternatorFord
Charging system for the V8 conversion
- Tilton Super StarterTilton
Starter motor fitted to the V8
Other 1
- Fuel cell
Mounted in the reworked trunk compartment
Photos
All 25 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
Getting the V8 on the road
Les first got the TR6 running with V8 power around 1989, originally using a stock 1977 Ford 351 Windsor with a Competition Cams hydraulic cam, roller rockers, 10:1 pistons, ported and polished heads, an Edelbrock Victor Junior manifold, and a Holley 750 carburetor. Power went through a C4 automatic transmission at that stage, with Jet-Hot coated Hooker Street-Rodder headers and Magnum mufflers handling the exhaust.
Building the 408
The original 351 Windsor was later bored and stroked out to 408 cubic inches. The engine now runs an Isky cam with Edelbrock heads, ported and polished, an Edelbrock Stage 1 High Rise intake, and the same Holley 750 carburetor. Ignition duties went to an MSD unit paired with a Mallory distributor.
Drivetrain changes
The automatic gearbox was swapped for a Tremec 5-speed with hydraulic clutch actuation, shortening the driveshaft to just 12 inches. Out back, a Ford nine inch axle was fitted with Strange axles, a limited slip differential, and 3.50:1 gears.
Rear suspension and chassis work
Les replaced the stock independent rear suspension with a completely custom four-link setup, mated to a custom tube-frame back half. He considers this a marked improvement over the factory IRS in handling terms.
Cooling and exhaust
To manage heat from the V8, a five row Griffin radiator with half inch tubes was installed, along with a 20 amp electric fan and a fan shroud sourced from a Ford Taurus, plus an Edelbrock aluminum water pump. Custom fabricated headers feed into side pipes. Jet-Hot coating the exhaust helped, though heat remains an issue on hot days.
Interior and body updates
Inside, Les fitted Autometer gauges, a custom dashboard and upholstery, a tilt steering wheel from a Ford LTD, and Sparco seats. The body stayed mostly stock, but the rear fenders and hood were replaced with fiberglass, the hood gaining a scoop and weighing only about fifteen pounds. The trunk was reworked to house the fuel cell and dual batteries, TR6 rear bumper bars were repurposed as front bumperettes, and a rear spoiler was added.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗
Worth knowing
- Heat from the V8 remains an issue on hot days despite Jet-Hot coating the exhaust.
- A custom four link rear suspension is a marked improvement over the stock IRS.
- Building a lightweight fiberglass hood cuts weight significantly, to about fifteen pounds.
- Sparco seats hold occupants snugly but are a little hard to get in and out of.
- Shortening the driveshaft to 12 inches was possible by pairing a Tremec 5-speed with the nine inch axle.