RUSH OF BLOOD

WITH ITS SCREAMING, 8000RPM SMALL-BLOCK PUMPING OUT 870HP, THIS XE FAIRMONT IS ONE AUSSIE BRUISER YOU DON'T WANT TO TRIFLE WITH

- CRAIG PARKER

SAM Italia has long been a fan of Ford Australia’s fourth-gen Falcons of the early 80s — particularly the XE. “I've always loved the shape and the front end ~ especially XE ESPs,” he says. “It goes all the way back to when I was a kid, when my grandfather owned an XD Fairmont Ghia. At car shows, I'd go straight to the XEs and just stare at them.”

Now 30 years old, Sam's no longer just gazing longingly at his favourite Falc model; he's been the proud owner of this muscle-bound XE Fairmont Ghia since 2018, having won his dream car in an eBay auction.

Back then, it was a neat, factory Monza Red car powered by an EFI six-cylinder. “It was a bit of a survivor, but it didn’t last that way for long,” says Sam. “I pulled out the old running gear and chucked in a 550hp 393ci Clevo, C10 trans and nine-inch.”

That combo delivered a bit over three years of driving pleasure for Sam, before fate intervened when the factory Clevo block developed an issue that would necessitate a full rebuild. Fortunately, around this time a mutual friend introduced Sam to engine maestro Frank Marchese from Dandy Engines.

“I was rapt when Frank agreed to build my motor,” says Sam. “That's when I decided to sell the old running gear and step it up a notch. I told Frank I wanted the best of the best.”

The shopping list for the new powerhouse included a World 9.5in-deck block, a Molnar stroker crank, CP forged pistons, Higgins CNC-ported heads and matching Higgins intake, along with a very lumpy roller cam, custom ground to Frank's specs. An ASR sump was also cut and modified to ensure steadfast oil pressure during high-revving spurts and brutal launches.