The Morph Project!

[bazza91]

THE MORPH PROJECT.

Please note this is entirely hypothetical.

I have often wondered what it would be like to drive around in an old muscle car but have the power and grunt of a new sports car or even just a new car in general.

So essentially you would have, the oldschool shell, and chassis, with a new cars, engine, driveline, steering, and suspension.
The interior and dash cluster would all be old school aswell.

The cars involved in this scenario would be a 2005 BA XR6 and a XB utility.

So i pose the question to everyone, would this be possible?
Would you do it?
And what sort of issues may arise in doing so?

(i know this may open a can of worms but i feel its a very interesting conversation to have)

So discuss aways gents!

B.

[Nikked]

Been done heaps of time...


Retrotech, Pro-touring...


latest SM mag has a EH with a LS2 and BA IRS in it...

[IEAT8S]

Yes it is possible. Im building a XC sedan with full xr6 turbo running gear. Just gotta put in the time and the hard work and it can be done for sure!

[bazza91]

Wow, i need to get out more then! :P

Quite suprising, still the question remains, how hard is it, and what sort of issues arise?

[EB#]

Pretty popular with the Holden crew...

http://www.rodshop.com.au/holden/ej-eh-Holden-V6.htm
http://www.v6conversions.com.au/ejehhdhr.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z17N4mmn4w

[Nikked]

XW dropped on a JZX100 chassis, with coyote/miami power...(or just an Art Morrison chassis)

[bazza91]

Yeah im not much of a holden man, although i do enjoy the old kingswood's.

So by the looks of it, it isnt all that hard to do, just very time consuming?

Also whats the costing like?

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by bazza91

Wow, i need to get out more then! :P

Quite suprising, still the question remains, how hard is it, and what sort of issues arise?

I have a mate dropping a injected 304 into an EH, and the main factor that comes up is...


Things not fiitting!


Mind you, a BA I6 into a XB shouldn't give you much headache in the room department, and you should just be able to run the BA computer (or whole BA loom).

I sware that there is a BA IRS X-series build somewhere, might be on here (help!!!!), but the real limit is how much you can do, and the cost factor.

[bazza91]

Given this is hypothetical cost isnt any issue, but curiosity does get the better of me.

id love to se a BA I6 in an x series falcon.

I figured given the size of x series engine bays there wouldnt be much of an issue with things not fitting.

Dash wiring is where my problems would occur. (im not overly good with that sort of thing)

would the looms be simple to fit or would you require adapters or modifications?

[Stagg]

I like seeing all the pictures in the states of performance shops using the new Coyote crate motors in old fastbacks and mach 1's, even a few cobras Its certainly a good idea!

Wasn't Eric Bana's XB coupe completely rebuilt with IRS as well? I wonder what that car has been up to lately...

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Nikked

I have a mate dropping a injected 304 into an EH, and the main factor that comes up is...


Things not fiitting!

Fits well, I've done a couple and a pretty good package as well

But a gen iii woul be nicer

[XARATE]

Its possible and its been done





Its got a BA dash too

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by XARATE

Its possible and its been done
image
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Its got a BA dash too

DO WANT

[LG17]

There's a yellow Mustang (about a '67 model I think) getting around with all AU running gear, suspension, floor pan and interior somewhere.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

Fits well, I've done a couple and a pretty good package as well

But a gen iii woul be nicer

Oh it fits, but getting there, when you are learning whilst doing it...


In the end, the shop that sold him the stuff was a bit lax in the info department...like not letting him know that the extractors only fit with a S2 VS starter motor, and the engine mount kit measurements were for a V6...

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by bazza91

Dash wiring is where my problems would occur. (im not overly good with that sort of thing)

would the looms be simple to fit or would you require adapters or modifications?

It would be best to just run the whole BA loom and dash. As far as i know, using aftermarket ECU's are all but illegal. So if you wanted a full, engineered, street legal car...(best to check your states laws)


You could mount the BA cluster, ICC etc into the standard dash with a bit of mucking around.

[OffRoadFalcon]

An awesome idea this is.

I've got two massive projects in my head, definitely for the future (But at 16 I have plenny o' time)

Build a retro-modern type style station wagon, styled to closely resemble 70s wagons and muscle cars, body and interior completely from scratch. No wagon that's already around is big enough, so it'll have to be over 6m long and 2.2 wide... I like big cars!
Probably would be filled with tech and whatever else is 'necessary'.

The other is a 1948 American (with the 7 even-sized windows down the side, as apposed to the 4 odd windows on Aussie ones) painted up similar to the Gornicke bus in Robin Williams' RV movie of 2006.
Idea is to completely rebuild a bus, fit a massive engine, convert to motorhome, in a retro modern style that takes the best of both world together.

Other projects with this kind of idea have inspired me many times.

[IEAT8S]

I was going to ran a BA motor in my XC but decided on the AU motor. Apparently (correct me if im wrong). The BA motor was too long and high for the bay. The bonnet would not clear the top of the motor so a cut needed to be made. The K frame also need to be modified to fit the motor.

[bazza91]

Originally Posted by XARATE

Its possible and its been done
image
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Its got a BA dash too

Now that is a machine! Id love to own something like that.

[bazza91]

Originally Posted by Nikked

It would be best to just run the whole BA loom and dash. As far as i know, using aftermarket ECU's are all but illegal. So if you wanted a full, engineered, street legal car...(best to check your states laws)


You could mount the BA cluster, ICC etc into the standard dash with a bit of mucking around.

I imagine mounting the whole ba cluster would take quite a bit of messing around.

Running the loom to the existing dash cluster seems like a better option to me.

[bazza91]

Originally Posted by IEAT8S

I was going to ran a BA motor in my XC but decided on the AU motor. Apparently (correct me if im wrong). The BA motor was too long and high for the bay. The bonnet would not clear the top of the motor so a cut needed to be made. The K frame also need to be modified to fit the motor.

If this is the case, a nice scoop on the majority of the bonnet would fix this issue, and would probably look pretty good aswell
How much modification would be required for th K frame? small or major?

Originally Posted by Mr. Grinzy

An awesome idea this is.

I've got two massive projects in my head, definitely for the future (But at 16 I have plenny o' time)

Build a retro-modern type style station wagon, styled to closely resemble 70s wagons and muscle cars, body and interior completely from scratch. No wagon that's already around is big enough, so it'll have to be over 6m long and 2.2 wide... I like big cars!
Probably would be filled with tech and whatever else is 'necessary'.

The other is a 1948 American (with the 7 even-sized windows down the side, as apposed to the 4 odd windows on Aussie ones) painted up similar to the Gornicke bus in Robin Williams' RV movie of 2006.
Idea is to completely rebuild a bus, fit a massive engine, convert to motorhome, in a retro modern style that takes the best of both world together.

Other projects with this kind of idea have inspired me many times.

I love both of those ideas! Sound like really good fun projects.
I constantly find myself trying to mesh the best of both worlds in most aspects of life. But doing it with cars takes it to another level.

I would be keen to see the wagon idea done, although i have always found wagons to be too small in space, so i have always opted for utes as a preference.

[OffRoadFalcon]

Originally Posted by bazza91

I love both of those ideas! Sound like really good fun projects.
I constantly find myself trying to mesh the best of both worlds in most aspects of life. But doing it with cars takes it to another level.

I would be keen to see the wagon idea done, although i have always found wagons to be too small in space, so i have always opted for utes as a preference.

Cheers

The idea is the complete rebuild the bus, making lots of major modifications.

I'll probably draw both ideas reasonably soon so keep an eye out in the Photoshop and Render forums, I'll probably post there.

I prefer wagons for the way they look and how you can carry people or things inside away from the weather, and theyre great for sleeping in on trips!
The wagon I'm thinking of will be huge inside and out.

Keep an eye out in the future and hopefully you'll see both done. There'll be a matching trailer for the bus that the wagon will ride in
Project I'd magine would be carried out in the US, due to the easier access to parts and the bus I'm thinking of is the American version.
It'd be a big project, big dollars because I don't do things by halves! Be a good while before it happens.

[2011G6E]

Retro-tech is a pretty well established thing to do.

Given that by now there should be plenty of wrecked XR6T's and other FPV's and things lying around the country, there's no excuse not to.

When we owned our XC GXL Fairmont, I was a gnats whisker off buying a wrecked (rolled) BA XR6 off a guy I worked with. The engine and five speed auto would have gone nicely in our XC, along with whatever else would fit like possibly brakes?

Resto-rodding has also been around for a long long time...something that looks like, for instance, a nicely restored 1935 Ford sedan, but underneath it's got all modern running gear, brakes, power steering, air con, and the rest, giving you classic style but modern every day reliability.

Just do it...

An idea that keeps rattling around in my head is a Valiant Charger (bear with me...) fitted with a new XR6T engine and six speed manual. You can buy suspension and rack and pinion steering systems like the RRS ones nused in old Falcons for Valiants now apparently, so you could have big brakes and rack and pinion, as well as all the modern engines pluses.
Hell, you wouldn't even have to do anything to the motor...the plain non-turbo six cylinder in our G6E puts out about the same horsepower as the worked 265 Hemi my Charger I owned when I was 18 had, and given the much lighter weight of the short wheelbase Charger, it would go like stink with even a standard engine in it...and it would certainly open a few eyes on the show circuit...

[renegadeous]

I think there are pro's and con's. My initial thought would be you would really want to document and have plans of exactly what you have done and parts manuals etc to suit. Its hard enough now to source parts for an xb. Could you imagine in 10 years when they stop producing parts for the new moter etc. Trying to source parts for effectively two different cars. computers, 4 , 5 or 6 wiring looms etc... Would you but a car modified like that in 10 years if it was modified and all components were rare and discontinued parts?

But it would be a sweet ride and great to cruize in. I saw on TV a guy who had done it to an FJ Holden with new commodore drive train / motor

[last fairlane]

Hi all Ive got a 1972 Mustang convertible with a 250ci six (P Plate friendly)
I got offered a deal where I pay $2000 and my car would be fitted
with a 5 Litre EFI from a 1998 Fairlane complete with the 4 speed auto
all the wiring looms and the tailshaft modified
drive away price
I just havnt got the cash at the moment
I reckon that would be a good mod for 2k
thanks John

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by last fairlane

Hi all Ive got a 1972 Mustang convertible with a 250ci six (P Plate friendly)
I got offered a deal where I pay $2000 and my car would be fitted
with a 5 Litre EFI from a 1998 Fairlane complete with the 4 speed auto
all the wiring looms and the tailshaft modified
drive away price
I just havnt got the cash at the moment
I reckon that would be a good mod for 2k
thanks John

That would be about right at a wreckers the cost of the donor etc, there not getting ritch off it though

but it would be mostly a slot in fit

[Buntz]

Now this is what I'm talking about:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/r...-drive-review/

[Stagg]

Originally Posted by XARATE

Its possible and its been done
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Its got a BA dash too

Thread bump

Is that a BA IRS rear end in that ute? How was it done??

[LG17]

I have an XR shell in perfect condition - it's been rebuilt by an old beater - and not much more. I've been toying with the idea of buying a wrecked (or cheap) BA/BF XR8 and taking whatever time necessary to have it as complete as possible with all interior and running gear, just the XR body. I'm just not sure if I'm game enough.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Buntz

Now this is what I'm talking about:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/r...-drive-review/

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Great idea. Maybe some of us can continue to drive Falcons in years to come by reskinning rwd cars from other platforms