Build catalogue
Paul Overbeek's 1972 Triumph TR6 V8 Conversion
britishv8.orgas published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XXIII Issue 1, December 2017
Photo: britishv8.orgA 1972 Triumph TR6 rebuilt with a Ford 302 V8 and custom chassis
Paul Overbeek fitted a Ford 302cid V8 to his 1972 TR6, built around a new custom tubular frame with Fast Cars coilover suspension front and rear. The car gained a Ford 8 inch rear end, T5 five-speed gearbox, Wilwood brakes, and a modernized interior with Miata seats and carbon fiber trim. The build was completed in 2013 and documented in detail component by component.
Specs
As the owner states it.
- Engine
- Ford 302cid V8 with Professional Products Typhoon intake, Holley 390cfm carburetor, Speedway Motors HEI-style distributor, MSD Street Fire plug wires, mechanical fuel pump, billet aluminum pulleys
- Cooling
- Afco crossflow aluminum radiator, 16 inch electric fan
- Exhaust
- Fast Cars block hugger headers with Jet-Hot ceramic coating, H-pipe, dual Flowmaster mufflers, dual Sweet Thunder chambered mufflers, 2.5 inch stainless steel
- Transmission
- Borg Warner T5 5-speed manual, Wilwood clutch master cylinder
- Rear End
- New Ford 8 inch housing (not cut down), Auburn limited slip differential
- Chassis
- New custom tubular frame, Fast Cars Inc. coilover front suspension with anti-dive, Fast Cars Inc. coilover 3-link rear suspension, Hyperco springs, QA1 shock absorbers
- Brakes
- Corvette style master cylinder with vacuum booster; front Wilwood Dynalite 4-pot calipers with 11.75 inch vented rotors; rear Wilwood Dynalite 4-pot calipers with 11.75 inch cross-drilled rotors
- Wheels/Tires
- Summit Racing Fast Five aluminum wheels; BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires, front 215/60R15, rear 245/60R15
- Body
- Shaved front turn signals and side marker lights, LED brake lights and turn signals
- Interior
- Carbon fiber trimmed dashboard and center console, black PVC and carbon fiber look 12.5 inch 6-hole steering wheel, tilting steering column, Kenwood audio system, Mazda Miata seats
- Instruments
- Classic Instruments gauges: tachometer 0-8000rpm, speedometer 0-140mph, fuel level, oil pressure 0-100psi, coolant temperature 140-280F, voltmeter 9-18V, with SN74 electronic speedometer signal module
- Electrical
- Advance Auto Wire wiring harness, Odyssey PC680 drycell battery, air horn
- Completed
- 2013
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 302cid V8Ford
Base engine for the conversion
- Professional Products Typhoon polished intake manifold, part number 54000Professional Products
Fitted to the 302 for induction
- Billet aluminum pulleys
Accessory drive pulleys on the V8
- Block hugger headers with Jet-Hot ceramic coatingFast Cars
Exhaust headers fitted close to the block for clearance
Fuel & Ignition 4
- Holley 390cfm carburetor, part number 0-8007Holley
Carburetion for the V8
- Mechanical fuel pump
Supplies fuel to the carburetor
- HEI-style distributor, part number 910-12350Speedway Motors
Ignition distributor for the V8
- Street Fire spark plug wiresMSD
Ignition wiring for the engine
Cooling 2
- Crossflow aluminum radiatorAfco
Cools the V8 engine
- 16 inch electric fan
Provides cooling airflow through the radiator
Gearbox & Drivetrain 3
- Borg Warner T5 5-speed manual transmissionBorg Warner
Manual gearbox paired with the V8
- Ford 8 inch rear axle housingFord
New, uncut housing for the rear end
- Limited slip differentialAuburn
Fitted inside the Ford 8 inch housing
Suspension & Steering 6
- Custom tubular frame
New chassis built for the conversion
- Coilover front suspension with anti-diveFast Cars, Inc.
Front suspension system with unequal length control arms
- Coilover 3-link rear suspensionFast Cars, Inc.
Rear suspension system for the new chassis
- SpringsHyperco
Coilover springs used front and rear
- Shock absorbersQA1
Coilover dampers used front and rear
- Splined modular front anti-sway bar
Reduces body roll at the front
Brakes 6
- Wilwood clutch master cylinderWilwood
Operates the clutch for the T5 gearbox
- Corvette style brake master cylinder
Main brake master cylinder with vacuum booster
- Dynalite 4-pot front calipersWilwood
Front brake calipers clamping vented rotors
- 11.75 inch vented front rotorsWilwood
Front brake discs
- Dynalite 4-pot rear calipersWilwood
Rear brake calipers clamping cross-drilled rotors
- 11.75 inch cross-drilled rear rotorsWilwood
Rear brake discs
Wheels & Tyres 2
- Fast Five aluminum wheelsSummit Racing
Wheels styled like Weld ProStars, identifiable by recessed lugnuts
- Radial T/A tiresBF Goodrich
Front 215/60R15 and rear 245/60R15 fitment
Interior 4
- Carbon fiber trimmed dashboard and center console
Interior trim upgrade
- 12.5 inch 6-hole steering wheel
Black PVC and carbon fiber look wheel on a tilting column
- Audio systemKenwood
Sound system installed in the car
- SeatsMazda Miata
Used in place of the original TR6 seats
Electrical 5
- Gauge setClassic Instruments
Tachometer, speedometer, fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and voltmeter
- SN74 electronic speedometer signal moduleClassic Instruments
Provides electronic speed signal to the speedometer
- Wiring harnessAdvance Auto Wire
Complete rewire of the car
- PC680 drycell batteryOdyssey
Compact battery used in the electrical system
- Air horn
Added to the electrical system
Other 3
- H-pipe
Part of the exhaust system
- Flowmaster mufflers (dual)Flowmaster
Part of the exhaust system
- Sweet Thunder chambered mufflers (dual)
Additional muffling in the exhaust
Photos
All 31 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 new heart for the TR6
The stock engine was replaced with a Ford 302cid V8 fitted with a Professional Products Typhoon intake and a Holley 390cfm carburetor. A Speedway Motors HEI-style distributor with MSD Street Fire wires handles ignition, and cooling is managed by an Afco aluminum radiator with a 16 inch electric fan. Custom headers from Fast Cars were ceramic coated to handle heat and looks.
Building a new chassis
Rather than adapt the original frame, Overbeek built a new custom tubular chassis. It carries Fast Cars Inc. coilover suspension at both ends, with anti-dive geometry up front and a 3-link setup at the rear, sprung on Hyperco springs and damped by QA1 shocks. Unequal length control arms and a splined anti-sway bar were part of the front end package.
Drivetrain and rear axle
Power runs through a Borg Warner T5 five-speed manual gearbox with a Wilwood clutch master cylinder. Out back sits a new, uncut Ford 8 inch axle housing fitted with an Auburn limited slip differential.
Stopping power
Braking was upgraded with a Corvette style master cylinder and vacuum booster feeding Wilwood Dynalite 4-pot calipers at all four corners, clamping 11.75 inch rotors, vented at the front and cross-drilled at the rear.
Wheels, tires and exterior details
Summit Racing Fast Five aluminum wheels, styled like Weld ProStars but identifiable by recessed lugnuts, were wrapped in BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. The body was tidied by shaving the front turn signals and side markers, with LED units fitted for brake and turn signal functions.
Interior and instrumentation
Inside, the dashboard and center console were trimmed in carbon fiber, paired with a black PVC and carbon fiber look steering wheel on a tilting column. Mazda Miata seats were installed, along with a Kenwood audio system. A full set of Classic Instruments gauges, including a custom speedometer signal module, keeps track of engine and car functions.
Electrical system
The car was rewired with an Advance Auto Wire harness and runs on an Odyssey PC680 drycell battery, with an air horn added and electrical components tucked into a tidy enclosure.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is the owner's: read it at britishv8.org ↗