In August, we finally got the keys to our new house, and we were very busy doing what we could to finish the house off; including the painting, landscaping etc etc. Our new house just happens to be up near Barbagallo Raceway, Wanneroo!! What a shame, I know!

So we were so occupied trying to finish the house off during August/September that I completely forgot about the upcoming Powercruise 32!! I had never been to even watch one of these events, but from what all my mates told me they’re one of the most enjoyable events you can possibly do!! My mate Pete did warn me; it’s HELL on your car! – so be prepared to break something and/or spend some money afterwards.

With that in mind, I couldn’t not go - especially living so close to the raceway!! I missed out on the early bird price, so had to fork out for the more expensive entrant ticket. IMO it was well worth it!! I remember the main reason I never went to watch the event in Perth before is due to the fact it is usually on when Bathurst is on!! This year it wasn’t - I think the AFL grand final was on though – (but since I grew up in Brissy playing Rugby League I don’t care much for arial ping pong!! – wait for the abuse now!! Haha)

So anyway, booked the Friday off work, and got scrutineered on the Thursday arvo. Took forever, but saved doing it Friday morning – more track time!! I have never had the opportunity to drive my ute the way I did this weekend – I never do it on the street, I would hate my car to be crushed! – so this was off tap. I didn’t think they would allow it, but they let us out on the track with skid rims on – so that’s exactly what I did.

Here’s some pics. You’ll notice there’s a few of Jeff’s XH XR8 (XH5LWPN) and the Streetbuilt guys.




My ute didn’t keep up with everyone, but for what I do with my ute I was very happy with how it performed over the weekend. I drove in every cruise session I could, went in the burnout comp both Friday and Saturday nights, and drove the ute back home after the event!

Pics after the burnouts:

On Saturday night, I was the 6th car up!! (Very nervous!!) Jeff was straight after me








Saying that, my mate Pete was right – I did break my diff. It felt a little strange after Friday night’s burnouts initially. Saturday it felt fine – it wasn’t until later I watched the GoPro camera footage, you can actually hear the ‘whine’ comingfrom the diff. We could not hear a thing while we were cruising. Initially we thought it was the centre bearing, it wasn’t until we got the ute back to the Streetbuilt Racing workshop - where we put it up on the hoist with engine running, in gear and listened to the diff itself while wheels turning. Was a very, very hard noise to pinpoint, and only happened at certain wheel speeds.

Although the diff was rebuilt when I put the ute together, I was re-using the 3.73 gears outta my old XF. Now I didn’t actually know this until my diff broke; but there are 2 borgy diff types (the 25 series, and 28 series – XF and EL/XH respectively). I think Ford changed to the 28 series in EB?? Could be wrong. BTW 25 series = 25 spline, and 28 =28. I’m sure many of you already know this! But thought I’d explain for those who don’t – as I didn’t know the physical housing size was different!!

Anyway, the gear sets for the 25 series are smaller, and such, to fit a 25 series a*** to a 28 series diff (which is what happened in my case), you have to use multiple shims to get the pinion lined up (mine had 4 shims – asking for trouble if driven hard).
I didn’t actually realise this back when my diff was built, otherwise I would have bought a 28 series gear set so it fits my diff housing properly.

Since I had the 6 speed and a broken diff, thought I’d opt for some 3.9 gears – these would have suited the 6 speed perfectly….well it turns out the only available 28 series gear sets are 3.27, 3.45 or 3.77!! In the 25 series you have much more range, including 3.9s and 4.11s!! So I could have run 3.9s with more shims, but risk the same damage down the track. The other option is to have a proper spacer made, but this takes time (testing and fitting etc) and the circumstances at the time didn’t allow for it.

So in the end, I got it rebuilt with a new LSD centre and 3.73 a***!! Apart from breaking the diff, I had a bloody great weekend. Oh, and I destroyed 4 tyres!! I would do it again tomorrow!! Looking back at how hard the ute got thrashed, I was very happy with how it’s turned out – reliability wise, considering I put the engine together in 2005 and have done quite a few kms on it. The Windors love it!!

Here’s some videos of the weekend. I’ll work on editing some of the GoPro in car cruise vids!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/XHXR8?feature=watch



Friday night
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Saturday night
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GoPro
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Epic read! Love everything about this XR8, so mint and just simply tough!

EDIT: Just saw the photo's of the 2 utes together . Was just about to say, FTR008 and 2SCREWZ need to be photo'd together ASAP, then it happened

Thanks mate!! Yep, I'm trying to get my thread up to date (not long left), before I start the current build and what's instore for my ute!!

I suppose I should have mentioned somewhere in there I did eventually change the plates from VIC to WA. I’m yet to decide on a name (or waste the $$$) on personalised WA plates. I have some ideas in mind, but I could think of better things the money could go toward right now

Hi mate, just read this tread, epic read! Awesome ute man, I've always been a fan of the xh series utes, especially the XR8. I've recently bought a XH Panelvan which i'll be upgrading to XR6 spec with a XH XR6 wreck I have also bought. Reading this has given me some good ideas and inspiration! Any more plans for your ute mate?

Did you take this to summernats 25? Earlier this year?

Thanks fellas,

yeah some more plans, and yes was at summernats this year (and last). Will post up the next bit once i can upload some pics and get ya's up to date!!

I thought it was. I lost my s**t when I saw it as I've read so much about it. I asked a few blokes that were near it when you were parked up (not in the paddock). Wanted to talk to you about it, but the guys were just C***

oh thats a shame mate. Yeah not sure who you spoke to. I would have been more than willing to chat about it!! Maybe next year!!!

Due to my pure laziness, only just got around to putting this vid from powercruise up... I had the most fun on this run I think...!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h9O1b0Klm4

AWSUM, not the skids not the car just EVERYTHING. keep it up man.

Thanks mate!

In December last year, I decided to finally get some panel repair work done on the ute. It’s stuff that had been bothering me since I bought it in 09. The bonnet bulge wasn’t done correctly, and cracks were appearing around the centre fibreglass section. This started slowly, but progressively got worse. Plus I couldn’t take it back to Summernats like it was – it looked crapola….

The other thing was the tailgate. It was a cheap ebay copy that was fitted when I purchased ute too. I did manage to track down a genuine tailgate (immaculate, white, off an XH XR6). While I was at it, I also picked up a new stock bonnet and rear bar, just in case I need to go back to the factory look down the track. Those items are stuck away in the shed for now…

So back to the repairs… Through a referral from Jeff, the ute was taken to Dave at Gas 78 Industries.





Apparently, when the fibreglass bulge was fitted (and the metal bonnet cut out), the previous panel beater didn’t treat the metal properly. Upon further inspection Dave found the bonnet to have rust around the whole cut out. This was obviously repaired and repainted.



Next was the tailgate. Sorry I didn’t have a before pic, but theres one of it being painted. The tarp holes were welded shut and smoothed.



There was some slight bubbling in the passenger sill. I always want to keep on top of ANY rust, and didn’t want to risk it here. I was actually annoyed it showed signs of rusting, as the build pics I got on purchased showed all rust repair. I have my doubts in the skill of the person that did the body work and paint previously. Anyway, rust was removed and sill repainted. Dave took into account all the driving I do, and applied a nice stone guard black strip along the bottom of the sills. I think it actually makes the ute look much, much nicer.

He also fixed up other minor blemishes for me that I didn’t even ask for!! (small dent and chip near rear LH tail light – there from purchase) Did a great job IMO!!


I was very happy with what Dave did for us, especially smashing the job out just before Summernats. I couldn’t wait to take some pics of the nice new work. The bonnet and tailgate looked like mirrors! Made the rest of the ute’s paint look substandard!!

















Oh, here’s one of the other ‘beast’. Anyone would think I’m in love with XH’s. Not true….it’s just my housemate’s ute – who is now travelling in Europe. Little does he know the rear tyres were destroyed at powercruise!!

this would have to be my favorite x series ute. great job mate, clean as

Yeah looks awesome mate!

Thanks guys!!

Now with the paint defects out of the way, it was time to bring the rest of it up to scratch before Summernats 25. I borrowed Dave’s buffer/polisher, and went over the full car. It took a whole day, and I finished up with sore knees, sore back and a shiny ute!!








It was only about a week out before the road trip to Canberra. I was not a fan of the intake manifold at all. It was in need of some VHT wrinkle paint!! Due to major time constraints, not wanting any vacumn leaks on the road trip, and pure laziness I decided to paint the manifold while it sat where it was…

Some will frown upon this, but it was either this, or nothing. And if the engine was to stay in it’s current form it would have been redone anyway when time permits (but it’s not, so it won’t!!) Pics….













Even though I did it the lazy way, I took my time in masking off surrounding areas, and it came out a treat. 100% better than it was IMO.