Richy's XW - PT17 It Runs! | Mustang Auto Parts Australia

Since our last update we’ve been busy working to get the XW to a “start-up” stage.

We had the C4 transmission overhauled by Western Suburbs Automatics and we sourced & installed a pair of original exhaust manifolds as part of a small list of items we needed to button up before engine install.

We also finished installing the brake booster, speedo cable and accelerator linkage on the firewall to save us much heartache later on.

Finally, one quiet Tuesday night we decided it was time to drag out the engine crane and rip the band aid off!

The motor went in without a hitch, all eyes on the paint work! Nikita soon had it bolted in ready to install the transmission from underneath. Great success! Off to Korean BBQ to celebrate…

Next task was to start connecting/installing everything needed for first start-up. Our to-do list looked something like this:

As usual, we ran into some bumps along the road. We had always wondered if it would be easy enough to modify Mustang transmission coolant lines to fit the Falcon, but unfortunately this was not an option.

We then had to source some new lines for the XW and discovered that the reproduction radiator has the transmission line fittings welded incorrectly (8 inches apart rather than 6 inches). This meant we had to tweak the lines to fit properly.

Next issue we faced was that the dipstick that came with the transmission would not suit our XW Falcon. We tried to find the correct dipstick and tube but soon discovered they’re hard to come by. Unfortunately we had to settle for an aftermarket tube and stick so that we could continue with the build.

Once Nikita ticked off the to-do list, it was finally time to connect a battery and test the ignition system. It took a little while for the fuel to make it to the carburetor but once we had full pressure, the mighty 351 Cleveland fired up and roared to life!

Mission accomplished!

As always, comment your thoughts below.