The path less traveled: 1978 Turbo I6 Futura (The Gila Monster)

[Mike1157]

Gi·la monster
noun \ˈhē-lə-\
[count] : a large orange and black poisonous lizard of the southwestern U.S
Illustration of GILA MONSTER

Origin of GILA MONSTER
Gila River, Arizona
First Known Use: 1877

It came about 3 months ago.

After 6 weeks of waiting, the driver finally pulled up at my door, and offloaded the project I've decided to name after the ugly little dude above.

So that you're on the same page,...Lets compare the car to the lizard for the sake of this thread:

1. A Gila Monster lives in the Southwest,..named after a river in Arizona.
1a: My Fairmont was bought, and lived its life in Arizona.
*check.:nice:
2. A Gila Monster is considered a dim bulb, and slow moving.
2a My Fairmont is slow moving, the dim bulb is directly behind the steering wheel.
*check:nice:
3. A Gila Monster is considered ugly.
3a. Most consider a Fairmont ugly.
* check:nice:
4. A Gila monster is various shades of yellow, orange, and black.
4a. My Fairmont is various shades of yellow, orange, and black.
*check:nice:
5. A Gila Monster is venemous.
5a. My Fairmont is not,..........maybe one day?:shrug:
* :notnice:

Based on my 4 out of 5 grading system,...I'd say I got a bonafide Gila Monster.





check out my bad assed headliner.


So you're looking,..and thinking another fade
d yellow car???, ...And to that I'm saying "I know,..Right?"
It seems that every one of these things I get are either this color,..or baby blue,....I'm just glad the thing is as straight as it is,..and is 99% rust free. The only deviations are the hood hinge areas,...but not even the Arizona desert could stop that from happening.

The interior is obviously trash,...the dash is atrocious,...I know all of that that can be easily replaced.
(And of course, it will be) The bench seats are short lived as well,.. but they'll do for now,..I got suspension to deal with first.

So,...Now that you can see I haven't been blowing smoke up your asses for the last month and a half,...here's the build plan:

#1. get the current car running right. This is going to be a "build while I drive it" build.

Chapter 1: Suspension/brakes/wheels-tires/ Cosmetics
I need an 8.8,...front and rear coil overs,...a Cobra M/C, and an adjustable proportioning valve to allow me to convert the car over to the Cobra brakes that have been in the basement for a month now.

The 17 x 9's, and the 17 x 10.5 Bullitts w/ 255/315 Sumitomo rubber will go on after that. (Also currently in basement)
I may have to mini tub the rear wheel wells, and narrow the rear end,..because I'm not gonna do a redeaux of the fast and loud drift car w/ quarter panel extensions.

The factory 4 link will stay initially,...until I decide if I want to spend the time researching, and building, then sorting out a torque arm/panhard bar on what will essentially be a daily driven street car.
That said; all suspension bushings will be upgraded, I'll invest in a good set of control arms.

Cosmetically,...I'll buff existing paint,...black out trim,...and have the windows tinted.
​
Chapter 2:Interior

If I can stand to wait that long,...I'll replace the dash pad,...and upgrade the factory gauges to the Summit digital units that sit on a wish list in la la land.
Two Summit branded Corbeau wannabes w/ their respective sliders are also slotted.
A pretty serious audio system, made up of two pairs of components speakers mounted in the doors and quarter trim. Two 10" subs,.one 4 channel amp,..and one sub amp will take up the space that used to be the back seat. New carpet,.sound deadening will be included in this chapter.
​
Chapter 3: Powertrain:
This has been a point of contention for me for some time,...as I want it to be different while trying to keep it Ford. After considering about 4 different paths (one of which was an LS option),...

I think I've decided to do all the work required to make a 4.2L inline six fit the car ( Something that it currently will not do) I have acquired a rare Australian Crossflow head that will allow me to individually port inject each cylinder. Build custom intake and exhaust manifolds and turbocharge the combo. Back it up w/ a manually shifted 4R70w, and complete the drivetraing w/ a disc brake 8.8 sporting a 3.73 reargear.

Chapter 4: Exterior Cosmetics:

We'll have to see how this one goes,...by the time I get to this stage,....I expect that the car will be retired as a daily driver. After the last car,...I will not opt for a buddy deal paint job,..and will more than likely paint it myself.

The plan is to do all of this for a total investment of 6k. The 6 k number is the bail out sell price of the car should I decide to sell it. I've wanted a clean fairmont for so long now,..and this one will make my 6th., so clearly, I have it bad for the body style. No plans to sell anytime soon

[Mike1157]

Three months for me is a long time alot of stuff changes in a relatively short time. The original plan to install an LS met w/ such "disfavor" I was forced to rethink my plan. I actually wanted to keep it all ford, but just didn't want to throw another 302/351 under the hood. I'm sorry, but I don't care what color you paint it,..it's still a windsor....done a bazillion times over already.
I was gonna try and modify the stock inline 3.3L (200 c.i.) six banger that came in the thing, but they are sooo lame, the cast iron log intake is actually cast on the head, the exhaust is on the same side,...adding all that heat to the intake charge,..and you cant get a transmission beyond a C-4 due to the weird-assed bellhousing pattern.

That idea quickly gave way to it's bigger brother, The 250. It still comes with the same weak assed head,...but now at least you can put any transmission you want behind it as it shares the SBF bellhousing pattern. The plus side to this engine is that they have a long stroke (almost 4") and make decent torque because of it. They run super smooth, and have an almost bullet proof bottom end w/ 7 main caps holding the crank in. There are guys out there modifying the head,...completely cutting off the log intake manifold, and building a custom intake and exhaust for it afterwards. This became my new plan. They used to be all over the wrecking yards, now they are mostly gone. I did manage to find one however,..Sitting complete in a 1978 Maverick.

It was supposed to be a running engine, but if it did, it must've smoked like dogs playing poker on a Mexican velvet painting. It was completely worn out. I tore it apart and took it to the machine shop.
I started on the head, and no sooner had I cut the cast iron crap completely off'...
I was able to find this:


This is a mega rare Australian Crossflow aluminum head. Shares the same rocker arms as a 351 cleveland,and the same canted valve orientation. The intake is on the driver side, and the exhaust on the passenger side of the engine ( like it's supposed to be)

This head fits on the US block, but there are significant modifications that have to be done to mate the two together,..the water passages have to be blocked, the oil holes have to be plugged, and you gotta grind the hell out of the block to accomodate the canted valve pushrod angles. The valves are in a different order than the inline head, so you have to use the Australian camshaft. But, It's been done before, and I'm up to it, so I figured what the hell.
I bought it for 250.00.

Now I had my "different engine", mated to the 4R70W I bought last month. Problem was even with my new head,..a 250 would do good to make 200 horsepower unless I wanted to bump the compression up to about 10-11:1, and stick some wicked assed flat tappet camshaft in the engine, and rev it to a bazillion RPM
(NOT recommended for an inline 6)

Enter the Borg Warner S300 SX 3 turbo.

I bought the turbo from a local shop here in Birmingham (Work Turbochargers), After talking a while he recommended this turbo for me. A twin scroll, T4 flanged 60mm piece, capable of upping my weenie 250 N/A power to respectable numbers ( 450WHP/550 RWTQ)

He recommended that I build my exhaust header out of steam pipe. I cant TIG, but I can MIG,...and the thisk wall steam pipe (.145 wall) would allow me to safely grind the welds smooth if I chose to do so. I started building:

[Mike1157]

I built the "collector" out of .125 plate



The "turbo" sitting on top is actually a mock up housing that the shop I bought the turbo from let me use to build the exhaust.




I'm using an A2W intercooler from frozen boost,..and running two small radiators mounted over the rear end to cool the intake charge.



I have a bunch of progress pics, but as you know, I can only post 5 at a time,..and I know that you don't want me to ramble, so I'll post:

[Mike1157]

The turbo system 99% complete ( This time that's the actual turbo sitting there)





A twin scroll turbo requires that there be two waste gates. In my original clocking of the turbo, I had no room for the front waste gate. So I changed it and brought the cold side out under the intake. (Just one more hole to fill when I get to the engine bay smoothing stage.

[Mike1157]

The difference between a 250, and the 200 that was in the car (other than the obvious 50+ cubic inches) makes for a taller, wider engine. I don't have to tell anybody here that Ford never put one of these engines in a fox, ( for what ever reason) so that left me w/o an oil pan. So I "married the 200 double sump bottom to the top of the 250 pan to make a double sump 250 pan:






I managed to seam the two pans together. I kep it bolted to the block while welding to keep warpage to a minimum. It came out OK I think. I still have to widen the rear sump to hold extra oil (only holds 4 qts at present), modify the pan for a oil drain for the turbo, and find a place for a dipstick. ( 250's have mid sump pans).

[Mike1157]

The plan for wheels and tires is a blatant copy of another members Futura on here. I purchased 17" Black Bullits w/ 245 rubber up front, and 315 in back. The wide rear tire wouldn't fit, so i mini tubbed the wheel wells, and narrowed the SN95 8.8



I started out by making reference cuts w/ a cut off wheel.


Made additional cuts to the supports.


And cut the rest with a sawzall.

[Mike1157]

After I cut the inner wheel tub out, I spaced it over about 1.5", and stuck the tire up in there to check fitment:




Even though it "fit" now, it was still really close. I decided to give myself an extra 1/4" on each side, and narrowed the rear end 1.75" on each side. I cut each tube end off w/ a sawzall, using a 3" hose clamp as a guide



After both ends were sectioned accordingly, I took the shortened housing to my buddy's shop and he put it back together using his housing jig. While it was there, he installed my new 3.73's.
I sent my axles off to moser, and had them resplined to the shorter length, and had them put the C-clip retainers back on the ends.

For the record, this is a street car. I know that 28 spline C-clip axles on a drag car at a drag strip would be the main ingredient for a trashed quarter panel, but the drag strip, and a set of sticky tires are not in this cars' future, so....... I'll consider myself warned.

[bridgener]

Man, this is awesome! I love these frankenstein builds. Definitely going to be following this.

Is that your Mustang in your avatar?

[Mike1157]

Thanks It was my last car. There are a few pics of it in one of my albums. It was never a four eyed Notch (I would never had cut one up if it had been) so I haven't posted pics of the thing on here.
If you think the current car is Frankenstein now, wait till I get to the body.

[FoxChassis]

I like it, evn though I may not comment on it. OK, I guess I did just comment on it.

Keep up the good work and the progress updates and pics.

[Chris Wood]

Great work so far, I am watching this thread.

[83GTJIM]

You probably don't get a lot of comments because you make most of us feel totally incompetent!

[Mike1157]

You probably don't get a lot of comments because you make most of us feel totally incompetent!

Are you saying that I'm being rude?

[FoxChassis]

No he's saying the work and fabrication that you do most of us cannot do.

[Mike1157]

No he's saying the work and fabrication that you do most of us cannot do.

I was thinking that's what he meant,.just wanted to be sure. (I was thinking "Now what did I do to piss somebody off this time?")

[brianj]

Hard to tell, but they do not look like they droop down that much- maybe a half a cup of oil?

[Mike1157]

Hard to tell, but they do not look like they droop down that much- maybe a half a cup of oil?

I left out the angle that shows that.(on purpose) It is what it is, There are simply no fox pans that will fit on a 250 I-6, so you gotta do what you gotta do. Unfortunately, when I sectioned the pan the first time, it had to go back together leaving a slight tilt to the floor of the pan. When I added those out riggers to the pan, I had an uneven surface to reference off of, and it really is wonky looking when you level the motor and stand in front of the engine. Even if it's a "half cup," that will end up a half cup that never drains out at oil change time. Right now while it's off It's just as easy to add two -10 male fittings w/ caps so I can be sure that wont be a concern.

[bridgener]

Would those tilted wings in the front extremities of the oil pan possibly prevent oil that rests there from being circulated? Just seems like contaminants might sit there instead of being picked up and filtered. Come to think of it, those corners might be a good place to put a couple of small magnets.

[Mike1157]

Would those tilted wings in the front extremities of the oil pan possibly prevent oil that rests there from being circulated? Just seems like contaminants might sit there instead of being picked up and filtered. Come to think of it, those corners might be a good place to put a couple of small magnets.

Good idea,...I'm in the business that has just the right little magnets too. Consider it done.

[whyidontknow]

Great build. But man I wish you would get rid of those center blocks. I would even help chip in on some jack stands!

[Mike1157]

Great build. But man I wish you would get rid of those center blocks. I would even help chip in on some jack stands!

Thanks man. Don't worry about the cement blocks,...all they're doing is holding the tires up under the body to simulate ride height...The chassis is sitting on real live jack stands.

[chads84svo]

Wow! Impressive build! And impressive talent. Nice work.

[brianj]

Great work, by the way. I usually do not comment if I do not have anything to add- but I am following this build.

[Mike1157]

Thanks to all for the support, and words of encouragement.

[Mike1157]

Well another Saturday, another nose and set of eyes full of black metallic dust.

:banana:


Seems Saturday is my day of freedom to attempt to get enough done to even talk about Saturday night. While it don't look like much, I think I can say that I did make progress.

I finished the Exhaust header. I'm gonna take it to my friend that will blast it for me, and I'm gonna try the new 2000 degree VHT cast iron paint. It has to be heat cured to be fully capable of withstanding the temps a turbo will subject it to, I got another friend w/ a big assed oven that I'll be able to use to do that.


On one hand I think it looks goofy as hell, on the other, I think it'll look pretty decent when it gets blasted, and gets a coat of paint on it. What do you guys think?

The rest of the day I spent sitting, and standing in the engine compartment.


The big hole is round, it just looks egg shaped in the pic. The air intake will stick through that hole, the cold side exits through the little one.
I still got some final grinding to finish the holes to perfect round.

And it'll come back in through this hole, after the a2w I/C.

I do have a question though...Do you guys weld the plates that sit on top of the frame rail completely, or just stitch it every couple of inches?

I also finish the wound that I made in the side of my trans tunnel to allow the 4R70w shift linkage enough clearance w/o worry of it hitting the floor. Now there is no chance that that'll happen. Problem is I have a whole bunch of sh it piled in the interior, and I didn't want to unload it to take a pic.....so you'll just have to take my word for it.