Ford Falcon – 2600 HP – The Dirty Bird

A stock 1968 Ford Falcon came with an inline six or a modest small-block V8, nothing that belonged anywhere near a drag strip leaderboard. The car nicknamed ‘Dirty Bird’ shares almost nothing with that spec sheet except the body panels, running a twin-turbo 449 small-block good for a claimed 2,600 horsepower. Here’s what it takes to turn a grocery-getter into an eighth-mile weapon.

This thing just slingshots down the track!!

A stock 1968 Ford Falcon weighed a little over a ton and came from the factory with an inline six or a modest small-block V8 — nothing that would turn heads at a stoplight, let alone a drag strip. The car nicknamed “Dirty Bird” shares almost nothing with that factory spec sheet except the body panels. Underneath sits a combination that sounds more like a jet engine than an engine bay: two turbochargers big enough to mount in plain view of the car’s nose, feeding a small-block built to survive numbers most drag cars only dream about. In under five seconds, this Falcon covers an eighth of a mile faster than some production cars finish a quarter. How does a body style built for grocery runs end up wearing a powerplant like that?

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

449 Cubic Inches and Two Turbos the Size of Trash Can Lids

Dirty Bird’s owner, Jason Wade, built the car around a 449-cubic-inch Ford small-block backed by a Rossler two-speed transmission, but the most eye-catching part of the combination is up front: a pair of 88mm turbochargers large enough to mount in plain view of the car’s nose rather than tucked underneath. A Rick Jones four-link rear suspension helps put that power to the track without turning every launch into a fight.

The Numbers That Made ‘Dirty Bird’ Famous

The finished combination is rated at a claimed 2,600 horsepower in a car weighing around 3,250 pounds, running in the 275 Outlaw class. That ratio is enough to send the Falcon down an eighth-mile in 4.700 seconds at 159.35 mph — a time that would be respectable for a quarter-mile pass in plenty of dedicated race cars, let alone an eighth.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter