Built 02 SKD, Burnout XD

The Purpose-Built XD Falcon for Powercruise

Grahame Rowe’s supercharged XD Falcon was built for one very specific purpose, to bash the limiter and shred tyres at Powercruise as well as any other event with a burnout competition.

Carving a Niche: The Rise of Event Cars

Events like Powercruise have enabled and motivated car enthusiasts to build a new niche of modified vehicle; the event car. These are machines that can completely disregard the limitations imposed by the local registration authorities, allowing their owners to create something truly awesome.

Unveiling the Tyre Assassin: 02 SKD

Event cars (as opposed to a race car that happens to be at an event) will also forego any attempt to improve the traction and instead do everything they can to fry the tyres at every opportunity presented to them. Grahame Rowe’s supercharged XD Falcon, known as 02 SKD, is one of these machines.

The Transformation from a $2000 Car to a Spectacle

Bought for just $2000, a further $40,000 has transformed it into a very well-presented rear-tyre assassin. Some of the events where it can be seen impersonating the car in the yellow and black “slippery road ahead” signs include Powercruise and Powerplay Qld, Summernats, Brasher Nats, Madaz Burnouts and the Archerfield Burnouts.

Limiter-Bashing and Tyre Assassination: The XD Falcon in Action

The above clip is a compilation of Grahame’s efforts on the burnout pad, and there’s plenty more footage like this all over YouTube. As you can see we weren’t kidding when we said limiter-bashing and tyre assassin.

Under the Bonnet: An Engine Designed for Drama

When we got to have a close look at the car we were shown an engine that has a Windsor-style bottom end with a Dart block and 393ci capacity, Cleveland-style 4V alloy heads, and a 6/71 supercharger from The Blower Shop under a pair of 650cfm Demon carbies.

Designed for Destruction: Driveline and Gear Specifications

The driveline behind it has a 3000rpm stall, a manually-shifted C4 3-speed, and the rear end is a 9in with a full spool and tall 3:1 gears to make sure the tyres spin extremely fast, which helps explain all the smoke. Incidentally Grahame has several different pairs of sacrificial rear wheels with a Ford stud pattern, whilst for making the car look nice away from the pad it has a full set of Centreline Convo Pros.

Interior: A Blend of Standard and Custom

The interior is sort-of standard, but it has been freshly re-trimmed with later-model BA Falcon XR6/8 cloth, plus there’s an Autotechnica wheel for flicking the car about to really impress the crowds, and some Auto Meter gauges to completely ignore as the engine screams for mercy because Grahame rarely lifts his right foot.

Exterior Makeover: Professional Repairs and Unique Paint Job

As you can see in the feature photos the car is certainly not an untidy hack, the bodywork has been repaired to a professional standard and Grahame’s friend Andy painted the shell in Venetian Red, a colour that was blatantly stolen from Holden’s VL Commodore. It also has a ZJ Fairlane grille and XE taillights, as well as some rubber from burnouts past at the bottom of the rear quarters.

Lost in the Smoke: The Guinness World Record Skid

You don’t really notice any of that when Grahame is shrouded in a thick cloud of smoke though. As another example of this he was also part of the Guinness World Record at Summernats when 69 cars did simultaneous burnouts for 30 seconds. That’s Grahame surrounded by so much smoke you can’t even see the cars next to him whilst doing his part amongst the most epic synchronised skids ever attempted.

The XD Falcon: A Showstopper at Powercruise 50

As we said, this car was specifically built to do skids at events and that’s exactly what Grahame has been doing with it, popping tyres on burnout pads in Queensland as well as our nation's capital. With Powercruise 50 on near Brisbane this weekend we’re sure he’ll be excited for even more of that tyre-frying action.