Building a high-horsepower project car often involves deciding between a turbocharger and a supercharger, with each offering its own advantages when it comes to performance. However, one Australian enthusiast decided that choosing between the two was unnecessary, installing a pair of turbochargers and a massive supercharger on his Ford Cortina to create an unusual 780-horsepower burnout machine.
The incredible project belongs to Ben Bolton, an enthusiast from northern New South Wales, Australia, whose heavily modified Ford TD Cortina was featured by Street Machine. Appropriately named OVERKILL, the project combines a Ford Barra six-cylinder engine with two GT42 turbochargers and a GM 6/71 supercharger, creating one of the more unusual forced-induction combinations in the Australian burnout scene.
Interestingly, Bolton wasn’t always interested in burnout competitions; he’d spent much of his time in drag racing and collecting Ford Capris. That changed after visiting fellow enthusiast Mick Brasher’s private burnout pad with his son Blake, an experience that inspired the pair to begin working on a dedicated burnout car together.
What followed was a lengthy project filled with ambitious engineering decisions, expensive mechanical failures, and several major changes to the engine setup. Despite those challenges, Bolton eventually developed a combination producing approximately 780 horsepower at the rear wheels, although the vehicle’s unusual forced-induction system also creates some interesting driving characteristics.
Ford Cortina’s Twin-Turbo and Supercharged Engine Took Years to Perfect
According to Street Machine, Bolton originally purchased the Ford TD Cortina as a rolling chassis from Campbelltown, southwest of Sydney, with a four-link rear suspension and roll cage already installed. Working alongside his son and the fabrication specialists at Pro Metal Worx, he began transforming the vehicle into a dedicated burnout machine, initially installing a twin-turbocharged 351 Cleveland V8 equipped with a 6/71 supercharger.
Unfortunately, the original V8 repeatedly experienced exhaust-valve failures, which Street Machine suggests may have been related to high intake temperatures and the use of pump gasoline. Bolton eventually abandoned that combination and installed a Ford Typhoon Barra six-cylinder engine he already owned, retaining the unusual arrangement of two GT42 turbochargers and a massive GM supercharger.
However, switching engines didn’t immediately solve the project’s mechanical problems, as the transmission initially experienced heat-related issues before a ballooning torque converter pushed the crankshaft forward and destroyed the Barra’s main thrust bearing. Bolton subsequently turned to Woodys Engines for a stronger replacement featuring Boostline connecting rods and pistons, a billet oil pump, a partially grout-filled block, and Stage 4 Crow camshafts, resulting in an engine that he says has operated reliably for approximately four years.
Reactions to Ford Cortina’s Unusual Triple-Boosted Engine
One of the most interesting aspects of Bolton’s project is that even the people involved in its development initially questioned whether the unusual combination was worth attempting. According to Street Machine, the late Sam Fenech of Westend Performance, Bolton’s longtime engine builder, wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about the original proposal to combine two turbochargers with a supercharger, although Bolton remained determined to try something different.
Bolton himself acknowledged that the decision was motivated by a desire to stand out from other burnout competitors, many of whom already used conventional supercharged engines. Rather than following an established formula, he wanted to build something memorable, even if that meant dealing with additional engineering challenges and the possibility of expensive failures.
The finished Cortina has since become an important part of Bolton’s experience in the Australian burnout community, with the builder crediting the project for introducing him and his son to new people and opportunities. Although independent public reactions to the feature weren’t available to verify, Bolton’s own account makes it clear that the unusual Ford has delivered far more than horsepower, turning an ambitious mechanical experiment into a lasting father-and-son project.