First published in Street Machine’s Australia’s Toughest Fords #2, 2004

A couple of near-identical XRs. That’s spooky. Is this some kinda club? Maybe fans who’ve built replicas of their hero’s Ford? Rivalry between brothers, perhaps? Ford specialists who want to establish an identity for their business? What’s it all about, and why would two fellas go building near- identical street machines?

The quick answer to the last question is: they didn’t. Santo Gatto and Marcus Hume didn’t even know one another when they each built what was, as far as they were concerned, a unique street machine. Start with an XR Fairmont, drop in a 351, add some custom touches and a smooth, clean look, hit the road for some neat cruising, then to the track for a bit of quarter-mile work. Just a couple of Melbourne blokes doing what they want to do.

Santo Gatto’s black with blue pearl Fairmont at the rear (MYXR 68) is the tougher of the two cars. While Marcus Hume owns the equally sweet green Fairmont at the front (XR 0067)

“It’s just amazing how similar they are,” says Marcus. “Both of them are de-badged. Both of us have got Falcon tail-lights instead of Fairmont ones because we like them better. Both our engine bays are sheet-metalled. The batteries are in the boot. We even set the gauges up the same. There’s loads of little things we’ve done the same. It’s kinda freaky, really.”

Inevitably, their paths crossed. Santo built his house just up the road from where Marcus lives. He dropped into the servo where Marcus used to work. Then when Marcus began working at Super Plus Race Components, Santo shopped there. One of Santo’s mates knew Marcus. And of course there’s the street machine scene. Santo saw Marcus’s XR in that servo one day and said he had one just like it. Marcus thought he was crapping on, but sure enough Santo was right, and this encounter led to a long-standing mateship.

Santo tends to run 10-inch fats on the rear at the drags, whereas Marcus sticks with 8.5s

In daylight you can easily see the difference in their colours. Marcus has dark metallic green and Santo went for blue-pearled black. But at night it’s virtually impossible to tell them apart, and the pair laugh about the confusion it’s caused.

“People get our cars mixed up,” says Marcus. “Santo gets people ringing up and abusing him, saying, ‘Why did you go out and not invite us?’ when it was actually me out driving.”

Santo adds, “People used to ring me up when my car was off the road and go, ‘Mate, mate, I just saw your car’. I’d have my heart in my mouth wondering how it could be my car.”

Santo’s Fairmont

Look closer and you’ll spot the differences. Santo’s Ford is the hotter one, its hi-po donk pouring 520hp from the crank. While Marcus’s is a bit milder with 442hp on tap, there’s still plenty of grunt to play fast games with.

Santo has a C1O auto built by BBE while Marcus runs a manual. If you’re really keen, you might pick the XY-spec DBA front discs and XY calipers on the green car.

Santo loves the power his Ford makes. “It likes to light ’em up a bit, and it hooks up hard and really snaps your neck sometimes. It likes to look at the sky when it’s taking off on the track. It feels unreal.

“There’s times I thought I’m gunna sell the car, but every time I get in and turn the key I’ve got a smile from ear to ear, and I quickly change my mind about selling. It’s that V8 rumble – you’re sitting there and it’s shaking.”

As tough as the engine is, it’s still a great street powerplant.

“People are amazed at how well it cruises,” says Santo. “Even though it’s got the big converter and big gears, it still likes to cruise. I’ve never had any dramas with it.

“That’s why I love the car so much. It’s reliable, it doesn’t give me any dramas and it doesn’t mind going for a cruise.”

Marcus’s Fairmont

Marcus’s Fairmont lifts a wheel when he’s on a mission at the strip. He’s had a few dramas, though, initially because some dick ripped him off with a diff. In shortening an XA rear to fit the XR, the bloke cut three inches from the axle – on one side only! The thing was so far out of whack that the driveshaft hit the body and ended up destroying the gearbox, engine, exhaust and brake lines.

A mere week before our photo shoot, Marcus was at the track, shifting from third to fourth, when the top loader’s input shaft snapped. Julian Pavlovic worked like a demon to get the gearbox and clutch rebuilt in time for the shoot.

On the other hand, Marcus is still getting good service from a 24-year-old paint job that was done right in the first place, and his XR has so impressed his girlfriend, Sammy, that she’s gone out and bought an XT GT of her own. Makes you wanna know if she’s got a sister.

Marcus and Santo regularly cruise together, making a real impact wherever they go. They once found themselves, quite accidentally, in the middle of a street-race gathering with a few hundred people and a bunch of turbo fours – no street machines – and got a huge reception as they cruised through. Word of their run even got back to them via their mates.

“People freak out,” says Marcus. “We always get people coming into the shop saying they saw me and Santo.”

“It’s a bonus when you’re cruising along and someone gives you the thumbs up,” reckons Santo. “You’re happy that you’ve spent some money. It looks good and people like it.”

The 2.1sec difference

With 10.2sec@132mph versus 12.3@112mph, Santo’s Fairmont is 2.1sec quicker. What’s the difference? Santo’s best time is with track-only parameters: avgas, nitrous, 10-inch wheels instead of the 8.5s he uses on the street, while Marcus has only ever run in street trim. N20 is worth nine-tenths, while the avgas is much better than the PULP Marcus uses, and the wider rubber launches harder than Marcus’s 8.5-inchers.

Santo’s avgas is swallowed by a big 950cfm Holley and two Barry Grant pumps – one for regular fuel and one for avgas. With its Parker Racing Funnel Web manifold, Keith Black pistons, 254-264 cam, Pacemaker extractors and twin exhaust, it’s good for 520hp and 440ft/lb.

Marcus’s Hallum Performance-built 351 runs 4V heads, Crow cam, Speed Pro pistons, shot-peened rods, stainless valves and much more. Up top is an Edelbrock Torker manifold and 750dp Holley. All for a healthy 442hp at the crank.

SANTO GATTO
1968 XR FAIRMONTCOLOUR:Black with blue pearlTHE DONKEngine:351 ClevelandCarb:950 HP HolleyIntake:Parker Funnel WebHeads:4VCrank:4MATHE BOXGearbox:C10Stall:Dominator 5200rpmShaft:StockDiff:Nine-inch, 4.56:1, Moser axlesTHE ROOMSteering Wheel:Image WorksGauges:Auto MeterShifter:B&MTrim:StockTHE RIDESprings:6cyl (f), re-set leafs (r)Shocks:Pedders 90/10 (f), 50/50 (r)Brakes:StockWheels:Center Line Auto Drags, 15×5.5 (f), 15×8.5 or 15×10 (r)Treads:Nankang (f), N50 M&H RaceMasters (r)MARCUS HUME
1967 XR FAIRMONTCOLOUR:Metallic greenTHE DONKEngine:351 ClevelandCarb:750 DP HolleyIntake:Edelbrock Torker 4VHeads: 4VCrank:4MABTHE BOXGearbox:Top loaderClutch:Hayes Street & StripTailshaft:CustomDiff:Nine-inch, 4.3:1, 31-splineTHE ROOMSteering Wheel:StockSeats:XR GTGauges:Auto MeterShifter:Hurst IndyTHE RIDESprings:XF 6cyl (f), stock (r)Shocks:90/10 (f), 50/50 (r)Brakes:XY all round, DBA discs (f)Wheels:Convo Pros, 15×6 (f), 15×8.5 (r)Treads:Nankang (f), G60 M&H RaceMasters (r)

THANKS
FROM MARCUS (ON LEFT): All the boys at Hallam Performance; Peter, Simon and Kevin at Super Plus Race Components; Matt Pacey at Hallam Service Centre; Tony at Flash Detailing; Julian Pavlovic for the gearbox; Chris D’Oliveria; Sammy.

FROM SANTO: Tony at Flash Detailing; Johnnie and Michael at BBE Automatics; Jimmy’s Race Cars for the chassis; Nick Xerakias at Northern Dynamics for the dyno; Super Plus Race Components for the good deals.

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