The F6 fix

The six-speed manual transmission in the first F6 Typhoon model was developed for Ford by a small gearbox specialist in rural Queensland. Since then Mal Wood Automotive has gone on to become a leader in aftermarket transmission conversions for muscle cars not just here but also in the USA – it’s a remarkable triumph of Aussie ingenuity on the world stage.

Story: Steve Normoyle

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Back in the early 2000s Mal Wood took what would prove to be an important phone call. It was Howard Marsden on the line. Marsden introduced himself as Ford’s motorsport manager, but Mal Wood already knew who he was.

“We’ve got a bit of a problem,” Marsden told him. “We’ve got a new model coming out with a boosted six, and the transmission’s not coping.”

Marsden had been made aware that Mal Wood’s small transmission business tucked away in Warwick in semi-rural Queensland had done a lot of work developing aftermarket transmission upgrades, and might be able to help. As for the ‘boosted six’ Falcon, this was the yet-to-be-released BA-model turbocharged six-cylinder engine that would power the XR6 Turbo and FPV’s F6 Typhoon range – which was where Marsden came in.