Oddball Muscle Cars

Paul Ceasrine · 03-03-2010, 04:34 AM

Hey,That 4-speed wagon had to come through with a factory Hurst shifter unit.And possibly, the special exhaust, with the rectangular-shaped/chrome-tipped exhaust tail..Never saw a 273/235 Commando in a wagon,,, but I know there were definitely a few built with the 235HP.
ODD-BALL and UGLY,,1967 AMC Marlin, the performance version with the 343/280HP engine. Blazed the quarter in 17.6 @ 82mph. There ads stated, 'the only race were intersted in, is the human race'..And with those
times, you will have all day to enjoy it..
Paul,,

danny waters sr · 03-03-2010, 08:15 AM

I remember in 78 , seeing a 70 corvette ,454 ,radio, heater & A/C delete,also had rubber mat instead of carpet ,4 -speed. It ran low 11's in the 1/4 mile @ Kinston Drag Strip ( N.C ). He drove it to the track and put slicks on and un-capped side pipe headers . Kinda of a burnt orange color. My bad , It was a 69 L-88.

genuine jack · 03-09-2010, 11:02 AM

just a quick note and question on the '57 blower fords .

the supercharged engine was rated at 300 HP , but 340 HP in NASCAR trim .
the 2X4 was rated at 270 HP ... 285 in NASCAR trim .
the cars dominated in nascar in '57 , and in the JR. stock classes in the mid - late '60's . as well as the tudors and at least one [ the "osage yellow hoss" ] fordor hardtop , there were quite a few wagons . and there were 3 supercharged wagons built by the factory in '57 .
i've been looking for info on larry walker's "legal cheater" for years . also tried to locate mr. walker - with no luck . you say the car is in BC and is being restored ? are any photos - or any more information - available ? does anyone know how i might contact larry walker ?
thanx for any help .
jack

W J · 03-09-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuine jack

just a quick note and question on the '57 blower fords .

the supercharged engine was rated at 300 HP , but 340 HP in NASCAR trim .
the 2X4 was rated at 270 HP ... 285 in NASCAR trim .
the cars dominated in nascar in '57 , and in the JR. stock classes in the mid - late '60's . as well as the tudors and at least one [ the "osage yellow hoss" ] fordor hardtop , there were quite a few wagons . and there were 3 supercharged wagons built by the factory in '57 .
i've been looking for info on larry walker's "legal cheater" for years . also tried to locate mr. walker - with no luck . you say the car is in BC and is being restored ? are any photos - or any more information - available ? does anyone know how i might contact larry walker ?
thanx for any help .
jack

Didn't the '57 T-birds have the 312 Paxton blower motor (1-4bbl) combo, and the non-blower 2-4 bbl. 312 combo as well? I saw a '57 full size Ford w/blower run years ago at the track, but never a '57 blown T-bird running....WJ

genuine jack · 03-09-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W J

Didn't the '57 T-birds have the 312 Paxton blower motor (1-4bbl) combo, and the non-blower 2-4 bbl. 312 combo as well? I saw a '57 full size Ford w/blower run years ago at the track, but never a '57 blown T-bird running....WJ

yes - the blower and the 2X4 were available in both the ford and the t-bird . there were approximately [ the exact number seems to be in debate ] 214 blower t-birds built .

jack

Paul Ceasrine · 03-09-2010, 12:06 PM

ODDBALL,,,not rare..The 66' Comet GTA convertible D/SA..
Check out the Barrie Poole site.. He ran one, and set the NHRA record
in D/SA in 66', and C/SA in 67'. The 390 (66' version) with 335HP had
the better camshaft, and 600 cfm Holley. The 67' version, was toned down a bit..(The Ford Bastards)..
Paul

Rory McNeil · 03-09-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuine jack

just a quick note and question on the '57 blower fords .

.
i've been looking for info on larry walker's "legal cheater" for years . also tried to locate mr. walker - with no luck . you say the car is in BC and is being restored ? are any photos - or any more information - available ? does anyone know how i might contact larry walker ?
thanx for any help .
jack

Jack, I have never met Larry Walker, but yes, his old "Legal Cheater" 57 Ford 2 door sedan has been up here in BC Canada since, I believe, about 1971. The same fellow that bought it from Walker has owned the car the entire time, and as I understand it, the car has been re-painted back to the "Legal Cheater" look. I`m a young fella, (only 52 years old), and the only time I ever seen the 57 Ford was at an event at Mission Raceway in about 72 or 73. By that time, the owner had painted the car black, with "Black Magic" lettered on the rear 1/4 panels, I believe it was running in G/SA at that time. I do have a couple of photo`s of the 57 at that race, but I`m pretty useless at posting pics, although I could ask my wife for help tonight with it. The car has been in storage from about 1973 or 74, until the past couple of years, but I do know that the owner has been having difficulty finding a good useable 312 block. I`m hoping Cec will have the 57 ready for our big "Mega Ford" race at Mission Raceway this Sept. Having owned a number of 57-59 Fords, that car was always the "Holy Grail" to me. Maybe Bob could add some more info, as he & Cec have been friends since the old Jr. Stock days.

Rory McNeil · 03-09-2010, 12:30 PM

As for the 66-67 Comets, the late Roger Rice from Montana ran a dark blue 66 Cyclone GTA 390 in G&H/SA until his death about 8-10 years ago. I believe that Chad Langdon had it for awhile, no idea where it is now.
Yes, there were some Comets built with 427`s, but like the Fairlane, they were usually found in the non GT-GTA models. A Ford collector up here had a really nice, black 67 Comet Capri 2 dr HT with a "R" code 427 425HP 2x4 barrel 4 speed bench seat in his collection until a few years ago. (Others in his fleet included 2 64 Thunderbolts, including the Jess Tyee driven Mickey Thompson owned M/T Hemi head 427, an injected 427 SOHC A/FX 66 Mustang, as well as a red 63 Max Wedge Plymouth, and a 70 Hemi Cuda ex SS car. I know the M/T Thunderbolt was on EBay a couple of years ago, I also believe that most, if not all the other cars were also sold.

mtkawboy · 03-09-2010, 12:34 PM

This is from a friend whos no longer alive but ran Nascar in the 50s. Only the factory cars ran the blower 312 motor because they had special German made blower roller bearings not available to the privateer racers or even known to them at the time. No one could keep the bearings in the blowers without them in long races so they all ran the 2 -4 barrel engines. Whether theres any truth to that I dont know but he was a big time engine builder that ran both on the beach & the first years of the big speedway at Daytona as well as modifieds in the new England/Canada area in the 50s. His name was George Nelson from Miami Fl. and he built some bad fast flatheads, Y-block Fords & small block Chevys. He also ran a Dodge Dart 273/235 stocker out of New Smyrna's Dynamic Dodge called Little Damn Ram in the mid 60s

BlueOval Ralph · 03-09-2010, 01:01 PM

Ford had 2 different blowers in 57 one looked like the regular Mcllough (sorry for spelling) supercharger the other looked like a modern big alternator, the one used in NASCAR as I remember used the engine oiling system the other had it's own oil interal oil system the ones that used the engine were much more durable.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/featu.../photo_12.html

SEE BELOW

According to Jim Moody's Web site, www.vs57.com, which chronicles the history of McCulloch superchargers, "With the Rochester Fuel Injection looming on the horizon, Ford's prospects looked weaker for 1957, and they were looking at all options. The decision to use superchargers was made late in 1956, and the decision to use McCulloch superchargers was probably due to the fact that Ford did not yet have a system of their own, and the fact that McCulloch superchargers were well proven in the field."

McCulloch's Paxton Products division, based in Los Angeles, California, signed a one-year contract with Ford to supply its variable-ratio, oil-cooled, centrifugal VR57 supercharger exclusively for the 312-cu.in. Ford V-8 in 1957. Paxton delivered between 100 and 125 VR57 Phase I superchargers to Ford in December 1956 to meet NASCAR's homologation rules, according to Moody. Twelve D-code Thunderbirds and an unknown number of passenger cars built in January 1957 received the Phase I superchargers, identified by the large clamp used to hold the two halves together.

Because the Phase I superchargers proved sensitive and unreliable (though reportedly more powerful), Paxton revised the design for the superchargers destined for the general public. The VR57 Phase II supercharger went into the now-famous F-code Thunderbirds (between 208 and 211 total production) and passenger cars (as many as 1,500 total), which didn't come out of the factory until later in 1957. Ford claimed 300hp from the supercharged engines, and Paxton claimed 360hp, though actual output, depending on the camshaft, peaked at 325 and 340hp.

The McCulloch-Ford contract expired in September or October of 1957, after factory-involved racing took two big hits: NASCAR's April 1957 decision to ban superchargers and fuel injection from its tracks and the Automobile Manufacturers Association's June 1957 decision to end all direct factory participation in racing. Thus, the F-code Thunderbirds lasted just one year.

But the link between the two companies didn't simply materialize from thin air. McCulloch had introduced a supercharger for the flathead V-8 in 1937, then in September 1953 released another bolt-on supercharger, the variable-speed VS57, initially available for the Ford flathead engine, though the company soon produced kits for most automotive V-8s and six-cylinder engines, including the Y-block. According to the aforementioned Motor Life article, McCulloch's installers said a good half of the VS57s made their way under a Thunderbird's hood.

McCulloch's own performance figures recorded a 3.2-second reduction in 0-to-60 mph times for a VS57-equipped 1955 Thunderbird. Motor Life magazine's testers managed just a 2.5-second drop, down to eight seconds. On a 1956 Ford with an automatic transmission, McCulloch stated a 7.5-second 0-to-60 time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtkawboy

This is from a friend whos no longer alive but ran Nascar in the 50s. Only the factory cars ran the blower 312 motor because they had special German made blower roller bearings not available to the privateer racers or even known to them at the time. No one could keep the bearings in the blowers without them in long races so they all ran the 2 -4 barrel engines. Whether theres any truth to that I dont know but he was a big time engine builder that ran both on the beach & the first years of the big speedway at Daytona as well as modifieds in the new England/Canada area in the 50s. His name was George Nelson from Miami Fl. and he built some bad fast flatheads, Y-block Fords & small block Chevys. He also ran a Dodge Dart 273/235 stocker out of New Smyrna's Dynamic Dodge called Little Damn Ram in the mid 60s

03-03-2010, 04:34 AM	#1
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Oddball Muscle Cars Hey,That 4-speed wagon had to come through with a factory Hurst shifter unit.And possibly, the special exhaust, with the rectangular-shaped/chrome-tipped exhaust tail..Never saw a 273/235 Commando in a wagon,,, but I know there were definitely a few built with the 235HP. ODD-BALL and UGLY,,1967 AMC Marlin, the performance version with the 343/280HP engine. Blazed the quarter in 17.6 @ 82mph. There ads stated, 'the only race were intersted in, is the human race'..And with those times, you will have all day to enjoy it.. Paul,, Last edited by Paul Ceasrine; 03-03-2010 at 04:45 AM.

03-03-2010, 08:15 AM	#2
danny waters sr VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: lagrange,nc Posts: 2,224 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Oddball Muscle Cars I remember in 78 , seeing a 70 corvette ,454 ,radio, heater & A/C delete,also had rubber mat instead of carpet ,4 -speed. It ran low 11's in the 1/4 mile @ Kinston Drag Strip ( N.C ). He drove it to the track and put slicks on and un-capped side pipe headers . Kinda of a burnt orange color. My bad , It was a 69 L-88. __________________ Danny Waters, Sr / 73 Duster "340" Last edited by danny waters sr; 03-03-2010 at 01:15 PM.

03-09-2010, 11:02 AM	#3
genuine jack Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 4 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Oddball Muscle Cars just a quick note and question on the '57 blower fords . the supercharged engine was rated at 300 HP , but 340 HP in NASCAR trim . the 2X4 was rated at 270 HP ... 285 in NASCAR trim . the cars dominated in nascar in '57 , and in the JR. stock classes in the mid - late '60's . as well as the tudors and at least one [ the "osage yellow hoss" ] fordor hardtop , there were quite a few wagons . and there were 3 supercharged wagons built by the factory in '57 . i've been looking for info on larry walker's "legal cheater" for years . also tried to locate mr. walker - with no luck . you say the car is in BC and is being restored ? are any photos - or any more information - available ? does anyone know how i might contact larry walker ? thanx for any help . jack

03-09-2010, 12:06 PM	#6
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Oddball Muscle Cars ODDBALL,,,not rare..The 66' Comet GTA convertible D/SA.. Check out the Barrie Poole site.. He ran one, and set the NHRA record in D/SA in 66', and C/SA in 67'. The 390 (66' version) with 335HP had the better camshaft, and 600 cfm Holley. The 67' version, was toned down a bit..(The Ford Bastards).. Paul

03-09-2010, 12:30 PM	#8
Rory McNeil VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: from Vancouver BC Canada, now in Nova Scotia Posts: 1,311 Likes: 317 Liked 1,103 Times in 301 Posts	Re: Oddball Muscle Cars As for the 66-67 Comets, the late Roger Rice from Montana ran a dark blue 66 Cyclone GTA 390 in G&H/SA until his death about 8-10 years ago. I believe that Chad Langdon had it for awhile, no idea where it is now. Yes, there were some Comets built with 427`s, but like the Fairlane, they were usually found in the non GT-GTA models. A Ford collector up here had a really nice, black 67 Comet Capri 2 dr HT with a "R" code 427 425HP 2x4 barrel 4 speed bench seat in his collection until a few years ago. (Others in his fleet included 2 64 Thunderbolts, including the Jess Tyee driven Mickey Thompson owned M/T Hemi head 427, an injected 427 SOHC A/FX 66 Mustang, as well as a red 63 Max Wedge Plymouth, and a 70 Hemi Cuda ex SS car. I know the M/T Thunderbolt was on EBay a couple of years ago, I also believe that most, if not all the other cars were also sold. __________________ NHRA 6390 STK M/S 85 Mustang

03-09-2010, 12:34 PM	#9
mtkawboy Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Billings Mt Posts: 282 Likes: 186 Liked 54 Times in 18 Posts	Re: Oddball Muscle Cars This is from a friend whos no longer alive but ran Nascar in the 50s. Only the factory cars ran the blower 312 motor because they had special German made blower roller bearings not available to the privateer racers or even known to them at the time. No one could keep the bearings in the blowers without them in long races so they all ran the 2 -4 barrel engines. Whether theres any truth to that I dont know but he was a big time engine builder that ran both on the beach & the first years of the big speedway at Daytona as well as modifieds in the new England/Canada area in the 50s. His name was George Nelson from Miami Fl. and he built some bad fast flatheads, Y-block Fords & small block Chevys. He also ran a Dodge Dart 273/235 stocker out of New Smyrna's Dynamic Dodge called Little Damn Ram in the mid 60s