Hubert Platt told me he had a 1969 Mustang body he wanted to sell in 1970 so we bought it to race in SS/GA. I found out it was a Q code 428CJ Mach 1 that had been one of the test cars for the Boss 302 and according to Ford it was crushed. It was built in October 1968. The front fenders were rolled, it had no quarter scoops, paint was blacked out like a Boss 302 but no stripe on the side and it had the Mach 1 scoop. In June 1971 I removed the drive train from the 1968 SS/FA Mustang that I bought from Hubert in 1969. This was the first time I ran it before it was painted and the only photo I have thanks to Terry Earwood.
This was my first NHRA points race in Miami in 1971 after paint were I received the best appearing award.
1971 Turkey Trot in Gainesville with no quarter scoops.
I raced at Indy, the Grand Nationals in Canada and was going through tech inspection at the World Finals in Amarillo and they weren't going to let me race because the quarter scoops were missing. After a lot of of discussion and with the help of the Division II tech director they said I could race but don't come to Pomona without the scoops. My painter at the time had to carefully install the scoops and I went to Miami and won the Miami National Open with a winning time of 11.24 on a 11.45 record.
I went to Pomona and won class beating Lonnie Garner racing Bob Gliddens old SS/GA 1969 Mustang short shifting and shutting off early.
I stayed in California for 5 weeks and went to Orange County during a Funny Car race and made one time run 11.18. I also race a Las Vegas and Bakersfield.
I set the SS/GA record in 1971 and 1974 but quit racing it in 1974 and never modified the the rear suspension. I decided to race in C/SA and started to restore it in 1992. My first race was a points race in West Palm Beach but it was too light so I had to run B/SA but I did go a couple of rounds. I raced it on and off at a few points meets without very much success and was racing at Orlando and the first round I had a heads up C/SA race against our very own Ken Miele. Ken beat me bad by about .3 and 3 mph and I decided since I wasn't competitive I parked it.
It sat for a few years and I decided to race it in brackets.
I don't like bracket racing so I parked it until I opened my restoration shop with my son Brian. I started out as Classic Mustangs and painted it close to the way it was raced in the 70's and took it to car shows to promote my shop.
I heard Ford was going after shops using the name Mustang so I changed the name to Gillis Performance Restorations.
I decided to race in the Southern Stock Super Stock Association so I added a solid lifter cam and aluminum heads and ran SS/GA. I did get it to run the index and went to the semi finals at my first race.
The engine was worn out and had water in the oil so I took it to Competition Motors for a rebuild to race in Stock. He has a 1969 CJ Mach 1 that needs paint and we are swapping labor and working in our spare time.
