History Stock-S/S-F/X 1959-1966

Sorry to hear that. Get well Bob! I hadn't seen him on the FE Forum in a little bit, I was wondering if he was OK.

 

FE Bob is doing well ... they'll be back at it soon.
The Galaxie thread ... ? Any vintage Stock-S/S-F/X history up there?
Joel

 

Anyone have a picture of Butch Leals 62 Biscayne? Just reading the latest issue of Musclecar Review, part 1 of the Butch Leal interview. Butch states this car was sold to Linda and Tom Jacobson. Seen a few shots of Ol Blue but nothing while it was still owned by Butch.

 

The car is in the NHRA Museum.

 

There are a couple of shots in two issues of Hot Rod in '62 or early '63 showing Butch Leal in his '62 409. Both are race reports ... unfortunately I don't have those issues or recall what months they were. It was the same sponsor as his '63 Z-11 pictured here. Same color blue as the car is now.
Joel

 

page 46, post #903, ad posted is leal's '63 z11...

 

The following came in from my friend Jim Amos at Bee-On-Video ...

Well it’s that time of the year again! Time when all of us celebrate 427-day. There is something magical about that combination of numbers as it congers up thoughts of a high performance automobile engine and the special cars that provided it with a home. Close your eyes and image a 63 ½ Lightweight Galaxie with that unmistakable growl of the big FE bullet. Or how about an A/FX Comet with twin hood scoops feeding the monster within. Perhaps you can recall S/S Thunderbolts with the big bubble hood and air inlets in the headlight assembly. Holman and Moody even gave the 427 a home inside a group of special A/FX Mustangs they constructed. Bill Stroppe did the same to a group of '65 Comets. The Logge Brothers bent some tubing around a 427 and then wrapped it in fiberglass. It really doesn’t matter if it is a low, medium or high riser, tunnel port or cammer as long as it is a 427 it is worthy of reverence. I heard rumor that even Chevrolet produced the magical number combination in its product lineup. Pass the word about 427 day and remember to celebrate it on an annual basis.
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After receiving numerous comments from fellow Muscle Car enthusiasts I suggest that we adopt a change to our 427-day celebration in 2009. Beginning in March 2009 lets celebrate the special day for each of the High Performance Cubic Inch numbers that occur during March, April and May. Dates like 301 (Chevy), 327 (Chevy), 312 (Ford), 326 (Pontiac), 409 (Chevy), 413 (MoPar), 426 (Chrys), 502 (GM) among others should be recognized. No matter what your allegiance join in and pay tribute to your favorite CI-date. >
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<o =""></o>Jim Amos<o =""></o>
Drag videos @ Bee On Video http://beeonvideo.homestead.com/

 

Happy 428 Pontiac Day!!!

 

I have to say thank all of you guys who ran in those days. Those were the best days of drag racing in my book for the inspiration they gave to younger guys like me. By the late '70's there were long haired hell raisers like me on the track driving crazy fast cars and having the time of our lives. I must be part cat because I have to have had 9 lives. But at the track there was always a legendary racer no one had heard much of but inside the community who would gladly give advice on how to get the car to go straight down the track. None of us who have ever slammed three pedals could have done it without your inspiration and your help, and live to tell about it. One of the funniest things someone told me as I was backing up from a burn through with the left door open, was "Get that hair up in your helmet boah, we don't want to be pulling no flaming spider monkeys out on the big end." I red lighted thinking of that mental picture at the line and couldn't stop laughing. Racing now is just different than it was, less mentoring mixed with competition like it used to be but there are some keepers of the flame out there in NSS. I won't start mentioning names for fear of leaving someone out.

Happy '68 1/2 428 CJ 4-speed Mustang day

 

Anyone know who owned this car? It looks new and street/strip, other than the scoop. I wonder if it became a more serious track car?

 

Isn't that frank sanders 409 in post#984? I saw a pic. of that car a few days ago. had a story on cars that ran out of dyno's shop .Hubert Platt also dyno's name on his car but his was yellow.Don Martin had one that looked that car too.

 

what were those guys using for the scoop....nicholson had the same one on his bubbletop.... looks like a enderle barndoor scoop...gotta ask ...gotta a spare hood for my 61 bisc... brandon

 

Was at a car show in Thomasville GA Saturday. This Thunderbolt was there. It had an automatic shifted on the column. I don't know about that but he swore it was a real Thunderbolt. I know they made SS/A's but I can't imagine shifting on the column .. Maybe they did, most I ever saw was 4 speeds..

 

they were on the column. So were all the s/s Mopars after '64 & until '66

 

Looks it to me.. Another car that used to run Sanford Maine.. Car hauled ass!
In 1998 the car was on display at the Wolrd of Wheels show in Boston
Pontiac Slim

 

I believe that car was a fellow by the name of McCluskey, not sure of his first name. Can't find the Nat. Dragster that I have that tells me that. If and when I find it I'll post the shot. It's not Frank Sanders.
He's obviously running OS/S late '61. It looks as "street-strip" as much as Dyno Don's '61 did. I believe that this shot was at an NHRA Regional or a meet of some significance out west, CA or AZ maybe. The scoop is an early aftermarket Enderle scoop, the type they offered for their two throat, rectangular injector for GMC blowers back then. Dyno Don ran one of these on his '61 car in OS/S.
Joel

 

Here's Mike McCluskey in that '61 409. Hatden Proffitt won the meet in Mickey Thompson's '61 Pontiac and set a new OS/S mph record.
Joel

 

Thanks Joel, I meant street/strip because it looked like it was driven to the track, had a stock exhaust system on it and a radio and no permanent lettering.

 

If I remember right, they had that big old hoss of a Lincoln trans in them, the HX I think it was called. That was a big trans.

 

I'm not sure but I think that they had to run essentially stock exhaust systems in '61. I may be wrong because I don't have any NHRA rule books but as I recall 1962 was the first year for tiny exhaust systems hanging just to meet the rules. The radio is certainly a street driven item but it looks like no antennae on it here at a later date.
Here's another shot of the car running a '62 Plymouth from Petersen's Stock Cars For The Drags special magazine. No caption, looks like Pomona? To the far left in the background is a '62 Chevy ... Leal's car maybe? No idea who's in the Mopar.
Joel

 

More from that Petersen magazine ... Lennie Kennedy's '61 (?) Buick out on a '62 Pontiac ... looks like the '62 NHRA nationals at Indy. Not sure if the name on the Pontiac refers to Jere Stahl.
Joel

 

Les Ritchey in his 401 Ford vs Frank Sanders in his Rudolph Chevrolet 360-409. Ritchey had the quickest S/S at the meet setting low ET but lost to the Chevies on that day.
The cover of the Petersen Stock Cars For The Drags special magazine.
Joel

 

Jim Amos is a genuinely super guy, his videos are way cool and a must-have for older coots like me, and he's got an A/FX Comet to die for!!!

 

Great photos Joel. Thanks for sharing That Biscayne 2dr sedan body style was about as popular as the Impala!
My '61 NHRA rule book states, "Dual exhaust pipes, with mufflers, will be permitted. Headers are also permissible, but exhaust must be routed through mufflers, and tailpipes. Open by-passes are permissible, but must be installed in front of the muffler and in such a manner as to direct exhaust away from the strip, tires, body and must extend out to within at least 6" of the edge of the body."
Those rules apply to the Stock and S/S classes. There is no mention of the OS/S class in my book. It would be interesting to know if a later printing was issued which included the Optional class.
So, the way I read the above, it seems that you could add cut-outs in front of the mufflers but the mufflers had to remain attached, rather than unbolting and swinging to the side of the collector.......and the cut-out had to have another pipe on it which had to run out near the edge of the body.

 

More rule book stuff.....
The '62 NHRA rule book makes exactly the same statement for stock classes as mentioned above except the requirement for the outlets to be within 6" of the edge of the body is ommitted. Mufflers and tailpipes still needed to be attached, but the header outlet did not need an additional pipe on it.
Also interesting is a note under the new FX class: "The Factory Experimental class is for stock automobiles that use manufacturers' optional equipment announced on or after June 1 1961; optional equipment that is not necessarily factory assembly-line installed and/or show-room sales available."
Also of note under the Stock car section (which includes SS/S and S/S) is this bold print statement: "All cars in stock classes manufactured after June 1, 1961, must be factory assembly-line produced and generally show-room sales available".

 

Good stuff Verne, thanks.

Nat. Dragster used to have small notices printed about updates to the rule book and additional options that were allowed. I only have a handfull of Nat. Dragsters now so I don't know if I have any with the updates. Maybe an early June issue?
I'd imagine the same exhaust system rules from Stock & S/S applied to OS/S. I have a shot of Nicholson's '61 in OS/S trim and one can see what looks like stock exhaust system off the header.
Joel

 

Here's another Joel to illustrate the rule. I've never heard of a manufacturer who made fenderwell headers for an '09, but a set was made for this car, and it looks like it complies with the rules. (and without having to add another pipe to meet the 6" rule). Crafty huh?







I also find the reference to June 1st very interesting from an historical point of view. That may have been the date when Chevy released the 2x4 top end equipment for the '61 '09.

Joel, I think one of the greatest things about this thread you started is how it can describe the evolution from Stock to Optional to FX & AWB cars, and how the factories were "in the race", providing newly engineered equipment to keep their edge on the competition.

Can anyone validate service parts releases by any other manufacturer about that time in '61? What other cars ran OS/S in late '61, and what equipment put them in that class?

 

Regarding fender well headers for 409's I know that Jerry Jardine made them. Dick Harrell used them on both his 61 Cars. One with 348 and the other with 409. Also he had complete exhaust system on both cars because he drove them to and from the races and any where else he went. I don't remember exactly how the exhaust system was connected to the headers. Not sure if I spelled his name right either but he was from Calif.

Larry

 

Jardine Headers ( fenderwell ) were the hot set up. ( 61 409 ),We had them too...
worked well..sounded great.

 

Larry & Wally, thanks very much! I"ve just never seen a pair before. Guess I should get out more...
I know someone who needs a set of those Jardine's very badly if a set turns up. Please let me say again how happy I am that you guys are contributing your experiences to these discussions..

Verne