I would have loved to own one of those injected Y blocks . It would have fit very nicely into my 55 Ford ! The Y block was and still is a great engine ! It's always nice to read about those early years of the power from a OHV engine ! Great article ! Retro Jim
Mention was made in the article to two builders working at the time for Peter de Paolo names of Jim Travers and Frank Coon. Together those two built a few competitive rides. You might know them as Traco Engineering. http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2010/03/15/traco-engineering-and-thunder-alley/ Read the last comment from "Steve" about the Battlebirds running on Traco's dyno. Bood
A recent auction offering: ================================= 1957 Ford Thunderbird # 98 Factory Racing Car "The Battlebird" To be offered at auction ,Thursday, August 12, 2010 Chassis No. C7FH170266 Estimate: $275,000-$375,000 US Est. 350 bhp, Hilborn fuel-injected 312 Y-block V8 engine, Jaguar four-speed manual transmission, Halibrand QC rear end, lightweight aluminum body panels, heavily modified suspension, braking, cooling and exhaust systems. Wheelbase: 102" - The only remaining “Battlebird” - Driven by Chuck Daigh and Marvin Panch at Daytona in 1957 The “Battlebirds” Ford’s Thunderbird series, which debuted in 1955, was designed more as a stylish and fast boulevard cruiser than an out-and-out sports car. However in late 1956, perhaps sensing the early V8 Corvette’s potential as a track weapon, Ford decided to build and race two Experimental Class 1957 T-Birds. Peter De Paolo Engineering, a Long Beach, California based race shop subsidized by the Ford Motor Company, got the job of preparing two T-Birds, later dubbed “Battlebirds” by the media. Famed racecar constructors Jimmy Travers and Frank Coons were in turn retained by De Paolo to carry out most of the actual modifications. “Battlebird” Specifications Extensive use of aluminum to replace standard T-Bird steel components in order to save weight was employed. This included the door, hood and trunklid skins, head- and tail-lamp housings, side-vent doors, passenger side tonneau cover and a beautiful streamlined full length driver’s side head fairing. Heavy duty stock car type suspension, steering and brakes were adapted as well as a dual exhaust system, with tail pipes being faired into the rear of the rocker panels. The lightweight Halibrand magnesium road wheels with 3-eared knock-offs were fitted with Firestone racing tires. The original interior was completely removed and replaced with a single lightweight racing seat located behind a small six-gauge instrument pod that replaced the original dashboard layout. The #98 “Battlebird” was powered by a highly modified Hilborn-injected 312 Ford Y-Block V8 with magneto ignition. No suitable American 4-speed transmission existed in 1956, so a Jaguar XK120 unit was adapted, as well as a Halibrand Quick-Change rear end. Removal of bumpers and liberal hole-drilling in steel components was also undertaken by the De Paolo team. Weight distribution was improved by moving the engine back six inches and placing it four inches lower. The end result was essentially a “full-race” American automobile that still looked like a 1957 Thunderbird but had very little in common with its normal showroom relative. A Sports Cars Illustrated (July 1957) article entitled “Ford’s 400 Horse T-Birds” said it best: “Performance wise the ’Birds were little short of being domestic Ferraris. On second thought they should have been – for each of these finely engineered cars must have cost more than $20,000!” The “Battlebirds” on the Track Specifically constructed for the highly publicized Daytona Beach two-way flying mile speed runs, the two cars made their first appearance on February 9th, 1957. Driven by Chuck Daigh, this T-Bird, numbered as “98” and fitted with injection and a McCullough supercharger, reportedly made a 200 plus mph run before “ventilating” its block and preventing a return run, which disqualified it from the record book. After that, the blower was removed, and the new engine took Daigh to a third place at 93.312 mph in the standing mile acceleration class. #98 was then entered in the local airport road course races where stock car driver Marvin Panch placed second to Carroll Shelby’s 4.9 Ferrari. When the Automobile Manufacturers’ Association decreed that its members were to withdraw from racing events in 1957, the Ford Motor Company sold off the two experimental “Battlebirds” to the private sector. “Battlebird” History After Daytona Both cars – the #98 car (#170 266) and #99, powered by a 368 Lincoln engine – were sold by FOMOCO to Andy Hotten in July of 1957 who campaigned them briefly in the Midwest with a partner. The Lincoln-engined car was destroyed and no longer exists, making the #98 “Battlebird” the only Factory-built example to remain. Later Hotten sold #98 to Parnelli Jones, remaining in his museum until 1975 when it passed to Gerald Popejoy of Dallas, Texas. In 1991 Popejoy, now in Springfield, Missouri, advertised in Hemming’s for someone to help restore the car. Californian Gil Baumgartner, Authenticity Chairman of the Classic T-Bird Club and a skilled restorer, replied to the ad but received no response. In 1992, when Popejoy decided against a restoration in favor of a sale, Baumgartner caught the ad and talked his friend Robert “Bo” Cheadle, a well-to-do racecar collector, into the purchase. By this time (1993), the car was still quite original but missing the Hilborn injection, tonneau cover and Jaguar transmission. Gil Baumgartner, a perfectionist if ever there was one, did a lot of “Battlebird” research before turning a wrench, but once started, the project came together in less than a year. The next and current owner, a noted East Coast Ford collector and vintage racer, managed to acquire the remaining “Battlebird” in the early 2000s after some negotiation. In July 2004, after many updates to the restoration, he was awarded a permanent AACA Class 24-A certification as a “modified racecar.” After much national show success and vintage racing participations, including the Monterey Historics, this consignment presents a rare and unrepeatable opportunity for an acquisition of what is surely the most famous 1957 Factory-built racing T-Bird extant. Please contact an RM Car Specialist to review this car’s extensive history files, which include all Bills of Sale from FOMOCO in 1957 to the present. =============================== A few additional bits if info in this article: http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/article/Rich_history_of_1957_Ford_Battlebirds/
Glad to see this thread here, the "Battle Birds" are legendary over on the Y-Block site, it's nice to share this info with the guys who otherwise would think the Corvette was the only American sports car.
I won't go over what has already been put on the HAMB as I have studied the Battlebirds for years and am working almost everyday on a replica of one. I don't have any updated pictures yet. Hilborn only made 141 Y-Block fuel injection setups and I have a complete one with the Pump/Pulleys and Ribbed Hilborn intake pan. The 312 is rebuilt and in the car with the exhaust run out the sides. Have the "Kidney-Bean" Halibrands, headers and a mold to make the headrest. Can't afford to go all the aluminum parts as originals had (doors, hood, deck, rear pan, tonneau and headrest/wing). This is my 5th race replica (Google 1957 Ford "Fireball" Roberts replica Circle Track Magazine) and I am doing this one as a "Fireball" Roberts car also as he ran one in a 24 hour race at Daytona in April 1958 and placed 4th. Will try to put on a few early pics I took and will post more as it progresses. I have newspaper articles of one doing 160 mph and the word is that one did 204 mph (1957) on 1/2 of a 2 mile run, then conked out on the return run to average 102 mph which was the top speed in '57, beating out a Ferrari!
Very cool looking cars for sure. But, hard to believe after all that work and lightening, the 430 version could only muster 93mph in the 1/4 and that was for a class record. Oh and yes, Happy Birthday too!
I heard the name Whitey Clayton associated with the aluminum on them. I also heard that there were 4 of them. One article says there construction took one month each at the cfost of $30,000.00 each which was a lot of money in 1957 (about $300-$500K in todays money)!! They came as "F" Birds (Supercharged) and were changed over. NEVER seen a picture of the Supercharger/Fuel Injected one.....anyone???
So glad you chimed in on this! I saw this project in person a couple weeks ago and it is going to be rad! Can't wait to see it done!
Last Friday, my wife and I had lunch (amongst others) with Danny Eames. Eames had worked for years, as a manager/driver for Ford on performance projects, including the "battlebirds". I'd been acquainted with Danny several years, first meeting him at one of his talks about, in 1957, taking a team, including two new '58 Fords; and driving around the world. The lunch was just a bunch of friends gathering for a meal; but, knowing my wife had not heard Danny's round-the-globe story, I asked Danny to tell her. Danny, at 93 years of age, did not miss a thing. All six of us at the table, except my wife, had heard some of Danny's tales. But, this time he recalled much more than most of us had before heard. On the T-Bird project, Eames was sent by Ford to manage the De Paolo Engineering project. In addition to the "Battlebird" work, Eames, with the De Paolo group, prepared Ford factory backed cars for NASCAR and USAC events. Eames, with a team that included Chuck Daigh, took a '57 Ford 2 door Fairlane to Bonneville, setting several speed/endurance records. Danny lives in a town just down the road. Not having seen him often these past years; I'm going to make it a point to go down and pump him for more information. Maybe I can get some photos, too.
I've got a recently acquired '57 Bird that needs too much for a restoration (understanding cubic $$$$'s can accomplish anything) while I'm the steward. The plan was to build a gasser drag strip warrior as I've acquired a built 468" tunnel rammed BBC, competition T-400 and a rear subframe with a bulletproof 9"/4 link,nodular center, coilovers,competition disc brakes and mark williams complete internals. After reading this thread I might change my mind and build a road race clone using suspension pieces from the place that supplied my old shop with over 80% of the work we turned out, Howe Racing Enterprises. I could incorporate all of their oval track suspension, eliminating left turn specific components and substituting neutral chassis bias parts (all of which I still have jigs for out in the shop). Then put the NASCAR 355sbc that's been sitting in the corner to use and try and scare the crap out of myself one more time trying to set a new personal low time record every time I go north to visit Harm's Way. With the new state police post being built just down the road I can imagine my nosy bitch neighbor calling every time I head that direction. I've never owned a radar detector..........maybe time to invest. Frank
Hey Frank,... After reading this thread, I was thinking the exact same thing,.... That ol' Bird would be the perfect candidate...... If you need a co-pilot or test pilot,... ,...... You know where I can be found,... and you know I'm always up for a near death experience.
Ryan, If you can find them, there is a book called "Soaring Spirit" printed in the early 90's, it has a T-bird history with some pics, and also "Thunderbird 2002", which while it is a good history of the "new" 'bird, has a very short history section, with some really good pix on the Beach. JK
I may see Danny tomorrow, at lunch. I'll bring a copy of the thread; and, we'll see what he says. I really should bring a recorder (if I had one). He goes into such detail, with such humor involved; it's hard for my old brain to follow completely.
I scanned these from an old pub I had in my collection of tbird stuff. got more but most of it has already been posted. The arrow points at two fuel pumps I believe.
The arrow is pointing at dual Jaguar ignition coils according to the article that accompnies that photograph. Oldmics
Old Mics, you're right. It seems like I read along time ago that these also had a Jaguar transmission. Any idea on that? I might of dreamed that part! I'll have to look in my old "Early Bird" mags
Dennis, Great minds think alike. After I get to your place the thing ought to be warmed up and we could see what the time would be from there to the Macinaw bridge. I'll take the northern run and if we're still alive you can drive the trip back south. I can see it now, "officer, I had no idea it would even go that fast but I have been having trouble with the cruise control lately". As far as a "near death" experience, isn't that the only kind to have at our age. Frank
Don't worry, Just think of all the old Fords that have survived setting records with Bow Tie power. I'd take it easy on the old boy for the first 100 miles and then let that Bird find out what it had been missing the last 53 years. It's parked next to a couple of old timers (32's that are Chevy powered) as we speak and I would imagine after I turn out the lights at night they have been coaching their younger brother about life in the fast lane. Frank
Absolutely. I have a digital audio recorder half the size of a cell phone, very unobtrusive, can go for 8 hours of continuous recording on a couple of AA batteries. Capture it all and then transcribe it, you'll be amazed at what you find!! In fact, everyone with parents or mentors or heros over 80 should record them. Get their stories. They'll say "Oh, I don't know what I could possibly say that you'll be interested in." Then ask one simple question, like "Well, Bob, tell me what you remember about that first shop you worked in over on Lexington Avenue." Bingo . . .
The Jalopy Journal
