'63-'67 ford/mercury 427 "r" cars

About 2 months ago I sold Floyd a '61-specific (yes there are differences) 3-deuce intake manifold for his personal '61 390-401HP Starliner

 

Here is a true story I fondly remember about a '61 390-401 Starliner. A guy in our neighborhood bought one new with the overdrive transmission. I turned 18 in 1962 and could not get enough of high performance cars. Charlotte had it's share with Holman & Moody being in town. The guy who owned the car would rather drink than drive as he cruised around Charlotte at night. He would eventually drink too much and turn the keys over to a friend of mine (Clark), who had been riding with him, as Clark dropped him off at his home. Then Clark would cruise around looking for a race. It was one of the baddest cars in Charlotte in 1962 and Clark, who was only 19, could drive the hell out of it. One night Clark invited me to ride with him. I was just giddy. It was hard to get anyone to race us. We were cruising through downtown Charlotte and a red light caught us. We were on the "square" where the main east-west street crossed the main north-south street, Trade and Tryon for those who know Charlotte. It was about midnight and there was a cop standing on his beat. Clark was just sitting there at the light letting it idle. I saw him pull it in overdrive but had no clue what was about to happen. When the light turned green he floored it and popped the clutch and screamed across the "square" in low gear overdrive. I could barely hear the cop blowing his whisle as if Clark was going to stop. I turned around and could not see the cop for the billowing smoke produced from the burnout. We hurried to a drive-in about two miles away and parked there until Clark felt comfortable to leave. Man, those were the days.

 

My father bought his first '61 390-401 when he was 19 in 1961. I've heard several stories very similar to that one.... He still has one to this day and it still lays rubber on occasion....
Don't miss the 50th. anniversary of the 1961 Starliner reunion at Ford's @ Carlisle in June. It should be a huge event. Dad's current 390-401 Starliner will be on display in the indoor invitational display.

 

Just PM me with an email and I can send full size photos if you'd like. I just havn't posted any on here since this is supposed to be an actual R-code thread.

 

The original (restored) Bob Ford '63 Galaxie Lightweight at one of the Super Stock Reunions

 

Frank,

Your name sure sounds familiar. You advertised in Hemmings 20-25 years ago?

I have been maintaining the registry for the factory 1965 and 1966 full size 427 cars (Galaxie, Custom) . If you heard of any I'd like to find out more.

Lars

 

Yes Lars,

I did advertise high performance cars in Hemmings 20-25 years ago but haven't too much since then. I bought and sold many 427 Fords from '85-'90 but do not know where any of them are today. Most of my customers from back then are out of the hobby...or worse.

I thank you for starting the registry and will help you any way I can.

 

Here is a photo from the staging lanes in 1967 at National Trail Raceway. It shows SS/B cars lined up for class runoff. The first three are '66 427 Fairlanes, the fourth one is a '67 427 Fairlane sedan, and the last in line is a '65 Hemi Mopar.

 

Great photo Kentuckian!! Love it

 

The Ulrey Bros '66 427 Fairlane launching off the line at Indy back in the day.

 

Regarding post #68; the Dave Smith 'lane could be the one that Tom Schumacher drove; the '67 sedan door design looks like the Coble and Williams car. Syl

 

Here ia a '64 XL "R" Convertible I had back in '85. It was a low mileage original paint and interior car. I wonder where it is today.

 

My favorite. My first car was a '68 XR7...lowly 302 though.

 

Here's a photo from 1963 of Mike Gray driving the Nunn and Young Ford of Canastota, NY. It was a '63 sedan with a 427/425 running A/S.

 

This 427 Galaxie ran out of Bridenthal Ford in Greensburg, OH.

 

I really like the 63 Ford 300 sedans and 64 Customs. In R, Q, or G code they are a rare sight. I would like to see more of those cars too. Thanks for posting..BKH

 

Is this what you're looking for?

 

Perfect, thanks very much..BKH

 

Any 1965 R Cars here?

Frank, did you ever have one?

 

Yes, I did have one, burgundy in color. I will try to find some pictures of it.

 

In 1965 Mike Schmitt raced a new 427 Galaxie in AA/S

 

Would you know the VIN?
There was a guy in Mass that had one in that color. Bench seat, teardrop hood.
Lars

 

Sorry to post such a poor pic taken of a photo, but it's the best I can do at the present. This photo taken back in 1967 or 68, and is currently in my friend and the owners coffee table.
It later got a tear drop hood and dark blue/white paint around 1970 when I was acquainted with it.
It raced in middle Tn through those years.
Tom S. in Tn.

 

As some of you know I was around for the birth of the Funny Car. One of my absolute favorites was Jack Chrisman's '66 Comet Roadster. I had witnessed the Funnys turn in the 150s, then the 160s and by early '66 some were in the low 170s. They were using automatic transmissions and hooking up all the way. But when Chrisman rolled this car out on the line at Bristol in June of 1966 it was different from the others. Staying true to the direct drive in his '64-'65 Comet hardtop Chrisman retained the direct drive in this car too. I had taken the picture in the pits and was in the right place to capture this tire smoking run down the track at about half track as he set top speed at 182 mph smoking the tires through the clocks. The car would soon burn to the ground at another track after catching on fire on the top end. But for awhile in '66 it was not Nicholson and Schartman getting all the attention. It was Chrisman. It did not et as well but it was the only Funny Car in the 180s.

 

That's Thunder Valley alright! I recall there being a persistent cross draft where the strip ran out from between the hills.
Frank, even thought you were a photog, it looks like you were just right in the middle of the crowd........ only a few feet away from the edge of the strip. Not much need for a very big zoom lens in those days. Everyone got a close up look!

 

Just wonder what the Chrisman Comet would have done with modern-day Funny clutch set-up & newer type tires...???

 

Here's a '67 LTD that was just on ebaY... one of three.

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1967...ars_Trucks&hash=item4aa98f8d6e#ht_1523wt_1167

 

I see this jewel took 1 lone bid for 30K.
The truck load of spare NOS with the deal is worth more than that.

I wonder if it actually sold and the deal closed.

I wish I could have had some concept as to the potential the value of what I was working with 40+ years ago. Tom S. in Tn.

 

This looks almost exactly like my buddy Sam's 64 R code.
I better not let him see this. This is astonishing to me.
Tom S. in Tn.


Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...viewitem=&_trkparms=clkid=7995052783772563058