Soooo, I'm doing a restoration of a total Mullet-ride for a friend of mine- '71 Mustang Mach I (insert Lynrd Skynrd joke HERE). He likes the work I'm doing, and I cut him a great rate, so he lets me know that he wants me to have a '65 Ford 500 Custom. I said Thank You very much. 'Cause Momma raised me right, that's why. So after I have a look at the car, I realize I'm never going to be able to resore it. Too many missing parts, had a bad re-spray that somehow checked down to bare metal, etc. I figured I would either do a repro of the Fred Lorenzen Galaxie, keeping the stock 352FE (with some heavy massaging), or go gasser with a 460/C6 and a tunnel ram with dual quads. Anyway, just wondering if any of you have any good leads for me with regards to where to look for tech info and photos of the engines and roll cages, etc, of either the Jimmy Johnson or the Fred Lorenzen '65-66 Ford Holman-Moody cars. Thank You, Gentlemen.....
That's JUNIOR JOHNSON SON.....for all you "new" nascar lovers... lol Will get in touch with my partner, Dan Bell...he has just what you need...btw..I worked for a race team during the 65/66/67 seasons...LeeRoy's Charger and Donnie's Fairlane...included.. M.
Thanks for the responses. I've done a little research, and don't know if it will work as a Nascar clone. Apparently, there were 2 different rooflines, one for the Galaxie that was kind of sloped, and a more hunchbacked one that was used in the 500 Customs. This one is the hunchback. Guess it's gonna be a gasser...
Here's the difference- The Galaxie has a longer, more aerodynamic roofline (prolly why they used it in Nascar) And the Custom has kind of a hump. Oooops.
Why do people want to make big heavy cars into "Gassers" ? The original Gassers were small and light.
If you go the stock car route, I've got a carb from an old Holman and Moody 427 that was of course also specially modified by them. I certainly have no use for it, other than as a conversation piece. The most noticeable feature of it are the air vents which go up and then turn 90 degrees to the right to prevent fuel siphoning in fast left hand corners. I'm told it's also likely to have the "LeMans" floats, whatever they are. I've had it for years but don't remember ever pulling a bowl off to have a look. Maybe I will today. I'm guessing it would need a rebuild.
In 77 I had a red Galaxie 500 with a 427/4spd, it wasn't much from a deadstart with the rear it had in it but from 45mph on it was a scary fast ride. The frame broke in the left dogleg from rust and I junked it for $75.00, wished I still had the eng&trans.
'65 Galaxies were serious Super Stock drag cars. I've seen them in magazines running 289's and 427's with tear drop hoods. Raise the front 1-2 inches and drop the rear the same. Tracy
Here's a link to the person that restored the #28 Fred Lorenzen '65 H&M car http://www.racetorations.com/ His site also has some great links to historic NASCAR restorations Stan
All the factory cars I ever saw pictures of were of the hardtop body style, but I would be willing to bet there were privateers that used those post bodies, especially for short track racing. Sorry, I don't have a reference....
Now I hate me too! but you have to remember,gas prices were going nuts,and you could go to any neighborhood and find just about any kind of muscle car setting in a backyard not being driven. I bought 69 Charger 500 back then for less than $500.00 that needed a trans,they are more rare than the wing cars. I look at some of the prices that some of the rides I had back then are now and I hate me.
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