I was writing another automotive article for a regular client last week and in the process of my research, I was digging into automotive history for the month of April.
Aside from the usual newspaper-like stories of Henry Ford's passing and
the birth of Walter P. Chrysler, I ended up going with the grand debut
of the 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang at the World's Fair. That got me to
thinking and digging even further - I've never been one to pinpoint the
zenith of muscle cars and high performance in the 60's - but you have to
admit - a great deal happened and changed in 1964. If the year wasn't
the high point of the decade, it was, at minimum, an impossible to miss
landmark. Just stop and think about it for a moment; what happened at the dealer showrooms, the oval race tracks as well as drag strips across America 52 years ago.
1). The birth of pony cars - Even though the very first Mustang rolled off the assembly line 6 weeks prior to its initial showing on April 17th, it still wasn't the first pony car available to the public, (the Plymouth Barracuda beat it by approximately three weeks). However, when the dust settled, the Mustang became a runaway sales hit with over 120,000 units built in just four and half months.
Here's a bit of trivia for you - did you know that the first model year for the Mustang was actually 1965? Say what?? Yup - even though all Mustangs produced between March 9th and July 31st of 1964 are often coined the 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang by enthusiasts, for all intents and purposes, the cars are 1965 models. Initial production of the second round of Mustangs began on August 17th, 1964. Both the original production Mustangs and the second run are technically considered 1965 Mustangs by Ford.
2). Mid-size madness - The big three were in an all-out horsepower and muscle car war by 1964. GM had their 409 and 427 cubic inch V-8's available in full size vehicles as well as the Pontiac GTO. Based as an option of the Tempest, the GTO may not have been the fastest set of wheels available, but it was the
concept of the car is what captured the hearts of enthusiasts. Pontiac found loopholes in GM's corporate guidelines in regards to big block engines in mid-size automobiles, was able to produce it, and market the hell the out of it.
Across town, Ford and Chrysler weren't exactly sitting idle. Not only did these two manufacturers offer high performance under the hood, but were both intense rivals in NASCAR as well as drag racing. Ford was riding high going into 1964. The Mustang was about to hit showroom floors across America and they had their infamous 427 side-oiler V-8 that was available in full size cars. But it was Chrysler who ended up dropping the A-bomb that year. While the manufacturer did well for two years with their bullet-proof Max Wedge motors on the street as well as on the strip, the release of the 426 Race Hemi in February 1964 changed the horsepower game forever. One of the largest (exterior dimension wise) and heaviest engines to ever come off an assembly line, it absolutely stomped the competition. While mostly built for the track and strip, a few found their way onto the street through 1965 until the street version was released. The race Hemi was laughingly rated by Chrysler at 425 horsepower - it was actually closer to 600-650 horsepower in stock trim depending on who you believe.
3). Drag strip wars - While it's fresh on the table, move the magnifying glass over to the NHRA in regards to Chrysler vs. Ford. It was a true slug fest on the tarmac as each manufacturer continuously attempted to best the other. Engines that increased in displacement and power, then aluminum front end components to decrease weight, then big engines in smaller cars. It wasn't until Chrysler cranked out the race Hemi that Ford got really serious with their Fairlane Thunderbolt. Ford realized the only way to even try and beat
the Hemi was to stuff 427 cubic inches of side-oiler V-8 between the fenders of the economy based Fairlane. The engine fit was so tight, custom headers snaking around front suspension components was necessary. With a fiberglass front end, the car rocketed to mid-11's in the quarter mile. The NHRA really didn't know what to do with the car, so it stuck it in the A/FX class since it wasn't a production automobile. Ford's upped ante lasted only a while as Chrysler started experimenting with altered wheelbase technology. By the end of 1964, Dick Landy had one of the first true altered wheelbase drag cars that started touching the high 10 second territory. Within a year of the Thunderbolts debut, A/FX cars were truly off the wall with engine set-back, altered wheelbases, and blowers fed with nitro.
4). Safety first - There's not much mystery as to the game changer that was the race Hemi in regards with NASCAR. Ceremoniously sweeping the Daytona 500 in 1964 announced to the racing world Chrysler was all-in, was going to kick ass, and take names. However, a stock car racing historian might review the entire 1964 season and write that it was the year racing ran under the yellow flag. Check the evidence - Joe Weatherly, Glen "Fireball" Roberts, and Jimmy Pardue - all major names in the sport during that era - all perished in race-related accidents. One problem was, that cars were getting faster, and drivers were beginning to complain. Rumor had it that Goodyear was conducting secret tests out at a track in San Angelo, Texas, and word leaked out that speeds were up to 180 mph on specific racing tires - a figure unheard of in that day.
When the teams arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway (now Lowe's Motor Speedway) in May 1964, qualifying speeds were already up 5-10 mph over 1963 speeds. Jimmy Pardue, driving a red Plymouth, won the pole at Charlotte with a speed of 144.346 mph. The cars were fast but the tires were popping like fireworks during the first part of the season. Drivers were lucky to survive a seven-car wreck at Atlanta. Richard Petty said the cars were going too fast, and he pointed a finger at some Ford teams, claiming they were taking too much weight from their cars. But the next day, Junior Johnson turned in the fastest time of the week. He ran 145.102 and earned the ninth starting spot. Fireball Roberts settled for the 11th starting spot - third fastest on the second day. When the green flag waved that dreadful Sunday, Pardue came out of the box and led the early laps. On the seventh trip around the track, Johnson hooked the rear of Ned Jarrett's Ford, spinning both sideways. Fireball, running directly behind the two, looped his lavender Holman-Moody Ford and slid down the backstretch. Back then, there was an opening in the inside concrete wall, designed to accommodate over-the-track infield traffic. Jarrett's car spun into the inside wall. The opening of the wall caught Jarrett's rear bumper, split the gas tank, and the car caught fire. Roberts' Ford, also loaded with gasoline, exploded and flipped as it hit the edge of the concrete wall. There was a holocaust of flames. Residents as far as 10 miles away saw the smoke.
Unfortunately, it usually takes a tragedy like this to bring about improvements to the sport. NASCAR made major changes after that weekend. Right away, the sanctioning body began requiring rubber bladders inside fuel tanks, and fuel check valves were added to the tops of gas tanks to stop the flow of fuel if a car was upside down. The rubber bladders were to lessen the chance of fire if a car backed into the wall, as was the case at Charlotte. NASCAR also began inspecting racetracks closer, and required all tracks to close openings such as the one left open at Charlotte. Efforts followed to improve the safety of all tracks. Another major change included fire-proof driving suits. No longer would drivers climb into their race cars wearing work pants and a sport shirt. Fire-proof gloves became a part of the uniform.
While racing and high performance can be very cool things to not only watch but also to participate. But, high performance can be a fickle beast. Safety first, last, and always. Respect the power, and that respect will pay off in spades.
Until next time, peace out.
Dave
I was talking to a customer at the garage where I work and he mentioned that he just got back from a business trip from Detroit. While he was in the motor city, he had a chance to visit the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. "You would've love it", he told me. "Tons of cool vintage cars." However, there was one car in particular that caught his attention - the 1961 Lincoln Continental 4-door convertible that John F. Kennedy was riding in when he met his untimely death. While staring at the gleaming black limo, an aging volunteer struck up a conversation with my customer. "You know, this car is haunted. Several employees have reported seeing a
gray presence right here," he said, pointing to the back passenger side seat. When I heard that, I immediately perked up. Now this was something different - a haunted car?
Definitely one of the most famous and well-documented cases of Twilight Zone cars, is the Porsche 550 Spyder that was involved in the death of actor James Dean. On his way to a race in Salinas California, Dean lost control of his Porsche and flipped into a gully, killing Dean and severely
injuring his passenger. Dean's good friend George Barris took the remains of the Spyder and sold the engine and drivetrain to two doctors who then entered cars
carrying the parts in a race in Pomona, California. During the race both
crashed horribly, and one of the doctors was killed. Barris eventually began to believe in the curse and gave the car to the
California Highway Patrol. They attempted to display Dean's car as a
warning to careless drivers, but more bad luck followed. Between storage buildings that burnt down, accidents and deaths while transporting the car, and other strange occurrences, the CHP finally had their fill of the charred, twisted wreckage that was once a Porsche sports car. In an attempt to
return the wreckage to Barris, the car apparently vanished mysteriously off the back
of a flatbed truck en-route and supposedly hasn't been seen since.
