In the early sixties most of our racing was "run what you brung" midnight street racing. Most of those races where over early. A hard leaving car was better than one that would rev to 7,000 rpm. Fords had an advantage as they normally ran better in stock trim. I had a 1957 Ford custom 300 with a 292, a three speed manual transmission and a 3.90 gear. It wasn't the fastest car in the world, but it outran a lot of cars that claimed to be faster.
Later in the sixties, the game changed. Factory muscle cars showed up with big blocks motors. Back then you could buy a brand new 427 Ford medium riser engine in a wood crate for $1,200 from your local Ford dealer. These motors came complete with carbs to oil pan. You could put one of these engines into most anything and kick butt. John Vermeersch in Detroit sold me some stroker pistons to make a 450 cu. in. 427 with a 428 crankshaft. Here's an old photo below.
I ran that engine in a 1961 Starliner for a while, then transplanted it into a 1966 Fairlane. The Fairlane was an all out race car with rear tubs and big Mickey Thompsons tucked inside the fender wheels. It ran mid elevens at the drag strip. I drove it on the street. The drag strip opened around that time and we quit street racing. When bracket racing came in, I lost interest. Brake light racing is not racing. These days all my racing is done on a bench.
