Mystery MKII was 409

[walkerheaders]

here's 1 for ya.

 

[Ronnie Russell]

Whats the matter. Bob, cant get the front wheels off the ground? Howd you push the front bumper in? Pushing Fords? Just kidding!! Great looking car, I love it!!! Is this a current car, or one from the archives?

 

[Ronnie Russell]

After looking closer, it appears to be a very old picture. you are just a big old "tease" Bob..

 

[Fran Preve]

Notice too it's a 1965 Chevelle and probably built well past 1965. Could it REALLY have been a Mark II?. Why not, it was well after they were being raced on NASCAR tracks so a few were still floating around. And the Mark II bolted in anywhere a 409 could go (same basic block).

Side note: I live next to a now defunct Chevy dealership (closed). Back in 1964 the parts manager bought a new 1964 Chevelle Malibu with a 327 and 4 speed. The dealership was noted for selling performance parts for both boats and cars (I live on an island afterall!). In 1966 he dropped a 427 in it and turned it into a race car called "Would You Believe". There probably weren't very many nearly new Malibu's with new Mark IV engines in 1966.

 

[real61ss]

"I live next to a now defunct Chevy dealership (closed). "

Well darn, I think they were still open last summer when I was there. I hate to see the little dealerships close.

 

[Fran Preve]

No Tommy that was the old dealership, storage only, they moved to the BIG dealership you went by when you turned on Whitehaven. THAT dealership, Fucillo, is one of the largest SELLING dealers in NY State (last year). The lease on the old lot and store ran out in February and now it sits empty. I should buy it and start a restoration business specializing in W blocks. I bet I'd make a MILLION!.

You guys have to appreciate this, when I bought my house in 1986 it was next to a small Chevrolet dealership on a small island in the middle of the Niagara River. Get this, I have a deer crossing sign in front of my house (and a small herd at times in the back yard). It took me 10 minutes from my front door to that Tonawanda engine plant where I worked (I used to go home for dinner). And I wouldn't buy a car from THAT dealership on a BET!.

But before 1979 it was owned by a family that was into boat racing and high performance cars so the dealership usually could get, or had, hi performance cars and car parts and had performance oriented workers. And it was probably one of the smallest dealers in the country (at that time).

I had a problem with buying a house next to a Chevy dealer, my wife didn't, so.........................................................................

 

[oil4kids]

64

That MarkII Chevelle Looks like a 1964SS with a 1965 Grill

 

[Fran Preve]

Yeah, the grill does seem to be set back too far.

 

[Rich64SS]

I was looking around on the internet to see if there was anything that really showed the 62 Ford with the 61 roof could be confirmed and found this, looks pretty convincing to me. This is taken from the Nascar site under history section III.

July '05 issue of Mustang & Fords magazine (yea, I read ALL car mags. I program for a distributor and get all my mags free) has an article entitled "First On Race Day" chronicling the history of Ford in NASCAR. The section on 1962 states that Lorenzen's June Atlanta victory came in a '62 Galaxie convertible with an 'optional' bolt-on hardtop that coincidentally looked exactly like the '61 Starliner's roof, they called the car a Starlift Galaxie. It also said that although deemed legal the morning of the race, by sunset the Starlift roof option was ruled illegal.

There is also a picture of Lorenzen kneeling in front of his #28 Starlift with Nelson Stacy's #29 Starlift right behind it.

 

[mpris]

Here are some pictures of a model of the Fred Lorenzen Starlift Galaxie.

 

[Fran Preve]

I swear to god this is true. My wife just got a package for some shrink wrap form a business in Dover, DE. Located at 564 Starlift Ave. Maybe they build Starlifts for Ford back in the day?.

 

[oil4kids]

Moodys Z11

The story of Larry Moodys Z11 is finally told in this months Chevy Rumble and how hard it was to get a Z11. I always heard about this car but never saw it. Great Job Doug.

 

[david montanbeau]

Why was this Fran guy banned? seemed very knowledgable.

 

[1958 delivery]

Didn't play well with others.
AKA thought his shxt didn't stink

 

[Don Jacks]

Yes,many years ago.Very knowledgable,but like most that have been banned,it was his attitude that caused it as Mike said.

 

[wristpin]

Very interesting thread tho. Funny how factually history is so hard to truely determine.

 

[Blk61409]

Having a Mystery Motor I’ve obviously been interested in the history. I have read countless articles and still has not put all the pieces together. So, I called Bill Howell the engineer Dick Keinath assigned to get it done.
Not to get into too much detail, but he confirmed they used the bottom end of the 409/Z-11-427 with the 90 degree configuration design. Dick incorporated his canted angle valve design. Bill confirmed they did in fact build a 396, a 409 and a 427 version. In addition he confirmed the 396 made the most HP. Also the crazy header design added 75 more HP just by themselves.

Hope this helps.

 

[BSL409]

Why was this Fran guy banned? seemed very knowledgable.

He did pass quite a few years ago

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

I just went back and re-read that entire thread, what a hoot!!!

I forgot that I've been lurking and posting on this site for almost 15 years now. I've sure learned a lot, still am. Where does the time go?

Cheers! TomK