S/S FE Starliner

real 352-360hp. engines built as if it were 1960. Stock spec cams, stock stroke, no roller rockers, unported & stock heads and intakes with small 540cfm. Holley carbs with a stock re-curved distributor. they do have 4 speed transmissions as opposed to the original "three on the tree" and Stahl headers. Basically very close to the way they were in 1960. cars are running 7" M&H slicks and stock suspension.

The Starliner ran a best of 13.38 @ 103 and the Fairlane 13.55 @ 101.

By the way, both cars out ran a '61 Pontiac Catalina, 421,2x4, 4 speed, 4.30 gear in a scheduled match race!!!















Nick Smith's '60 Fairlane two-door sedan

Engine

352ci FE big-block
4.060-inch bore (0.060-inch overbore)
3.50-inch stroke
Rotating assembly fully balanced
Engine blueprinted and built to 1960 NHRA specs
Stock Hi-Po internals
Stock Hi-Po distributor with Pertronix Ignitor
375 estimated hp
Built by George Aberts, Hampstead, MD
Transmission
Top Loader four-speed manual
Built by Dan Williams, Franklin, NC
Hurst shifter
Rearend
Ford 9-inch axle housing
Detroit Locker differential
31-spline axles
4.88 gears
Exhaust
Stahl headers, 1-3/4-inch primaries, 3-inch collectors
Suspension
Front: Stock control arms, 90/10 drag shocks, six-cylinder springs, 1-inch spring spacers
Rear: Five-leaf elliptical springs with forward half leaf clamped to prevent axle wind up, airbag over right rear for preload, 50/50 drag shocks
Six-cylinder frame
Brakes
Front: Stock drum
Rear: Stock drum
Wheels
Front: Wheel Vintiques, powdercoated black, 15x5
Rear: Wheel Vintiques, powdercoated black, 15x6
Tires
Front: Goodyear Power Cushion, 6.70x15
Rear: M&H Racemaster, 7.0/29.5-15
Interior
Stock gray vinyl; Bostrom front bucket seats; rubber floor mat; Sun tachometer; Auto Meter water temp, oil pressure, and volt gauges; radio and heater delete; insulation/sound deadener deleted
Exterior
Raven Black basecoat/clearcoat paint by Dan Groth of St. Clair Customs (Harrison Township, MI), fiberglass front bumper from Wildfire Marine with aluminum mounting brackets


Nick's display sign states, the fastest S/S car in 1960 was the Royal Pontiac Super Duty 389 driven by Pontiac great Jim Wangers. The Tri-power Catalina went a 14.13 at 101.43 at the Indy Nationals on Labor Day weekend of that year with the national record standing at 14.01. Nick's "factory" Super Stock has been a best of 13.52 at 102 mph! I guess you can say Ford would have certainly had something competitive for Mr. Wangers.
"Our efforts with this '60 Fairlane are aimed at proving that a well prepared Ford could have successfully competed against the country's quickest stockers," Nick's sign also explains. Nick's "by the book" build shows us all just what might have happened if Ford jumped into the Super Stock foray just a little sooner