Hello From Rochester N.Y,
This was my father's race car back in the late 60's. It was 406 powered through a top loader four speed. It was raced locally here for several years, then retired in the early 70's. The drive train was removed and installed in a Mustang. An engine was never reinstalled in this vehicle. My plan is to restore it back to it's as raced condition and rewire it for lights. I want to be able to drive it and race it on occasion. The body has seen better days and I will be on the search for body panels, specifically the bed floor and side rails.
Neat that you could get your dads old car. I like the gasser stance. A number of guys on here have rancheros and a wealth of information. Look at some of the older post, that'll help tremendously.
Thanks for posting the photo, never enough of them! Welcome and Good luck.
Welcome aboard, love the Gassers, FE and 4 speed makes it that much cooler. Even if you don`t have the Ranchero ready in time, I highly recommend the annual FE Race and Reunion , Sept. 7-9th, in Beaver Springs Pennsylvania. I have been there twice so far, 2018,when I lived on the West Coast of Canada, and last year. A 57 Custom 2 door sedan won the "Hot FE" class in 2022, usually at least 4 or 5 57 Fords at this event. Used to be a 8 second 58 Custom 300 there, but it was wrecked in a crash a few years ago. I plan to be racing my 59 2 door sedan, with a 428 Cobra Jet and 4 speed Toploader, although it may have a new 5 speed by then. By the way, when I was in Pomona California , for the NHRA Finals in 2018, there was a lime green Gasser 57 Ranchero "Tucker`s Truck", with a straight front axle, tilt front end, and a 6.71 Supercharged 427 FE. I have some photos of it on my phone, but I am too dumb to figure how to post them here.
Quote from: 59meteor on 2023-01-10 21:04I plan to be racing my 59 2 door sedan, with a 428 Cobra Jet and 4 speed Toploader, although it may have a new 5 speed by then.
Might that new 5 speed be a TKX?
Quote from: Fairlane62 on 2023-01-22 22:22Might that new 5 speed be a TKX?
Yes, thats the model I am looking into. Just wish that Tremec offered a Toploader length input version, so a spacer isn`t required to run the longer input. They do that for the GM applications.
Modern Drive Line will install a shorter input shaft (I believe).
Quote from: lalessi1 on 2023-01-24 11:00Modern Drive Line will install a shorter input shaft (I believe).
I saw that on their website. I don't know if its a Tremec option or just from Modern Drive Line. I shifted a demo TKX at the Tremec display at the Dallas Autorama and it was real slick. I have been considering swapping one into my 62 Fairlane if it is truly a direct swap for the toploader.