Crites 460 to '57

[gasman826]

headers, mounts, and cross member for $350 on 429-460.com

[shopratwoody]

Sure is a good buy

[Frankenstein57]

Gasman, I had a guy talking to me at the fathers day show about those very same parts. He was getting a bit of run around from crites, and thought about a different engine combo. I'll see if I can dig up his number, I did tell him to checkout this forum.  Mark

[JPotter57]

The deal with Crites, and yes I am defending him, is that he only keeps the fiberglass stuff in stock.  Everything else he has made at order.  Old Ford stuff is kind of a niche market, you never know when or if you will sell part A to fit engine B into your car C.  You build a bunch of parts, you have to store a bunch of parts, and I dont know about you guys, but I have 6 different sets of headers, and they get in the way.  . . A lot.  The fiberglass parts he sells, well, lets be honest.  He sells a LOT of glass parts.  His main gig is the Thunderbolt and lightweight Galaxie thing.  For every 57 Ford hood or trunklid they make, they probably make 8 or 10 Galaxie or 64 Fairlane hoods/ fenders/ doors/ trunk lids, etc.  That is the core of their business.  Because I have bought from them several times, plus I know Charles, I can say with certainty, that the glass parts you get from them are second to none, period.  The headers are contracted out to a guy that used to work for one of the header manufacturers, cant remember which one, but he also sells on ebay a lot under the name mad dog.  Its kinda crooked as he is using the headers he builds for Crites to sell on ebay, which is probably the real reason your friend is having to wait 4 to 6 weeks for a set of headers to be built.  I bought a set of FE headers from them for a Custom 300 I used to have, and it took about 6 or 7 weeks to get them.  That is how I found out what is happening with the orders, Charles told me that at the Expo.  Have patience with them, its worth it.  Besides, look at the market, no one else is steping in to fill it.

[gasman826]

Well!!!  If we are going to gossip...Mark at Mad Dog custom build the fenderwell headers for my '57.  He told me that he formerly supplied headers to Crites.  Crites took his headers and found someone to reverse engineer them and cut Mad Dog out of the loop.  Mark has been making headers for a long, long time.  He worked for JR Headers and later Hedman Headers. 
Just In Time has been around for quite a while.  Warehousing slow moving merchandise and supplies is just too expensive. 
Crites and Mad Dog both supply fine specialty products.  Who subs to who could change on a weekly basis.  Builders are luck to have sources for unusual projects.  When I started my '57, just about everything was custom.

PS  Rear View in Car Craft is an old photo of night staging lanes with a white '57 Custom...love the front whitewalls and black steelies!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JPotter57]

I'm totally not badmouthing Mad Dog guy either.  I bought a set of KILLER FE headers from MD for my old `67 Fairlane a few years ago.  They looked identical to the Hooker Super Comps that snake all around everything.  They looked awesome, fit well, plus, I got them in about 3 weeks.  
Them cutting MD out may be why it took so long to get headers from them.
Look at the Car Craft picture again...I counted 4 Customs and one Ranchero...awesome picture.

[JPotter57]

Well, I looked at the Car Craft picture again, and one of the Customs is a `58 and one is a Ranchero, and one of the Rancheros is a `58.  But I picked out the bodies in the crowd though, lol.  The first Custom I saw besides the white one in front is the black one a couple rows back with the door open.

[Tom S]

Well, I looked at the Car Craft picture again ...

Well, nuts.  I'd like to see the pic you guys are talking about.  Can't find it on line in the Car Craft mag site.  Maybe I could if I knew when & what the title of that 'Rear View' pic was.
Or if ya wanna fire up your scanner.   

[gasman826]

Last page of September CAR CRAFT

[Tom S]

Thanks, Gasman!   

[57AGIN]

Gasman826:

I'm not sure, but I could have been there on that night.  I know I never raced at the Winternationals held at Lions.  But, it had to be taken some time after 1965, but in the very early years of what turned into "Funny Cars".  Jungle Jim Lieberman's flopper is shown with the body in the air and behind his car is what could have been one of the A/FX Mustangs (Gas Rhonda or Les Ritchey) on a trailer.  I can't make out any later model muscle cars of that era so I'm guessing it was taken at the 1966 Winternationals.  This was just before I entered boot camp after I enlisted in the Navy.  Too bad Car Craft didn't have a date for the photo.  That was an exciting time to be growing up and Southern California was one of the prime places to be.

Bob
57 AGIN

[gasman826]

Unfortunately you were out sailing around somewhere went this photo was taken.  Right in front is a TASCO Mustang...'67 or '68.

[wv 57s forever]

no side markers so it has to be pre 68

[RICH MUISE]

Trying to figure out that car behind the front Mustang..nose looks like a Cougar, but roof doesn't look right. Also, I'm not a Mopar guy, but those plymouths on the far right look even newer.
Quote Bob...."I'm not sure, but I could have been there on that night."....reminds me of the one of the funniest bumper stickers/signs I've seen...
"WOODSTOCK....I think I was there"

[JPotter57]

That Tasca CJ Mustang is a `68.  CC said this photo was likely taken in late `68 or early `69.  Also, the car behind the Tasca CJ is a `64 Plymouth Belvedere sedan.  On the right, the black car is a `65 Belvedere, behind it is a `67 or `68 Dart.