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Buy with confidence!
If for any reason
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return it within 7
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We ship world wide.
All international
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1966 – Firing Back at the Funny Mopars
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As with many of the T-Bolts, the Curry Ford car
of the Baker Brothers was eventually modified
radically to keep pace with changes in
competition. In this photo the wheelbase has
been altered and a straight front axle replaces
the original suspension. (Jim Gonia)
Jack Chrisman pushes his GT-1 Comet funny
car into the staging lanes. The blown Cammer-
powered roadster ran over 180 mph
consistently. (“Pete” Garramone)
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The racing and sales successes of Ford and Lincoln-Mercury during the 1965 season only served
to fuel the raging fire that was the competition between the auto manufacturers. By now, the two
major players in drag racing were Ford and Chrysler. The factory Mopars had grown more radical
in appearance and modifications through 1965 and rumor had it that things would be even wilder in
1966 with exotic fuels being added to the mix. It would be up to the Ford/Mercury teams to counter
the threat posed by Chrysler in the coming year.
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427-powered Mustangs, like
the one of “Mr. Ford” Bob
DuBrock, caused
considerable “Aggravation”
for the competition in the
NASCAR Ultra Stock ranks in
1965. (Larry Davis)
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Mercury Raises the Bar
At the start of the 1966 drag racing season, Fran Hernandez and his Lincoln-Mercury team sprang
a surprise not only on the funny Mopars, but on his Ford cousins as well. Logghe Stamping
Company had been contracted to supply four custom chrome-moly tube chassis. On the chassis,
one-piece, flip-up, all-fiberglass 1966 Mercury Comet bodies would be mounted. The steering and
front suspensions of these cars would consist of a tube-style straight front axle with coil-over shock
absorbers connected to a 9:1-ratio P&S steering box. Front wheels were 4-inch-wide Halibrand
magnesium shod with 6.70 x 15 Goodyear rubber. A 9-inch rear axle housing carried 4:11 gears,
and 6-inch-wide Halibrand wheels mounting 10.75 x 15 M&H slicks provided the bite. The braking
chores were handled by a pair of Kelsey-Hayes discs at the rear only, backed up by a
14-foot-diameter parachute.
Power came from a stock-bore-and-stroke SOHC 427, which featured 10.75:1 compression, Crane
camshafts, and Hilborn fuel injection gulping a 75 to 80 percent mix of nitromethane. This
combination resulted in 1,000 hp at 8,000 rpm. Exhaust gasses were expended via stainless-steel
headers designed by Lincoln-Mercury engineers. A highly modified C-6 automatic transmission,
using a 4,000-rpm high-stall torque converter, transferred the power. Fully equipped, the new
Comets weighed in at just 1,700 lbs. Recipients of the cars would be Lincoln-Mercury Drag Team
members Don Nicholson, Ed Schartman, Ron Leslie, and Jack Chrisman. Chrisman departed even
further from the norm by using a topless 1966 Comet body to cover his supercharged, fuel-injected
Cammer.
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My encounter with Chrisman and this car on one July night in 1966 would give rise to my automotive
writing career years later. That evening Chrisman took the time to answer the numerous questions
fired at him by my friends and me. He would ultimately bestow the great honor of inviting us to assist
in pushing his GT-1 Comet roadster to the starting line. Standing in close proximity to a nitro-
burning Cammer as it launched and thundered off into the night left an impression on my psyche
that would prompt me to commit these memories to paper 26 years later.
Unfortunately the GT-1 Comet was destroyed in a racing accident at the Super Stock Nationals in
1966. Chrisman finished out his commitments for the 1966 season by teaming with his former
mechanic Dee Keaton, who had purchased Chrisman’s ’65 Comet. Keaton would later go on to field
his own Comet and Cougar funny cars.
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Connie Kalitta’s Cammer Ford-powered Bounty
Hunter ran over 200 mph. This is just its second
outing. (“FE Bob” Fermier collection)
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“Sneaky Pete” Robinson’s Tinker Toy fueler
also used Cammer power. Robinson, one of
the innovators of the sport, was later killed in a
racing accident. Robinson claimed the NHRA
Top Fuel Championship with Ford power in
1966. (“FE Bob” Fermier collection)
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Dyno Don Nicholson insisted his car be equipped with a 4-speed transmission in place of the
automatic, but after one early test he realized the mid-ship driving position of the new car placed
the shifter between his knees, making it impossible to shift. The Nicholson car was immediately
refitted with an automatic. This car, Eliminator 1, would be Nicholson’s favorite mount and went on
to amass a second-to-none 86-percent win record with the actual score being 130-10.
Nicholson’s Comet would meet the same fate as Chrisman’s. Late in 1966, the Eliminator 1 became
airborne just after crossing the finish line at Cecil County Dragway. Nicholson laughingly tells how,
despite his efforts to push down on the steering wheel, the car continued to rise, eventually coming
to rest off the track in a water-filled ditch.
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Referred to as “dragsters in disguise,” the factory team 1966 Comets revolutionized drag racing
and led to the funny cars of today. The Comets were capable of very low 8-second elapsed times in
the quarter-mile and Chrisman’s car routinely ran over 180 mph.
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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Total Performers: Ford Drag Racing
in the 1960s
by Charles Morris
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The 1960s was arguably the most important decade for
drag racing. It had exciting cars, thrilling races, and most
importantly, factory participation. Among the best high-
performance cars and engines were those coming from
Dearborn, Michigan. Ford Motor Company’s “Total
Performance Years” saw a breakthrough as drag racing
helped the younger, performance- and style- conscious
consumer to begin receiving some recognition.
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Factory participation in drag racing pushed the
envelope for high performance developments. Ford's
FE-series engine, Police Interceptor, GT 390, Single
Overhead Cam, Cobra Jet, and Boss 429 are all
covered in detail. See the cars and the drivers that
made them famous – Dick Brannan’s Goldfinger, Bill
Lawton’s Mystery Mustang, “Dyno Don” Nicholson’s
Eliminator Comet, Gas Ronda’s stretched Mustang, Al
Joenic’s Batcar, and more.
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Click here to view sample pages from
each chapter.
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Chap. 1 - 1960 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 2 - 1961 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 3 - 1962 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 4 - 1963 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 5 - 1964 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 6 - 1965 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 7 - 1966 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 8 - 1967 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 9 - 1968 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 10 - 1969 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 11 - 1970 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap 12 - Ford of Canada Drag Racing
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Accomplished journalist and life-long Ford aficionado
Charles Morris takes you back to the Total
Performance Years through first-hand accounts as well
as over 400 rare photographs. A drag racer since
1966, Morris has run cars in both Stock and Super
Stock classes. He is currently the owner of the original
Norristown Ford 1963 _ lightweight Galaxie and races
the car in Nostalgia Super Stock as part of the 422
Motorsports Drag Racing Team. This book is a must
read for all drag racing fans, not just Ford enthusiasts.
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Hardbound
10 x 10"
192 pages
130 color & 290 b/w photos
Item # CT407
Price: $Discontinued
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book any Ford
enthusiast will love!
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Other items you might be interested in
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Gasser Wars: Drag Racing's Street Classes: 1955 to 1968
Author Larry Davis combined his own image archive with many rare,
never-published images from racers, fans, and track photographers all
over the country. He also did extensive research and interviews with
former drag racers. The result is a comprehensive, entertaining, and
nostalgic look at drag racing history.
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Price:
$22.95
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Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s
Among racers it has never been a secret that a lighter car is a faster
car—particularly in drag racing. When Detroit’s automakers got
involved in organized drag racing, they paid heed to this principle,
issuing a series of rare race-only cars that became legends in their
own time. Factory Lightweights: Detroit’s Drag Racing Specials of the
‘60s chronicles these rare cars that still inspire admirers and imitators
today, like the Ford Fairlane 427 Thunderbolt.
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Price:
$22.95
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Ford Galaxie & LTD Gold Portfolio 1960--1976
Contemporary road and comparison tests, specification and technical
data, driver's reports, long-term tests, new model introductions. 176
pages, 475 pictures and illustrations. Softbound.
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Price:
$29.95
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Mercury Comet & Cyclone Limited Edition Extra 1960-1975
This portfolio encompasses the first decade and a half of the Lincoln-
Mercury Division’s Comet and Cyclone. The models featured include
Comet S-22, GT, Caliente, Cyclone-GT, Cobra Jet & Montego,
Convertible, and Wagon. 128 pages, 200 b/w illustrations. Sftbd.
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Price:
$22.95
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Shipping is combined and discounted for multiple item purchases!
Buy more and save on shipping!
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Search Our Store for More Great Ford, Lincoln & Mercury Items!
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Thanks for your business!
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MRE
PO Box 47
Grinnell, IA 50112
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