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1963 — The Year of Factory Experimental
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This was a year of personal loss to people throughout the world. Pope John XXIII died on June 3
after a long and agonizing illness, tugging on the sympathies of people worldwide. A few months
later, on November 22, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. It was a day no American
would ever forget, no matter how young or old.
The entire year was not totally without some high points. Martin Luther King led a civil rights march
in Washington, D.C. where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Also in the news was
Rock and Roll as a group of five friends formed under the name of The Rolling Stones, and another
new group, The Beatles, released the song “Please, Please Me.” The air waves were filled with the
music of the Miracles, Temptations, Four Tops, Jan and Dean, and the Beach Boys, while on
theater screens people were treated to Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in the first of many
beach party movies.
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The world of stock car racing had become so popular that all the major manufacturers were taking
part in the great horsepower race for top stock honors. However, it was beginning to come to an
end. Officials at General Motors felt racing wasn’t worth the time and money invested in
development. All the years of hard work had progressed to one-off, special programs to develop
parts for racing. However, normal passenger car programs benefited little from the racing
programs. General Motors cars were already the best sellers in spite of the big advances made in
racing by Ford and Chrysler. So in 1963, General Motors dropped out of racing, except for a few
drivers. That left only two manufacturers actively sponsoring the major drag teams.
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The trophy run for A/Stock class at the
‘63 NHRA Nationals matched Don
Gay's ‘62 Pontiac against Northwind, a
‘62 409 Bel Air set up by Bill Jenkins,
and driven by other members of the
Jenkins Competition team. Gay
defeated the Chevy entry with an ET of
12.81 and 111.52 mph. (Jack Bleil)
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Another reason 1963 was the beginning of the end for racing was because of a new rule change.
NASCAR and NHRA followed AHRA with a limit on maximum cubic inch displacement in Stock
Classes. For the next six years, no stockers could have more than 427.2 cubic inches from the
factory in NHRA, 430ci in AHRA.
Besides the limit on cubic inches, the rules for 1963 remained essentially the same. The class
designations were changed as SS/S was deleted at the top and replaced by S/S. All the other
classes moved down one notch, i.e. last year’s S/S became A/S, A/S became B/S, and so forth.
Under the class requirements, NHRA now limited the amount a car could be raised or lowered,
either front or rear, to 2 1/2 inches. Many of the teams were raising the front and/or lowering the
rear to gain a weight shift advantage (which actually hindered weight transfer, but it looked like it
worked).
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Other rules changes of note included overboring of engines. In ‘62 you could bore an engine a
maximum of .60” for clearances and to allow for wear. Beginning in 1963, the limit was .30” for ‘63
model engines, as long as the overbore did not break the 427.2ci limit. Replacement pistons now
had to retain the same basic design pattern as factory pistons. Also, for the first time, the size of the
opening on exhaust headers was not limited to the same size as the original equipment exhaust
pipes. The new limit was 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
For safety reasons, flywheel shields were now required on all standard shift cars down through E/S,
and mandatory on any vehicle with a solid lifter, small-block Chevrolet. Also, safety helmets were
now required in all the FX classes, and highly recommended in all the other classes. Seat belts
were mandatory and each driver was checked to see if his belt was on and buckled immediately
prior to pulling to the starting line. The FX class requirements were unchanged with the exception
that aftermarket mag wheels were now allowed.
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Jack Chlebowski leaves the line at Erie
Dragway in his AHRA A/Stock record
holder in 1963. Proving that his 409
was competitive with the best of them,
Chlebowski’s Impala shows 11 win
stickers from Dragway 42, and 4 more
from Erie Dragway in the rear window.
Chlebowski’s best time with the Impala
was 12.68 at 110.97 mph. (Jack Bleil)
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Under AHRA rules, the lowest class was eliminated and all other Stock Classes were moved up one
notch, with classes running from A/S through K/S. One difference between NHRA and AHRA rules
was in the requirement for scattershields. Where NHRA required them in all the upper classes,
AHRA did not, requiring them only on all small-block Chevy-powered cars having solid lifters.
Beyond these changes, the other Stock Class rules were similar for both associations, except for
AHRA’s Formula Stock classes.
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The Participants
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Ford
Ford introduced the ‘63 model year with the same engine options as were available the year
before, the top option being the 406 rated at 405 hp with three two-barrel carbs. Like Chevy and
Pontiac, Ford had a regular production option in the works that would put it at the top of the
standard shift S/S class: the 427. Not only did Ford introduce the 427ci engine, it was built three
ways — one for the street, another for NASCAR, and a third total package for all-out drag racing.
We will concern ourselves only with the drag race version.
The new Ford engine was not simply a .10” overbore of the existing 406 block. The 427 cylinder
block was an all-new design that incorporated several new innovations involving the bearing caps,
rods, pistons, head design, intake and exhaust, and even body design. The main bearing caps, a
familiar area of failure in previous Ford engines, were reinforced and then the bearing cap was
cross-bolted, i.e. each cap had four bolts, two through the bottom of the block and two more
through the sides.
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Since the 427 didn’t require an increase in the stroke of the engine, the crankshaft from the 406
was carried over and the rods were strengthened. Pistons were cast aluminum, with a high dome
producing a compression ratio of up to 12:1. Even though the 427 pistons were larger in size than
those of the 406, the 427 pistons were lighter. They also had little innovations for reliability, such as
snap rings holding the piston pins in place.
Yet, it was in the head design where all the power was produced in the 427. Ford engineers
enlarged both intake and exhaust ports on the 427, while smoothing out the passages. They then
installed bigger intake and exhaust valves. The new intakes were increased .060 to 2.06”, while
exhaust valves were 1.625”. The combustion chamber itself was redesigned to allow better fuel/air
mixture to flow around the valves. A mid-year change offered even bigger valves for the 427, with
intakes being 2.097” and exhaust valves at 1.66”. A new mechanical lifter camshaft was used in the
427 with over 324° duration and .500” lift. The new valves had dual springs installed which allowed
the driver to go through the gears at well over 6500 rpm. Topping off the package was a new
aluminum dual four-barrel intake manifold that mounted a pair of the big Holley four throat 600 cfm
carburetors. The combination was rated at 425 horsepower at 6,000 rpm.
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As with the other factory drag engines, the Ford engineers went to considerable length to design
the best set of cast-iron exhaust manifolds in the industry. Long sweeping internal passages that
ended with a long pipe extension that could be opened for drag strip operation were standard on
the 427. A transistorized ignition was again offered for the top stock enthusiast. Ford retained use
of the optional Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed transmission, and various rear axle ratios which could be
ordered with an EquaLok limited slip differential.
However, Ford didn’t stop with increasing available horsepower. The body was also redesigned to
gain aerodynamic horsepower, and to lighten the car. At the mid-year break Ford introduced an
entirely new design, the ‘63 1/2 Galaxie 500 2-door hardtop. It had an angular fastback roof design
that had been tested in the wind tunnel and found to be as much as 10% more aerodynamic over
the notch-back coupe. On the NASCAR circuit the new roof was worth as much as 25 horsepower.
Drag strip speeds would also be increased, although not by very much, maybe 1-2 mph tops; but
that might be enough.
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Later in the year, Ford introduced a lightweight body package for the drag strip competitors,
including fiberglass front fenders, hood, doors, and trunk lid. Both front and rear bumpers and all
brackets, were stamped aluminum. Ford even changed the actual frame to the lighter weight unit
used under the 6-cylinder equipped 300 series sedans.
Inside the passenger compartment, there was no radio, heater, clock, or any convenience items.
The original very comfortable front bucket seats were exchanged for a pair of lightweight bucket
seats. A thin rubber floor mat replaced both the carpet and padding. All sound deadener was
deleted, as well as underbody rust preventative. The Borg-Warner 4-speed transmission had an
all-aluminum case and the bell housing was a special cast-aluminum unit made by RC Industries
that doubled as a scattershield. All of these weight-saving changes shaved a phenomenal 700+
pounds off the delivered weight of the car, down from 4150 lbs. to 3480 lbs. ready to race. Initially,
the lightweight Fords had to run in FX until the minimum number of units were produced.
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Chevrolet and Pontiac
The hand writing was on the wall almost as soon as the new model year option lists were
introduced. Both Chevrolet and Pontiac had virtually nothing new to offer the high-performance
enthusiasts because of GM’s withdrawal from racing. Chevrolet did upgrade the 409 by introducing
the new cylinder heads with bigger exhaust valves that were introduced in the late summer of ‘62 as
part of the RPO Z-11 package. Also new for ‘63 production was the Mk. VI camshaft with extra-long
duration, another part of the Z-11 package. Although the new ‘63 409 package had 16 more
advertised horsepower than the ‘62 model at 425 horsepower, it was still basically the same
combination.
Pontiac made even fewer changes in the production line high-performance packages. Pontiac
made only one major change for ‘63 — a new set of high dome pistons that gave the S/D 421
engine a compression ratio of 12.5:1. The big 421 retained the S/D heads and McKellar #10
camshaft as the ‘62 engine. With dual four barrels, the new engine was rated at 405 horsepower.
Along with the aluminum body panels from the ‘62 S/D package that was introduced at mid-year,
the Pontiac and the Chevrolet would have been competitive if it hadn’t been for new combinations
introduced by other manufacturers. However, both Chevrolet and Pontiac would make mid-year
changes that would bring headlines and win races in the FX classes.
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The 426 Plymouth Stage II Super
Stock engine as installed in Tommy
Grove’s Melrose Missile III. The Stage II
engine, which was rated at 425
horsepower, had a 13.5:1 compression
ratio, with a pair of 725 cfm Carter AFB
four barrels on top of the short ram
intake. The Dodge equivalent was
called a Ramcharger Stage II. (Zone
Five)
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Top Stock at Erie Dragway in the summer of
1963 usually involved the Dick Glenn Motors
‘63 S/SA Dodge, Knight Train, which had a
426 Stage II Ramcharger package. Things
of note include the home-built tubing
headers in the front fenderwell, American
Mag wheels (illegal in NHRA S/SA), and
white sidewall Casler cheater slicks on
Rader Wheels (which were NHRA legal in
S/SA). (Jack Bleil)
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Karnig Karadizian makes a pass at Lions Drag
Strip in the summer of 1963 with the Blair’s
Speed Shop ‘62 Plymouth. With a pair of blower
scoops mounted on the hood over the Carter
AFBs, the Plymouth was forced to run in AHRA
Super Optional Stock at Lions, an AHRA strip.
Karadizian also drove for the Milne Brothers
super stock team on occasion.
(Matchracemadness)
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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Super Stock: Drag Racing the Family Sedan
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Super Stock takes a look at what was, in the 1960s, the most
popular class of drag racing - factory Super Stock. It traces the
evolution of the cars, the engines, the rules, the personalities, and
many of the teams, from its beginnings in the mid-1950s through to
the 1960s and the era of the Super Stock 409s, Ramchargers, 421
Pontiacs, 406 and 427 Fords.
This was a time when Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors competed
on a weekly basis, at local drag strips throughout the country, and
the saying “...win on Sunday, sell on Monday...” had real
significance in the marketplace. This is also the period that saw
emergence of the term “musclecar” and the production of a whole
class of American automobiles – which are now the most sought
after by collectors, restorers, and performance enthusiasts.
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Click below to view sample
pages from each chapter.
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Chap. 1 - 1955-60 Racing
Chap. 2 - 1961 Drag Racing
Chap. 3 - 1962 Drag Racing
Chap. 4 - 1963 Drag Racing
Chap. 5 - 1964 Drag Racing
Chap. 6 - 1965 Drag Racing
Chap. 7 - 1966-68 Racing
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Included in this book are first person accounts of what drag racing
was really like in the early 1960s. How the manufacturers controlled
the competition and even the results of the races, and how the
sanctioning bodies attempted to control the manufacturers, who in
turn simply sidestepped the rules. Appendices include all of the
major event winners and the rules defining the classes as well as
information detailing the engines and chassis’ competing in Top
Stock categories. Also includes detailed coverage of the American
musclecar era, coverage of the famous drivers and teams of the
period and vintage photos and accounts of the early days of
American drag racing.
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Hardbound
Item: CT953
Price: $Discontinued
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Click here to buy now!
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"It's the best, best, best, single work I've ever encountered on a
subject so dear to my heart." -- Steve Magnante, Hot Rod Magazine,
May 2002
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This is a great book and something no racing enthusiast should be without.
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Other items you might be interested in
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Total Performers: Ford Drag Racing in the 1960s
The 1960s was arguably the most important decade for drag racing. It
had exciting cars, thrilling races, and most importantly, factory
participation. 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.
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Price:
$Discontinued
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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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Fire, Nitro, Rubber, and Smoke:
Bob McClurg's Drag Racing Memories
Fire, Nitro, Rubber, and Smoke is top drag racing photographer Bob
McClurg's highly anticipated follow-up to his best-selling Diggers,
Funnies, Gassers, and Altereds. McClurg drew upon his substantial
photo archives to deliver hundreds more of the best drag racing photos
ever taken, including many gems that have never been published
before.
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Price:
$29.95
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Slingshot Spectacular: The Front-Engine Dragster Era
Out of drag racing’s early years came one style of drag car that stood
above the rest: the front-engine slingshot dragster. Now you can follow
the history of the front-engine dragster in Slingshot Spectacular: The
Front-Engine Dragster Era, with over 350 vintage photos and personal
stories to help you smell the nitro and feel the horsepower of the good
ole days of front-engine, top-fuel racing.
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Price:
$22.95
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