Article: Candy Tangerine Crusher

[Steve Holmes]

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OK, now this is pure conjecture, but lets run with it anyway. When John Bishop and his guys at the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) first drew up the regulations for their new Trans-American Sedan Championship (Trans-Am) in 1966, they adopted, virtually word for word, the FIA Group 2 touring car (sedan) rules used elsewhere throughout the world, and most commonly in Europe and the Great Britain.

But the SCCA made a couple of important amendments for Trans-Am that weren’t included in Group 2. First, they stipulated a maximum 116 inch wheelbase. Second, they stipulated a maximum 5,000cc engine capacity. And in doing so the SCCA eliminated all big block powered full-sized domestic cars.

Now, this wasn’t an uncalculated oversight. In fact, quite the opposite was true. These changes were concise and specifically targeted. At the stroke of a pen, the SCCA definitively blocked any chance of the Trans-Am series being gate-crashed by the stock car fraternity. But just what exactly was it the SCCA were trying to avoid? Was it the stock cars themselves, or was it the people who raced them?

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The Sports Car Club of America was established in 1944, and intended for amateur enthusiasts who wanted to exercise their mostly spindly British sporty cars in an environment that allowed a little more spirited driving than was legal on public roads, but at the same time, still be conducted in a gentlemanly manner. Importantly, there was no prize money on offer, and professional drivers and teams were shunned. And this remained so until 1962, when professional championships began being carefully introduced. But even then, the decision was divisive, with many in the SCCA highly critical of the notion they align themselves in any way with professional racing. And as such, separate events continued for amateur racers.

So when SCCA executive director John Bishop and his crew were drafting up the Trans-Am rules, which were announced publicly in early 1966, they were careful that, although intended as a professional road racing sedan championship, they attracted racers and teams predominantly from sports car or open wheeler road racing backgrounds, who were a good fit with the clubs directives. In Europe and the UK, where Group 2 rules were in common use, sporty and nimble performance sub-compact cars such as the Lotus Cortina, Mini Cooper, Alfa Romeo and the like shared track space with gracious MkI and MkII Jaguar saloons, and swarms of tiny high performance continental pocket-rockets; Fiat 600s and similar ‘etceterinis’.

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Interestingly, however, a gaggle of Holman-Moody built Ford Galaxies converged on the British Saloon Car Championship in 1963, beginning with the Silverstone International Trophy event, round 5 of the series. Entered by the experienced John Willment Racing and Alan Brown Racing teams, and driven by a raft of international superstars including Dan Gurney, Denny Hulme, Jim Clark, Roy Salvadori, and Jack Sears, they proceeded to win all the remaining seven races on the calendar, fending off the previously dominant Jaguar MkIIs.

The Galaxies continued their barn-storming performances throughout the 1964 BSCC, although Jim Clark, now driving a Lotus Cortina for Team Lotus, had the measure of them on occasion. It was an impressive demonstration by these unlikely behemoths in an environment that should not have suited them. But although the crowds loved them, the establishment did not, and the Jaguar teams protested the Galaxies roll cages, citing a structural unfair advantage not in compliance with the regulations. The Galaxie teams, grudgingly, cut various bars from the cages, until only a single hoop remained at the B-pillar. And then they kept right on winning.

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The case of the BSCC Galaxies and the various attempts by rival teams to have them removed from the series (or at least made less competitive) was not so much one relating to the teams, as it was the cars themselves. Indeed, John Willment and Alan Brown were highly respected within British motor racing circles. But with regards the new Trans-Am series, was the SCCA’s additional ruling put in place to prevent monstrous 7 litre Galaxies rubbing door handles with Mini Coopers and Fiat 600s, or was it simply because the SCCA didn’t want to associate themselves with the stock car community? Were they aiming these rules at the cars, or at the people? And almost certainly, had the Trans-Am rules allowed such vehicles, there is no doubting the majority of them would be entered by NASCAR and USAC stock car teams out to win a few bucks prize money on an otherwise quiet weekend, and not by the likes of John Willment or Alan Brown Racing, and their host of clean-cut Formula 1 and sports car drivers.

Lets give the SCCA the benefit of the doubt, and assume their decision making related purely to the cars themselves, and not the people racing them. Was this a decision based on safety grounds? Did they fear the implications of a Galaxie versus Fiat 600 collision? Or perhaps it was a decision based on performance? How would massive domestic big block monsters, with their sizable heft and questionable brakes, fare against nimble, svelte European machinery in a road course environment? Those glittering Galaxie performances in the 1963 and ’64 BSCC races suggested they had the measure of the very best racing sedans in Europe, on European soil. But the tracks they competed on in the BSCC were fast, flowing, and open, and probably better suited to masking the Galaxies various inefficiencies. How would they compare on home turf?

[Steve Holmes]

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Accurate head to head contests involving stock cars and Group 2 road racing sedans were relatively few and far between. It was not uncommon for both types of vehicle to be pitted against one-another in mixed grid endurance events. But these accounts invariably offered an inaccurate assessment of each vehicles true potential, as they were usually being raced by weekend warriors, and not professional race teams, with drivers capable of extracting their full capabilities.

However, a classic case the SCCA were likely very aware of, and likely drew some accurate conclusions from, was an unlikely competition that supported the 1964 Sebring 12 Hour race. This was an FIA hosted race, a 250 kilometer (approx. 155 mile) contest for production based sedans, the majority of which were FIA Group 1 and Group 2-type vehicles predominantly of European origin. But among the rasp of tiny high-revving, fleet-footed pint sized Euros, was the unmistakable bellow of an American big block V8 interloper. And as if the thunderous rapture produced by its eight giant slugs didn’t already set it apart, this monstrous Holman-Moody Ford Galaxie, chassis number C4HM-10041, was decked out in a blazing custom candy tangerine metalflake paint scheme any self-respecting teenage hot rodder would be proud to adorn his ’32 Ford roadster in.

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Giant Galaxie aside, in many ways, this race was an early precursor to what the Trans-Am series would look like when it kicked off two years later, being predominantly fast little European sub-compacts, and a handful of V8 American sedans. The Galaxie won, with ease.

Did this victory play a role in the SCCA’s decision to effectively ban stock cars from competing in the Trans-Am? We’ll likely never know, but the idea that this cars one and only race victory may have played a much greater role in helping shape of one of the worlds most successful road racing series’ of the late 1960s, is too tantalising not to consider. By instigating a maximum 5,000cc engine limit, the Trans-Am series quickly became the domain for small block powered domestic sporty 2+2 sedans, and appropriately dubbed the ‘pony car wars’.

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Had the SCCA not installed its own maximum wheelbase and engine cap to keep the stock cars out, the Trans-Am might very likely have evolved into something quite different. It was on this platform the series grew to such epic proportions that, by 1970, the Trans-Am received full factory participation from Ford, General Motors (both Chevrolet and Pontiac), Chrysler (both Dodge and Plymouth), and American Motors. Even NASCAR couldn’t boast such powerful factory input. Consider also, the Trans-Am series had become so popular that Bill France felt compelled to create his own version of the pony car wars. In 1968, NASCAR Grand Touring was introduced, based largely on Trans-Am rules, although raced predominantly on oval tracks. The Grand Touring series would later be re-named NASCAR Grand American, and lives on today as the NASCAR Xfinity series.

It was on this platform and resulting popularity for Trans-Am racing that the big four domestic auto makers built specific road cars such as the Mustang Boss 302, Camaro Z28, Challenger T/A, and AAR Cuda, among several others, whose only reason for existence was to homologate parts for the Trans-Am series, in its 5 litre/maximum 116 inch wheelbase configuration. With a different set of regulations, these cars would never have been created. This was how the Trans-Am series grew, and it grew this way because the SCCA instigated the rules they did when first starting out in 1966, to eliminate any possibility of the series being raided by the stock car crowd.

While our feature car, this magnificent Holman-Moody Ford Galaxie, which won that 250 kilometer sedan race at Sebring in 1964, can’t claim all the credit for helping sway John Bishop and his guys at the SCCA to install the additional rules they did into the Trans-Am, its safe to assume it certainly played a role. That FIA 250km race at Sebring in 1964 proved that, given an opening, the stock car fraternity would show up and race anywhere. And if the Trans-Am rules allowed, they would race in the Trans-Am. And for whatever reason, that SCCA didn’t want that.

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The Holman-Moody team was established in mid-1957, when Ford racing employees John Holman and Ralph Moody were effectively made redundant, following Ford being ousted from competing directly as a manufacturer in stock car racing. Between them they cobbled together the required funds to buy out Fords Charlotte based operation, run from a WWII air-base hanger near Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

Right through until the late 1960s, Holman-Moody, like the majority of teams competing in the NASCAR Grand National series, opted not to contest the entire championship, which usually consisted of something in the region of 60 races, held on various short track speedways, super speedways, dirt ovals, and road courses. Instead, they chased glory at the high profile events, those offering the richest purses, the greatest bragging rights, and commanded the most media attention. Remember, mainstream sports media were still largely ignorant of motor sports in the 1960s, particularly stock car racing, and many of the press assigned to car racing were stationed there against their will, and usually as a result of either being new to the job, or as some sort of punishment. And as a result, the big teams tended to steer clear of the gritty little bullrings that offered miserly prize money, and which were ignored by mainstream media. It was better to win the Daytona 500 than it was to win the Grand National championship.

[Steve Holmes]

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For the 1964 season, Holman-Moody would ultimately build at least 24 cars (the exact figure isn’t known) throughout the year, both for themselves, and for customers. Their plan was run two regular cars themselves, a Wimbledon White #28 Galaxie for Fred Lorenzen, and a Regency Purple colored #22 for 1962 Daytona 500 winner Edward ‘Fireball’ Roberts (so named because he’d been a demon baseball pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens).

In addition, the team would enter a third, and sometimes fourth car, depending on the event. These cars would feature a variety of plug-in drivers, whose strengths were best suited to the given task.

Incidentally, although our feature car is referred to throughout this story by its Holman-Moody VIN number (C4HM-10041), it wasn’t actually assigned this number, or any number, until late in 1964, after Holman-Moody had finished racing it. As the demands of stock car racing changed throughout the 1960s, so Fords supply of base vehicles to its various factory teams adjusted to suit. For example, in 1963, they supplied actual complete turn-key Q Code 4V 427 cars that drove off their Norfolk, Virginia, assembly line under their own steam, whereas, in 1964, they supplied cars without engine or transmission. For 1965, Ford supplied ‘bodies in white’, ie, incomplete cars plucked from the assembly line prior to being fitted with heavy sound deadening, and other immaterial items, such as interiors, and factory body tags. It was when Holman-Moody were preparing for the 1965 cars they began applying their own identity tags, and it was at this time our feature car was fitted with its H-M VIN.

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The process of converting a standard road car, as supplied by Ford, to completed Holman-Moody race car was intensive and laborious, but essentially ran like a mini-production line, with each car receiving more or less the same treatment. In 1964, the same car was used on all tracks; there weren’t specific cars built for super speedways, short tracks, or road courses. Each standard production 1964 Galaxie was blown apart, with the body lifted from the chassis, and the body then torn down. The chassis was strengthened by re-welding all the factory welds. The hind frame-rails of the chassis were ‘pinched’ inwards, allowing space for the maximum 8.5 inch wide wheels and increasingly chunky racing rubber. Suspension pick-up points were strengthened, as were the suspension parts themselves, including massive upper and lower control arms, while custom made spring perches with jack screw adjusters were fitted. Huge 11 x 3.5 inch and 11 x 3 inch drum brakes were installed, with multiple ventilation holes drilled throughout both the backing plates as well as the drum faces themselves to aid cooling.

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1964 was the last year Galaxie road cars were built with rear leaf springs, and the Holman-Moody race cars featured lowering blocks to bring the ride height down, height-adjustable shackles, and a full-floating 9” diff with braced housing running from end to end. A small pulley, thought to be a modified Fordson tractor unit, was mounted just forward of the rear axle and aided diff oil temperatures from a trunk mounted cooler, that took in gulps of cool air from a ventilated box mounted on the body underside, just aft of the diff.

The body shells were also strengthened, with the rear wheel wells being mini-tubbed, again to make space for the wide wheels and tires. On the skin, the rear wheel fenders received subtle stretching to provide further tire clearance, while the inner lip was removed all-round. A driver actuated trap door was built into the passenger foot well in which the driver could check on right-front tire wear, which took the most punishment on oval tracks. This was a crude but effective way to monitor what was still a major criminating factor in stock car wrecks; tire blow-outs. A fabricated firewall cowl induction system provided cool air from the base of the windshield to the engine bay. The entire floor was removed, and replaced with flat sheet metal, while the factory transmission tunnel was also removed and replaced with a hand-fabricated item that was taller than standard, and gained extra bracing, allowing the car to be lowered further than factory clearances would dictate. Doors were bolted shut (doors weren’t welded shut in NASCAR until 1970) to stop them popping open. Curiously, given the efforts that went into making the cars as slippery as they could be, drip rails remained intact.

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A rigid (for the time) roll cage was fabricated from mild steel tubing, providing strength and rigidity. Additional protective tubing was added on the drivers side between the A and B-pillars, although by todays standards still left him alarmingly exposed, given the speeds these cars could reach. A central bar ran forward of the B-pillar cage section, joining a plate mounted on the passenger foot well. Additional bars ran rearward into the trunk.

[Steve Holmes]

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Forward propulsion was provided by a 427 cu.in FE big block V8, fitted with high-riser cylinder heads. These race-only heads featured massive 1.34 x 2.72 inch rectangular intake ports, and required a dedicated high-riser intake manifold. Grand National rules stipulated the use of a single 4-barrel carburettor. Holman-Moody used a Holley. A large Holman-Moody made shroud encompassed the big Holley while also wrapping around the fabricated firewall inlet cowl, providing a ram-air effect of cold air from the windshield base direct to the carburettor. In the bottom end was a cast-iron crank, with wet-sump. In 1964, these motors could be revved to 7,000rpm and still live, impressive for a motor this size, and produced around 500 reliable horsepower. They were backed by a Top Loader 4-speed gearbox, while exhaust gases exited out through four-into-one 3 inch pipes that passed through tunnels cut into the frame rails on either side, before dumping out just behind each door. A C-section was cut into the lower bodywork to allow the exhaust to sit up inside the frame-work, rather than below it. This not only provided better ground clearance for the heavily lowered cars, it likely would have cleaned up air-flow beneath them too.

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Technically, the high-riser motor shouldn’t have been used by Ford teams, as it wasn’t actually available on road cars at the time. But then again, neither was the Hemi motor powering the rival Chrysler team cars.

The Holman-Moody machines all rode on 15 x 8.5 inch (the maximum allowed under Grand National rules) solid steel wheels with double skinned centres for additional strength. These were shod in the latest sticky Firestone 8.00/8.20-15 bias-ply racing rubber.

Apart from the massive and quite intensive build process required for each car, what really topped the Holman-Moody cars off was the level of detail applied, and the fit and finish of various seemingly insignificant parts. A small but perfectly shaped C-plate was fabricated, curved, and riveted around each exhaust exit to protect the paint. Snug fitting plugs were mounted over each headlight hole. Plates were shaped and mounted for each side marker hole in the front bumper. Sure, such attention to detail was what separated teams like Holman-Moody from the also-rans, and plugging up air gaps made the cars just that little bit more slippery. But the fit and finish also made these Galaxies a joy to behold, and the workmanship was such that it was almost a shame to see these magnificent giants pummelled to death in a racing environment.

Although weight was always a consideration, by the start of 1964, there hadn’t yet been a concerted effort to shed every last ounce. But of course, the cycle was one of constant evolution. Incidentally, the special lightweight parts fitted by Ford to 1963 Galaxie models for homologation in drag racing, were not acceptable under NASCAR regulations. Interestingly, these same lightweight parts, which included fibreglass front fenders, bumpers, inner fenders, hood, and deck lid, along with aluminum Dural bumpers, as well as twin 4-barrel carbs, found their way onto the fore-mentioned Holman-Moody built Galaxies that contested the British Saloon Car Championship in 1963 and ’64, and no doubt helped them to dominate as they did.

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Holman-Moody chassis ‘041’ world serve as a guest driver car, and potential replacement car should either Lorenzen or Roberts wreck their own machines. Interestingly, despite stock car racing generally accepted as a contact sport, this particular car was painted a magnificent metalflake custom candy tangerine color, mixed by hot rodding legend George Barris and consisting of a white base, over which was applied silver, bronze, with gold dust metalflake mixed into the candy, followed by several clear coats. Paint touch-ups must have been a nightmare!

Chassis 041 made its race debut at the gruelling, twisting and winding Riverside road course event on January 19, 1964, Round 5 of the 1964 NASCAR Grand National series. Its driver for this race would be Skip Hudson, a road course expert who could normally be found sawing at the wheel of a factory Shelby Cobra sports car. There were only four road course races during the 1964 Grand National season, and the teams knew that a major key to success was in making the brakes last. Drum brakes on a heavy stock car, with solid wheels, is no match for a 500 mile race on a winding, snaking road course. Nursing the brakes was a must, and invariably, the driver who could muster the best balance of speed and brake fade stood the best chance of winning the race. It helped too if you had a road course expert driving one of your cars. To that end, Hudson was joined on the grid by the likes of Dan Gurney, and fellow factory Cobra driver Dave MacDonald, among others.

Of the three Holman-Moody cars entered for Riverside, Fred Lorenzen qualified on the pole, while Skip Hudson adapted well to the unfamiliar Galaxie to line up ninth, with Fireball Roberts a few places back in fourteenth. And after 185 torrid laps, it was the two Wood Brothers Fords of Dan Gurney and Marvin Panch who took top honours, followed by Fireball, who worked his way up to third when the chequer fell. Hudson brought his Galaxie home in eighth, albeit seven laps behind Gurney, while Lorenzen dropped to seventeenth.

1964 Riverside 500 Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7o8X44h3TI

[Steve Holmes]

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The next race for chassis 041 was also the next race on the NASCAR schedule, the Daytona 500. Here Holman-Moody came out swinging, running four cars, entering Larry Frank in the #29, while hugely promising USAC open wheeler driver Bobby Marshman took over the candy tangerine #06. Both Frank and Marshman drove well in their qualifying race, finishing seventh and eighth respectively, but the Daytona 500 would not be good for Holman-Moody (or Ford as a whole), with Frank being the only one of the four team drivers to make the finish, placing eighth, while Lorenzen, Roberts, and Marshman all dropped out with mechanical failures.

1964 Daytona 500 Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPdOgM2MWsE

Indeed, Ford and Mercury got smoked by Chrysler at the 1964 Daytona 500, whose clearly lighter Plymouth and Dodge teams dominated both qualifying, taking the top seven grid positions, and the race, finishing first, second, and third. In response to their drubbing, the Ford teams set about an intensive weight-loss program following Daytona, with the goal of shedding 400 pounds (approx. 180 kilograms) from each car through a combination of gas axing every conceivable piece of unrequired metal, and Swiss-cheesing much of what remained. Even parts like the steering column were not immune. There was suggestion parts were also acid dipped, a process in which metal objects are left to sit for a set period of time in a tank of acid, and in which huge weight gains can be found through the acid eating away at the metal.

The next outing for chassis 041 wasn’t actually a NASCAR event, but rather the 250 kilometer FIA sedan support race on March 21, at the 1964 Sebring 12 Hour, where this car would take its one and only victory. This race featured a wide variety of vehicles, including an array of diminutive European curiosities such VW Beetles, Saabs, Volvos, Sunbeam Imps, as well as the more purposeful and highly fancied Lotus Cortinas and Mini Coopers. Many of the cars were prepared to FIA Group 2 specs, but clearly this was not a requirement, as the Holman-Moody Galaxie wouldn’t have even got close to complying. This was the only car entered by Holman-Moody for this race, and indeed, was the only NASCAR stock car on the grid.

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At the wheel of the Galaxie would be its third driver in as many races; Augie Pabst. Like Skip Hudson, Pabst was best known for his accomplishments as a sports car driver, most notably in the big-budget and highly publicised Scarab sports racers financed and campaigned by Woolworths heir Lance Reventlow in the late 1950s.

Like so many drivers of the era, Pabst was an adaptable wheel man, and quickly got to grips with the quirks of the massive Galaxie. Pabst was comfortably the fastest in the field, and following a sluggish get-away at the Le Mans style start, in which he had to feed himself in through the Galaxies side window (while everyone else had fully functioning doors), he worked his way through to the front of the field by lap two, easily swallowing up the tiny European cars at will. His biggest challenge would be nursing his own brakes. In addition, while many cars could complete the full race distance without having to stop for fuel, Pabst would have to replenish his thirsty big block.

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But that didn’t matter. He thundered along comfortably for the duration, stopping as he needed to for gas, and went on to win from fellow sports car driver Walt Hansgen in a Falcon Sprint, and Formula 1 driver Jim Clark, in a Lotus Cortina. Dan Gurney, also driving a Lotus Cortina, was another to be blasted back into the minor placings by the big Galaxie.

This race was largely overlooked by most, including the media. A local Florida newspaper, the Toledo Blade, did however, manage to string together a few words, which were then buried deep within its sports pages. It wrote: “Sebring Fla, March 21. Augie Pabst of Milwaukee, drove a big Ford Galaxie to victory over an international field of stock cars yesterday in a 250-kilometer (155 mile) race, preliminary to todays Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance.

“Pabst averaged better than 80 miles per hour around a 5.2 mile, twisting course and finished well ahead of second-place Walt Hansgen of Bedminster, NJ, who drove a Ford Falcon. Even though they had to stop for fuel while most of the smaller foreign cars went the distance non-stop, the domestic Fords were far ahead of everything else, including one of their British cousins, a Lotus Cortina, with world driving champion Jim Clark of Scotland at the wheel. Clark was third”.

It then went on to relay: “Clark got off rapidly in the foot race across the concrete home stretch in what is known as the Le Mans start and was first for a lap. But Pabst took the powerful Galaxie, the biggest car in the race, to the front on the second lap and stayed there the rest of the way”.

For chassis 041, its next race would be the Atlanta NASCAR Grand National race on April 5, this time with 1962 Southern 500 winner Larry Frank driving, who qualified tenth. This race produced a mixed bag of highs and lows for the Holman-Moody team, as while Lorenzen took a popular victory, Frank and the #06 went out in a blaze of glory when he plastered the wall heavily on lap 110.

[Steve Holmes]

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Such was the extent of the damage to chassis 041 that Holman-Moody opted to build a replacement candy tangerine #06 Galaxie, rather than make repairs. The new car was driven by the likes of Cale Yarborough, Marvin Panch, Benny Parsons, and Bobby Welborn at selected events throughout the remainder of the 1964 Grand National.

Meanwhile, through Fred Lorenzen, USAC stock car team owner Mike Terrafino was able to master a deal with Holman-Moody for chassis 041 which involved him repairing the car and contesting selected USAC races throughout the rest of the year. Holman-Moody supplied him a stack of parts to carry out repairs, as well as a pile of spares, including several motors. Restored once more, the Galaxie kicked off its career under Terrafino’s guidance at the Yankee 300, held in May 1964, and driven throughout the season usually with Whitey Gerken at the helm, while Bill Lutz also made a handful of appearances. Although it continued to run as #06, the Galaxie also raced as #26, and once as #28 in honour of Lorenzen for his involvement in the deal. And some good results were recorded. Gerken notched up a fifth at Milwaukee in July, a sixth at the same venue a month later, eighth once again at Milwaukee in September, and sixth at Mid America Raceway, while Lutz recorded the teams best result of third behind Parnelli Jones and Lloyd Ruby at Milwaukee on August 16.

At seasons end, the Galaxie was returned to Holman-Moody, as agreed, and it was here the car was fitted with an aluminum H-M VIN tag for the first time, as they were doing with their new stock of 1965 cars. Chassis 041 was then sold to Jabe Thomas who was about to embark upon his rookie season in the 1965 NASCAR Grand National, taking in selected events.

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Not surprisingly, given its hugely exotic custom paint, and the intensive (and no doubt expensive) job required to maintain it, Thomas repainted the Galaxie black and gold, and ran as #25. He entered ten races in 1965, including Greenville, both North Wilkesboro races, both Bristol races, Charlotte, Atlanta, the July Daytona race, Martinsville, and Rockingham, recording a best result of eighth in the first Bristol race, albeit, 66 laps down on the winner. He also qualified seventh at the first North Wilkesboro race. Of the ten races he started, Thomas only reached the finish four times, and wrecked twice.

Of interest in the ’65 season was the fact Thomas rented the car at the second Nashville race to Ned Jarrett, who was chasing the championship and running the full campaign. Jarrett’s own car had sustained damage, but he qualified Thomas’ Galaxie third, and finished second, helping him to eventually go on and win the 1965 Grand National title. Jarrett’s Nashville runner-up spot would be the best placed NASCAR result for chassis 041. Ultimately, its best race result was the 150 mile sedan support race at Sebring in 1964.

For the 1966 season, Thomas repainted the Galaxie white and blue, and ran twelve Grand National events, including the Daytona 500, where he finished 15th. His best result of the season was at the sweeping Bridgehampton road course event, where he placed 14th.

And that was all. At the conclusion of the 1966 season, chassis 041 was retired, for good.

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Although only three years old, the Galaxie never raced again. Following the 1966 season, Thomas stripped Holman-Moody chassis 041 of its good bits, dumped the car in a cow pasture in Wirtz, Virginia, owned by his crew chief Don Robertson, and began campaigning a Fairlane in the 1967 Grand National series.

The Galaxie would spend the next 45 years sat in that very same spot, slowly being reclaimed by mother-nature. When Jabe Thomas originally ‘retired’ it, the old Holman-Moody machine was merely an outdated race car, that was stripped of its valuable parts, and sporting various repairs resulting from its multiple shunts. The Galaxie had bit the concrete hard on a few occasions at both ends, not least when Thomas shortened its rear by several inches at Rockingham in 1966. So there was no question the car held little value at the time.

Interestingly, it was later joined by another famous factory race car, one of Richard Petty’s 1969 Plymouth Roadrunners, which Thomas had also campaigned in the early 1970s.

But as the decades wore on, and the Galaxie sank further into that Virginia cow pasture, so interest and values of old NASCAR and USAC cars began to rise, as enthusiasts sought to celebrate the incredibly rich history the sport holds. And in 2012, the old Holman-Moody ‘041’ car was finally dragged from its long-time resting place by NASCAR historian, author, enthusiast, and part-time car restorer, John Craft.

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John had already owned a few vintage NASCAR stock cars, including the famed Fred Lorenzen #28 1965 Daytona 500 winner. His true area of fascination is the history of Holman-Moody. And while he wasn’t necessarily looking specifically for a 1964 Holman-Moody car, in a way, this one found him. “I saw the car pictured in a thread on the Randy Ayer's Modeler's forum site”, explains John, “in a discussion about ‘what happened to the cars’”. This was a thread on the subject of missing stock cars, and John’s attention was drawn to a pair of photos that appeared one day on the thread. One was of a heavily eroded 1964 Galaxie sat in a paddock with a tree growing up through the engine bay. The other was of a Holman-Moody VIN tag belonging to the car. “The poster was Dale Robertson (Don Robertson's son). I sent him a personal message, and I was on my way to VA within the week. I am quite sure he thought I was crazy when I asked about buying the car”. On inspecting the car, John found traces of the various paint jobs the car received during its short career, including the original metalflake candy tangerine, plus black, and white.

[Steve Holmes]

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While many people would have been overwhelmed by the sheer scale at the task ahead, John could see the diamond in the rough. The condition of the old racer was so poor its body shell had begun collapsing in on itself, which perhaps supports the claim Holman-Moody had indeed used acid dipping techniques as part of their post-Daytona weight-loss program, as normal factory steel shouldn’t have deteriorated to such an extent. But John is made of sterner stuff. Indeed, the 1965 Fred Lorenzen Galaxie he restored was itself in terrible shape when purchased, having been raced for many years, re-bodied a couple of times, re-powered many times, and just generally beaten to death.

Bad as it looked, there were still many salvageable parts, including the all-important Holman-Moody aluminum VIN plate, as well as the chassis, some of the suspension, and other key pieces that would ultimately help in the cars restoration. In addition were some of the important hand fabricated items unique to the 1964 cars that provided enough clues to produce exacting replicas.

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But there was another reason why John wasn’t scared off by the sight of what sat in that Virginia cow pasture. Of the 24 or so Galaxies built by Holman-Moody in 1964, this was the only known survivor. Actually, that’s not completely true. One of the 1964 Holman-Moody cars run by Banjo Matthews and driven by A.J Foyt and Junior Johnson has also survived, but was converted into a 1963 car for display at the Joe Weatherly Museum, and painted up to honour Fireball Roberts’ Regency Purple #22. This car survived the years well, and, fortunately for John, was largely kept as a 1964 car beneath the skin, which would prove vital in restoring chassis 041.

First things first. The body was too far gone to even contemplate restoring. That said, exactly how much of the original Holman-Moody sheet metal still adorned the car when it was pushed into that paddock in 1966 is questionable anyway. Jabe Thomas crashed the car heavily at least twice, including the massive Rockingham shunt which required the car receive an entire new rear clip, as there was virtually nothing left rearward of the back window.

As 1964 Grand National cars were still being built from actual road cars (and not simply body panels hung on a tube-frame as would be the case within a few years), John went out and purchased a complete 1964 Galaxie road car, a solid Arizona donor. But he couldn’t just plonk the Arizona body on the Holman-Moody chassis and be done. A huge amount of fabrication would be required first, and this is where John’s years of research, thousands of period photos, and the Fireball Roberts 1963 tribute car would all come into play.

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While the Fireball car provided important information beneath the skin, such as the trunk layout, underside, and cockpit, John’s extensive photo collection helped in providing detail on the various subtle body modifications, such as the rear fender flares, and myriad of fabricated plates and covers.

Of course, the car had no motor when purchased, so John would need to source another. The goal here was to accurately rebuild the car as it rolled out of the Holman-Moody workshop in 1964, rather than try and improve upon their efforts. So accuracy was key. He scored a hole-shot when he found a set of NOS high-riser heads, still in their factory box and including Ford shim gaskets, on Ebay. Following a valve job, these were fitted with Ferrea stainless steel valves. John also found a correct NASCAR high-rise intake manifold, which he topped with a Holley 750 cfm double pumper. Ebay also produced a 427 short-block assembly which included a steel crank, although John had already sourced a 1965 cross-drilled crank, and NOS ‘Le Mans’ forged-steel conrods. JE piston filled the bores, with an eventual compression ratio of 12:1, and around 500 horsepower.

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The firewall on the Galaxie had survived well enough that John could replicate the cowl-induction and save the aluminum heater block-off plate. John also fabricated the various other modifications made to the body, including the transmission tunnel, passenger foot well trap door, and exhaust cut-outs behind the doors. The list was extensive. The roll cage was also accurately replicated. John also correctly replicated the diff cooler, although he has yet to find a Fordson pulley. Among his various period pieces were a correct set of original steel wheels, with the double-skinned centres. These have been wrapped in beautiful Firestone bias-ply tires which perfectly complete the correct period look.

This car was originally painted an exotic metalflake candy mix that wasn’t simply something John could order off the shelf. Much research was required, examining old photos, and experimenting. The trouble with old photos is often times they were of average quality when taken, because of the limited capabilities of the cameras of the day, but also because they all age differently, and fade differently, offering up multiple variations on a single theme. But the final paint color the Galaxie was sprayed appears impressively accurate to the original. Meanwhile, the interior and underside were all squirted in the correct matt black.

[Steve Holmes]

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Back in 1964, sign writing was relatively simple, but painfully laborious. Cars weren’t wrapped in giant computer generated stickers that cover the entire body shell as they are today. Indeed, virtually everything, from the race number, manufacturer branding, and even smaller logos, were painted by hand. It was a beautiful form of artistry that is largely lost in todays world. Of course, John hadn’t gone to the lengths he had thus far, carefully rebuilding this car virtually as Holman-Moody’s guys had done back in 1964, only to go defacing all his efforts by simply slapping on replica stickers where once there was hand painting. Hell no! To that end, he employed the services of Buz McKim, renowned artist, and NASCAR Hall of Fame historian to hand letter the car. The in-progress images of Buz applying his trade provide the true visual impact of his artistry, and the end result is quite stunning, and the perfect, correct finish to this very correct car.

Its worth noting, that although not a fabricator by trade, John undertook all the fabrication work on this car himself, at home, in his garage. Not only is his work beautifully accurate to that of Holman-Moody in 1964, its also incredibly impressive. He is truly a very talented guy. And a very determined one at that.

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At the time of writing, John had just completed the Galaxie’s immense restoration, and powering the big 427 into life for the first time. And no, despite the motor being built from almost impossible-to-attain parts, despite the beautiful Buz McKim hand lettering on the bodywork, despite the special one-off candy tangerine paint, this car will not be a trailer queen. John plans to vintage race it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxeiHuLO-7E&feature=em-upload_owner

This very important old race car, the only 1964 Holman-Moody Galaxie team car known to exist, has lived a colorful life, experiencing the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. From starting out as one of a very select few hugely important factory race cars, to its being stripped of its valuable parts and dumped in a paddock just three years later and left to rot. Its demise was extreme. But it had its eventual champion in John Craft, who succeeded in achieving something most people would never have considered. To contemplate a restoration/resurrection of such proportions takes guts, and maybe just a little pinch of madness. Although John plans to vintage race the old candy tangerine machine, he’ll be driving well within both his and the cars capabilities. He doesn’t want to re-write history. He only wants to honour it. And wouldn’t you much rather see this car being driven and enjoyed, than sitting silently in a museum?

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Now completed, there isn’t a lot of time for resting on his laurels. John is also well into the restoration of another important Holman-Moody race car, Bobby Allison’s 1968 #29 Long-Lewis Ford Torino. You just know this one is going to be good!

Incidentally, the former Richard Petty 1969 Roadrunner that kept this car company in that Virginia cow pasture all those decades was extracted and crushed only a short time before John discovered the Galaxie. But how was it the Galaxie didn’t share the same fate? Well, thanks to pure dumb luck and a little good fortune, that tree that had grown up through its engine bay made excavating it too hard. And so it was left to rot some more in that cow pasture. And that was how the only surviving Holman-Moody 1964 team Galaxie is still in existence. Had that tree put down its roots just a few feet away, its almost certain this car would not be here today. Ain’t it funny the way life works sometimes.

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The End.

[SPman]

What a superb restoration of an impressive vehicle. I'd love to see it "massaged" around a demanding track.....

The starting point almost makes John's Monaro restoration look easy........!

Now......wheres the Custaxie buried.....?

[CUSTAXIE50]

What a superb restoration of an impressive vehicle. I'd love to see it "massaged" around a demanding track.....

The starting point almost makes John's Monaro restoration look easy........!

Now......wheres the Custaxie buried.....?
Yes where the hell is cus1

[Paul B]

That is an awesome build, the man is an artist with petrol in his veins!

[GD66]

Man I bet that thing sounds fruity !

This is the Allison Torino he is doing next, you've gotta go hats-off to this gentleman !

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[Steve Holmes]

Man I bet that thing sounds fruity !

This is the Allison Torino he is doing next, you've gotta go hats-off to this gentleman !

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Thats right. And his attention to detail is amazing.

Prior to the '64 Galaxie featured in this story, he owned and restored the 1965 Daytona 500 winner.

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