Earlier this year we got wind of a 1979 Mercury Zephyr Z-7 that was being transformed into a land speed car that would be heading straight to the Bonneville Salt Flats and the last we saw of the Fox body that “bukshysteve” was building, it was gutted, flipped upside down and going under the sandblaster. We dig that he’s taking a car better remembered as the monster Bob Glidden used to clean house with in Pro Stock out to the Flats, and we can’t wait to see what kind of speeds the Mercury is going to hit with the twin-turbocharged, 277 cubic inch Ford small-block providing power. 
Work did take a backseat over the summer as “bukshysteve” went to the salt to crew on an AA/Gas 1949 Ford, then went on vacation with his wife, but now as the build season is beginning to ramp up, the work has resumed in full force, with brakes installed and the trunk floor modified so that it will hold the dual batteries, the intercooler and ice box, the water pump for the intercooler and the fuel cell. Currently, plans are to have it ready for the 2017 Speed Week…here’s hoping!
277 cubes?
That’s weird – why not go for the full 289 or does it have to be that exact to fit into the class you want to run it in.
SCTA RULEBOOK
ENGINE CLASSES
Letter
Cubic Inch Displacement
Approximate Liter Equiv.
AA
501 cid and over
8.21 liters and over
A
440 thru 500
7.21 to 8.19
B
373 thru 439
6.11 to 7.19
C
306 thru 372
5.01 to 6.10
D
261 thru 305
4.27 to 5.00
E
184 thru 260
3.01 to 4.26
F
123 thru 183
2.01 to 3.00
G
93 thru 122
1.51 to 2.00
H
62 thru 92
1.01 to 1.50
I
46 thru 61
0.76 to 1.00
J
31 thru 45
0.51 to 0.75
K
30 cid and under
0.50 and under