Just before I actually left my Army service completely, I made a move that at the time seemed like a natural decision: I got licensed as a bartender in Washington State. Considering that for the prior ten years I pretty much played bartender to anyone who provided the booze for that night’s festivities, it seemed like a natural fit. Fun fact: The only way a dude is going to get a job slinging drinks is to either look like an 21-year-old fashion model or to look like you are about fifty or so and appear to have seen every possible corner of the world, nothing in-between. For those of you who haven’t seen me in person or haven’t seen a picture of me, I’ll explain it like it was explained to me once: I might have a good heart and a great ear, but I’ve got a face that screams “I like violence”. It’s off-putting to a lot of people, even when I’m at ease.
Funny…looking at a 1968 Ford Thunderbird, I kind of get that same feeling. After trying to stay as a sporty car, the fifth-generation T-bird moved upmarket, into a spot that would become the personal luxury coupe. The styling was…well, odd. The grille was supposed to invoke the inlet of jets like the F-100 Super Sabre, the roofline was formal, and the total package looked like an upsized Mercury Cougar overall. The side profile and the full-width taillights with the sequential signals didn’t help. The interior was as loaded-out as they came, and big-inch Ford mills were the powerplant of choice.
Somewhere along the line of this Lime Gold Poly Thunderbird’s time, something went very right under the hood. A 558 cubic inch unit that is dumping out big figures got shoved in. As it sits in the pictures, this car would eat lunches left and right…who is going to believe that the big old sled was anything more than some backwoods build, a tunnel rammed 390 sitting on wheels raided from a Grand Marquis? The color is unique, the look isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but who gives a damn when you’re that comfy while you’re moving that fast?
It’s not a 390 FE. It’s a 385 series 429 – 460. The rear gears are 3.90.
I took it to mean if someone came upon this car they might think someone stuck a tunnel ram on a 390. In any case it must be plenty stout to support two Dominators. This car reminds me of my first Hot Wheels in 1968, the Custom Thunderbird.
Iron heads making over 800 Hp ….. yeah … wanna buy a bridge ?
Original 429 CJ & SCJ heads were iron with 300-310cc intake ports and can be ported to flow 350+ cfm @ .700 lift
Believe it or not, there are some guys out there making big power with iron heads.