HISTORY RECOVERED

It’s not often you’ll find the most qualified specialists on hand at a moment like this, so Erwin and his restoration team used the opportunity to ask questions about the specifics of the car when it made its first appearance. Details such as the upholstery, the tach placement and, most important, the hand-painted lettering were passed along, and within a short time the car was repainted and lettered by hand to return this car to its rarely seen livery.

As expected, the 427 Ford side-oiler V-8 was rebuilt from the block up, with special care expended in maintaining all of the correct hardware, brackets and other components that were built for this car. Detailing also was kept fairly basic, framing a limited selection of chrome components in beautiful black paint and white trim work that makes up the surroundings. Producing in excess of 550 hp (despite what it says on the hood), a special Brannan-developed clutch mechanism was fitted between the engine and a Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission. While different ratios were traded out during its racing days, a more usable grouping has been retained here, one well suited to a 9-inch Ford rearend fitted with 3.90 gears and Trac-Loc to maximize the bite of those Casler slicks on steel rims. Of course, the reworked rear spring and custom traction bar were retained to control rear-axle movement. As expected, every portion of the chassis and suspension has been detailed in precisely the same way as when the car first came off the trailer. 

 At the front of the chassis, bias-ply tires were and are best suited to straight lines, as cornering of any kind would prove troubling. To further improve launches, the right front spring was cut down slightly, while a screw jack was fitted to the driver’s-side coil to raise the car, which offset engine torque. While simplistic in its approach, it was effective. Interestingly, Brannan noted that while he wasn’t the best driver, nor did he have the best car, he did incorporate every bit of his imagination to make the most of the components he did use, and, funny enough, he was never cited for bending the rules. 

From behind the wheel, it’s obvious that accessories are limited to a Hurst shifter on the right, ultra-thin rubber floormats, a tach and little else in the way of comfort. Even the seats were simple lightweight buckets chosen to save weight, as every pound equated to lost time.

Considering the visual impact this car makes, it’s not surprising that weeks were spent revitalizing the exterior, which was in surprisingly good shape considering the years it had spent neglected. Once the location of the original lettering and numbers was determined, the body was stripped to bare steel and then brought back up with a combination of sealers, primers and a beautiful coating of Wimbledon White, just as it looked in 1963. Next came the hand-painted designations, including three historic numbers, “824.”

By all counts, this car would have slipped into oblivion if not for the vision of Kayo and Brenda Erwin, who looked past the obvious to discover the special treasure hidden within.