For-ward Thinking
July 16, 2023
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: DeatschWerks LS Injector Kits
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HARD CHARGER
We were talking to Devin Meucci when the topic came up about how difficult it is to find a ’69 Dodge Charger in Southern California, because most were gobbled up by the studio when “The Dukes of Hazzard” show was on television. I also mentioned that two of my friends were in charge of the transportation department of the show when the cars were being scrapped out, and described how they made the 383 and 440 engines available to members of my car club. Meucci said he and his brother watched the show religiously, and that’s when their love for Chargers began. Fortunately, in Washington state, Chargers were plentiful, so, in 1990 his brother bought a matching-numbers ’69 RT/SE. Two years later, Meucci purchased his own Charger and drove it in high school during his senior year, and to college after that.
Spotlighter
Slick 66
One Killer Big-Block Fairlane
Doug Schultz of Maple Valley, Washington, is not your typical home builder. Several years ago, he owned Street Works, a shop for hot rod and racecar fabrication. He built a black-and-silver ’62 Impala, which we featured in the December 2002 issue of this magazine, as well as a ’67 Nova that earned Goodguys’ Street Machine of the Year honors a few years back. Today he’s a fabricator and press-brake operator with his local municipal government, but during this time, he never lost his love for cars.
Author
Will Smith
Photography: Josh Mahler & Doug Schultz
A New Direction: The ’66 Ford Fairlane
After owning some 20 early Novas, Schultz decided it was time for a change, so he purchased a complete and running ’66 Ford Fairlane. He eventually scrapped his first few ideas and renderings—he considered them too trendy—in favor of a car that would be, in his words, “a crisp, simple, functional fast car,” while maintaining the car’s muscle car heritage and adding a few contemporary styling cues at the same time.
A Frame Built for Performance
Schultz wanted his Fairlane to be fast in more than a straight line, so he designed a completely new frame for the car to provide a solid foundation. He built the frame using 2×2- and 2×4-inch mild-steel tubing. He added X-brace stiffeners and a 10-point rollcage to make the frame incredibly strong. There’s nothing stock about the new suspension, either, as a Heidt’s Superide IFS has replaced the original components. The owner narrowed the stainless front control arms by 5/8 inch per side and then added gussets to the lower control arms to improve stability under braking. Air springs eliminate the need for a conventional coil spring and add adjustability to the suspension. The custom front sway bar actuates via a scratch-built bell crank, and Flaming River components make up the steering. Twin-piston Baer calipers and 13-inch rotors handle the stopping chores and are nestled behind the 18×7-inch matte-finish Boyd Hot Rod wheels and 215/45ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
Innovative Rear Suspension Design
The rear suspension is no less impressive. A 9-inch rearend remains, but that’s really the only connection to the original design. That rearend now measures 59 inches across the hats of the 12-inch Baer rotors, and internal axle components include 3.50:1 gears and a limited-slip differential. Rather than riding on leaf springs, the 9-inch is now connected to the frame via parallel four-links. To keep the axle centered within the frame, Schultz designed and built a custom Watts link that eliminates the problem of a Panhard rod pulling the axle to one side during suspension travel. In keeping with his interpretation of what the car needed to be, the owner added 20×12-inch Boyd wheels and much wider 335/35ZR20 Michelin rubber.
Powerhouse Drivetrain: A Ford Racing 514ci Engine
The basis for the Fairlane’s drivetrain is a Ford Racing 514ci crate engine. With a 4.350-inch bore, 4.300-inch stroke, and forged internals, the short block is more than stout. But adding Super Cobra Jet heads (with 10.2:1 compression), an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake, and a solid-roller cam with 0.647 lift on both the intake and exhaust and a 254-degree intake, 258-degree exhaust duration really makes this 514 Ford a standout.
Attention to Detail in the Drivetrain
However, it’s not nearly complete yet, as Schultz decided the combination needed fuel injection. He made much of the system himself, matching an Accel throttle body and huge 65-pound injectors with rails of his own design, and modified the Edelbrock manifold with new injector bungs. An MSD distributor and 6AL ignition box light the mixture, which exits the exhaust through a custom owner-built exhaust system. These parts combine for 635 hp, and while you can never have too much horsepower, this Fairlane definitely has enough.
Custom Styling and Interior Refinements
While the profile of the Fairlane still looks close to original, numerous little changes do improve its overall looks. Schultz performed some of the modifications, including designing and building the metal decklid spoiler and shaving the door handles and all the trim. He also filled the gas filler door and moved the filler neck inside the car. The owner even created all the under-hood sheetmetal, building new inner fenders, a core support, and more.
For upholstery and interior work, Schultz took the Fairlane to McFarland Custom Upholstery in Puyallup, Washington. There, the shop stitched titanium-colored leather and suede over a pair of Fiero buckets, as well as the Byers-built rear bench seat and center console. That console houses the Long shifter, and under the armrest you’ll find the controls for the air suspension, line lock, wiper knob, and more.
Awards and Recognition
Touching on all the custom alterations performed on this Ford would take forever; there’s no way we can list them all, so study the photos and you will see how much work has gone into the car. Show judges have noticed, as they have given the car a Boyd’s Pro Pick and an Air Ride Low-Cool Smooth award, both from Goodguys Columbus. To pick up these two awards at such a big show speaks volumes about the quality of this car, so you don’t have to take our word for it—Chuck Schultz has built one wicked Fairlane.
’66 FAIRLANE BUILDUP
1. Here’s a look at the car as Schultz bought it. It doesn’t look bad, but it’s nowhere near the car its new owner wanted it to be.
2. The engine is a basic 289. Take a good look at the stock arrangement of the engine compartment, because everything you see here is about to change dramatically.
3. The owner gutted the body in order to build a frame under the ’66, and you can see some of that basic frame structure in this shot. Notice the tubular X-bracing on each side of the car and the rectangular tube rails.
4. Looking rearward shows off a rear crossmember with its integral driveshaft loop and C-notches for the exhaust. Like the front, the rear suspension uses ShockWaves in place of coil springs.
5. Parallel four-bars replace the leaf springs, and a Watts link keeps the rearend centered under the Ford throughout its range of suspension travel. Notice, too, the sprint-car-style sway bar.
6. With the seat brackets, steering column and transmission installed, the owner will soon be able to start building the floor.
7. The dash has seen some major surgery, which is evident in this photo. Only the glovebox opening remains unchanged.
8. After removing the gauges, Schultz began shaping the firewall and transmission tunnel. The electronics are hidden on the firewall ahead of the dash, making them easy to access yet completely out of sight.
9-10. By building a bell crank and placing the master cylinder just behind the firewall, the owner again hid items that would typically clutter up a car.
9-10. By building a bell crank and placing the master cylinder just behind the firewall, the owner again hid items that would typically clutter up a car.
11. Plenty more metalwork is apparent around the wheel tubs and behind the rear seat. Remember that the owner performed all this work himself, and it’s that much more impressive.
12. Remember what the engine bay looked like at first? We like this new version better. The Heidt’s suspension eliminates the need for the shock towers, and with the master cylinder and electronics hidden, the firewall and inner fenders are as smooth as can be.
13. The electronics for the air suspension are hidden in the trunk, behind the passenger-side wheel tub, which is huge. Check out the tidy wiring with good connectors and lots of heat-shrink tubing.
14. The owner formed this small rear decklid spoiler, which adds a sporty feel to the car without distracting from its overall shape. You can also see where he’s stripped the Fairlane emblem from the rear fender.
15. Schultz added injector bungs to the Edelbrock intake manifold, built his own fuel rails and added an Accel throttle body. Orderly fuel system plumbing completes the system.
16. This shot illustrates the X-bracing ahead of the front suspension crossmember as well as the gusseting on the lower control arms. This is all the owner’s handiwork, too.
17. At this point, the car actually runs and is mechanically complete. Schultz even drove the car like this for a bit, so he could look for any potential problems before disassembly and paint.
18. It’s now obvious that the metal on this ’66 was good, making it a good candidate for a super rod buildup—with all the changes the owner made, why would he want to spend extra time on rust repair?
19. Byers Custom & Restoration painted the car, covering the body in PPG Salsa Red. Now it’s time to reassemble the car!
20. The inner fenders, firewall and core support are painted PPG Titanium to match the hood, dash and other portions of the car.
21. The engine also shares this two-tone paint scheme. Check out the cogged drivebelt from Auto Specialties Performance.
22. Reassembly is now moving along, with the engine and body reunited.
23. The Fairlane is now close to completion, and that’s owner Doug Schultz in the driver’s seat, preparing to drive the car back into Byers for final panel fitting.
24. After adding the chrome and the glass, this Ford will be ready for the road.
