OVER-DRIVE Magazine – Pulpaddict

’70 FORD TORINO COBRA

All new styling and engine options up to and including the 429 SCJ turn the Fairlane into the ’70 FORD TORINO COBRA, a maximum muscle Supercar.

The new year ushered in bigger, more powerful engines, new specialty Supercars, and a plethora of Ponycars. But the future of the performance car phenomenon was not bright. In many ways, 1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Southeast Asia continued, casting a pall over a much-divided country and thinning the ranks of young enthusiasts. Carmakers’ racing budgets were being drastically cut and engineering resources reassigned to prepare for restrictive emissions and safety legislation. And Ponycar sales had been plummeting and would register new lows at the end of the year.

The big news in Dearborn was a new SportsRoof ’70 FORD TORINO COBRA with matte black hood, shaker scoop, and standard 429/360 Cobra V-8. It had a 1.9-inch wider tread, 1.2-inch lower roofline, and a radical 57.5-degree windshield slope angle. Options included a Super Cobra Jet 429/370 with Drag Pack, oil cooler, and 780-cfm Holley carb. Some cars carried a 375-horsepower rating.

We drove a prepared ’70 FORD TORINO COBRA, and covered it in the SUPERCARS ’70 ½ issue. It had a 429 Super Cobra Jet engine, four-speed and 4.30 Detroit Locker, and, with a 117-inch wheelbase, was considerably larger than GM’s midsize coupes. We saw some 13.30s with trap speeds in the 103-106 mph area.

Stock car racing represented a huge investment, but, unlike investments in prototype sports racing at Le Mans and racing at the Indy 500, it was an investment that actually paid off in sales. Dealers sold on Monday what were full-size and then mid-size consumer versions of Fords and Mercurys that won on super speedways on Sunday.

By cutting budgets, NASCAR teams could not field as many cars. Without sponsorship money, many racers competed only in important events with large purses. Many of the winning Fords and Mercs were leftover 1969 models, including Cale Yarborough Mercury (Daytona 125, Motor State 400, Rockingham 500), James Hylton Ford (Richmond 500), David Pearson Ford (Darlington 400), Donnie Allison Ford (Charlotte 600, Daytona 400), and LeeRoy Yarbrough Mercury (Charlotte 500).

In the opening race of the 1970 season, A.J. Foyt took the Riverside 500 in a Jack Bowsher ’70 Ford. The only other win for a ’70 Ford was at the Southeastern 500 at Bristol. Donnie Allison won the race in a Banjo Matthews Boss 429 Talladega.

For more information about the ’70 FORD TORINO COBRA and the complete 1970 Ford midsize model lineup, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/02/05/1970-ford-fairlane-torino-fact-sheet/

’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION

There were bigger-engined and more powerful performance cars from the competition, but the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION!

Pontiac called it “A device for shrinking time and distance.” Magazine writers and editors called it a “Supercar”. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers to see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac – not Ford, Chevy, or Plymouth – essentially created the option that ignited the Supercar Revolution, and an almost cult-like movement. The GTO’s extensive performance, comfort, and convenience “menu” was the envy of the industry. Enthusiasts would eventually nickname the GTO the GOAT. It was the Supercar for all seasons – and reasons.

Because the GTO became an overnight sensation, fiction often gets in the way of reality when discussing responsibility for its concept and creation. Pontiac’s primary players were Pete Estes, General Manager, and John DeLorean, Chief Engineer. DeLorean’s staff included several racing enthusiasts. The concept of putting a 389-inch engine from a full-size Pontiac into a Tempest evolved from meetings DeLorean had with two performance-savvy guys – Bill Collins and Russ Gee – who headed up Pontiac’s Experimental Engineering Department. One of the key meetings, however, was not about creating a high-performance street car. It dealt with building a slightly longer wheelbase Tempest to replace the NASCAR Super-Duty 421 stockers that had become a thing of the past.

Gee revealed that since 326 and 389 engines shared the same motor mounts, a 389 could be shoehorned into a Tempest in about a half-hour. With NASCAR in mind, Russ Gee’s team built a ’63 Tempest 389 prototype with a three-inch longer wheelbase – 115 vs. 112 inches. It worked, and it was fast. But DeLorean couldn’t find any support for stock car racing at Pontiac. All efforts shifted to creating a product that would appeal to performance enthusiasts, preferably young ones. That proved to be a far better route.

During the discussion of a unique 389-engined Tempest, Jim Wangers, who was a successful Pontiac drag racer and account executive at Pontiac’s advertising agency, McManus, John & Adams, got involved. He also had a relationship with Ace Wilson, owner of Royal Pontiac. Wangers, above, right, presented youth-market-targeted GTO concepts to Pete Estes. Estes passed them along to DeLorean, and the 389 Tempest GTO program was greenlighted. Ferrari originally used the model designation GTO – Grand Turismo Omologato – for its 250 GTO. It means that the vehicle meets the standard specifications for racing in the Grand Touring category. Wangers was responsible for creating some of the legendary advertisements from the 1960s and 1970s, and the force behind Royal Pontiac’s ultra-performance Bobcat models, above.

GM Design created a dynamite follow-up for the 1964 auto show circuit – the tri-power GTO Flamme. Fitted with Cibie rectangular headlamps and under-fender exhaust cutouts and, of course, painted Flame Red, it debuted at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show. It was first shown with a white interior and wire wheel hubcaps. By the time I saw it at the 1964 New York Auto Show, lead photo, its custom interior was also red, and trendy chrome-reverse wheels had been installed.

Eric J. Savitz, Editor-in-Chief, GM News pays tribute to the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION @ https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2025/sep/0917-Retro-Rides-Muscling-future-1964-Pontiac-GTO.html

For more information about the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION and the complete 1964 Pontiac mid-size model lineup, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2022/12/28/1964-pontiac-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/

The history of Pontiac’s performance years is covered in DAY ONE, https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day One by Martyn L. Schorr

’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE

Ford offered multiple high-performance 312-inch engines in 1957, but the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE was the prelude to Dearborn’s Total Performance marketing.

’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE

In 1957, Ford offered high-output engines in its passenger cars, as well as in the T-Bird. You could order the hottest dual-quad and supercharged 312-inch engines with three-speed manual (with or without Overdrive) or Ford-O-Matic transmissions in any model, base two-door sedan and station wagon to T-Bird! The lineup consisted of a single-four-barrel 312/245, dual-quad 312/270, and a Paxton-McCulloch supercharged 312/300. Law enforcement agencies favored “Police Interceptor” two-door sedans with E-Code 270-horsepower engines. A 300-horsepower F-Code T-Bird could accelerate to 60 mph in the six-second range with a top speed of 125 mph.

McCulloch VR 57 superchargers on 300-horsepower Y-Blocks, like the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE, were manufactured and marketed by Paxton Products, which was acquired in 1958 by Andy and Joe Granatelli. Since the early Flathead days, the Granatelli Brothers had been active in Ford hot rodding with Grancor high-compression heads and multi-carb intake manifolds. The VR 57 centrifugal blower with variable drive ratio delivered a maximum of five-psi boost and was a very pricy $500 option.

The ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s fuel-injection, optional in 283-horsepower 1957 passenger cars (and Corvettes). Chevrolet was racking up wins in NASCAR and USAC until Ford counted with supercharged 312 engines with six-plus pounds boost and horsepower ratings in excess of 340. Prior to 1957 when NASCAR’s Bill France banned supercharging, multiple carburetion, and fuel-injection, Ford’s racing accomplishments were spectacular, with 27 Grand National wins plus 12 USAC firsts. Top Ford drivers included Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Glen Wood.

In addition to drag and stock car racing, Ford’s participation in competitive events in 1957 was broad-based and countrywide. It was not unusual to see a ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE running at local drag strips from coast to coast. DePaolo Engineering, Ford’s captive race shop, prepped sedans and T-Birds raced at Bonneville, set Flying and Standing-Mile records on the sand at Daytona Beach, and built the Ford that averaged 117 mph for 22 days in the Stephen Trophy Trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ford was aware that, while winning races unquestionably helps sell cars, setting durability/reliability records would give dealers even more to brag about. In 1956, Ford signed off on a program to build “stock” ’57 Fords to run at Bonneville for USAC and FIA National and International records. The mission: To prove how durable Ford’s high-performance cars were.

Pete DePaolo built two Fairlane 500s powered by blueprinted stock-spec 270-horsepower dual-four-barrel engines and, with racer Danny Eames, managed the program. After a few weeks on the Salt in September 1956, ’57 Ford Fairlane 500s, driven by Johnny Mantz, Chuck Stevenson, and Jerry Unser Jr., averaged 130.94 mph for 100 hours, 120.62 mph for 24 hours, 109.39 mph for 14 days, and 108.16 mph for 50,000 miles! On September 28, 1956, USAC and FIA officials certified that Fairlanes set an incredible 458 records! One car set an International Class B Speed record at 106.55 mph over 14 days and 35,800.30 miles, the other set a National Class B Speed record at 107.09 mph over 20 days and 51,403.99 miles, and six American Class B Closed Car Standing-Start Speed records.

Ford celebrated by having its advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, create a three-page advertorial hyping the record-setting event, The Longest Left Turn In History. It was placed in a variety of mass audience publications, including the October 29, 1956 issue of LIFE MAGAZINE.

For more information on the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE, and the full range of models and options, please visit Over-Drive magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/06/01/1957-ford-cars-fact-sheet/

’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM

Arguably, 1972 was the last year of the great ones. The ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM, however, still delivered head-turning style, sporty car ride & handling, plus big-block performance!

’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM

Chrysler and Ford followed GM with a vengeance, not only reducing compression ratios but killing some great engines and models. This resulted in GM’s carryover vehicles, including the ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM, powered by underrated engines, dominating the marketplace. Even though new SAE Net horsepower ratings made almost every new engine look wimpy, performance prevailed.

The 1972 model year saw minor cosmetic changes. A difference that differentiates a 1972 Firebird from the other 1970-‘73 Firebirds is the hexagonal honeycomb grille insert in the front fascia of the vehicle. During a 1972 strike, the Firebird and the similar F-body Camaro were nearly dropped. There was an industry-wide change to the way the engines were rated from the factory, with Gross horsepower ratings replaced by more accurate SAE Net information. Compression ratios were again lowered to comply with the regulation that mandates a more environmentally friendly, low- or no-leaded fuel, further reducing power ratings.

Engine options remained mostly unchanged. However, the L75 455 engine was dropped, but the standard Trans Am LS5 455 HO remained as an option for the Formula model. Pontiac rated the 1972 455 HO at 300 horsepower, but the engine was a carryover from 1971. Starting in 1972 and continuing until 1977, Firebirds were only produced at the Norwood, OH, facility.

Pontiac Formula and Trans Am Firebirds were Ponycar class leaders. With an available 455/300 H.O. engine, slick styling, and some of the best suspension tuning in the industry, you would have had difficulty finding a more potent Ponycar. We drove a unique ’72 Trans Am with a prototype louvered hood instead of the Ram Air Shaker hood at GM’s Milford Proving Ground that posted sub-14-second times at 102 mph!

’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM Joe Oldham tested a 455/300 Trans Am with four-speed and 3.42 gears for the September 1972 issue of Hi-Performance CARS. Like the T/A we drove, it too had been “tuned.” Before tracking it, Oldham brought the T/A to Nunzi’s Automotive in Brooklyn, NY, for ignition and carburetor tuning. Oldham registered the best times of 103.22 mph in 14.04 seconds.

Check out the ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM Fact Sheets with lengthy lists of powertrain and performance options, and links to sales brochures at Over-Drive magazine, https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/08/18/1972-pontiac-firebird-fact-sheet/

’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR

Whatever the ’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR lacked in style, it more than made up for with Super/Stock performance!

’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR In 1957, the Automobile Manufacturers Association’s ban on member auto racing participation and promotion was about as effective as the United Nations! Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors signed on, but never actually stopped developing and producing high-performance engines and “supporting” racers. Many of the high-performance brake, chassis, and suspension packages were initially hidden in Police & Taxi and Export vehicle order books.

It was business as usual in Motown until June 11, 1962, when Ford’s board chairman, Henry Ford II, let the trade association know that Ford was no longer honoring its ineffective ban. Initially, Chrysler and General Motors remained committed to the agreement, yet continued participation in the horsepower wars with impressive big-block Musclecars, like the ’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR, to combat Ford’s 406 Galaxie. Racing budgets were often disguised to avoid corporate detection and, unlike Ford, racing activities were transacted through convoluted “backdoor” relationships.

Not long after Ford pulled out of the 1957 AMA “agreement”, Chrysler followed suit. But Chrysler did not have Chevrolet and Ford’s racing heritage, nor their budgets and “supported” brand-name racers. They also didn’t have the right image cars to compete with GM and Ford styling. Chrysler slightly downsized and restyled its 1962 Plymouth (and Dodge) B-body car lines, resulting in cars that lacked youth market appeal. Fortunately, whatever they lacked in style, they more than made up for in performance with 413-inch Max Wedge musclecars.

Much of the Mopar racing technology of the time was developed by a group of young Chrysler engineers who had formed the Ramchargers Racing Club. Tom Hoover, below, right, was Chrysler’s racing engines project coordinator, Dick Maxwell directed racing programs, and club president, Jim Thornton distinguished himself as a class-winning and record-setting driver. They raced Dodges while another in-house “club”, the Golden Commandos, concentrated on the Plymouth brand.

’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR

Displacing 413 cubic inches and fitted with short tuned-ram intake manifolds with dual four-barrels and tuned upswept cast iron exhaust manifolds, “Max Wedge” engines were not available at the new model introduction time. They appeared in the Spring of 1962, and there has always been some confusion over horsepower ratings. The 413-inch Wedge engine was available in the Chrysler 300-H and rated at 380 and 405 horsepower. When the 413 was made available in Dodge & Plymouth models, other than station wagons, it was more highly tuned with a 15-inch short ram intake manifold, new heads with large 2.08-inch intake valves, and upswept, tuned cast-iron exhaust manifolds. The compression ratio was 11-to-1, and it was rated at 410 horsepower. A second 413 engine, with 13.5-to-1 compression and rated at 420 horsepower, found its way into some cars, including the ’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR

Available with B-W T-85 three-speed manual transmission and the superb A-727 three-speed TorqueFlite automatic, 413-inch Super/Stock Mopars could run in the mid-12s. In 1962, they recorded four class wins at major NHRA events. At the NHRA Nationals, HOT ROD’s Ray Brock and Leroi “Tex” Smith campaigned a 413-inch Plymouth and set the low ET record at 12.37 seconds. In the final round for Stock Eliminator, Jim Thornton, in the Ramcharger’s Dodge, fell prey to Hayden Proffitt driving his 409 Chevy. He later switched to a Super/Stock ’62 Dodge, below! When installed in Plymouths, 413 engines were branded SUPER STOCK; Dodges carried RAMCHARGER logos.

’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR Even with impressive horsepower/torque engines and record-setting drag strip performance, the public rejected Dodge and Plymouth styling, and 1962 model sales suffered dramatically.

For complete details about the ’62 PLYMOUTH 413 MAX WEDGE MUSCLECAR and the full Plymouth model range with spec sheets, links to period tests, etc., please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/10/06/1962-plymouth-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/