FIA Racer 1959 Ford Fairlane/Galaxie

[martin.braun]

Dear Racers,

i am a german (sorry for my bad english) hobby historic racedriver with a 1959 ford fairlane/galaxie 2door 352 cui, builded up as a nascar vehicle but following the rules of FIA appendix K, to run at european historic races.

The problem: To get a Historic Technical Passport, FIA is asking now for a proof of a participation of that type of car at an INTERnational race, for ex. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Australia, Canada.
But until now I only found participations in american nascar races of the years 1959, 1960 and 1961. But those races are officially declared as national races, not international. Even the Daytona 500 of Feb, 22 of 1959 is said to have the status just as a national races with some international drivers (Chile, Canada). In FIAs eyes, this is not enough.

So, here is my desperate request:
If anybody know something of a race-participation of a 1959 fullsize-ford at an INTERnational races, please give me a hint. Also welcome are references to lists of race participations except the USA.

Thank you so much
Martin

[simon drabble]

Is yours the one that blew away GT40's at Spa 6 Hour a couple of years ago?

[martin.braun]

You are kidding me, aren't you, Simon?
No, that wasn't my Galaxie. I heared about a 63 Galaxie 427 7-litre Fastback that ran in Spa faster then some GT40s.
But please: My car is a bulky 1680-kilogramm-sedan with very small drum-brakes at the four corners and a three-at-the-tree manual shift. Driving is fun but lap times aren't better than those of a 1000cc-DKW - more speed at straight lines, but poor brakes und cornering.

Thanks for reading
Martin

[simon drabble]

have you tried speaking to the owners club? I meant the Fairline a couple of years ago driven by the Flinstones!

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by martin.braun

You are kidding me, aren't you, Simon?
No, that wasn't my Galaxie. I heared about a 63 Galaxie 427 7-litre Fastback that ran in Spa faster then some GT40s.

that's awesome!

I thought they would have raced in Rallies but Ford used the Anglia for '59.
http://www.anglia-models.co.uk/race-1959.htm

i also thought they would have raced in the Carrea PanAmerica, but that race stopped in 1954. the early 60s models definetly competed in international races, but unfortunatly, i can't find anything anywhere of the 1959 Galaxy in international competition thru the early 60s. that doesn't mean someone, somewhere drove ONE in an international race.

GOOD LUCK! sorry i could not help, but was interesting searching none the less.

[martin.braun]

Thanks a lot for your search, gentlemen.

Yes, a friend of mine asked owners clubs, but they are more collectors and aren't that interested in the (not successful!) racinghistory of those chromy-bias-belted-cruiser of 1959. So, no results from there.

The 64 Fairlane of "Fred & Barnie" (btw a midsize car, not a fullsize-Ford like the 59) is in germany said to be the reason for the nowadays rigid issuing of HTPassports for not-homologated cars by the german DMSB... But I dont know whether this is true or not...

I fear, without the international racing-references of the 1959 Ford, my only chance is the grace (correct word?) of the FIA. That is bitter for me, cause I did ask two FIA-Insiders BEFORE I imported und build up the car. And the guys said in 2005: HTP will be no problem, this car will be a GTP3. But I knew und know this statements were without obligation. Things changed after the first Flintstones-Runs...

I plan to be at Spa with the car at April 4. (the whole day FHR-Testdrives for FIA-Historic Racers). Some FIA-Members are said to be there. I hope I can there convince of the harmlessness of my car...

Thank you gentlemen
Martin

[Hagis]

There were two Fairlanes in the Swedish Rally to the Midnight Sun 1958. That´s the closest I can come to.

[GBRM]

The earliest Ford Galaxy entered (a 7 litre) I can find is at Silverstone 8th July 1961 in the British Saloon Car Championship (now BTCC) but I am not sure if it raced though. I’m sure some friendly person on here with Autosport or Motoring News can look it up tell us some details on it.

There were also a few Galaxies in the 1963 European Touring Car Championship and of course many in the British Saloon Car Championship of 1963 but I think that’s too late you isn’t it?

[simon drabble]

the pace of the Flinstones Fairline was ridiculous - to blow off a GT40 down the straights was always going to ask questions! Havig said that they did drive it well....
On a similar vain I was surprised by the pace of the Shelby Mustang last year

[Al Weyman]

Simon you can get an awful lot of power out of that old side oiler big block Ford V8 especially if the car was fitted with a decent braking system, I see no surprise that it can out pull a small block 4.7 litre GT40 as they were not particularly tuned that highly in period. I actually drove Paul Hawkins Le Mans entry for a few yards when the mechanic had it off the trailer in the yard, it was a long path along side the workshops and you had to drive it down on to the garage forecourt and swing into the shop. I was theatened with death if I took it out on to the Fortis Green Road but I was sorely tempted as I had a nice little circuit aroung the back streets I used to test the Imps on :-). The GT40 was a pussy cat, it would sit there ticking over like a road car. I think Martins car sounds far less of a threat especially with drum brakes in fact I think he would need to be an extremely brave man!

BTW Martin welcome to the site you fellow V8 man, they don't like us V8 men much on here (only kidding guys I know you all love us really!)

[martin.braun]

Oh thank you, two Fairlane at a 1958 Swedish Rally, that was completely new for me. But the organizer of those scandinavian rallies that those days did not declare their event as INTERnational race for the FIA calendar, as far as I know, but just as a national race with international participiants. And that is not enough in the eyes of the FIA guys. Same problem like the 1959 Daytona 500 start of the 1959 Galaxie/Fairlane - just a national race with with international participiants.

And a 1961 Galaxie in the British Saloon Car Championship (thank you Gregor) is not helpful cause the 1961 Ford is already a completely different car with new body, bigger engine (390 cui) and new front suspension. Also the 1960 Galaxie is already a completely different vehicle vis-a-vis the 1959 model. That is the problem: Ford produced it just one year in that configuration cause it wasn't successful, both at races and at sales.

But again thank you Sirs for thinking. And sorry for bad english.
Martin

[GBRM]

Martin - Have you tried looking through old copies of Autosport and Motor Sport from the late 1950s? It will probably be a bit tedious but I'm sure worth it if you can find the odd result.

Good luck.

[GORDON STREETER]

I would think the Flintstones Fairlane would be a "perfect "candidate for Goodwood this year !

[zefarelly]

fantastic, a period correct V8, you deserve an HTP just for having drum brakes all round!

that photo looks like your coming down Eu Rouge

[terence]

Nah,the grass is'nt worn out on the outside of the rumble strip.

[martin.braun]

British Motorsport magazines - do you really think that someone somewhere in GB had raced a 1959 US-Cruiser? I cannot believe that, but...
I did search on thousends of sides of old us car magazines, yes, but british? I grant, I was thinking of Australia rather that England...

Eau Rouge in Spa? No, that is the Double-S of the Salzburgring in Austria, last august. At April 4 the Ford will run first time at Spa. First time with its brandnew do-it-yourself 9,5-litre-oil-pan in order to reduce the oil temperature (oil cooler is not allowed for a period correct 1959 Ford Galaxie but pan is free)

Greetings from the cold edge of the alps
Martin

[Al Weyman]

Martin a large sump will not help with oil temperatures, I am sure if you look into it you will see I am right. If its deeper and if it has a deeper pickup it has advantages if you run it about an inch below the dipstick normal level as it keeps the oil away from the crankshaft and reduces windage, you also get less chance of oil starvation through high speed bends but you need a properly baffled sump not neccessarily a deep one as fitted by the guy who built my engine (against my instructions) causing it to let go big time. I am rebuilding it myself at the moment. But as for keeping it cooler once the oil has reached the engine temp it will stay there however much you are pumping through it even if you had a 50 gallon sump, may take a lap more to get it up to the temprature but get there it will, this is why its not advised to take a temp reading in the sump but aft of the oil cooler. Paint the sump and the engine black will help a bit.

[martin.braun]

Sure Al, I know this. So I build a baffled (dictionary! never heared this word) pan to enlarge the surface, similar to those of Canton company, USA. The pan looks ridiculous now. Like a little plaine under the engine.
And the quantity will give me a few more laps at hot summer days. Last summer I got problems at a day with over 30° Celsius. Oil temp got slowly higher lap by lap at a hilly track with two very long straights (correct word?), the Salzburgring in Austria. The oil quantity will give me the missing 2 or 3 laps at the end of a high temperature 30-minutes-sprintrace. That is my theory. I will not run long-distance-races with that car.

Martin

[Al Weyman]

The best thing is to fit as big an alloy water radiator you can (are radiators free?) as a cold running engine and hot oil is the way to power and the colder running block will also take heat away from the oil. I guess you should gain a bit of cooling from a Canton type winged sump as the surface area is far greater so must help.

[terence]

Espescialy if it's in an air stream. Martin,are you related to Micheal,he used to run a Sunbeam Tiger.?

[Hagis]

Martin,
I am quite postitve that the Swedish Rally to the Midnight Sun was international as beeing a leg of the FIA European Rally championship.
My personal opinion is that a car that was included in FIAs lists, and thus then allowed for international rallying or racing, should be allowed anyway.
I don´t think that radiators are free, but if you could have made a "thicker" one and using the original mounts that would be OK.

[martin.braun]

Terence, an orange colored sunbeam tiger? At some events in germany there was a driver with such a tiger, but I dont know his name, sorry.

Hagis, thank you so much. I hunt the weekend for informations about the 1958 sweden Rally.
I seems you are right!
The Swedish Rally To The Midnight Sun (today: Uddeholm Swedish Rally) seemed even in 1958 to be part of the former FIA European Rally Championship (today: World Rally Championship WRC). The 1958 rally winner was Gunnar Andersson on a Volvo PV444. And he also was the later 1958 champion.

But, Hagis, I did not find any informations about the two Ford Fairlanes, the names of the drivers, co-drivers, startnumbers, results a.s.o.
Can you please give me a hint where perhaps I can find these detail informations? How do you know about those 1958 Ford starts? Lucky chance? Giant knowledge?

Meanwhile I will start today an official inquiry at the FIA whether this 1958 Sweden Rally was an International FIA event or not.

Thank you all gentlemen for your interest.
Martin

[johnh875]

Hi Martin, I do not think you will have much luck with Australian races, while there was some saloon racing prior to the instigation of the Australian Touring Car Championship (initially a single-race championship), it was quite low profile as serious racers until then very much looked down on it and raced open wheelers or sports cars. The first Galaxie I am aware of racing in Australia was the Len Lukey car which was a 63 model (also the Sir Gawaine Baillie car was raced out here). The 59 Fairlane was more likely to be a tow car!

Good luck with your quest though.

[martin.braun]

Thank you very much, John, for your (just a moment... dictionary...) appraisal (correct word?) from Australia. Very helpful. So I can stop my search concerning Australia.

So I have to look to Sweden. German FIA representative DMSB has not answered yet concerning the FIA status of the 1958 Sweden Rally. I have to wait.

Hagis, any references concerning the swedish Guys and their 1958 Ford?

Martin

[Hagis]

Just returned from England last night.

The two Fairlanes in the Swedish Rally 1958 were

Class Standard over 1600 cc:

6th Martin Carstedt/Gulli Carstedt
7th Bo Sandström/Stig Franzén
Winner in the class was Thure Jansson in an Alfa Romeo 1900. Thure won the rally in 1957 in a Volvo PV 444. 2nd in 58 was John Kvarnström in a Ford Edsel!