Current Mechanical Specs on PROJECT FIREBALL
"Competition Proven" and Mobil 1 , a true statement!
Fireball started life as your basic, generic 1964 Galaxie 500. The car is ably motorvated by a late-year 289 (with the 6-bolt bell housing) bumped up to 302 c.i.d. (at this time). It's mated to a C-4 automatic, driving a 3:00 ratio 9" rear.
The engine is topped by an Edelbrock 289 Performer intake and single 650 CFM Edelbrock 4-barrel carb, with a 2" riser connecting the two. Air is sucked in through a 21" long x 9" wide x 3" tall oval K&N filter mounted in an original Cobra housing. Matching aluminum Cobra valve covers help maintain a period appearance. A Mallory Unilite distributor and ProMaster coil add spark while the exhaust escapes via a pair of 5.0 shorty headers.
The headers feed into 2 1/2" flow tubes, purchased from Laurel Mountain Mustang, nice and reasonably-priced pieces they sell for Fox-body 5.0 Mustang owners to replace those pesky catalytic converters. They made it much easier to build Fireball's exhaust system since I was starting with the shorties. The exhaust continues at 2 1/2" diameter to a pair of Flowmaster 40s, where just ahead of the mufflers we welded in a 2 1/4" balance tube. (Special thanks to Charlie Rodgers for his *ahem* exhausting craftsmanship! The man could weld paper if he had to!)
From the Flowmasters we turned out 2 1/4" tubes (a slight reduction in diameter for a little back-pressure) at a 45-degree angle to exit just ahead of the rear wheels, but expanded the exhaust outlet to a 3" oval piece where it becomes visible to the viewer to give a more accurate period look. And it definitely sounds period correct... I have no problem setting off nearby car alarms while simply revving up the motor to 2500 RPM.
Cooling is maintained by a large cross-flow radiator yanked out of a '75 Ranchero, with air drawn through by a 17" Flex-a-Lite fan and assisted by a 5" Spectre shroud. Any coolant overflow is contained by a Spectre overflow tube. Spectre stainless steel braiding and Magna-clamps dress up the engine. The heater hoses have been removed, along with the heater core. A much shorter hose acts as a bypass for the heater hoses on the water pump. The C-4 also gets its own fluid cooler.
Truth be told, in current trim the engine of my Fireball Roberts replica probably only churns out around 260 horses on 87 octane, but I haven't dyno'd it to check out rwhp. Still, it'll easily get up and go fast enough to get the attention of law enforcement. A 390, backed with a 4-speed, had been considered for a future upgrade, but with nearly $4.50-plus per gallon gasoline (as of 6/10/08, a 50 cent per gallon increase in one month), the fact this car gets around 18 MPG while still smoking tires keeps the current engine looking pretty attractive. I'm leaning more towards a significantly upgraded Windsor small-block so I don't have to swap out suspension, tranny, mounts, etc. I already have the 351 Performer intake and a block waiting...
The car rides on 235/70/R15 tires all around, mounted on 15x6.5" rims up front and 15x7" in the rear. The factory 1/2" front sway bar was replaced with a 1 1/8" inch unit to improve handling. Spring helpers and Gabriel air shocks help to keep the old Gal's butt from dragging on the pavement, and those are due for a future upgrade as well.
Yes... I Do All My Own Maintenance
Any car needs regular service and preventative maintenance. Any older car needs more of the same. The same goes for performance cars. Even more so for older performance cars. The more you want from your car, the more you need to put into it...
Yes, those are front DRUM brakes. I've had plenty of opportunity to upgrade to front discs, but I am trying to keep the spirit of the era intact. I am looking into upgrading to wider drums and heavier spindles such as those used on 60's Lincolns, just as Holman-Moody did back in the 60s.
I built the car, and I proudly take care of it, too. And yes... that is Mobil 1 you see in my hand.
Now that you know what makes her tick, let me share with you how Fireball came to be...
