Ford Talladega Question

[Aero426]

Holy crap. A guy down the road was selling one of those last year for cheap. I thought it was just some sort of hot rod/altered car.

Kind of like that wierd looking '69 Charger with no hideaway headlights and fastback rear glass.   

[Aero426]

  alot cheaper then a comparative 500 or tona...

  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1969-Mercury-Cyclone-DAN-GURNEY-SPECIAL_W0QQitemZ4621363756QQcategoryZ6882QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That car on Ebay is a W-nose Cyclone Spoiler, which is also a very rare car.   We haven't talked about them yet, so here goes...

In addition to the aero nose Cyclone Spoiler II,  there also was a version offered on the standard body.  That car, called the Cyclone Spoiler, or "W-nose" for the shape of it's front profile, has the stock Montego/Cyclone sheet metal.  So there is no aero nose, or sectioned rocker panels .  But it has the same paint treatment AND...  it also was available in any available driveline combination.  So you could get it with up to a 428 Ram Air, C6 or 4-speed trans, and Traction-Lok rear axle.  You also could get buckets, and a console, none of which came on the NASCAR edition.

W-nose Spoilers are very rare, and it is thought that there are less made than the NASCAR edition Spoiler II.

So to review:

Talladegas - apx 754 made,  available only with 428, C6, 3.25 limited slip rear end.  Only available in blue, white, maroon.   Blue is the rarest production color.   Maroon is the most common.  About 250 are known to survive in some condition.

Cyclone Spoiler II.  503 made,  218 were Dan Gurney Specials (white and blue) , 285 Cale Yarborough (white and red) Specials.  Available only with 351W 4-bbl,  FMX trans, 3.25 open rear axle.   About 165 are known.   

Cyclone Spoiler (W-Nose),  production not exactly known.  Dan or Cale Special, Offered with any Cyclone available engine/trans, axle combo.  Only about 80 are known.  No NASCAR aero sheet metal.

Here is a photo of all three together.  The Talladega and Spoiler Registry book is still available through Daytona-Superbird Auto Club, and has lots of information on the cars and what makes them special. 

[BigBlockSam]

thank you DougSchellinger, i've always dug these cars and i like learning more about them. i like the ones with the aero nose more than the w nose ones but there cool too.  Rene

[Ghoste]

A rarer mid size Mercury in 69 belonged to a friend of mine.  It was a 69 Comet formal roof with 428 SCJ and no ram air.  Less than a dozen made but that wanders firmly to the drag racing spectrum and away from NASCAR.

[Highbanked Hauler]

Looking at the Talladega I would say it is narrower than  the Charger by an inch or two unless it is just the nose panel.

[Aero426]

Looking at the Talladega I would say it is narrower than  the Charger by an inch or two unless it is just the nose panel.

Not sure of the actual measurement, but the Ford fenders do taper in a little bit.  And you also get a little downforce push off the nose filler panel.   There is one photo I can't find at the moment that is a close up shot of the noses of a Bobby Allison's 500 next to a Donnie Allison's Talladega on pit road, and the difference in the stance is almost alarming.   

[Highbanked Hauler]

The picture I saw was a Charger and a Torinor comming off a banked corner together and the Charger looked a lot wider.