Spoiler II Released from Barn Prison - Pics

[Aero426]

I've owned this Aero Ford since 1980.  It's the second car I ever owned.   It's been off the road since 1986 or so, and has spent the last 19 years between two storage locations.  It was put into the most recent barn in 1997.   Far too long to sit.   So after building the new garage at home, it was time to bring the car home.   The open bay next to the Daytona is reserved for the Merc.



Went out to the barn a few weeks ago and got the tires aired up.  It's been on the upper floor, all the way in the back against the wall.  Of course all the tires were flat, so we got those aired up.    The car has always started, and I took a battery with me.  It would not crank at the key, but after jumping the solenoid on the fenderwell, after about five short periods of cranking, the thing fired.     It still ran!    We came back Saturday two weeks ago, and here is the car just before we took it out of the barn.



The trans slips pretty bad, but it managed to limp out of the barn under its own power and onto the trailer.  That's the original dealer decal on the decklid.  All original paint. 




Bye bye to the nasty old barn.



I stopped at a friends house on the way home and we gave it a quick wash job.  Before:



The standard Torino and Cyclone front end stops at the hood.    Here you can see the filler panel and extended fenders.  The front bumper is actually a slightly modified rear bumper.  Compare it to the rear photo of the car. 

Below: After a wash it doesn't look too bad:



Another:



Above: you can see the factory cheater rocker panels.  Note the extra long pinchweld lip on the bottom.  The factory re-rolled the stock rocker so it is one inch shallower in depth.  On the race cars, the extra long bottom lip was then cut off which allowed the entire body to sit one inch lower.  Clever.

The 351W mill:



The car needs everything, but it's all there and pretty much rust free as it was a Louisiana car.   Will need a little work in the left rear quarter, but that's about it.  You can still see grease pencil inside the right front wheel well above the tire. 

A long road awaits, but I hope to have it done for Talladega in 2009.

There were 503 Spoiler II's built.  218 are the Dan Gurney Specials like this one.  The rest are Cale Yarborough Specials, white and red. 

[The70RT]

Nice car man...............

[Aero426]

Thanks!    Forgot to mention now that its home that the Superbird are Daytona are making snide comments about the smelly Ford in their garage. 

[pettybird]

It can't be that bad--they've spent enough time with that Italian there...



What happened to the story that Mercury ran the cars through twice, to save money?  They'd show NASCAR a batch, take them away, show them the same batch, retagged...was this just folklore?

I remember stories of the European automakers doing that repeatedly to the FIA, and Porsche producing the 25 917/10's for inspection in that long line.

[Ghoste]

A similar story exists about the Charger 500's. 
Doug, you need a Talladega in that garage now too.

[tan top]

 

[hemi68charger]

Doug, dude.. that's great. Man, I didn't realize you owned two other aeros.. Wow.. A 'bird and a Spoiler.......  You rock dude...

   Garage looks great..........

[nascarxx29]

Nice collection of Aero cars you got there .There was one guy who did post on here that was restoring a Talladega.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,22272.0.html

You might say if it wasnt ford advanced development in certain areas .That made it become necessary for Chrysler to step things up on the charger 500 as they did.There wouldnt been a need for winged cars,

[PocketThunder]

Hey Doug now your garage is too small, time to add on two more bays to the side. 

[Charger1973]

Thats a great looking car for a Ford.  I like it.   

[moparstuart]

Thanks!    Forgot to mention now that its home that the Superbird are Daytona are making snide comments about the smelly Ford in their garage. 

as well they should  ha ha

[Aero426]

Hey Doug now your garage is too small, time to add on two more bays to the side. 

I know.  840 sq ft is as big as the city will allow go on the detached garage.   I do have two more bays attached to the house, but it's never enough.   I felt pretty good about my new garage until my friend just built a 2000 sq ft garage, fully finished and heated inside.  His garage is nice.....  I call it the "Mando", or mandominium. 

[Aero426]

It can't be that bad--they've spent enough time with that Italian there...



What happened to the story that Mercury ran the cars through twice, to save money?  They'd show NASCAR a batch, take them away, show them the same batch, retagged...was this just folklore?

I remember stories of the European automakers doing that repeatedly to the FIA, and Porsche producing the 25 917/10's for inspection in that long line.

I have heard both stories.  In the case of the Fords, it pertains to the Talladegas built in Atlanta versus the Spoiler II's built in Ohio.  Either way, there are invoices and paperwork for all those Talladegas showing delivery fuel fills for all of them.  So I assume all 740+ were actually built.  Here's that photo of the 917's in the Porsche courtyard.  Hubba, Hubba!

[Aero426]

You might say if it wasnt ford advanced development in certain areas .That made it become necessary for Chrysler to step things up on the charger 500 as they did.There wouldnt been a need for winged cars,

That's right.   Whether the Mopar folks like them or not, had it not been for the Aero Fords, the wing cars probably would not have happened. 

[moparstuart]

You might say if it wasnt ford advanced development in certain areas .That made it become necessary for Chrysler to step things up on the charger 500 as they did.There wouldnt been a need for winged cars,

That's right.   Whether the Mopar folks like them or not, had it not been for the Aero Fords, the wing cars probably would not have happened. 

competition alway drives you to do better

[BigBlockSam]

 

[pettybird]

It can't be that bad--they've spent enough time with that Italian there...



What happened to the story that Mercury ran the cars through twice, to save money?  They'd show NASCAR a batch, take them away, show them the same batch, retagged...was this just folklore?

I remember stories of the European automakers doing that repeatedly to the FIA, and Porsche producing the 25 917/10's for inspection in that long line.

I have heard both stories.  In the case of the Fords, it pertains to the Talladegas built in Atlanta versus the Spoiler II's built in Ohio.  Either way, there are invoices and paperwork for all those Talladegas showing delivery fuel fills for all of them.  So I assume all 740+ were actually built.  Here's that photo of the 917's in the Porsche courtyard.  Hubba, Hubba!

Porsche called those 917's "secretary cars" because that's who built them.  They originally showed the FIA 25 sets of car parts, with an intent to build, as was standard practice for the day.  FIA, however, was concerned with the cars due to their speed (they were Porsche's all-conquering cars--three straight world manufacturer's titles until the 917 was banned) that they told Porsche that they actually had to have 25 cars built.  The race engineers couldn't possibly handle the load--they were working on the 908's that Porsche was currently campaigning and the working prototypes--there simply weren't enough bodies to build the cars.  Well, there were--Porsche handed wrenches to anyone who could turn them, with the race team and assembly workers as supervisors.  When a car was completed, race engineers would make sure the car would start, engage first, and engage reverse--that's it.  There was no reason to believe that any wiring beyond the starting system was installed, any gauges worked, or that the brake systems were bled.  Porsche called the FIA back, and told them to come look.  The cars are parked as they are for two reasons:  One, as an "F YOU" to the FIA, and two, because squeezed so close together, with the wheels turned, you couldn't really inspect the cars all that closely, let alone test them.  If inspectors wanted to see one drive around, they were free to watch the end cars, which were the well-sorted prototypes.  After the race season, the race team tore every car apart and built them properly...


When the 917's were banned in 1972 in Europe, Porsche redesigned the bodies and crushed the Can-Am circuit here.  The flat-12 engines that made over 700HP naturally aspirated made over 1500HP on short runs in twin turbo form and 1100 HP nominally, making them the most powerful sports cars, ever.  This was the car that Mark Donohue beat the enigneering's Daytona closed course record at Talladega in 1975.



I love Porsche race history...

[moparstuart]

  we couldn't tell

[Brock Samson]

thanks for the recap.. racing/competition improved the breed..

[pettybird]

No problem--and sorry for the thread hijack!  It'll be awesome to see another Spoiler II running around. 

What did you pay for it, by the way?  I never really payed attention to wayback prices on the Ford aeros...  Did you pull it out of the south yourself, or was it already brought up?

[Charger_Fan]

It's funny that it had the 351W as the original powerplant. You'd think it would have at least come with a 4 barrell 390 as a base engine.

Cool car, nontheless.

[Aero426]

It's funny that it had the 351W as the original powerplant. You'd think it would have at least come with a 4 barrell 390 as a base engine.

Cool car, nontheless.

With a Spoiler II, you had no option choices.  You got the 290 HP 351W 4bbl, FMX trans and a 3.25 open rear.   More of a touring package.   The Talladega was also a no option car,  but you got the 428CJ, C6 trans and a limited slip rear axle.   Too bad they didn't offer options, but the sole purpose was to get them out the door as fast as possible.. 

[Aero426]

When the 917's were banned in 1972 in Europe, Porsche redesigned the bodies and crushed the Can-Am circuit here.  The flat-12 engines that made over 700HP naturally aspirated made over 1500HP on short runs in twin turbo form and 1100 HP nominally, making them the most powerful sports cars, ever.  This was the car that Mark Donohue beat the enigneering's Daytona closed course record at Talladega in 1975.

I love Porsche race history...

I just watched a video of the 917 record run at Talladega last night.   Donohue was killed two weeks later.   He beat Foyt's Coyote Indy car record of 217 on that run.   In terms of absolute lap record, the Engineering cars record had already been broken. 

I have a fair amount of 917 models and junk.

[69_500]

I think that you need to add a Talladega, and a Cale Cyclone to the garage Doug. And while your at it, pick up a 500 as well, so that you can have one of each. 

I think that is the first time I've ever seen pictures of your Cyclone, I've heard ya talk about it before but never saw a picture. I've seen the two wing cars before, multiple times. Not in a long time, but when I was a bit shorter, and oh say in the 3rd grade or so.

[Aero426]

I sure wish I could have one of each car.   But I'm lucky to have the ones I do.