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Welcome to SpeedMaven.com. This site is the online garage for my `57 Ford Custom. I will periodically post updates on the car's construction, photos, resources for hard to find parts, and other snippets of information. This site will also be referred to on the `57 Fords International website.

After much thought and serious consideration, this `57 will be built as a tribute to the Stock competitors from the late '50's to early 70's, known as the Junior Stockers. Body, chassis, and powertrain will appear as produced by FoMoCo.

This `57 is actually in pretty good condition, especially for a 50 year old car. The majority of the very little rust is in the driver side front floor pan. After cutting the rear frame like my last `57, I changed my mind and set about reversing that modification. Several hours of welding later, the task was complete. The front suspension was rebuilt with Granada disk brakes, new bushings, ball joints, and a `63 Galaxie steering box and column. The car is getting a set of painted steel wheels. Crites supplied the hood and trunk lid. I have a set of glass fenders, but may use steel fenders instead, along with a pretty good set of inner fenders I picked up from a friend. Power will come from a VR 57 supercharged 312 Y block backed by a T5 5 speed.

I have given a lot of thought to what I want to do with this car. I came near selling it on a couple occasions, but realized that I didn't want to be without a '57 Ford. I finally settled on Y-block power, and bought 2 running examples of the 292 to get the car going. IN the mean time, I also bought a running but smoking 312 from a guy near my home. The thought of a 312 powered Custom settled in, and that is when I decided to go with the Jr Stocker vibe. Although my car would not be a legal Stocker, due to the fiberglass body panels and larger camshaft, it would still represent the era in the spirit that I thought it should, much like John's `57 here.

My powertrain really leapt forward when I happened upon a complete VR 58 Paxton supercharger with a good price. I bought it, and soon found that the brackets and air box were for a `58 Ford 352 FE. I was aware that they were not Y-block parts beforehand, so it was no problem. I then sold the air box and brackets which left me having a very small amount in a good functioning supercharger. Frank Rice from Rebop Castings is setting me up with the proper brackets and idler pulleys, while an un-named Y-block guru is setting me up with the proper pulley and help to convert to VR 57 specs.

This is the last `57 I owned. This was the day before we loaded it up to take to Hot Rod weekend at the Gulfport Dragstrip. This `57 had the stroker 351 W, 427 inches, with TFS HiPorts, custom headers, solid roller cam, and PA C4 with 4800 stall convertor. With 10 inch slicks, on pump gas, through the mufflers, it went 11.31 at 120, best of 123 mph, best 60 ft of 1.61. It never hooked, slicks were about shot, but it went fast for a 3600 lb boat, and drove like a new car. This one may not be faster, but will be a lot more fun, and a lot better looking, no crappy cowl hood. Paint will not be yellow as originally planned, but will be Winter White.

Gone, but not forgotten.

To the right is a `57 that belongs to a friend of mine, John Feistritzer of Indiana. His `57 is a real F-code sedan (factory supercharged 312), and has been a racecar since the mid to late `60s. It has gone mid 11s in the quarter but generally stays in the low 12 second range, as he doesn't have a roll bar, and doesn't plan to add one.

Page Updated October 21, 2012