Of course, replacing the interior meant adding weight back to the heavyset Fairlane. Getting the Fairlane to rotate nicely on the autocross requires trimming as much heft as possible. To keep it around the target weight of 3,280 pounds, McKissack called on Crites Restoration Products to replace almost all of the bodywork with fiberglass panels. In fact, the only remaining steel portions are the cowl, the roof, and the quarter panels. Even the bumper brackets are fiberglass!
The Holman-Moody livery, nearly identical to the original NASCAR team’s, is another nod to the Fairlane’s racing success.

Never Enough Power

All was going smoothly until the following year when, while competing at the Optima event at Thunderhill Raceway Park, he missed a shift and broke a connecting rod. Once again, he was in search of plentiful and usable horsepower. To achieve the right blend of a progressive torque curve, response, and outright grunt, McKissack went with a DartSportsman 427 block, then stuffed it full with the best goodies available.

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Eventually, McKissack plans to equip the 427 with Holley EFI to run E85.
To beef up the rotating assembly, McKissack opted for Mahle pistons, a SCAT crank, and SCAT rods. With the resulting 13:1 compression, the motor responds very briskly for something so big. A Holley 750 carburetor meters out the fuel, and the Canton nine-quart pan — optimized for road racing — helps keep the lump lubricated in long, neck-wrenching corners.

Up top, the AFR Renegade SBF 220 heads and a custom COMP cam give him the sort of top-end power not associated with such a large motor. With free-flowing Performance Ford exhaust and an Edelbrock Victor Jr. manifold, it makes a wonderful engine note, too. But it’s the stump-pulling power that sets it apart. Even weighing quite a bit, its 650 horsepower and 511 lb-ft of torque are enough to hit 160 miles per hour along Daytona’s banking.
Strutting its stuff on Daytona’s banking.