Retrofitting the Suspension

As time went on, the 650 horsepower proved more than the Fairlane’s rearend could handle. McKissack called on Maier for the second stage of suspension modifications. The Maier MOD2 cantilever suspension is the component drawing the most attention at the car meet, and it also provides articulation you’d want from a track-oriented car.
This cantilever suspension allows for McKissack to run 315-section tires in the rear.

The cantilever rear suspension uses a nine-inch torque arm, making it possible to run without a swaybar if necessary. It also comes with JRI single-adjustable shocks, Delrin strut rods, adjustable-length aluminum lower control arms, and subframe connectors.

This setup allows McKissack to change the ride height by adjusting the rods between the rocker and axle without sacrificing coilover travel. It also makes a world of difference when trying to administer the 650 horsepower. It also offers the feedback and support he needs when playing at the edge of adhesion. Greater communication between car and driver, improved driver confidence, and more progressive breakaways were the aims in developing this suspension setup.

As Wide a Footprint as Any

The 427’s power courses through a TKO600 dogbox, back through a Speedway Engineering 9-inch floater rearend with a 3.89 Torsen differential, through the axles, and finally into the 18×12-inch Team III ET wheels wrapped in 315-section Falken RT615K+ tires. With footprints that size, turning power into efficient propulsion is possible — even easy. “After the cantilever suspension and torque arm were added, I could put the power down in hairpins without any worry,” he elaborates.

Though it’s not too common with cars of this type, McKissack decided to run a square tire setup. As anyone would imagine, trying to turn that wide tire unassisted would require Popeye’s forearms, so McKissack installed a KRC power steering unit with a Jordanson box converted to a Saginaw-style — which was one of the best modifications he made. “It was something I probably should’ve done 20 years ago,” he chuckles.
It takes a massive wheel to dwarf the six-piston Wilwood brakes.

Under those wheels, Mckissack installed a set of Wilwood brakes to help bring the heavyweight to a halt. Up front sit six-piston calipers and 13-inch rotors, fed by brake ducts which draw air from the openings once housing the lower headlights. In the rear sit four-piston calipers with an 11inch rotors. Though the package worked well from the start, he eventually replaced the rear pistons for smaller items to alleviate some of the wheel hop. As it is now, he can out-brake lighter cars with confidence.

A Busy Future

There’s not much more tire and brake one can fit in the confines of the Fairlane’s body, but McKissack is still trying to find some. Soon, he plans to widen the body and fit 335-section RT615K+ tires at all four corners. Since he anticipates seeing approximately 725 horsepower at the rear wheels with the addition of a tailored cam and electronic fuel injection, he’s going to need as wide a footprint as he can find.

It still has enough punch to outrun some powerful cars around Laguna Seca:



That isn’t the only way the shape of the car will change. As aerodynamics are a critical part of the game these days, he’s outlined a long list of additions to help push the Fairlane into the pavement and run coolly. Among them are a diffuser, rear wing, a flat underbody, side skirts, and a front splitter. Where cooling can be improved, he plans to add a set of NACA ducts, and he’ll relieve air pressure in the cabin with polycarbonate in the place of the rear window and quarter glass. Indeed, there aren’t many areas he hasn’t inspected and improved.

If the lengthy Fairlane can move through the air cleanly and confidently, McKissack should be able to tick off a few more boxes on his bucket list. The Silver State Challenge, the Virginia City Hillclimb, and a few passes at Bonneville — all high-speed events, which require a car to have a good relationship with the air that passes around it. More aero grip and diminished drag might also help him achieve his aim of a podium at OUSCC — he’s been knocking on the door for quite some time.

He’s nearing his sixth decade, but McKissack hasn’t shown any signs of slowing. With so much of his life spent competing — in the pool or on the track — it’s not like he can give up on those life-affirming thrills, now. Whatever comes from the next stage of this car’s colorful life, it demonstrates that with enough motivation, the right parts, and the right people, a Fairlane’s size does not keep it from fighting at the sharp end of the pack.

•