Making History Out Of Fiberglass And Glue

By Dave Wallace

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March 14, 2026This rare 1965 photo showing some of the molds that formed drag racing’s first all-fiberglass, lift-off replicas of a current production vehicle were snapped while the nearby Logghe Stamping Co. was secretly assembling four rolling chassis to fit. Here, the longitudinal halves of a 200-pound shell are freshly glued together. (Plexiglass windows, interior tin and body mounts would add about 50 more pounds.) The Mercury Division commissioned the two Detroit-area shops to scratch-build replicas of the upcoming, new-for-1966

=255&model_id=7558&min_year=1966&max_year=1967&dis tance=50&per_page=30]Comet Cyclone

that retained dimensional accuracy—while weighing about two-thirds of the real thing. Four SOHC 427-powered cars would be strategically scattered across America: three hardtops like this first one, all unblown, plus a supercharged roadster for nitro veteran Jack Chrisman (shown testing in our third photo, sans his roofless GT-1 body). Initially banned from Factory Experimental classes by NHRA, the controversial Eliminator 1 debuted at rival AHRA’s season opener, instead (where it promptly produced the highest body launch in history). Don Nicholson and his teammates went on to smash track records before massive crowds for appreciative promoters. Public demand plus FoMoCo’s pressure finally forced NHRA’s acceptance for its final national event of 1966. Mercury’s radical formula has defined Funny Cars ever since.