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World's fastest Montego

44K views 163 replies 34 participants last post by  Mario 
#1 · (Edited)
So I decided to start a build thread here to document what I'm doing with my Montego GT.

For those who aren't familiar, here's a little background.....I found this car in 1996 sitting in a field behind a truck stop up in the mountains. It had been there for 14 years at the time and the weeds around it were as tall as the car. I saw the fastback roofline through the weeds and decided to take a closer look. After some negotiation with the truck stop owner, I had it towed to my house and attained title on it.

From what I've been able to gather, a woman was driving the car in the dead of winter when the radiator hose blew and she kept driving it until she arrived at the truck stop. After being given an estimate to repair the car, she never returned, so the car was parked out back and forgotten.

It was also around this time I started hearing about open road racing, where a stretch of public road 50-100 miles long is shut down for people to run at speeds that would result in felony charges under any other circumstances, so I decided to build the car to run in these events.

The thread title is a play on the movie World's Fastest Indian, and because I've been seeing people call out their cars as fastest (insert make/model). My goals for the car are to have the world's fastest street legal 72/73 Montego GT. At this point, I don't know if anyone has been faster than my 150.7 mph run at the Colorado Mile, so I'm laying claim to being the fastest. Fastest meaning top speed, not 1/4 mile time.

Link to a picture gallery on the car:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.203153679719987.43849.199531240082231&type=3







Current specs on the car:

Engine:
528 CID (4.300x4.420)
D1VE block
Eagle crank, Scat rods
AFR 280cc heads
Lunati roller rockers
Hyd flat tappet - 224/234 .538/.562 112LS
10.9:1 forged pistons
Torker II intake
Custom built 9 quart baffled pan

Trans:
C6 rebuilt with red clutches, etc.
Edge racing custom low stall converter ~1800 stall
Broader Performance full manual reverse valve body
B&M Pro ratchet floor shifter

Rear:
Stock 9"
3.25:1 track-loc was stock, and I run that at times, but also have 3.00, 2.75, and 2.50 third members that I switch out depending on the event.

Suspension:
Mostly stock
Cut coils
Circle track adjustable shocks
Urethane bushings
Boxed control arms
Larger than stock anti-sway bars

Wheels/tires:
255/50R17 Nitto NT555's, W-rated (168mph), 300 treadwear
Black Rock 17" aluminum type D

Brakes:
Stock disc/drum with ceramic pads

Exhaust:
Hooker headers
Dr. Gas X-pipe
3" flowpacks (like a glasspack but smooth inside)
3" Warlock mufflers
Custom side exits

Other:
Custom 6 point roll bar
Kirkey racing seats
22 gal fuel cell
Quick release steering wheel
Driveshaft loop
Trunk sealed off from passenger compartment
 
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#5 · (Edited)
What kind of telemetry device are you using to get the extra info in the video?
I use a Contour GPS camera that captures the GPS data, and Dashware video software.

2.75's are good gears for the flats if you have enough hp and low cd. Our favorite open road event is BBORR...59 miles each way..Run same gears..Favorite tires are now Michelan.pilot sport ps2's (Y) rated and stickier than the Hooiser R6's.. at least on my truck.. traction, torque transfer,and the friction load of the wind above 160mph are the only problems..especially if your driving a brick like us..lol rdw..
I've been wanting to run the BBORR. Probably not this coming year, but maybe the year after. Tires are tricky with a big car like this. It's tough to find something with enough load rating, a high speed rating, and a big enough diameter.

Over the years I've seen maybe 4 - 5 of fastback Montego GT's. For sure a rare car.
Total production for the GT was 4464 units in 1973. There are 171 known to be in existence today. Of the 4464, 302 were big blocks....making it more rare than a Boss 429 Mustang. There are 12 known to exist today.
 
#3 ·
2.75's are good gears for the flats if you have enough hp and low cd...the mile events are just a longer drag race..I'm currently running 4.10's which hopefully ,if we have actually gotten rid of all our bugs...will let me get over 200...Our favorite open road event is BBORR...59 miles each way..Run same gears..Favorite tires are now Michelan.pilot sport ps2's (Y) rated and stickier than the Hooiser R6's.. at least on my truck.. traction, torque transfer,and the friction load of the wind above 160mph are the only problems..especially if your driving a brick like us..lol rdw..
 
#6 ·
My road racer have had it up to 160 170 range was still pulling a bit but speedo needle hits the inside of the factory gage at one point and speedo goes a bit nuts after that. Strips someting out. Have run several SCCA autocrosses with good resuls untill I blew my rear trying to find redd line. Currently running 3.27 instead of the 3.55s I had. Going with 3.90s soon.
Front air dam from a mid 90s Chevy truck helped a lot. Also the trunk mounted lugage rack, removing the cross bar helped issues with high speed rear end lift.
Tires have also been a issue as the car weighs around 4000 lbs. BFG 275 50S ON THE FRONT AND 295 50 S ON THE REAR WERE GOOD (2050 load rating each).
They quit making the 275s. Went with BFG KDWS (with the flame tread) next285 30 by 18s front and 295 35s rear.
Load rating on these are 1605 front and 1705 rear. After a 2 years of running them they quit making the 285s. Everything I have found in that size for the front in around 1300 lbs load rating. Tried something in that range once and the tires would be going in the opposite direction the car was starting at low speeds.
Had trouble with bending wheels also.
 

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#7 ·
Are you adding weight and running slicks for the flats? We had a sheet of 3/8 plate steel cut to fit in the bed back when running on dirt/salt..Tires are a problem..Have had to go up to 18's to get right weight / dia...on 315-30 frt.and 335-30 rears to get gearing right (.64 fifth) should put me at 7200rpm /211mph at 100 ft. from 1mile line....If I can get my timing problem fixed...rdw
 
#8 ·
Are you adding weight and running slicks for the flats?
Nope. Running on the same tires I'm driving there on. The 150 club is more of a "run what ya brung" deal. I think DOT speed rated tires are actually required.
 
#9 ·
CarsByCarl said:
Total production for the GT was 4464 units in 1973. There are 171 known to be in existence today. Of the 4464, 302 were big blocks....making it more rare than a Boss 429 Mustang. There are 12 known to exist today.
I'd believe that. Every one I've seen personally have been 351's. Your GT and the one on CL down here are the only 429 cars I know of. I have not checked that one out on a CL, but is supposed to be a factory 429 car. Do you know if it is one of the 12 known to exist? Guess must be a registry for these cars?
 
#10 ·
There is a Montego GT registry, and most of us will try to get a VIN number on any that we see. I'm pretty sure I've seen that car before, so it's probably already in the registry. The guy that keeps track of everything doesn't publish a list of VIN's so it's hard to say for sure.
 
#11 ·
Carl, can you explain the 3rd video to me? Are you trying to maintain a certain average speed thru that course? If so, what speed? What is the deal with that bullseye looking guage at the top? Always thought that stuff would be cool to do.
 
#13 ·
The round gauge is for G forces. As you can see, I played it very conservative in the turns not going much over .5G's. These races are not the place to push the limits of a car's handling. The road course on the other hand, you can go crazy. There's one turn there where I hit better than 1G which is pretty good for a 4600 pound dinosaur on street tires. :D

The idea with open road racing (in all classes except unlimited) is to average a certain speed over the length of the course. There are classes from 80 mph to 180 mph. Whoever comes closest to the average wins. In the unlimited class, the fastest car wins and they have no speed limit. For the non-unlimited classes, your top speed (or tech speed) is limited based on safety equipment and/or speed class. If they catch you speeding, you're disqualified. In the case of that video I was in the 90mph class with a tech speed of 120mph. It's surprisingly difficult and competitive. You need to have an average that's two or three decimals out to have a chance at placing. My northbound average was 90.004 mph which was good enough for 2nd place, but my southbound average of 89.722 which bumped me down to 9th place for the event.

What I learned in that event is that watching the speedo and controlling the car while doing 120 on a two lane chip seal shoulderless road with ditches on either side isn't easy. Next time I run up there, I plan to enter the 100mph class which has a 140mph tech speed so that I can pay more attention to the road.

My safety equipment qualifies me for 168mph at all the events except the SORC, which limits everyone to 140 because of the road conditions.

This guy set a world record last year for fastest car on a public road, averaging 217 mph with a top speed of 250+ (the radar guns don't read higher than 248.50 mph).

 
#16 ·
Most people have a navigator, but I fly solo. Partly because everyone I know is too chicken, but also because I don't want to be responsible for somebody if something goes wrong.
 
#18 ·
#19 ·
Well, looks like there's going to be no racing on the salt this year.


USFRA Officials at the salt Wednesday Sept 4, 2013 report the salt is flooded. there is standing water on all of the speedweek courses including in the pits and starting/staging area.

We Regret to announce,
World of Speed Sept 7-10 2013 is Officially Cancelled

 
#22 ·
Hey Carl,

Did you ever lower the nose on that thing (see 1st video)? Also, I recommend a steering box upgrade. I hear that a SPA-T from a 71 Mustang is an improvement. I gutted the one from a 72 Mustang and put it back together with 1989 Z28 parts. Big difference.
 
#23 · (Edited)
The car sits about an inch off the bump stops with the cut coils. The nose up deal in the video is purely air-induced. I did actually make an air dam for B-ville, but we'll have to wait and see how it works I guess. Nothing fancy, just something I hacked together in about an hour with sheet metal and conveyor belt material. It sits about 3" off the ground, and as you can see still scrapes a bit.
 

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#24 · (Edited)
Okay, so the salt didn't happen this year. Got my entry in for next year's SORC and should find out in a couple of weeks if I got in or not. Alternatives will be the BBORR or Bonneville.

So....time to build a new engine.

I've been collecting parts for most of the year, and I'm currently working on initial mock-up and porting the heads/intake.

Build parameters:
-needs enough vac for power brakes
-has to rev to 6500 (for top speed runs)
-will run at 4500+rpm for extended periods
-pump gas (at 3500+ elevation)
-cross country durability/drivability

Short-block:
514 CID
D0VE-A block
Nodular iron 4.150 stroke crankshaft
4340 H-beams, 6.700 length
SRP 4032 alloy pistons, +.080 bore, -28cc dish
Total Seal file fit moly rings
King XP bearings

Top end kit:
A429 heads with Ferrea 2.3/1.76 valves and Lunati springs, etc.
Lunati roller rockers
Lunati 3/8 custom length pushrods
Lunati custom solid flat tappet (244/252@.050, .607/.633, 118LS)
Lunati solid flat lifters with edm oiling
Lunati 9-key billet double roller timing set
Torker II intake port matched to heads
Holley/Proform 1050 carb with annular boosters

Projections are 655HP and 633TQ at sea level (500HP / 492TQ at local 6200ft elevation).

Attached is a graph showing the current 429 vs. the new 514.
 

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#25 ·
Cool car, Carl. I like big cars and I can't deny....lol.
I'm starting to finally move forward on my '74 Montego MX. Just a fun street car but I'm gathering parts to put together a 521 with SCJ-A heads. Scotty J. is gonna do a little touch up on the heads for me.

Anyway, good luck on your ride. Looks like you're gonna have some serious power there. :)
 
#26 ·
good luck on your ride. Looks like you're gonna have some serious power there. :)
Thanks. I think the hardest part is going to be getting this thing painted this year. The engine is ready for final assembly, just need to find the time.
 
#27 ·
Sounds like a great build I can't wait to see the video runs, she should build rpm quick and hum right along.

Have you been using the Lunati Roller Rockers much? I just happened to see them in the new summit catalog and they seem like a nice piece.

D
 
#31 ·
I love it, those cars are awsome. I can't wait to see the car once you put a new motor in it. That car is pretty rare I've never seen one with a 460 in it. SWEET
Thanks.

Of the ~4500 GT's produced in 1973, only 302 were built with the 429. None with 460's. Last time I checked with the registry, there were only 14 documented survivors. It's actually rarer than a Boss 429 Mustang.
 
#52 · (Edited)
What a great event!

Day one: Open time trials with highest top speed winning. Trophies to the top two in each class. I decided to run the car in street trim, them make changes from there.

Density altitude was hoovering around 9600 feet most of the day.

1st run: 750 carb, full exhaust....111mph
2nd run: 750 carb, open exhaust.....115mph
3rd run: 1050 carb, open exhaust....117mph
4th run: 1050 carb, more timing....115mph
5th run: 1050 carb, bigger jets.....117mph
6th run: hot lapped it and ran 115mph

Top two speeds for the day in my class (naturally aspirated) were 145mph and 149mph posted by a Z06 Vette and a Lambo Aventador. Unlimited top speed was 228? posted by some sort of Lambo.

--------------------------------

Day two: Open time trials/qualifying in the morning with the four highest top speeds in each class advancing to a roll-racing single elimination backet. ZephyrBob drove out from MN to spectate and help as needed. Also saw a couple other guys from the forum there spectating. Had a few more "vintage" cars come out to play on the second day, so that was cool.

Made four runs pulling a little timing out with each run, and running better each time hitting a 119mph by the end of qualifying. Didn't make the top four, but I think I was fifth in my class. Not bad for the lilttle old 429 (mildly ported D3's, 224/234 cam, Performer intake, 10.5:1 compression).


-All set for the Pikes Peak Airstrip Attack. First event of it's kind to ever be run on an active commercial airport.


-Lined up in the staging lanes. The Aventador next to me chickened out and pulled out of line so he wouldn't have to race me.


-Break in the action while a jet crosses the runway we were using.


-Out on the airstrip at speed.


-Top speed of the day.

And a video of my run against a Trans Am that had a 455 under the hood.

http://youtu.be/mhy5YFm1YIg



:D
 
#36 ·
Fantastic story! Between you and Scotty with your bigger car builds it gives us alot to think about. Efficiency and performance go hand in hand when I look at a car to occasionally wind up tight and still want to cruise and enjoy. Maybe even beatup on a newer, fuel injected, car that somebody just bought.Theres nothing like showing tail lights to these guys.
Anyway, good luck and keep the thread going! I for one want to read about that/those fords that couldn't be caught! Ernie
 
#38 ·
Well you have your work cut out for you.
No I don't. Way too busy building engines right now and need it done before this racing season, so I asked a friend to take care of it and handed him a big fat stack of cash.


:D
 
#40 ·
New engine is coming along too....

Had a little issue with valve clipping at 2.24/1.8, so we turned the valves down to 2.23 and 1.76 to fix it. Picture below is with the valves at max overlap, which isn't much given the 118 LS.

 
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