Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s chronicles these rare cars that still inspire admirers and imitators today. Among racers it's never been a secret that a lighter car is a faster car--particularly in drag racing. When Detroit's automakers got involved in organized drag racing, they paid heed to this principle, issuing a series of rare race-only cars that became legends in their own time. Unbound by warranty and durability concerns, these wild cars featured lightweight additions such as fiberglass and aluminum body parts, Plexiglas windows and many more weight-saving tricks. Under their hoods were wicked, raucous engines that only felt at home on the quarter mile. Cars like the Ford Fairlane 427 Thunderbolt, Pontiac's Super Duty Catalina, Dyno Don Nicholson's Chevy II Wagon, and a whole assortment of Hemi-powered Mopars sit at the top of the heap when you're talking about the fastest American musclecars produced during the 1960s. Few of these cars were produced and very few still survive today.
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Editorial Reviews
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Mustangs & Fords, September 2007
'This new title is an interesting read for any Ford fan of the Total Performance era."
'This new title is an interesting read for any Ford fan of the Total Performance era."
Hemmings Muscle Machines, September 2007
"A good one for your gearhead library."
"A good one for your gearhead library."
Book Description
Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s chronicles these rare cars that still inspire admirers and imitators today. Among racers it's never been a secret that a lighter car is a faster car--particularly in drag racing. When Detroit's automakers got involved in organized drag racing, they paid heed to this principle, issuing a series of rare race-only cars that became legends in their own time. Unbound by warranty and durability concerns, these wild cars featured lightweight additions such as fiberglass and aluminum body parts, Plexiglas windows and many more weight-saving tricks. Under their hoods were wicked, raucous engines that only felt at home on the quarter mile.. Few of these cars were produced and very few still survive today.
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More About the Author
I would describe myself as a life long "car guy" who has been blessed with a memory for details of times and events that seem to have escaped many of my contemporaries. I began reading car magazines and attending racing events in the early 1960's and feel fortunate to have grown up during the golden age of drag racing. From the mid 1960's until the present I have competed in various classes of drag racing with my own cars and served as crew on both an alcohol funny car and a Pro-Stock car. In the late 1980's I responded to a request for a favorite story put out by a car magazine and submitted my first article which spoke of memories from a drag strip on a summer night in 1966 which soon after led to an offer to become a regular contributing writer for the publication. Having found success writing of my passion for cars I decided that as the time neared for retirement from my "day job" I might try my hand at putting my memories together in the form of a book. This led to my first book with Car Tech, titled Total Performers. This was followed by Factory Lightweights and my current work in the Workbench series titled; How to rebuild big block Ford engines which covers the Lima, 351 Cleveland and FE series V-8's
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgic factory racing at its best,
By
This review is from: Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s (Paperback)
Hey--this is a can't miss book on the history of Detroit's involvement in the golden days of drag racing. I met Charles Morris at Beaver Springs Dragway and rate his book as the best ever written on this subject.
If you want to recapture the great days of the Z-11, The Ramchargers Dodges, all those great 427 Fords, Ken Montgomery, Dyno Don, Hayden Proffitt, Malcolm Durham and all the rest, order this book today. You won't be disappointed. I was there when Ronnie Sox in his Z-11 came from three down to beat the Ramchargers at Vineland Speedway back in 1963 in a best of 7 match. That special era is all here in this well written book for those who either experienced, or would like to, the factory battle years and the precursor to the great Funny Cars that these cars evolved into, which is also covered in detail.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Factory Lightweights,
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This review is from: Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s (Paperback)
I thought I knew a good bit about these cars, but this book was reading new chapters on all the cars. If you're into these cars, you need this book. It was also good to see pictures of the cars taken in their era taken by a good friend. It was also nice to see pictures taken at the Don Snyder collection which we have visited twice.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for Drag Race fans!,
By E. Hayes "www.thegoingthing.com" (Mt. Vernon, IL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s (Paperback)
Charles does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of 60's Light Weight Race cars. Lots of never seen before photos and information about factory involvement as well as privately campaigned cars.
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