Culture|Garage

The period of the A/FX car is a time that will never be seen again on such a scale as it existed during the early to mid-60’s. It was a time when the cars were based off of production models, used factory parts (for the most part) and when safety was a secondary consideration. As exciting as it is to see a modern Pro-Stocker light ‘em up and make a flawless pass down the ’strip, the drama of the old days is sadly, gone. There are no wheelstands, no diving front ends as drivers reached for another gear on the four-speed, no nuthin’. However, this period is not forgotten, nor is it dormant. It lives on with guys like Mr. Rich “The Performance King” Lefebvre and those like him.

The most obvious hallmarks of the typical (if you can call them that) A/FX car are the nose-high stance, some sort of altered wheelbase, and, in most cases, injector stacks poking through the hood. They came from all sides of the “Big Three,” with Hemi Coronets, ground-pounding 427 Novas and SOHC-powered Falcons, thus the designation A/FX or A/ Factory Experimental. Similar cars could be found in B/FX, C/FX and so on, down the line according to cubic-inch to weight ratios. These cars were factory-built “experimental” racers, sporting as much factory “go-fast” equipment as possible, and then some. Occasionally these cars would be put together by private parties, but the factories ruled the series. The drivers also came from factory ranks, with guys like Gas Ronda, Don Gay and Dick Landy headlining A/FX events. Rich Lefebvre is a fan of the era, building cars just like these out of his shop, as well as Robert Mosher, who builds and restores A/FX Mopars and their ilk in Southern California.

Lefebvre and Mosher both have a penchant for speed, in an old-school kind of way. Mosher got hooked on these cars when one of his friends bought a real Max Wedge Mopar new. “We never got beat on the boulevard or on the drag-strip. It left a lasting impression,” said Mosher. Although his business started off as a hobby, turning old Mopar sedans into racers turned out to be a full-time gig. Mosher now builds these cars for those with the cash and the itch for A/FX cars. Giving up restoring anything not built prior to 1966 (that’s ‘Cudas, Challengers, Chargers, Roadrunners, etc., for the unwashed masses) Mosher has devoted himself completely to building and restoring the A/FX and A/FX-style cars of his youth.

Most of the A/FX’ers used altered wheelbases to achieve better weight distribution on the drag strip. To do this, the frames of the vehicles were shortened, the wheelhouses lengthened or moved altogether, and the rear axles moved forward. Occasionally, the front axle position was also changed, as well as the axle itself. The thought was that upon acceleration, the weight transfer would be quicker upon acceleration, thus granting the A/FX cars lower E.T.’s.On some Mopars and Fords, for instance, front axles from vans filled in for the stock pieces, which is only the beginning of factory part mixes and matches on the A/FX cars. Often van seats were used to hold the driver in place (this was in the days before Sparco and Corbeau) because they were lighter, and safety consisted of a simple rollcage. Steering was primitive, but did the job for straight-line stuff.

On these cars, the engine was where it was at. The dominant motors on the track were the Chevy 396s and 427s, the Ford “SOHC” motors- a 427 cubic-inch mill, and the Mopar Max Wedges and Hemis. Induction was as experimental as the wheelbase, with Hilborn mechanical injection a popular choice among builders. Some teams even ran different fuels, including hydrazine, to better their E.T.’s. Speaking of fuel, the little round thingamajigger on the front of some of the cars is a Moon gas tank, and yes, that’s all the gas the car could run on. It’s out there for weight distribution purposes-safety be damned.

Though not as slick as a modern NOPI car, or as fast as an NHRA Funny Car, the A/FX period will undoubtedly live on as one of the most unique and exciting times in drag racing history. The cars were loud, the fans identified with them, and the racing was pure.

And that’s the way it oughta be.

via: Hot Rod, Mosher’s Motors, the Performance King, Motorhead Extraordinaire, National Dragster, Prostockhemi.com, Dearborn Flashback, Pontiac Heaven

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