[SD421]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer

I really don't know what Frankie did. I only spoke to Frankie a few times after I bought the car from Jim Wangers. I wanted some old pictures of the car. Frankie had kept all of the old engine parts, Ram Air IV heads, Valley pan, intake and carb. When Jim Got the car from Frankie's cousin. It came with an other 455 in the car with D-ports heads, the PB4 Edelbrock intake and the 1000 CFM Thermo Quad. George Delorean built this engine with NOX. Along with all of the original engine parts. Minus the engineering 455 block. The old General Kinetic cam shaft was wiped out on a few lobes. Two sets of headers, D-port and round port over the frame.

Frankie told me he had sold the car to some brothers they built an engine and won their High School nationals with the car. Frankie wanted to get involved with any showing of the car.

Frankie and a few others told me the kids sold the car, to another guy called the "Cook" who raced it and did well with the car at Detroit Dragway and on the street. I met the "cook" a couple of years ago at a car show when I was with John Politzer, Jim Wangers' ex-driver and Harvey Disner, ex Royal Pontiac Salesman under Dick Jesse. I had Jim Wangers Judge with me with the personal plate "WANGERS". He told us he had owned Jim Wangers Firebird the three of us looked at him and asked which one?
He said the '68 Black one. Talk to him for a while then lost track of him. I had invited to see the "bird" on display at a few events. But I never saw him again or got more pictures of the car that he said he had.

Jim Wangers and I heard some where along the line some one along the line had put a four speed and a big block Chevy. We have never been able to confirm this. But there was a big hole in the trans tunnel that some one could have had a four speed in the car at some point.

As for Frankie...I haven't been able to find him after he lost his two son's while they a couple of years ago. They were testing their Mustang one slippery night on Metro Parkway (16 Mile Rd). It had to be horrifing. Frankie was following them when his son lost control of the car. Killing both of his son's.

I bought everything that was original to the old motor and had Jim Wangers' engine builder Duncan Michael build two engines for the car using the old heads. We up graded the intake twice. Holley Street Dominator with alot of work on it and (I don't know what's on the car now..LOL) Dunan built the first motor simular to the '74 Red T/A, low compression with NOX. I didn't like the possiblity of detenation and distruction. I never hit the button. Although with hind site the car should have been blasingly fast since the T/A was running in the high 9's with 6X heads....

The motor in it know is simlar to the original 440 high compression, no NOX and old technology. The way I like things simple.....

WOW, thanks for all the insight.
Does the Blackbird run faster now than in those days? Im sure it does.
It has the RAIV heads on it too??
I always love it when I hear one of Wangers friends or associates that are in the know say, "I cant remember what's on it now". LOL

Thanks again for the insight,
Don