1957 Ford Grand National NASCAR Replica - Fireball's Car

Fifty years ago, he was one of the kings of NASCAR. Even today, his name is still spoken with the same reverence as Richard Petty's and Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s Glenn Roberts certainly fulfilled his "Fireball" nickname from his daring performances on the NASCAR racetracks.

Tom Kitchen of Tampa remembers the aggressive driving style of Roberts. "He was my NASCAR hero back when I was a kid, and I certainly don't feel any different about him today," Tom says.

To that end, Kitchen decided to re-create his favorite Fireball car to the most minute detail. To accomplish this daunting task, he undertook serious research in the Daytona Archives, numerous books, the personal photos provided by Pamela Roberts (Fireball's daughter), and consultations with Fireball's best friend and teammate, Marvin Panch.

So, which of Fireball's many cars would he re-create? It was a tough choice, but Kitchen decided it would be the '57 Ford that Roberts ran during the first part of that season. "It was significant, since you could use any engine that was being offered by the company for public sale. That year, you could get a 300 horsepower, supercharged 312-cid engine, and that's exactly what he had under the hood until NASCAR barred it later that same season," says Tom.

But even though the completed replica would be basically stock-appearing from the outside, that certainly wasn't the case under that heavy sheetmetal. To create the Fireball clone, there was a ton of work to be done, and Kitchen did it correctly, to the smallest detail.

BODY
"I started out with a fairly good '57 Custom 'D' Code body," Kitchen says.

With most of the sheetmetal very usable, Kitchen painted the underside black and covered the headlights and taillights. Per the custom at the time, the rear bumpers were extended forward along the rear quarter to avoid hooking another car. This also provided a bit of an aerodynamic advantage.

To keep the front-hinged hood from opening at speed, there was a pair of hooks on the body in front of the windshield and two more on the hood rear. They were hooked together with a stretch rope, which held the hood in place. There was also a door handle on the right side of the hood to aid a crewman in lifting it to gain access to the engine compartment.

The trunk lid hold-down mechanism had two hooks behind the bumper and a single hook on the trunk, with a stretch rope passing through all three hooks.

Interestingly, the stock stainless steel side-body trim was retained and actually used in the racing paint scheme. Even the stock door handles were retained, but it has to be noted that the doors were prevented from opening by molded metal strips on both sides. All the factory window glass was still in position.

In race trim, the wheels (minus wheel covers) were heavy-duty Ford station wagon units along with larger 8.00x14 tires. The color scheme was carefully copied with the familiar red-and-white detailing. All the correct decals and stickers are in their exact positions, and the passenger side of the car even sports a trio of tire marks.

And you better believe those "Supercharged 300 HP" statements on the hood really got your attention. That was big-time horsepower for the period.

Kitchen continues, "There were a number of red-and-white cars at the time, so the team created a way to immediately identify Fireball when he came into view. They put a large white cross on the left-front headlight, which could be easily viewed with binoculars. This was before in-car radios."

SUSPENSION SYSTEM
The suspension system was re-created using existing automotive components. "Some of the coil springs were cut shorter, and heavier Ford station wagon front/rear springs were added, including a beefier front sway bar. We then added four more front shocks, for a total of three on each corner with tower supports. An additional shock was also added to each rear shock," recalls Kitchen.

POWERTRAIN
Not having a correct original engine would have stopped many restorers, but not Tom Kitchen: "I had a rebuilt, 312-cid, four-barrel carb engine with an original Paxton Phase I Supercharger. It had all the correct pieces, including the pulleys, blower hoses and hose clamps, fuel filter, and air cleaner."

The restorer indicated that the 300hp statement on the hood probably understated what was under the hood: "The teams made several changes to those engines, including the pulley. The correct horsepower was probably more in the 375-horse category."

The remainder of the powertrain consists of a heavy-duty rebuilt three-speed manual transmission (shifted on the column) with a truck clutch and pressure plate. The rearend is a 9-inch Ford heavy-duty 3.73-geared unit.

INTERIOR
With the help of N.O.S. fabric for the door panels and seats, the interior took on the look of the original. The rollcage was fabricated from 2.5-inch-diameter black pipe and friction taped. The correct custom steering wheel carried a sponge on the center wheel hub that was then taped over. "An early airbag," Kitchen quips.

Next came the expected radio, clock, and heater deletes, along with the removal of two firewall heater panels. Also, there are the period S&W gauges and a Sun Tach, along with an N.O.S. boost gauge from Tom Pistone. All the inside headliner was removed with the metal surface then being painted.

A little late '50s race tech can be seen in the leather strap that held the tranny in Second gear on dirt tracks to prevent it from popping out of gear. There was also the vaunted trap door over the right-front tire, which could be lifted up at speed to view the condition of the tire. Kitchen continues, "It was pulled up with a rope and there was a Sun timing light that could freeze-frame the rotation and effectively 'stop' the tire."

There was another device that Roberts had installed in his original '57. "It was a piece of wood that was installed in a vertical position that laid against the right leg and hip, which kept the driver from sliding to the right in the turns. There weren't any modern five-point seatbelts back in the day."

Kitchen kept going, though, to create as much realism as possible with his clone car display. "I have a period helmet and uniform both done up in Fireball style," he explains.

A FAN AND CAR SHOW JUDGE FAVORITE
Everywhere Tom takes the replica, it gains huge attention. He laughs when he reveals that many people ask him if he's Fireball Roberts. "I remind them that he was killed in a fiery crash in 1964 at Charlotte Motor Speedway."

The car has appeared at a number of large shows and won a Top 25 "Period Perfect" award at the Jacksonville (FL) Good Guys show and "Best Race Car" at a large St. Petersburg (FL) show. By the way, this car is street legal, with Kitchen being able to remove the headlight covers and reveal functional headlights.

Kitchen made a statement about the car, which many would agree with today: "It was a time when stock meant stock and you could tell a Ford from a Chevy from a Mercury . . ."

Amen to that!