We discovered this car about four years ago. It was languishing in a Tennessee barn. We went over it completely, brought it up to current safety standards and got it running great. With permission from Frank Iaconio, Jr. we painted it to match the car that it resembled and had it hand lettered by the Chicago Brushmasters.
This car was raced many years ago. There are some that would like to believe it was THE ACTUAL Iaconio & Allen car. While there are many reasons to believe that is true, we are unable to offer irrefutable proof, so we are calling it a Tribute to that great car.
This car has a 2x3 fabricated frame and chassis. It has a strut front end with Mustang II style rack and pinion steering. The body is steel, with exception of the front clip, which is fiberglass. The windows are still original glass! The hatch is original and functional.
The interior is spartan, yet extremely well done. The rear wheel tubs and door panel are a work of art. The floor beneath the hatch is also so well done. You must see it! There is a Winters shifter, full set of gauges and a simple switch panel. We installed a new set of cam-lock safety belts and window net. We had the car inspected and it is certified to 8.50.
The roll cage is tig welded. There are wheelie bars and a new parachute. The suspension, both front and rear, is Koni adjustable coil-over shocks. The front wheels are spindle mounted. All four wheels are the early bolt-together Supertricks that were polished The rear end is a Dana 60. It contains 4.88 gears with a spool.
We replaced all the tires. The fronts are 5.50-15 Morosso and the rear were 14.5-32 Phoenix slicks. A set of similar sized Hoosiers were just installed to experiment with traction. Both sets of slicks are with the car.
My part-time associate purchased the car and we raced together in a local Nostalgia ProStock exhibition series. After campaigning it for a year, Mike decided to upgrade the powertrain.
He purchased a freshly rebuilt Turbo 400 transmission that was built for racing purposes. It has all the good stuff including a transmission brake, Ultra-bellhousing and billet flexplate.
He also purchased a freshly rebuilt Reher-Morrison 509 Big Block Chevrolet engine. It has Ross pistons, Aluminum Brodix heads, solid roller cam and Williams built 1050 Holley. He added a complete MSD ignition system including distributor, coil, 6AL-2 box, EZ Start and 2 step. There are big tube headers that exit beneath the body.
A new Aluminum BCool radiator was installed, as well as dual electric cooling fans. A high capacity electric water pump keep the engine cool. A new Magna Fuel ProStar 500 fuel pump supplies more than enough gas to the regulator.
Since the installation of the engine, it has only made approximately 20 passes. It is in exceptional condition. Just recently, new plugs were installed. When we built the car, we installed a complete new Wilwood brake system. There are disc brakes all the way around. New pads were just installed on the front brakes and have yet to be broke in.
We have time slips showing this car will run deep into the 9’s. 9.15 is the best. We feel replacing the rear shocks will help with the launch. A more aggressive tune will help with overall performance. If you are serious about being quick, this car should dip into the 8’s.
We have had our fun and now it is time to pass it on to you. Not only is this a very, very capable track car, it is a show quality tribute to the famous Iaconia & Allen ProStock Monza.
