Even the most dedicated car restorer would probably have ignored the rusty hulk that John Craft discovered in a Virginia field.
It was obviously some sort of stock car—probably 1960s vintage—but it was so badly rusted that it would have been a shame to halt the ashes-to-ashes, dust-to-dust cycle it had begun.
But to Craft, a PhD, lawyer, and professor (but mostly a renowned stock car racing historian and author), he had just stumbled upon a piece of gold. Craft specializes in vintage Ford stock cars built by Holman-Moody. He had already found and restored a couple of Holman-Moody cars.
“This car was dumb luck,” the Texas resident says. “I never thought I’d find another Holman-Moody car.”
How Craft came to know of this car was a fluke. “I was on a scale car model builders’ forum,” he says. “And someone started a thread: ‘Wonder whatever happened to all the old cars?’ Then another guy sent in two photos: one of a car in a field, and the other of the Holman-Moody ID plate.”
It was a 1964 Galaxie, originally manufactured at Ford’s Norfolk, Virginia, assembly plant. The “roller” was delivered to Holman-Moody in Charlotte, complete with interior and windows but minus engine and transmission. The car was then converted to NASCAR racing specs at Holman-Moody and painted George Barris Candy Apple Tangerine.
Once painted a brilliant shade of Candy Apple Tangerine, they don’t deteriorate much worse than this. But historian Dr. John Craft saw the original Holman-Moody plaque and realized this car was worth saving. JOHN CRAFT
Most people seeing this would imagine Craft was taking the rusty stocker to the recycler. Instead, Craft was getting ready to roll up his sleeves and restore the significant racer. JOHN CRAFT
Hard work and elbow grease has turned the rusty hulk into this showpiece. Craft was able to retain parts of the chassis and lower control arms. JOHN CRAFT
The Galaxie was raced by Skip Hudson (Riverside), Bobby Marshman (Daytona 500), Augie Pabst (Sebring support race), and Larry Frank (Atlanta 500) in 1964. It was then sent north to race in USAC.
In 1965, it returned south and served as Jabe Thomas’s NASCAR rookie ride. When Ned Jarrett lost his team car to a transport accident that season, Thomas rented the car to him at Nashville. Thomas used the car again during the 1966 Grand National season before it was put out to pasture.
“At the end of the 1966 season, Thomas brought the car to a field, stripped it, and there it sat for 41 years,” Craft says. Craft asked the owner if he’d consider selling. The answer was yes, and a comprehensive restoration was begun.
“The chassis needed lots of work,” he says. “I was able to salvage the frame, lower control arms, and pedals. It was rumored that H & M used ‘chemical milling’ and other lightening techniques to keep pace with the Hemis in 1964. That is possibly one reason the car was in such bad shape; that and Thomas wrecking a lot.”
Using bodywork from a rust-free Arizona 1964 Galaxie, the restoration is nearly complete. The car was recently hand-lettered in the original Holman-Moody style by NASCAR archivist Buz McKim. When completed, Craft hopes to race the Ford in vintage stock car races at Sebring, Florida, and Laguna Seca, California.
An interesting note: Just before Craft purchased the Ford from the field, another stock car that had been resting next to it for many years was crushed. “It was Richard Petty’s 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner,” says Craft. “The only thing that saved this Ford from being crushed was the tree that had grown through the engine compartment.”
