The Supercar Registry - Gary Lawler's (Gwawa) Way Cool Biscayne!

BRUCE, LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS GARY LAWLER AND I AM A FRIEND OF KEN TIBOR. WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, MOST OF IT CHASING AROUND THE STREET ROD CIRCUIT.

IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO I HAVE REDISCOVERED THE MUSCLE CAR SCENE AND THE BISCAYNE IS A RESULT OF THIS RENEWED INTEREST THAT STARTED WITH A "63" 427 FORD GALAXIE WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD. SINCE KEN AND I ARE BOTH 59 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR IT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE WE FOUND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH WHEN WE GET TO PLAY WITH OUR CARS.

I FOUND THIS BISCAYNE AT A LITTLE CAR SHOW FIVE YEARS AGO IN A SMALL TOWN IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN. IT BELONGED TO A FELLOW WHO RESTORES MUSCLE CARS FOR A LIVING AND BUILDS PROJECTS ON THE SIDE. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT BUILD THIS CAR, HE FOUND IT AFTER IT HAD BEEN CLONED INTO A BIG-BLOCK CAR AND RECOGNIZED THE FACT THAT IT HAD ALL THE CORRECT COMPONENTS. IT TURNS OUT IT HAD BEEN OWNED BY A FELLOW WHO DID HAVE A BIG BLOCK 65 CAPRICE, BUT THE FRAME ROTTED AWAY AND HE TRANSFERRED ALL THE RUNNING GEAR OVER TO THIS CAR SINCE IT WAS A CLEAN PIECE. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2002 IT HAD A 396-325 WITH A TURBO 400 TRANS AND A 3.08 TWELVE BOLT. IT WAS A NICE DRIVER BUT WAS NOT VERY EXCITING IN THE POWER DEPARTMENT.

AFTER A BIT OF HARASSMENT FROM BIG MARK WEBSTER I WAS TALKED INTO PUTTING A LITTLE MORE GUSTO IN THE FORM OF A 454 THAT I HAD BUILT FOR MY STREET ROD. WHEN I SAY, "HAD BUILT", I SHOULD PREFACE THAT BY SAYING I THOUGHT I HAD A NICE MOTOR WAITING FOR MY STREET ROD. WHEN MARK PULLED THE OIL PAN OFF TO SWAP THE 396 PAN WE DISCOVERED MY "ENGINE BUILDER" BASICALLY PUT THE MOTOR TOGETHER WITH MISMATCHED PARTS.

AT THAT POINT WE HAD A REAL MOTOR BUILDER, WHO HAPPENS TO BE A GOOD FRIEND OF MARK, RE-DO THE MOTOR INTO A STRONG STREET RUNNER. THE ONLY CRITERIA I REQUESTED WAS THAT WE MAKE IT LOOK STOCK USING THE STOCK MANIFOLD RIGHT DOWN TO THE CARB. WE DID SNEAK A PETRONIX CONVERSION INTO THE DISTRIBUTOR FOR RELIABILITY. TO GIVE IT A LITTLE "THUMP" MARK SELECTED A SOLID LIFTER CAM THAT WASN'T TOO DRASTIC, BUT IT HAS A NICE LUMPY IDLE. BEHIND THE MOTOR WE USED A 2400 STALL SPEED CONVERTER AND THE TURBO 400. THE EXHAUST WAS DONE IN A 2 ½" PIPE USING FLOWMASTER SERIES 40 MUFFLERS. IT IS A LITTLE LOUD FOR MY TASTE, BUT MY 18 YEAR OLD SON IS IN LOVE WITH IT.

THE CAR IS FINISHED IN THAT EVER POPULAR ARMY TAN WITH A STOCK BENCH SEAT AND COLUMN SHIFT. AT THE SAME TIME WE CHANGED THE MOTOR IT WAS DECIDED TO INSTALL POWER DISC BRAKES ON THE FRONT SO THAT IT WOULD STOP AS WELL AS IT GOES. COMBINED WITH THE POWER STEERING IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY. WE HAVE PUT 2000 MILES ON IT THIS SUMMER AND WE WERE HONORED TO BE SELECTED AS THE "GREAT LATE CHEVY" PICK AT THE NSRA EVENT HELD IN MILWAUKEE THIS YEAR.

FUTURE PLANS INCLUDE SOME INTERIOR TOUCH-UP AND A LITTLE MORE GEAR EVEN THOUGH THE 3.08 IS GOOD ON GAS.
BRUCE,WE WILL HAVE TO GET HOOKED UP SOME TIME SINCE MY SISTER LIVES IN YOUR AREA, SHE MOVED THERE IN 1983. I USED TO BE IN PHOENIX/SCOTTSDALE EVERY MONTH WHEN I WAS A WEST COAST SALES MANAGER FOR BOSCH. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME, HOPE TO MEET YOU FACE TO FACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

GARY

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