Text by C. Asaravala. Photography
by John Hancock (owner).
Perhaps the greatest
thing about this hobby is that just when you think you
have seen it all something comes along that makes you
realize you've just barely scratched the surface. John
Hancocks' Guardsman blue trifecta of '66 Galaxie wagon,
'66 Shelby clone, and trailer is a reminder that creativity
is infinite in this hobby, and is often times hiding where
you'd least expect it.
We noticed the stunning combo while browsing eBay for
cool Ford
"I get a kick out of creating this stuff
more than owning them and by parting ways with them
I am enabled to continue." - John Hancock,
owner.
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wagons. The image of a '66 Galaxie
Country Sedan donning Shelby stripes was enough to make
us stop and read the description. We were shocked to learn
that behind the wagon was a '66 Mustang Fastback, also
in Shelby hue, sitting atop a matching trailer. Adding
to the awe are the one-dozen Magnum 500 wheels, all custom
built by Specialty Wheels of Portland, Oregon. The finished
trio however tell only half the story. We tracked down
their creator where he builds these one-off masterpieces
at his home in rural Oregon.
John revealed that both vehicles barely have a hundred
miles on them since he completed them earlier this year.
They are obviously a matched set and make for great conversation.
However John doesn't build these to drive or even to own,
although they certainly are built to function as well
as they look. For Hancock the joy comes from carrying
out the ideas he dreams up. By selling them afterwards
he is able to continue with his labor of love. He has
been this way for over thirty years. Some of John's creations
include a '67 Shelby-ized Ranchero, several award-winning
'57 Fords, '32 Roadsters, and others.
These creations obviously take time to build (John estimates
1100 hours in this trio alone, not including paint work),
but much of that time may be in waiting for all the right
ideas to come to mind. John explained to us that the he
owned the '66 Galaxie for about eight years, just waiting
for the vision to get it going. Even more shocking is
the '66 Fastback actually started out as a six-cylinder
coupe. John grafted the tail and roof from a salvaged
fastback to form the car seen here. The front clip, including
cowl, is one piece fiberglass.
The GT350 clone seen here is built to be raced, if the
future owner so
Just about all of Hancocks
creations feature 460 mills. While a blower is pictured
here, both cars ended up naturally aspirated. The
fastback 460 has 13:1 compression with a .675"
lift Lunati roller. The wagon utilizes a 9.5:1 motor
built for torque. |
desires. While Shelby didn't
dream up a 460 powered Mustang, John Hancock didn't hesitate
to shoehorn in the big block Ford. To do so the suspension
was converted to Mustang II rack and pinion. The engine
was set back 8" while the suspension is 2" forward
of stock. Powertrain is a built-460 with SCJ heads, backed
by a C6 transmission and 9" rear-end.
The '66 Galaxie wagon has been setup to tow the race car
along with comfortably carrying nine passengers. It has
power steering, air conditioning, upgraded interior, and
a 460 cubic-inch motor easily capable of hauling the load.
Even before the bidding had ended on this fine creation
John was busy churning out the next masterpieces. He tells
it will involve a '56 Fairlane two-door and a '56 flat
bed truck. Of course both will have his signature 460
and C6 combo. We can't wait to see it! 
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In
This Article:
A look at John Hancocks' custom built '66 Shelby
GT350 clone and matching '66 Galaxie Country Sedan
wagon and trailer. |
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The '66 Galaxie Country Sedan
was given a “Shelby “R” style air dam
and functional hood scoop from a Mercury Cyclone. |
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Behind the wagon is a '66 Shelby-clone
and neutrally balanced trailer. Everything is in Guardsman
blue with Wimbledon White stripes. |
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The Mustang is fully race-functional.
It features a Chris Alston chassis, eight-point cage,
and 4-link suspension. A 9" rear end holds 44-spline
axles. Check out the side-exit headers. |
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The '66 Mustang also sits on
Magnum 500`s. 14x5 in the front 15x12 in the rear with
31 inch MT's. |
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The wagon's rear pan is rolled
and the license plate frenched in about one inch. |
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