Words: Tommy Parry Images: Rusty Gillis
In 1970, Rusty Gillis had been drag racing professionally for a few years when Hubert Platt offered him a car he’d sought for a long time. Hubert Platt, a well-connected man then working with the factory Ford Drag Team, made Rusty an offer on a rare machine: a ‘69 428 Q-Code Cobra Jet fastback. Unbeknownst to Rusty at the time, this rare Cobra Jet body was formerly used as Boss 302 test car and, according to Ford, had been crushed.
In July 1971, Rusty started building it for SS/GA competition. However, it had to look good before the serious performance goodies were added. First, Ron Kimball coated it in livery back in 1971, but it’s been repainted since by Rusty himself.
After coating the body in SPI epoxy primer and SPI urethane primer, he sprayed it with an RM Diamont Pearl White basecoat and an RM Carizzma candycoat, and finished it off with an SPI clearcoat. The scheme is quite similar to the original, but simplified considerably.
As pretty and rare as it was, it wasn’t quite to Rusty’s liking in its fledgling state, but a set of 302 springs in the front and a studier C6 transmission changed the driving experience entirely. They were the first modifications of a few that carried it through the early seventies.
Ten years ago, the 428 ci was taken to Franco Motorsports and refurbished with some choice hardware. It uses a concrete-filled block for strength, Venolia forged-aluminum pistons, Cobra Jet connecting rods, Cobra Jet nodular-iron crankshaft, Canton race pan and an 11.0:1 compression ratio. Along with those came a Ford aluminum Sidewinder intake manifold, a Dove aluminum water pump, a Holley fuel pump, a Factory 735-cfm Holley carburetor, MSD ignition and Hooker Super Comp headers.
That wonderful catalog of parts served their purpose for a decade, but Rusty’s standards are high and regular modification is always in order. Most recently, the engine has been rebuilt to run in B/SA with cast iron heads and a new intake, and is pictured below on the dyno at Competition Motorsports.
Soon enough, he upgraded the transmission to handle the increase in power. The Jim Ludera-built C4 transmission was fitted with a 4,500-stall converter, and mated to a 9” Detroit Locker with 4.71 gears with Mark Williams 31-spline axles. That gearbox carried Rusty for a few decades, but Jim Paquet, owner of Jim’s Performance Transmissions, will be rebuilding the gearbox in the year to come.
To help that rear end handle the thrust, he used a conventional four-leaf with Cal Trac traction bars. At the other end, he went with stock coilovers, upper arms, Moroso springs, a Shelby drop with urethane bushings and 90/10 drag shocks. Continuing with the theme of recent upgrades, Rusty had upper and lower control arms modified by Opentracker.
However, there’s no use in a high-end suspensions setup without wheels and good rubber. Dotting each corner are Cragar Drag Stars, wrapped in Hoosiers and housing Aerospace Components disc brakes.
Inside, Rusty replaced the heavy Mach 1 seats with lighter, fixed-back Kirkey seats. Ron Francis fuse and switch panel sit quietly in the passenger footwell. A simple Auto Meter tachometer and a GT Racing wheel complete a focused, unfussy interior. In recent years, Rusty’s flexibility isn’t what it used to be, so he added a quick-disconnect wheel to make ingress and egress just that bit more comfortable. It’s cheaper than hiring a chiropractor, after all.
