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morwensteelsheen · 3 years

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Can't recall if you've answered this but any headcanons on Faramir's relationship with Imrahil and the other Dol Amroth family members? And just what would they make of him having a fear of the ocean as you've mentioned before?

Oh yeah so I did a bit of that here under the guise of Éowyn, so if it sounds like I’m sort of repeating things that’s why. Here’s Faramir’s side —

Lothíriel

I’m going to start with her because I think she’s my most controversial take. I don’t really see her as this firebrand as I think the general fanon interpretation is. Instead, I sort of envision her as similar to Finduilas in that she’s a bit more Content with the state of the world and her relationship to it than e.g., either Éowyn or Faramir. Because of this I think Faramir always sees her very much as The Younger Cousin in a way that isn’t necessarily true for any of the Dol Amroth youths. I think he’s maybe a bit conflicted about her marrying Éomer, though largely because I see that as a political marriage whereas he and Éowyn just aren’t. And I think because obviously Éomer and Aragorn are so close, he sees Éomer in the same age bracket (if that’s even possible with these Númenórean weirdos) and not so much with Lothíriel. I don’t think they have a hugely close relationship, but I think the common fanon interpretation that they’re both really into music is delightful and something I sign up to very happily. I think largely they’re maybe not as close as some portrayals (including some of my own) show them. That said, I think they do have a lot of similarities, and I think the people that come to their family dynamic late (Éowyn, Éomer, Aragorn) see it more clearly than they do. I think Lothíriel is more given to that sort of old-world longing that Faramir is, though maybe not in as overtly an intellectual way, and I think she certainly figured herself as a guardian of certain moral and political norms, which Faramir definitely does. Still, Faramir’s like a year away from entering the army (in my HC) by the time she’s born, and that plus the inevitable gendered divisions means they’re maybe not super close. Éowyn’s latter day relationship with Lothíriel certainly changes that though, and this is not to say that they’re exactly distant. They’re just not besties.

Amrothos

I didn’t actually realise this was a controversial take until quite recently? But Amrothos is a HUGE nerd to me. He’s basically Faramir if Faramir got to play al his personality faults to the end instead of being forced to engage with reality/politics as they really are. And not that Faramir exactly does that a huge amount pre-death of everybody he loves, but Amrothos really doesn’t have to do it. Actually in a lot of ways Amrothos is my shameless self insert whenever I write in that he’s a huge dweeb who isn’t super interested or capable of interacting with other people and mostly self isolates. I like Altariel’s interpretation (on AO3) that he’s there for the Osgiliath bridge but in my HC he’s way, way more sheltered than that. It’s no knock on him, I think in a lot of ways he ends up acting as a brilliant bridge between the Third and Fourth Ages aa someone who remembers the war but isn’t necessarily scarred or made cynical by it, but definitely believes more in the prosperity of peace etc. He and Faramir get on like a fucking house on fire; at first, when he’s younger, Amrothos trails Faramir like a puppy, but later once F’s been to the war, he sees Amrothos more like a touchstone and definitely does whatever he can to spend time with him.

Erchirion

lmao I love the idea of Erchirion as a huge himbo???? I’m so sorry, he’s just my Lancelot and there’s really no avoiding it. Erchirion is the embodiment of what Faramir sees Boromir as: brazen, arrogant, a bit hedonistic. To clarify, I don’t think Boromir is these things, but I absolutely think Faramir casts Boromir in those terms when he’s at his crankiest. Erchirion, however, absolutely is those things and is supa, supa proud of it. He’s definitely got the most contentious relationship with Imrahil, but I think Faramir sort of treasures his relationship with Erchirion because it gives him the chance to gently tease/chide someone who, to him, embodies Gondor’r worst excesses. Though he and Erchirion of course are similar in that they are (for their pre-war lives) both the second son and therefore largely absolved of any real responsibility, I still think there’s a bit of a gulf there in that Faramir feels like this military shit is forced onto him by circumstance whereas Erchirion kind of picks it. Still, I think it’s sort of cathartic for F to rib Erchirion and Erchirion absolutely does not give a fuck because he’s rich, good looking, and connected to hella power.

Elphir

I think they’ve actually got the closest relationship of all of Imrahil’s kids, largely because I think Elphir’s of a similar sort of attitude to Faramir. I think Elphir’s very much been moulded in Imrahil’s likeness, and I think he’s got that sort of flamboyant charisma I imagine Imrahil to have, but it’s been way, way toned down in light of his ongoing service in the war effort (whatever that looks like). Also, he and F are quite close in age so they’ve just had more time to mellow out their relationship and sort of play the Woe Is Me, War Is Shit stuff, which really brings them together. Elphir is married and a father well in advance of Faramir, and so I think Faramir occasionally looks at Elphir and sees something of what his life might have been like. Not in a bitter or jealous way, just in a very detached, academic sense of wonder.

Imrahil

I am getting hella deja vu here because I feel like I’ve said this before but I think Imrahil’s relationship to Faramir pre, say, TA3001, is basically exclusively familial with no political edge to it. Once Faramir comes Of Age relatively speaking, I think Imrahil realises Faramir’s far more amenable to taking divergent positions from his father’s line and tries to use that to his advantage. Not in a cruel way, just in a way that’s realistic about how politics works. Sometimes F agrees, sometimes he doesn’t. Either way, that long term negotiation with his uncle re: politics means that when they get to the point of F being steward, they’ve got a really good sense of how the other works and an inarguably honest relationship. Probably bluntly so. I’ve always imagined that Imrahil is the one to break the news about Denethor’s death to Faramir and that’s as much about defending his sister’s last living son as it is about protecting the fraught political situation.

Ivriniel

I think Faramir constantly has a similar relationship to her that a rowdy teen might have to a strict mother. I don’t think that ever changes, even when he’s literally the Steward of Gondor and, in fact, I think that brings a tremendous and invaluable sense of normalcy to both of their lives. I think F doesn’t have any strong opinions on her and Éowyn sniping at one another except that it’s good craic.

The Faramir being scared of water HC is wholesale plagiarised from @khokali but I think Imrahil, Elphir, Erchirion, as sailors of some sort or another, are all fuckin merciless about taking the piss out of Faramir for it. Amrothos is sort of ambivalent except that he thinks it’s weird that Faramir doesn’t take even a distant scholarly interest in the sea, and Lothíriel is very, very empathetic but doesn’t really outwardly argue for that. Ivriniel absolutely does not give a fuck, she has more important things to think about than children being scared of water.

Edit: I should say— after a certain age I think Faramir is (correctly) taught that his emotions are very political, and so learns to be careful about who he reveals them to and when. Unfortunately, he cops to the ocean-fear stuff when he’s a kid so that shit sticks with him for life. It’s really not until Éowyn comes along that he learns how to process emotions as not inherently a political statement and as something that can be felt and understood independently of pragmatic considerations. So the Dol Amroth mafia know about the sea-fear, but nobody else does, and for a very, very long time it’s his only ‘visible’ weakness.

#asks #e writes #hc #lotr /#faramir /#ivriniel /#lothíriel /#elphir /#imrahil /#erchirion /#amrothos /#gondor /

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itsworn · 7 years

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Birth of a Total Performance Icon: 427-Powered 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie Lightweight

In 1961 Ford adopted “Total Performance” as its corporate mantra. Two years later, in 1963, Ford powered the rear-engine revolution at Indy, competed on NASCAR high-banked ovals, and continued its drag racing activities. To remain competitive in NHRA’s expanding Super Stock classes, Ford built 200 Galaxies that were put on a diet, shedding approximately 425 pounds. In the process these Galaxie Lightweights became a Blue Oval icon.

Ford had ambitious racing plans for 1963, centered on the introduction of a more aerodynamic semi-fastback roofline with a more slanted backlight (rear window) for its two-door hardtops. In February 1963, in a move intended to make the Galaxie even more competitive, Ford’s car merchandising manager, V.P. Motto, announced that the Dearborn automaker would introduce a “special lightweight performance vehicle.” It would be a limited-production model based on the production Galaxie with the new roofline, to be offered to drag racers nationwide. The Ford Galaxie 500 Lightweight would give Ford a competitive entry for the 1963 racing season.

Retired Ford engineer and longtime Galaxie Lightweight and Thunderbolt owner-historian Dennis Kolodziej says, “All 200 of the production 1963 cars were built at Ford’s Norfolk Assembly Plant from April to June 1963. They were not built as a single batch of cars sequentially. Two additional pilot-build cars were assembled at Wayne Assembly Plant in Michigan on January 21 to 23, 1963, shipped to the Arizona Proving Grounds on January 28, and then ultimately delivered to Les Ritchey-Bob Ford Inc. and Tasca Ford. Plaza Industries in Toronto, Ontario, supplied the fiberglass components for 1962 and 1963.

“Five converted 1962 Lightweights using their respective 1962 Lightweight Galaxie chassis as ‘donors’ were assembled. Three of the five had their 1962 Lightweight bodies removed from their chassis at the Ford Experimental Garage in Dearborn, and in place a preproduction 1963 fastback body and front end manufactured at Wayne Assembly Plant on January 23, 1963, was installed, along with the 427 8V drivetrain and related components. These three units were returned to Dick Brannan (Corinthian White), Ed Martin Ford (Rangoon Red), with the first Stark-Hickey Ford unit retained as an engineering development drag car. It was also campaigned by Bob Ford Inc. (Raven Black) with Ford Special Test Drivers Len Richter and Bill Humphrey.

“Similarly, two painted and trimmed preproduction bodies and front ends (Viking Blue) were manufactured at the Los Angeles Assembly Plant and shipped to Bill Stroppe and Associates in Long Beach, California. These were utilized to convert the 1962 Lightweight Galaxies of Les Ritchey and Gas Ronda into 1963s. Ronda repainted his unit Heritage Burgundy. Interestingly, all five of these converted units had beige, trim code No. 24, interiors.”

Some reports over the years have stated that the first 50 cars were built by Dearborn Steel Tubing (DST). This is incorrect. This may be a result of the fact that DST built 10 1962 Galaxie Lightweights. DST would gain more notoriety in 1964 when it built the Thunderbolts using the smaller, lighter Fairlane to do battle with GM and Chrysler’s intermediates.

Kolodziej shared some information on several more Galaxie Lightweights that competed in the 1964 Tour de France race. “Tour de France cars, four Lightweight Galaxie units with a June delivery date, were shipped from Holman Moody to Europe. According to internal records, the first Tour de France car was ultimately assigned to Ford of Mexico, then given to Dan Gurney. The second Tour de France car was assigned to Alan Mann and served as a Girling [disc] brake test car, the third Tour de France car was given to John Wilmett, and the fourth unit went to Sir Gawaine Baille and ultimately was destroyed in use on February 3, 1965. These four have the highest Consecutive Unit Number (CUN) in my Lightweight Galaxie Registry and are likely the last 3N66R lightweight vehicles built.”

Charting the Changes

How did the lightweight Galaxies differ from their more mainstream production-car versions? This car’s owner, John Karelius, charts the changes.

First came the motivation. Ford’s legendary 427ci V-8 was equipped with an aluminum low-riser manifold sporting two Holley four-barrel carbs and a 324-degree mechanical tappet camshaft, and was factory rated at 425 hp. Because of the immense torque (480 lb-ft) produced by this high-performance evolution of Ford’s FE big-block, an RC Industries aluminum safety bellhousing was installed in front of a BorgWarner T10 (with aluminum case and extension housing) close-ratio four-speed manual transmission. The 4.11 final drive ratio spun a set 8.20-15 Firestone Dragster cheater slicks, while 6.70-15 Firestone Polyester bias-ply tires rolled up front. To bring things to a halt, each car was equipped with Police Interceptor low-fade 11×3-inch brakes.

All of the production Galaxie Lightweights were Corinthian White with a red interior. Because the Blue Oval found itself at a disadvantage compared to GM and Mopar insofar as weight was concerned, Ford put the Galaxie on a diet, shedding almost 425 pounds compared to a fully equipped Galaxie 500 XL hardtop. This was accomplished by using fiberglass for the hood, front fenders, decklid, and inner fender liners. Further weight was shaved through the use of aluminum front and rear bumpers, aluminum bumper brackets, and a lightweight frame. To date, much misinformation has been published on the lightweight frame, which was clarified further by Kolodziej, who says, “The frame assembly is comparable in function and appearance to C3AA-5005-AA, a production frame assembly, except frame side rails are to be at minimum material tolerance.”

Other exterior modifications included the deletion of the hood springs and the trunk’s counterbalancing spring. The trunk mat, spare tire, and jack were jettisoned. Kolodziej notes that in 1963, the battery remained under the hood. But it would not have been unusual for those campaigning the cars in period to move it to the trunk, where it was factory-installed on the 1964 Galaxie Lightweights.

Because entertainment and comfort were not a priority for trips of only 1,320 feet, an AM radio was not installed. One horn, the clock (standard on the Galaxie 500), heater, defroster, and door panel armrests were deleted. The front bench seat usually found in a Galaxie 500 was replaced with a pair of lightweight bucket seats from Bostrom. Carpets were replaced with thin polyethylene flooring. No sound deadener or seam sealer was installed on any of the 200 cars built.

The price for all this high-powered, lightweight goodness was $1,414.15 ($11,500 in today’s dollars) on top of the base price of $2,783 ($22,150 today) for an unoptioned Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop. And you got a credit of $75.10 from Ford to delete the heater components.

How Fast?

Just how fast was a 1963 Galaxie Lightweight? In 1963, two magazines put the Galaxie Lightweights under the stopwatch. Hot Rod’s Ray Brock noted that the car belonging to Les Ritchey (John’s uncle), an early car that lacked the fiberglass doors and inner liners and so weighed in at 3,510 pounds, reeled off a 12.29 run at a speed of 117.30 mph. Its sister car, driven by Gas Ronda, with fiberglass doors and inner liners and weighing 3,425 pounds, ran the quarter in 12.07 at 118 mph, illustrating what shaving just 85 pounds could yield.

Popular Hot Rodding took Les Ritchey’s Winternationals car to Pomona and logged a 12.49-second run at 116.27 mph. To put this in perspective, remember this was 1963. Even after the visit to Weight Watchers the Galaxie Lightweight, nominally in street trim, still weighed 3,480 pounds.

To say that owner John Karelius bleeds Blue Oval Blue would be an understatement. “I have Ford and drag racing in my DNA,” he says. “I was there in 1963 when my uncle, Les Ritchey, took the S/S Class at the NHRA Nationals in Indianapolis in his 1963 1/2 Galaxie 427 Lightweight, named Cynthia.”

John says he will “always remember, after a long flat tow, Les’s first run. Once he left the line, the entire crowd stood up and applauded at the sight of the Big Ford.”

Over the years, John has owned several high-performance Fords, including a K-code 1965 Mustang 2+2 Hi-Po fastback, a 1967 Shelby G.T. 500, and a 1969 Mustang fastback. He also owned a 1963 1/2 Galaxie 427 Lightweight that had been campaigned by a local Alhambra Ford dealer. But he sold it in 1966.

“I always regretted the sale of my Lightweight five decades ago,” recalls John. “I heard of a family in Arizona interested in selling one of these rare factory race cars from a collection of 10 fabulous old drag cars. I could not get out there quick enough, first to verify authenticity, purchase, and then return the car to California for some restoration work.”

After acquiring his prize, the restoration started on what was an exceptionally original and complete car. For the restoration John turned to Jerry Kugel and his team at Kugel Komponents in La Habra, California. John wants to call out Chris Smith for his dedication to this project.

First the engine, transmission, and rearend were removed to be rebuilt. The chassis was refurbished with all suspension components rebuilt to a factory-new standard, while at the same time the brake system was replaced. Underneath, the frame was detailed and painted.

While out of the car, the original top-oiler 427 R-code V-8 was blueprinted to factory specs by L&R Automotive in Santa Fe Springs, while the factory-original Holley 550-cfm carburetors were blueprinted by C&J Engineering, also in Santa Fe Springs. The robust Ford 9-inch rearend was rebuilt by Currie Enterprises in Corona, California.

John noted that the exterior paint, which had been done 27 years earlier, was in excellent shape and needed just color sanding and buffing to get it in the condition seen here. The interior is almost completely original with only the flooring replaced.

Since the restoration, John has shown the car at a number of events in Southern California. At the San Marino Motor Classic the car took top prize in the non-GM muscle car class (“Concours d’Cubes,” Sept. ’16). The car has made the 180-mile roundtrip to the El Paseo Cruise Night in Palm Desert and also goes to his local Cars and Coffee in Aliso Viejo.

John noted that the Galaxie Lightweight shares garage space with an original 427 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt and a 22-year-old Contemporary Cobra 427 SC Roadster powered by an original 427 SOHC Cammer engine.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention one more component in John’s life, his wife Martha. When we came up short a driver for the car-to-car photos, Martha stepped up and handled the camera car duties like a pro. We’d say that John is blessed in many ways.

At a Glance

1963 1/2 Galaxie 500 Lightweight Owned by: John Karelius, Dove Canyon, CA Restored by: Jerry Kugel, Kugel Komponents, La Habra, CA

Engine: 427ci/425hp V-8 Transmission: BorgWarner T10 close-ratio 4-speed manual Rearend: Ford 9-inch with semifloating axles and 4.11 gears Interior: Red vinyl Bostrom bucket seat Wheels: 15×5.5 factory steel Tires: 6.70-15 Firestone Polyester bias-ply front, 8.20-15 Firestone Dragster cheater slicks rear

John Karelius tells us his Galaxie Lightweight was originally drag raced on the East Coast and then sat in storage in Arizona for the better part of three decades. He bought it out of a collection of “old, fabulous drag cars” that came up for sale when their owner passed away.

John’s Galaxie is largely original, though the mechanicals have been rebuilt, including a blueprint job for the engine. The cast iron header-like exhaust manifolds were factory issue.

The 1963 model year was the first for the 427-inch version of Ford’s FE motor. Two were available in 1963 Fords: one with a single four-barrel carb rated at 410 hp, and this one, the top-dog 8V motor with twin Holleys under the oval air cleaner.

As part of its diet to reach Lightweight status, the Galaxie saw its front bench seat replaced with two Bostrom buckets. Note, too, that the armrests were removed, as were the carpet, heater, and radio. Every ounce counts on the dragstrip.

A spare tire and jack weren’t needed on the strip, so they were deleted to save weight, as was the counterbalance spring for the trunklid. (John had to hold the lid up so we could get this shot.) Note that the sheetmetal decklid was replaced by a fiberglass version.

The factory installed the battery underhood, but most racers moved it to the trunk to improve weight transfer.

The Lightweight Galaxies were made with fiberglass front fenders and hood, and fitted with aluminum bumpers and bumper brackets. The car had been repainted nearly 30 years ago but needed just color sanding and buffing to return to its original luster.

The redline on the big Sun tach is no joke. The 427 was designed to spin at high rpm, and the 425hp peak came in at six grand.

The post Birth of a Total Performance Icon: 427-Powered 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie Lightweight appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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