Rick Thayer grew up in a small town in the picturesque hills of central New Hampshire, one of those places where you know everyone and everyone knows you. Rick loved growing up there and over the years has cherished the memories from his small-town roots.

One of his best friends during his youth was a kid named Richard Furber. In the mid 1960s, Richard left to serve his country in Vietnam. As soon as he stepped back into town after his service, still a teenager, he went out and spent all the money he had saved on two rides: a BSA motorcycle and a 406-motivated four-speed Ford.

Rick remembers him well and says that Richard certainly got his money's worth out of both of his new toys. "He drove 'em like he stole 'em. Kinda' like a wild man," says Rick.

To say that young Rick was enamored with his friend's big-block Blue Oval would be an understatement. A ride like that 406-powered fullsize Ford would definitely fit well in his burgeoning muscle car lifestyle. But Richard sold off the gnarly Ford a few years later, and they heard it was soon totaled by the new owner. It was gone but not forgotten by Rick.

Super Cars

Fifty years later Rick still loves to drive the rubber off his rides. He happened to pay a visit to Brian Henderson at the Super Car Workshop in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to check out a restoration that Brian and partner Joe Swezey were completing for him.

As Rick walked in, he not only saw the stunning restoration taking shape on his own ride, but he also spied something else: Brian's new hot rod, a 1963 406/four-speed Ford 300, an original California car. Rick says, "I was definitely taken by that car due to my childhood experiences, so from that moment on I hinted to him that I wanted to buy it."

After several years of being asked about the Ford, Brian finally relented. The 300 was a great ride, with plenty of power to spare, but the new owner soon had bigger plans for this base model Blue Oval. He was itching for a power surge, and that would come by way of Ford's most powerful and enigmatic engine offering of the muscle car era.

SOHC It to You

Rick drove the Ford for a year or so, racking up miles on the highways and byways near home. Then he got the bug to add a hot SOHC 427 to the engine bay. He had researched the installation and found that the 300 needed just a few minor modifications to fit the massive Cammer under the hood. Luckily, Rick knew of a collector who owned one of the rare powerplants, and Rick made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

With the Cammer in his garage, Rick readied the 300 and did the installation himself. The big challenge here was getting the headers done correctly, a task Rick wisely handed off to an outside company.

Once the Ford was back and running the way he wanted it to, Rick drove the wheels off the car. He was amazed at the SOHC's performance—that growl and all the power the Cammer motor made. He was definitely in hog heaven with his new powerplant!

After about a year, Rick felt the car needed to be cleaned up a bit. It was a fine-looking ride, but he felt a "detailing" was in order. So the 300 was handed off to Brian Henderson and also to Jamie Cooper at Super Car Restoration. "It needed some work, and I was fine with them having it, just as long as I'd have it back in time for summer cruising," says Rick.

The Ford went to Super Car Restoration first. Jamie and partner Joe Griffith handled the paint and bodywork, bringing the car to the stunning appearance you see here. Then it was off to Jeff Weimann of Weimann Interiors, where the Ford's cockpit was restored to its showroom look. Then the 300 made the final leg of its restoration trip back to Super Car Workshop, where Brian and Joe would finish all the work needed to bring the ride to another level.

Brian removed the 427, which was gone through by Joe Zeoli and Dave Reid at A1 Machine in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. As part of the freshening process, the original sodium-filled valves (notorious for breaking down) were replaced. The Cammer was soon running at full capability and ready for Rick's heavy right foot.

Rick got his car back right on time, but when he laid his eyes on it he just couldn't believe what he saw. "The car came back after seven months and looked like it went through a concours restoration," he says. His fullsize Ford was everything he ever wanted in a car, and then some.

"For me, this car represents the ultimate 1960's Ford muscle car. A combination of the lowest-cost, no-frills model 300 and Ford's magnificent 427 SOHC engine. What could be better than that?"

At a Glance

1963 Ford 300

Owned by: Rick Thayer

Restored by: Owner; Super Car Restoration, Clymer, PA; Super Car Workshop, Latrobe, PA

Engine: 1965 427ci/656hp SOHC "Cammer" V-8

Transmission: Borg Warner T-10 4-speed manual

Rearend: Ford 9-inch with 4.11 gears

Interior: Blue cloth and vinyl bench seat

Wheels: 15x4 American Racing Le Mans magnesium front, 15x6 chrome reverse rear

Tires: 7.10x15 Firestone front, 8.20x15 Firestone rear

Special parts: Rotunda 8,000-rpm tachometer, extra gauge pack

See all 70 photos The 300 was Ford's base fullsize two-door sedan in 1963. It's void of any exterior trim, making it the perfect starting point for this sleeper barn-burner.

See all 70 photos The 1965 SOHC motor in Rick Thayer's Ford is fed by a pair of Holley 780-cfm carburetors. Ford rated the twin-carb version of the SOHC at 656 hp; the single-carb version was rated at "only" 615.

See all 70 photos Earlier in its life this particular Cammer was rebuilt at Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. Joe Zeoli and Dave Reid at A1 Machine went through it again before Rick put it in the 300. The Ford's original 406/405hp engine sits on an engine stand, rebuilt and ready to run if needed.

See all 70 photos You could get only red, gold, or a blue interior in your 300. It's Spartan to say the least, with a split vinyl-and-cloth bench seat. A Rotunda 8,000-rpm tach sits up on the dash. This is an original radio- and heater-delete car, complete with rubber floor mats instead of carpet.

See all 70 photos The original-style blue interior is really set off by the Raven black paint on the 300's flanks. That combo is rarely seen but always seems to hit a homerun when done right.

See all 70 photos

See all 70 photos To make this Ford look period-perfect, a set of American Le Mans magnesium racing wheels was sourced for the front. Out back, a pair of 15x6 chrome reversed wheels, wrapped in Firestone 8.20x15 skins, get the power to the pavement.

See all 70 photos Owner Rick Thayer says, "My experience working with both Super Car Workshop and Super Car Restoration was nothing but extraordinary. Their customer relations and commitment to excellence are second to none."