Wasn't Johnny Beauchamp's T-Bird with 430 MEL power the photo-finish runner up to Lee Petty's Olds in the inaugural Daytona 500?
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Daytona_500 I wonder how many 'Birds were made in '59 and '60 with the 430. I imagine with manual trans even fewer.
Imagine going 140 MPH in one of those, with those cast-iron tires! Gotta love it.
Bruce