This is the original 1968 Mercury built by Glenn Steely and now owned by Jim Sartori. The car spent many years as a legal class racer and was run all over the country. That paint and lettering is not some kind of clever recreation, it's the original stuff from the late 1960s when the car was beating up the competiton with its Al Joniec built and tuned 428CJ motor.

There's no denying that it's a looker. The 428 Cobra Jet was built in the '60s by Al Joniec, the legendary Stock and Super Stock racer. It has not been apart in a decade or more and it the car still runs 11.90s at 117 mph.

A couple things are happening here. First is the Torque Thrust wheels, which are cosmically perfect, and second is the cool Superman decal, denoting that Joniec was involved with this car.

You simply cannot fake this. The car is totally amazing in the fact that is has changed hands a couple of times and none of the cool factor has been lost. Original decals, original lettering, it's all there. The lettering was done by a man who lettered all the top level East Coast cars of the era.

Judging by the number of class winner decals on the windows, the rear quarter panel was normally out-pacing whomever Steely was racing when the car was new. This car has won a lot of races.

Forgive us, we cannot get enough of the lettering!

This badge meant that you were packing heat on the street, but in the hands of a talented tuner like Al Joniec, you were really sitting behind a potential class winner.

There were some great model names during the muscle car era, but for us the Cyclone ranks right up near the top. It's a great word that immediately brings to mind the image of speed, violence, and a power.

Current owner Sartori is a Ford man to the core. He saw this car advertised in Hemmings nearly 10 years ago and had to make the buy. He has loved it since the moment he got it. The car has been trouble free and he races the wheels off of it. This one collects no dust!

Not exactly the picture of aerodynamic efficiency, but when you have 428 cubic inches of heavy breathing Cobra Jet shoving you along, the air moves for you.

A full wheel well is a happy wheel well.

How bad ass was this car in the day? Take a peek at all those win stickers from Atco in New Jersey. Note the New England Dragway "kill sticker" as well. This car saw action at a lot of tracks. Steely made the rounds and was trading punches with the big names of Stock/Super Stock in the late 1960s.

There's not a repop sticker in the bunch. Can you count how many of these strips don't exist any more?

This car owned Atco!

The interior is in immaculate shape and is just the way Sartori got it aside from the Hurst shifter he added, as the stocker was just too floppy and inaccurate. Putting the Hurst in there means the gear will be changed properly on the shift with no possibility of winging it into neutral while at full throttle.

Just like it rolled out of the factory.

Here's the heart of the beast. It is a 428CJ motor, hooked to a C6 automatic.Sartori has never had the motor apart since buying the car, but said it contains a 427 cam among other crafty tricks.

MSD ignition components were used to upgrade from the stock points style setup.

Yes, this is VERY cool.

It is astounding that this car, having been raced for almost all of its natural life, has held onto the same motor, even through different owners. You'd expect at least one to change the engine, none did. We know Jim never will, and that's fine in our book.

This modern 750-cfm BG Holley is perched atop an aluminum intake that came off of a 390ci Police Interceptor engine.

Glenn Steely was the original owner and driver of this car and his name is preserved in the totally killer lettering job from the late 1960s.