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"Extending the drive train eleven inches Barris sculpted a 23-foot aerodynamic hand-formed steel body over the Futura chassis with front-end twin nostril scoops and an impressive jet-styled turbine engine exhaust nozzle. He then mounted a moon-equipped 429 racing Ford engine, with dual Granitelli Paxton turbo chargers with nitro oxide thrust control and a hydro-trans mounted into a locked posi-traction rear "
First time I've ever heard that the Futura wheelbase was extended. Just had a thing a couple of months ago on the model car board I frequent comparing the new Batmobile kit with the old Revell Futura. The new kit was longer wheelbase and overall and the conclusion was that the Futura was underscale (box scale).
Also think the Lincoln engine was retained, if for no other reason then time factors. The 429 engine didn't come out until a late year option in the 66 Tbird. Also Paxton didn't build turbos at that time, if they ever did. They did a centrifigual supercharger as used on the Avanti, Sudebaker, and 57 Ford that some people confuse as a turbo. Barris had used a a twin Paxton system on the Surf Woodie that AMT did a kit of.
Don't know of any nitrous systems that were around at that time except on vintage German warbirds, still about 12-14 years before they started showing up. Enough rivet counting on the mechanical stuff that doesn't even show on the model. Just some of that stuff gets to me some times and George Barris irritates me most of the time. And yes, I've meant him several time, had mutual aquaintances, etc.
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