February 2021 • Photos courtesy Larson & Schultz famalies
Presented by MicksPaint.com & USAutomotive.com

‘She’s real fine,’ says the 1962 Beach Boys’ hit ‘409’— and believe me, there are none finer than Butch and Debbie Schultz’ one-of-one 1961 Chevy Biscayne Fleetmaster 409. Of the 201,000 Biscaynes built in ’61, only 3,000 were Fleetmasters, and of those only 138 were two door Model #1411.

In fact, there were less two-doors built than 409 engines (142); however, Bill ‘Grumpy’ Jenkins thought that GM produced maybe another 180 or so engines that went to Chevrolet dealers and race teams. 

Built at the now defunct Van Nuys, CA plant, this is the rarest of rare cars and number 41 off the line. These particular cars were 68 lbs lighter than other sedans having cardboard door panels, no armrests, no passenger sun visor, radio, or cigarette lighter and there was no outside side trim or outside mirrors. Likewise, there was no stainless trim in the screen surrounds. Also, the split bench was simpler with three-color vinyl rather than cloth.

The original owner, Allen May, who apparently needed a letter from Glen Volz of Salem Speed Shop stating it was for racing purposes only before GM would allow him to order the car, immediately started drag racing it. With sponsorship from Volz and engine builder Everett Hatch, May set the Southern Oregon Timing Association’s SS/S class mph record in August 1961 and was written up in National Dragster. He also won the SS/S class—besting the previous record-holder—The Pope’s Ford, a ’61 401hp factory car driven by Jim Price.

Allan May racing at the Winternationals where in ’62 he won E/Stock class with a 14.77/90.72 when the car was powered by a 348

In late-’61 the 409 engine failed so May and Volz decided to install a ’61 348. With this combo, May entered the ’62 Winternationals and won E/Stock class with a 14.77/90.72. He continued to do well through ’64 when he entered the Winternationals again only to be a runner up. He then sold the car to his friend, Jim Burton, who won many weekend races until Uncle Sam came calling.

Burton sold the ’61 to his brother, Buck, and Buck's friend, Glenn Larson and they raced all the northwest tracks, plus many others in California through 1968. Under the hood was a 425hp 409 and for the next eight years the car was traded back and forth within the group.

In 1976, Butch and Debbie Schultz bought the car complete with the 409. Butch wanted to run quicker and faster, so he installed a Mickey Thompson cross-ram intake with a pair of 650 cfm double pumper Holleys, an Isky roller cam, Warner headers and an MSD-7A spark amplifier. Butch and Debbie mostly raced at Renegade Raceway, Yakima, WA. Now running high 11s, Butch won Formula 1 DD Hot Rod Automatic class at the ’82 AHRA Spokane World Finals and racers began calling him ‘Big Daddy Jr.’ because of his long win streak through 1992. However, as life got in the way the car was retired to a climate-controlled garage. 

Beginning to believe in the '90s that their '61 might have been a special 409 drag car when new, the Schultz' eventually placed an ad on the 348-409 website looking for info. For example, Allan May's dash—pinstriped early on by northwest pinstriper Merle Beebe—included a cartoon of a farmer chasing a dragster with a pitchfork. The dash hasn't been touched for 60 years and this confirmed the car's heritage to Glenn Larson.

In 2012, realizing that it was a very important car, the Schultz’ decided it was time to resurrect their 22,020 original mile racecar. It was shipped to third owner Glenn Larson’s son Mickey of Twins Customs, where Mickey and the Schultz’ youngest son Chad performed a complete frame-off, rotisserie restoration that was completed at SO-CAL Speed Shop in Pomona.

For power, Butch turned to Lamar Walden Automotive, Doraville, GA. Ironically, Lamar had been sitting on a ’61 360hp block #3795623. Lamar said the engine came out of a wrecked ’61 Chevy SS 409 and he had hoarded it since1963 knowing that someone somewhere had the right car for it.

During the repaint it was decided not to put Butch’s name on the door, as it had been when he raced it, but rather to return it to the way May raced it in ’62. However, as a keepsake, Mickey found another door and lettered it with gold leaf just as it had been when Butch raced it.

The original upholstery material proved almost impossible to find as nobody knew what the car really was, that is until Butch visited SMS Auto Fabrics, Canby, OR. There, owner Doug Pollock knew exactly what Butch needed saying: “Yes, we have that original 60-year-old material in stock.”

Needless to say, the paint was stripped and what little remedial work necessary was done before Mick Jenkins applied the Honduras maroon paint. “It took us a month and a half looking in three different states to find the right paint with the correct grind of metal flake as in 1961,” said Butch.

Looking for the inside story on the restoration, we asked Mickey Larson for his recollections: “When I sat down to write a strange feeling came over me. I realized that this project was more than the restoration of another shiny car, albeit a factory ordered, national race winner.” He says: “This car had personal history. I was putting my hands on a car that I had not seen in over 35 years. A car that was owned and raced by my dad Glenn and my uncle Al before him. A car that had once fallen on top of dad and I as he horsed the 4-speed into it all while perched on a bumper jack—duh! So after all those years, I finally get to sit down with Butch Schultz to learn about the '61's life.”

“Butch then agreed to restore the car to it's original, race ready, early '60's version as Allen May had prepped it for the ’62 Winternats.” Note: The inner fender patch panels were added at the Winternationals so it was decided to retain them. “Once that vision was set the work began carefully staying true to its racing history. We cut away layers of years gradually revealing a car that had created lifelong memories for so many. It was special.”

This one-of-one 409 is now for sale and anybody serious should message us at TorqTalk and we will put you in touch with the Schultz.

Vehicle: 1961 Chevy Biscayne Fleetmaster 409
Owners: Butch & Debbie Schultz

• Engine: Chevy 409
• Builder: Lamar Walden Automotive, Doraville, GA
• Headers: Jardine
• Transmission: T-10 all the right dates, numbers etc.
• Shifter: Factory
• Rear end posi: Right numbers and dates
• Restoration: Twins Customs, IA
• Paint: Mick Jenkins
• Color: Honduras maroon metallic
• Floor mats: 1961
• Headlights: T3 factory
• Glass: Front and rear screen original, side glass replicated
• Wheels: Stock ’61 6x14 station wagon/409 rims
• Front tires: BFGoodrich Silvertown 8.00x14
• Rear tires: Pie-cut slicks made by Cody Adams of Hurst Tires from the original GM molds P215-75R14