The trip went without a mechanical hitch, though in-town driveability of the traditional four-barrel carburetion left something to be desired. Likewise, the simplistic induction just didn't have the visual pop that makes an otherwise stellar car awesome. Bryden suggested one possible solution that hit the proverbial nail on the head-electronic fuel injection with TWM throttle bodies, a setup where the aesthetics remind us of downdraft Webers. No matter the description, Hicks was drawn in by the exotic look, along with the promise of improved road manners. The latter was accomplished by Auburn, Washington's Blood Enterprises through installation of Accel's Gen 7 digital fuel-injection system and 26 lb/hr injectors. Proprietor Craig Blood worked his tuning magic through the wonders of DFI's laptop programming, and we'd concur the system is everything a restomod enthusiast could ever want.
Rather than describe Hicks' '57 as the car of his dreams, we think it's well beyond what he could have hoped for back in the days of his first Fairlane. After all, who could have fathomed the kind of power, flash, technology, and accouterments that go hand-in-hand with today's best restomods? Great as our automotive past has been, the present is a terrific time to be a car guy work.