Print This Issue! - Mopar Max Magazine

Jeg Coughlin’s Super 

Stock Chalenger 

M opars 

at the Strip 

Steve M agnante takes us behind 

the scenes at Barrett-Jackson 

Volume V Issue 4 - April 2010 

Project Fighting Fish is almost

Old racecars never die 

Volume V, Issue 4 April 1, 2010 

"Found! Wagons of Steel's first race car!" When a friend of mine first uttered 

those words I wanted to strangle him. I was shocked to realize that the Mighty 

Josephine had come to this sorry state, pillaged and pushed behind the shop to 

collect moss and spare parts. I'd seen scenes like this so many times in 

magazines and real life over the years and thought to myself "who would let a 

race car come to this?" Well now I know. It just happens. Didn't the Petty family 

push last year's Superbird program into a gorge behind their shop in '71? 

I wasn't hustling to get next year's Chrysler station wagon ready for another season but I wanted to race a 

platform that was a little more "off-the-shelf" and switched my efforts to a '66 Plymouth Belvedere--a "B" body. 

Looking at the carcass of the once "Mighty Josephine" brought back many memories. We ran this very unique car 

a lot so it remains kind of legendary to North West grass roots drag racing fans. Sometimes it literally pains me 

when people ask me about her... 

Our first hit on the quarter mile 

was a 16.25 at 84 mph. Over the 

next five years or so we whittled it 

down to a best time of 11.70 at 

112 mph right before we 

mothballed her. This big wagon 

ran at least five different motors 

that I can think of. A couple of 

them even survived to live in 

other cars. Josephine chewed 

through a few engines and 

transmissions, for sure, but she 

really loved tearing apart 8 3/4" 

rear ends and leaf springs. At 

times it was quite an adventure to 

get down the track and it was 

always a chore to slow it down 

with manual drums. Filling in the grill area with Plexiglas was worth over a tenth and almost five miles per hour! I 

wish we could do that on our Stock Eliminator cars. We learned so much about the scientific method of developing 

a drag car in those years. That's the original lightened hood leaning against the car. The Super Six Pack hood 

scoop is long gone. Believe it or not there is still stuff worth salvaging on this old beast. Don't worry, I won't scrap 

it outright no matter how much the price of steel rises. 

Speaking of that '66 Belvedere 

that led to the Mighty Josephine's 

demise, "The Helvedere" isn't 

really looking that great these 

days either. This wagon rocked, 

winning many rounds and a few 

dollars in Pro and Super Street 

classes. I once went 10.58 at 124 

mph with a single quad Max 

Wedge in this sled. We had to 

park it to get serious with our '64 

Savoy stock eliminator program. 

We ended up pirating a few parts; 

we had to because by the time we 

built this wagon we'd figured out 

how to spend stupid quantities of 

money on worthless old wagons. 

Leaving that kind of money 

rusting in a field is just stupidity. 

So we destroyed it properly with 

our two-ton stocker. The Savoy 

ate the complete rear end 

assembly, the transmission and 

the converter program like brush through a shredder. Still, this racer could be brought back relatively easily. 

Maybe I'll start by washing it. 

Mopar to Ya - Old Racecars Never Die - Page 1 of 3 - MoparMax.com


Mopar to Ya - Old Racecars Never Die - Page 2 of 3 - MoparMax.com 

This '63 Dodge four door parts car that I shoved into the brush with a 

bulldozer always reminds me of the time I was walking through an old 

salvage yard behind a friend's house in Florida and stumbled upon 

what appeared to be an old '63 or '64 Dodge race car. It was missing 

the nose but the old school four-point roll bar was visible through the 

dense vegetation that was growing through the "floor boards". I got 

closer and the car started whispering stories about racing in the sixties. 

Even though there was literally less than 60% of that poor car left it still 

seemed proud. I rubbed on it a little to get a look at the forty-year-old 

contingency decals. Even though it was sunk almost a foot into the 

swamp I could see the remnants of some kind of exotic rear 

suspension. I figured that the old racing wheels had been removed 

when the car was pushed into the corner of the yard all those years 

ago but then I remembered that they all used to run steel wheels out 

back during the sixties. Sure enough, these were painted half red/half 

white and all rust. The dashboard was intact with bits and pieces of 

what must have been state of the art instrumentation and switches from 

forty years ago. It turns out the old relic was an ex Roger Lindamood 

"Color Me Gone" Hemi car that had been stripped of it's dead elephant 

and aluminum sheet metal and pushed into the swamp in the early seventies. It's long gone now. It was long gone when I looked at it! 

If you've been reading this column then you may remember this wagon. It's our 

'70 Chrysler Town & Country that we raced in Sportsman class a couple of 

years ago. People kept asking me if it was the Mighty Josephine, even though she is a '72. 

I finally just started saying, "Yes, it is Josephine". She does look like Josephine did when I 

first got her, before the Sublime Green paint job. I will never paint another car "Slime" 

green again in my life on general principles. I'm going to leave this wagon in her original 

"Light Amber Sherwood" green with wood grain for the short term. Maybe later I'll dress it 

up. 

I mounted this hood scoop (right) a few years ago and I still love it. Scoops on wagons look 

great anyways but this '69 1/2 Six Pack unit is an especially handsome match for this Town 

& Country. 

ADVERTISEMENT


Check out the ten-point roll cage that we've been working on. This Here's the engine room. The motor will be secured via engine plates. The 

Bradymobile will be legal down to nine flats in the quarter mile. We almost 3-gallon fuel cell, filter and pump are all contained just behind the front 

installed a "funny car" cage but then decided against it because we have a bumper. There is a ton of room there so we decided it would be a great 

nice bench seat that I really want to use in this car. All wagons should have way to simplify the system. Our total fuel line length is less than eighteen 

bench seats as far as I'm concerned. 

inches! 

Here's another view of the cage work. The bars are a custom kit from Art Meanwhile, the original Mighty Josephine will be moved across the yard 

Morrison. My partner Mike Brenno does all the welding. We completely and cleaned up enough that my kids and their friends can play with it. Just 

gutted all the doors except the driver's. I like to have the driver's window because she isn't thundering down the track anymore doesn't mean 

and door latch function as original for safety's sake. Part of getting a more someone can't have fun with her! 

advanced competition license is being able to find all the controls 

blindfolded. "Josephine II" is actually very close to completion. After we 

prep and paint the interior pretty much all we have left is to drop in a motor 

and transmission. The combination we have in mind should get her deep 

into the tens! That should send the Camaro crowd running for their Summit 

catalogs... 

Mopar to Ya - Old Racecars Never Die - Page 3 of 3 - MoparMax.com

How to find Port Costa 

ADVERTISEMENT 


let a tow truck come and take my first Mopar away after the insurance company totaled it. It was a classic case of 

naiveté on my part. The Dart was hit smartly on the left front passenger fender and after a little work with a 

roadside 2x4 I was on my way. The car still drove true and we made it back to San Francisco from Reno that day. 

The next morning I made my inspection. The fender was pretty crushed, the headlight bucket and bezel were ruined and 

the grille needed some work. I called around about the fender and nobody had one. The insurance adjuster came and said 

it would be nearly impossible to find a new fender for a 1969 Dart GT. Of course, I had no idea about interchangeability or 

any of that useful nonsense so I believed the guy. He called the tow truck, I signed a paper, he, or his friend got a nice ’69 

Dart GT convertible (273ci 2bbl, 904 car), and I got something like $3500…back in 1991. 

The minute I signed that paper and watched the GT go away I knew I had screwed up. I felt like I’d never own another one 

and to this day that feeling has been correct. But, I did have some cash and I started daydreaming about what car would be 

next. My friends were all pretty much in the GM camp but I had fallen in love with the Dart and I knew I had to go Mopar. 

Armed with a copy of Anthony Young’s Mighty Mopars I fell into some serious dream shopping. 

I really loved the second generation Charger but so did everybody and prices were out of my reach. 

R/T’s, Super Bees, Road Runners and Challengers all held equal sway over me and I imagined how 

fun it would be to have one of these ridiculous gas-guzzling burnout mobiles. I’d get the paper every 

day and check the classifieds, and every Wednesday I’d grab an “Advertiser” (this was pre-Craig’s 

List). I made some calls and even looked at a batty black ’73 Charger…then the right ad came along; 

it read, 1968 Super Bee, $3500. I called and I was on my way. 

I drove out to Crockett, Calif., with my friend Steve to check out this Bee. We drove through the tiny 

industrial town and immediately fell in love with its nostalgic feel and waterfront location. We climbed 

into a respectable middle class neighborhood, turned a corner and there was the Bee, hulking under a 

tree in faded original dark green paint. 

Parked right behind it, looking tantalizingly fresh, was a 1968 Barracuda notchback with a For Sale 

sign in the window. Of all the cars I was conjuring the, one I knew next to nothing about, and cared 

even less about, was the second generation Barracuda. 

Still focused on the Bee, I spent a good half hour looking it over and going around the block. The car 

was fast and solid but it felt really big to me. I liked the hood and the stripe but the more I thought 

about driving around on a daily basis with so much plumage the less I liked it. The bench seat and 

column shift weren’t doing it either, and the interior and dash looked and felt cheap. 

The gentleman selling the car could see my uncertainty and suggested I look at the little Barracuda. 

Steve seemed into the car so I gave it a look. The bright green paint was shiny and contrasted nicely 

against the white vinyl top and white interior. This car was super clean, cleaner than anything I had 

ever dreamed of owning. The front buckets had been re-done with factory correct upholstery, the 

headliner was perfect, the carpet was new, the console and dash were shiny and clean, the gauges 

worked, the ashtrays had never even seen a cigarette….but most of all, the interior was cool, way 

cooler than the Bee. Sure the ‘Cuda only had a 318 but I could hop that up, right? 

Basement Garage - How to find Port Costa - Page 1 of 2 - MoparMax.com


The price? An unbelievable $2000!!! When I heard that I took a test drive and was impressed by how sure and 

light the car felt. Even the 318 seemed respectable in this car. Within five minutes behind the wheel I was 

hooked––I was going to stay A-body. 

I handed over the cash; he signed the title over to me and asked us, “Do you boys like beer?” We replied that we 

did and he directed us to make a left out of his neighborhood, follow the twisting road for a few miles and to watch 

for a little sign that said Port Costa. He told us to follow that sign, drive to the end of the road, and go have a beer 

down there. 

We followed his advice and took off on a beautiful drive that skirted the edge of the hill above the Sacramento 

River. We found the sign and turned. The road led us into what seemed like an impossibly untouched relic of a tiny 

town on the edge of the river bank. We found the bar in an old warehouse chock full of ephemera and dominated 

by a stuffed polar bear in a glass case. 

We really loved this place immediately and when 

we found out they had a steak or lobster dinner 

for two, including hotel room in the old Victorian 

whorehouse across the street for only $49, we 

knew we’d be back with our girlfriends. 

Buying that Barracuda led us to Port Costa and 

several years of good times hanging out down at 

the Warehouse, getting drunk and spending the 

night. 

Eventually we even had whole caravans going 

down and staging poker games late into the night 

in one of the suites. 

Like all good things, it came to an end as more 

people discovered the place and it became 

overrun by weekend warrior Harley types. The 

business changed hands, the special went away, 

the lousy beds in the hotel got worse and we 

pretty much gave up on it entirely after one 

drunken 4th of July when a yokel nearly lit the 

whole town on fire with a bottle rocket gone 

wrong. 

I went back a few months ago with my friend and 

her son on a lark. It was a Saturday afternoon 

and the town was surprisingly quiet. The Warehouse was still going strong, complete with the polar bear looking 

over the scene. We had a couple of draughts out back under the sun and strolled the tracks by the river––it 

seemed like the idyll of long ago back in ’91. 

Oh, and the ‘Cuda? I road tripped the hell out of it until it got nailed by a taxicab and wrapped around a telephone 

pole. I gave the carcass to Bumbeck and he quartered it in his back yard in Emeryville, salvaged the seats and 

used what he could for his own notchback ‘Cuda until it too got T-boned. 

Damn notchbacks, I’d love to have another one some day and I have a good feeling I will. 

Basement Garage - How to find Port Costa - Page 2 of 2 - MoparMax.com


W o r d s b y D a r r H a w t h o r n e 

P h o t o s b y J a m e s D r e w , T i m M a r s h a l l a n d D a r r H a w t h o r n e 

Phil Painter's Mopars at the Strip has grown to be the premier Chrysler brand event on the west coast and to add to the excitement, 

the first Hemi Shootout of the year. Over the past few years, the Hemi Shootout eliminator has grown from hoping for a full eight-car 

show to this year, a nearly full sixteen-car show. After Friday qualifying Charlie Westcott Jr. from Parma, Michigan was the leader by 

two tenths (8.512/156.43) over Stephen Herbert's '68 Cuda out of Louisiana (8.712/151.44). 

In the early Saturday morning test session prior to eliminations, Westcott Jr. flexed his muscles again with a killer 8.486 and 

Pennsylvania's Jim Daniels stepped up with what would have been the number two qualifying position running a stellar 8.545 ET at 

154.71 MPH pass. 

With fifteen Hemi cars in the first round, Westcott Jr. fortunately got a bye run, fortunately because transmission issues probably 

would have cost him the round win with a way off pace 14-second run. He'd have it repaired for round two. 

Mopars at the Strip / Hemi Shootout - Page 1 of 7 - MoparMax.com

HEMI SHOOTOUT 

In a close first round match, Dave Rabourn left ahead of 

opponent Mike Booker and at the finish line it was Raybourn’s 

8.808 to Bookers’s losing 8.873. 

Click to enlarge Elimination Chart and Round by Round Results. 


ADVERTISEMENT 



Stephen Hebert’s beautiful ‘Cuda goes onto the second round with his 

8.748/150.05 run over Chuck Rayborn. Rayborn had the advantage off the 

starting line, but could only run an 8.897 on the top end. 

Mopars at the Strip / Hemi Shootout - Page 3 of 7 - MoparMax.com 

John Rains in his “Heli-Hemi” ‘68 Dart got a single run of 8.732/150.45 

when Jerry Jenkins failed to appear for his first round match with a broken 

fuel pump. 

Jon Percy’s 8.896 bested Skip Loeffler’s 9.247 elapsed time. Michael Ogburn got the jump off the line (far lane) cutting a .032 reaction 

time, but slowed to a 12.365 to a winning Fred Henson’s 9.628 ET. 

Fortunately for Charlie Westcott Jr. he drew a first round bye run as 

transmission problems kept his “War Fish” ‘Cuda way off pace. 

Mark Viera, in the near lane, had Gary Moore‘s ‘Cuda covered with an 

8.812 to a 9.290, in the first round of the Mopars at the Strip Hemi 

Shootout.

MOPARS AT THE STRIP 

Legendary tuner Buddy Martin sits in the seat formerly held 

by his longtime partner, the late Ronnie Sox, in pre-race 

activities. 


Fresh out of the body shop, this vintage Mopar just needs a little TLC. 

ADVERTISEMENT 

Mopars at the Strip is known for period-perfect show cars, burnouts and drag racing – until now. Hotchkis Sport 

Suspension and Keisler Engineering have teamed up to present an all-new experience for Mopar owners, an open 

autocross event that will pit drivers against the clock as they fly around the cones at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 


Six-Pack 

Robert Genat 

Mopar Muscle 

Robert Genat 

New $16.47 

Big-block mopar 

engines 

Don Taylor 

New $14.93 

How to Modify 

Your Mopar 

Magnum V-8H... 

Larry Shepard 

New $17.05 

Mopar 

Martyn L Schorr 

New $22.45 

How To Build Big- 

Inch Mopar Small 

Bl... 

Jim Szilagyi 

New $16.47 

Privacy Information 

Mopar 7 Quart Oil 

Pump Pickup - 

CFR Performance 

New $14.99 

Mopar 7 Quart Oil 

Pump Pickup - 


New $14.99 

1963-78 

Chrysler/Mopar 

361-383-400-4... 


New $75.99 

1958-88 Mopar 

Big Block 383- 

426-440 ... 


New $209.99 

1958-88 Mopar 

Big Block 383- 

426-440 ... 


New $209.99 

Milodon 16360 

Performance 

Aluminum S... 

Milodon 

New $54.94 

Privacy Information


Both Hotchkis and Keisler specialize in updating classic muscle cars with modern performance and 

reliability, so it made sense to partner on this new driving competition for Chrysler owners. The Mopar 

and Pony Car Autocross Challenge will give enthusiasts a chance to compete on a timed autocross 

course without leaving the car show parking lot. Autocross, which allows individual drivers to complete 

short timed laps on a short course, has experienced a huge boom in popularity with the growth of the 

pro-touring movement. At the 2010 Mopars at the Strip participants and spectators will be able to 

compete for trophies, bragging rights and glory. 

Exhibition cars will include the Hotchkis 1970 “E-Max” Challenger, the Keisler “Maximum Overdrive 

Barracuda and the Redline Gauge Works 1969 Valiant. Skilled drivers Aaron Ogawa, John Hotchkis, 

and 11-time national autocross champion Mary Pozzi will be on-hand to offer demo rides and 

instruction. Action-packed on-car video of the participants will be produced and available through 

KeislerTV. 

Now here’s something you don’t see every day… a ‘51 Plymouth Concorde Gasser with a 572 cubic 

inch HEMI. Bob Munoa, from Temecula, California built the car. 

Ahmed Alagiri from from Irvine, California 


ADVERTISEMENT 

ADVERTISEMENT

Plenty of Dodge Vipers made it down the dragstrip. 

PHOTO EXTRA 



ADVERTISEMENT 

ADVERTISEMENT




W o r d s b y J e f f B u r k - P h o t o s b y J a m e s D r e w 

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is arguably one the best doorslammer racers in drag racing today. He has multiple NHRA world 

championships to his credit – unfortunately, driving a (shudder) Chevy. But he is also a killer Super Stock/Stock 

Eliminator racer in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and when he competes in that arena he can be found driving 

Mopars. 

He was the first winner of the Mopar Hemi Shootout that is restricted to Hemi-powered SS/AA (now named SS/AH) 

cars. He won that prestigious Mopar-only event in 2004 when it was contested at the prestigious U.S. Nationals 

driving a Hemi-powered Plymouth Barracuda for West Coast Hemis legend Michael Ogburn. 

Jeggie heats up the 

nine-inch slick prior to a nine-second pass. 

So, when Mopar announced the Challenger A/SA program last year it was natural for Couglin to have one of 

Mopars Drag Pack Challengers for himself. 

The car you see here comes from the factory basically race ready. 

The first thing the gearhead engineers at Mopar’s Brampton, Ontario, Canada, plant did was realize that at 4,000plus 

pounds, the stock Challenger would need to shed some poundage if it was going to be the nine-second Stock 

Eliminator car they wanted. By stripping out just about everything related to driver/passenger comfort they could 

get the weight down. 

Jeg Coughlin Jr. loves his Mopars when it comes to his Super Stock/Stock Eliminator racing habit - Page 1 of 4 - 

MoparMax.com


The front end of the Challenger looks like it might have to push a lot if air as the car goes 

down track. The paint job was done by Junior Hill’s Custom Motorpsorts Painting shop in 

Mansfield, Ohio. 

When a racer gets one of these “not legal or licensable for the street” cars, it 

comes with no rear seat, airbags, heater/AC, windshield wipers or motor, radio 

or body sealer and sound deadening coatings. Removing all of those 

components reduces the curb weight of the Challenger by about a thousand 

pounds. There can be no doubt that this car is meant for racing and nothing 

else. Before it leaves the factory they also shorten the wheelbase by a halfinch 

to 116 inches and move the engine back and to the right. 

Despite the fact that the car is basically gutted, there is some bonus equipment 

that comes with the Drag Pack package that probably isn’t listed on the 

dealer’s list of options for a Challenger SRT-8. 

When Jeggie took delivery of his Challenger it came with the added options of 

a composite hood with a functional scoop, manual rack and pinion steering, 

poly carbonate windows instead of glass, and cable system for the throttle 

body, a lightweight brake package and solid motor mounts. All good stuff for a 

serious drag car. 

The car came direct from the factory to Jeg who then took it to John Holt Race 

Cars near Columbus to check it over. Once that was done the finish work was 

done at the Jegs racecar shop in Ohio by Rick Rossiter, Gerg Cody, and Cly 

Philson. 

ADVERTISEMENT 

The engine in this car is a 6.1-liter Hemi that Coughlin had massaged by the 

legendary Stock Eliminator engine builder and racer Jeff Taylor. Taylor told 

Mopar Max that the engine that comes from the factory was pretty good but he 

did put some of his “speed secrets” into the engine when he rebuilt it. That would include coating the pistons inside and out as well as the engine 

bearings. He installed his own camshaft and valvetrain and on the dyno the Hemi made 635 hp and 510 lbs of torque. The stock Hemi claims 425 hp at 

its best. 




Jeg had just started driving the car when we took these photos at a Las Vegas test session. Currently 

the best speed and ET on the car is 9.94 seconds and 134 mph, so it would be competitive in the 

Stock Eliminator class or, if Jeggie wanted, he could try Super Gas. 

Either way, Jeg Coughlin Jr. seems to love NHRA doorslammer racing especially if it entails driving 

fast Mopars. 


MoparMax.com 

Michelin pondering Formula One 

return 

Piquet Jr. sues Briatore 

Prodrive eyes Formula One, again 

Click for more AutoWeek stories 

ADVERTISEMENT 

JOIN THE AUTOWEEK NETWORK 

ADVERTISEMENT 

A look inside the Challenger show its mostly stock interior with the shifter and full set of gauges. It retains the heater/air conditioning controls but we’ll bet they are not hooked 

to anything. 

Puttin’ the power to the 

pavement here Jeg gets the 

front wheels up in the air. 

Notice the rear tires. The 

wrinkle-walls are really getting 

a grip.


A Simpson helmet sits in the mandatory racing passenger seat for Stock Eliminator 

Jegs painted the Challenger up 

in the traditional Jegs black and 

yellow paint scheme. 




Dave Crawford's 1970 Hemi 'cuda is a former drag monster returned to its legacy 

W o r d s a n d p h o t o s b y G e o f f S t u n k a r d 

Hemi E-bodies are something that have garnered a sort of mentality among 

Mopar enthusiasts. Some have gone so far as deride the short-lived model 

design as ‘Chrysler’s Camaro,’ while others would have nothing but ‘cudas and 

Challengers sitting in their garages. The truth is, these cars have indeed 

become iconic to the breed, coupled with financial notoriety at auction and 

privately, Nash Bridges’ droptop ‘71 Plymouth on prime time, and new 

Challengers in the dealer lot in 2010. 

But E-body models are not easy to come by nor cheap to restore these days. 

That same level of exposure has made the pieces that make up the sum total 

quite expensive, Hemi or not. For instance, things like NOS grilles have been 

priced ‘legendarily,’ and good Shaker pieces warm the heart and fatten the 

wallet of anyone lucky enough to have them available for purchase. It’s not a 

game for the faint of heart. 

ADVERTISEMENT 

The appearance of the Shaker on that big Hemi (or any other Mopar engine) 

was one of the most impressive things to come out of the musclecar era’s 

styling departments. 

Dave Crawford's 1970 Hemi'cuda is a former drag monster returned to its legacy - Page 1 of 3 - MoparMax.com

Dave Crawford of Piqua, Ohio, had been through 

the Shelbys and Corvettes; he had decided that 

finding a real Hemi’cuda would be a challenge 

worth undertaking. So he began a search some 

years back to locate one that would meet his 

desires as owner and be worth the cost and effort 

to restore. The car he came up with was pretty 

special. 


Back in the Seventies, two brothers in Illinois had 

wanted to go drag racing, so they had bought a 

fairly loaded used 1970 Hemi’cuda. This car had The Hemi Shaker on the ‘cuda got its own chrome 

been purchased by a Springfield, Ill., businessman callouts; once the Chevelle guys saw this tag, they 

for his wife, who hated it. The color was loud – FY1 sulked away into the darkness quietly. 

Lemon Twist Yellow (a HIP –High Impact Paint – 

option), with a black hockey stripe and Shaker hood. Inside, the car had black skin, power windows, 

six-way adjustable seat, center and overhead consoles, deluxe leatherette interior, and AM/8-track 

radio. 

The hockey-stripe decal, so named for its shape, was available on 1970 ‘cudas only. The Hemi callout here was what 

anybody in the other lane saw (but only for a moment as it rocketed past) as soon as the car shifted into third gear. 

15” Rallye wheels were part of the Hemi’cudas option 

package, shod with E60-15 rubber. 

There is no record of how well they did with it, but 

they did blow the engine up. They sold the car, 

showing 2400 miles, and the rest of the original 

driveline in the late 1970s. Once it entered the 

hobby, and was restored to 1990 standards by 

another owner, it ended up with noted collector Bill 

Wiemann. With the original motor gone, the car had 

a legitimate 1970 warranty block in it and solid 

provenance – partial broadcast sheet, fender tags, 

the original window sticker, etc. 

Dave Crawford's 1970 Hemi'cuda is a former drag monster returned to its legacy - Page 2 of 3 - MoparMax.com 

ADVERTISEMENT 

ADVERTISEMENT


The interior in the car was deluxe; the car was reportedly ordered by a trucking company owner for his wife, who did 

not like it. 

That when Galen Govier entered the picture. Galen maintains his registry of cars, and he was looking 

at a 1970 GTX that had the wrong Hemi engine in it. As he went through the process, he discovered 

that the engine in that X was from the ‘cuda; the only serious damaged had been to one head and 

cylinder and the brothers had sold it. The GTX owner had dollar signs in his eyes, and he wanted a 

LOT of money for it. Wiemann reported tried several times to get a more reasonable price for it to no 

avail, and finally decided to sell the 9,000-mile car rather than restore it for his collection. 

So Dave went ahead and bought it, planning on redoing the car back 

to premier condition. He got the name of the engine’s owner, and 

somehow managed to get the motor bought for more realistic money. 

The body, in the meantime, end up at the now-closed Aloha 

Automotive shop in Wisconsin, where Andrew White had been 

working. 

“That car was in -2 condition,” he recalls. “We did have to panel-repair 

the quarters where the wheelwells had been cut out for tire clearance, 

but other than that, it was pretty straight forward. The previous 

restoration had been poorly done, but a lot of original equipment was 

still on that car.” 

Andrew, who now operates Apex Autosports in Grafton, Wisconsin, 

did a second car for David, another ’70 Hemi’cuda in FC7 ‘In Violet 

Metallic’ (Plum Crazy in Dodge nomenclature). The warranty block 

ended up in that car and the Lemon Twist deluxe machine is now 

back in its entirety, right down to NOS Goodyear tires. Thanks to Tim 

Lopata and his crew at the Forge Invitation Musclecar Show, we got a 

first-hand look at it; in the last couple of years, the FY1 car has won 

several 1st place awards; the FC7 example will be featured in the 

June issue of Mopar Enthusiast magazine 

(www.moparenthusiast.com) 

Hemi cars may not be as unique as they one were; aftermarket 

engines and engineering have made them more commonplace than 

they ever were back in the day. Nonetheless, to have a ’70 ‘cuda that 

is the real deal is special, to have one this nice puts you at the top of 

the charts, and, sorry to you naysayers, they will never be as easy to 

find as a Camaro! 

From behind, the stylish lines of the design are still evident. 

Dave Crawford with his ‘cuda. 

Dave Crawford's 1970 Hemi'cuda is a former drag monster returned to its legacy - Page 3 of 3 - MoparMax.com 

ADVERTISEMENT

S t o r y a n d P h o t o s b y S t e v e M a g n a n t e 


It’s Thursday night, January 21, 2010 and I’m standing on stage at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Outside the massive 

West World tent compound that covers the auction, 80-mph winds are howling and rain is pouring down… sideways. We’re live on Speed TV and 

millions of home viewers are tuned in as the cameras catch the parade of collector cars crossing the auction block. I do my usual on-air commentary as 

the cars roll past. My ears are popping. 

Unless you’re climbing in an airplane or ascending a steep elevation on ground, your ears don’t ordinarily do much popping. But when there’s a tornado 

warning in the immediate vicinity, the barometric pressure (atmosphere stack) goes crazy – and your ears do pop. And so it was on that wild Thursday 

night. Though the crowd, cars, and auction staff remained safe and dry, the same cannot be said for the Russo and Steele auction event that was held 

just a few miles away. The storm attacked two 800-foot tents and literally blew them away. Hundreds of collector cars were pummeled and soaked 

mercilessly but fortunately only a few minor personal injuries were reported. The carnage has been well reported so I won’t dwell on it. Suffice to say I 

share the heartache of knowing that more than 300 special cars were damaged. 

So we were extremely fortunate to be spared a similar crisis at the Barrett-Jackson event. I do remember watching the beefy aluminum girders running 

along the ceiling of the massive auction tent cycle up and down. The on-site structural engineers claimed there could be as much as 7-feet of vertical 

movement before their yield point was reached… by all accounts the observed measurement was only 5-feet. 

But as they say, the show must go on. Despite a few unsure moments when the event organizers considered a lockdown until the storm passed, it was 

quickly decided that the safest place to be was right where we were. So sellers (consignors), buyers (consignees) and all related personnel remained in 

place under the massive, undulating tent structure. The show did indeed go on. 

The wild weather passed by Friday morning and by Sunday, the final day of the six day Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale, 68 million dollars had changed 

hands and in the process, hundreds of folks brought home new toys. Among them were numerous Mopars. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights. 

(Note: all published sale prices include 10-percent buyer’s commission) 

Dodging the Bullet - Page 1 of 20 - MoparMax.com


If you watch the Barrett-Jackson auction coverage on Speed TV, you’ll recognize this crew. At table from L to R, 

it's color commentator Justin Bell, primary host Bob Varsha, on-stage vehicle analyst Mike Joy, on-stage vehicle 

analyst Steve Magnante (and your MoparMax author), and color commentator Rick Debruhl. In this shot we’re 

feverishly gang-signing a pile of Barrett-Jackson event posters that will be given away as prizes. 

Here’s a look at the satellite truck that beams the broadcast up into space where it bounces off Mars and into your 

living room. Stand too close to this thing and you get a nice suntan (Not to mention have kids with two heads). 

Check out the dense cloud cover, part of the recipe that delivered high winds and a record breaking four inches of 

rain during the week. 

This shot was taken from the auction block early on Tuesday - before the big crowds arrived. The front row is 

usually reserved for big shots and high rollers. 



Here’s where the action goes down. Each car is granted several minutes of stage time so the auctioneers can 

ensure every bid gets heard. There’s a massive bridge-like platform beneath the stage that’s strong enough to 

support virtually any vehicle. The light strip in the center of the stage floor is gently illuminated to show off 

undercarriage details. 

Here’s a close up shot of the chassis-cam. Smaller than you’d think (about the size of a pack of gum), it has a trick 

wide angle lens that captures the details as each car rolls overhead. This is the camera that grabs those neat 

shots of spinning drive shafts and exquisitely detailed floor pans. 

Lot 1270, this Lemon Twist V-code Six Barrel Superbird’s got the 727 Torqueflite and 3.55 Sure Grip 8 ¾ rear axle 

and shows 21,257 miles. Fully documented by Galen Govier as being a matching numbers ride, it’s still got both 

jacks, the original broadcast sheet and has been owned by the same guy for the past 25 years. It sold for 

$159,500. 



Lot 1289, of the original 77 Hemi Superbird automatics built, only 29 are accounted for today. This one’s got the numbers matching Street Hemi, 727 

Torqueflite and 3.55 geared 8 ¾ rear end. The odometer shows a mere 31,019 miles with none added since the rotisserie restoration. The sale price 

was $286,000. 

The 426 Street Hemi is original to the car and has been restored to perfection. A similar appearing Alpine White Superbird is shown on the side panel 

of the 1/25 scale JoHan Superbird plastic model kit box. Anybody remember it? 1970 Hemi Superbirds are the only members of the 1966 – 1971 Street 

Hemi family built with no external engine identification emblems. 



Lot 1255 answers the question: who on earth would modify a Govier-verified Hemi Superbird? Bearing VIN RM23ROA158581, the consignor admits the 

car suffered a massive high speed wreck and may have been partially re-bodied. An original 4-speed/Dana car, it’s chock full of modern Pro Touring 

upgrades. Note the original vinyl roof and front fender air scoops have been deleted on this rectified rarity. The hammer price was $137,500. No way 

could you build it for that. 

The original Hemi is long gone, but this 528 inch Hemi packs EFI and Indy heads. A Keisler overdrive 5-speed stick and 3.54 geared Moser Dana 60 

back it all up. Four wheel discs and an Alter-K-Tion coil-over front suspension bring it into the modern age… for better or worse. You choose. 



Lot 1238 is a numbers matching 440 Six Pack Challenger R/T that’s just 

been through a full rotisserie restoration. With the base 3.23 axle and 

console-shifted 727 Torqueflite, it’s a great highway cruiser. It sold for 

$90,200. 

Lot 971 is a sweet ’70 Challenger T/A 

that’s one of only 48 T/As built with the 

optional louvered rear window. A 

Govier documented numbers matching 

3.91 4-speed car, it’s still got its original 

TA engine block, J heads and sold with 

two matching build sheets. Thanks to 

the fiberglass hood, all radio-equipped 

Challenger T/As (and AAR ‘Cudas) 

were assembled with the antenna mast 

on the rear quarter panel. This was 

required since the fiberglass hood 

allowed ignition “noise” to escape the 

engine compartment where it interfered 

with radio reception. Steel hoodequipped 

Challengers have the antenna 

mast positioned atop the passenger’s front fender. But you knew that. The selling price was $77,000. 

ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT 

Dodging the Bullet - Page 6 of 20 - MoparMax.com 

At the other end of the scale, this rare 340 powered ’70 Challenger is not 

an R/T. Instead, lot 940 is a base Challenger that was ordered with the A66 

340 performance package. Loaded out with A/C, power windows, power 

steering and a console shifted 727 Torqueflite, this extremely uncommon 

E-body brought $62,700.


Lot 1330.1, this radical ’70 Challenger ragtop has been subtly customized 

with monochrome bumpers, filled door handles and massive billet wheels. 


The shaker hood may not be functional (it lifts with the hood) but the Vipersourced 

V10 hiding below is anything but bogus. The hammer dropped 

when bidding peaked at $93,500. 

This genuine FM3 Panther Pink Challenger T/A (lot 1572) has been restored but the original black vinyl bucket seat interior was well enough preserved 

for re-use. The only major ding is the replacement engine block. At least it is correctly date-coded (7-1-70) to coincide with the car’s production date. 

The buyer paid $45,100.


Lot 713.1 was born with the G-code 318, but now this ’70 Challenger has a 472-cube MP crate Hemi 

backed by a Keisler/Tremec 5-speed stick. No harm done here! 

The single-quad crate Hemi probably runs as hard as a more correct dual-quad rig, but the single pot 

forfeits some eye appeal. We’d make the dual-quad swap using one of MP’s new repop Street Hemi 

intakes. The sale price was $68,200. 

945 brought $49,500. 

Another Hemi 

recreation, this 

’70 fish was born 

with the H-code 

340 small block. 

An aluminumhead 

426 

elephant, 727 

Slap Stick and 

3.55 geared 8 ¾ 

replace the 

original small 

block drive train. 

Nicely done, lot 


ADVERTISEMENT 

ADVERTISEMENT


All Hemi ‘Cudas came standard with the exotic 

Shaker hood but this clone still wears its doublehump 

‘Cuda lid – albeit with add-on Hemi ‘Cuda 

emblems. Fortunately, the new owner can 

upgrade to a modern repop steel Shaker hood for 

maximum effect. That’s what we’d do! 

The Beach Boys may be forever tied to the Chevy 409, but group member Al Jardine recently had the good taste 

to commission construction of this neat Hemi ‘Cuda recreation. Based on an H-code 340 car, lot 1246 got lots of 

extra attention since Al agreed to be photographed with the new owner. It sold for $81,400. During the Barrett- 

Jackson pre-sale vetting process, the car turned up as having been stolen back in 1975! But the Scottsdale police 

department cleared it for sale after confirming it had been returned to the victim (minus the front wheels and some 

interior trim) a few weeks after the crime some 35 years ago. Help me Rhonda! 

Lot 963.1 is a perfect solution to the age old ’71 Hemi ‘Cuda convertible supply/demand problem. With only seven 

cars built by Plymouth, well done clones are the only way to fly unless you’re rolling in money. Based on a Slant 

Six car, this pachyderm powered next-best-thing 4-speed brought a very respectable $112,200. 



Not a clone, this real-deal Tor-Red R-code ’70 Hemi ‘Cuda came with the original broadcast sheet and showed 

only 19,750 miles. Were they racked up a quarter-mile at a time? Who cares, the restorers of lot 1285 did a 

beautiful job of erasing any and all battle scars. The buyer agreed and paid $231,000 to take her home. 

Lot 1034 is a real-deal 383 4-speed ’71 ‘Cuda ragtop and is one of only 33 built. Complete with fender tag and 

dressed in GY3 Curious Yellow, the sanitary lemon pledge drew $99,000. 

It may have been born with the G-code 318, 

but lot 987 has taken on the persona of 

another ’71 Hemi ‘Cuda convertible. MP 

crate Hemi, 4-speed, Shaker hood, rim blow 

steering wheel, spoilers and billboards, 

she’s got it all. But can there be more? Sure 

thing! A hydraulic roller cam, TTi X-pipe 

exhaust, and frame connectors are modern 

upgrades for even better performance. The 

buyer paid $84,7000 for all this goodness, a 

fraction of a fraction of what real ones go for 

when they change hands. 



Only 34 1970 Road Runner convertibles were built with V-code 440 Six Barrel power and this 

FY1 Lemon Twist beauty is one of them. Lot 1320.2 is loaded with power steering, power brakes 

and (get this) power windows! The cool Air Grabber hood was standard but you paid a little extra 

for the semi-flat black performance hood paint – absent on this example. It brought $83,600. 

Remember the classic Plymouth “professional versus journalist” magazine ad from 1969 pitting 

Ronnie Sox against Ro McGonegal (staff writer for Super Stock & Drag Illustrated magazine)? 

This is the very 4-speed Road Runner that Ronnie and Ro wheeled in the ad. Lot 1262, this A12 

Six Barrel is also documented as being the first Six Barrel Road Runner ever produced. This 

ADVERTISEMENT 

$14,100 Plymouth : Barracuda 1973 Belchertown 

PLYMOUTH 

$2,025 Plymouth 1973 Plymouth Scamp, Bridgeton 

Dart 440 Big Block CHECK IT 

$4,050 Plymouth : Duster 340 Chippewa Falls 

duster 1973 plymouth 

$1,025 Plymouth : Satellite Shawnee Mission 

1973 Plymouth Satellite 

$1,025 Plymouth : Road Runner 73 Aurora 

Plymouth Road Runner 

$700.00 Plymouth : Barracuda 1974 Warrenton 

PLYMOUTH CUDA PROJECT 

1973 plymouth 

New! 

More results | About this ad | Show on map 

ADVERTISEMENT 

ADVERTISEMENT

Six Barrel is also documented as being the first Six Barrel Road Runner ever produced. This 

extremely historic piece of Mopar history brought $93,500. 

Lot 1368, this ’70 Super Bee 

started life as an N-code 383 

car but now packs a 450horse 

Street Hemi and 

column-shifted 727 

Torqueflite. The seller 

claimed the Hemi conversion 

was done by the original 

owner in 1971. We couldn’t 

get a look at the engine to 

verify the presence of correct vintage parts but the rest of the car was very nice – except for the 

bolt-on traction bars. This respectable Hemi tribute car brought $50,600. 


ADVERTISEMENT


This writer was less than ten years old when Project Six Pack (lot 1262.1) appeared in the pages of the late, great 

Super Stock & Drag Illustrated magazine. In particular, its appearance in the November 1974 issue (Pg. 24) was 

among my first exposures to the 1969 ½ lift-off 

hood A12 cars in print. I was blown away and 

marveled how car owner/story author Ted Struse 

ran it with a dented quarter panel. I remember 

thinking; “Battle scars, how cool”. The dent was 

repaired during restoration but once resided 

beneath the Shaw’s Speed Shops logo on the 

driver’s quarter panel. 

make $110,000 in spirited bidding. 

Struse’s published efforts with Project Six Pack 

helped further the Mopar cause in a Chevy-biased 

world. In complete NHRA legal trim, the car ran 

12.2s at 111 mph and briefly held the G/SA record. 

The stunning gold leaf door art helped the car 

The vehicle description for this gorgeous black ’69 Hemi Super 

Bee 4-speed (lot 1327) read “there is little documentation on this 

vehicle, but currently have original Chrysler Corp. build sheet, 

documentation of transfer of title back in 1977, Montana vehicle 

registration from 2007. Excellent condition. It was far too rare and 

too valuable to modify so it was restored to great condition”. The 

WM23J9 VIN sequence seems to verify legitimate Hemi Super 

Bee status but the seller’s description doesn’t build confidence. 

Regardless, 

everything 

looked right and one lucky bidder scored it for $110,000. 

The seller claimed it to be a “rare hub cap delete car” and so 

the correct 15x 6 Hemi rims are bare. We’ve never heard of 

such a thing (except for the ’69 ½ A-12 Six Pack cars and 

certain fleet/taxi orders) so we’re betting the seller is likely a 

dealer with only surface knowledge of Mopar muscle 

machinery. Still, we’re digging how the Firestone red lines 

contrast against the deep black finish on the body and wheels 

alike. 



Another vaguely-described offering from the same consignor as the ’69 Hemi ‘Bee shown above, the vehicle description card for this beautiful 1970 

Hemi Super Bee (lot 1327.1) read; “It was far too rare and far too valuable to modify, so it was restored to great condition. We have a copy of certificate 

of title and copy of restoration receipts from Aloha Automotive. We also have the original build sheet from Chrysler”. The WM23R0 VIN sequence leaves 

no doubt but the seller’s vague description is a little unnerving. It sold for $90,200. 

Lot 658, this ’68 WM21H Super Bee sedan rolls on incorrect 1969 wheels 

(Magnum 500s for ’68 should have chrome plated wheel hoops, not the 

stainless trim rings adopted in 1969). Besides that, this 383 automatic car 

was stunning and well restored, selling for $22,550 when the hammer fell. 


1968 was the final year for blue engine paint on the base 383 Super Bee 

mill; the color was changed to orange for ’69. The 727 Torqueflite is about 

the only convenience item on this manual steering, manual 11-inch drum 

brake sedan. All 7,844 Super Bees built in 1968 were pillar-coupes. Like 

the orange engine paint, the pillar-less WM23 hardtop body option didn’t 

arrive until 1969.


I’m nuts about this car; it was my favorite of the entire auction. An original BH29M 

1969 ‘Cuda 440, lot 941.2 was originally sold by Fenner-Tubbs Chrysler-Plymouth in 

Lubbock, Texas – a big player in the altered wheelbase match race days. 

Thoroughly redone in California at Restorations By Julius, this numbers matching RB 

monster fetched $48,400. 

Julius’ engine bay restorations are among the best. This red rocket was formerly 

owned by NHRA legend Joe Amato (a.k.a. Joe Tomato for his penchant for red race 

cars). Nose heavy like a mofo, we love the manual brakes and manual steering. Too 

bad Chrysler never offered these 440 A-bodies with 4-speeds. 

Even with the console shifted 727 Torqueflite, these cars are simply brutal – in the 

best sense of the word. 




Lot 1220 is another 1969 big block A-body, this one an H-code 383 Dart GTS. A 4-speed was optional with the low-deck 383 but this one’s packing a 

Torqueflite and is one of 488 built. The hammer price was $53,900. 

Restored by Doug Roth of Colorado, the entire car is matching numbers. We like that it’s still got the stock 10-inch manual drum brakes. Modern disc 

brake upgrade kits are great, but these drums also get the job done unless you’re running ten-tenths all the time. 



Nearly a decade before the arrival of the Dodge A990 Race Hemi Coronet, Dodge built around 100 1956 Coronets 

with the D500-1 dual-quad Hemi option. Lot 1254.2, this sleek black ragtop is one of them. Originally delivered to 

Volusia Motors in Daytona Beach, Florida, the consignor claimed it competed in NASCAR flying mile events before 

slipping into decades of obscurity. We’re puzzled by the car's 2-speed automatic transmission (instead of a 

less-parasitic 3-speed stick) but aren’t aware of any factory 

prohibition on the D500-1/slushbox combo. The buyer paid 

$104,500 to take it home. 

The Super Red Ram Hemi grew from 270 to 315 cubes in 1956 

thanks to nearly one full inch of added block deck height. As 

cheaper to manufacture polyspherical V8s became popular in nonperformance 

Dodge cars, the Hemi-head mills were only offered to 

performance minded customers as the single 4-barrel D500 (260 

hp) and this, the dual carbureted D500-1. The extra carb and a 

hotter cam boosted output to 295 hp. The round steel air cleaner is 

correct and extremely rare. The D500 (and D500-1) package also 

included heavy duty springs and massive 12-inch Imperial drum brakes with specific 15 inch wheels designed for 

clearance. Remember, this was seven years before the arrival of the Max Wedge in 1962. Who says there were 

no muscle cars in the Fifties? 

Virgil Exner’s 

designs are finally 

attracting the respect 

they deserve and 

this 1957 DeSoto 

Fireflite hardtop is a 

perfect example of 

why. Exciting 

“Forward Look” 

styling was a 

complete reversal of 

the sleepy designs 

previously offered 

and actually forced 

traditionally dominant 

GM designers to play 

catch-up for several 

seasons. The Fire 

Dome Hemi grew to 

325 cubes in 1957 and made 295 hp in Fireflite models (270 in Firedome models and 345 in Adventurer models). 

Selling for $64,900, this stunning Fireflite (lot 947.1) was very well bought. 



Early Mopars like this 1960 Fury convertible (lot 1043) lack the detailed VIN and 

fender tag data found on post-1966 counterparts. In the case of this red ragtop, 

the VIN begins with 330. That translates to: 3 = V8, 3 = Fury car line, and 0 = 

1960 model year. A nice start, but it doesn’t shed light on which V8 it was born 

with, the 318, 361 or 383? Regardless, this “Solid ‘60” was described as having a 

413 long ram V8 – something that was only available in the Chrysler line 

(Plymouth Son-O-Ramic long ram cars had 383s). Sooo, we must assume this 

one has been fiddled with, but what a nice job. 

You can have your swiveling front bucket seats and Hiway Hi-Fi system (both 

present), but the show begins and ends under the hood. The long ram 413 may 

have been swapped in from a Chrysler but the gold-tone presentation is 

Plymouth-correct (albeit only on 383s). Chrysler applications would have red intake runners. Either way, we love this car. So did the new owner who 

shelled out $62,700 for the keys. 




A hand assembled foreign exotic with the heart of a Mopar, this 1958 Facel Vega FV4 (lot 946.1) is powered by a Chrysler 300C-spec 392 Hemi. That 

means dual quads, solid lifters, adjustable rocker arms and 375 hp. Only 68 of these potent hybrids were built; this one sold for $71,500. 

The VIN begins with the number 3 so we know for sure this ’63 Plymouth 

Sport Fury convertible was born with a V8 (Slant Six VIN starts with a 2). 

But has it always been a Max Wedge car? The answer comes in the 

seller’s written description which states in part; “Now equipped with a 426 

CID/425 HP Max Wedge V8…” Yep, lot 953 is a clone and the $38,500 

sale price reflects that fact. 


The transplanted Stage II Maxie features correct 4-bolt heads and valve 

covers, fuel lines, exhaust manifolds and air cleaners. But remember, much 

of these goodies are easily obtained as modern reproductions. The singlepot 

master cylinder is a nice touch, though the engine wiring harness 

routing is wrong. Instead of running between the passenger side valve 

cover and intake manifold, it should be routed along the inner fender wall. 

That said, it’s a well done replica of a super rare drop top Max wedge 

Plymouth.


Cute sells at Barrett-Jackson and this 1961 Nash Metropolitan convertible (lot 61.1) brought a winning bid of 

$26,400. Mets were designed in America but built in England by Austin. Between 1954 and 1962, almost 92,000 

were constructed and shipped to these shores. Nash (later to become AMC) could have built them here but saved 

a bunch by taking advantage of post-WWII Britain’s ravaged economy and ample supply of skilled labor. 

It’s a ’56 American Motors Rambler, right? Not so fast. Lot 

618.1 is actually a Hudson, or more precisely a Hudson 

Rambler. A product of Hudson’s 1953 merger with Nash, by 

1955 all previous Hudson “step-down” and Jet models were 

discontinued and replaced with re-badged Ramblers to keep 

those remaining Hudson dealerships stocked with new cars. 

By the end of 1957, AMC buried the Hudson brand and 

moved on. Fewer than 4,108 Hudson Ramblers were built 

between 1955 and 1957. This ’56 is reported to be one of 

less than 300 built and brought $16,500 when the hammer 

fell. 

ADVERTISEMENT 

$14,100 Plymouth : Barracuda 1973 Belchertown 

PLYMOUTH 

$2,025 Plymouth 1973 Plymouth Scamp, Bridgeton 

Dart 440 Big Block CHECK IT 

$4,050 Plymouth : Duster 340 Chippewa Falls 

duster 1973 plymouth 

$1,025 Plymouth : Satellite Shawnee Mission 

1973 Plymouth Satellite 

$1,025 Plymouth : Road Runner 73 Aurora 

Plymouth Road Runner 

$700.00 Plymouth : Barracuda 1974 Warrenton 

PLYMOUTH CUDA PROJECT 

1973 plymouth 

More results | About this ad | Show on map 


New!


Jeep DJ-3A Gala 

Surreys were built 

between 1958 and 

1964 with a gap in 

1961. Also offered 

in jade/white and 

blue/white 

treatments, most 

were two-tone pink 

like this example. 

Formerly owned by 

comedian Red 

Skelton, lot 748 

was a fully restored 

’63 model and sold 

with several items 

of Skelton 

memorabilia for 

$77,000. All Gala Surreys had two wheel drive and wide white wall tires as standard equipment. 

It isn’t a Mopar, but this ’23 Ford track roadster packs a 

Hemi surprise that might make your head spin. Sold for 

$38,500, lot 699.2 has a fiberglass Speedway body and 

fabricated Hindman chassis. But the real news is the 

engine…. 

With its wide rocker covers and prominent plug wires, it 

looks like a traditional Hemi. Then you notice the frontmounted 

distributor, aluminum block and oil fill 

instructions written in Japanese. Surprise, it’s a Toyota 

Hemi V8! Never imported here, these alloy Hemis made 

190 hp and were used in Toyota Crown limousines and 

light trucks. Displacement is 241 cubic inches and overall 

dimensions are akin to a Fifties vintage Dodge “baby” 

Hemi. Weird, huh? 


W o r d s a n d p h o t o s b y D a r r H a w t h o r n e 


It is still going to take a lot of work, but in some form or another we are going to get Mopar Max Project Fighting 

Fish to the very popular Southern California Spring Fling XXIV held April 17-18 at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, 

Calif. Chrysler Performance West puts on the event; they are an event oriented Southern California Mopar car 

club based in San Fernando Valley. Long before owning a Mopar I made it a point to attend this yearly gathering 

of Chrysler iron. 

Who knows what condition our ’65 Cuda will be in at the Spring Fling, but painted or not, here’s what we’ve been 

working on. 

gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell we 

frenched into the Barracuda’s 

former trunk space, Mancini 

Racing supplied us with 25 feet 

of half-inch aluminum fuel line. 

To get the fuel pumping 

Aeromotive Fuel Systems sent 

us one of their SS Fuel Pumps, 

a Street/Strip fuel pump 

engineered for 200-750 HP 

carbureted engines. 

Holley Performance has 

introduced a new 4150 

Carburetor, called the Ultra HP 

Series featuring mechanical 

secondaries, billet metering blocks 

and base plate. The new carb 

has built-in, oversized Easy View 

Sight Windows for easy and safe 

float adjustment. 

This 750 CFM out-of-the-box carb 

is a beauty and it sits on top of 

our new 410 cubic inch Mopar 

small block. In an earlier article 

we dyno tested the Carco-built 

engine at Westech Performance 

and found that the 750 CFM was 

the biggest carb the engine could 

handle. 

To get ample fuel from the 22 

Aeromotive also supplied a 

high-flow, 100-micron stainless 

steel, cleanable-element fuel 

filter and one of their adjustable 

fuel regulators as well as all the 

braided fuel line and the fittings we’ll need in the plumbing department. It will be perfect for road racing at 

Buttonwillow, driving on the street, or if we want to bracket race at Irwindale Dragstrip on Thursday night. 

Project Fighting Fish: In the Home Stretch - Page 1 of 3 - MoparMax.com


To gain more valve cover clearance in the engine compartment, Mancini Racing supplied us with their 

A-body offset adapter (part #MREAR6717) for late model master cylinders. 

This offset billet block will also hold the Wilwood aluminum master cylinder and still leave enough 

room for the hydraulic clutch master cylinder to the right. 

Getting to the back of the engine, we finally found a company 

making an SFI 6.1 spec bellhousing for the Mopar small block, 

and since we will be racing the ‘Cuda, we have been looking 

hard. QuickTime Performance Products offers a full line of 

bellhousings (for Chevys and Fords too), using a unique 

manufacturing process. 

The QuickTime cone is spun not rolled or stamped, and 

according to the manufacturer, allows the bellhousing to be the 

most dimensionally stable bellhousing available and only 

weighs 22 pounds. We test-fit the bellhousing assembly and 

motor pull plate around the McLeod clutch assembly and mated 

the A-833 4-speed…and everything fits. 

click to enlarge 

Project Fighting Fish: In the Home Stretch - Page 2 of 3 - MoparMax.com 

ADVERTISEMENT 

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT 

This project is getting a hydraulic throwout bearing and 

McLeod makes one of the best units on the market. They use a Wilwood slave cylinder assembly and the McLeod 

kit #14005-10 is complete with everything we’ll need. 

We have been sanding, smoothing, cleaning, fabricating, painting, re-hanging the doors, and have basically 

worked on every inch of this A-body during the build. We’ve still got some parts on the way, like QA1 adjustable 

shock absorbers, the steering parts from Borgeson to meet the Firm Feel manual steering box, a RacePak Digital 

Dash and some Weld Wheels at the corners. We can’t finish fabrication and assembly until all the parts are in. 

However, we are getting close to the finish with Project Fighting Fish and Zak Hawthorne can’t wait to put it 

through its paces. Mainly he can’t wait to get his hands on that nearly 490 horsepower, 410 cubic-inch small 

block. As Zak said in frustration last week while working in the shop, “I gotta go racing!” 

Source Box 

Aeromotive Serious Fuel Systems http://aeromotiveinc.com 

Borgeson Steering Components http://www.borgeson.com 

Chris Alston Chassisworks http://www.cachassisworks.com 

Holley Ultra HP Series http://www.holley.com/types/4150_Ultra_HP_Series.asp 

Lucas Oil Company http://www.lucasoil.com 

Mancini Racing http://www.manciniracing.com 

McLeod Racing http://mcleodracing.com 

QA1 Precision Products http://qa1.net

QA1 Precision Products http://qa1.net 

QuickTime Performance Bellhousings http://www.quicktimeinc.com 

S&W Racecars http://swracecars.com 

Todd Farrand Fabrication http://mercenaryoffroad.com 

Wilwood Engineering http://wilwood.com/index.aspx 

Project Fighting Fish: In the Home Stretch - Page 3 of 3 - MoparMax.com

Create a RADorBAD account 

Upload your rides 

Create a garage 

Compete for cash 

Easy to use 

Sign up in seconds 

Is your ride RAD or 

BAD? Read more. 

Member Login 

The Raddest Ride Wins! 

Username 

Password 

Remember Me 

Become a Member 

Register now 

Click here 

to create your 

Garage! 

Ads by Google 

Car Pictures 

Used Cars 

Pimp My Ride Cars 

Cars and Rims 

Muscle Cars Pics 

ADVERTISEMENT Click NEXT PAGE to skip ad 

wi71383bee | Car 

Offline 

zephyr9900 | Car 

Offline 


Offline 


Offline 


Offline 

FSTJACK | Truck / SUV 

Offline 

mrhotrod | Car 

Offline 

badfish67 | Car 

Offline 

Moparty | Boat 

Offline 

moparcon | Car 

Offline 

MoparMax.com 

Search Advanced Search 

RATE All | Car Art | More Categories | New Rides | Raddest Rides | Read Comments 

Display: With Pictures 


Offline 


Offline 


Offline 


Offline 

FSTJACK | Truck / SUV 

Offline 

boxcar66 | Truck / SUV 

Offline 


Offline 


Offline 

snowbird | Car 

Offline 

moparcon | Car 

Offline

Print This Issue! - Mopar Max Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?