___ Mopar Max Magazine ___ Volume V, Issue 7 - July 2010
___ Mopar Max Magazine ___ Volume V, Issue 7 - July 2010
___ Mopar Max Magazine ___ Volume V, Issue 7 - July 2010
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<strong>Volume</strong> V <strong>Issue</strong> 7 - <strong>July</strong> <strong>2010</strong><br />
LEAD STORY<br />
MIDWEST MOPARS<br />
Rides and Sights Makes The North Star Bright [07/06/10]<br />
COLUMNS<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> To Ya with Chris Barnes<br />
Match Racing with the Canadians [07/06/10]<br />
Basement Garage with Kevin Thomson<br />
Hang on St. Christopher….or riding on the short bus [07/06/10]<br />
Steve Mags Speaks with Steve Magnante<br />
May Your Travels Take You Full Circle [07/06/10]<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> Musings with Geoff Stunkard<br />
Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap [06/02/10]<br />
More Columns »<br />
RACING AND CAR SHOWS<br />
SUPER STOCKERS<br />
AT ST. LOUIS [06/16/10]<br />
HEMIs at the Beech [06/24/10]<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong>s of the First O'Fallon Car Show [06/16/10]<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong>s Down Under [06/02/10]<br />
More Racing and Car Shows »<br />
A couple of days late, but still worth<br />
watching [07/06/10]<br />
Johnson Claims Runner-up at Norwalk,<br />
Locks in Spot in Countdown [07/06/10]<br />
Once-In-A-Lifetime Experiences Up For<br />
Auction at Walter P. Chrysler Legacy<br />
Gala 07/06/10]<br />
Read more <strong>Mopar</strong> Memos »<br />
TECH SECTION<br />
ADDING NITROUS<br />
TO A HEMI [05/03/10]<br />
More Tech »<br />
FEATURES<br />
DICK LANDY<br />
Photos found in a trunk! [05/03/10]<br />
How one man’s love for a car conquered<br />
death [06/01/10]<br />
More Features »
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATE, BUT STILL WORTH WATCHING<br />
[07/06/10]<br />
JOHNSON CLAIMS RUNNER-UP AT NORWALK, LOCKS IN SPOT IN<br />
COUNTDOWN<br />
Team <strong>Mopar</strong> NHRA Full Throttle<br />
Drag Racing Series Pro Stock<br />
driver Allen Johnson made the<br />
20th final round appearance of his<br />
career and came away with a<br />
runner-up finish on Sunday, June<br />
27, at the Summit Racing<br />
Equipment NHRA Nationals at<br />
Summit Motorsports Park in<br />
Norwalk, Ohio.<br />
The <strong>Mopar</strong> Dodge Avenger driver<br />
squared off against Greg<br />
Anderson in the finals at Summit Motorsports Park, but strayed out of the groove midway down the track to watch<br />
his opponent take the win light. It was Johnson’s third runner-up finish of the season and provides momentum as<br />
the team prepares to head off on a three-race Western Swing.<br />
It was an all-HEMI matchup in the semifinals, as the Team <strong>Mopar</strong> Dodge Avenger went against the <strong>Mopar</strong>powered<br />
Dodge Avenger of V. Gaines. Johnson easily advanced as Gaines slowed to a 6.976-second, 204.05mph<br />
run vs. 6.740/206.01 for Johnson.<br />
Johnson’s journey through the first two rounds of eliminations was not as easy. Rookie Shane Gray beat Johnson<br />
off the starting line in the first round, but the Team <strong>Mopar</strong> driver ran him down to win by approximately eight inches<br />
on a 6.718-second elapsed time at 206.16 mph. Johnson then had to run down Greg Stanfield in the quarterfinals,<br />
but ended up with a more substantial win margin of 15 feet on a 6.734/205.69 pass.<br />
By virtue of his first round win over Gray, Johnson became the second Pro Stock driver to clinch a spot in the<br />
Countdown to 1 playoffs. He joins point leader Mike Edwards with locked-in spots with four races remaining in the<br />
17-race regular season, which runs through the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd Aug. 12-15 and sets 10driver<br />
fields for the six-race Countdown. The playoffs begin at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and conclude at the<br />
Automobile Club of Southern California World Finals in mid-November. (Tom Schiltz photo) [07/06/10]<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> Memos - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCES UP FOR AUCTION AT WALTER P. CHRYSLER LEGACY GALA<br />
(<strong>Mopar</strong> <strong>Max</strong> file photo)<br />
It'll be an automobile enthusiast's dream come true as guests of the inaugural Walter P. Chrysler Legacy<br />
Gala will have an opportunity to bid on extraordinary experiences - including a day with Richard Petty and a<br />
private tour of Jay Leno’s Big Dog Garage - in silent and live auctions during the Saturday, <strong>July</strong> 24, event.<br />
Held at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, in Auburn Hills, Mich., the 7-11 p.m. Legacy Gala will celebrate 85<br />
years of Chrysler heritage and honor four automotive and entertainment icons - who will all be in attendance<br />
- with the Walter P. Chrysler Legacy Award: Former Chrysler Chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca; Tonight<br />
Show host and car collector Jay Leno; and NASCAR Champion Richard Petty. Former Chrysler Design<br />
Chief Virgil Exner will be inducted posthumously, represented by his son Virgil Exner, Jr.<br />
A limited number of gala tickets are available for public purchase online at www.wpchryslermuseum.org<br />
and by phone at 800-987-9807. Gala tickets, benefiting the nonprofit Museum, are $500 per person, a<br />
significant portion of which is tax-deductible.<br />
The silent and live auctions are just one highlight of an amazing event that will begin with a strolling dinner<br />
throughout the Museum's three floors and feature the inaugural Walter P. Chrysler Legacy Circle induction<br />
ceremony of Iacocca, Leno, Petty and Exner; a full-length performance donated by Jay Leno and a dessert<br />
and coffee afterglow.<br />
Among the particularly remarkable items up for auction, with proceeds benefiting the Museum, are:<br />
-- A Day with Richard Petty - hold court with "The King," in North Carolina, and tour Petty's Garage; visit the Richard Petty Museum with exhibits<br />
spotlighting his career; get a behind-the-scenes look at Richard Petty Motorsports and four of NASCAR's most popular teams and drivers: Kasey<br />
Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard; and visit Victory Junction Gang Camp, serving children with serious illnesses on 84 acres of<br />
land donated by Richard and Lynda Petty.<br />
-- Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage and Tickets to "The Tonight Show" - take a private tour of<br />
Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage in southern California featuring one of the world's greatest car<br />
collections. The 17,000<br />
square-foot custom-built garage has enough space to work on a dozen cars and, with nearly<br />
a quarter of the space occupied by a machine shop, is one of the best-equipped private<br />
garages on the planet. End the day in "The Tonight Show" audience, enjoying the<br />
merriment that has made Leno America's late-night leader for nearly two decades.<br />
-- Chrysler Tech Center Behind-the-Scenes Tour - enjoy a casual stroll with Ralph Gilles,<br />
President and Chief Executive Officer, Dodge Car Brand and Senior Vice President of<br />
Product Design, Chrysler Group LLC into the massive Chrysler Technology Center, in<br />
Auburn Hills, for a peek into the inner-workings of the automaker's design office,<br />
engineering labs and other key areas, including the wind tunnel.<br />
-- Chrysler Historical Vehicle Collection Behind-the-Scenes Tour – talk shop with Brandt<br />
Rosenbusch, Manager of the Chrysler Historical Vehicle Collection, while marveling at more than<br />
250 heritage vehicles tucked away in this private automotive oasis. Enjoy a fascinating history<br />
lesson while exploring a wide range of models in various stages of restoration.<br />
-- SRT Track Experience at the Michigan International Speedway - enjoy an entire day of fullthrottle<br />
action! The SRT Track Experience includes guidance by professional instructors from the<br />
Richard Petty Driving Experience to ensure fun and top-level instruction in a safe and structured<br />
setting through four driving modules: Autocross, Full-Throttle Challenge, Hot Laps and<br />
Performance Driving.<br />
-- 2011 Daytona 500 all exclusive weekend passes - experience a trackside view of "The Great<br />
American Race" on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011 at the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona,<br />
FL. The very special weekend passes include tickets and two VIP credentials for the Daytona<br />
500 Race.<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> Memos - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
(James Drew photo)<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
Visit www.wpchryslermuseum.org for auction item updates and complete Legacy Gala<br />
information, including details about Contribution Opportunity packages offering additional gala enjoyment, such as an exclusive pre-gala reception<br />
attended by the inductees, posed photos with inductees at several giving levels and more. [07/06/10]
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
THINK THEY’LL BE GOING BACK TO THE ASSEMBLY LINE?<br />
Fourteen Chrysler workers from Michigan have claimed half of Ohio's second Powerball jackpot.<br />
The group that calls themselves "The Lucky Thirteen Plus One" (13 are from Michigan and one from Ohio) were at the Ohio Lottery's regional office in<br />
Toledo Monday, June 28, to claim half of the $97 million jackpot from a June Powerball drawing. The winning ticket from the multi-state lottery game<br />
was sold to one of the group's members at Shirley's Carryout in Curtice, Ohio.<br />
The group, comprised of workers at a Detroit-area Chrysler paint shop, has chosen a cash option of approximately $25.1 million. After federal and state<br />
taxes, each group member will receive a one-time payout of $1.2 million. [07/06/10]<br />
BUSCH HANGS ON FOR 3RD AT NEW HAMPSHIRE<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
Jimmie Johnson continued his resurgence in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series by winning the June 27 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 after taking the lead<br />
from Kurt Busch with less than two laps remaining at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.<br />
Johnson, who also won last weekend's road-course race at Sonoma, CA, took the lead from Jeff Burton just after a restart with 12 laps remaining.<br />
Burton did not pit, while the other leaders came in for the final time following an incident with Juan Pablo Montoya and Reed Sorenson.<br />
Two laps after losing the lead, Burton, on old tires, got loose and crashed into Kyle Busch while the two were battling for position. The final caution set<br />
up an eight-lap shootout to the finish. After the last restart, Kurt Busch chased down Johnson and made a bump and run move on the four-time<br />
defending series champion to take the top spot for the first time in the 301-lap race.<br />
But Johnson came storming back and took the lead with a lap and a half to go. Johnson then cruised to his fifth victory of the season and the 52nd of<br />
his Cup career.<br />
"Kurt knocked me out the way, and I thought, 'I don't care if I win this race or not, and I don't care if I finish this damn thing, I am running into him and<br />
getting back in line one way or another'," said Johnson, who won at New Hampshire for the third time.<br />
Tony Stewart passed Kurt Busch on the final lap to take second, while Busch ended up third. Jeff Gordon and points leader Kevin Harvick rounded out<br />
the top-five.<br />
"At the end, our car was very strong on the short run, and we knew we needed tires to be able to battle these guys," Kurt Busch said. "We didn't have a<br />
winning car, but we almost put it in position to get a win. While battling with Jimmie, we did what we could to get the lead, and I was just counting the<br />
laps and saying that there's not enough laps, but we battled as best we could." [07/06/10]<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> Memos - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
WEST COAST AA/FC DRIVER KRABILL SPANKS MIDWEST TEAMS AT<br />
CORDOVA<br />
The Gary Tuner-owned “Pedaler”<br />
AA/FC made the trek from the<br />
West Coast to race against the<br />
best cars in the Midwest and<br />
demonstrated why they are<br />
among the best AA Funny Cars<br />
anywhere. With Cory Lee tuning<br />
and Kris Krabill driving, the California team dominated the race June 25-26 at Cordova (Ill.) Dragway<br />
Park at the second annual DragRacingOnline.com AA/FC Challenge presented by Lucas Oil.<br />
The ’77 Arrow was the only car in the fives and one of just two cars that broke the 240 mark. Krabill<br />
had a best ET of 5.938 and a best speed of 242.28 mph. (Don Eckert photo) [07/06/10]<br />
CHRYSLER IS FIRST AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY TO INTRODUCE<br />
VEHICLE-INFORMATION APPS<br />
Last year, Chrysler Group was the first automotive company to replace traditional, bulky owner<br />
manuals with DVDs and user guides. This year, the company is introducing the industry's first<br />
smartphone vehicle-information application.<br />
In addition to general vehicle information including vehicle operation, maintenance and warranty, this<br />
new app offers product-feature video demonstrations, connections with fellow owners via the<br />
company's brands on social media sites, and access to customer care and 24-hour roadside<br />
assistance.<br />
"With our vehicle-information app, we are taking customer care to a new level by creating a<br />
convenient, on-demand channel of communication with our customers," said Pietro Gorlier, President<br />
and CEO of <strong>Mopar</strong>®, Chrysler Group LLC. "Creating this new channel of communication will enhance<br />
the customer experience. And it's a great example of how we can add value to our vehicles and build<br />
brand identity. This new app will also be a source for potential customers to learn about our vehicles."<br />
The vehicle-information app for the all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee will be available for<br />
download on to personal smartphones. The vehicle-information app, developed by Michigan-based<br />
Tweddle Group, is designed to support vehicles in the U.S. market. The app will first be available for<br />
iPhone® and later for BlackBerry® and Android(TM) devices on major mobile carriers.<br />
The application, which is free to the consumer, will eventually phase into future Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat,<br />
Jeep and Ram Truck vehicles in the U.S. by the end of this year. [07/06/10]<br />
HOLLEY EMERGES FROM CHAPTER 11<br />
Holley Performance Products Inc., Bowling Green, Ky., has announced that it has significantly<br />
improved its capital structure and liquidity through a successful voluntary bankruptcy reorganization,<br />
effective June 22.<br />
As a result of the reorganization, the company reduced its debt by more than $59 million and obtained<br />
new credit arrangements including a revolving credit facility that provides Holley with substantial<br />
flexibility to pursue its growth initiatives, according to a press release.<br />
“Holley has emerged with an extraordinarily strong balance sheet, which provides us with the flexibility<br />
to reinvest in our business and positions us well for continued growth,” said Tom Tomlinson, Holley<br />
CEO. “We have accomplished a true restructuring in a cooperative, efficient and timely manner and<br />
we are deeply grateful for the support and loyalty we received from our customers, dedicated<br />
employees, suppliers, lenders and shareholders. With our new balance sheet, we now have the<br />
financial strength to create value through long-term sustainable organic growth and appropriate<br />
strategic acquisitions while continuing to enhance the reputation and reach of our core stable of<br />
brands.” [07/06/10]<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> Memos - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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NOSTALGIA PRO STOCK SHOW IN OHIO<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Grand Marshal for the event is Super Stock and Pro Stock legend “Akron” Arlen Vanke. (Mark Westfall photos)<br />
THE END IS NEAR FOR PT CRUISER<br />
The last Chrysler PT Cruiser soon will roll off the assembly line, signaling the end of the line for a<br />
historic and beloved little car.<br />
The PT Cruiser went on sale in 2000, during the SUV craze. Despite that, the compact sedan's<br />
quirky styling and useful interior made it a sensation. It helped establish Chrysler as a design leader,<br />
sold far beyond the automaker's expectations, and became one of the rare American small cars<br />
that's an undisputed hit. For a while, it was the best-selling Chrysler-brand vehicle.<br />
When production ends <strong>July</strong> 9, Chrysler will have sold more than 1.3 million PT Cruisers. The PT<br />
was one of the first modern retro vehicles, coming after the VW Beetle and Plymouth Prowler, but<br />
before the Mini Cooper, Chevrolet HHR, Ford Thunderbird and Fiat 500.<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> Memos - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
Thompson Raceway Park has held an<br />
Independence Eve Pro Stock Shootout<br />
for several years, but this year a group of<br />
10 nostalgia Pro Stockers will make an<br />
appearance.<br />
Among the Pro Stockers expected at the<br />
track just east of Cleveland, Ohio, for the<br />
first ever Nostalgia Pro Stock<br />
Shootout are Billy the Kid Lyons, “Queen<br />
Bee”, Ron Hutter’s “Canned Heat”,<br />
Shawn Loboda's "Pain Killer", the Marfizio<br />
Farmanchik Duster, the “Bionic Bird” and<br />
more, all running 9.70 ET’s along with<br />
rosin dry hops and burnouts. [07/06/10]<br />
Production of the Fiat 500 retro car will replace the PT at Chrysler's plant in Toluca, Mexico. (photo courtesy Chrysler Group LLC) [07/06/10]<br />
THE ELEGANCE OF THE SNAKE<br />
The 28th Annual Dana Point Concours d'EleganceTM took place<br />
on Sunday, June 27, on the Monarch Beach Golf Links at the<br />
prestigious St. Regis resort in Dana Point, California. This year's<br />
event featured 100 years of Alfa Romeo and celebrated 80 years<br />
of design from Pininfarina.<br />
The <strong>2010</strong> event Honorary Chairman, Don "The Snake"<br />
Prudhomme, exhibited four of his classic Funny Cars, as well as<br />
his recently restored transporter.<br />
Headlining the exhibit was Prudhomme's original restoration of<br />
the only remaining Mattel Hot Wheels 1970 Plymouth Barracuda<br />
Funny Car as made famous during the "Snake vs. Mongoose" match racing promotion, which saw<br />
Prudhomme and Tom McEwen square off in match races across the country while also making<br />
countless appearances at toy stores, retail outlets and other locations.<br />
“Number 1” to reflect his fourth consecutive NHRA World Championship season. (Ron Lewis photos) [07/06/10]<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
Also on display and transporting the Yellow 'Cuda was Prudhomme's<br />
frame-off and fully restored 1967 Dodge D-700 crew cab Hot Wheels<br />
Ramp Truck which famously toted his Funny Cars during the 1970's match<br />
racing era.<br />
Prudhomme’s exhibit also featured the white 1972 Hot Wheels-sponsored<br />
Plymouth 'Cuda funny car, 1974 Army-sponsored Chevrolet Vega funny car<br />
and the 1978 Army Plymouth Arrow funny car which proudly carries the
Match Racing with the<br />
Canadians<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
couple of months ago my friend Polara Pat, a founding member of the<br />
Wagons of Steel North team, took my advice and read the outstanding<br />
book "We Were the Ramchargers" by Dave Rockwell. Like anyone who<br />
has ever brought a <strong>Mopar</strong> to the drag races, Pat found the book to be<br />
inspirational. He decided to challenge us to a best of five match race at our local track. They would, of course,<br />
make the monster tow from their home base in Nelson, British Columbia to meet us at Bremerton Raceway, ten<br />
miles and a ferry ride from our shop. The catch for us was that our car, the Mighty Josephine II, was a shell sitting<br />
in the corner and theirs was a scienced out mid eleven second race car. We had a month to get the big '70<br />
Chrysler Town & Country ready for the track. The chassis work was basically done. We had installed sub frame<br />
connectors and a complete roll cage. We had fabbed up a really cool fuel system. There was no engine or<br />
transmission but we had put<br />
together a custom Dana 60 with<br />
4.56 gears and a spool. There<br />
wasn't one inch of wiring in the<br />
whole car. We decided to accept<br />
their challenge.<br />
I just had to laugh at myself as we<br />
embarked on the project. The<br />
thing that I hate about most of the<br />
car building shows that I've seen<br />
on TV is that under-the-gungotta-be-done-yesterday<br />
thing. I<br />
mean, isn't this supposed to be<br />
fun? But here we were up against<br />
the clock trying to do in weeks<br />
what would normally take us months. We started by making a list. The thing that made this project economically<br />
feasible was that we had many of the expensive components on hand, notably a motor, transmission, and<br />
converter. The brakes that come stock on a '70 Chrysler are huge discs up front and drums out back for slowing<br />
down a family of six towing a boat with a fifty five hundred pound wagon. That's plenty of stopping power for our<br />
purposes. We adapted them and the steering to a manual configuration. We gutted as much weight out of it as<br />
possible. We cut all the metal and<br />
window mechanisms out of the<br />
doors, replaced the glass with<br />
Lexan, then reinstalled the<br />
original door panels. The inner<br />
fender wells are not structural in a<br />
"C" body and can be unbolted<br />
and discarded. Everything is gone<br />
that doesn't make the car go with<br />
the idea in mind that I want her to<br />
look more or less original from the<br />
outside.<br />
The motor is a 480 cubic inch<br />
stroker 440. It was originally built<br />
for a guy who wanted to drive on<br />
the street with something that<br />
looked like an original <strong>Max</strong><br />
Wedge. He had Dvorak work over<br />
a set of "516" heads to accept a<br />
<strong>Max</strong> Wedge sized intake (no<br />
small feat!) and fitted the short<br />
block with custom soap dish pistons for pump gas friendliness.<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> to Ya - Match Racing with the Canadians - Page 1 of 3 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
He died before it was done and we took over the project. We installed an ancient 440 Six Pack Stock<br />
Eliminator cam and Shubeck solid lifters. With 1.6:1 rockers it's probably getting .550" lift with some<br />
kind of typically crazy stocker cam duration. It has that rat-a-tat-tat-tat sound to it. It runs on pump<br />
gas so it doesn't smell good. This motor made the four thousand pound Savoy run eleven flats a<br />
couple of years ago. The fuel cell is from Jeg's and feeds almost directly into a Magna Fuel Pro Star<br />
500 fuel pump leading to a Barry Grant 4 port regulator and the big 1050 cfm Holley Dominator. If<br />
you look into the fuel cell while the car is running it looks like a toilet flushing! Headers are Hooker<br />
Super Comps that I've had for fifteen years.<br />
We painted everything in the<br />
interior True Value X-O Rust<br />
Satin Black with rollers and<br />
paint brushes. We eventually<br />
want to replace the original<br />
steering wheel and column<br />
but we didn't have the time.<br />
The plastic fantastic race<br />
bucket is another necessary<br />
annoyance. These things are<br />
very uncomfortable even for<br />
short periods of time. I put an<br />
old pillow under the cover<br />
and makes it bearable until<br />
we find a good seat. I wired it<br />
but don't tell anyone. Just<br />
kidding--wiring a race car is<br />
easy, fun, and satisfying. I've never been able to afford to have someone else do it and even if I<br />
could, are they going to come to the track with me the day my ignition box takes a powder or my<br />
water pump dies?<br />
The driver's name may be Polara Pat but this wagon is actually a '67 Monaco that we sold him many<br />
years ago. After the nightmare of registering a Yankee wagon to get into Canada, making it a racer<br />
was easy work. Not! The Wagons of Steel North team has been racing and working on this machine<br />
with intense dedication since day one and the results are one of the most unique drag racing vehicles<br />
on the planet. They are currently running dual Holleys on a tunnel ram on a 440 (of course!) with a<br />
727. They are able to get away with running an 8 3/4" rear end assembly because this wagon weighs<br />
a paltry 3600 pounds with driver. These boys know how to play with fiberglass. Check out the custom<br />
hood scoop. Custom headers exit right behind the front wheels. Oh yeah, it's very loud.<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> to Ya - Match Racing with the Canadians - Page 2 of 3 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
I'm pleased to say that we actually made it to the track. We had no time to test<br />
it except on the street in front of the shop. The neighbors love us. Really, they<br />
stand in their driveways and wave when we drive up and down the street in<br />
our race cars. How lucky is that? My partner/crew chief Mike Brenno took the<br />
first hit because he owns the engine. Unfortunately, we had left a 6000 chip in<br />
our rev limiter so it wasn't a fast lap but at least everything hung together. I got<br />
the next run.<br />
The big wagon felt smooth and powerful. I got a decent 1.56 second sixty foot<br />
time on the way to a 11.7 quarter mile. After that it was time for our designated<br />
driver, Matt Hatfield to take over the wheel for the match race. Matt drove this<br />
car regularly when it was a low fourteen second Sportsman racer, including a<br />
semi final finish at the 2007 Division Six Bracket Finals at Woodburn.<br />
<strong>Mopar</strong> to Ya - Match Racing with the Canadians - Page 3 of 3 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
Matt did his job well, cutting a .003 light and hitting every shift perfectly on the<br />
way to a 11.62. Unfortunately, the Canadians still had us by a bumper running<br />
in the 11.5 second zone. The crowd loved it. The next pass was more of the<br />
same. The Canadians were up on us 2-0. Then the weather gods intervened. It<br />
started raining and didn't stop for the rest of the weekend. We had gone in<br />
thinking that our wagon might run ten second quarter miles. That would have been cool but running so close was better. Now we'll have to meet them<br />
to finish it off sometime later this season. We've already found a tenth or two for them. Maybe they'll have to put a third carburetor on their tunnel ram!<br />
On <strong>July</strong> 18 we'll be at Woodburn Drag Strip for their annual <strong>Mopar</strong> show. We are planning to make our first passes in Brutus with our legal Stock<br />
Eliminator 383. Dvorak is shipping it as I write this. We are very excited about that. The Savoy is my favorite race car ever, of course, but Brutus is<br />
something that we are all very proud of. We will also bring Josephine II and a bunch of Wagons of Steel swag. Be sure to come out and have a good<br />
time with us if you're in the neighborhood!
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Hang on St. Christopher….or riding on the short bus<br />
om always said a fast car was trouble and she’s right. The adrenaline rush of a torquey big block is addictive and<br />
the urge to use it doesn’t always rear it’s head at the best of times. When I bought my old yellow Satellite back in<br />
1994 it was the fastest thing I had ever driven and I had just turned 30 years old. I didn’t use my teen years to get<br />
my fast car yaya’s out or get into trouble––nope, that all started at age 30. The following is a list of anectdotes from my<br />
stupidest moments behind the wheel. I will point out that the car has a certain magical luck it about that kept me and my<br />
passengers in one piece. Whenever these sort of things happened it was because I was showing off, pissed off, buzzed, or<br />
just plain being dumb…short bus.<br />
Back in the spring of 1995 I was still happily married and very much into taking little cruises all over the peninsula, back<br />
and forth over the mountains then up and down the coast. A favorite road at the time was Alpine Road. Alpine is a twisty<br />
one and a half laner with poor pavement, steep grades, and amazing views. On a beautiful day with all the windows down,<br />
my wife, our dog Sullivan, and I were cruising Alpine from Skyline to Route 1. I had just put 14X6 Magnum 500’s on the car<br />
and she felt so sure with her new rubber and wider rims. I was going too fast but staying in control and really having fun<br />
when a nasty downhill S-curve showed up.<br />
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The bad pavement had the car yawing, and combined with our speed<br />
and the 4-wheel drum brakes I wound up momentarily locking a rear wheel, then fishtailing from one<br />
side of the narrow road to the other. The car was waaaayyy loose. Embankment on the left, pretty<br />
steep drop off on the right. We went right. With every ounce of my strength on the brakes we slid off<br />
the road and then abruptly stopped, pointed downward at approximately 60 degrees.<br />
The dog was out of the car in a flash and sitting up by the road. I looked over at Krista, asked her if<br />
she was all right and had her go out the window very slowly and carefully. I set the e-brake, put the<br />
stalled car into park and then gingerly let my foot off the brake. The car didn’t move so I went out the<br />
window to join my frightened little family up on the road. The car was pointed so steeply downward<br />
that the rear bumper was nearly at eye level.<br />
So, what kept us from taking the wild ride all the way down??? The k-frame hung up on a culvert<br />
sticking out of the hillside. About 20 minutes later a car went by and took Krista up to Skyline and<br />
over to 84 to use a pay phone and call in a tow truck. About two hours later we were driving home,<br />
scared but in one piece. Damage: Ego bruised and a bent k-frame.<br />
Not too long after that incident I got a sure-grip for the car and promptly learned to spin donuts. My<br />
god! Who would have thought that such an idiotic manuever could be so fun! I loved it and back in<br />
those days the Mission district was still pretty industrial with an abandoned feel and I left black circles<br />
all over the place…I am sure cementing my reputation as a pure dumb-ass in the process. Anyway, I<br />
was cruising with my friend Thalo and I decided to show off my donut spinning skills. Yeeee-haw! We<br />
spun and spun like there was a giant stake in the middle of the car until I got the crazy notion that I<br />
was good enough at it to just flip the wheel and spin the other way. Nope. Car got violently out of<br />
shape and went straight for a fire hydrant. With all four locked up we smacked the curb inches away<br />
from the hydrant. Damage: mangled self esteem, bent strut rod.<br />
One day, I was enjoying a new horsepower increase after installing a 750 Holley. As a sales pitch to<br />
my friend Bob, that he too, should install such a carburetor on his ride, I was punching the Satellite all<br />
over Soma like a hesher on PCP. Screeeeee, woooo hoooo! Nothing like a stoplight burnout to scare<br />
the brand new .com wunderkind that were beginning to flood the town. As we headed downtown the<br />
traffic thickened but I was on it, deftly (so I thought) steering the car at 40 plus through the thickets.<br />
Basement Garage - Hang on St. ChristopherÉ.or riding on the short bus - Page 1 of 2 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Up ahead the middle lane was blocked by construction. I saw my opportunity to pull a fast one and make the light at the same time so I punched it.<br />
Unkown to me, a small and very attractive woman was about to run the very red light that was still very green for me. As I sailed past the construction<br />
and into the intersection I heard a huge BANG! and found myself wrestling the car away from a curb packed with pedestrians. We made it scot free but<br />
the passenger side of the Satellite was trashed. The lady tried to pin it on me but I told her to save it, took her number and was about to drive away<br />
when a stranger walked up and said, “I saw the whole thing. She ran the light. Here is my card.” The card read, “Special Agent xxx-xxx, US Department<br />
of the Treasury”. Damage: fixed thanks to special agent’s testimony. I start taking it a little easier around town.<br />
Back in ’97, one of my favorite watering holes was Doc’s Clock. I not only drank there but worked the door on weekends. My favorite time was happy<br />
hour––of course. One winter night I stayed on a little too long. A million “should haves” can be inserted here but none of them happened. I got behind<br />
the wheel and started for home. I had just recently moved to the southern end of the city off 101 and was still getting a feel for this new mini commute.<br />
Rain was just beginning to fall on Caesar Chavez and I made a terrible split-second decision when I got to the 101 on-ramp…I took it. This on ramp is<br />
not partcularly dangerous but the merge can be a bit hairy.<br />
I knew to take it easy in the rain with the sure-grip so I began my merge. Just as I eased over I noticed a car coming on fast so I got on it, momentarily<br />
forgetting that this could be bad news. The transmission banged into second gear and the car immediately went sideways. I thought I could hold it so I<br />
stayed in it but I was not nearly capable. I was now all the way across up to the guardrail so I panic steered the other way and spun the car across 4<br />
lanes of US 101 and came to rest ever so gently with my rear bumper against the Bernal hill retaining wall. Not one scratch on me, the car, or anybody<br />
else. Wide eyed drivers stared at me as they drove by. I re-started and drove home shaking like a leaf. Damage: pissed jeans, self-image in garbage<br />
can for weeks, car fine.<br />
By this time I had really begun to take things a little easier but I still enjoyed a good romp now and then. I was becoming a good driver but I was not the<br />
bad-ass I thought myself to be. This was plainly borne out on the 20mph, left hand corkscrew on-ramp to 101 south from Alemany Boulevard. The car<br />
was now quite properly set up with disc brakes, a hemi suspension and cop rims with 235/60 Goodyears on them. Fucking bad-ass. At about 1:00 am<br />
after a long practice with my old band, “Touched By A Janitor” ––yes ( www.myspace.com/touchedbyajanitor )––I decided I was going to test the limits<br />
of adhesion on that ramp. Winding out first gear, I passed a little car and then right at the apex I completely lost it. Fortunately for me the car spun in<br />
and I did not hi-side it. With every bit of St. Christoper hanging from the AM knob I spun into the bark chips in the center and missed every single freshly<br />
planted sapling. Damage: demoted skill levels, car fine.<br />
I was determined to be a better driver so I read up and practiced in empty lots and empty streets when I could, dry and wet. I was not going to be the<br />
fool that lights ‘em up out of the car show only to j-turn into a bunch of parked cars. No way, my shit was gonna be perfectly sideways, crossed up dirt<br />
track style, Jim Rockford all the way. One of my favorite places for these shenanigans was on the dirt roads surrounding the Bonneville salt falts. I had<br />
just executed some perfect dirt track turns earlier in the day so I decided to show off for my lady friend, Patricia. (who, by the way, did not enjoy such<br />
things and very bravely put up with my lunacy) I went into a sweeping left hander a bit faster than I had earlier and sure enough lost it again and this<br />
time into a sandy berm with a flat tire, in 102 degree heat. Damage: absolutely searing look from lady friend that I can feel to this day, flat tire, scuffed<br />
rockers.<br />
Well, that was it for me. I pretty much gave up on any dirt track style BS and kept that stuff for big parking lots with nobody around. Still, I liked driving<br />
fast and took pride in knowing my limits and how to approach them. So there I was, driving from Bayshore Boulevard onto 101 North. I knew this long<br />
curve well and I liked to hammer it when there was no traffic.<br />
I was first in line at the light and the road was clear so I nailed it pretty good, leaving without a scratch or chirp and then accelerating quickly into the<br />
curve. Just at the apex I noticed the road looked shiny, black, shiny. WHAM!!!! The back end goes out to the right and I am now pointed at the<br />
guardrail, highway 30 feet below me. I said to myself, “no way, not today”, and counter steered, put in a little bit of throttle and somehow, miraculously<br />
kept it pointed at the rail with the wheels turned where I wanted the car to go and I this time I made it! I think the guy in the US Mail truck a few lengths<br />
behind me had his doubts but I was once again pointed straight and heading safely down the road. Damage: none, should have been driving slower.<br />
If I could do it all over again, I would take a high performance driving course and learn to do it right and on the track. I learned the hard way that to be a<br />
good driver is a very different thing from being a high performance one or a true racer….and I got very, very lucky. My old ’66 had, and still does have,<br />
a certain magical protective quality about her; I really believe that. So far, she’s kept everyone who’s ever crashed her in one piece…hang on St.<br />
Christoper.<br />
Basement Garage - Hang on St. ChristopherÉ.or riding on the short bus - Page 2 of 2 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
May Your Travels Take You Full Circle<br />
t’s summertime and the living is easy. I’m writing these words on Monday evening, June 28, <strong>2010</strong>. I’m<br />
sitting at my home computer in peaceful North Brookfield, Massachusetts. There’s a refreshing cool<br />
breeze blowing through the window and it is almost midnight. It’s all a far cry from where I was last night.<br />
A mere 24 hours ago I was 3,200 miles away, sitting in the second row at the Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd. in<br />
Hollywood, CA.<br />
I have no desire to become a comedian but I do appreciate what these guys do every night. Being a stand up<br />
comic is one of the toughest jobs on earth. No kidding. If you’re good, every show involves basically setting<br />
yourself on fire – then dousing the flames when the blue neon star on the wall blinks on and your “time is up”.<br />
Because it’s Hollywood, you have no idea who is going to show up and perform at the Comedy Store on any given<br />
night. I’ve seen Pauly Shore (who co-owns the joint with his mother Mitzy and drives a bright red hemi-powered<br />
Dodge Magnum SRT-8) Michael Richards (Seinfeld’s Cosmo Kramer one week before he muttered that infamous<br />
word that got him in so much trouble), Bobby Lee (of Mad TV), Andrew Dice Clay (you have to ask?), Don Barris<br />
(lunatic warm-up man for the Jimmy Kimmel show and star of Windy City Heat), John Caparulo (Chelsea Lately),<br />
Chris Rock (comedy icon) and countless other lesser-known comics do their routines.<br />
Hot Tip: though the Main Room is a proper buy-a-ticket-see-the-big-names-in-a-2-hour-show deal, you really want<br />
to see the comics perform in the Original Room. It’s a small, seedy, dark place where a new comic does his / her<br />
act every 15-minutes from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. every night of the year. And yes, the same big-name guys who<br />
do their thing before hundreds of audience members in the Main Room will also filter through the Original Room<br />
before the night is done. In a nutshell, you get a better bang for your 12-bucks in the Original Room. Yes, there is<br />
a 2-drink minimum. Make mine Bud bottles and keep ‘em coming.<br />
I was in California last night because I had just finished working the latest Barrett-Jackson collector car auction for<br />
Speed TV. It’s the new show at the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa and ran June 25 through<br />
27. I’m no stand up comic. Rather I am one of the on-camera television commentators during Speed TV’s live<br />
broadcast of the auction.<br />
Working with Mike “Voice of NASCAR on Fox” Joy as each car rolls across the auction block, I help point out the<br />
finer details to the camera so viewers can get a better idea of what each car is – and is not. You know the deal, I<br />
say stuff like; “This one has the letter G in the fifth spot of the VIN so we know it was originally built with a 318 twobarrel.<br />
That said, there’s a 440 Six Pack under the hood now and the body has been upgraded with ‘Cuda<br />
graphics and a Shaker hood”. It’s a fun gig and I always learn more and more with each show I do.<br />
For the past several years Barrett-Jackson has presented auctions in Scottsdale, AZ (January), Palm Beach, FL<br />
(usually in April) and Las Vegas, NV (September or October). Well this year they added this fourth auction in<br />
Costa Mesa, CA. If you tuned in to Speed TV and watched, you’ll know these are excellent times for buying at<br />
auction. Selling prices are very realistic and I lost track of all the cars I could actually afford to own. Not that I have<br />
any right to add another car to the garage, so I didn’t register to do any bidding (though we are allowed to if we so<br />
desire).
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
The first was a visit with George “the King of Kustomizers” Barris in Los Angeles back in May to discuss some custom cars that sold at Barrett-Jackson<br />
(we’ll get back to this in a moment). The second was a visit with mega-collector Tammy Allen in Grand Junction, Colorado. Do you realize this woman<br />
has purchased nearly 100 cars (including many <strong>Mopar</strong>s) at Barrett-Jackson in the past two years? That’s over 5-million dollars in transactions. She’s<br />
often seen on camera and is the attractive blond lady sitting in the front row of bidders. I had a nice interview with this classy and charming lady where<br />
she described her plans to start a classic car chauffer / rental company. You’ll see it soon if you watch Speed TV on Monday nights.<br />
The third highlight show I hosted was centered on auction sales of vintage Ford Mustangs. We shot this one on June 10 inside Ford’s Dearborn, MI<br />
Design Center and at the Flat Rock, MI Auto Alliance Mustang (and Mazda) assembly plant. It was amazing to go behind the scenes and see some of<br />
the new Mustangs that’ll roll out soon. Hint: If Dodge releases a modern rendition of the 1970 Challenger T/A, it’ll be a perfect alternative to what Ford<br />
has in store for its next limited edition Mustang, due out in late August. Did somebody say Boss 302 with a specially tuned 440 horsepower 5.0 liter<br />
DOHC V8? We’ll know for sure in a scant few weeks.<br />
I know this is <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong> but these Ford-based ramblings have their place.<br />
Especially when I tell you the Mustang brand manager described to me<br />
encountering at least one Dodge Challenger V10 engineering mule car in local<br />
Detroit traffic. Yep, he’s a serious car dude and knows what he sees. Without<br />
any doubt, he verified the existence of “a dull black Challenger with a large<br />
hood bulge and a very Viper-esque (V-10) exhaust note”. Ah, the stuff you see<br />
hiding in plain sight if you spend much time around Detroit. Let’s hope there’s<br />
a V-10 Challenger in the forecast…and perhaps a revived Mustang Boss 429<br />
to meet it on the showroom floor…and drag strip. No matter what team you<br />
cheer for, competition improves the breed!<br />
Steve Mags Speaks - May Your Travels Take You Full Circle - Page 2 of 3 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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Parked next to one of several Barris-authorized Batmobile replicas, the Black Beauty show car recreation spent most of its life as a well preserved stocker. The custom<br />
transformation was performed within the past few years.<br />
Okay, back to the George Barris visit. As we did our interviews and shot footage all around the<br />
shop I learned that Barris is an extremely kind dude and very easy to talk to. I was wandering<br />
around the garage area and saw one of the many Black Beauty recreation cars that are touring<br />
in support of the Green Hornet franchise (both the sixties TV show and upcoming feature film). If<br />
you didn’t know, the original Black Beauty was based on a 1965 Chrysler Imperial – and so are<br />
these modern-era clones.<br />
The one in Barris’ shop that warm spring day (Friday, May 7 to be exact) was outfitted for duty<br />
on the national car show circuit. As I checked it out I noticed the original Chrysler Certicard was<br />
still in its holder ahead of the radiator. So I gently slipped it out for a look. Imagine my surprise<br />
when I saw that the car was originally sold in October 1965 to a woman from West Brookfield,<br />
Massachusetts…the small New England town I grew up in! The original owner was a Theresa<br />
Poti of 10 Lake Street, West Brookfield, MA. A relatively meaningless fact to anybody else in the<br />
shop, I didn’t make a big deal out of it and quietly returned the thin metal card to its black plastic<br />
holder.<br />
My jaw dropped when I saw the name and address on the<br />
Certicard. Like all ’65 Imperials, power comes from a 413<br />
big block. Barris and his brother Sam (who died from<br />
cancer in 1967) are generally recognized as being the first<br />
to top-chop a ’49 Mercury.
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
But in my head, I felt a huge wave of cosmic connection. You see, as a kid growing up in West Brookfield, I<br />
became aware of George Barris’ name when my Mom and I walked into Burnham’s general store on Main St., the<br />
only place to get model kits in our small town. The kit selection was modest but I took my time and tested Mom’s<br />
patience on every visit. Usually she shopped while I looked at the models, but she’d always have to pry me away,<br />
telling me to hurry up and choose a kit to buy.<br />
I remember one day in 1974 seeing a two-in-one AMT plastic model kit containing the Barris-built Munster Koach<br />
and Drag-U-La from The Munsters TV show. Marketed as “The Ghoul Duo”, the fact that it contained two complete<br />
models for the price of one was all it took. I recall the cool box art featured pictures of the actual cars and a funky<br />
Dracula cartoon character that rang my 10 year old bell. Mom paid the $1.98 and I built both cars. They came out<br />
pretty well but the fact they were already molded in black plastic spared me from the task of painting – which I<br />
wasn’t much good at when I was 10. But I do remember smearing Testors cement all over the Drag-U-La’s clear<br />
plastic canopy and really messing it up.<br />
The crazy thing is that Burnham’s general store was located<br />
right in the center of town. If you looked out the front<br />
window, you could see Lake Street, where the Certicard<br />
says Mrs. Poti and her Imperial once lived. I can’t say I<br />
remember the car. In fact it would have been nearly 10<br />
years old when I bought the model kit on that day in 1974.<br />
But who knows, maybe Mrs. Poti drove the Imperial past<br />
that very moment as Mom and I walked along the sidewalk,<br />
my new Barris Munsters model kit eagerly tucked under my<br />
arm.<br />
I was honored to visit with Barris,<br />
who at “80-something” has as<br />
much energy me. Other<br />
noteworthy Barris-customized<br />
movie and TV <strong>Mopar</strong>s include the<br />
Fireball 500 Barracuda (based on<br />
a 1966 273 Four-Barrel Formula<br />
S), the Thunder Charger (based<br />
on a real H-code ’66 Hemi<br />
Charger) and Corky’s Cuda<br />
(based on a ’68 Formula S 340).<br />
Like many Barris customs, all<br />
three were released as 1/25<br />
scale plastic model kits. Round 2<br />
Models has re-released the<br />
Munster Koach and Drag-U-La<br />
double kit. It should be available<br />
as you read this.<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
Today Mom is gone, Burnham’s is gone and my crudely<br />
assembled Munsters models are gone. Even the lot at 10<br />
Lake Street is bare (I checked). But thanks to a small<br />
chance encounter at George Barris’ North Hollywood shop<br />
some 36 years later, a flood of memories – and one very lucky ’65 Imperial - live on. May your travels take you full<br />
circle too.<br />
Steve Mags Speaks - May Your Travels Take You Full Circle - Page 3 of 3 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Story by Geoff Stunkard Photos by Geoff, John, and Joel Stunkard<br />
For Chrysler iron fans, there are a handful of events that have become ‘gotta go’ occurrences. In the east, it’s probably Carlisle; the Midwest,<br />
the Nats at Columbus and Monster <strong>Mopar</strong> in St. Louis; the south has Garlits event in the fall, and out west, it’s Vegas and Spring Fling. Rapidly<br />
joining these is a show held on the Dakota County Fairground in Farmington, Minn., aptly called <strong>Mopar</strong>s in the Park. Now in its 26th year, the<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong> Club, based in the Twin Cites Metro region with a second chapter in Sioux Falls, S.D. pulls out all the stops for their annual<br />
show, which is held in a town quite close to the St. Paul / Minneapolis region.<br />
2011 DATES: JUNE 4-5<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s, Inc.<br />
22350 Monroe Ave,<br />
East Bethel, MN 55011<br />
763-413-0932<br />
www.midwestmopars.com<br />
Space was set aside for a burnout contest, and put to full and abusive use.<br />
So the garages in the North Star State, plus the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Iowa and beyond bring forth some of the best machinery in the nation,<br />
putting 1000 show vehicles through the gates of the historic facility during the first weekend in June. This is one of the most perfect locations for<br />
such a show – lots of open space for cars and vendors, clean indoor buildings for special displays, a historical 1890s town replica, room for<br />
trailer parking and more. Despite some rain on Saturday, the place was jumping with both owners and enthusiasts.<br />
Part of the attraction has been the willingness to bring in celebrities and special displays, and <strong>2010</strong> was no exception. There were vintage<br />
racecars, movie cars, wonderful new restorations, displays, and personalities from racing’s past. This requires energy and commitment to attain,<br />
and the event was greatly enhanced by this effort. Here is a quick look of just some of what happened during the <strong>2010</strong> running of <strong>Mopar</strong>s in the<br />
Park.<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 1 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
High-quality cars like these are part of every <strong>Mopar</strong>s In The Park; Al Meehan is the owner and is also active as<br />
the club’s secretary. Showing support for the event was the big <strong>Mopar</strong> road show rig and MCR’s display from<br />
Chippewa Falls, Wis.<br />
Several important race car restorations showed up, some for the first time; here is the Dodge Super Stocker that<br />
Butch Leal raced only a couple of months in 1967; he and owner Andrew Distad stand with the car, which was<br />
restored by Jim Remlinger.<br />
Blue Star Performance of LaSalle, Ill., was among the vendors on hand, and displayed this spectacular E-body in<br />
the final stages of paint prep and finishing.<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 2 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Swap meet gems included these two early Hemi mills, ready for your nostalgia project.<br />
The special movie cars seen here<br />
included a real Dukes 1969 Charger<br />
(courtesy Ellingson’s Car Museum in<br />
Elk River, Minn.), the ’66 Coronet fourdoor<br />
from the movie A Serious Man<br />
owned by club member Curt Lawson,<br />
and a documented Christine from the<br />
John Carpenter film by the same<br />
name; Bill Gibson is its<br />
owner/caretaker. It was the most<br />
complete collection of these cars ever<br />
gathered.<br />
TV cars? Yeah, baby, droptops. In the<br />
background is a Nash Bridges 1971<br />
Hemi ’cuda now owned by John<br />
Randall, but even more unique is the 1972 Challenger convertible from the Mod Squad from Ken Schwanke’s<br />
collection.<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 3 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
A little rain on Saturday was not enough to take away the enjoyment many<br />
attendees had; this yellow 440 ‘Cuda droptop is owned<br />
Alex Nord owns this very clean Scamp.<br />
Check out the new iron; the <strong>Mopar</strong> road show is in the background, and the<br />
Red Crown gas station is part of the historical buildings on display at the event.<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 4 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Two race restorations – Akron Arlen Vanke’s 1971 Duster and Judy Lilly’s 1977 Volare. On Sunday, Arlen talked with his old boss, the legendary Bob<br />
Cahill, who was also on hand.<br />
There are famous cars, and there are really famous cars. This is Dick Landy’s 1967 Super Stock<br />
Coronet, converted by him from a 440 R/T built on Halloween Day 1966. A full story on this car<br />
will run in <strong>Mopar</strong> Enthusiast magazine with the event coverage, but you get to see the car here<br />
first! Restorer Erik Lindberg did the work and owns it today.<br />
Several vendors<br />
were displaying<br />
new Drag Paks;<br />
this is SheraDon<br />
Performance’s<br />
booth, which also<br />
had an unbuilt<br />
engine assembly<br />
on hand.<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 5 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Sporting some wild graphics, this is actually a rare 1973 Road Runner GTX that had been factory built with a 440.<br />
Now minus its drivetrain, it was in the car corral for 2900.00.<br />
During a Friday evening get-together, this<br />
is Greg Mosley, Roland Leong, Larry<br />
Reyes, and Kathy Mosley, who now owns<br />
the Hawaiian funny car that Leong and<br />
Reyes barnstormed across the USA with<br />
in 1970. On Sunday, Larry, who was<br />
paralyzed in a 1971 accident while driving<br />
the ‘Super Cuda’ was still smiling before<br />
climbing in the seat while Leong ‘cacklefired’<br />
the car on a fat load of nitro. (Joel<br />
Stunkard photo)<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 6 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
This is the old Huckleberry Hound 1965 A990 Super Stocker, now restored to its original as-built appearance by owner Denny Guest.<br />
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Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 7 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
Pat Storey with SMR Transmissions was on hand as a<br />
vendor; that Dakota’s got a Ray Barton 392” small-block<br />
under the hood.
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Clark and Colleen Rand had four cars on hand – two Sox & Martin Super Stockers, Don Grotheer’s 1968 A12 Six Pack, and Fred Hurst’s injected<br />
AA/GS ‘cuda.<br />
Club president Chad Hynes was on hand to help give out dozens of trophies on Sunday afternoon. Hynes was honored as well for his service to the<br />
group.<br />
The minivan from Scooby-Do. Inquiring minds still wonder why Shaggy always wanted something to eat. Luckily, the evil guy with the scary mask who<br />
runs the old amusement park down on the pier didn’t show up.<br />
Midwest <strong>Mopar</strong>s at Farmington, MN - Page 8 of 8 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
A FEW STORY IDEAS FOR MAGNANTE<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Hi Steve, I’ve been a big fan of your columns and thoroughly enjoyed your latest. If I may, I’d like to offer a few<br />
suggestions for your next altered wheelbase project. You said “there aren’t any other late seventies <strong>Mopar</strong> 2-door<br />
sedans to choose from. The Volare / Aspen is the only candidate.” While I’m not sure about sedans, I do believe<br />
there were 2-door Scamp and Dart hardtops available till about 1976. Weren’t there some altered wheelbase<br />
hardtops used back in the ‘60s?<br />
Concerning your thoughts on a K-car, there are a few I’ve seen on the strip with small and big block mopar<br />
engines. So...why not a ’92 or later truck magnum 3.9L V6? They had good power to begin with, are already fuel<br />
injected, are rear-wheel drive, and should fit with few problems. A hotter cam, a little head work (later version<br />
heads are better quality than earlier), headers (which you can now make), six throttle bodies, and you’re crusin’.<br />
You could probably even make the engine work ok with a stock computer.<br />
One last thought. While not an altered wheelbase vehicle, wouldn’t a late ‘80s <strong>Mopar</strong> van with a stock 2.2/2.5 up<br />
front and a rear drive V8 in the back be a hoot to have?<br />
Ray Block<br />
Columbus, Ohio<br />
Block Party Racing<br />
www.dragtruk.com<br />
On the Steve Mags story of left hand lug nuts, I remember that when my family had our Chrysler Plymouth<br />
dealership in the ‘50s and ‘60s, we had customers that still drove cars from the ‘40s and those cars didn't have<br />
wheel studs and lug nuts (2) pieces like the "late models" but had a one piece lug-stud combination, and, if<br />
memory serves me, they were left hand threads on the driver’s side also.<br />
Dean Marsteller<br />
Pennsylvania<br />
REALLY REACHING BACK: THIS ARTICLE WAS IN OUR NOVEMBER 2006<br />
ISSUE<br />
A while back you guys did an article on upgrading rockers on big block <strong>Mopar</strong>s. On the second page of the article it<br />
says that you can alter the contact location of the roller tip by varying pushrod length. Did the writer flashback to<br />
small block Chevy heads? The only way to alter the roller to valve location (rocker geometry) is to either change<br />
the valve installed height longer or shorter valve) or to change the height of the rocker shaft (shim or machine).<br />
heck it out and let me know what you think.<br />
See what the readers are saying - Page 1 of 2 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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our FREE email newsletter?<br />
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considered for publication.<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> I, <strong>Issue</strong> 4, Page 41<br />
Send It!<br />
"I would guess that there are many ways to get the pushrod length just right. I use a simple method I have used for<br />
20 years. Put a couple of rocker arms on the shaft and drop them down over the adjustable test pushrods. Set the<br />
* Your letter may (or may not) be published in<br />
valve lash, then when you are ready to turn the engine over by hand, slide a piece of carbon paper and regular<br />
our "<strong>Mopar</strong> Mailbag" section.<br />
paper between the tip of the rocker and the valve stem. Turn the engine over on complete cycle and remove the<br />
carbon paper. You will see an outline of the valve tip and a dark line where the rocker arm pushed the hardest.<br />
This needs to be as close to the center of the valve stem as possible. A little trial and error here with trying different lengths on the pushrod will be worth<br />
the time it takes. I ended up about .100” shorter than the original length and it marked the paper dead center on the valve stem."<br />
Dave Wettlaufer<br />
Florida<br />
What do you have to say?<br />
Your name:<br />
Your location:<br />
Your email:
ALWAYS A DELLA FAN<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 <strong>July</strong> 6, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Awesome restoration. I never saw it myself but often do see Della Woods and<br />
her brother Bernie. Wish they could still own it, they are very deserving people.<br />
Jim Richey<br />
Lake Orion, Michigan<br />
Our article about restoring Della Woods’ car ran in 2008. Here is the link:<br />
www.moparmax.com/features/featurecar/iii_11-della-1.html .<br />
A MOPAR GROUPIE?<br />
I was wondering if you could help me get a fan mail address for the <strong>Mopar</strong><br />
Funny Car team?<br />
Carolyn McConaughey<br />
Pennsylvania<br />
Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, and Matt Hagan drive for Don Schumacher<br />
Racing. Here is a link to their contact information<br />
www.shoeracing.com .<br />
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See what the readers are saying - Page 2 of 2 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
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PLATINUM OVAL BED RAILS<br />
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 June 2, <strong>2010</strong><br />
Westin proudly announces the availability of Platinum Oval Bed Rails. This new oval rail design offers a new look to coincide<br />
with the feel of today’s most popular trucks. Platinum Oval Bed Rails are universal in length and are available in a polished<br />
finish to match your chrome or polished trim package. Order yours today! Visit an Authorized Westin Retailer near you or find<br />
a dealer online at: www.westinautomotive.com .<br />
TCI CHRYSLER 318-440C.I. 6-BOLT FLEXPLATE FOR INTERNAL BALANCED ENGINES<br />
protection from damaging elements.<br />
For more information, visit www.tciauto.com .<br />
WATERLESS WASH & SHINE AVAILABLE FROM PROLONG<br />
If you’re a Chrysler performance enthusiast, you understand how well the classic 318-<br />
440c.i. 6-bolt crankshaft powerplants respond to power adders. And to complement<br />
these performance gains, engineers at TCI have developed a high performance<br />
flexplate. The factory flexplate behind these engines can be problematic, even in stock<br />
applications, with issues of cracking and even breaking. So replacing it with an SFIapproved<br />
.107" thick flexplate from TCI is certainly a wise choice to make for your<br />
street/strip machine.<br />
Engineered to prevent cracking and breakage commonly found in lesser quality flexplates,<br />
this new TCI SFI-approved flexplate features a small bolt pattern that utilizes the<br />
7/16" bolt to enable use with smaller high performance torque converters. In addition, the<br />
precision laser-cut steel material is .107" thick (much thicker than the original factory<br />
piece), which makes it much stronger and much more reliable. Finally and most<br />
importantly, this performance flexplate has been tested and is SFI 29.1-approved for<br />
strength and durability. Therefore, if you’re having problems with the stock flexplate<br />
cracking or are in need of a heavy-duty flexplate with the small Chrysler bolt pattern, this<br />
is truly a “must have” upgrade for you performance vehicle.<br />
With converter bolt holes sized to 7/16" diameter, each flexplate is dynamically<br />
balanced to eliminate potentially damaging vibrations and electro-coated for<br />
Prolong Super Lubricants' Waterless Wash & Shine delivers a beautiful car wash in less than 15 minutes without the<br />
need for water, rinsing or drying.<br />
The Waterless Wash & Shine formula features special lubricating agents to encapsulate dirt, sap, tar and bugs so they<br />
can be removed with ease. Simply spray the product on the car surface and easily wipe away with a terry cloth towel,<br />
leaving a beautiful just-waxed shine and smoothness.<br />
"Waterless Wash & Shine is designed to clean most exterior car surfaces including paint, chrome, plastic trim, painted<br />
plastic, wheel rims, headlamp covers and glass," said Jeff Victer, Domestic/International Sales Manager, Prolong. "It's<br />
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formula is non-toxic and doesn't require any water, so it's safe for the environment."<br />
Prolong's Waterless Wash & Shine is an advanced instant detailer that is safe for conventional and clear-coated paints<br />
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water and doesn't rinse off.<br />
For more information, visit www.prolong.com , or contact Prolong at 1937 Mount Vernon Ave., Pomona, Calif., 91768;<br />
phone: 800.540.LUBE (5823); fax: 800.966.LUBE (5823).<br />
Mo Products - Page 1 of 2 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com
<strong>Volume</strong> V, <strong>Issue</strong> 7 June 2, <strong>2010</strong><br />
DOUG’S HEADERS ELECTRIC EXHAUST CUT-OUTS<br />
ATI INTRODUCES WHEEL BEARING SEAL ADAPTERS<br />
ATI Performance Products, Inc. has the answer to removing and destroying pressed-in<br />
wheel bearing seals. ATI part # 150006 is a fully CNC-machined aluminum housing that<br />
replaces the current seal you have to remove when repacking your wheel bearings. This<br />
housing can be removed with just your fingers after a snap ring is removed. The patented<br />
ATI adapter houses an easy to replace o-ring, Smalley brand snap ring, and top-of-the-line<br />
CR Viton "Low Drag" seal. This seal should outlast your current Buna seal by 10X, plus you<br />
don't destroy it to repack your wheel bearings!<br />
ATI Performance Products located in Baltimore, MD, specializes in producing and<br />
maintaining high performance products for street and strip applications. Over the years ATI<br />
has earned a reputation for its cutting edge technology, attention to detail, and rigorous<br />
testing under race conditions. By staying true to these basic principles, ATI has built a loyal<br />
customer base many of who still use parts purchased from ATI in the '80s.<br />
Check out www.atiracing.com for more.<br />
The original Doug’s Headers has announced a New and Improved version of their<br />
popular all stainless steel construction electric exhaust cut-outs in 2 1/2” and 3”<br />
diameters. The engineers at Doug’s have taken their famous electric exhaust cut-outs<br />
and dramatically decreased the size for more versatile installations while lowering the<br />
price as well.<br />
These cut-outs feature a rugged gear reduction 12 volt DC motor and a rotating gate<br />
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cut-outs the Doug’s cut-outs don’t have the leaky gasket sound and when fully opened<br />
there is no exhaust flow obstructions.<br />
A pre-wired harness with an illuminated rocker switch is supplied for easy installation.<br />
Un-cork your exhaust with the flip of a switch from you dash. The cut –outs are ideal<br />
for race tracks that don’t require mufflers. These Doug’s cut-outs are available in<br />
singles or pairs and in complete kits with Y-Pipes for easy installation<br />
Contact your Performance Retailer or call Doug’s Headers Direct at 909 599-5955 for<br />
the name of a local dealer or more information.<br />
DRIVE COOL THIS HOT SUMMER WITH JUSTICE BROTHERS CAR CARE PRODUCTS<br />
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Mo Products - Page 2 of 2 - <strong>Mopar</strong><strong>Max</strong>.com<br />
Hot weather takes a toll on almost every part of your car or truck.<br />
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Cooling System Protector & Water Pump Lubricant will help prevent<br />
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These products are all designed to increase the longevity and performance of your vehicle’s vital cooling systems. They are inexpensive insurance<br />
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