![]() Vintage Cross Ram intake with correct Holley carbsħ27 Torqueflite built by Randy J Transmissionĭana 60 rear end with 4:10 gears and new Mopar springsįront: American Racing TTO with M&H front runners Thanks!Ĥ26 NOS high alloy Fueler block built by Dean NicopolisĬam Motion roller cam and Comp Cams roller lifters For the critics that thought Bill and I were crazy - you were right!Īnd to all the friends that stopped by during the process to lend support in one way or another. This was a commitment that I underestimated at the onset, but was all worth it. Bill makes dreams come true and the rest is history (after only 500 hours, a few dollars, and a few scrapes here and there).Ĭonclusion: This project is not for the faint of heart. ![]() He built his award winning ’69 Plymouth 4-speed Hemi GTX that is his daily driver and weekend racer. Bill has 30 years plus experience in building and tuning performance cars and he specializes in MOPAR's. I kicked the AWB idea around with friend Bill Atwood at Xtreme Auto Service / Group and specializes in building performance cars, complete restorations, and hot rods. Paul Hotkowski, who campaigned a Pro-Stock Duster in the early 70’s called me one day in 2004 and had found a drag car for sale in Kansas that would be a perfect candidate for 10/15 surgery. So, I stashed away that dream for about 35 years and then started talking about it to my friends. It was magic! I never forgot it and thought I might get a 65 Plymouth someday and recreate an A990 car. They were ungainly as they waddled up to the starting line on early wrinkle wall slicks and burned through the rosin several times before their runs. I saw AWB (altered wheelbase) cars at Connecticut Dragway in '65 First Bill Flynn’s Yankee Peddler, then cars like Melrose Missile, Color Me Gone, California Flash, Dave Strickler and Dick Landy to name a few. The seller does not say how much he expects to get for the car, but there is an undisclosed reserve set for it.I first heard of the A/FX cars inaugural outing at AHRA Winter Nationals at the Bee Line Dragway, where they overwhelmed everyone with their awesome look and ”Funny“ stance. The January sale will see it go complete with factory paperwork sent from Chrysler to Lee Smith, post-restoration documents and books, and signatures from Smith (on the dashboard) and the former owners (under the hood). Since it ended its racing days, the Belvedere went through the hand of several owners, all “intimately familiar with the factory altered-wheelbase race cars.” As far as the body is concerned, there are tons of fiberglass parts used on it - fenders, doors, hood, hood scoop, bumpers, decklid and even dashboard. The engine powers a chassis that has a rear axle 10 inches (25 cm) closer to the front end than the stock variant. This particular Belvedere uses the A990 426ci (7.0-liter) HEMI that rocks aluminum heads, magnesium intake manifold, and a 4-speed transmission. Perhaps of more importance for the people in the market for such a beauty is the thing's powertrain and construction. We are told however this is “the most well-documented example of the rare A/FX cars” and at the same time the only one to have ended up in the hands of a private owner, so there are enough unique things to make this ride a real pocket turner at the said event. Its most notable achievement was a runner-up position at the 1966 U.S. ![]() This one is one of six assembled in 1965, of which just two have made it across the decades into our time.īack in its glory days, the car was drag raced by a driver named Lee Smith, with the people selling it during the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, at the beginning of next year, saying the Plymouth was seen back in its day at the strips in Phoenix, Arizona, and Bristol, Tennessee. The Belvedere is one of those altered-wheelbase contraptions made back in the day by Chrysler to take on Ford, that came to be known in some circles, especially those involved with high-speed competitions, as funny cars. Only 12 of these machines were made back then by Plymouth (in 19), all acid-dipped and sent over to a Detroit shop for the conversion. A machine created decades ago with the single purpose of obliterating the competition on the straight line, and one that has become over the years a true collectors’ must-have. What you’re looking at is a piece of motoring history and in some circles a true racing icon.
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