June 2014. pdf

ONE OF ONE: CALIFORNIA KID SUPERCHARGED PROWLER
CHRYSLER 300 GOLDEN LION: HI-PERFORMANCE LUXURY
MOPARS AT THE STRIP COMPLETE EVENT COVERAGE
PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE: QUARTER MILESTONES
ROAD TRIP! SUMMER FUN ON ROUTE 66 CHICAGO TO LA
Mr. Norm’s Supercharged Challengers and ‘Cuda at Mopars at the Strip
JUNE 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Editor’s Page.................................................. 4
Product Spotlight......................................... 60
Cover Story: Tom Hoover’s Super Stock
440 Demon Lives............................................ 8
Millennium Musings..................................... 64
Mr. Norm’s Corner: Frank Wylie.................. 22
Women’s World: Road Trip.......................... 68
June Specials............................................... 29
News You Can Use....................................... 77
Vehicle Feataure: Mr. Norm’s Chrysler 300
Golden Lion................................................... 30
West Coast Report: Mopars at the Strip..... 84
Photographer’s Showcase: Spotlight on
Quarer Milestones........................................ 42
Prowlin’ Around California Style................. 54
EDITORIAL
Publisher and Founder
Mr. Norm
EditorLarry Weiner
Art Director
Deb Murphy
Editorial Assistant
Debbie Weiner
ContributorsLinda Mandalas,
Howard Benjamin, Andrew Schultheis,
Toshi Akatsuka, Marv Herbert
But Wait There’s More.................................. 94
ON THE COVER: Jim Rhinehart smokes the hides on
the 440 Demon
Photo by TheBruntBros.
DEALER SALES
East Coast
West Coast
Mike Staveski
Bob Longstreth
ADVERTISING
John Nichols
863-944-3747
[email protected]
PENTASTAR POWER IS PUBLISHED MONTHY BY MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB
P.O. BOX 381 HIGHLAND PARK, IL 60035 PHONE: 760-630-0547
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mrnorms.com
Editor’s Page
Memories
I
started going to the
drag strip when I was
fourteen years old in
1964. Several of my
friends were a couple
of years older than me,
and they had their driver’s
licenses. John didn’t own a
car, so he would borrow his
big brother’s daily driver, a
1949 Plymouth two door sedan, and each of us would
pitch in one dollar for gas.
Early on Sunday morning,
we would meet at John’s
parent’s house and drive
from Chicago to US 30 Drag-
The radical
Ced’s Muffler
Shop 1967
Nova Funny Car
from Chicago.
This car ran an
injected small
block Chevy. It
started life as
a stock steel
Nova and saw
continuous
modifications,
such as the altered wheelbase
and fiberglass
flip front end.
Note the wild
plexiglass bubble roof.
strip, a little east of Gary, Indiana. In those days it cost
$3.00 for a ticket on the
spectator side, which was a
buck cheaper than the pit
side. Unlike the pit side that
had real wood bleachers, we
watched the racing standing
in the grass while looking
through a chain link fence.
But none of us had much
money, and between the gas
and the ticket, scraping up
$4.00 for me was a big deal.
I was just glad to be able to
tag along.
For some reason, when
4
we worked with TheBruntBros to photograph the Mr.
The Kodak Duaflex camera I used
to capture images that would
have otherwise been lost to time.
Mr. Norm’s Super Charger Funny
Car ready to roll into the bleach
box at US30. This is the car that
won the Coca Cola Cavalcade of
Stars Championship. The Super
Charger raced successfully
all over the country, was a big
crowd pleaser, and every competitor knew that it was a force
to be reckoned with.
Norm’s 440 Demon Super
Stock in action at Barona
Dragstrip near San Diego on
a sunny but crisp Wednesday in January, it brought
back a flood of memories
for me. Standing next to
the Demon when it was in
the water box, the sound of
the 440 was nearly deafening with the open headers,
especially when Jim Rhinehart would drop the throttle
after releasing the line lock.
After getting the big Mickey
Thompson slicks good and
hot, which included enveloping the back of the A-Body
in a cloud of white smoke,
he would do a long burnout
past the tree. After backing
up he carefully staged the
Demon, and when the last
yellow bulb lit, you could almost feel the ground tremble as wrinkle walls bit into
the pavement and Jim left
at full throttle. It would not
have taken much imagination to pretend that we were
testing a new secret weapon
for Chrysler that was sure to
take the Super Stock C class
by storm once
the racing season started.
Those
old
memories were
crystal
clear,
and
I
could
easily
remember the sights
and sounds of
so many of the
cars that ran at US 30 back
during that magical period of
my life when everything was
new and exciting. Whether
it was the Super Stocks, the
Gassers or altered wheelbase
cars, which were the latest
thing in 1965, one thing was
sure; Sundays were the most
exciting day of the week. The
colorful cars with their noisy
engines, the smell of Sunoco 260 or nitromethane, the
smoky burnouts, it was all
magic to a young impressionable boy.
I had a 1947 Kodak Duaflex box camera, and each
time I went to the strip, I
would take pictures of some
of the race cars, especially
once we started going to the
pit side. Many were bright
and colorful, with bold let-
The original Shake, Rattle and Run 1957 Chevy Gasser. Gassers were extremely popular in the Midwest,
and this car had a big fan following. It raced regularly
at US30 and other local tracks. This car has survived,
and was on display last year at the 2013 Muscle Car and
Corvette Nationals.
5
Don Schumacher’s Stardust
Dodge Charger
Funny Car. This
is a very early
fiberglass body
funny car that
transitioned between the steel A/
FX cars and the
full flip top fiberglass body cars.
Note the opening door (with
chrome door
handle!) and flip
front end.
tering on the sides with the
name of the car or the owners. This was years before
the cars became rolling billboards for big buck sponsors
like Budweiser or Mattel.
Many of the cars were really
nicely painted and had a pro-
fessional look to them, even
back then. Some of the cars
that I still remember clearly are the Shake, Rattle
and Run 1957 Chevy gasser, the No Big Thing Simca, and when the fiberglass
flip top funny cars became
1965 Mustang Funny Car was powered by a SOHC Ford with stack injection in the pits between rounds.
6
popular in 1966, cars like
Mr. Norm’s Super Charger,
the Chi Town Hustler, and
Don Schumacher’s Stardust
Charger captured everyone’s
attention and imagination.
I remember watching
Mr. Norm’s 1965 altered
wheelbase Coronet running
against Arnie “The Farmer”
Beswick. Both of them were
running blown motors on nitromethane. At the line, the
nitro fumes were so thick
that you could almost cut
the air with a scissors. Your
eyes would water, and you
could taste it in your mouth.
And I couldn’t get enough
of it. The sheer excitement
of watching these match
racers go at it, side by side
down the track, mere inches apart, fighting for the win;
it was nearly overwhelming.
The track announcer would
be screaming into the mike
“who’s for Mr. Norm in Dodge
in the Tower Lane” and the
crowd would respond at the
top of their lungs. “Who’s
for The Farmer in Pontiac in
the Spectator Lane” and another round of hollering and
near pandemonium would
ensue. Many times, money
would be changing hands
in the stands between different people as they bet on
the outcome of the race. Impassioned bystanders to history, we watched with baited breath as the tree came
down and the cars rocketed
down the track, covering the
1320 feet in what seemed
like no time at all.
I could image the same
kind of response had the De-
mon been running in front
of a packed crowd at US30
back in 1971. It probably would have been racing
against a late model Nova,
Camaro or Mustang in Super Stock; the brand loyalty
of the crowd would have had
them on their feet screaming
at the top of their lungs as
they rooted for their favorite
driver and brand of vehicle
to win, as though their sheer
passion could possibly be
enough to effect the outcome
of the race.
Back from cloud nine,
I can honestly say that it
was a great day to be out on
the track with the 440 Demon Super Stock that Tom
Hoover had the vision to propose, and I’m glad to have
been there to help record
the moment for posterity.
MORE FUN.
LESS DRAMA.
BOLT ON SUSPENSION FOR
1963 - 1976 MOPARS
A/B/E BODY APPLICATIONS
ADJUSTABLE
MONOTUBE SHOCKS
7
Tom Hoover’s Super Stock 440 Demon
From the whatmight-havebeen files
I
Story by Larry Weiner
Photos by TheBruntBros
n 2010, documents were unearthed in a long forgotten
file cabinet at Mopar Performance that had not seen the
light of day in over 40 years.
The documents were prepared by
Tom Hoover on October 6, 1970,
who at that time was in the Drag
Program Department at Chrysler.
They contained information about
a proposed vehicle program that
would have had a significant impact on NHRA Super Stock racing.
The result would have been even
further domination by Dodge in
this important segment.
Over 40 years after Tom Hoover proposed the Super Stock 1971 440 Demon Program to dominate the SS/C class,
his vision sees the light of day, or perhaps we should say obliterates it, as Jim Rhinehart heats the hides in the
water box.
The original rendering by Ben Hermance (right), who was featured in the
May, issue of Pentastar Power is an
excellent example of how the period
correct graphics he designed for the
440 Demon Super Stock were replicated on the actual vehicle.
First, a little history. The
muscle car era was at its
apex in 1970. Mirroring the
enthusiasm for these vehicles, Super Stock racing
was a hot bed of competition that fueled the passion
of enthusiasts whose brand
loyalty was at a fever pitch.
During this time, Dodge enjoyed tremendous success in
the fiercely contested NHRA
Super Stock category with
the highly feared 1968 Hemi
Darts. By this time, it was
obvious that the Hemi Dart
Super Stock program had
succeeded beyond the wildest expectations of Chrysler
management,
engineering
and marketing. Between the
Hemi Darts and the Hemi
Cudas, these vehicles were
nearly invincible in the SS/B
and SS/BA classes, and were
always serious contenders
in Super Stock Eliminator
competition.
The excitement generated by the Hemi Darts at
tracks all over the country
was driving (no pun intend-
ed) enthusiasts who were
influenced by these nearly
unbeatable door slammers
into Dodge dealership show-
“Following in the footsteps of the
Hemi Dart program, Tom Hoover realized that Dodge could follow the same
formula with the new Demon and
dominate SS/C competition by
building another limited
production run of purpose built drag
racing A-Bodies, this time powered
by the 440 Six Pack engine equipped
with 1964 Max Wedge heads, dual
four barrel cross ram manifold and
AFB carbs.
10
”
rooms. Regardless what vehicle or model they chose to
purchase, the undeniable
fact was that the old adage
‘race on Sunday and sell on
Monday” was working very
well for the Dodge Boys. Unlike Funny Cars or Top Fueler Dragsters, enthusiasts
related to Super Stock, because these cars were mirror
images of the vehicles they
could purchase themselves.
Enthusiasts love a winner,
and Dodge had a real winner
on its hands with the Hemi
Dart.
Following in the footsteps of the Hemi Dart program, Tom Hoover realized
that Dodge could utilize the
same formula with the new
Demon and dominate SS/C
competition by building another limited production run
of purpose built drag racing
A-Bodies, this time powered
by the 440 Six Pack engine
equipped with the 1964 Max
Wedge cylinder heads, dual
four barrel cross ram manifold and Carter AFB carbs.
Hoover rationalized that
adding a Super Stock Demon to the racing arsenal
would increase the chance of
Dodge winning Super Stock
Eliminator by 30 percent.
Further, the success of the
Demon program would influence enthusiasts, resulting
in increased vehicle sales for
Dodge. Another bonus would
be the re-release of the highly desirable 1964 Max Wedge
cylinder heads that would
result in additional sales
for Mopar, partially offsetting the cost of the program,
with the additional benefit of supporting racers who
were running existing Dodges and Plymouths equipped
with original heads that were
in need of new replacement
parts that currently did not
11
exist. The Max Wedge heads
would also provide 413, 426
and 440 RB engines with
the proven combination they
would need to effectively
compete with Chevrolet and
Ford “semi hemi” engines
while further reinforcing
Dodge’s performance image.
A base Demon was the
foundation for the Super
Stocker, and much like the
Hemi Dart, the build order
called for a wide range of off
the shelf Mopar parts and
accessories, many of which
were readily available. For
example, backing up the
440, the build called for the
G Series Super Stock A727
Torqueflite in place of the
regular 727, along with a
special driveshaft equipped
with heavy duty 7290
U-joints and axle flanges.
Other components included a D-series 383 radiator,
California flame arrestors
for the dual Carter AFB four
barrels and a ’64 Max Wedge
style hood scoop. Inside, two
lightweight Bostrum seats
and brackets, a rear seat delete with a business coupe
package shelf and rubber
floor mat kept things simple
(read light weight).
Legitimizing the business case for Chrysler, using the 1971 Demon as the
foundation for this program
would have generated tremendous enthusiast excitement for this new Dodge.
The result would have been
enhanced new vehicle and
capture sales for the Demon, especially for the high
performance 340 model that
was poised to go toe to toe
against the likes of small
block Chevrolet Nova SS on
the street and strip. And
who’s to say that Mr. Norm
at Grand Spaulding Dodge
wouldn’t have reprised his
440 Dart GSS with a similar
Demon for the street once
the strip only race versions
hit the asphalt, broke into
the record books and created a tidal wave of interest in
this high performance compact muscle car.
It looked like all systems go for the 440 Demon
program, until it came to a
screeching halt on January
18, 1971, when Tom Hoover
notified everyone involved
that it had been cancelled.
While no formal reason was
ever given for the project termination, it’s probably safe
to say that it may have had
something to do with the
1971 440 cylinder block runs 12.5:1 compression pistons, a .590” lift
Crane Cam is complemented by a mechanical valvetrain. Up top, NOS
1964 Max Wedge cylinder heads, factory cross ram intake and Carter AFB
four barrels are just what Hoover spec’d, along with the carburetor flame
arrestors.
upcoming new federal emissions regulations that were
demanding more and more
engineering
dollars
and
manpower.
When the plug was
pulled on the 440 Demon
Special Drag Racing Package, the paperwork was filed
away and forgotten, making
it little more than a footnote
in history. David Hakim of
Mopar Performance (now
with HP2 Communications)
found the documents and
thought that this was a vehicle that should be brought
to life just the way Hoover
envisioned it. Hakim contacted several different likely
candidates to build the Demon, but they either wanted
to change the specs or had
reservations about doing it.
When he contacted the Mr.
12
Norm’s people, they had the
interest, experience, talent
and resources to get it done.
Add to that the fact that Mr.
Norm was the leading force
behind the original 440 Dart
and it was as good as a done
deal. For the 50 production race only 440 Demons,
Chrysler would have had
them built by a subcontractor like Hurst-Campbell as
they did with the Hemi Darts,
but since that was water under the bridge, the chance to
get at least one built was a
huge step forward.
Jim
Rhinehart,
well
known in the A-Body realm
had access to an excellent
Demon donor body in his
collection of cars and parts,
and the project was off and
running. The body was put
on a rotisserie and restored
to better than new condition.
While it was a solid piece,
it was still in need of some
sheet metal. AMD provided
the quarters and floors, and
the rest of the body panels were massaged to perfection. The paint job was
based on an original artist’s
rendering by Ben Hermance
whose work was featured in
The Designers Showcase in
the May issue of Pentastar
Power. The graphics and logos Ben developed are reminiscent of the type that were
very popular in the late ‘60’s
and early 1970’s and translated perfectly with the build
of the period perfect 1971
440 Demon Super Stock. The
graphics are complemented
by other era correct accessories, such as the Keystone
wheels and an excellent rendition of the classic Mopar
Max Wedge hood scoop that
was designed to fit the Demon hood. Period accuracy
carries through to the interi-
or with the use of a genuine
Hurst Shifter from an original Hemi Dart, a stock 340
Demon dashboard as specified by Hoover in the build,
and a four point roll bar,
which while correct for the
era, would not pass muster
with the NHRA today.
While not every element
of the build was covered in
the Hoover prepared documents, it would not have
been a stretch to imagine
racers using many of the
same components that were
used in the Hemi Darts. Exhaust would have been handled by fender well or under
body headers, both of which
were readily available, along
with proven chassis mods
that would have complied
with the NHRA rules of the
time. Other mods were similar in nature to those employed on the Hemi Darts
and included spacing the
K-Member down, which, in
the case of the Demon was
13
5/8 inch. This alleviated the
issue with hood clearance
for the engine and header
clearance und erneath the
vehicle.
The 440 engine was
built by Greg Fernald, well
known for the replica 1968
Hemi Darts and Hemi Cudas he builds at SSandAFX
in Phoenix, Arizona. Built to
the specs outlined by Tom
Hoover, the engine started
as a 1971 G-Code casting
440 Six Pack block, along
with a Six Pack crank and
rods, along with 12.5:1 TRW
forged pistons. An extremely rare set of still in the box,
new old stock 1964 Max
Wedge heads were sourced
from Scott Smith at Harms
Automotive in Spokane,
Washington. Bolted up the
heads is an NOS cross ram
intake manifold and the correct 9705 Carter AFB carbs,
again box stock new. The
solid lifter cam has a .590”
lift, which definitely rocks
the 440 just like back in the
day and sounds just like
what it is; a full on Super
Stock race motor. Crane adjustable rockers actuate the
valve-train, and stock 440
painted valve covers hide
the hardware. The reproduction throttle linkage and
California Spark Arrestors
that were spec’d by Hoover
were provided by Jim Kramer at Kramer’s Automotive.
An electric fuel pump acts
as a pusher for the mechanical pump, while a fender mounted orange Mopar
box provides the juice. The
Torqueflite was also built
Milodon deep
sump pan is
typical period
racer piece,
along with 4
tube under
chassis headers.
Four point roll cage
was NHRA legal in
1971, but not today.
Dash is factory 340
Demon with auxiliary gauges. The
Accutronic mechanical tach connects
to a Direct Connection mechanical
tach drive electronic
distributor.
Bostrum Dodge
A100 van seats and
Hurst floor shifter
are from a 1968
Hemi Dart
BELOW:
Mopar Super Stock
battery resides on
right side of trunk.
by Fernald, and is the correct G Series 727.
It’s equipped with a reverse manual valve body
that’s actuated by the aforementioned Hemi
Dart Hurst Shifter. Out back, an 8 ¾ rear end
equipped with a 3.55:1 Sure Grip.
When the Demon was completed, it was
shipped to Southern California where it had a
date with destiny at the Barona Dragstrip in
San Diego. The photos seen in this story were
shot at the track, under a bright sunny sky.
The track was rented just for the photo shoot,
so we had plenty of time for lots of burnouts
and action shots with the 440 Demon Super
Stock. The Demon looked and sounded right
at home in its natural environment, on the high
traction asphalt. Jim Rhinehart handled the
driving chores for the day, and did a great job.
The 440 made beautiful music through the uncorked JR Headers, and the Demon easily lit
up the Mickey Thompson drag slicks for the
burnout sessions, nearly obliterating the sun
with smoke as he heated up the hides. While
he could not make any full passes due to the
fact that an ambulance was not present, the
Demon made some very impressive launches,
running to half tack when the tree flashed the
green bulb. After watching the 440 Dart in action, we have no doubt that these cars would
have been very successful in Super Stock competition.
Just imagine if Chrysler had built the 440
Demons and dominated SS/CA the way the
Hemi Darts had ruled SS/BA. After a day at
the track with the 440 Demon, we can honestly
say that there’s a good likelihood that it would
have happened. This 440 Demon may be the
only one of its kind, but it is a real testament
to what might have been.
Continued on page 16
Staged and ready for the tree to flash green
23
Jim looks serious as he tries to keep
the 440 Demon straight in the waterbox.
The original documents that Tom
Hoover drafted outlining the 440
Demon Super Stock Program in
October, 1970 are reproduced on the
following pages. The goal was for the
440 Demons to dominate SS/C just as
the Hemi Darts were doing in SS/B.
Not only would this have resulted in
Chrysler dominance in the top Super
Stock classes, it would also increase
the chances of winning Super Stock
Eliminator by 30 percent
according to Hoover.
16
17
18
19
SOURCE BOX
Kramer Automotive
Specialties
P.O. Box 5
Herman, PA 16039
Phone: 724-285-5566
www.kramerauto.com
SSANDAFX
N 14th Street
New River, AZ 85087
Phone: 623-465-7277
www.ssandafx.com
Harms Automotive
801-940-2689
www.harmsauto.com
20
21
Mr. Norm’s Corner
Remembering Frank Wylie
T
Mr. Norm, wearing a white shirt and tie, sweeps the rosin as Gary Dyer prepares to
smoke the hides in Mr. Norm’s supercharged 1965 Coronet funny car.
his is the story of
how Mr. Norm was
motivated by Frank
Wylie, the Director
of Public Relations
for Chrysler back in
the 1960s and ‘70’s. Chrysler contracted with BBDO
as the advertising agency
for Dodge in 1960, spending
roughly $21 million. I could
run through the accounts
and slogans developed by
the agency, but this column is really about Grand
Spaulding Dodge and high
performance. Leave it at this:
Frank Wylie and BBDO were
about as high performance
as you could get in the public relations and advertising
arena for Dodge.
In 1963, we had just
started with Chrysler Corporation with the opening of
Grand Spaulding Dodge in
Chicago. I knew the way to
differentiate us from other
Dodge dealers and increase
sales was through a suc22
cessful drag racing program.
It seemed like the path to accomplishing this as a Dodge
dealer would be by securing
support for the program by
working with Frank Wylie.
When I first got started, in
the winter of 1963, the big
names running Dodges included Dick Landy on the
West Coast and the Ramcharger team out of Detroit.
At this time, I was a “who’s
he?” to Dodge. I knew that
I had to figure out how to
prove that we were for real.
There is no question that
Grand Spaulding Dodge was
definitely the new kid on the
block when we raced at the
indoor drag races at the Amphitheater that winter. In the
spring of 1964 we made the
commitment to go into drag
racing in a big way, running both a new Dodge Max
Wedge and a Race Hemi in
NHRA Super Stock.
Looking for support from
Chrysler for our racing efforts, I was told to call Frank
Wylie. I had a nice long conversation with him, but that’s
as far as it went. After spending all of 1964 racing in Super Stock, I knew that it was
time to regroup and rethink
this whole thing. I realized
pretty quickly that the Super
Stock class would give me
nothing to show as a dealer.
Many times, we were racing
against our own customers.
If I beat one of the young
kids who put everything he
had into that car, I’d just be
viewed as some
rich dealer with
connections the
little guy didn’t
have. And while
we didn’t get
any
support
from the factory, it would appear that way.
Pretty
ironic,
but as they say
in the ad biz—
perception
is
more important
than reality.
Racing
in
Super
Stock
proved to be
a big learning
experience for
me. One thing Mr. Norm’s 1965 altered wheelbase Coronet on the
I learned was cover of Midwest Drags June, 1965 issue.
that rather than
US Nationals in Indianapobe confined by
lis. Gary Dyer had a low gear
the strict rules that applied
to class racing, I wanted to Borg Warner T-10 4-speed
match race without restric- transmission, so I called
Frank Wylie again and asked
tions. As an example by the
summer of 1964, we were it if would be legal to run
this trans in the Super Stock
getting ready to race at the
class that we were running
in. He referred me to Product
Planning and I was told that
it was acceptable. After we
won the race, the track inspector came over, checked
the transmission and disqualified us. It turned out
Drag News ad in 1965 for Grand
Spaulding Dodge with Mr. Norm’s
altered wheelbase Coronet sedan.
All of Mr. Norm’s racing cars were
used in the magazine ads to promote the high performance Dodges that were in stock for immediate
delivery at Grand Spaulding. Note
that this is the same car that was
featured on the cover of Midwest
Drags.
23
Drag News August 17, 1968 issue with Mr. Norm’s Super Charger funny car
on the cover.
that the T-10 wasn’t legal in
Super Stock, at least not in a
Dodge. Lesson learned.
I spoke with Gary Dyer
about all of this and the
solution we came up with
was to build a Funny Car
for the 1965 season and run
in match races exclusively. At the time, the deal was
“run what you brung” since
there was no formal category
to race in. Our first Supercharged Dodge Coronet was
running in the 9’s and we
didn’t have to ask if we were
legal. Near the end of sum-
mer 1965, we were able to
purchase Roger Lindamood’s
acid dipped lightweight Coronet hardtop. As soon as we
got the car, Gary dropped the
supercharged engine from
our heavier sedan into it. At
that time, there were very
few other Funny Cars to run
against, so more often than
not, we were running against
supercharged gassers like
Ohio George Montgomery,
Big John Mazmanian and
Stone Woods and Cook. In
fact, there were so few cars
to run against, sometimes we
224
even ran against dragsters.
One thing that happened,
was once we started running
the funny car, all of the factory teams began to challenge
us. While we did not have any
factory support, Gary Dyer
continually developed new
ways to keep us competitive,
and we beat the factory supported teams regularly.
At this time, I started calling Doris Herbert, the editor of Drag News to give her
the results of all our races. I
gave her the facts. If we won
against a car that broke down
and never made it to the finish line, I told her the truth.
Then she started calling me.
I didn’t need Frank Wylie or
BBDO to tell me I was doing
the right thing. And, I also
knew that Wylie and the rest
of the industry was going to
Drag News to check out what
was going on in racing and
who was winning.
I’ve told the story about
driving to a track one night
in Los Angeles in November,
1965 and hearing WLS out of
Chicago on the radio. I started giving the station our race
schedule and a lot of advertising dollars. Within a year
and a half, Grand Spaulding Dodge was the number
one dealer in the Midwest,
selling over 100 new cars a
month, and racing against
the Chrysler factory supported cars and winning. By then
Bob McCurry was the Vice
President of Chrysler and the
head of Dodge Division. I was
winning perks from Chrysler
for our sales success, and
was going on trips all over the
world, sitting down to dinner
We started this story talking about Frank
Wylie, but what Wylie did was give us the
added incentive to really rise to the top. The
real hero in this piece
is Gary Dyer. The man
was a genius, he was
a top driver, an exceptional wrench, an unsurpassed
engineer
Grand Spaulding Dodge ad on the back
and
car
builder
and he
cover of Drag News. The ad highlights
the Mr. Norm’s Super Charger funny car to was my teacher. I called
him the Professor. He
promote performance cars that no other
Dodge dealers had, such as the 1968 Hemi taught me everything
Dart S/S and the GSS 440 Dart.
about performance and
racing in just one year.
with Chrysler brass and had
It would have taken
a guy from BBDO following any other driver/mechanic/
Gary Dyer and me around engineer a good 20 years to
to make sure we got nation- give me as much knowledge
al press coverage. But I still as Gary did in just one. Gary
couldn’t get any parts.
25
got acknowledgement and
congratulations from all the
top drivers at the time, but
he never got any recognition
from the factory. This gave
him the same burning desire
to win that I had.
Ironically, I know now
that Wylie and Chrysler were
right. To them, I was a dealer
and they couldn’t do anything
more for me than they did for
any other dealer. What they
did give me was the motivation that drove me to be the
best that I could be.
Got a question for Mr.
Norm? Write the editor at [email protected] and we will
forward all questions to Mr.
Norm.
Mr. Norm’s 2014 Show and Event Schedule
Mopars at the Strip Las Vegas, NV Peggy Sue’s All American Cruise Santa Rosa, CA
April 11-13
June 13-15
Chryslers at Carlisle Carlisle, PA July 11-13
Belvedere Mopar Happening Rockford, IL July 19-20
Mopar Festival at Great Lakes
Dragway Great Lakes, WI July 27-28
Mopar Nationals Columbus, OH Aug. 8-10 Mopar Fest of Canada Ontario, Canada Aug. 16-17
Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals Rosemont, IL 26
27
Nov. 22-23 MR.
NORM’S
SPECIAL
MR. NORM’S SPECIAL
JUNE SALE!
SALE
CUDASTYLE
STYLE TAIL WITH SILVER ACCENTS
CUDA
ACCENTS
FOR 2008
– 2014CHALLENGERS
CHALLENGERS
2008-2014
SALE PRICE $425.00
REGULARLY $499.00 SAVE $74.00
ADD THE ‘CUDA EMBLEM FOR ONLY $30.00
REGULARLY $50.00 SAVE $20.00
GET BOTH ITEMS TODAY
SAVE $94.00
To Order the Cuda Style Tail Panel and Cuda Emblem for your Challenger
CALL MR. NORM’S AT 760-612-6365
CHECK ALL OF THE MR. NORM’S PARTS AND ACCESSORIES AT
www.mrnorms.com
Note: No other discounts can be applied to sale price.
Shipping is not included in price Offer expires June 30, 2014
Chrysler 300
Golden Lion
THE FORWARD
LOOK MEETS
THE 21ST
CENTURY
T
Story and Photos by Marv Herbert
he Mr. Norm’s
Chrysler 300C
Golden Lion
is a shining
beacon that
symbolizes
the continuing chapter in the
history of the legendary letter
series that spans 60 years.
Mr. Norm’s Signature Kenne Bell
Supercharger
makes the Hemi a
force to be reckoned with on the
street and strip.
The Golden Lion was based on this design concept by Ben Hermance, whose art was featured in the May, 2014
issue of Pentastar Power. Check it out at www.mrnorms.com and click on the Pentastar Power button.
In its day, the original
1955 Chrysler C 300 was a
winner on and off the track.
The Golden Lion adheres to
the same philosophy; this
is a muscular, highly tuned
performance car that relies on
brains and brawn, matching
agility with incredible power.
The compelling presence
of the original 1955
Chrysler C 300 can be
seen in the appearance of
the Golden Lion. This vehicle
is the result of impeccable
breeding, a pedigree with
genes handed down from its
celebrated ancestors that
can be sensed and deeply
appreciated by enthusiasts
of all ages. Design cues recall
themes and details readily
recognizable by aficionados
of the marque, and have
been carefully selected and
refined to imbue the Golden
Lion with
the same
sensation of raw excitement
that set the original Chrysler
C 300 apart from all other
vehicles.
The Chrysler 300C Golden
Lion is the new definition of
the classic performance car.
Mr. Norm’s Signature
Golden Lion unique
serial number dash
plaque.
ABOVE;
Mr. Norm’s Katzkin glove soft
custom leather features the
Golden Lion embroidered logo,
contrasting top stitching and cool
perforated inserts.
32
Golden Lion logo is prominently embroidered
on the plush carpet mats inside and in the
trunk.
LEFT: Contrasting graphics accent the hood
and trunk lid.
Coming or going, the Mr. Norm’s Chrysler 300C
Golden Lion is infused with an abundance of
attitude.
It offers superlative handling
matched with incredible
performance
in
equal
proportions, and is destined
to become the vehicle that
will set the benchmark for
high performance luxury
automobiles. In addition, the
Golden Lion will introduce a
new generation to the thrill
and excitement of driving
a special limited edition
version of the famed Chrysler
Hemi letter car.
The Golden Lion is a
showcase for the latest in
performance innovation and
development.
The Hemi
engine that is the heart of the
300C can be equipped with
a wide range of performance
enhancements that pump
The Mr. Norm’s Golden Lion looks like a
million, at a fraction of the price.
up the volume of the 5.7
liter V-8, while retaining
21st century efficiencies.
Enhancements ranging from
cool air intakes and cat back
exhaust systems to Mr.
Norm’s Signature Kenne Bell
Supercharger can make the
Golden Lion a stealth fighter
on the street and strip, just
like its distant relative, the
original Chrysler C 300.
And to insure that
Chrysler
300C
Golden
Lion is absolutely true to
its performance heritage,
the 5 speed automatic
transmission is equipped
with a Pistol Grip Shifter.
Balancing out the Hemi
power are optional cross
drilled and slotted rotors,
34
ensuring that the 300C
Golden Lion can stop just
as quickly as it accelerates.
The brake upgrades can be
complemented by a lowered
and enhanced suspension,
making the Golden Lion a
superbly balanced, precise
driving machine.
From a design standpoint,
the Chrysler 300C Golden
Lion appears to have been
chiseled from a huge block
of billet. The 300C features
a classic long hood and
short deck theme that is
punctuated with bold wheel
arches that accent rolling
stock and the muscular
stance of the vehicle. Other
design cues include the
highly detailed Golden Lion
emblems on the upper front
fenders, just above the belt
line, and on the rear fascia,
along with the stylish retro
futuristic alloy wheels.
Open the door and
the
interior
welcomes
you home, back to a
familiar,
yet
thoroughly
modern environment. The
unmistakable Pistol Grip
Shifter that actuates the
5-speed automatic overdrive
transmission
offers
the
opportunity to enjoy effortless
driving or precise hands
on gear changing. A multihued Katzkin custom leather
interior mirrors the theme
established on the exterior,
offering a sumptuous and
refined environment that
befits a vehicle of this caliber.
The name of a vehicle
is, in many ways, the key
to its identity. We celebrate
the Chrysler 300C Golden
Lion with its name, one that
harkens back to the original
Chrysler with the same
appellation. The Chrysler
300C demanded a model
and a name that not only
paid homage to the past, but
recognized that this vehicle
is a quantum leap into the
future. Without question, the
beauty, strength and power
of the new Chrysler 300C
can be seen in even the most
subtle nuances of the Golden
Lion. The Chrysler 300C
Golden Lion is much more
than an ordinary vehicle. By
35
sheer virtue of its genetics, it
links the past to the present
while signaling the direction
of the future.
Pose the Chrysler 300
Golden Lion side by side with
its revered ancestor. You can
easily see the resemblance
between the sire and the
progeny. The bold body lines
and the aggressive stance,
coupled with the Hemi power
that rumbles beneath the
sculpted hood harken back
to the classic big bore V8
high performance rear wheel
drive domestic automobiles.
While it pays homage to the
original C 300, the Chrysler
300C Golden Lion is totally
modern, taking advantage
of 60 years of automotive
MR. NORM DOES IT AGAIN!
CHRYSLER 300 GOLDEN LION
technology. This new breed
of performance automobile
addresses
the
passion
of
millions
of
Chrysler
performance
enthusiasts
while singing its siren song to
a new generation.
The Chrysler 300C Golden
Lion is far more than a legend
revisited; it signals the next
chapter of the Chrysler
legend.
PERFORMANCE PROVEN KNOWHOW SINCE 1963
ABOVE: Classically styled five
spoke alloy wheels add to the
timeless appearance of the Golden
Lion.
BELOW: Mr. Norm’s logo powder
coated caliper covers provide the
appearance of exotic big brakes
and provide the perfect accent for
the alloy wheels.
Golden Lion emblems are cast,
plated and highly detailed. They
are located on front fenders and
rear fascia, providing reminder that
this is a very special vehicle.
SPECIAL END OF MODEL YEAR PRICING
GOLDEN LION PACKAGE NOW ONLY $ 492.50*
CALL MR. NORM AT 760-612-6365 BEFORE THEY’RE GONE
36
*Note: While supplies last. No other discounts apply. Fits 2011 – 2014 Chrysler 300 Content may vary based on model
CHRYSLER 300 GOLDEN LION PACKAGE
INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT
● MR. NORM’S WINDSHIELD BANNER
● MR. NORM’S GOLDEN LION CAST FENDER EMBLEMS
4 PIECE SET FOR FRONT FENDERS, DECKLID AND CONSOLE
● MR. NORM’S GOLDEN LION EMBROIDERED LOGO PLUSH CARPET MATS 4 PC SET
● MR. NORM’S GOLDEN LION EMBROIDERED LOGO PLUSH TRUNK MAT
● MR. NORM’S PISTOL GRIP SHIFTER WITH CARBON FIBER OR WOOD GRAIN GRIPS
● MR. NORM’S SIGNATURE GOLDEN LION UNIQUE SERIALIZED NUMBER DASH PLAQUE
● MR. NORM’S LOGO RED POWDER COATED CALIPER COVERS
● MR. NORM’S EMBOSSED METAL LICENSE PLATE
● MR. NORM’S GRAND SPAULDING DECK LID EMBLEM
● MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB WINDOW DECALS (2)
● MR. NORM’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY
● GOLDEN LION REGISTERED IN ORIGINAL MR. NORM’S GRAND SPAULDING REGISTRY
GOLDEN LION EMBLEMS
Every Golden Lion is equipped with
four die cast emblems
Standard
SERIAL NUMBER DASH PLAQUE
Gold dash plaque with Mr. Norm’s
Signature & Serial Number Standard
LOWERED SUSPENSION
Lowering springs reduce ride height for
enhanced handling
Optional
GOLDEN LION CUSTOM BODY GRAPHICS
Contrasting graphics on the hood and trunk lid were inspired by the
legendary Chrysler 300H Optional
CUSTOM LEATHER
Soft Supple Custom
Leather Optional
MR. NORM WINDSHIELD BANNER
GOLDEN LION LOGO CARPET MATS PISTOL GRIP SHIFTER
Lets everyone know that you have a real Golden Lion embroidered logo plush Inspired by the original
Mr. Norm’s Edition
Standard
carpet & trunk mats
Standard
Pistol Grip Standard
GOLDEN LION HEADREST
MR. NORM’S CALIPER COVERS
CUSTOM WHEELS
Both front headrests are embroidered
Mr. Norm’s logo caliper covers powder Classic five spoke alloys
with the Golden Lion emblem Standard coated in red are Standard Equipment Optional
CALL 760-612-6365 FOR SPECIAL YEAR END PRICING ON THE GOLDEN LION PACKAGE
MR. NORM’S SPECIAL
JUNE CLEARANCE SALE!
LIMITED EDITION CUT CRYSTAL COLLECTIBLES
Charter
Sponsors
Bosak Motors
3111 W. Lincoln Hwy.,Rt. 30
Merrillville, IN 46410
888-507-1403, ask for Mr. J
Crystal Chrysler Jeep
Dodge Ram
1005 S. Suncoast Blvd.
Homosassa, FL 34448
352-563-2277 / Steve Lamb
Fairfield Auto Group
3360 Rt. 406,
Muncy, PA 17756
888-548-3870 / Steve Kaiser, Jr.
Steve White Motors
3470 U.S. Highway 70
Newton, NC 28658
888-827-3721
1965 S/FX Coronet Factory Lightweight Hardtop
1965 A/FX Coronet Sedan “First Wheelstand”
Steve Landers Chrysler
Jeep Dodge Ram
4600 South University
Little Rock, AR 72204
501-569-4063
Roger Gibson
Restoration service.
573-264-2022
Year One
Time tested quality parts. .
800-YEAR ONE
Choice Hotels
20% discounts for club members
with special number code.
Meguire’s WaxIrvine, CA
800-347-5700 / meguiar’s.com
Mancini Racing
Mr. Norm’s Super Charger AA/FC
“Sport Club Commemorative”
Each highly detailed Cut Crystal Collectible represents a milestone in the Mr. Norm’s
Grand Spaulding Dodge legacy. Each Mr. Norm’s Cut Crystal Collectible is an impressive
five inches long, three inches tall and one inch thick. Don’t miss this opportunity to
collect them while they last, ‘cause when they’re gone, they’re gone forever!
SALE PRICE $10.00 EACH
REGULARLY $19.95
BE SURE TO CHECK ALL OF THE MEMORABILIA IN THE MR. NORM’S STORE
Offering quality, selection and
service for performance needs.
800-843-2821
Galen Govier
The Chrysler Registry
608-326-6346
Rods, Mods and
Restos
9134 Eden Ave.
Hudson, FL 34667
813-789-6179
JBA Speed Shop
5675 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123
888-JBA-5570
www.mrnorms.com
Note: No other discounts can be applied to sale price.
Shipping is not included in price Offer expires June 30, 2014
41
Photographer’s Showcase
For approximately twenty
years, from 1958 thru 1978,
Mann published a quarterly
magazine called Racing Pictorial. Though the focus of
Racing Pictoral was primarily on circle track competition, NHRA and AHRA drag
racing was featured on occasion in this full-color periodical.
Quarter Milestones has
made available a sizable portion of the drag racing related film archives, much of
which was never published
“back in the day.” These are
images of Super Stocks, Pro
Stocks, Funny Cars and Top
Fuel Dragsters in action that
were taken at numerous significant events such as the
NHRA US Nationals. These
photos comprise a brilliant
display of well executed,
from-the-starting-line imagery. Most were transparencies, some which were still
in long uncut strips from
the processor! While many
photographers of this period
primarily used with blackand-white film, Ray Mann
preferred color, giving this
collection special significance among currently offered vintage drag photography.
Thanks to the revolutionary new process of digital scanning, Quarter Milestones color corrects as
needed, without the normal
reduction in quality from the
LEFT: Mr. Norm’s Super Charger Funny Car smokes the hides at Indy in 1970.
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
BELOW: Sox & Martin 1970 Hemi Cuda Pro Stock on the line at Dallas in ’70.
Spotlight on Quarter Milestones
L
By Larry Weiner
ast month in the May issue of Pentastar Power, we introduced the
Showcase Section that highlighted the
artist’s renderings created by talented automotive designer Ben Hermance of Hermance Design. This month, we’re switching
gears and featuring the collection of vintage
drag racing photography that’s offered by Geoff
Stunkard’s Quarter Milestones (www.quartermilestones.com).
42
Geoff Stunkard is well
known to Mopar fans. He
was the editor of Mopar Enthusiast Magazine, and his
work has been published in
many of the popular automotive enthusiast publications.
In addition, Geoff is an authority on muscle car era Mopars, and through his company Quarter Milestones, offers
excellent vintage drag racing
photography to enthusiasts.
In particular, Quarter
Milestones offers an impressive selection of drag racing
photos from the collection of
Ray Mann, who was an Indianapolis based photographer.
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
43
original transparency or negative. Most of the images are
5M or larger, with printing
being done by a photo lab on
either Fuji or Kodak photographic paper. Some images
have been Adobe Photo Shop
modified to be used on borderless 8x10 paper, and are
cropped accordingly. Photo
sizes include 4x6, 8x10 and
12x18.
The photos featured in
this Showcase are just a
small sampling of the outstanding images in the Ray
Mann collection. They capture the moment in a way
that really rolls back the
hands of time. These photos
are a refreshing look at the
way drag racing was; a sim-
pler time when pros rubbed
elbows with the sportsman
racers in the pits, and it was
not uncommon for competitors to help each other with
parts and even assistance,
so that they could make the
next round.
As the years have passed,
many of the racing vehicles
we remember so well back
when they were campaigned
on tracks all over the country
in the 1960’s and ‘70’s are
now little more than memories. Some were destroyed
in accidents, many were altered beyond recognition
over the years, and others
have simply been lost to the
sands of time. The photos
from the Quarter Milestones
collection are a great way to
re-experience the excitement
of your favorite race cars in
action as seen through the
lens of Ray Mann’s camera. Check out the Quarter
Milestones website at www.
quartermilestones.com
to
see all of the historic photos that are available. For
more information on the Ray
Mann Collection, call Geoff
Stunkard at 423-542-0159
or email him at qmpublish@
comcast.net and get ready
to start reliving your favorite
racing memories.
SOURCE BOX
Quarter Milestones
1682 Powder Branch Rd.
Johnson City, TN 37601-6220
Phone: 423-542-0159
www.quartermilestones.com
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Jere Stahl in his 1967 Plymouth 426 Hemi SS/B at the NHRA World Finals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Gene Snow’s Rambunctious Challenger Funny Car in action at the NHRA Supernationals in 1970.
44
Don Carlton’s Motown Missile 1971 Hemi Challenger Pro Stock carrying the wheels as it leaves against
Wally Booth’s Rat Pack 1 Camaro at Indy in 1971.
45
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Bill Bagshaw’s “Red Light Bandit” 1968 Hemi Dart in action at Dallas in 1969.
Butch Leal’s California Flash 1965 Plymouth A990 426 Hemi on the line at Indy in ’65 is staged and
ready for the green bulb on the tree
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Funny Car in action at the AHRA Beeline Dragway in Phoenix in the fall of
1970.
46
“Akron” Arlen Vanke in action racing a 1968 Hemi Cuda in SS/B at Indy in ‘68
47
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
Leroy Goldstein in the Ramchargers front motor dragster lights ‘em up in the bleach box at the AHRA Finals
in Tulsa in 1969
Dave Strickler’s 1965 A990 Dodge Coronet 426 Hemi on the starting line at Indy in ‘65.
AcoustiHOOD
Underhood Cover and Insulation Shield
3-D Molded Logo Under Hood Covers
Simple Installation. Tough,
high temperature ABS plastic with matching HeatShield
insulation panels--pre-cut, ready to install for hundreds
of popular cars and trucks.
37L008
Do not copy
courtesy quartermilestones.com
1968 Hemi Cuda Woodward Garage Hemi Cuda mule car at AHRA event at Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1969.
Ford, General Motors and Chrysler Group LLC,
names, logos and images are used under license to QuietRide Solutions LLC
48
HS
eat
Tech Line: 209-942-4777
Order Line: 888-777-3410
www.quietride.com
See us on:
hield
Our Firewall
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Thermal Acoustic Insulation Kits Will
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Here is your chance to
relive Muscle Car history
YOU ASKED FOR IT, YOU GOT IT!
The High Performance King Is Back!
Buy Your New Dodge from Mr. Norm*
We’ve got ‘em, come ‘n get ‘em
*All vehicles delivered through Bosak Performance
by Mr. Norm / Broker
Factory stock and Mr. Norm’s Dodges and Rams for immediate delivery.
Giant inventory of Challenger and Charger RTs and SRT-8s
Supercharaged 5.7 and 6.4 Hemi Challengers and Chargers
We can install Mr. Norm packages and superchargers on your vehicle.
Call the Mr. Norm Hotline (760) 612-6365
Mr. Norm will sign your vehicle and documents
Mr. Norm Certificate of Authenticity
Viceo of You and Mr. Norm with your vehicle
Your vehicle entered into the original Grand Spaulding Dodge Registry
BEFORE YOU BUY, GET THE MR. NORM DEAL - YOU’LL SAVE MORE THAN EVER BEFORE
One look and you know that this
is no ordinary Prowler. From the
hot licks and pin stripes to the
hammered style three window
roof and custom louvered rear
roll pan, it screams “Hot Rod.”
PROWLIN’AROUND
The Modern Day Version Of A
off the blown mill and head
out to where the action is.
Back in 1990, when the
idea of a retro-rod first appeared on an index card at
Chrysler’s Pacifica Design
Center in Carlsbad, California, the designers dreamed
of the marriage of hot rod
passion mated with revolutionary technology. A rod
that prowled the steamy
streets of a more complex
world; a blade runner that
could take us back emotionally to the days when bad
boys were totally cool. The
team over at Performance
West Group took the result
of the 1990 “Idea Fair,” the
limited production Prowler,
and peeled away the layers
to expose the California Kid
that waited for release, just
under the skin.
The inspiration for the
Prowler California Kid was
none other than the original
California Kid. A hammered,
wildly flamed ’34 three window coupe built by hot rod
legend Pete Chapouris, ‘The
Kid embodied the essence of
the quintessential bad to the
bone rod. This was a vehicle
that carved its own legend on
the street and as the “hero”
of a movie of the same name
in the early ‘70’s.
The Prowler may be thoroughly modern under its
aluminum and composite
skin, yet it’s infused with
the gene pool of the clas-
Down in the weeds stance is accented by wide Goodyear meats, bobbed rear fenders, trick louvered roll pan and
traditional tail pipes that were custom bent by Warner’s Performance and capped with stainless steel tips.
Cult Classic
S
Story and Photos by Larry Weiner
queezed into tight
peg-legged jeans, a
black leather jacket and motorcycle
boots rapping out
a staccato beat on
the asphalt, our bad boy
heads for his wheels, the
totem of his manhood, his
independence, parked under the neon at the edge of
the road house lot. His rod
is the Prowler California Kid,
a coal black vision with vivid flames licking down the
sides of the tapered hood
that barely contains the high
performance engine lurking
inside. The California Kid is
throbbing with power, flickering in tune to the pulsing
neon, an adrenaline rush
waiting to happen.
The concept of the bad
boy is as old as time. It
reached its pinnacle in the
54
1950’s and enjoyed a revival
in the early ‘70’s thanks to
the mega hit American Graffiti, where it all came together
with the right cast, the right
sound track and the perfect
set of wheels. The revival became a swell of incredible
proportion that is still growing. Unlike Tom Wolfe, you
can go back, to that magic
time of bravado, daring and
rebellion. Just slip into the
Prowler California Kid, light
sic hot rod, with its narrow,
pointed prow, sweeping body
contours and low, sinister
stance. The perfect starting point for the creation of
the modern version of ‘The
Kid. With this classic revival as the canvas, the Prowler was subjected to all of the
traditional hot rod mods.
The bumpers were stripped
away, the body was sprayed
by Mike Face with countless
coats of gloss black paint for
a mile deep look and a set
of bold, vivid graphic flames
were expertly laid down by
Lil’ Louie.
Adding to the bad boy
persona, Metal Crafters created a sinister three window chopped style top that
The combination
of the flamed
front fender and
polished billet
wheel are a perfect example of
rolling sculpture.
SPOTLIGHT
ON HERLong and low, the Colorado Custom salt flat style billet wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle GS-S run-flats are
the perfect accent for the flawless black paint by Mike Face and flames by Lil’ Louie.
instantly transformed the
Prowler into a wicked coupe,
ready to cruise the mean
streets as confidently as its
predecessors did in another era. The California Kid
hunches aggressively in
“The Prowler
California Kid is
far more than a
retro rod. It’s bad
to the bone, both in
looks and performance. This modern day, full tilt
boogie hot rod has
no problem humbling its peers, in
the drive-in, cruisin’ the street or on
the strip. In short,
the California Kid
is one bad customer, and it’s best
treated with respect or left alone.”
search of its next prey, its
stance accentuated by staggered rolling stock consisting of 20’s out back and 17’s
up front. Colorado Custom
salt flats inspired “Sugar
City” billet wheels provide
the flash while super sticky
20 inch Goodyear Eagles out
back stand ready to lay down
the smoke.
The interior reflects the
bold look of the exterior. The
bucket seats are swathed in
glove soft Katzkin Custom
Leather and Suedeskin, replete with actual embroi-
dered Prowler logos on the
seat backs that add a unique
touch of detail to the intimate
cockpit. Autometer tach and
supercharger boost gauges
are mounted front and center on the steering column,
just like the old days. In a
true case of function over
form, it may not be pretty,
but they’re easy to see, especially in the heat of battle.
Details abound on the
Prowler
California
Kid.
Flamed cycle fenders cover
the front wheels, while out
back a custom roll pan re-
plete with banks of louvers is
accented by aggressive stainless steel tipped dual exhaust
pipes. Darkly tinted windows
infuse the California Kid with
a look of sinister mystery and
hint at an aura of danger for
those foolish enough to challenge this no nonsense machine.
Sensory overload is the
message the Prowler California Kid sends. And, like
everything about the California Kid, there’s plenty of
power. Because, under the
smoothie style flamed hood
is a Paxton supercharged
3.5-liter 24-valve SOHC engine that produces some serious horsepower. This is no
kid-glove show car, and when
pushed, the Prowler California Kid pushes back. The ‘Kid
doesn’t just wear the duds of
a bad boy, the heart of this
Rod is pure power and riveting performance.
The power plant takes the
California Kid to the edge,
while a four wheel disc brake
system stops it smartly. Coil
over suspension at all four
corners provides an excellent balance between power,
handling and braking, quite a
contrast to the old solid axles
with buggy springs that were
matched with “press and
pray” drum brakes. Whether it’s running wide open on
the straights or nose diving
through chicane-like curves,
the ‘Kid is in its element. Like
its inspiration, The California
Kid assumes the persona of
an avenging angel, wrapped
in flaming black leather.
The Prowler California
Kid is far more than a retro rod. It’s absolutely bad to
the bone, both in looks and
performance. This modern
day, full tilt boogie hot rod
has no problem humbling
its peers…….in the drive in,
cruisin’ the street or on the
strip. In short, the California
Kid is one bad customer, and
unless you’re really packin’
some serious hardware, it’s
best treated with respect or
left alone.
The ‘Kid captures the best
of the bad boy image from era
when bad boys didn’t make
excuses to anyone. A vehicle
with performance and handling straight out of the 21st
century, it’s infused with the
attitude, appearance and
wild graphics from the days
when the Hot Rod ruled the
street. The California Kid is
the reincarnation of the vehicle we all wished we had, one
that mirrors the bad boy in
all of us.
INSET LEFT: Stock instrument cluster is augmented by an Autometer
tach and boost gauge mounted front
and center on the top of the steering
column.
Long and low, the Colorado Custom salt flat style billet wheels wrapped in
Goodyear Eagle GS-S run-flats are the perfect accent for the flawless black
paint by Mike Face and flames by Lil’ Louie.
56
INSET RIGHT: Katzkin created the
leather and suede custom seat covers. The Prowler logo adorns the seat
back.
The Prowler California Kid
and its inspiration, the
original 1934 Ford California Kid. The relationship
between the two vehicles
is obvious, even though
they are separated by 68
years.
SOURCE BOX
Auto Meter
413 W. Elm Street
Sycamore, IL 60178
Product: Supercharger Boost
Gauge
815-895-8141
www.autometer.com
B-Cool Billets
2060 Chicago B7
Riverside, CA 92507
Product: Custom Billet Grille
(909) 656-7797
www.b-coolbillets.com
Colorado Custom
363 Jefferson Street Suite 101
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Product: Billet Wheels
970-224-5750
www.coloradocustom.com
Denso Sales USA
390 Via Oro Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90810
Product: Spark Plugs
310-834-6352
www.denso-dsca.com
The Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters
Inc.
11161 Slater Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Product: 3 Window Chopped Style
Top
714-444-2000
www.metalcrafters.com
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
1144 E. Market Street
Akron, OH 44316
Product: Tires
330-796-4091
www.goodyear.com
Hot Rods & Custom Stuff
2324 Vinyard Ave.
Escondido, CA
Product: Custom Steel Rear Roll
Pan
760-745-1170
www.hotrodscustomstuff.com
Intro-Tech Automotive.
Chino, CA 91710
Product: Prowler Logo Carpet
866-319-8500
www.intro-techautomotive.com
Jefferson Auto
915 E. Jefferson Blvd.
Mishawka, IN 46545
Product: Park Turn Signal
Relocation Kit
574-259-6875
[email protected]
Katzkin Leather Inc.
6868 Acco St.
Montebello, Ca 90640
Product: Prowler Logo Custom
Leather Seat Covers
800-842-0590
www.katzkin.com
Lil Louie Pinstriping
24137 E. Ward Street
San Bernardino, CA 92410
Service: Layout and Spray Flames
and Pinstripe Vehicle
909-884-7984 Cell: 909-515-7961
Mike Face Custom Paint
834 N. Waterman
San Bernardino, CA 92410
Product: Custom Painting
909-381-3738
58
Mopar Parts
26311 Lawrence Ave.
Centerline, MI 48015
Products: Front Fender Mud
Guards
313-497-1225
www.mopar.com
THRILLS, NOT FRILLS
Paxton Automotive Corp.
1300 Beacon Place
Oxnard, CA 93033
Products: Supercharger and
Headers
805-604-1336
www.paxtonauto.com
Performance West Group Inc.
5256 S. Mission Road
Ste. 703-214
Bonsall, CA 92003
Vehicle Builder
760-630-0547
www.performancewestgroup.com
Sherwin-Williams Automotive
Finishes
101 Prospect Ave. N.W.
Cleveland, OH 44115
Product: Paint
216-566-2062
www.sherwin-automotive.com
Warner’s Performance
190 Douglas Drive
Oceanside, CA 92054
Product: Custom Dual Exhaust
System
760-433-2240
www.warnersmuffler.com
Call Today For a Dealer Near You
888.445.5226
USCATERHAM.com
Superformance LLC | 6 Autry Irvine CA 92618 | superformance.com | uscaterham.com | 949-900-1950
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shipping. Add $300 for Liquid Cooled* and $600 for Polished Kit*
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Millennium Musings
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8cutting the apex
at high speed.
‘14 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8
by Andrew Schultheis
Photos courtesy Chrysler
Communications and
Andrew Schultheis
I
f you’re a fan of Pentastar Power and
have read any of my
past articles, then
you know we like to
talk about all Mopar
models, not just the sporty
Challengers
and
Chargers. In this article I’m going to keep that theme going
and review about one of the
most powerful SUVs on the
planet, the 2014 Jeep Grand
Cherokee SRT-8.
First off, the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 isn’t your mom’s
SUV; this is a stunning automobile that catches your
eye right from the start. The
Grand Cherokee I drove for
this test was a painted in
Redline 2 with Black Vapor Chrome wheels, and
equipped with race inspired
body panels. In my opinion,
the designers at Jeep really got it right on the exterior with the Grand Cherokee
SRT-8. It’s bold, imposing
and sporty all at the same
time. This one of the few
vehicles that I would make
no visual modifications to,
which is quite unlike me,
because typically I always
personalize my cars to make
them more powerful or just
look different. Fellow Mopar
enthusiasts, this is one Jeep
that’s a beast right from the
get go.
On the performance side,
64
the Jeep Grand Cherokee
SRT-8 is rockin’ a 392 6.4L
Hemi with 470 horsepower. This machine will do 0-60
miles per hour in just 4.8
seconds, can run the quarter in the mid 13’s, has a top
speed of 160 miles per hour.
And yes, that’s bone stock
right from the factory. Braking performance is equally
impressive; The big Brembo’s haul the Grand Cherokee down from 60-0 mph in
just 116 feet. The impressive 0-60 time can be partly
be attributed to its 3:70 gear.
This vehicle has such brutal
acceleration it might put you
in a neck brace!
Unlike nearly any sport
utility vehicle on the planet, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 was built for the
Totally at ease going through a fast right sweeper.
track straight from the factory. I’m not sure how many
people are actually into racing this type of vehicle, but
you literally could if you
wanted to. In fact, there
are a wide range of features
called the SRT Performance
Pages that are displayed on
the Jeep’s 8.4 inch touch
An interior fit for a king or a racing pro. It has every comfort and convenience you could imagine, plus, with the highly bolstered buckets, it’s the
perfect environment for some fun on the track.
65
screen on the dash. The information provided includes
such things as 0-60 time, ⅛
mile and ¼ mile times, lateral and longitudinal G-forces,
steering angle, horsepower and torque output, and
a 60-0 mph braking distance. It’s obvious that the
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 was built for a gear head,
which is probably why I love
it so much.
On the other hand, just
because you can race this
vehicle, it doesn’t mean that
Jeep skipped out on the luxury end of things. For example, the Grand Cherokee
SRT-8 that I drove for this
road test was equipped with
a wild Harman Kardon sound
system
with
GreenEdge
technology that’s specifically tuned to the acoustics of
“
While this vehicle is certainly no lightweight at 5,150
lbs., the Jeep engineers went to great lengths to make sure
that the weight is evenly distributed. The result is a thoroughly modern sport utility vehicle without peer, one that
provides not only a smooth comfortable ride, but when you
drop the hammer, the all-wheel drive hooks up better than
nearly any sports car on the planet. This is proof positive
that a vehicle doesn’t have to have the weight of a butterfly to sting like a bee!
”
any sports car on the planet.
This is proof positive that a
vehicle doesn’t have to have
the weight of a butterfly to
sting like a bee!
The Jeep Wrangler SRT-8
isn’t cheap. Our test vehicle
had an MSRP of $64,380,
but trust me when I say
that it needs no customization or enhancements. To
put things in perspective,
you’re going to pay much
more for a Porsche or BMW
and to be honest, I’ll take
the American muscle any
day my friends. This is THE
SUV, and it truly affirms the
phrase Mopar or No Car!
At full chat exiting a left hander onto the back straight
the vehicle. It’s engineered
to provide the best sound
possible and diminish energy consumption at the same
time. When I had the chance
to test the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 thanks to Bosak
Performance, I knew that
this was an incredible piece
of engineering. While the
Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is
certainly no lightweight at
5,150 lbs., the Jeep engineers went to great lengths
to make sure that the weight
is evenly distributed. The result is a thoroughly modern
sport utility vehicle without
peer, one that provides not
only a smooth comfortable
ride, but when you drop the
hammer, the all-wheel drive
hooks up better than nearly
Andrew gives the Grand Cherokee
SRT-8 thumbs up. Hey, what’s not
to like!
After a quick stop, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is ready for some more hot laps.
66
67
Women’s World
Road
Trip
By Linda Mandalas
W
hen it comes
to
traveling
these
days,
there are so
many options
and so many choices. With
everyone seeming to always
be in a hurry, I would like to
suggest a few different ways
on how to enjoy your next vacation.
Everyone’s lives today are
so busy, so hurried, so crazy, we’ve forgotten what it is
like to spend time together
as a family and friends. Now
when people travel, it’s rush
to pack, rush to the airport,
rush thru the security lines,
rush to get your luggage,
rush to get to where ever it
is you are vacationing to.
Then, after a fast paced vacation where you rush to do as
much as you can, it’s time to
turn right around and rush
to get home. When you finally sit down after the vacation
is over, it is almost difficult to
remember exactly where you
66 Drive-In in Carthage, Missouri
Soulsby’s Gas Station in Mount Olive, Illinois, several hours south of Chicago, where Route 66 starts. This station dates back to 1926.
went, what you did and most
importantly....did you have a
good time??? Speaking for
myself, sometimes I wonder,
if it were not for pictures,
which by the way, I am usually not in since I take them,
would I even recall where I
went and who I was with.
I can remember a time
when I was growing up when
vacations were epic! Planned
over a period of time of where
we were going, how we would
get there and what we could
see along the way. If you are
noticing the theme coming
to light...yes...our vacations
were DRIVING vacations.
Not only did we get to enjoy
the destination that we were
headed to, we enjoyed many
side trips along the way. Vacations back in the day were
68
relaxing. Dad and Mom left
work behind, there were no
cell phones, no checking in
with the office, just a week or
10 days of us as a family or
with friends.
The adults would be sitting in the front of the car
talking and discussing what
the day’s plan would be. My
sister and I, and any friends
who went with us, would be
sitting in the back. We would
be laughing, joking, telling
stories, talking about where
we were going to end up and
what we were going to do
when we got there. When
I think about it now, I can
hear, and even see it with
absolute clarity in my mind’s
eye...yesteryear. Wow, I have
to say, I really miss those
days!
The real vacation experience seems to be almost
completely missing from
families today. With all of
the high tech gizmos and
gadgets that we think are so
necessary, the simple truth
is that we are truly missing
out on what those “old
fashioned” trips gave us. A
real trip can take us back
to the basics; family, friends
and adventures. Most of all,
time, yes time, to bond and
rekindle what we have lost
in today’s fast paced life.
I want to share my insight
to what just might be one
of the ultimate ROAD
TRIPS!
Whether it is for a few days,
a week or even a month; with
a little digging you can come
up with something for everyone. So get ready to load up
your vehicle and head out on
the highway, because you’ll
never know what adventure
will come your way!
With over four million
miles of highway, the United
States offers the possibility
for more road trips than then
anyone could tackle in a lifetime. I want to share some
highlights that just might
assist you in finding the
right highway for your next
trip. I will also provide you
with some key tips on how
to check your vehicle before
you head out on your “Great
American Adventure.”
Everyone has heard, or
even sung an homage to the
famous Route 66. You know,
“Get your kicks on Route 66.”
Did you know that Route 66
is the USA’s “Mother Road”,
a ribbon of concrete stretching from Chicago to LA, over
two thousand miles all the
way (2,448 miles), passing
through the heart of the
United States where you can
take in some of the country’s
Sign
painted on old barn on Route
66 for Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri
69
Will Rogers
Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma
most archetypal roadside
scenes. So...it only seems
fitting to have our first adventure on...
Even though Route 66
is no longer a main route
across the country, there are
such wonderful sights such
as Meramec Caverns system
in the Ozarks, near Stanton Missouri. These caverns
were formed from the erosion of large limestone deposits over millions of years.
Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts have been
“
The real vacation experience seems to
be almost completely missing from families
today. With all of the high tech gizmos and
gadgets that we think are so necessary, the
simple truth is that we are truly missing out
on what those “old fashioned” trips gave us.
A real trip can take us back to the basics;
family, friends and adventures. Most of all,
time, yes time, to bond and rekindle what
we have lost in today’s fast paced life.
”
70
found in the caverns...these
caverns are also rumored to
have been a favorite hide out
for the infamous outlaw Jesse James in the 1870’s.
Coming up next as you
are driving down the highway
is the Will Rogers Memorial. This is a 19,052-squarefoot museum in Claremore,
Oklahoma that memorializes entertainer Will Rogers.
An American icon, his simple language and country
roots appealed to audiences.
He stared in 71 films and
Broadway productions. In
1934, he was voted the most
popular male actor in Hollywood.
Heading into the great
state of Texas you will come
upon the Cadillac Ranch, a
sight that everyone should
see once in their lives. This
is a public art installation
and sculpture in Amarillo,
Texas. Created in 1974, this
exhibit most notably pays respect to the birth and death
of the defining feature of the
Cadillac automobile of the
mid twentieth century....the
tailfin!
After you have seen all
that Amarillo has to offer,
hop back on historic Route
66, and head on over to Tinkertown in Albuquerque,
NM. As the sign says, TinkerTown was begun as a
hobby in 1962. It took Ross
Ward over 40 years to carve,
collect, and lovingly construct the Tinkertown Museum. Ever a work in progress,
Tinkertown is ready to inspire your imagination and
awaken your creative spirit.
Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma
This is one of the fabulous
stops along Route 66 for
both young and old that will
excite and delight.
As you continue on your
American Adventure, how
about stopping and spending the night in Tucumcari,
New Mexico, also known as
Six Shooter Siding, back in
1901. This was the first real
glimpse of what Route 66 was
all about...Motel Row! Your
adventure could put you in
the Blue Swallow Motel, or
the Buckaroo Motel and you
could even stop in at Tee-Pee
Curios Trading Post, a must
for any fan of Route 66!
I know deep inside of
many of us, we would love to
hop on a plane and travel to
England to see such sites as
Big Ben, Buckingham Pal-
ace and The London Bridge.
Well, just keep heading west
on Route 66 and make a pitstop in Lake Havasu City,
Arizona. That’s right, this is
where you can see the original London Bridge, brought
here all the way from London, England. In 1967 this
bridge was relocated from its
original location spanning
the River Thames in London,
England where it was built
in1831. The London Bridge
in Arizona was brought over
by Robert P. McCulloch. Mr.
McCulloch had the exterior
granite blocks from the original bridge numbered and
transported to America to
reconstruct it in Lake Havasu City. It was completed in
1971 and links an island in
the Colorado River with the
71
main part of Lake Havasu
City.
After leaving Lake Havasu City, let’s hop back in our
vehicle and heading to California, which will take us to
the end of Route 66. The official end of Route 66 would
have been at the corner of
7th Street and Broadway
in downtown Los Angeles.
Nonetheless, Santa Monica officials have decided to
imagine that Route 66 ended at the Santa Monica Pier
in an effort to capitalize on
the popularity of Route 66
tourism, especially for those
of us taking this adventure!
Not to worry, as there are so
many things to see while in
Santa Monica that you will
not be disappointed. You
can stop into the Miles Play-
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
house, built in 1929 or visit
Palisades Park built in 1892,
and a must is the “End Of
The Trail” at the Santa Monica Pier.
Whether you follow these
guide lines or make your own,
the adventure of a lifetime
awaits you. All you have to
do is a little planning, some
light packing, gather all the
family and friends you want,
and get back to the simpler
times in life when you headed out on the highway....
looking for adventure...and
whatever comes your way.
Now that I have peaked
your interest in getting back
to scenic trips across this
amazing country, the good
old USA, I want you to be
prepared. Below are a few
tips to help make sure your
adventure is everything you
want it to be, and more! No
matter the climate or weather conditions when you head
out, always inspect your vehicle before a road trip....or
any trip!
Be sure to check all of
the fluids in your vehicle.
Most of us always check the
engine oil, but don’t forget
about the others. Be sure to
check your automatic transmission fluid, coolant and
brake fluid levels as well. Be
sure to top off the windshield
washer fluid as well. Checking each of the fluids may
help you avoid an accident
or an unnecessary breakdown. If it is almost time to
get the oil changed, do it before you leave, since a long
trip can put additional stress
on your motor.
Take a look under the
hood, does anything look
Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico
out of place? Are there any
leaks? Are the battery terminals clean? Does the drive
belt look worn out? Check
your air pressure in the tires,
and don’t forget to check the
spare as well! A trip is the
worst time to realize you
have neglected this forgotten tire, especially when you
need it. The air pressures
should be printed in your
owner’s manual or a sticker
on the body where the driver’s door shuts. The pressure marked on the side of
the tire is the max and must
not be exceeded.
Another thing to check
after the air pressure is for
tire wear. You can do this
Snow Cap Drive in Seligman, Arizona
72
by using a penny or tread
gauge. Tires heat up on long
trips and can cause blowouts on worn out tires. And
don’t forget to check your vehicle’s air filter. A plentiful
supply of clean air to your
engine improves its performance and fuel economy.
Before you leave, take a
few minutes and wash your
vehicle. At the minimum,
clean the window of your car
for the best visibility. Check
your windshield wipers and
blades at this time for proper
operation too.
Check to be certain that
all lights and signals are
functional on your vehicle.
Grab a friend or family mem73
ber to assist with this. Sit in
the car, turn on each light or
signal and ask that person if
each is working or not. Replace bulbs as necessary.
Occasionally, lights may
not work because something
as simple as a fuse needs replacing. Also, remember to
check your horn!
Ensure that you have all
emergency equipment inside
your car, and that everything works properly. Emergency equipment includes
an up-to-date map, (never
know when the GPS will stop
working), cell phone with car
charger or a spare charged
battery, along with a spare
tire and emergency tools. If
Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, California
London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona
your vehicle is equipped with wheel locks, be
sure to have the key as well! Though usually absent, flares, flashlights, medical kits
and fire extinguishers may come in handy in
worse-case scenarios.
I must admit, writing this article has
brought back so many memories and has really made me want to create new ones. America has so many open highways, national
treasures and educational adventures that
everyone in the family would benefit from.
So much of our past history, current affairs
and our future endeavors are not taught in
the class room today. It’s time that we take
a vested interested and get not only our children, but ourselves to put down the video
game equipment, I-Pads, I-Pods, cell phones;
whatever is in our/their hands and step out.
Take some time to look at the sky, smell the
flowers, listen to the birds and learn about
not only our great country, but ourselves,
our families and others. It is time to make
memories from our adventures, vacations,
trips. It’s more than just taking photos.
Mr. Norm has a wonderful outlook on
memories. He says that with all of the truly
wonderful achievements throughout his life,
and this man has many to be proud of; Mr.
Norm says the best memories never come
from photos, they come from all the great
people and places he has had the honor and
privilege to have met and visited. The best
memories and the ones he carries with him
every day.
I have to agree with Mr.
Norm and can only hope that
this story has given some of
you the spark to plan an epic
family road trip adventure of
your own! So, get ready, load
up the family vehicle and get
ready to ease on down the
highway and make a whole
new set of memories for you
and your family.
Santa Monica Pier in Santa
Monica, California Street Sign
marks
“End of the Trail” for Route 66.
74
79
News You Can Use
Mopar HEMI Challenge Set for 6th NHRA U.S. Nats
Mopar ‘s HEMI® Challenge
will be held for a 14th consecutive season at NHRA’s
60th U.S. Nationals at Lucas
Oil Raceway in Indianapolis,
August 28-29
This year’s edition to
commemorate 50th anniversary of Gen II 426 race HEMI
engine
Winner will take home
a $15,000 purse, a unique
HEMI Challenge trophy and
special winner’s jacket celebrating the 50th anniversary
of the iconic engine
Mopar to provide cash
prize payout to the top 16
qualifiers and commemorative HEMI gifts for all participants May 29, 2014 , Auburn
Hills, Mich. - The Mopar
brand will highlight once
again its commitment to
Sportsman racing competition within the National
Hot Rod Association (NHRA)
by holding the ever-popular
HEMI® Challenge for a 14th
consecutive season at the
U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind., this August. This
year’s edition will include a
tribute to the 50th anniversary of the GEN II 426 Race
HEMI as part of Mopar’s
year-long commemoration of
the iconic engine.
The HEMI Challenge first
made its debut on the quarter-mile track at the 2001
edition of the prestigious
U.S. Nationals held at Lucas
Oil Raceway and featured
1968 HEMI Dodge Darts and
Plymouth Barracudas, the
classic muscle cars that contributed to the brand’s legendary reputation and success at the drag strip.
This year’s edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic second generation HEMI engine that
powers these vehicles with a
winner’s award of $15,000,
a unique 50th anniversary
HEMI Challenge trophy and
a custom Mopar HEMI 50th
anniversary winner’s jacket.
Every participant in the Mopar-powered Super Stock/
Automatic-HEMI
(SS/AH)
class participating in the
HEMI Challenge will receive:
a HEMI Challenge hat, a
HEMI Challenge commemorative poster, a special HEMI
50th anniversary key chain, a
HEMI 50th anniversary logo
decals and alLimited edition
print of the 50th anniversary
HEMI heritage wall display
76
The top 16 cars advancing
to the elimination rounds on
Friday, August 29, also will
receive a cash prize payout.
“The legendary 426 HEMI
engine was introduced 50
years ago through motorsports and went on to power the classic Mopar muscle
cars that still are such a big
part of our heritage thanks
in part to the passion of our
sportsman competitors and
fans,” said Pietro Gorlier,
President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s
service, parts and customer-care brand. “That passion
and heritage comes alive
every year with the HEMI
Challenge and the NHRA
Sportsman drag racers who
compete in this annual
showcase. This year, we’re
excited to celebrate this half
century of the HEMI with the
group of racers that are truly the backbone of the sport
with their dedication to the
brand and drag racing.
“Continuing
to
support the HEMI Challenge
and our sportsman racers
is important to Mopar. A
strong contingency program,
Sportsman barbecues, the
establishment of the Tom
Hoover Sportsman Challenge
in 2013, and now a 14th
edition of the Mopar HEMI
Challenge, are just a few examples of how much we value their contributions.”
“For years, this has been
one of the most competitive
‘race-within-a-race’ events in
the NHRA,” said Tom Compton, president of NHRA. “That’s one reason why our
fans love it so much; there’s
never a clear-cut favorite.”
Among the all Mopar
Sportsman competitors taking part in the U.S. Nationals, one will be chosen as
Mopar’s “Top Eliminator” in
the long-running customized
and performance vehicle
program that highlights passionate and dedicated Mopar
enthusiasts who display unmatched skill in modifying or
preserving a classic or modern-day Mopar vehicle. Last
year’s winner was the 2010
“Knox County Driller” Mopar
Challenger Drag Pak owned
by Brent Jones, of Wheatland, Ind. A total of four 2014
Top Eliminator selections
will be made from entries at
the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, Pa., “Mopars
in the Park” in Farmington,
Minn., and a final one will be
chosen from an online contest with fans voting to determine the winner.
In addition to the HEMI
Challenge,
Mopar
offers
Sportsman racers support
in the 2014 NHRA Mello Yel-
lo and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with a grassroots
contingency program that
provides financial awards
for those running specified
parts, as well as a Sportsman barbecue.
Mopar also established
the “Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge” in 2013 and
will continue the program
through 2014 with a winning driver selected from the
Sportsman Stock or Super
Stock classes by amassing
the most points behind the
wheel of a Chrysler Group
vehicle in the course of the
season at NHRA sanctioned
races nationwide. Last year’s
winner was talented 24-yearold Austin Williams, of Texas, who drives a stock class
1972 Duster.
Industry Veteran John Nichols, Joins Pentastar Power
This
month,
we’re
pleased to announce that
John Nichols has joined
the Pentastar Power team
as Advertising Director. An
industry veteran, John has
over twenty years of publishing and media experience. He started his career
with the New York Times as
a Senior Advertising Representative, and then moved
into the automotive enthusiast arena at Dobbs Publishing and Primedia. While
at Primedia, John was the
Senior Advertising Director
where he was responsible
for launching several automotive publications. Nichols later joined Amos Press
where he became Publisher
in 2004.
Today, John heads up
advertising
department
for Pentastar Power Magazine
(www.mrnorms.com)
and Kit Car Builder Magazine (www.kitcarclub.com).
We’re glad to have such a on the phone at 863-944seasoned automotive pro on 3747 or email him at jnichour team! You can call John [email protected].
78
Victor, Jr. CNC Cylinder Heads
for Chrysler HEMI®
The new Victor Jr. Elephant cylinder heads by
Edelbrock are designed for
high output 650+ hp Chrysler 426-572 HEMI® engines.
They feature fully CNC’d
combustion chambers and
CNC blended seats for optimal air flow performance.
These cylinder heads also
feature a revised exhaust
valve angle to accommodate
larger intake valves. They
also feature brass tubes installed in exhaust pushrod
holes to allow maximum
clearance with minimal port
intrusion.
Victor Jr. CNC Chrysler
426-572 Hemi Features:
● Victor Jr. CNC cylinder
heads #61175 and #61179
are complete and ready to
run right out of the box.
● Victor Jr. CNC cylinder
heads #61169 are bare and
supplied with reamed and
semi-finished valve stem
guides. They will require
finishing on the valve stem
guides and a valve job before
installation.
● Victor Jr. CNC cylinder
heads #61189 are shipped
with reamed and machined
valve stem guides, as well as
79
a valve job to match the included intake and exhaust
valves (valves not installed).
Customer must supply their
own valve springs, retainers,
valve stem seals and valve
locks.
For more information on
the Victor Jr Elephant CNC
Cylinder Heads for Chrysler
Hemi engines, contact Edelbrock at 310-781-2222 or
check out their website at
www.edelbrock.com.
MR. NORM’S
MOPAR THEME METAL TOOL BOX
MUSCLE CAR ART BY MICHAEL IRVINE
LARGE 18” x 10” x 9.5” BOX
WITH METAL TOOL TRAY
ALSO INCLUDES MR. NORM’S GSS LETTERING
ONLY $44.95*
Order yours today on the Mr. Norm’s website at
www.mrnorms.com
Look for the Mr. Norm’s GSS Metal Tool box in the Mr. Norm’s Store Section
*Note: Shipping is not included in price
2014
VENDOR DISCOUNTS
New vendors - buy two spaces
and get one free! All Vendors
attending multiple events receive
additional savings with our new
multi-show discounts.
CALL TO RESERVE SPACE!
July 11-13, 2014
Carlisle PA Fairgrounds
A Celebration of
Everything Mopar
Honoring Chrysler’s Rich
History, Engineering, Power
and Performance
2,200 Show Vehicles
from All Eras
More than 160 Classes
and Over 500 Awards
3,000+ Vending Spaces
Shop the World’s Largest Mopar
Swap Meet, Corral and
Manufacturers Midway
Mopar Hall of Fame
Dinner to Honor Mopar Celebrities
More Info and Tickets:
www.moparhalloffame.com
Special Vehicle and
Anniversary Displays
Featuring a Display to
Celebrate 100 Years of Dodge,
’69 1/2 A12 Reunion,
Race Hemi Reunion &
50th Anniversary of the Barracuda
Dodge Power Rallye Tour
Test Drives, Games, Prizes & a
Chance to Win $45,000 Toward a
New Chrysler Vehicle!
Fun for the
Entire Family
Special Guests, Burnout Contest,
Women’s Oasis, Kids’ Activities,
Autocross and Ride Alongs
Children 12 & Under Admitted Free
Don’t Miss The Excitement. Register Your Car Today!
CarlisleEvents.com
717-243-7855
Stay Connected
PREFERRED
CAR CARE PRODUCTS
PREFERRED COLLECTOR
CAR MARKETPLACE
PREFERRED
AUTO PARTS STORE
OFFICIAL CLASSIC
CAR INSURANCE
82
OFFICIAL AUTO
TRANSPORT COMPANY
2014 MOPAR HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
West Coast Report
MOPARS AT THE STRIP
Where Mopars Rocked
the Strip in More Ways
Than One
Story and Photos by Howard Benjamin
A-Bodies representing all years were lined up on the show field
W
hat
happens in Vegas
stays
in Vegas is
a
popular
catch phrase for Sin City.
However, when it comes
to Mopars at the Strip, nothing could be further from the
truth. In fact, half the fun is
telling your friends all about
it after your return home,
and letting them know what
a great time they could have
had if only they had been
there. Mopars, Mopars and
More Mopars are what it’s all
about, and this year was no
exception.
The weather was just
spectacular this year at Mopars at the Strip. Each day
dawned sunny and warm,
and the turnout of cars and
attendees was definitely up
in a big way. From where
the Mr. Norm’s exhibit was
located on the Manufacturers Midway, it was easy to
see the show field. In no
time, it quickly filled up with
hundreds of Mopars ranging from several early 1930’s
cars right up to modern
Challengers, Chargers and
Chrysler 300s, along with everything you could imagine
(and some you couldn’t) in
between. It was a real treat
to walk among all of these
great cars and admire the innovative design and industry
leading engineering they featured that was often considered cutting edge back when
they were new. Of particular
interest was the number of
C-Bodies on display. More
and more of these amazing
“land yachts” show up every year, demonstrating how
popular the full size cars are
becoming with enthusiasts
of all ages.
This year there were
three Mr. Norm’s vehicles
on display at Mopars at the
Strip. One was the 2014
Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary
GSS-R 1000 Challenger that
was on the cover and featured in the January, 2014
issue of Pentastar Power and
the other was the new 2014
Mr. Norm’s GSS King Cuda
that was on the cover and
featured in the May issue.
Joining us at Mopars at the
Strip was Dale Arnold, who
drove all the way from Oregon with his Mr. Norm’s 50th
Anniversary GSS Challenger.
Those of you who also read
Mopar Action Magazine will
Just some of the B-Bodies flaunting their wares
types on display. Many were
award winning restorations,
some were original survivors and others were vintage quarter mile warriors
Mr. Norm’s Challengers front and center on the Manufacturers Midway
remember this Mr. Norm’s
50th Anniversary Challenger from the December, 2013
issue. The three cars were
displayed together on the
Manufacturers Midway with
the hoods up and their Mr.
Norm’s signature Kenne Bell
Supercharged Hemi engines
glistening in the sun. To say
that they drew a crowd like
bees to honey would be an
understatement. There were
lots of questions about the
cars and supercharged engines. All three Challengers
were proof positive that just
like the good old days, tire
smokin’ Hemi power is readily available from Mr. Norm’s.
Up and down the rows
of the Manufacturers Midway, vendors were displaying their latest products.
One that really caught our
eye was Centerforce, who
had a new multi-disc clutch
street and strip clutch for
high horsepower late model Dodge Challengers. TTI
also displayed their latest
exhaust systems and headers for a wide range of both
vintage and modern Mopars,
while Gear Vendors had a
great display of transmissions equipped with their
bullet proof under/overdrive
that had earned their stripes
1320 feet at a time on drag
strips all over the country.
And talking about drag
strips, the track was the
units that are so popular
with both enthusiasts and
racers.
In addition to the huge
number of vehicles on the
show field, under the numerous tents that dotted the
midway, there were seemingly endless rows of pristine Mopars of all years and
scene of non-stop action
each day. Cars of all kinds
lined up in the staging areas
waiting their turn to make
a pass, especially those in
LEFT: First and second gen Hemi engines for
sale in the swap meet
BOTTOM LEFT: Wide variety of vintage Mopar parts in another space.
BELOW: Real 1971 Cuda fenders will gills in
nice, rust free condition.
Bill Stiles original BO29 1968 Hemi Cuda
86
87
A ’70 and a ’73 Cuda leaving side by side as the tree flashes green
Mr. Norm’s GSS King Cuda was chosen for display at the Cannery
competition, who were fighting for their chance to advance to the next round. In
particular, the competition
among the SS/AH Hemi
Darts and Hemi Cudas was
especially fierce, and the excitement of watching them
run side by side brought
back lots of memories of similar cars that were driven by
our heroes from the muscle
car era when they were brand
new. It certainly would not
have been a big leap to imagine Ronnie “Mr. Four Speed”
Sox in the ‘Lil Boss running
against “Dandy” Dick Landy
or “Akron” Arlen Vanke going
toe to toe against Bill “Red
Light Bandit” Bagshaw.
If going around corners
was more your speed, the
Muscle Car Autocross Challenge was the place to go
where you could test your
1970 Petty Superbird recreation was chosen for display at the Cannery
88
driving skill and the capability of your car. Listening
to the sounds of squealing
rubber, while engines ran up
and down through the rpm
range as drivers of vehicles of
all kinds sought out the best
line on the course was great
fun for both participants and
spectators. Needless to say,
there was always a steady
stream of cars awaiting their
turn for this challenging
event.
For those who came looking to find those elusive
parts to complete their latest
project vehicle, there was a
large swap meet area. It was
chock full of Mopar parts of
all kinds, along with some
very interesting cars for sale
that were looking for a new
home. From the enthusiasts
who were eagerly digging
through piles of old parts, to
those who were negotiating
on some of the rare cars on
trailers, the swap meet and
“From where the
Mr. Norm’s exhibit
was located on the
Manufacturers Midway, it was easy
to see the show
field. In no time,
it quickly filled up
with hundreds of
Mopars, ranging
from several early
1930’s cars right
up to modern Challengers, Chargers
and Chrysler 300s,
along with everything you could
imagine (and some
you couldn’t) in
between.”
Two A-Bodies staging in preparation for their run
cars for sale areas at Mopars
at the Strip was the place to
be if you were in the hunt for
those rare and elusive items.
And if all of that wasn’t
enough, Tom Hoover was “in
the house” talking to standing room only crowds about
his years at Chrysler and the
development of the 426 Hemi
as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark
engine. Many of the Original
Ramchargers team were also
present, and lots of enthusiasts were thrilled to have
89
a chance to meet these legends in person.
In the evenings at the
Cannery, the host hotel for
Mopars at the Strip, there
was great entertainment on
both Friday and Saturday
nights. On Friday night, the
Saucy Jacks played sixties
and seventies top 40 hits
to perfection all night long,
while on Saturday, it was
none other than Foghat, reprising their great music to
a standing room only crowd.
In addition, on both nights,
SOURCE BOX
Mopars at the Strip
JP Motorsports LLC
2251 N. Rampart #280
Las Vegas, NV 89128
Phone: 702-256-8254
Email:
[email protected]
www.matslv.com
Original members of the Ramchargers signing autographs
Mopars of all kinds lined the
street next to the hotel under
the lights in a car show like
atmosphere, while on Friday
night, a special group of cars
were hand-picked at Mopars
at the Strip for display in
the Cannery enclosed area
where the concert was being
held. One of the crowd favorites was a 1970 Petty Superbird tribute that looked
like it was ready to hit the
high banks at Daytona. Other cars on display included a
mint 1969 Coronet R/T and
a beautiful 1970 Plymouth
440+6 Cuda that was displayed near the Mr. Norm’s
GSS King Cuda and the Mr.
Norm’s 50th Anniversary
GSS-R 1000 Challenger.
All in all, a great time was
had by all, and we’re already
Ramchargers 1964 Dodge Candymatic with Race Hemi next to the tent
Vintage race car recreations like this Color Me Gone 1965 Coronet
are very popular with enthusiasts.
Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS-R with its 1000 horsepower blown Hemi was a source of conversation
all evening.
90
looking forward to attending
Mopars at the Strip again
next year. If you missed it
this year, put MATS on your
list of must attend events for
next year. And lastly, a big
thanks to Phil Painter and
the entire staff of Mopars at
the Strip for putting on this
great show every year. It’s
one of the premier Mopar
events of the year and we
speak for many enthusiasts
when we say that we certainly appreciate all of their efforts.
Over 100 Mopars of all kinds
lined the street both evenings
in a mini show
or This
ickets f p. 25
T
le
f
f
a
Get R Manx — See
Meyers
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p
March/A
ril 2014
om
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But Wait There’s More
Mr. Norm’s 1972 Supercharged Demon GSS. Note the new for 1972 Demon snorkel
hood scoop and optional hood tach, a popular period accessory.
THE
DEMONS
MADE ME
DO IT!
Story by Larry Weiner
Photos by Richard Truesdell
T
he year is 1971.
Dark
ominous
clouds
have
gathered on the
horizon that foretell
of an impending doom.
High
performance
cars
have come under serious
attack on several fronts.
94
The aggressors are the
insurance companies with
deliberately high premiums,
and the bureaucrats with
horsepower
strangling
emissions edicts. Both of
the enemies have one goal in
mind; eradicate the muscle
cars. There appears to be no
reinforcements forthcoming
to help the besieged high
performance machines turn
back the diabolical forces of
the enemy.
But
wait,
perhaps
the
battle
isn’t
lost.
Reinforcements
for
the
Mopar brigade are on their
way from Chicago, home
of Grand Spaulding Dodge
and its fearless leader, Mr.
Norm. And what strategy is
he planning to use to save
the situation, and beat the
enemy at their own game?
It certainly isn’t big cubes,
because that won’t solve the
problem. No, he’s bringing
in the new Dodge Demon
340 to do battle. Not potent
enough when the big guns
on the street are packing
bigger firepower, you say.
Watch yourself, we’re talking
Mr. Norm here, and he
knows what it takes to get
the job done. How about a
Supercharged Demon GSS,
a lightweight killer package
95
designed to annihilate most
street aggressors, and beat
both the insurance goons
and feds at the same time!
Only Mr. Norm could have
thought of an offense like
this.
So what’s the scoop and
how did it happen? In late
‘70, you didn’t need a crystal
ball to see the handwriting
on the wall. The bottom
was beginning to fall out
ABOVE: The heart of the Demon GSS, the supercharged 340 small block
that produced big block horsepower.
BELOW: The Paxton centrifugal supercharger. Mr. Norm and Gary Dyer
determined that this was the perfect solution to increase the performance of
the 8.5:1 compression ratio 340 in the 1972 Demon. The GSS Supercharged
Demon provided big block power while keeping the cost of insurance
affordable.
on hi performance cars due
to conspiratorial efforts on
the part of the insurance
companies. Their goal was
to make insurance for
muscle cars so expensive
as to be unaffordable. To
add insult to injury, at
the same time, the federal
government was imposing
increasingly
stringent
legislation for emissions.
These actions were not only
beginning to have a negative
effect
on
performance,
but additionally caused a
deproliferation of engine
and powertrain options as
96
manufacturers
scrambled
to produce vehicles that
conformed to the new laws.
Magazines of the period
were predicting an ominous
gloom and doom scenario,
such as Super Stock and
Drag Illustrated showing a
new Camaro posed along
side a gravesite suggesting
the approaching end to our
beloved cars.
For
dealerships
that
built
their
reputations
on hi performance, the
impending
scenario
did
not look promising and
the thought of alternative
paths to maintaining sales
weighed heavily on their
minds. Yet in spite of all of
this uncertainty, at Grand
Spaulding Dodge, Mr. Norm
felt that the demand for hi
performance was still very
much alive and it was time to
do an encore to the GSS 440
Darts of the late ‘60’s and
the 340 Six Pack Demon of
1971. The obvious question
was how to produce and
market high performance in a
period when it was becoming
increasingly
difficult,
and the preferred engine
choices
were
becoming
emasculated, or worse yet
being discontinued.
The answer was found
at the Specialty Equipment
Manufacturers Association
Show in 1970, when Norm
was
checking
out
the
Paxton booth. There, a
belt driven supercharger
setup on display caught his
attention. Intensely aware
of the escalating insurance
and regulatory problems
facing the high performance
new car sector, he was
determined to create a new
package
of
performance
that would still give the enthusiast the
power and responsiveness he craved, yet
produce it in a vehicle which would not be
prohibitive to insure, and would meet the
current emissions standards.
The more Mr. Norm thought about it, the
more sense the supercharger setup made.
By utilizing the compact Demon 340, as he
had already done with the Six Pack Demon,
but by substituting a supercharger for the
tri carb setup, he could create a lightweight
high performance car that could more than
keep up with the big inch cars. Another
plus, was that unlike a temperamental,
high strung naturally aspirated engine,
the supercharged 340 would be good
natured, easy to drive, have lots of power
on demand, yet still be relatively easy to
insure as well as be emissions legal. A call
to Paxton confirmed that the supercharger
with a boost limit of 7 lbs would work with
a 340 and could be configured to fit within
the confines of the compact Demon.
The green light was given for the project
and Paxton in conjunction with Gary Dyer
at Grand Spaulding Dodge developed the
package. It was released in the latter part of ‘71
as a 1972 car and was well received by both the
public and automotive journalists.
Here was a car that actually delivered on its
promises. Stock, out of the box, with little E7014 Fiberglas belted tires, the GSS Supercharged
340 could crank out blistering high 13 second
passes. Incinerating the tires was so easy, that
you had to launch conservatively, or it was up
in smoke. Certainly impressive to watch, but
not the fast track to a low e.t. Here was a car
that begged for some serious tires. Add slicks,
a gear and open headers and low 13’s were the
reward. Like I said, this car could play with the
big dogs, no problem!
For only $3595 the Supercharged Demon
GSS offered great performance at a truly modest
price. It had a reasonable insurance premium,
got acceptable gas mileage, yet produced
copious amounts of horsepower on demand.
This was no mere token hi performance car with
little more than tape stripes. The Supercharged
Demon GSS was genuine rompin’ stompin’
MoPar performance in an alternative package.
The Supercharged Demon GSS program
was a great success and lasted through the
‘72 model year after which it became illegal
for a dealer to do even these kinds of things.
After that came the Arab oil embargo of ‘74,
and the rice burners. Definitely a period most
of us performance crazies would sooner forget,
but at least we have the Supercharged Demon
to show that when the chips were down, we
would really rather fight than switch! Yes, it
was the end of an era, but thanks to Mr. Norm,
it went out in style. The Supercharged Demon
GSS offered an alternative to what was then
available, and put out plenty of power for the
most discriminating performance enthusiast.
Additionally, Mr. Norm accomplished what he
set out to do; offer a high performance package
that was affordable to insure.
Today, these cars are very desirable, and
collector’s prize original examples of genuine
Mr. Norm’s GSS Supercharged Demon’s as
the last of the breed of dealer installed power
packages.
TOP LEFT: Super Stock and Drag Illustrated from January, 1972 with Mr. Norm’s
Supercharged Demon GSS on the cover.
BOTTOM LEFT: Hot Rod Magazine story in the March, 1972 issue on Mr. Norm’s
GSS Supercharged Demon.
ABOVE: Magazine ad for Mr. Norm’s Supercharged Demon GSS spells out all of
the upgrades to the vehicle. This was a lot of muscle car value for the money
in 1972.