Sept 2013. pdf

MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB 50 YEARS AND COUNTING!
MR. NORM GOES GLOBAL!
50TH ANNIVERSARY GSS CHALLENGERS
NOW IN JAPAN
==================================================================
RETURN OF A LEGEND: NEW MR. NORM’S WARLOCK
DOCUMENTING GRAND SPAULDING DODGE VINTAGE MUSCLE SEPTEMBER 2013
MEMBERS RIDE 1968 PLYMOUTH GTX 440 SIX PACK WAGON
A MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB PUBLICATION
SEPTEMBER 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORS PAGE ...................................................................................................................... 4
MR. NORM’S CORNER ............................................................................................................ 5
COVER STORY MR. NORM GOES GLOBAL ......................................................................... 8
BACK TO THE FUTURE THE RETURN OF THE WARLOCK ............................................. 10
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT .......................................................................................................... 12
MR. NORM’S MEMBERS RIDE .............................................................................................. 13
PAPER TRAIL, documenting Grand Spaulding Dodge vintage Muscle Cars .................. 17
SPECIALS OF THE MONTH ................................................................................................... 20
WOMENS WORLD .................................................................................................................. 21
WEST COAST REPORT ......................................................................................................... 24
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE ................................................................................................... 26
...........................................................................................................................................
ON THE COVER: Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS Challenger and the sales team in the showroom in Tokyo
EDITORIAL
Publisher and Founder
Editor
Managing Editor
Editorial Assistant
Contributors
Mr. Norm
Larry Weiner
Deb Murphy
Debbie Weiner
Linda Mandalas
Howard Benjamin
John Schultheis
DEALER SALES
East Coast
Midwest
West
Mike Staveski
Bob Longstreth
Steve Temple
PENTASTAR POWER IS PUBLISHED MONTHY BY MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB
P.O. Box 381, Highland Park, IL 60035, (760) 630-0547, E-mail [email protected], Website:
www.mrnorms.com
Editor’s Page
Milestones
This year marks the
50th anniversary of Mr.
Norm starting Grand
Spaulding Dodge. From
the very beginning in 1963
when Norm opened the
dealership, the focus was
on high performance
Dodges, and leading the
charge that year were the
thundering Max Wedge
powered sedans and hardtops. Tuned and set up correctly, these cars terrorized the
Chevrolets and Fords in Stock
and Super Stock competition.
As soon as the doors of the
dealership opened, Mr. Norm
started the Mr. Norm’s Sport
Club. One of the purposes of
the Sport Club was to help his
customers go fast and win
races with the Dodges purchased at Grand Spaulding.
Everyone who bought a new
high performance Dodge from
Mr. Norm automatically became a member of the Sport
Club and among the many
benefits was a one page newsletter that was mailed out to
them every month.
The Mr. Norm’s Sport Club
Newsletter was chock full of
information: tips from Gary
Dyer on hot powertrain combinations, the latest in performance products, discounts on
parts and accessories, information on where Mr. Norm’s vehicles would be racing, a calendar of events and parties for
Sport Club members. Unlike
most dealerships of the era,
Norm’s goal was to forge a long
lasting relationship with his
customers and the Sport Club
Newsletter was a great way to
stay in touch with them on a
regular basis.
During the last decade, the
Sport Club Newsletter grew to
four pages and shifted from
print to email distribution.
The four page newsletter simply couldn’t accommodate the
sheer volume of news that Mr.
Norm was generating so last
month, the newsletter expanded to 11 pages due to the
meteoric growth of the Mr.
Norm’s vehicle program and a
steady increase in new parts,
accessories and memorabilia
items. Also, Norm is attending
more shows and events since
the early 1970’s when he was
traveling with the funny car
team. As soon as the new issue went out, Mr. Norm received feedback from members
by e-mail and at the Mopar Nationals a few weeks ago. The
new format was well received.
This month, we’re proud to
announce that the Mr. Norm’s
Sport Club newsletter has been
expanded to a magazine style
format. The name of the has
also evolved into PENTASTAR
POWER. With Mr. Norm
working avidly with all Dodge,
Plymouth, Chrysler, Jeep and
Ram enthusiasts, the expansion to an all inclusive name
was a natural .
With the additional pages,
4
we can provide more information than ever to
Sport Club members.
Going forward each issue
will have feature stories
that focus on late and
vintage Mopars, such as
the new Mr. Norm’s Warlock and vintage muscle
like the 1968 Plymouth
GTX Six Pack Wagon,
both of which are covered
in this issue. In addition,
in this issue you’ll find an indepth feature on documenting
Grand Spaulding Dodge vintage muscle cars and expanded
event coverage that includes
the Mopar Nationals in Columbus and Moparfest in Ontario,
Canada. We would also like to
welcome Linda Mandalas to
the staff, who will be penning
the Women’s World column.
Other sections such as Mr.
Norm’s Corner, the West Coast
Report, the New Products Section and the “But Wait There’s
More” page that debuted in the
August issue are all in the new
issue. So take a break, and
check out this new issue.
There’s sure to be info and
photos that you’ll find interesting, along with discounts and
product specials to help you
save money on parts and accessories for your favorite Mopar and memorabilia for your
man cave.
Mr. Norm and all of us at
the Sport Club hope you enjoy
Pentastar Power. Rest assured
that thanks to you, it will continue to grow. We look forward
to seeing you at Mopar events
and at car shows around the
country. And if you see us at
the event, be sure to stop by
and say hello.
Norm’s Corner
W
ell, we just got back
from what was really a
whirlwind of Mopar shows. I
should be exhausted but the
energy across the country is
enough to recharge anybody’s battery. It was a great
back-to-back series of shows
starting with the Mopar Nationals outside Columbus,
Ohio and then on to the Moparfest of Canada, the biggest enthusiast gathering in
that country.
First the Nationals, really
the highlight of the Mopar
Shows, the Big Daddy in the
lower 48 where enthusiasts
gather from all over the
world, literally. I didn’t fully
realize how many Mr. Norm
This is a great aerial shot of the Moparfest in Canada, the biggest Mopar car
show in the country.
Sports Club members we
have from abroad, Europe,
Australia, you name it and
there’s a member there.
With the biggest dealer in
Japan, Daiwa Chrysler Jeep
Dodge, carrying the Mr.
Norm performance and styl-
The 20,000+ folks at the Moparfest in Canada got treated to great shows throughout the event, including this impressive
burnout.
5
season long and it
really hit home at
the Mopar Nationals: people are
really paying more
attention to our
cars and the
memorabilia in our
booths. The message is really getting out that the
best parts of the
Muscle Car Era is
still alive and transitioning very well,
thank you, into the
21st century. We
set up next to Fairfield Dodge with
the latest member
of the Mr. Norm’s
Here’s a look at the vendor’s alley, at Moparfest If you look close enough you can see
hot, new vehicles,
our Mr. Norm’s tent.
the Warlock. Fairfield brought the
ing packages, Mr. Norm has
Jeep Five Star and the 50th
themselves 50 years ago and
gone global. Believe me, it
Anniversary GSS Chalas much so today.
didn’t really dawn on me 50
lenger, all three vehicles
One thing I’ve noticed all
years ago when we opened
Grand Spaulding Dodge in
Chicago that my name
would last this long and go
this far. We sure must have
been doing something right!
Of course, it wouldn’t be
a 2013 summer car show
without a little rain and
Ohio was no exception. We
got a drizzle the Friday of
the show that slowed down
the crowds, but just a little.
In reality, not much could
have slowed down the 2013
Mopar Nationals. The swap
meet and row after row of
vendors is a huge draw as
well as the cars themselves
and, of course, the drag
races where the Muscle Cars
Some great looking Mopars on display at the Moparfest.
really made a name for
6
were true show stoppers.
Fairfield and Bosak are
both doing a bang-up job
capturing the imagination of
Mopar people, as well as
turning folks into Mopar
people.
As for the Mr. Norm
Memorabilia, we sold out of
our GSS signs, both the
metal and cardboard versions. The jackets were selling like hot cakes as well.
As always one of the best
parts of these shows is getting together with our old
friends and making new
ones. It gives us a chance to
trade stories with folks who
followed us during our drag
racing days. One fellow we
chatted with remembered
particular races we participated in at the U.S. 30
Dragstrip. I’m now convinced that what draws so
many people to our booth is
not as much the memorabilia as it is me. Maybe just
the fact I’m still around and
part of the Mopar scene after 50 years. When they ask
why I’m still out and about
at all these shows, I tell
them it’s me giving back to
the folks who really built the
Grand Spaulding Dodge.
We just got back from
Ohio and had to pack our
bags, and the van, back up
and head to New Hamburg,
Ontario, just west of Toronto, for the Moparfest of
Canada. We were there back
in 1999 and must have
made an indelible mark on
the show as they asked us
back. In fact, we’re scheduled to head back up north
for the 2014 Moparfest!
Here’s a great view of the grandstands at the show in Ontario, Canada
For all you folks who
have never been to New
Hamburg in mid-August,
start making plans now. The
weather was exquisite, the
folks who attended were just
great, very young and very
excited to be part of this
massive, well-organized
show. Some of the organizational elements of the Moparfest really focused on
making the day, or days,
great for those who attended. Example: Parking
covered what looked like a
100-acre grass lot but a bus
shuttle to take people from
their cars into the show
grounds.
The Moparfest started
back in 1979 as a little show
put on by the Old Chrysler
Corporation Auto Club with
all the proceeds going to local charities. Over the years
the show grew like Topsy,
this year there were 1750
cars entered in the show,
243 vendors and over
7
20,000 people in attendance, and the proceeds still
go to local charities.
There was activity
through the whole weekend,
from the beginning on Saturday at 8 a.m. and the excitement didn’t end until
Sunday when things shut
down at 4:30 p.m. The
venue has grandstands that
were packed all weekend
long for contests and raffles.
I think we hit a record for
new members during the
show, merchandise was
really moving, especially the
metal signs. The guy with
the booth right next to ours
had three GSS Darts, in red,
white and blue. It was quite
a sight and those cars
looked great. Already looking
forward to both the show
and the beautiful drive up to
New Hamburg.
That’s it for this month. I
know summer is winding
down but we’re just getting
started.
COVER STORY
MR. NORM
GOES
GLOBAL
Mr. Norm’s 50th
Anniversary
Challengers now
Mr. Norm’s50th Anniversary GSS Challenger with Daiwa Tokyo
sales team
M
r. Norm’s 50th Anni-
versary celebration continues to grow with news that
50th Anniversary GSS Challengers are now available in
Japan. Daiwa Automobiles,
a Chrysler Jeep Dodge
dealer group with five new
car showrooms located in
and around Tokyo, now
has a wide range of Mr.
Norm’s vehicles in stock for
immediate delivery, including 50th Anniversary GSS
Challengers, GSS Cuda’s
and Jeep Wrangler FIVE
STARS.
Needless to say, Mr.
Norm’s vehicles are on the
fast track in Japan where a
groundswell of interest is
catapulting them into public awareness.
Earlier this year, Daiwa
built a new Mr. Norm’s
GSS Cuda that debuted at
the Five Star Toto event
available in Japan
held at Fuji Speedway in
saw the interest of particithe picturesque foothills at
pants and attendees at the
the base of Mount Fuji.
event, and ordered ten perStarting with a black 2013
cent of the entire producChallenger, the Mr. Norm’s
tion of Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS Challengers.
GSS Cuda featured conDeciding that variety was
trasting white Signature
the spice of life, the dealerStrobe Stripes along with a
ship chose Challengers in
full complement of Mr.
several different colors, inNorm’s parts and accessocluding Jazz Blue, Black,
ries. The GSS Cuda was a
big hit at the
event with everyone who attended, and
created lots of
excitement
when it was
photographed
with a vintage
1970 Challenger R/T on
display.
Following
the successful
unveiling of the
Mr. Norm’s GSS
Cuda, Daiwa
Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary Challenger in Jazz Blue
8
Mr. Norm’s Jeep Wrangler FIVE STAR
White and Billet Silver Metallic, each with contrasting 50th Anniversary
graphics. In addition,
Daiwa also ordered two
Jeep Wrangler FIVE STAR
packages.
American muscle and
Jeep Wranglers are very
popular in Japan and Mr.
Norm has become quite
the celebrity there. Just
check out the feature stories that are being published in magazines in Japan such as A-CARS and
GENROQ. As you can see
from the photos, the cars
look great and it’s really
gratifying to see the enthusiasm the sales team
at Daiwa has for the vehicles and Mr. Norm, to say
nothing of the media and
auto enthusiasts.
The 2014 Challengers
and Chargers will be arriving at your dealer very
soon. With graphics avail-
able in a wide range
of colors designed to
complement all of
the Challenger factory paint colors,
the opportunity to
personalize a Mr.
Norm’s 50th Anniversary Challenger
and Charger are
nearly endless.
Just take a look
at the photos
from Japan and
imagine what
you can do to
create your very
own Mr. Norm’s
Challenger,
Charger,
Chrysler 300,
Ram or Jeep.
No matter
what kind of
late model
Mopar you own, chances
are that Mr. Norm
has something
A-CARS magazine cover features Mr Norm's 50th
for you.
9
MR.
NORM’S
WARLOCK
A classic is
back and better
than ever
By the Pentastar Power Staff
Photos by Cliff Gromer
“L
et It Roll on Down the
Highway” was the anthem
when the popular Dodge
Warlock traveled America’s
highways and byways back
in 1976. Now, enthusiasts
can once again recapture
the essence of this classic
pick-up with the Mr. Norm’s
Warlock.
The Warlock is the versatile new sport truck package
from Mr. Norm that’s as
suited to devouring long
10
endless stretches of Route
66 at highway speed as it is
to cruisin’ the strand under
the neon in Santa Monica.
The original Route 66 may
be difficult to piece together
today, interrupted by mega
highways, but the nostalgia
and flavor of the original is
alive and well in the new Mr.
Norm’s Warlock.
The Mr. Norm’s Warlock
offers pure sizzle, regardless
of whether you choose red,
black or white paint as a
contrast to the Antique Gold
Warlock body accents. The
Warlock graphics package
includes classic side striping
for the hood, front and rear
fenders along with tail gate
lettering and striping.
In addition to the Warlock graphics, exterior enhancements include wood
stake sides, red powder
coated Mr. Norm’s logo caliper covers, simulated
chrome hood pins, and a
Mr. Norm’s windshield banner.
Inside the Warlock, the
interior continues the tradition of style, with a tip of the
hat to its heritage. The Warlock package includes Mr.
Norm’s signature embroidered leather headrests and
a glove soft custom leather
interior by Katzkin with Mr.
Norm’s signature
embroidered in
the seat backs
as an available
optoin. Other interior accents
include Mr.
Norm’s Signature embroidered
logo carpet mats
and a Warlock
serial number
plaque on the
dashboard.
For Rams
equipped with
bucket seats,
The Warlock is
a 21st century
version of that
iconic truck,
and just like
the original,
you can be
sure that it
won’t get lost
center console and floor
shift, a Mr. Norm’s Pistol
Grip Shifter is another available option. Other options
include a show quality wood
bed, a Ram logo aluminum
differential cover and a lowering kit for two wheel drive
chassis or a two inch lift kit
11
for Rams with four wheel
drive. The 4x4 Warlock in
this story was built by Fairfield Dodge in Muncy, Pennsylvania and is equipped
with a two inch lift kit.
The Warlock was one of
the cornerstones of the original Dodge “Adult Toys” limited edition truck program.
Original Warlocks have become coveted collector vehicles, and are cooler today
than when they were new.
The new Mr. Norm’s Warlock
is a 21st century version of
that iconic truck, and just
like the original, you can be
sure that it won’t get lost in
a crowd. So whether you
want an off road conqueror
or the ultimate expression of
a modern sport truck, the
Warlock is the truck for you.
The Warlock package is
available for 2009 thru 2014
Ram 1500s. For more information on the new Warlock,
call Mr. Norm’s today at 760
-630-0547 or check out the
Mr. Norm’s website at
www.mrnorms.com
Mr. Norm’s Pistol Grip
Shifters
2009-2013 Challengers
There’s no doubt about
it, late model Challengers
are 100 percent red, white
and blue Muscle. With their
tire smoking R/T and SRT-8
Hemi power, very few vehicles on the road are capable of keeping up with them.
As great as they are, late
model Challengers are missing some of the features
that made classic Mopar
muscle memorable, like the
Pistol Grip Shifter standard
equipment on the 1970
Hemi Challenger. The factory shifter in the new Challenger is functional but
lacks the character of the
Pistol Grip.
The solution is the Mr.
Norm’s Pistol Grip Shifter.
Inspired by the original, the
Mr. Norm’s Pistol Grip
Shifter is designed for late
model Challengers with the
six speed manual transmission. It features a pistol grip
handle, a bezel on top with
the shift pattern and a
chrome plated shift arm
with Mr. Norm’s name engraved on the sides. Mr.
Norm’s Pistol Grip Shifters
are available with your
choice of wood grain grips
like the original Challenger,
or simulated carbon fiber
grips to complement the interior trim on a late model
Challenger. Because the
Mr. Norm’s Pistol Grip
Shifter arm is longer than
the short stock arm, you get
more leverage for surer
shifts. So add a touch of
classic muscle to your Challenger with a Mr. Norm’s
Pistol Grip Shifter, and as
they used to say in the sixties, “shift as hard as you
want, but don’t break your
arm!”
The Mr. Norm’s Pistol
Grip Shifter is $299, your
racers’ net.
Mr. Norm’s Life Size
Cardboard Standup
How cool would it be to
have Mr. Norm stand with
your Mopar at shows and
events, to say nothing of
having him hang out with
you in your garage. Well, it’s
not a pipe dream anymore.
You can now have the one
and only Mr. Norm join you
everywhere you go with the
Mr. Norm life size cardboard
standup. Standing a full
5’10” tall and holding a
Grand Spaulding Dodge
sign, the Mr. Norm cardboard standup is so life like,
you may feel the urge to talk
to him about what it was
like to sell Hemi Challengers
and Chargers at during the
muscle car era. The Mr.
Norm life size cardboard
standup is a must have item
for every Mopar enthusiast
and is now available. Order
yours today!
Special Intro Price
$39.95
12
Mr. Norm’s Member Feature
1968 Plymouth
GTX 440 SixPack Wagon
A Wolf in
Disguise
Editors Note: Larry Weiner,
who has worked with Mr.
Norm for nearly 20 years,
found this Plymouth languishing in a Southern California
backyard. As soon as he saw
it, he knew that this long lost
muscle car deserved to be
brought back to its former
greatness. This is the story of
the Plymouth and its rebirth.
By Larry Weiner
L
ong before a professional
journalist coined the term
“phantom” when referring to
a vehicle that was not actually built by the original
manufacturer, the creation of
“one off” cars was merely a
matter of an enthusiast
wanting something different
and just building it. The following story is a case in
point.
Rumor has it that in
1968, a long time Mopar enthusiast named Herb pur-
The wolf, post restoration, a 1968 Plymouth GTX 440 Six-Pack wagon
chased a new Plymouth Satellite station wagon. Living in
suburban Chicago with his
wife and five children, a
wagon was the vehicle of necessity, rather than choice.
But Herb had never lost his
enthusiasm for the red hot
performance cars he owned
in his youth and he continued to lust for a vehicle with
the kind of power that he
had once enjoyed.
In 1969, with the release
of the Road Runner 440 Six
Pack, Herb could stand it no
longer. According to the
story, Herb called Mr. Norm’s
Grand Spaulding Dodge, the
Mecca for ultimate performance Mopars and asked if
there was any way that his
nearly new Plymouth could
be enhanced with the same
13
440 Six-Pack that made the
just released Road Runner
and Super Bee such street
and strip terrors.
Herb was assured that
his B-Body wagon was a fraternal twin to the Road Runner and could be fitted with
the full complement of parts.
In fact, the swap was nothing
more than a bolt in and all of
the parts for the conversion,
including the 440 engine,
were in stock. Without hesitation, Herb brought the
wagon to Mr. Norm’s and a
week later took delivery on
his Plymouth wagon, one
that was quite unlike any
other.
After a driving his SixPack Wagon for about a year,
Herb’s brother-in-law from
California flew in for a visit.
Herb took him for a ride in
the wild wagon and his
brother-in-law fell in love
with it.
Long story short, he
made Herb an offer he
couldn’t refuse and the
wagon headed west on
Route 66 to Southern California. Once there, the car
was further enhanced with a
factory Six-Pack lift off hood,
something that was not
practical in Chicago, converted to a four speed and
the interior was upgraded
with buckets and a console
from a GTX.
Fast forward to 2006.
The Plymouth wagon was
found sitting in a back yard
in California, where it had
been for nearly a decade.
While some of the go fast
goodies were missing and
the paint was badly sun
faded, the car was rust free,
completely intact, and ready
to be restored to its former
greatness.
AUTHENTIC SUPERCAR
STYLE
Classic design is one of
the hallmarks of the late
1960’s Plymouth and we restored the GTX 440 SixPack Wagon to maintain its
timeless original appearance. In doing so, we only
made the most subtle visual
changes, creating a vehicle
that is loaded with “treats.”
While the uninitiated may
overlook some of these nuances, true aficionados will
find this “phantom” GTX
wagon teeming with numerous detail improvements
Katzkin leather upholstery and Hurst Competition Plus shifter ice the cake
in the Plymouth Six-Pack’s interior
that mark this as a vehicle
that is not only true to the
era from which it came, but
one that incorporates many
of the latest improvements,
making it as contemporary
and relevant today as when
it first debuted.
A prime example of this
philosophy is the paint.
While the color is reminiscent of the original “B-5
Blue,” the brilliant “B-5 Super Blue” Sherwin-Williams
Automotive Finishes Planet
Colors hue is a modern interpretation of the original
that takes advantage of the
latest in paint technology.
The subtle enhancements continue with the
choice of the period correct
Six-Pack Lift Off Hood that
signifies the potent Mopar
mill that lurks just beneath
it. Other items to look for
are the classic GTX dual
side accent stripes and em14
blems. Hurst style chrome
wheels by Oasis and Pirelli
PZero tires work in concert
with the lowered suspension, creating the kind of
aggressive appearance that
makes this such an interesting vehicle.
The interior mirrors the
theme that runs throughout
the Plymouth. One of the
highlights is the authentic
1968 GTX bucket seats that
have been covered with
magnificent Katzkin hand
sewn white leather, with
stitching that remains true
to the original pattern,
flanking a stock console that
frames a Hurst Competition
Plus Shifter. Contrasting
with the white leather, B-5
Super Blue covers_all of the
interior surfaces, resulting
in a harmony of classicinspired textures and colors.
Auto Custom Carpets provided the original style loop
the engine is a
bullet proof
Hays Clutch
that transmits
the power to a
genuine A833
4 Speed manual transmission armed
with a Hurst
Competition
Plus Shifter.
And to insure
easy, low rpm
long distance
cruising, the
GTX 440 SixPack Wagon is
equipped with
a Gear Vendors
Overdrive.
The stance
of the GTX 440
Six -Pack
This wolf packs performance enhancement that bring the Six-Pack way into the 21st century.
Wagon makes
no bones about
carpeting in blue, adding
exuberance.
its purpose. Sitting slightly
continuity to the theme.
True to its name, the
lower than stock, it still
Adding interest and detail to
Plymouth sports a full-on
stands tall and imposing
the interior, a complete GTX
440 Six-Pack engine, with a
compared to today’s low
dashboard and rally instrutrio of Holley carbs perched
slung cars. Period perfect
ment panel replaces the
on an Edelbrock aluminum
Hurst style wheels complemundane stock dash and
intake manifold. Backing up
ment the vintage appearcluster.
GENUINE MOPAR
PERFORMANCE
The GTX 440 Six-Pack
Wagon accelerates us back
to a time when life may have
been less complicated, but
was more fun and in some
ways, far more exciting than
today. We cruised the drivein, stopping to load up on
hamburgers and fries, in a
time when we could work off
the calories with our sheer
Coming or going this restored ‘68 GTX draws attention.
15
ance of the wagon, complemented by Pirelli PZero ultra
high performance radial
tires.
Hotchkis Performance
sway bars, heavy duty torsion bars and a completely
refreshed suspension system enhance handling.
Eaton Detroit leaf springs
and Edelbrock IAS Performer Shock Absorbers
complete the suspension.
The appearance is nothing less than you would expect, in addition to offering
the kind of smooth ride and
great handling essential for
modern high speed motoring. And filling up the open
areas between the spokes
on the wheels are Stainless
Steel Brakes Corp. Force-10
Tri Power high performance
disc brakes at all four corners that look great and insure safe, sure stops from
quarter miles blasts or just
canyon carving forays.
BETTER THAN EVER
The Plymouth GTX 440
Six Pack Wagon is a great
example of the incredible
performance of the late
1960’s big block Mopars.
And complementing the
ground pounding performance is timeless styling that
leaves no question what
year and brand of vehicle it
is, unlike today’s generic,
appliance like front wheel
drive cars.
In fact, the Plymouth
GTX 440 Six-Pack Wagon is
16
the absolute antithesis of
these seemingly nameless,
faceless commodity vehicles.
It beckons you to pack your
bags, fill up a large cooler
with your favorite refreshments and get ready to go
cruisin’ in style.
The 1968 Plymouth GTX
440 Six Pack Wagon is a
perfect expression of what a
confident, exciting time the
1960’s were. It makes no
pretense or excuses for what
it is. One thing is sure; The
GTX 440 Six Pack Wagon
isn’t politically correct.
Rather, it’s brash and arrogant, confident and ambitious, like the generation of
Americans that inspired it
and those that appreciate
for what it is today.
Grand Spaulding Dodge paper trail
How to
document a
Muscle Car sold
new at Grand
Spaulding
Dodge
By Howard Benjamin
F
inding the vintage Mo-
par muscle car of your
dreams can be a daunting
experience. But, if you approach the search with a
well thought out plan, it can
be an exciting adventure
that results in finding the
elusive vehicle that you have
been lusting for.
The model and year of
Mopar you are looking for
can make a big difference in
how difficult it is to find,
and what the cost of the vehicle will be, especially if you
want to get into the rarified
air of a Hemi B or E Body, or
a 1969 A12 440 Six Pack.
In addition, many collectors and enthusiasts not
only want a specific muscle
car, they also want one that
was sold new by a legendary
dealer from the era. Nearly
each major automobile
manufacturer had a dealer
that was active in racing
and performance. These
dealers had
a well
earned
reputation
as the
place to
purchase
a high
performance vehicle. The
list of
dealers
is very
short,
and includes
Yenko
Chevrolet in
Pennsylvan
-ia,
Royal Pontiac
in Michigan, Tasca Ford in
Rhode Island, Nickey Chevrolet and of course Mr.
Norm’s Grand Spaulding
Dodge both of which were in
Chicago.
If you want to own a
muscle car that was purchased new at one of these
dealers, it adds another
challenge to the quest. In
addition to doing all of your
homework to determine the
correctness and authenticity
of the vehicle, it is imperative that the seller provide
you with actual original
documentation that proves
unequivocally the claim that
the vehicle was sold new at
17
1969 440M-Code Dart paperwork
the dealership in question.
Unlike many dealers who
were in business during the
muscle car era, much of
the original paperwork for
the cars that were sold new
at Grand Spaulding Dodge
has survived. This documentation can unequivocally
validate the claim that a vehicle originated at this legendary dealership.
In this story, we will
show how actual documents
from Chrysler Corporation
and Grand Spaulding Dodge
can be used to authenticate
the fact that a vehicle was
sold new at Mr. Norm’s.
When researching a vehicle that was sold new at
Grand Spaulding Dodge, the
amount of surviving documentation varies from vehicle to vehicle. For some,
there might only be one surviving document, while for
others, there may be an entire jacket with multiple
documents. Regardless, the
most important thing to remember is that the VIN of
the vehicle must match the
number on the documents
which substantiate that the
dealer that ordered the vehicle from Chrysler Corporation was Grand
Spaulding Dodge.
We chose documents for
two different vehicles to illustrate what they look like
and what might be included
in a typical jacket. One
jacket is for a 1969 Dodge
Dart GSS 440 and the other
is for a 1971 Dodge Charger
R/T with a 426 Hemi.
The Dart GSS paperwork
includes the following: The
brown manila envelope at
the top is called the Deal
Jacket. It has basic information on the Dart such as
the VIN, exterior color, when
it came into inventory at
Grand Spaulding and the
purchaser information. The
index card at the upper
right identifies
the vehicle and
the options it
was equipped
with. The pink
document is
the 1969 Dart
Order Form
from Grand
Spaulding
Dodge to
Chrysler
Corporation
for the vehicle. The
Grand
Spaulding
Dodge
Conditional Bill
of sale is
the
white
document
next to
the
pink Vehicle Order Form.
In addition to information on the vehicle, it includes info on the vehicle
that was traded in on the
Dart, in this case, a 1967
Chrysler Newport. The
white document with red
lettering at the top is the
Grand Spaulding Dodge Retail Order for Motor Vehicle,
and again, it has the pertinent information on the
Dart and the purchaser.
The smaller white document
next to Retail Order is the
Chrysler Advance Shipping
Notice. This has all of the
vehicle information, including a detailed listing of the
standard equipment and
optional equipment, along
with the option codes. The
last item is the Grand
Spaulding Dodge Deposit
Slip that initiated the purchase transaction for the
vehicle.
A breakdown of the
Charger R/T paperwork
shows that it includes the
following: The Deal Jacket,
a set of original car keys
and the envelope for the
keys with the key codes is
shown at the top. The
Manufacturer’s Suggested
Retail Price Label, also
known as a Monroney is under the Deal Jacket. This
document was issued by
Chrysler Corporation and
includes information on the
dealer that ordered the vehicle, in this case, Grand
Spaulding Dodge. It also includes the VIN and itemizes
all of the equipment on the
1971 Hemi Charger R/T paperwork
18
of the equipment on the vehicle, along with retail pricing information.
Next to it is the yellow
1971 Model - Coronet Charger Order Form from
Grand Spaulding Dodge to
Chrysler Corporation for the
order of the vehicle. Beneath the Monroney is the
Conditional Bill of Sale
which is next to the Retail
Order for Motor Vehicle. At
the bottom left is the Chrys-
ler Advance Shipping Notice
to Grand Spaulding Dodge,
the Grand Spaulding Dodge
Deposit Slip and the index
card.
The document jackets
shown in this story are unequivocal proof that the
dealership that ordered
these vehicles from Chrysler
Corporation and sold them
new was Grand Spaulding
Dodge. Needless to say, if
the seller of a vintage Dodge
claims that it was sold new
at Grand Spaulding and has
a set of documents like
those shown in this story,
they provide excellent proof
that the vehicle is genuine if
everything else about the
vehicle is correct. A final
word of caution that we tell
enthusiasts who want to
document a vehicle: Regardless of what anyone tell you,
“No paperwork, no pedigree.”
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Save $330 on Mr. Norm’s
GSS Billboards
All late model Challengers
The Mr. Norm's GSS Billboards echo the
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that were optional on the ground shaking 1971 Hemi 'Cuda
Enhance the appearance of your Challenger with a set of these Billboards that
feature the iconic GSS letters and strike
fear into the hearts of Mustang and Camaro
owners!
Available in your choice of black or
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Purchase the "Quick and Dependable"
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20
Women’s World
We’ve come
a long way,
baby
Editors Note: This month
we welcome Linda Mandalas
as a regular columnist. To
her friends and the people
she works with at Bosak Motors in Merrillville, Indiana,
she is better known as Miss
Linda. Linda’s into all things
automotive and brings her
own style of insight on cars
and performance.
Cherie in Sydney, Australia
By Linda Mandalas
Let's start in the 1950s.
American automobile culture has had an enduring
influence on the culture of
the United States, mostly
the male mainstream acceptance of the “hot rod” culture. By the end of the
1950s, one in six working
Americans were employed
either directly or indirectly
in the automotive industry.
The United States became
the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, meaning that any “man” with a
good job should be able to
Beata in Merrillville, Ind.
afford an automobile.
More people joined the
middle-class in the 1950s,
with more money to spend,
and this meant more automobiles were being purchased. With this new-found
freedom and way of life in
the suburbs, Americans
were spending more time in
their automobiles, viewing
them as an extension of
their identity. This meant
21
that more Americans were
driving cars and fewer were
using public transportation.
It has been argued that this
was a deliberate destruction
of streetcars and public
transportation as a part of a
larger strategy to push the
United States into automobile dependency.
In 1955, the automobile
unions played a leading role
in advancing the cause of
women's rights. The United
Auto Workers Union (UAW)
organized the UAW
Women's Department to
strengthen women's role in
the union and encourage
participation in the union's
elected bodies. Women in
the auto industry were considered leaders in the movement of women's rights. By
1958 there were more than
67 million cars registered in
the United States, more
than twice the number at
the start of the decade, and
by all accounts they were
mostly registered to men.
With the boom in the
automotive industry the
popularity of hot rodding
cars (modifying them to increase performance) was
reflected in part by the
creation of special-interest
magazines catering to this
culture. Hot Rod is the oldest of such magazines,
again with a male at the
editorial helm (Wally Parks)
and founded by Robert Petersen. As the decade progressed, hot rodding became a popular hobby for a
growing number of teenage
boys as the sport literally
came to Main Street.
Drag racing has existed
since the first cars but did
not become mainstream until the 1950s beginning with
Santa Ana Drags, the first
drag strip in the United
States. This drag strip was
founded by C. J. "Pappy"
Hart, Creighton Hunter and
Frank Stillwell at the Orange County Airport auxiliary runway in southern
California., again, domi-
nated by males! As well as
the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) created by
Wally Parks...editor of Hot
Rod!
The start of the muscle
car era can be said to have
started in the 1950s but
there is an ongoing debate
as to the exact beginning.
It is claimed that it started
with the introduction of the
original Chrysler “Firepower” Hemi V8 engine in
1951. However, Hot Rod
magazine considers the first
overhead valve engine by
Chevrolet, the 265 cid V8,
as the “heir apparent to
Ford flathead's position as
the staple of racing.” However, the “small block
Chevy” quickly developed its
own subculture that continues to exist today. Regardless of how it was created,
the horsepower race centered around the V8 engine
and the muscle-car era continued strong until the new
smog regulations in the
early 1970's All of this said,
lets take a moment to talk
about a defining moment in
Muscle Car History.
Mr. Norm Kraus, aka Mr.
Norm!
Here's a little trivia for
everyone: due to space limitation in a newspaper ad
the famous appellation “Mr.
Norm” first appeared and
the name stuck so Norm
Kraus became “Mr. Norm!”
In 1962 Mr. Norm became a
new car dealer, opening
Grand Spaulding Dodge in
the fall of the year with the
22
focus on high performance.
In 1963, he started the “Mr.
Norm's Sport Club” along
with a monthly newsletter
geared towards the youthful
performance purchasers.
Mr. Norm had the first
Clayton Chassis Dynamometer installed in his
service department and
even began selling “Mr.
Norm's racing apparel.” In
1964 Norm formed the
Grand Spaulding Dodge
race team — two cars, a
Max Wedge and a Hemi
Ram, both running in Super
Stock.
In 1965 Norm teamed
up with Gary Dyer and began match racing with an
altered wheel base Supercharged hemi Dodge Coronet. This altered the course
of racing forever by laying
the groundwork for what
became the professional
Funny Car Category. This
Coronet turned an 8.63 e.t.
at Lions Dragway becoming
the fastest funny car in the
country and making the
front page of the Los Angeles Herald.
In 1967 Norm developed
the first 383 Dart, becoming
the prototype for the factory
383 Dart GTS. Following
this up in 1968, Norm developed the first 440 Dart
GSS, the prototype for the
factory M Code 440 Dart
GTS.
Over the next few year
Norm runs away with the
Muscle Car Era: a 340 6
Pack Demon, a Supercharged 340 Demon GSS as
well as becoming the Num-
ber Three Dodge Dealer in
volume sales, later becoming
Number ONE, the largest
volume Dodge dealership in
the world. Lets not forget
that in 1989 Norm was inducted into the MOPAR Hall
of Fame as well as the A/FX
Funny Car Hall of Fame.
Women going for High Performance
As of today, hundreds of
thousands of owners are being reported as women,
that's right WOMEN! Chrysler reports that about 26
percent of Dodge Charger R/
T and Charger SRT8 buyers
are women. General Motors
estimates that about 10 percent of Corvette owners are
women, adding that GM has
sold about 1.5 million
'Vettes since it was launched
in 1953.
While understanding
there are more men than
women who are into Muscle
cars, times are a changing.
Women are more interested
in cars then ever. There are
no boundaries holding us
women back. Women have a
passion for muscle cars, the
sleek and sexy lines, the
feeling we get slipping behind the wheel, feeling in
control of so much power
with our foot on the pedal,
knowing that we can make
this piece of Americana do
whatever we want it to do!
We want our Muscle to
sound throaty, we want everyone to know we are coming!
These are the signs of the
times: a woman driving a
high-powered muscle
car, getting in touch with
her more masculine
side? I say getting in
touch with our more daring, competitive side! It
doesn't matter if we
paint them pink to show
our femininity, we as females love driving high
performance cars toe to
toe with our male counterparts.
Let's think of it this
way: every so often a
man will run into a
women driving a sports
car or a modern Muscle
Car and he takes notice
of her. He may think
she is a rebel, has a mind of
her own is full of excitement
and youthfulness...what he
is really thing
is....WOW...she has my interest and I need to meet
her!
The two worlds...old
Teresa’s Black Betty, from Minnesota
23
school male dominant meet
new school with women.
The universes collide. She’s
HOT and knows what Muscle is all about. Ladies, this
is our time! Let's do things
our way...the men will follow
us NOW!
West Coast Report
The Vista Rod
Run on a
perfect
August day
I
1947 Chrysler Town
& Country at the Vista
Rod Run
received an email last
week from a friend who
wanted to know if we would
be attending the Vista Rod
Run this year. Having displayed several vehicles at
this event over the years, as
well as walking the show as
a spectator, I know from experience what a nice event it
is and that a lot of really
outstanding vehicles participate. Held every August in
Vista, California, the
weather this time of year is
typically warm and sunny,
so I replied back to count
me in.
The morning dawned
cloudy and overcast, with a
hint of a slight misty drizzle,
but the weather report was
for clearing by mid morning,
so I pulled the car cover off
the A12 Plymouth, and lit off
the 440 Six Barrel, trying
not to wake up my next door
neighbor as I warmed up the
engine. It’s a little cold
blooded, especially on a
damp morning and, with the
Flowmasters, can easily
cars and trucks that would
make its presence known if
be participating in the show.
you’re not careful. Easing
Even at that early hour, sevout of our street, the road to
eral hundred cars were altown was deserted and I
ready parked and dozens of
gently ran the A833 four
concessions were set up and
speed through the gears, let- ready for a busy day. We got
ting the 440 get up to operour paperwork and quickly
ating temperature.
found a nice place to park,
Cruising through town
just adjacent to the stage
early on a Sunday morning,
where the band would play
we had the streets all to our- all day.
selves and at 7: a.m. sharp
Sure enough, by 10 a.m.
we pulled into the Lowes
the sun burned off the overparking lot just
north of the 78
Freeway. Our
friends were already there waiting for us in their
Ram Air 1968
GTO, and we proceeded to drive to
the show in downtown Vista.
The entire
downtown area
was closed to traffic and reserved for 1967 Plymouth Fury I Police Car
24
1970 and ‘67 Dodge Chargers
cast and it turned into a
beautiful day in the high
70’s. Street after street were
packed with cool cars and
trucks of all kinds. Mopars
were well represented at the
Vista Rod Run, and ran the
gamut from gorgeous classics to vintage muscle cars.
Demonstrating the range
and quality of the vehicles
was a finely restored 1947
Chrysler Town and Country
Convertible and a showroom
fresh 1934 Plymouth sedan,
while just a few blocks away
were a 1964 Plymouth Fury
powered by a 426 Stage III
Max Wedge. Equipped with
a straight axle and nosebleed stance, it looked like it
was ready for some early FX
action. Following this theme,
on the next block was an
early Dodge A100 pickup
painted in a brilliant shade
of orange, and sporting a set
of Centerline Super Trick
wheels mounted on skinny’s
up front and wide meats out
back. If it could talk, I’m
sure the A100 would have
said that when it grew up, it
wanted to be
fully restored Chargers, a
just like Maver1967 and a 1970. There
ick Golden’s
were many more Mopars, to
Little Red
say nothing of endless rows
Wagon.
of outstanding cars and
Want more vatrucks of all kinds, making
riety? How
it a really interesting show.
about a 1967
And by the way, as near as
Plymouth Fury
we could tell, every vehicle
I with Minnewas driven to the show; no
sota license
trailer queens here.
plates decked
If you will be in Southern
out as a HighCalifornia next August and
way Patrol Car.
want to attend a really nice
It was period
one day car show, you can’t
correct right
go wrong popping in on the
down to the vintage roof
Vista Rod Run. You’ll be
mounted red gumball and
glad you did.
two way radio. And to make
things really interesting, it was even for
sale. Just the ticket,
no pun intended, if
you wanted something
different to drive to
cruise night.
Some of the other
Mopars at the show
included a 1969 Hemi
Road Runner, a 1966
Plymouth Belvedere
that looked like it was
inspired by Jimmy Ad- 426 Stage III Max Wedge
dison’s
legendary Silver Bullet out of
Motown,
a really
nice
1973
Challenger
Rallye
and not
one, but
two
beauti1934 Plymouth
25
Making History
W
hen the 1967 Dart de-
buted in the fall of ‘66, rumors that an optional big
block for the new A-Body
Dodge were put to rest.
Not only was there no big
block, but the largest engine
available was the 273 with a
four barrel rated at 235
horsepower. This was definitely not the hot ticket to
win on the street or strip
when Chevrolet was offering
a 350 horsepower 327 in a
Chevy II.
Leave it to Mr. Norm to
solve the problem. The ABody ready to spin the rollers
on the Clayton dyno at
Grand Spaulding Dodge in
the photo was the prototype
for the Mr. Norm’s GSS Dart
program.
Outfitted with a 325
horsepower 383 big block,
and available with a wide
range of go fast goodies that
included headers, cams,
gears and more, the Mr.
26
Norm’s GSS Darts quickly
became street and strip terrors that were feared by everyone who faced off against
them.
And if a 383 in a Dart was
good, well a 440 Dart would
even be better. Needless to
say, Mr. Norm followed up in
1968 with the famed GSS
440 M-Code Dart.
Yes, Mr. Norm made history 47 years ago this month
when he built the first GSS
Dart.