GSSSUPERCHARGED HEMI POWER!

DISPATCHES: LETTERS FROM GI’s TO MR. NORM
April 2014
GSS SUPERCHARGED HEMI POWER!
MR. NORM ON HEMI DOMINATION IN FUNNY CARS
TRUE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF THE MUSCLE CAR
TECH: BUILDING A 440 SIX PACK FOR THE STREET
AUTOMOBILE DRIVING MUSEUM TOUR AND REVIEW
APRIL, 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Millennium Musings: Jeep Wrangler
Editor’s
Page..................................................
4
EDITORS
PAGE
STAR Road
Test................................... 44
Mr.
HemiON HEMI DOMINATIONFIVE
MR.Norm’s
NORMCorner:
REFLECTS
IN FUNNY
CARS
TRUE STORY
OF THE
BIRTH
OF THE MUSCLE
CAR Spotlight:
Domination
in Funny
Car.
..............................
7
Product
PRODUCT
SPOTLIGHT
ON MR. NORM’S12
KENNE
BELL
HEMI
SUPERCHARGERS
Kenne
Bell
Supercharger............................
48
Birth
of the Muscle
Car................................
AUTOMOBILE DRIVING MUSEUM TOUR AND REVIEW
Mr. Norm’s April Specials............................ 52
Product
Spotlight.........................................
DISPATCHES:
LETTERS FROM GI’s TO 22
MR. NORM
TECH: BUILDING
A 440 SIX PACK
Members’
Stories: Dispatches,
letters FOR THE STREET
West Coast Report:
WOMENS
WORLD
A
LOOK
AT
WOMEN24
IN DRAG
RACING Driving Museum............... 54
from GIs to Mr. Norm....................................
The Automobile
MILLENIAL
MUSINGS
WRANGLER FIVE STAR ROAD TEST
Tech:
Inside Job,
buildingJEEP
a
But Wait, There’s More................................. 62
MR. NORM’S KENNE BELL HEMI SUPERCHARGER
440 Six Pack for the Street.......................... 28
SPECIALS OF THE MONTH
Women’s
World:
Women
in
BUT WAIT
THERE’S
MORE
ON
THE
COVER
ON
THE
COVER:
Mr. Norm’s Kenne Bell Supercharger,
Drag Racing.................................................. 38
photo
by LarryKENNE
WeinerBELL HEMI SUPERCHARGER
MR. NORM’S
Photo by Larry Weiner
EDITORIAL
Publisher and Founder
Editor
Managing Editor
Editorial Assistant
Mr. Norm
Larry Weiner
Deb Murphy
Debbie Weiner
Contributors
Linda Mandalas
Howard Benjamin
Andrew Schultheis
Toshi Akatsuka
DEALER SALES
East Coast
Midwest
Mike Staveski
Bob Longstreth
ADVERTISING
Steve Temple 775-233-0083
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
MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB
Editor’s Page
Celebrating
Anniversaries
W
ith all of the
anniversaries the
automobile industry is celebrating this year, it’s like shooting
fish in a barrel as we decide which
stories to run in each issue. As an
example, this month Mr. Norm authored the second in a series celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the
426 Hemi, and how this amazing engine played an important role in his
success at Grand Spaulding Dodge.
Last month, he talked about how
the Hemi was instrumental in reinforcing the image of Grand Spaulding as the leading high performance
Dodge dealership in the country.
In this issue, Mr. Norm talks about
how the Hemi provided the power for his funny cars to be champions. And not only on his home turf
in the Midwest, but in California,
where he silenced critics who said
that he was nothing more than a local hero. They were sure that the hot
funny cars on the West Coast would
trounce his blown Hemi powered
altered wheel base Coronet. Not one
to back down from a challenge, Mr.
Norm and Gary Dyer traveled all the
way to California to settle the score.
When the dust settled, Mr. Norm
put the naysayers in their place once
and for all with his record smashing
Gary Dyer at Grand Spaulding Dodge with sign announcing that he set
another New Worlds Record in the Funny Car racing category with a 7.26
et on June 22, 1969 at Lebanon Valley Raceway with the Mr. Norm’s Super
Charger Funny Car that was powered by a supercharged nitro burning 426
Hemi engine. Photo courtesy of the Mr. Norm’s Collection
8.63 run at Lions in the fall of 1965.
Another 50th anniversary is being celebrated this year, and while
it is not a Chrysler anniversary, it
is important nonetheless. The 1964
Pontiac GTO was a pivotal vehicle
in the evolution of what was then
called the supercar. By not only of4
fering a performance engine, but
coupling it with a specific vehicle
package, the GTO redefined the
performance street car segment. For
many enthusiasts, appearance was
just as important as power, and the
GTO offered just such a package. In
a short time, nearly every manufac-
turer offered a model that included
a unique combination of performance with mild, and sometimes
wild, graphics, emblems, scoops
and spoilers to match. Would there
have been a GTX, R/T or Road
Runner if there had never been
a GTO? While we’ll never know,
there’s no doubt that the GTO
spawned dozens of vehicles that
spanned the spectrum from low
buck performance like the Road
Runner to more expensive “gentlemen’s hot rods” like the Hurst Olds
442 that combined performance
and luxury in one unique package.
While the “sleeper” continued to
be popular with the serious crowd,
many more gravitated to cars that
offered the combination of performance matched with flash.
On another subject, there’s a story
in this month’s issue about the Automobile Driving Museum (ADM).
Not only is this a great museum with
a very interesting cross section of
historic vehicles on display in a nice
facility that is open to the public,
but the ADM also adds another di-
With all of the anniversaries the automobile
industry is celebrating this year, it’s like
shooting fish in a barrel as we decide which
stories to run in each issue. As an example,
this month Mr. Norm authored the second in a
series celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the
426 Hemi, and how this amazing engine played
an important role in his success at
Grand Spaulding Dodge.
mension to the museum experience.
Most Sundays, weather permitting,
the ADM actually takes out several
vintage vehicles off the show floor
and out on the street. And not just
to display them in the sunshine; The
ADM invites you to join them and
go for a ride in these classic cars,
hence the name Automobile Driving Museum. This is a truly unique
concept, and enables museum visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity
to ride in a classic car from another
era, adding another dimension to
the experience that you simply cannot get from just looking at a car.
Imagine the top down on an early Chrysler, Packard or Buick, the
sound of the powerful straight eight
engine singing its sirens song as it
goes through the gears. The ADM is
all this and more, and there are lots
of photos of cars on display at the
museum for you to see in this issue.
If you live in or will be traveling to
Southern California, take some time
and visit the Automobile Driving
Museum. It’s a great way to spend
an afternoon, and long after you
return home, the memories you’ll
have from riding in a classic car are
sure to be something that you will
remember fondly. Who knows, it
may even influence what you chose
for your next vintage vehicle.
In addition, there’s a great tech story by Steve Temple as he follows pro
engine builder Jim Van Gordon in
the assembly a 440 Six Pack engine,
an in-depth look at women in drag
racing by Linda Mandalas, and letters to Mr. Norm from GI’s during
the Viet Nam war who dreamed of
the day when they would return
home a buy the Mopar of their
dreams. And if you’ve ever won-
Magazine ad promoting the new 1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee. The Super Bee was one of the performance packaged vehicles in the new Dodge
Scat Pack, and was developed in response to the incredible success of
the Plymouth Road Runner.
5
dered if a Jeep set up for off roading could do a burnout, check out
the road test on a Jeep Wrangler
FIVE STAR by Andrew Schultheis,
our resident millennial columnist.
Andrew got some seat time in the
FIVE STAR and definitely put it
through the paces in his own special way. Plus, there’s lot of other
great features packed in the pages,
so sit back, relax and enjoy this issue of Pentastar Power. We enjoyed
putting it together, and we hope
that you find it fun and informative.
And be sure to tell your friends and
members of your car club that they
can receive Pentastar Power in their
inbox every month for free, just by
signing up at www.mrnorms.com.
Tell your friends and car
club members to join Mr.
Norm’s Sport Club. They’ll
get discounts on parts and
memorabilia and receive
Pentastar Power every
month for free
Norm’s Corner
Part 2 : Celebrating 50 Years of Hemi Power
MORE FUN.
LESS DRAMA.
BOLT ON SUSPENSION FOR
1963 - 1976 MOPARS
A/B/E BODY APPLICATIONS
H
ow
important
was the Hemi to
me and Grand
S p a u l d i n g
Dodge? To put
it frankly, life began with the
Hemi. I still get pretty revved
up when I think about that
Mr. Norm’s 1972 Super Challenger Funny Car smokin’ the
hides as it prepares to run under the lights.
whole era, how I partnered
with Chrysler based on the
expectation that they’d be
introducing great new vehicle designs and, more importantly, developing the kind of
horsepower it would take to
ignite the interest and passion
Mr. Norm’s 1972 Super Challenger
Funny Car at Union Grove Dragstrip
in Wisconsin. Norm, wearing a pair
of The Guys slacks with stripes
which were very popular at the
time, is standing alongside the car
as it prepares to run. Note that The
Guys was a sponsor on the Challenger
ADJUSTABLE
MONOTUBE SHOCKS
6
of young performance enthusiasts. And when Chrysler
came through, the company
the engineers and the designers did it in a huge way, for
the divisions and definitely
for Grand Spaulding Dodge.
The Hemi was the equalizer of all equalizers. Our adventures racing at drag strips
all over the country could be
7
we were early adopters to
this radical trend. We took
a new 1965 Coronet sedan
and moved the front and rear
axles forward, shortening the
wheelbase in the process, to
get better weight transfer.
When we made the transition
from running in Super Stock
to the Factory Experimental
category, we began running
a supercharged Hemi engine.
The blown and injected Hemi
Mr. Norm’s 1972 Colt Pro Stock at Union Grove in Wisconsin.
Mr. Norm’s 1969 Super Charger Funny Car in action
1965 Dodge Coronet Altered Wheelbase Sedan was
built at Grand Spaulding from a stock steel Coronet.
and powered by a supercharged nitro burning 426 Hemi
It was a work in progress and evolved quickly to keep
up with developments in the class
1965 Dodge Coronet Altered Wheelbase Hardtop was
the actual Chrysler factory acid dipped cars. Norm
purchased this car mid-season from Roger Lindamood
who had raced it as Color Me Gone. Mr. Norm replaced
the drivetrain iwith the one from the sedan.It was a
killer car that set the pace for altered wheelbase / funny
cars nationally and set the record at Lions in the fall of
1965 with a blistering 8.63 et.
classified as BH and AH; before the Hemi and
after the Hemi. Before the Hemi, in the early
part of 1964 we were racing a Polara hardtop
with a 426 Max Wedge, but with the horsepower to weight ratio, we were at a disadvantage compared to some of the other cars we
were competing against. As soon as the Hemi
became available, we built a new Polara sedan with a 426 Hemi and it was immediately
the car to beat. We knew as soon as we tested
the car that it had the horsepower it would
take to put us on not just even keel with the
rest of the pack but enough power to blow
their doors off.
In 1965, a stock 426 Hemi was rated at
425 horsepower. Talk to any racer and you’ll
find out they’re always trying to figure out
how to either increase the power, strip off the
weight or find the most efficient and effective way to get the power to the ground. For
us, getting the power to the ground was step
number one. With altered wheelbase Factory
Experimental cars just coming on the scene,
8
The cars kept
getting more
sophisticated, the
horsepower kept
going up and by the
end of the 1960’s,
if you weren’t running Hemi power in
your funny car, you
basically had no
chance of winning.
So regardless of
what brand of car
the body looked
like, almost all of
them were powered
by a Hemi engine.
had so much power that we
were literally spinning our
wheels on the line when the
tree came down. You just
couldn’t hook the car up with
the tire technology of the day.
Shortening the wheelbase
and moving the axles forward
gave us the traction we needed to harness those supercharged horses.
Gary Dyer wasn’t just a
genius behind the wheel,
he was a genius in developing extremely fast, innovative cars for racing. And
that speed and innovation
brought out crowds like you
couldn’t imagine when we
showed up at the track. We
had the speed we wanted,
and you could hear the blast
when Dyer cranked the engine. The Hemi moved us to
the top wherever we raced.
All of our advertising at that
Mr. Norm’s 1968 Super Charger Funny Car doing a burnout
9
ABOVE: The 1966 Dodge Charger Funny Car, one of the first of the early
flip top funny cars in action
BELOW: A young Mr. Norm and Gary Dyer with the Charger at Lions Dragstrip in Long Beach, California in 1966.
time focused on the engine.
We were selling a new Hemi
Coronet at that time for
$3,995 and they were leaving
the dealership in droves and
beating all of the Chevys and
Fords. Whether you were racing a Super Stock or Funny
Car, the saying at the time
was “it takes a Hemi to beat a
Hemi.” Needless to say, within a short period of time there
were a lot of Hemi equipped
cars competing against us.
So, we had to go back to the
drawing board and develop
an even more potent combi-
nation.
As I mentioned, when we
entered the funny car ranks,
we started with a steel bodied
Dodge Coronet sedan. Step
two was when we bought
Roger
Lindamood’s
acid
dipped factory altered wheelbase Coronet hardtop, which
was the lightest combination
at the time. Step 3 was stripping the car down to make it
even lighter, and installing
the nitromethane burning supercharged Hemi from the sedan. We match raced that car
all over the Midwest, South
10
and East and it was virtually
unbeatable. At the end of the
’65 racing season, we took
the Coronet out to California
to race the big name racers
on the West Coast. They had
issued a challenge that the
real race cars were out West,
and until we beat them, as
far as they were concerned,
we were nothing more than
a flash in the pan. So we
brought the proverbial Mountain to Mohammed and traveled across the country all
the way to California. When
the dust settled, Gary Dyer
had put them all on the trailer and when the Coronet ran
8.63 at Lions in the fall of ’65,
we set the racing world on its
ear. From that point on, everyone took us seriously, and
realized that we were “in it to
win it” everywhere we raced.
The funny car class evolved
so quickly that by 1966, you
needed a tube chassis with a
fiberglass flip top body to be
competitive. Our ‘66 Charger funny car was right at the
top of the heap until the next
wave of changes hit the class.
By 1968, it too was obsolete,
because the cars were getting
smaller and even lighter, with
even more powerful engines.
Builders were now slicing and
dicing the bodies to remove
mass for less weight and
wind resistance. Our ’68 Mini
Charger was narrower and
dimensionally smaller than a
stock, hence the name, and
it featured the latest cutting
edge technology, along with
even more horsepower, all of
which is what it took to keep
us at the head of the pack.
We rolled right into 1969
with yet another new Charger, this time with a Logghe
chassis, and continued our
winning ways. A 1972 Challenger followed the Charger
and we even built a Pro Stock
Dodge Colt the same year.
The cars kept getting more
sophisticated, the horsepower kept going up and by this
time, if you weren’t running
Hemi power in your funny
car, you basically had no
chance of winning. So regardless of what brand of car
the body looked like, almost
all of them were powered by a
Hemi engine.
Meanwhile back in Chicago
at Grand Spaulding Dodge,
complete engines, parts of
all kinds and of course high
performance Dodges were
nearly flying out of the dealership. The performance of
the 426 Hemi made the cars
seem like they were ready to
break the sound barrier, even
when they were parked. This
image, coupled with the performance themed marketing
we used to promote the cars
and parts, set us apart from
all of the other Dodge dealers
in the country. But without
the Hemi, none of this would
have happened.
Fast forward 50 years,
and we’re still tinkering with
Dodges and the new Hemi
for today’s performance enthusiasts. While the days of
shortening the wheelbase
and moving the axles forward
11
are long gone, we are still creating supercharged vehicles.
Today we are working with
Kenne Bell Superchargers to
create incredible street and
strip Hemi powered late model Challengers and Chargers
that run on both pump gas
and E85. Some of these cars
are so fast that in full street
trim, with air conditioning,
power windows, stereo and
navigation, they can actually
break the nine second barrier in the quarter and run
over 200 miles per hour at
events like the Mojave Mile.
For 50 years supercharged
Hemi powered Dodges have
been synonymous with Mr.
Norm. Some things just never change.
BIRTH OF THE MUSCLE CAR
The true story of how the original Muscle Car was created
and its influence on Mopar Muscle Cars
T
By Larry Weiner
his year marks
several
milestones for Ma
Mopar, including the 100th
Anniversary of
Dodge and the 50th Anniversary of the 426 Hemi. And
while these are landmark
events, there is another highly significant 50th Anniversary being celebrated this year.
I am referring to the anniversary of the 1964 Pontiac
GTO, the car that has been
acknowledged as “the one”
that launched the muscle car
era.
The GTO forever changed
the perception of what a performance street vehicle was,
and resulted in the creation of
some of the most memorable
Mopars ever built, such as the
Plymouth Road Runner, GTX
and Hemi Cuda, along with
the Dodge Super Bee, Charger R/T and Challenger T/A,
just to name a few. In fact,
the premise of the Plymouth
Rapid Transit System and the
Dodge Scat Pack cars evolved
from the foundation that was
laid by the GTO. So, in honor
of some of our favorite muscle cars, here is a short history of how the Pontiac GTO
came into existence, and how
it influenced the creation of
similar vehicles from not only
Chrysler and Ford, but also
the other divisions at General
Motors.
Back in the early 1950’s,
Pontiac was a division that
manufactured cars that, to be
blunt, were not very exciting.
Powered by flat head six and
eight cylinder engines, along
with conservative styling, they
were considered good cars,
but in the prosperous and
optimistic post war America,
people were now looking for
vehicles that offered performance and dramatic styling.
Compared to the Olds Rocket
88 with its potent overhead
12
The GTO forever
changed the perception of what a performance street vehicle
was, and resulted in
the creation of some
of the most memorable Mopars ever built,
such as the Plymouth
Road Runner, GTX
and Hemi Cuda, along
with the Dodge Super Bee, Charger R/T
and Challenger T/A,
just to name a few. In
fact, the premise of
the Plymouth Rapid
Transit System and the
Dodge Scat Pack cars
evolved from the foundation that was laid by
the GTO.
13
1964 GTO full page magazine ads highlight performance and features that
were unique to the vehicle.
valve V8 engine or the Chrysler powered by the 331 Hemi,
a Pontiac was more likely to
be chosen by a librarian than
a performance enthusiast. As
a result, Pontiac sales were
mediocre, especially when
compared to some of the other GM brands, and there was
serious talk among General
Motors executives about killing it off.
A decision was made
that Pontiac would be given
one more chance. Semon E.
“Bunkie” Knudsen, a GM vice
president, was tasked with
turning around the lackluster
division. Following the industry trend, Pontiac debuted a
new overhead valve V8 engine in 1955 and that engine
became the basis for the new
direction of the division when
Knudsen took over in July
of 1956. He was determined
to change the perception of
what a Pontiac was, and that
the next generation of vehicles would be attractive to a
younger buyer. Knudsen was
well known to espouse the fact
that “You can sell a young
man’s car to
an old man,
but you cannot sell an old
man’s car to a
young
man”
and he was
determined to
develop
and
offer
Pontiacs
with the kind of
Car and Driver magazine cover and feature
story with Pontiac
GTO vs Ferrari GTO.
Incredible performance
by Pontiac GTO during
testing, coupled with
the shock value of an
affordable domestic
car kicking butt against
the Ferrari in a national
magazine catapulted
it into the limelight in
early 1964.
14
pizazz and power that
would appeal to a more
youthful buyer.
With that thought in
mind, Knudsen immediately embarked on a
performance and racing program for Pontiac,
starting with competing
in NASCAR on the sand
road course at Daytona
Beach, Florida in 1957.
Ray Nichels (yes the
same Ray Nichels that
ran the Chrysler NASCAR program in the
1960’s) fielded Pontiacs
that were driven by some
of the leading drivers of
the era including Cotton
Owens and Banjo Matthews. Surprising everyone,
Cotton Owens won the race,
which was a
first for Pontiac in NASCAR
competition and he became
the first driver to win a Grand
National race at a speed in
excess of 100 miles per hour,
a record that stands to this
day on the original beach and
road course at Daytona.
Needless to say, the word
was out that Pontiac was now
going to be a serious competitor in racing and a force
to be reckoned with. Many
victories followed, in both
NASCAR and NHRA competition, and Pontiac quickly garnered a reputation for
high performance, shedding
Hurst was inexorably linked to the GTO as a result of their shifter being
standard equipment. The ad on the left is one of many Hurst ads that
the dull image it previously
reinforced the relationship with Pontiac and the GTO. In the ad on the
had. Adding to the image,
right, Hurst used the GTO to advertise their soon to be released mag
Pontiac had all new styling
wheels.
starting in 1959 that was distinctively different from any erage person could identify a en the new models a wide
other car on the market. With Pontiac a block away. In ad- stance, in fact, the widest in
its unique split grille, the av- dition, engineering had giv- the industry. Capitalizing on
this difference, the new cars
were marketed as the Wide
Track Pontiacs. The combination of performance and
high style marked the rebirth
of the brand and catapulted
Pontiac into number three
in sales in just a few short
years. And not only that,
Pontiac was now attracting
a much younger buyer, and
was poised to be a leading
contender for sales to the
emerging baby boomer generation.
But in 1963, General Motors was facing anti-trust
threats from legislators in
Washington who wanted to
break up the company beU.S. Royal Tiger Paw Tires, left, were standard equipment on the GTO
cause they controlled over fifand played off the GTO’s “Tiger” nickname in their advertising. Some of
ty percent of vehicle sales in
the US Royal Tiger Paw ads used a cartoon like tiger, right, to reinforce
the connection to the GTO.
the United States. As a result
15
“Put a Tiger In Your Tank” was the tag line for Enco gasoline, and also used a cartoon like tiger in their print
and television advertising, again playing off the popularity of the GTO.
of this, GM management notified all of the divisions that
they were pulling out of racing and production of engines
like the highly successful
Pontiac Super Duty 421 were
to be discontinued immediately. This created a huge
problem for Pontiac, because
Knudsen had built the reputation of the brand on racing
and performance. With racing now out of the picture,
the challenge he faced was
how to continue marketing
and promoting the brand
successfully.
The answer came quite by
accident. In 1963, Pontiac
was testing a pre-production
1964 Le Mans at the Milford
Proving grounds in Michigan. This vehicle was one of
the new lineup of GM A-Body
cars that also included the
Chevrolet Chevelle, Olds Cutlass and Buick Skylark. Unlike the previous generation
that featured a transaxle and
unique “rope” driveshaft, the
Le Mans was all new and had
a conventional driveline. In
the Pontiac garage at the
proving grounds, while the
Le Mans was on a lift, engineers Bill Collins, Russ Gee
and Chief Engineer John DeLorean were examining the
chassis. Bill Collins made the
observation that it would be
simple to replace the 326 V8
with the larger displacement
389 from a Bonneville. Since
the engine mounts and the
external dimension of both
engines were the same, sub16
stituting the 389 for the 326
could be done without any
modifications to the car. Russ
Gee agreed and DeLorean
suggested that they try it.
Within a week, the Le Mans
was back on the test track
and the proof of concept was
immediately borne out.
There was just one problem. General Motors had a
corporate limitation of 330
cubic inches for an intermediate size vehicle, which is what
the Le Mans was. Since the
389 obviously exceeded the
corporate limit, Pontiac General Manager Pete Estes used
a loophole, slipping in what
DeLorean called the “GTO” as
an option rather than a model, which did not require GM
approval. Sneaking the GTO
RESTORATION SERVICES
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Call, fax or e-mail for consultation services
106 State Hwy. PP
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Phone: (573) 264-2033
Phone: (804) 275-2155
Fax: (573) 264-3821
Fax: (804) 275-1969
17
to market was a big
The GTO not only
gamble, and could
provided Pontiac with
have cost several of
an alternative to acthese people their potive participation in
sitions, but they went
organized racing, but
for it anyway. Frank
was the vehicle that
Bridge, who was sales
became the darling of
manager for Pontithe burgeoning baby
ac did not believe
boomer generation. In
in the GTO, and the
fact, the GTO opened
only way he would
the floodgates to this
allow it was to limit
new market segment,
initial production to
one that would be
5000 cars. All 5000
among the largest in
were presold to dealautomotive
history.
ers, who upon driving
In fact, nearly every
them,
immediately
manufacturer wanted
ordered 15,000 more!
a piece of this lucraOnce the word was
tive segment and those
out, and GM managethat developed a bold,
ment saw that they
performance themed
had a home run on
model coupled with a
their hands, they alsimilarly themed marlowed Pontiac to con- Thom McAn shoes were a very popular brand in the
keting campaign en1960’s.
Jim
Wangers
worked
with
them
to
develop
tinue building and
joyed increased sales.
selling the GTO. Cor- and market GTO shoes as another tie with the car,
Very quickly it bealong with a promotion to win a new GTO.
porate acceptance for
came obvious to comthe GTO signaled the
peting brands that to
not previously exist. Exemapproval to unleash
be successful in atplifying
what
became
known
an enthusiast driven markettracting this new, coming of
ing and advertising campaign as a performance packaged age audience, they would
developed by Jim Wangers vehicle, the GTO
that was unlike any before in had its own identihistory to support this excit- ty, making it much
more than simply a
ing new vehicle.
In addition, to the larg- powertrain option
er displacement engine, the on a regular car,
GTO came with unique ex- as had historically
terior and interior badging, been done.
a wide range of powertrain
and chassis options that
G.T.O by Ronny and
the Daytonas was a
were only available with this
Top
10 single and was
model, along with a dedicatanother part of the
ed marketing campaign that
marketing strategy
completely distinguished it
orchestrated by Jim
from other vehicles. In the
Wangers to promote
the GTO to baby
process, Pontiac created a
boomers.
new market segment that did
18
Plymouth Rapid Transit System ad from 1970 promoted an entire lineup
of muscle cars, taking the concept of performance packaged vehicles
to a whole new level.
need to develop dedicated
models with similar attributes to the GTO and a marketing campaign to match
what Pontiac was doing.
Some brands were quicker to
capitalize on this new phenomenon than others, and
by 1967, Chrysler introduced
the Plymouth GTX and the
Dodge Coronet R/T. Since
both the 440 Wedge and 426
Hemi engines had already
been available in the B-Body,
for Chrysler it was simply a
matter of developing specific
models and trim packages to
complement the high performance powertrains, coupled
with an aggressive marketing
program to promote these vehicles.
Once the GTX and the
R/T were launched, Chrys1968 Plymouth Road Runner
filled the gap for a low priced,
entry level supercar and was an
overnight success.
ler continued to amplify their
presence in the burgeoning
super car market segment, as
it was then called. In 1968,
Plymouth debuted the Road
Runner, which was a game
changer in its own right. Here
was a no frills intermediate
size vehicle with a very low
entry price that offered a high
performance 383 as standard
equipment, along with an optional 426 Hemi, making it
one of most feared vehicles
on the street and strip. Add-
ing to the mix, in the A-Body
segment, with the introduction of the Dart GTS, Dodge
had a compact that could
match the new Chevrolet
Nova SS in both performance
and appearance. Before the
decade was over, the Dodge
Scat Pack and Plymouth Rapid Transit System programs
debuted. Both of these featured a comprehensive array
of performance models supported by a focused marketing and advertising campaign
that was targeted specifically
to automotive enthusiasts.
While the Pontiac GTO
was the pioneer in developing the supercar segment in
1964, in a short time, Chrysler took a prominent position
as a leader in the development and marketing of exciting vehicles that captured the
hearts and minds of enthusiasts of all ages.
Tell your friends and car club
members to join Mr. Norm’s
Sport Club. They’ll get discounts on parts and memorabilia and receive Pentastar
Power every month for free
J
Marketing the GTO
im Wangers is the person who spearheaded the marketing campaign for
the GTO. His strategies went far beyond conventional methods, starting with
an enthusiast driven advertising approach
that emphasized the fact that the GTO was
a high performance model. Magazine ads for
the GTO included headlines such as “For
the man who wouldn’t mind riding a tiger
if someone would put wheels on it – Pontiac GTO,” or “GTO is for kicking up the kind
of storm that others just talk
about.” These
were
complemented by
ad copy that
extolled
the
virtues of the
vehicle, along
with
graphic
images of a GTO
doing burnouts,
a person slamming gears with
a four speed,
and in aggressive
cornering
situations. Other
photos showcased GTO specific items such
as the GTO badges, exhaust splitters, grille
emblem and simulated hood scoops that
were unique to the model.
In support of the ad campaign, Wangers
worked directly with enthusiast magazines
to showcase the GTO in ways that had not
been previously done. The most memorable
of these was the famous Car and Driver cover and feature story on the Pontiac GTO vs
the Ferrari GTO. Never before had an American car been compared to a European exotic in this way. To say that the comparison
struck a nerve with readers was an understatement, and the fact that the Pontiac GTO
20
came out on top in the story was the icing on
the cake.
In addition to the GTO advertising campaign, Wangers worked with other companies to promote the GTO and its “Tiger”
moniker, including Uniroyal, who manufactured “Tiger Paw” tires, Ronnie and the
Daytona’s who had a top 40 hit with “Little
GTO,” and of course Hurst, who promoted
the shifters that were standard equipment
on the GTO. Additionally, other companies
jumped on the “tiger” bandwagon, such as
Enco, whose advertising campaign suggested that with their brand of gas, you would
“Put a Tiger in Your Tank” and even featured
a full color illustration of a tiger. And in an
excellent example of cross marketing, Jim
Wangers worked with Thom McAn Shoes to
market the GTO shoe. The shoe featured a
“slot car track sole with an accelerator heel”
that was available for men and women. And,
by stopping in at a Tom McAn Shoe Store,
you could enter to win a new GTO.
The result was the GTO quickly became a
household name, enjoyed tremendous sales
and set the new standard for the development and marketing performance vehicles
by all manufacturers.
EDITOR’S NOTE
For more information on Jim Wangers,
his memoir Glory Days is an excellent
read for all muscle car enthusiasts. It’s
an insider’s look at how things worked in
Detroit when GM, Ford and Chrysler really
were “The Big Three.” It also covers the
ground breaking marketing strategy that
was used to promote the GTO, and how
it changed the way performance vehicles
were developed and promoted
21
MR. NORM’S COLLAGES
Celebrating Grand Spaulding Dodge History
32 Different Collages to Choose from
Large 11” x 17” Format Size
Item Numbers C-1 thru C-32 in Mr. Norm’s Store
Order Yours today at www.mrnorms.com
23
Member’s Story
DISPATCHES:
Letters to
Mr. Norm
from GIs
during the
Vietnam War
A
By Howard Benjamin
new muscle car was
what nearly every red
blooded American
young man wanted in the 1960’s and
early ’70’s. Regardless of brand, the
popularity of these vehicles was undeniable, and no matter where you
went, they were everywhere. Muscle
cars roamed the streets of cities and
towns, large and small and made
a statement that could not be denied. Many of them were loud, and
sounded defiant, like the youth who
drove them. In the vernacular of the
time, muscle cars were cool, and if
you drove one, you were cool too.
Muscle cars of all brands were
not only featured in enthusiast
magazines like Hot Rod, Car Craft,
Hi-Performance Performance Cars
and Super Stock and Drag Illustrated, but also in mainstream periodicals and newspapers. They were also
seen on prime time television programs and even had starring roles in
movies such as Bullet and Vanishing
Point. Who could ever forget the
Charger R/T and Steve McQueen’s
Mustang in one of the greatest chase
scenes ever filmed? It was the stuff of
dreams for young men everywhere.
With the war in Vietnam raging
during this same time, many young
muscle car enthusiasts enlisted or
were drafted into military service. In
the case of those who were stationed
in Southeast Asia, or at any of the
numerous duty stations around the
world, these young men all had one
thing in common; they looked forward to the day they would be going
home. In many cases, with nowhere
to spend their military pay, many
saved up for the day when they were
discharged from active duty and
could buy themselves a new muscle car. During their off duty hours,
thing they needed to build the ultimate ride was a great way to pass
the time. And in those car magazines were ads for Mr. Norm’s Grand
Spaulding Dodge.
Mr. Norm advertised in several of
the popular magazines of the era, including Car Craft, Super Stock and
Drag Illustrated and Drag News.
Promoting the latest high performance Dodges, Mr. Norm’s ads also
highlighted the latest special edition
cars from Grand Spaulding, such as
the GSS Six Pack and Supercharged
Demons in the early 1970’s. Just
reading the ads was sheer nirvana
for many a Mopar enthusiast. Needless to say, many in all branches of
the military sent letters to Mr. Norm
and Grand Spaulding Dodge inquiring about how they could purchase
ordered their cars while still stationed overseas, while others waited
until they returned to the states, but
the fact is that many servicemen did
indeed purchase a new Dodge from
Mr. Norm.
Filed away along with the surviving Grand Spaulding Dodge vehicle
documentation was one file cabinet
filled with letters from our troops
inquiring about how they could
purchase their favorite Mopar when
they returned home. It hard to believe that it was over 40 years ago, but
the hopes and aspirations of these
brave men are a reminder about the
human spirit and how we all hold on
to something during difficult times.
For these men, the thought of owning a new muscle car was important,
and provided them with something
tangible to look forward to during a
Many in all branches of the military sent letters to
Mr. Norm and Grand Spaulding Dodge inquiring
about how they could purchase the car of their
dreams when they returned to the United States.
Each letter was answered and provided many
veterans with hope, optimism, and another
lifeline from home.
these young men escaped the doldrums or stress of their daily routine
reading car magazines they received
from home or purchased at the PX.
Looking at the glossy color photos
and stories about the latest new high
performance cars, along with page
after page of ads promoting every24
the car of their dreams when they
returned to the United States. Some
of the letters even included the Mr.
Norm’s ad clipped from the magazine they were reading. Each letter
was answered and provided many
veterans with hope, optimism, and
another lifeline from home. Some
25
very difficult time in their lives. Mr.
Norm and his team replied to every letter he received. And to those
of you who wear or wore the uniform, thank you for your service to
our country. The following are just
a small sampling of the letters that
were sent to Mr. Norm and Grand
Spaulding Dodge during this time.
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
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 Wax
Irvine, CA
800-347-5700 / meguiar’s.
com
Mancini Racing
Offering quality, selection
and service for performance
needs.
800-843-2821
Galen Govier
The Chrysler Registry
608-326-6346
26
27
Tech
INSIDE JOB
Buildup Tips for
the Bottom End
of a Mopar 440
He’s also done engines for
the Skip Barber Cup Car Racing Experience, which went
faster and lasted longer than
any engines previously used
in the national program. His
engines also power an impressive range of muscle
cars, street rods, strip cars,
offshore boats, racing trucks,
and both Super Late and Late
Model oval track cars.
For this particular build- up, we’ll touch on the components used, and then focus
SOURCE BOX:
mostly on the bottom end, in
VanGordon Racing
particular the thrust bearing,
which he feels is the heart of
1846 11th Street, Unit J
the engine. This entire proUpland, California 91786
cess of prepping the block
(909) 946-5991
takes almost two weeks in
www.vangordonracing.com
order to do it properly. But
that’s time well spent for longer engine life.
3
The crank has a standard configuration, but the factory balancing
was not good enough. After checking
it out, VanGordon added nine grams
of material to the counterweight at
the front, and 20 grams was removed
from rear.
Story and Photos by Steve Temple
Y
ou can’t build a good
house
without
a
strong
foundation,
and that goes for a
muscle car engine as well.
When a flood of power hits,
you’d better have good materials and solid construction
to weather the storm.
For some expert advice on
the proper buildup of a Mopar 440, we sought out an
old pro, Jim VanGordon of
VanGordon Racing. His company has a lengthy history of
building engines for Cup cars
(note how he uses the old
term, instead of NASCAR).
5 The connecting rods are original,
but reconditioned, and upgraded
with ARP bolts.
2 Due to poros-
1 Porosity in older blocks can
be a problem, and lead to engine
damage.
ity, one of the
cylinders had to
be sleeved (note
seam in the
wall and on the
deck) to prevent
leakage from the
water jacket. The
cylinders were
bored .040 over,
so this 440 is actually a 448. The
deck was milled
.004 inches in
order to true it.
28
4 The Comp Cams camshaft (part No. 21-306-4) is somewhat hotter
than stock, with a finer grind for a six-pack setup, but not excessively so (see feature elsewhere in this issue on cam specs).
7 VanGordon uses two types of
6 Valve relief for the
piston top is stock, but
the SpeedPro pistons
have Teflon-coated
skirts to decrease the
chance of “black death”
(galling of piston).
29
rings: radial Moly (or a “round ring”,
as old timers say) and square edge.
The rounded one is the upper one,
and is more forgiving and designed
to prevent detonation. Even though
it allows a bit oil usage, it won’t bind
in the top ring land. The stainless
steel square-edge ring below it is for
scraping off oil from the cylinder wall
with a squeegee action.
9
The Mopar
heads are standard units, but
have stainless
steel valves, so
Stellite seats
are not required
for unleaded
fuel.
8 The rings on the top and
11
We discovered a
hairline crack
in the exhaust
headers, which
could present
a problem at
some point.
VanGordon
recommended
checking it out
with Magnafluxing, to see
if a repair is in
order.
bottom of the expansion ring are
gapped at the following positions
on the clock: 3 and 9, and 6 and
12. This minimizes cylinder leakage or blow by.
THRILLS, NOT FRILLS
12 Details make all the differ-
10 The stock exhaust headers
ence. Or in this case detailing
does. VanGordon deburrs the
corner of the thrust bearing in
the center of the block to remove
any “dingleberries or stalagtites”
as he calls them. Otherwise the
thrust bearing might not seat
properly, and cause wear.
are still popular, partly for their
raised profile.
14 VanGordon uses full-groove
13 Note the difference between
industrial bearings with channels on both the top and bottom, to ensure plenty of oil. (In
contrast to the smooth bearing
shown at top.)
the thrust bearing and the standard one. The flanges on the
thrust bearing have oil passages
added to them, and the ends are
beveled as well. The center bearing is the most important, because it handles stress from four
different angles, hence the need
for a precise fit and extra oiling.
30
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888.445.5226
USCATERHAM.com
Superformance LLC | 6 Autry Irvine CA 92618 | superformance.com | uscaterham.com | 949-900-1950
15 We marked the areas on the
16 We marked the areas on the
sides of the bearing that have oil
passages, to show where they
lubricate the crankshaft. Without
them, the bearing might grind
on the crankshaft like a lathe.
VanGordon doesn’t use synthetic
oil on older engines, because
they don’t “grow” or expand like
newer blocks can.
sides of the bearing that have oil
passages, to show where they
lubricate the crankshaft. Without
them, the bearing might grind
on the crankshaft like a lathe.
VanGordon doesn’t use synthetic oil on older engines, because
they don’t “grow” or expand like
newer blocks can.
17 On the rear, reciprocating
side of the rod cap, there’s a
groove that acts a slinger for
oiling the camshaft, and also
cooling the rod bolts.
20 An Edelbrock intake with spots for three
21 Altogether, this trio of Holley carbs will flow a
two-barrel carbs tops the block.
grand total of 1100cfm.
23 Before installing the
crankshaft, apply engine
oil to all the bearing surfaces. VanGordon won’t
use white lithium grease,
because he says it can
clog the filter.
18 The dimple on the piston
ring indicates the side that should
be facing up, toward the piston
top.
22 For lubing the camshaft, he
applies a dab to all the bearings
first, except the end one, which
is done after the bumpstick is installed. Cleanup tip: VanGordon
doesn’t use red shop towels,
because they leave fuzz. Instead,
he prefers Sparkle paper towels.
24 Gently lower the crankshaft
in place.
19 VanGordon prefers not to use an expansion tool to install rings, because he feels it adds stress points,
and he would rather feel the tension in his hands. Here’s a sequence of shots showing how he wraps the ring
on in a corkscrew fashion. He makes it look easy.
32
Tell your friends and car club
members to join Mr. Norm’s
Sport Club. They’ll get discounts
on parts and memorabilia and
receive Pentastar Power every
month for free
33
Win this car!
London Cobra Show
June 19-22, London, Ohio
By a Raffle ticket now, proceeds benefit Cystic Fibrosis
The Ohio Cobra Club Presents:
The London Cobra Show!!
25
Once the crankshaft is in place, tap the counterweights gently to seat it on the bearings.
26 The rod caps are numbered to indicate their correct location.
The largest gathering of Cobras in the world!
Enjoy a gathering of beautiful cars, fun events
and meet exceptional people along the way
... all for a great cause.
27 Use a Plastiguage to check the clearance.
After placing a small thread of wax on the bearing
surface, torque the cap to see how much it spreads
under pressure. Then measure the crush width.
Ideally it should be 2.5 to 3 thousandths.
28 Add oil to the bolt heads before bolting on the
connecting rods. This makes it easier to torque them
and check the crush, which should be about .003 inches for a performance engine. Don’t use an air wrench
either. A manual speed wrench prevents binding on
the cap, and lets you “sneak up” to the correct torque
setting.
The fun filled weekend offers:
• a family friendly atmosphere full of Cobras,
food and fun
• 200+ Cobra roadsters and coupes all in one
place
• cruises to several landmarks around
Central Ohio
• Track events at Mid Ohio Sports car course
and Autocross
• Charity rides in Historic Downtown
London Ohio
• Live and silent auctions
• Guest speakers you won’t want to miss
Join us, volunteer, have fun and lets support
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation together.
29 Here’s a simple but really essential step: set
the thrust bearing by tapping gently on each end
of the crankshaft.
30 Check end play with a pair of screwdrivers and
dial indicator—006 inches is ideal. Also, spin the
crankshaft by hand. It should spin smoothly and easily, with no drag.
34
4
1
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London 2
Cobra Show
londoncobrashow.com
Scan me to buy a
Raffle Ticket
ohiocobraclub.com
or This
ickets f p. 25
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YOUR SOURCE FOR
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March/A
ril 2014
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Women’s World
Ladies,
start
your
engines
By: Linda Mandalas
I
t was the 1960s, the dawn
of a golden age. The young,
handsome and charismatic John F. Kennedy was
elected President of the United States with his strong and
beautiful First Lady, Jackie,
by his side. Things seemed to
be “shaking up” everywhere,
from the War in Vietnam,
to the Fight for Civil Rights,
Shirley Shahan’s American Motors sponsored 1969 AMX Super Stock
carrying the front wheels in the box art for 1/25th scale JoHan model.
Hippies, Free Love, and who
could forget The Beatles, The
Rolling Stones and WOMEN
IN DRAG RACING.
It seemed like a natural
progression in the mid-sixties with all the social upheaval happening that the
world of drag racing was
about to take a sharp turn.
That’s right, move on over
Carol “Bunny” Burkett’s “Hemi Honey” funny car featured on a period
drag handout smokin’ the hides.
38
men, women were about to
come out of the smoke from
the tires and make their presence known on drag strips all
over the country.
From the beginning in
the early 1950’s, drag racing
was a male dominated sport,
and women were only “allowed” limited participation
and were generally relegated to racing in stock classes
and powder puff eliminators.
By the early 1960’s, just like
the title of Bob Dylan’s third
album, the times, they were
a changing. Finally, women were given their chance
to drive in the “hot classes”
as they were called during
this era. This is when it happened, a time when the world
was introduced to several
women who would not only
become famous, but some
say infamous for their drag
racing abilities and achievements. Racers like Paula
Murphy, Barb Hamilton, Della Woods, Shirley “Cha Cha”
Muldowney, Judy Lilly, Bun-
ny Burkett, and
Shirley
“The
Dragon Lady”
Shahan,
just
to name a few.
The
following
are just some
of the women
who made their
mark in professional drag racing.
Paula Murphy, AKA “Mrs.
STP,” who in
1966
became
the first female
funny car driver. Paula had
already shown
the sport that
she could drive
NASCAR Grand
National stock
cars, Indy Cars,
and a supercharged Funny
Car in NHRA
competition.
In fact, Paula
drove
Funny
Cars
professionally
from
1966 to 1972.
She
recorded
Paula Murphy, “World’s Fastest Woman on Wheels” posing
with a new Studebaker Avanti at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a
1963 magazine ad for Sears Allstate Tires.
her best time
of 6.67 @ 218
mph in her
nitro burning
Hemi
powered
Plymouth Duster.
Paula broke
her back in
a rocket car
accident
in
1973,
but
returned
to
drag racing in
1974, proving the adage,
“you
can’t
keep a great
woman
in
racing down.”
D e l l a
Woods
had
an incredibly
long
career
racing funny
cars. Her career spanned
the ‘60s, ‘70s,
‘80s, and into
the early ‘90s.
In fact, so Della Woods is so
well respected among her
fans and even
Each of these ladies blazed the trail, breaking the “glass ceiling” on
women racing nitro burning Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters in
NHRA national competition. They were the ones who kicked open
the doors of today’s fast paced, hot and steamy, smell the rubber
burning world of NHRA National Championship Drag Racing to the
current crop of Black Top Beauties.”
39
TOP: Angell Sampey with her GoArmy sponsored Pro Stock Motorcycle.
BOTTOM; Brittany Force at the wheel of her Top
Fuel Dragster, the 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year.
Photo courtesy John Force Racing website
40
competitors that she has been called
the grand matriarch of female funny
car drivers. Della’s most famous funny car was aDodge Charger dubbed
“The Funny Honey.” Della became a
success on the national level when
she ran 5.80s in 1986 in her ‘82
Charger and in the early nineties
ran best of 5.79 in her Dodge Daytona.
Shirley Muldowney, the woman who became known as the
Queen of Drag Racing. Shirley
started her career at the tender age of 18 behind the wheel
of a new ’58 Chevy powered by
a 348. After racing door cars
for several years, she married
Jack Muldowney, who built her
first dragster. Shirley stepped
up to racing a Top Gas dragster in 1971
and in 1972. At this time, Top Gas was
winding down, so Shirley upped her game
and purchased a used Mustang funny car
from Connie “The Bounty Hunter” Kalitta.
Shirley won her first national event that
year, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Although Shirley had several bad crashes and fires, nothing could stop this determined racer. It is well documented
that Shirley ran a 6.63 @ 219 mph best
during her funny car years. After retiring from funny cars Shirley after a
fourth fiery crash, Shirley moved on to
what is considered the pinnacle of drag
racing; Top Fuel Dragsters. Needless
to say, Shirley quickly mastered driving a Top Fuel Dragster and became
the sport’s first Three-Time Top Fuel
World Champion! Way to go girl!
Carol “Bunny” Burkett ran her first
race in 1964 in Virginia. Bunny and her
husband Mo Burkett bought a brand new
bright red ‘64 1/2 Mustang on a Thursday, and by Friday, Bunny was at the track
racing it. She won her very first race and
never looked back, quickly emerging as
the first truly competitive female drag rac-
er on the East Coast. Bunny
went to race in Super Stock,
Pro Stock and ultimately in
the Super Fuel Funny Car
category.
Each of these ladies blazed
the trail, breaking the “glass
ceiling” on women racing nitro burning Funny Cars and
Top Fuel Dragsters in NHRA
national competition. They
were the ones who kicked
open the doors of today’s fast
paced, hot and steamy, smell
the rubber burning world of
NHRA National Championship Drag Racing to the current crop of Black Top Beauties.
Without a doubt, one of the
biggest names on the circuit
belongs to three sisters, all of
them daughters to a legend
in his own right; none other than 16 time NHRA Funny Car National Champion,
John Force. The Force ladies
are truly a force to be reckoned with...Ashley, Courtney
and Brittany.
Ashley Force Hood was the
first Force daughter to become a professional drag racer. She was the NHRA Rookie
of the year in 2007 and became the first woman to win
a Funny Car event in 2008.
Among her accomplishments
are 16 final round appearances, 15 number 1 starts,
back to back Top 3 finishes in
her last two seasons on tour
and Auto Racing All-America Second Team recognition
in 2009. Today, Ashley is the
president of John Force Entertainment.
Ashley’s
sister
Britta-
Ashley Force drag handout for her Castrol GTX Funny Car.
Melanie Troxel’s Dodge Funny Car featured on a collectors drag
handout.
41
Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney with her Top Fuel Dragster.
Photo courtesy of Shirley Muldowney website
ny raced three years in Super Comp, followed by three
years in an Alcohol dragster
getting ready for her move
into the exciting world of funny cars. Brittany also holds
a degree in education for Cal
State-Fullerton. And last, but
certainly not least, Courtney,
the youngest Force, made her
debut in 2012, with her first
funny car win at the O’Reilly
Northwest Nationals at Seattle, Washington in August
of the same year. Courtney
was the 2012 recipient of the
Automobile Club of Southern California’s Road to the
Future Award as the NHRA
Rookie of the Year.
Melanie Troxel, daughter of
NHRA Alcohol Dragster world
champion Mike Troxel, grew
up at the races. Melanie actually rebuilt the engine she
would use in her first race
car. She came up through
the ranks, competing in five
different NHRA sportsman
classes, and her amateur career culminated in a number two finish in the NHRA
National Points Standings
for the Top Alcohol Dragster
class with numerous event
wins and track titles.
Angelle Sampey has won
the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship three times
(2000-2002). Since she made
her debut in 1996, she has
earned an all-time class record 45 top-qualifier awards
and an amazing 41 victories.
This is the most wins for any
female in both NHRA competition and professional motor
sports as a whole. Among her
accomplishments, Angelle set
the national Pro Stock Motorcycle elapsed time record
with a 6.871 second run.
In 2010 Angelle announced
her retirement as a professional drag racer. Along with
the above mentioned Shirley
Muldowney, Angelle is one of
a very few women to have won
42
a major motorsports championship title. In fact, Angelle
and Muldowney are the only
female drag racers to have
scored more than ten NHRA
event wins, as well as the only
two women in the sport to win
more than one championship
in their respective divisions,
Muldowney with three in Top
Fuel, and Angelle with three
in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Angelle is considered the winningest female in professional motorsports history with
41 career wins.
So, all of you ladies out
there, do not feel that just because an area you are interested in is male dominated,
that you cannot make your
mark. It takes time for the
culture to change, but all of
these ladies in this story have
not only made their mark,
but had the drive and determination to force the opening
of many doors that had long
been closed. NHRA National Championship Drag Racing
is only one of these male dominated areas that now support women
who are trying to make their marks
out there. All I can say is don’t let
anything get in your way; knock on
every door, better yet, knock down
every door and leave YOUR mark.
Tell your friends and car
club members to join Mr.
Norm’s Sport Club. They’ll
get discounts on parts and
memorabilia and receive
Pentastar Power every
month for free
The view of the
Jeep others see in
their rear view mirror. It sure looks
like it says “move
it or lose it!”
FIVE STAR
is equipped
with
35
inch BF Goodrich
LT
325 /60R20
Mud Terrain
T/A
KM2
tires mounted
on
a
wicked looking set of
black 20 x 10 inch Vision Off
Road Fury 399 Black Milled
alloy wheels. Adding to its
near overwhelming appearance was a Rancho 3 inch
Trail Lift Kit. Between the
lift kit, fender flares and the
wheels and tires, this is one
tough looking Jeep. With the
lift kit and big tires, the FIVE
STAR has a really tall stance,
TOP: Trick hood latches, Bushmaking it easy to see that it
wacker Flat Top Fenders and AEV
Heat Reduction Hood add to the
was equipped with Jeep logo
take no prisoner’s attitude of the
aluminum differential covers
FIVE STAR.
examination, I noticed that
by American Rebel. The covBurly BFGoodrich Mud Terrain Tires
the FIVE STAR was sporting a
ers not only look great, but
and Vision Off Road Fury Wheels
set of body color Bushwhackbecause they are larger than
are a perfect fit for the personality
er Flat Top Fender Flares
of the FIVE STAR.
the boring stock stamped
road wheels and tires. Closer steel covers, they hold more
that offered lots of additionexamination revealed that the diff oil for cooler running, esal clearance for the huge off
pecially when the going gets
tough.
In fact, the more I checked
out the FIVE STAR, the more
upgrades I found, such as the
functional AEV Heat Reduction Hood that lowers under
hood temperatures, which
will be a really useful feature
on those hot summer days
that are just around the corner. Even the aluminum hood
hold downs and lanyards by
Drake Off Road were a neat
custom touch. All of these
modifications play into makIt’s a big thumbs up for the Jeep Wrangler FIVE STAR.
Millennium Musings
I
recently had the opportunity to test drive
a Jeep Wrangler FIVE
STAR.
When I first
pulled up and saw the
Jeep from a distance,
I thought that it might be
little more than a Wrangler
that was just decked out
with some graphics and trim.
However, after really looking
it over and getting some seat
time behind the wheel, I realized that this is one Jeep
that’s way more than that.
At first glance, the aggressive appearance of the FIVE
By Andrew Schultheis
STAR grabbed my attention
Photos by Andrew Schultheis and
with its no-nonsense AnLarry Weiner
vil paint job that’s accented
with military inspired black
graphics. But upon further
Jeep
Wrangler
FIVE STAR
Road Test
44
45
ing the FIVE STAR an absolute beast. This Jeep almost
seemed like it was just begging to hit some trails, climb
some hills, blow through
some mud and just plain get
down and dirty.
Not only do I love the visual components of this custom Mr. Norms build, but the
performance end of this model is done right as well. The
Rush Racing Products Shotgun Dual Exhaust with its
double barrel tips fits right
into the FIVE STAR’s bad attitude and delivered a deep
rumble. Under the AEV Heat
Reduction Hood was a gutsy
Pentastar V6 engine that offered plenty of power regardless of the driving situation
in both two and four wheel
drive modes. And feeding the
engine it’s lifeblood of cool,
fresh air, was a Mopar Cold
This is one serious
four wheeler that is
ready for damn near
anything man or
mother nature throws
at it. In a way, it’s a
lot like riding on a big
horse, you feel like
you’re sitting tall in
the saddle, looking
down at everything
around you.
leather interior with
trick carbon bullet
wings and perforated inserts. The seats
were super comfortable, while providing lots of support, and featured
the FIVE STAR logo
embroidered on the
head rests. Keeping
the floor clean were
durable Berber carpet mats by Designer Mat that, like the
seats, had the FIVE
Yes, I really did do burnouts with the FIVE
STAR logo embroiSTAR. It can be done, but the Jeep just really
dered in them. A
wants to hook up and go.
military style dash
data plate fitted the
Air Intake. I guess you could
say this FIVE STAR with a theme and even had useful
Pentastar is a pun on wheels info to boot.
I tried some burnouts, but
but it truly is the definition
of Pentastar Power because it because of the big BFG off
really roars like a lion when road knobby tires, the FIVE
STAR was more determined
you punch the gas pedal.
Inside, the FIVE STAR to hook up than smoke the
sported a Katzkin custom tires. Let’s face it, this isn’t
a quarter mile warrior; it’s a
bad to the bone off road monster that’s ready to gobble
dirt, rocks and sand washes.
But, persistence paid off and
Katzkin custom leather interior
with FIVE STAR logo makes for an
inviting and comfortable interior for
those long days on the trail.
after a couple of tries, I laid
down some nice twenty footers.
Because of time constraints, I was only able to test
drive the Jeep Wrangler FIVE
STAR for a short amount of
time, but I could tell that this
is one serious four wheeler
that is ready for damn near
anything man or mother nature throws at it. In a way,
it’s kind of like riding on a big
horse, you feel like you’re sitting tall in the saddle, looking
down at everything around
you. It certainly is confidence inspiring and handled
fine, but you never forget that
the center of gravity is way up
there! Sure wish it was mine.
I can say that whoever buys
this Mr. Norms machine from
Bosak Motors is going to be
one happy camper; literally
and figuratively!
Tell your friends and car club
members to join Mr. Norm’s
Sport Club. They’ll get discounts
on parts and memorabilia and
receive Pentastar Power every
month for free
Rancho shocks and American Rebel Jeep diff cover are easy to see thanks
to the 3 inch Trail Lift Kit and big 35 inch BFG tires.
46
MR. NORM’S KENNE BELL
SUPERCHARGERS
FOR 2008 – 2014 CHALLENGERS, CHARGERS, 300
“MAKE YOUR CAR A PART OF MR. NORM’S HISTORY”
Racer’s net for the Mr.Norm’s Kenne Bell 2.8-L Supercharger Kit is $6,995* plus
shipping. Add $300 for Liquid Cooled* and $600 for Polished Kit*
Call Mr. Norm at :(813) 789-6179 for more information
and to order the Supercharger
*No discsounts apply to these products
Each kit includes eveything needed for the install, including programmed tuner
Mr. Norm’s Kenne Bell 2.8-L Supercharagers for 2008-2018 5.7, 6.1
and 6.4 Hemi engines are CARB certified, 50 state legal
BENEFITS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Real ‘60s-style Cool Air Intake (+30 hp)
Mammoth 2.8-L vs. their little 2.3-L
Retro Front Drive
Exposed Supercharger (no cover)
Available for 6.5,6.1 and 5.7 Hemi engines
50-state legal
Mr. Norm’s Signature Engraved Plaque
Entry into Mr. Norm’s Equipped Registry
MR. NORM’S KENNE BELL
SUPERCHARGERS
CALL MR. NORM’S AT 813-789-6179 FOR MORE INFORMATION
OR TO ORDER THE MR. NORM’S KENNE BELL SUPERCHARGER
Mr. Norm’s Specials
MR. NORM’S SIGNATURE CARPET MATS
FOR CHALLENGER, CHARGER, 300 AND RAM
April Sales
MR. NORM’S COLLECTIBLE
EMBOSSED
METAL
LICENSE
PLATES
INCLUDES BOTH ITEMS
SHOWN
INCLUDES FRONT AND REAR SET OF 4
SALE PRICE $99
REGULARLY $145 SAVE $46
ORDER CUSTOM CARPET MATS FOR YOUR CAR TODAY.
CALL (760) 612-6365
CHECK OF 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 April 30, 2014
53
SALE PRICE $15.95
REGULARLY $24.95 SAVE $9.00
Order yours today on the Mr. Norm’s website at www.mrnorms.com
Item Numbers 5 and 5A
Note: No other discounts can be applied to sale price.
Shipping is not included in price Offer expires April 30, 2014
53
A Visit to
the
Automobile
Driving
Museum
The museum
that takes you
for a ride
Photos by Larry Weiner and
courtesy of the Automobile Driving
Museum
W
hile it is finally
springtime, much
of the country is
still fighting off
the doldrums after a long,
tough winter. Here on the
West Coast, we were fortunate, with the winter being
milder and less rainy than
usual. Because of that, muscle cars, street rods and vintage vehicles of all kinds have
been seen on the roads here
regularly all year. The turnouts for cruise nights and
the car shows that we have
attended this year have been
very good, and it’s almost as
though everyone is just looking for a reason to take their
car out for a spin.
Like everyone else out here
in SoCal, we’re no different.
1937 Packard V-12 Touring Convertible Sedan
1941 Plymouth De Luxe 4-door sedan
looks nearly new.
1932 Buick 8 next to a 1932 Packard 900 Coupe followed by a 1929 Packard 633 4-door phaeton.
We wondered, where could
we go for the day in our 1967
Chrysler Town and Country
that would be fun? The answer was easy; let’s go to a
car museum. There are several located within a couple
of hours from where we live.
Having been to the Petersen several times, we wanted
to go somewhere different. A
friend told us about the Automobile Driving Museum,
and how much he enjoyed
it, so we decided to check it
out for ourselves. The museum is located just south of
the Los Angeles International
Airport in El Segundo, about
a two hour drive from where
we live, making it perfect for
a one day road trip.
The Automobile Driving
Museum, also known as the
ADM for short, is housed
tion. Over 140 vehicles are
on display at the ADM, the
majority of which are housed
One of the really neat things about the
in one large room. The collecAutomobile Driving Museum is that evtion includes cars from every
decade, starting with the turn
ery Sunday, weather permitting, they
of the century all the way up
to the 1980’s, with the matake several of the vintage cars from the
jority being from the 1930’s
collection out of the museum and onto
thru the 1950’s. Chryslers
are well represented at the
the street so that attendees can go for a
ADM, and include classics
such as a 1935 Airflow, 1937
ride in them. The ADM is the only museChrysler Royal, 1940 Dodge
um in the world where you can do this,
Luxury Liner, 1940 Plymouth
Special De Luxe, 1947 Chrysand it really adds another dimension to
ler Windsor convertible and
a 1948 DeSoto. Nearly every
the experience
popular make of car can be
seen at the museum, along
with many orphans such as
in a red brick single story vehicles you see are an 1896 those manufactured by Packbuilding in a quiet industri- Benz Motorwagon and a 1903 ard, Studebaker, Overland,
al park. In the lobby as you Pierce Motorette-Stanhope, Hupmobile, Durant and Fraenter the museum, the first the two oldest in the collec- zier.
BELOW: 1941 Dodge Luxury Line Business Coupe with period sun visor.
LEFT: Imposing 1932 Studebaker Commander 4-door sedan
57
One of the really neat
things about the Automobile
Driving Museum is that every Sunday, weather permitting, the curators take several of the vintage cars from
the collection out of the museum confines and onto the
street so that attendees can
go for rides in them. The
ADM is the only museum in
the world where you can do
this, and it really adds another dimension to the experience. If you’ve never had a
chance to ride in a rare classic like a 1937 Packard V-12
Convertible, a 1935 Chrysler
Airflow or a 1932 Studebaker
Commander, then you’re in
for a big treat, because you
RIGHT: A 1951 Nash Super Statesman and a 1951 Hudson Hornet
nearly obscure a brass era Model T.
BELOW: Not one, but two 1942
Packard Clippers are displayed side
by side
can at the ADM. The schedule that shows what cars are
available for rides is posted
on their website. By checking
their event calendar, you can
time your visit to the museum to coincide with the cars
you would like to ride in.
I heartily recommend visiting the Automobile Driving
Museum on your next trip to
California. It’s a great destination for the car enthusiast,
and if you take a ride in a
classic car, I can assure you,
it’s one experience that you
won’t soon forget.
SOURCE BOX
Automobile Driving
Museum
610 Lairport Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: 310-909-0950
www.automobiledriving
museum.org
1937 Chrysler Royal 4-door touring sedan at the front of the ADM ready to put on some more miles.
TOP: 1947 Chrysler Windsor Convertible ready to go for a cruise.
CENTER: Wanna’ go for a ride in a
1941 Cadillac convertible? You can
at the ADM.
LEFT: They sure don’t make ‘em like
this anymore. Check out the distinctive grilles on the 1939 Cadillac,
1938 Buick and 1937 Oldsmobile.
Tell your friends and car club
members to jion Mr. Norm’s
Sport Club. They’ll get discounts on parts, memorabilia
and receive Pentastar Power
every month for free
60
LEFT: 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible keeps a 1959 Edsel company.
RIGHT: 1960 Pontiac Bonneville convertible looks like it’s ready for some fun in the sun.
61
But Wait There’s More
Kenne Bell Supercharged Magnum 5.9 V8.
Original artist’s rendering of the 1997 Mr. Norm’s Supercharged Ram by Louis Tanahara
Mr. Norm Returns to the Performance Scene
F
or over 50 years,
Mr. Norm has been
known for performance. And not
just performance, but supercharged
performance.
Whether they were racing vehicles like the nitro
burning funny cars he campaigned, or street cars like
the 1972 GSS supercharged
Demon, Mr. Norm has a long
history of racing and selling
supercharged Dodge’s.
In 1997, the only vehicle
Dodge manufactured with
V8 power in a rear wheel
drive chassis was the Ram
pickup. And after the long
hiatus since the 1972 GSS
Supercharged Demon, Mr.
Norm decided that the time
was right to get back into
the fray. As in the past, his
goal was to offer a vehicle
package for the street that
would not only be a visual
show stopper, but also offer the level of performance
that he was known for. That
vehicle became the Mr.
Norm’s Supercharged Ram.
Themed after the recently minted NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, the Supercharged Ram presented
the opportunity for Mr.
Norm to work with Kenne
Bell Superchargers for the
first time. Kenne Bell is
the industry leader in twin
screw superchargers, and
their ability to develop vehicle and engine specific
turn-key supercharger kits
that are CARB certified and
50 state street legal is second to none. Adding fuel
to the fire, Jim Bell has always been a Mopar fan, and
in fact, one of his first race
cars was a late 1940’s Plymouth. Needless to say, the
chance for Mr. Norm and
Kenne Bell to team up to
create a high performance
Dodge with performance to
match its appearance was a
no-brainer.
Mr. Norm started with a
new Ram 1500 standard cab
short bed that was powered
by a 5.9 Magnum. A plain
white wrapper if ever there
was one, the first stop for
the Dodge was Kenne Bell,
where Jim Bell’s talented
crew engineered a new supercharger kit for the Magnum V8. After several weeks
at Kenne Bell patterning
the supercharger manifolds
and developing the attendant parts, the Ram was
off to DJM Suspension for
a 4 – 6 drop kit for a real in
the weeds stance, followed
by a trip to Mike Face Custom Paint for a complete
cosmetic makeover. A NASCAR style front fascia,
split metal tonneau cover,
spoiler and rear roll pan,
along with bed bars were
also sourced at this time.
American Racing Wheels,
Goodyear tires and a low
restriction cat back dual
exhaust system completed
the package. Once painted
and equipped with all of the
parts and accessories to
make the Ram look like it
was ready to take some hot
laps at Daytona, it was back
to Kenne Bell for a major
infusion of horsepower.
The goal was 500 horseMopar Action Magazine with Mr.
Norm’s Supercharged Ram on the
cover.
power from the 5.9, or 360
cubic inch Magnum, for
those of you who prefer the
old school way of measuring engine displacement.
Equipped with the Kenne
Bell Twin Screw supercharger, a large diameter intake,
an air to air intercooler fed
by massive 5 inch diameter
pipes and custom engine
management calibrations,
this ambitious goal was
achieved. Even with a Sure
Grip differential spinning
the 3.90:1 gears, it took a
very gentle touch on the go
pedal to keep from smoking
the tires.
Like all great projects,
the clock was ticking, because the Mr. Norm’s Supercharged Ram was scheduled to participate in the
1997 Hot Rod Power Tour
as a Long Hauler.
The
‘Tour would run from Los
Angeles, California to Mt.
Clemmons, Michigan. Just
days before the start of
the Power Tour, which was
held at the Pe-
tersen Automotive Museum
in Los Angeles, the Ram
was completed. After numerous runs on the Dynojet dynamometer at Kenne
Bell, the Ram was deemed
ready for its cross country
trek. Showing up at the Petersen the night before the
start of the Power Tour, the
Mr. Norm’s Supercharged
Ram created quite a stir
among event participants.
The vehicles participating
in the ‘Tour spanned the
gamut of everything you
could imagine, and some
that you couldn’t, including one brave soul who was
going to run the entire distance in a diminutive Legends dirt track car.
The first stop of the 10
day long Power Tour was
Las Vegas Speedway, just
outside of the town that
never sleeps. At the speedway, the Mr. Norm’s Supercharged Ram joined many
of the other vehicles that
were running laps on the
same track that NASCAR
stock cars call their own.
After the session on the
track, the Ram was displayed in the Mopar exhibit
where participants and attendees alike had endless
questions about the truck
and the supercharger.
Day in and day out, regardless of the weather, the
Mr. Norm’s Supercharged
Ram
effortlessly
rolled
down the highway. In Colorado, there was over a foot
of snow on the ground, especially in the mountains,
and the temperatures were
well below freezing. While
driving through Illinois,
the Mr. Norm’s Supercharged Ram took a quick
break from the ‘Tour and
was photographed at a regional airport for a cover
and feature story in Mopar
Action Magazine by none
other than Cliff Gromer,
the Editor. Smoking the
hides on the airstrip was no
problem for the blown Ram
and following the shoot, it
was back on the road to the
next overnight stop in Lansing, Illinois, just south of
Chicago.
Each state on the Power
Tour had different weather
that year, but regardless of
cold temperatures, snow,
rain storms or extreme
wind, the Ram took it all
in stride, and arrived in Mt.
Clemmons, Michigan right
on schedule for the final of
the stop of the event. After a couple of days in Motor City, it was time to turn
around and head back to
California. Unlike the trip
to Michigan, it was pedal to the metal and in just
two and a half days, the
Ram was back on the West
Coast. A true testament to
the engineering prowess of
the professionals at Kenne
Bell, the Supercharged Ram
performed flawlessly on the
five thousand plus mile
journey.
During the year, the Ram
Mr. Norm and Bill “Maverick” Golden with the Supercharged Ram at
the Mopar Nationals
was displayed at numerous
events, including the Mopar Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Chryslers
at Carlisle and the SEMA
SHOW. It proved to be a
very popular truck with enthusiasts, and marked not
only a return for Mr. Norm
to building new high performance vehicles, but was
also the beginning of what
has evolved into a great relationship. Over the years,
Mr. Norm and Kenne Bell
have teamed up to produce numerous high performance Challengers, Chargers and Chrysler 300’s. But
it all started in the spring
of 1997 with a Dodge Ram.
Tell your friends and car
club members to join Mr.
Norm’s Sport Club. They’ll
get discounts on parts and
memorabilia and receive
Pentastar Power every
month for free
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
ON YOUR CHANCE TO WIN BRUCE MEYERS’
SUBARU-POWERED, 5-SPD KICK-OUT S.S. MANX
Picture yourself in this buggy!
WINNING IS EASY
JOIN THE MANX CLUB AND BUY A RAFFLE TICKET
● $ 30 to join club (if you’re not already a member)
● $ 20 / raffle ticket (buy 10 and get one free)
● Maximum number of 6,000 tickets will be sold
● The Kick-Out S.S. Manx is valued at $ 35,000
● For any inquiries, contact: [email protected]
● Raffle will be held on 7/13/2014 at Big Bear Bash
● Entrants need not be present to win
JOIN THE MANX CLUB TODAY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO
WIN BRUCE MEYERS PERSONAL KICK-OUT S.S. MANX
For complete official rules and regulations, visit the club’s website
www.manxclub.com
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
WWW.MRNORMS.COM