CLASS RACER FORUM

CLASS RACER FORUM (https://classracer.com/classforum/index.php)
-   Nostalgia Stock and Super Stock (https://classracer.com/classforum/forumdisplay.php?f=54)
-   -   Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger (https://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=43118)

Svendsen 09-11-2012 01:22 PM

Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
In 1994, John Gastman of Roanoke Motors purchased Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit 1970 Pro Stock Challenger. Soon after, Gastman contacted Bagshaw and established the car's authenticity. Last year, John called on Bucky Hess and son Travis to restore the car to as-raced 1970 NHRA Pro Stock condition. Bill Bagshaw agreed to serve as consultant during the entire restoration. Cole McAllister did the metal work, while Bagshaw himself rebuilt the 426 Hemi motor at Ron Shavers Racing Engines last winter. The motor eventually produced 679 horsepower at 7800 rpm, certainly 1970's standards for those engines.

Bucky spent an incredible amount of time getting the car right, even sacrificing race car testing time in order to complete the car as promised. John Gastman picked the car up a couple weeks ago, and brought it to the 2012 US Nationals, where Bill Bagshaw saw it for the first time after 38 years. Bagshaw and Gastman were thrilled with the final product!

Special thanks to Bucky and Travis for an amazing job, and sticking to their commitment to get the Red Light Bandit done for Indy. Below is the car the day Gastman picked it up at Bucky's shop in WV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgK7a...ature=youtu.be

Thanks for watching!
Arvid Svendsen

Hemi Moose 09-11-2012 04:05 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
I posted some of the cars photos in the Indy thread, but can you post all of the restoration photos you have of from start to finish on here, would like everyone else on here to see'em...very nice restoration.

mopar68 09-11-2012 10:24 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Arvid,

I'd like to know the history of the car after Bagshaw sold it up to the time it was delivered to Bucky Hess' shop in less-than-pristine condition.

Thanks,

M68

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/3...banditrear.jpg

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/539...anditfront.jpg

Svendsen 09-11-2012 10:40 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose (Post 345945)
I posted some of the cars photos in the Indy thread, but can you post all of the restoration photos you have of from start to finish on here, would like everyone else on here to see'em...very nice restoration.

Saw those pics, thanks! I will start doing posting pics from start to finish, I want to use photobucket, so as soon as I'm set up with that, I will post pics. Thanks!

Arvid Svendsen

mopar68 09-11-2012 10:57 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9...anditrear2.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2237/bagshawleal.jpg

M68

mopar68 09-11-2012 11:04 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Then...

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/5...banditside.jpg

...and now.

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/2...itrestored.jpg

But what I'd really like to know about is...

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7...illbagshaw.jpg
"Gary Dodd in the ex-Bill Bagshaw Pinto Pro Stocker at Irwindale."

...when did Bill Bagshaw campaign a Ford Pinto?

M68

Svendsen 09-11-2012 11:11 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by mopar68 (Post 346022)
Arvid,

I'd like to know the history of the car after Bagshaw sold it up to the time it was delivered to Bucky Hess' shop in less-than-pristine condition.

Thanks,

M68

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/3...banditrear.jpg

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/539...anditfront.jpg



Unfortunately, we don't know the entire owner history. Bill sold the RLB Challenger in '73 to Jim Marshall (pic attached), the same guy who bought Bagshaw's '68 Dart in 1970. The next 21 years are not known, we don't really know how long Marshall held on to the car. The car was found in 1994 by John Gastman when he went to buy a Viper in Kansas. John believes that the owner did not know it was the Red Light Bandit car, John didn't know what it was either. However, he knew it was something unique with all the fabricated panels and lightening holes.

John bought the Viper and this basket case Challenger with a ton of parts, a lot of them turned out to be parts that Bagshaw used. We checked the numbers on one of the 426 motors that came with the deal, then checked with a guy who knows the 68 cars, and concluded that it was probably the motor that Bill had in the '68 Dart. Bill had used the '68 motor in his Challenger, along with a couple other motors.

Further, Bill always painted his motors and tranmissions Krylon Cherry red, but the motors and trans that came with the car were orange. However, Bucky scraped the paint away on the motor, and there was cherry red paint found under the orange... trans, same cherry red under the orange paint. I'll try to find the pic of that red paint under the orange that Bucky sent us. Of course, Bill rebuilt that 426 motor, and then used that original orange/red trans that came with the car.

Arvid Svendsen

Svendsen 09-11-2012 11:25 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by mopar68 (Post 346031)
Then...

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/5...banditside.jpg

...and now.

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/2...itrestored.jpg

But what I'd really like to know about is...

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/7...illbagshaw.jpg
"Gary Dodd in the ex-Bill Bagshaw Pinto Pro Stocker at Irwindale."

...when did Bill Bagshaw campaign a Ford Pinto?

M68


Bill never raced or owned that Pinto race car, or any Pinto race car.

There were four Red Light Bandit race cars: 1) the C/Gas 57? Corvette; 2) the '68 Hemi Dart real Hurst car; 3) the 70/71 Challenger built from a body in white with a '70 Hemi Challenger street car that Mopar supplied, the paint scheme on the '70 is what we used... the same car was then updated to 72/73 Challenger status with tweaked paint scheme, 72/73 grille and tail light swap; and 4) the '73 Pro Stock Dart Sport that was featured on the cover of SSDI.

I've got to admit that the Pinto looks pretty good with that Red Light Bandit paint scheme.

Arvid Svendsen

mopar68 09-11-2012 11:36 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
"Bill never raced or owned that Pinto race car, or any Pinto race car."

Arvid,

My hunch is: Bill Bagshaw built the car, never raced it (for whatever reasons), then sold it.

"I've got to admit that the Pinto looks pretty good with that Red Light Bandit paint scheme."

It sure does. Check out the gold anodized Super Tricks a la the 1973 Red Light Bandit Dart Sport.

M68

P.S. On its fender it says "Engine by Earl Wade."

Geerhead55 09-12-2012 12:06 AM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Hey Bucky,, I'm just wondering,, was that interviewer just playing with you, or was he really that stup, er, a, misinformed?
Truly, you guys did a great job bringing back a piece of history,, thanks for all of us who appreciate these cars.
Danny Durham

Svendsen 09-12-2012 07:06 AM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
M68- The paint scheme is identical, even the gold super tricks, but Bill never built that Pinto. He did build a Colt station wagon powered by a 340 engine that showed up in a magazine (Hot Rod,Car Craft?) during the 70's, and he built a 440 Duster that showed up in Car Craft in 1985, but no Pinto.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Geerhead55 (Post 346039)
Hey Bucky,, I'm just wondering,, was that interviewer just playing with you, or was he really that stup, er, a, misinformed?
Truly, you guys did a great job bringing back a piece of history,, thanks for all of us who appreciate these cars.
Danny Durham

Danny- I'm that stupid interviewer ;-) Here's the context for that statement, Bucky just purchased a '32 Ford Victoria gasser sedan powered by a 327 Chevy, and took me for a ride in it. Being the Mopar guy that I am, I was ripping him for buying a small block Chevy powered "street rod" instead of sticking with a Chrysler product. So when I asked him his name in the video, Bucky answered "Chevy Guy" as if he had just finished drinking the Chevy Kool Aid, hence my "327" comment.

Arvid Svendsen

Steve Stasko 09-12-2012 09:45 AM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Bill bought the Pinto from Dyno Don, but never ran it. Gary Dodd sold it to some other guys in California who totaled it.

Svendsen 09-12-2012 11:57 AM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by mopar68 (Post 346035)
"Bill never raced or owned that Pinto race car, or any Pinto race car."

Arvid,
My hunch is: Bill Bagshaw built the car, never raced it (for whatever reasons), then sold it.
"I've got to admit that the Pinto looks pretty good with that Red Light Bandit paint scheme."
It sure does. Check out the gold anodized Super Tricks a la the 1973 Red Light Bandit Dart Sport.
M68
P.S. On its fender it says "Engine by Earl Wade."


Yikes, I think I just proved Danny correct, that I am stup... misinformed.
Just talked to Bill this morning, M68 and Steve, you guys are correct, Bill bought that car from Dyno Don some time around 1974/5, got it close to being ready to race (his paint scheme), and then decided to sell it.

Sorry guys, I was wrong, I stand corrected. Thanks Steve and Mopar68 for the information.

Arvid Svendsen

Geerhead55 09-12-2012 12:38 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Arvid,,, take it easy on yourself. I was kinda thinking nobody would be involved in a shoot like that and be totaly cluless,,, all good fun.
Danny Durham

Svendsen 09-12-2012 12:54 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Geerhead55 (Post 346118)
Arvid,,, take it easy on yourself. I was kinda thinking nobody would be involved in a shoot like that and be totaly cluless,,, all good fun.
Danny Durham

Danny, thanks, I know it was all in good fun, just funny how it all rolled out. I'm still laughing about it.

Arvid Svendsen

joe cool 09-12-2012 01:08 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Thanks for sharing,love it.

Hemi Moose 09-12-2012 03:57 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
Here's one of Bill Bagshaw's Hemi Challenger with the updated tail light panel...

http://www.draglist.com/draglist/adm...n.jpg&full=yes

And one of his pro stock Dart Sport...

http://prostockhemi.com/hemipro/84.jpg

Maybe he bought the Pinto after this one...

Hemi Moose 09-20-2012 08:15 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
http://classracer.com/classforum/att...9&d=1347418912

Did you dig up anymore history on the car when this person had it...

Charlie A 10-05-2012 12:38 PM

Re: Bill Bagshaw's Red Light Bandit Challenger
 
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3163/2...7bf_z.jpg?zz=1

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3021/2...e63_z.jpg?zz=1


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:16 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright Class Racer.com. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.