Original hemi dart information

[mopar68]

Lou Centolanza ran his 'Cuda sometime in the mid-1970s up to at least 1977.



(No, it's not the Baptiste car.)

M68

[Bill Rolik]

I took this at Indy in 76.

Jim Kinnett 2951

Bill Rolik

1514 SS

[Paul Ceasrine]

Mopar 68,
You solved the mystery. Since Dover (Centolanza's home base) closed in May 76'. There was very little info on the black Cuda. Supposedly
held the NHRA SS/A record in 76', at 9.90 or so. I wonder if they were still involved with Mountain Garage, Highland Falls, NY at this time.
This car, if I'm correct, ended up in a small upstate New York (one-horse)
town. The guy who got it from Lou and Tony Centolanza had a small
car repair shop in Greene County, I think. I know, because I was at his
shop back in 1980, selling him BRM (Brush Research) cylinder honing brushes (4.25" of course, for the Hemi). He showed me the car, in his
2-car garage. Painted white (beautifully detailed). The car had a
tunnel-ram on it, and he was running it in A/MP. He had no shot at
winning in SS/A, too much handicap. Can't remember the name
off-hand, but this car must have been at Lebanon in 1980 or so. I think
he was looking to sell it for $15,000 at that time.
As soon as I get my data from my NY computer, I will post many
Super Stock Hemi photo's.

Oh, Yours to Mr. Jack Arnew.
Paul

[mopar68]

"Mopar 68,
You solved the mystery."

Really? Thanks, Paul. Glad to help anyway I can.

M68

[Paul Ceasrine]

MOPAR68,
You are my HERO.
How did you come up with that photo.
My POP'S car. (Really mine first). An original 69 M-Code 440 Cuda.
Built for C/SA back in 1982 or so.
History on car, if you want it.
I actually raced it twice at Dover at the end of 75'.
Unfortunately, as nice as that car was, my fathers heart wasn't really into
drag racing anymore. He let his partner Jerry D race it. My father
didn't like the haul up to Lebanon Valley, where they raced it a few times.
His heart was in hitting 7-irons 150 yards at James Baird Golf Course.
I owe you a dozen Canoli's. The good stuff from Arthur Avenue, not the
fake stuff from the Make-believe bakery's.

M68.. (Thanks for that post, brings back memories of when I drove that
440-Cuda (green originally) on the street. Nothing, and I mean nothing could touch that car. I have photo's of it, which I will post or can send you.

Paul (I'm Very Happy Today)

[mopar68]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

MOPAR68,
You are my HERO.
How did you come up with that photo.
My POP'S car. (Really mine first). An original 69 M-Code 440 Cuda.
Built for C/SA back in 1982 or so.
History on car, if you want it.
I actually raced it twice at Dover at the end of 75'.
Unfortunately, as nice as that car was, my fathers heart wasn't really into
drag racing anymore. He let his partner Jerry D race it. My father
didn't like the haul up to Lebanon Valley, where they raced it a few times.
His heart was in hitting 7-irons 150 yards at James Baird Golf Course.
I owe you a dozen Canoli's. The good stuff from Arthur Avenue, not the
fake stuff from the Make-believe bakery's.

M68.. (Thanks for that post, brings back memories of when I drove that
440-Cuda (green originally) on the street. Nothing, and I mean nothing could touch that car.
I have photo's of it, which I will post or can send you.

Paul (I'm Very Happy Today)

Paul, you're too kind. These photos were taken by yours truly in the summer of 1988 or 1989 at Raceway Park. Your name "rung a bell" and I went digging through my collection of photos and my hunch was correct. I did not know the car was an original M-code 440 A-body back then though I knew the car had a big-block Mopar wedge in it. What caught my attention was the color of the car and 1970s-type paint scheme. The only other A-body I recall seeing in Stock Eliminator back in the 1980s was Ernest Topping's convertible 1968('69) Dodge Dart which I believe was an original M-code machine.

"I owe you a dozen Canoli's."

You know, it's been about six years since I've had some of those treats! In fact, it was the first ever time I sampled them. Canoli's with a cup or two of expresso. Momma mia!

"I have photo's of it, which I will post or can send you."

Yes, I'd like to see them. I don't have a scanner but first chance I get access to one I will scan those pix above and make sure you get full-size quality photos for your album.

Best regards,

M68

[mopar68]

"Another Street racing car that comes to mind is Richie Sansonia's Barracuda - I don't know if this was an original car but it was a Hemi powered street racer - could this have been the Baptiste car? "

There's a picture of "Richie Six Pack's" 'Cuda in one issue of High Performance Cars or Hot Cars, etc. from the early-mid 1970s. The photo in the article showed the front end of the car with its hood off. Without spending hours trying to find it in my collection, what I recall it had a modified look to it. If memory serves me correct since it's been more than a few years since I read that particular issue, it was a 1969 'Cuda--at least its front end was.

George's car, from what I was told, was a very low mileage (i.e. not trashed) pristine original--Richie's was not. It's a real shame he decided to turn it into a race car when a "plain Jane" Slant Six, 318 or even 340 'Cuda would've sufficed.

Oh well...

M68

[jimi]

Originally Posted by mopar68

Lou Centolanza ran his 'Cuda sometime in the mid-1970s up to at least 1977.



(No, it's not the Baptiste car.)

M68

ok a little lou centolanza up to date history, he was just at my shop today dropping off his 1969 plymouth barracuda g/s car it is a 383 4bbl 4spd,it is his first race car since the black hemi in the late 1970's,we have been building for the last year, i am going to finish up the front end alignment and the rear suspension settings this week and hopefully he can ge to the track within the next two weeks , i will take some pics and post them this week, the black hemi car is still an active ss/ah car , if i am correct jimmy keys has it now,i will check with lou and post that too.

[68hemiss]

The Centolanza Barracuda was originally purchased by a guy in ND sold to someone in NC or SC and unded up in the NE when the Centolanza's bought it. They said when they got it it had a beautiful black paint job and they went and painted it white!
The Street racing 68 cars have been some of the hardest to track. Paul, I belive you mentioned to me some time ago that The Pomona Speed Dart was purchased from some street racers in NJ? I have also heard of a Barracuda (could be the Baptiste car or another that I know of) that was black and had some purple on it called the "Grape Ape". The car was supposedly run out of Carmen Rotunda's shop (not by Carmen). Anyone know anything about this car? This would have been in the early 70's.
Another Street racing car that comes to mind is Richie Sansonia's Barracuda - I don't know if this was an original car but it was a Hemi powered street racer - could this have been the Baptiste car? Bill - Richie was pretty well known and worked at Rockville Center Dodge. I checked with Al Kirchenbaum but he said it was not an original car???? Anyone know anything about this car?

Mark J

[jack arnew]

Originally Posted by jimi

ok a little lou centolanza up to date history, he was just at my shop today dropping off his 1969 plymouth barracuda g/s car it is a 383 4bbl 4spd,it is his first race car since the black hemi in the late 1970's,we have been building for the last year, i am going to finish up the front end alignment and the rear suspension settings this week and hopefully he can ge to the track within the next two weeks , i will take some pics and post them this week, the black hemi car is still an active ss/ah car , if i am correct jimmy keys has it now,i will check with lou and post that too.

If my memory still serves me I beleave the black cuda that Lou Centolanza purchased was from Baltimore. If it is I did the suspenion work for the owner at that time. Don,t rember his name, but the car was brought to my shop by Vernon Rowley. He ran a SS/B 64 Plymouth at the time,which was an orignal factory produced car.I could be wrong but I remember that great black paint.