Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

[QUOTE=rx dealer:: By the way I think the Cobra Jet was a much better deal. It's a ready race car...Luke[/QUOTE]

By the times they are turning with stock lift cams, 9 inch tires and very little prep they would make great SS/D cars !!!!!! Just need a complete roll cage. Easy mid to low 9's without all the expensive head work. The larger 14 X 32 tires would help with the nose heavy problem also. What do you think ?

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Terry, those CJ cars must be turning a low 1.3 sixty footer or better with 9 in tire, Because I do it with my SS-GT car...Very impressive. Luke

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Im surprised one of them hasent jumped into S/S already. Better tires, better oiling system avaliable, better valve train components, air shifters (for the automatic trans guys). Where are the original 4 from Pomona at? What about the other 56 cars? Are the collectors (whores) just hording them away someplace in hopes they will be worth more money in 10 to 30 years?

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

A couple of the cars have already had the cages put in from what I've read.

I also saw that the consensus is that 18-20 of the CJ's may actually see the race track. The other 30 are garage ornaments or investments.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

I did some checking...in the early 60's NHRA created the "FX" classes for the limited run or "race only combinations...you didn't need to build 50 or 100 of a model to make it legal....A was 0 to 8.99 lbs./cu/in...B was 9.00 to 12.99 lbs./cu/in and C was 13.00 and lbs./cu/in.....it made it easy to govern because there was no need to have a hp factor.....Ford and Chrysler both see guys building SS/AH cars with no bottom line budget and they don't see any financial gain from it...so lets build them ourselves and make a buck selling them to these guys....the Mustang is basically complete @ $70,000 and the Challenger needs completed and is in the $30,000 to $40,000 range....I know the economy is wacked right now but there will always be someone thinking "win on Sunday sell on Monday" ain't happening with a '68 Dart or Cuda.....by taking and putting the 1968 MOPAR Package cars and putting them in their own class NHRA has actually created a new "FX" class in the modern era.....I wonder if you could get a competitive package from the other brands that could be run during National events to increase the fan appeal for the other makes....could bring back the excitement of the early 60's again

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Nothing will ever bring back the 60's and early 70's. Ya had to be there to understand how it was. NO $100,000+ stockers and S/S cars. Jrs. stock races every weekend at your local track, no reaction timers, cool muscle cars at the track every weekend, Neat factory wars, Jr. stockers everywhere, class run off's with 15-20+ cars in a class, no acid/ported heads in stock, Pro stock had real 4-speeds and were muscle car bodies and no little bitty puke compacts like vegas and pintos. Im glad I had the chance to live thru the era.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Terry also if a little guy had talent he got a pro ride, my dad is an example. Raised by a single mom with no money worked his *** off with his cars, won and dominated in everything he ever did and even ran his 68 package car in Pro Stock in 1970. You cant bring that era back because back then the guy who worked the hardest won. Those wre the good ole days.

Herb Jr

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

I agree 110%. I remember seeing your dad at US 60 in Kentucky in his 68 Dart when it was a new car (Mr. 4-SPEED). I was stationed at Ft. Knox after my south east asia "vacation" and went to the drags there and Ohio Valley every chance I could get away from that Army crap. That was in 1967 thru early 1969. Really good memories.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Double that:p Loved the racing even into the late 70's but did not realize what history I was watching/doing at the time. Mark Janaky, Dell Jones and Jim Sheilds are keeping some of this alive.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_de...09_031909_Dart

1968 superstock only 440 Dart. Street legal in 1968 I might ad. Still in the class guide as SS only.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Dan still has the car and is planning on running it as soon as he works out a gas pedal problem.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

No, he still has it but is thinking of putting it in Garlits museum .

I just traded him a '63 Dodge wagon that he is going to restore as his first max wedge race car.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

The difference is that these cars were built on the assembly line and anyone with $3,800.00 could buy one. I drove mine on the street and raced it at Atco btw: I drove it to the track until I broke a rear end.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

Lot's of new Government regulations since then. It is really not a fair to compare the "streetability" of a 1963 factory race car to a 2008 factory race car. If you really compared both, you would probably find that the late models have way better street manners. I would also say that $3,800.00 was a bunch of money for a car in 1963.

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

The online cost-of-living calculator that I use says that $3800 in 1963 was equal to $26,835.95 in 2008. No guarantee of accuracy, but it's probably pretty close.


Bill

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

I'm not sure what the definition of a "factory race car" is, these cars were just like Chevy 409's, 421 Pontiacs, and 427 Fords.....you ordered the car then chose the engine option....just like today!

Yes, they were a bear to drive in the cold, got bad gas mileage, and were hot inside but that was a Golden time when everyone wanted the baddest street car in town. Street racing was at it's pinnacle and everyone wanted to be the fastest!

Yes, it was a bunch of money but you could finance the car just like any other and it was still $ 1k less than a corvette and had almost a hundred hp more.

Tree

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

The attributes of a Max-Wdge car is not the issue. The issue is that it was a factory built, purpose built race car that was eligible for Stock Eliminator. That would be an argument FOR the CJ500 '08 Mustang in the same class.
Then I posted about the 1968 only 440 "M" code Dart. Same story, fully streetable (although less built than the MW cars) but NHRA mandated as Superstock only.
Typically, NHRA has made all the purpose built factory drag-pack style cars SS only but as you can see, there are some inconsistancies over the years.
It is what it is...

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

And a thousand or so more pounds to carry.....lol

Re: Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger
 

I would define a purpose built race car from the factory as one without warranty & / or not DOT legal for use on public roads and highways.