[mopar68]

Chuck Neely's SS/EA Hemi Daytona Charger* vs. SS/DA Hemi Challenger.



Check out Daytona and Challenger behind Dick Brannan's Maverick.



* I was at Mopars in the Park this past weekend. There was a Sox & Martin reunion event among other things. Buddy Martin was there, he seems pretty well with it, and I spoke with him.

Buddy said that S & M only had 1 Superbird. They got it on the dollar type deal and sold it for whatever they could when they were done with it. Buddy said they did not have anything to do with building the 5 & 50 Superbird. I was curious about this because in the late '70's I went to Ken Jennings shop in Aberdeen Maryland. Ken Jennings told me at the time that the Superbird he had (5 & 50 car) was built down south. Ken also told me in the late '70's that he had been told that Chrysler had 2 drag race Superbirds built down south in 1970.

I also spoke with Dave Christie on Saturday. He also said that Sox & Martin did not build the 5 & 50 Superbird, and he had no idea who built it. Dave Christie said the S & M Superbird was very hard on drivetrain parts. Dave named about 6 races that he said their Superbird was at. Dave said the car ran SS/EA with a street hemi and C/MP with a race hemi (12 1/2-1 pistons). Dave said the car did not break in competition but when it got back to the shop you could break the gears off the ring and pinion with a small hammer blow. Buddy said that he had heard the Superbird had been converted to a regular Roadrunner after they sold it and that he had no idea where it was. Buddy also said that Bill Neeley and publicity people wrote the Sox & Martin Book of Drag Racing. Buddy said he did not write it. Dave said Bill and Chuck Neeley were not related.

Buddy said that Chrysler would have paid them if they raced their Superbird at Bonneville (note here there was an interview in 1970 where Buddy or Ronnie, I'd have to look up who, mentioned bringing the car to Bonneville) but they just didn't have time

Both Dave and Buddy said they did work on Chuck Neeley's Daytona, chasis and engine. Dave said there were 2 buildings at the S & M facility. 1 was for customers engines. Dave and another guy ( didn't get his name) who worked at the S & M shop both said customers engines were assembled there. But that Jake had his own shop in the main building. There was a panel presentation where Jake's engine building was discussed. Buddy said cars did not sit outside at their shop. Both Buddy and Dave said Chuck Neeley's Daytona was a customer car.

There was a whole row of original S & M cars at the show. I felt under the rear quarter panels at the tire openings. (I know don't touch!) The S & M cars seemed to have a distinct and particular way of folding the metal lip over (one of the 1967 cars did not have the quarters rolled under) so the slicks wouldn't be caught by the metal. One of the things I remember about the 5 & 50 Superbird was how the rear quarter opening was rolled over. It seemed to me different than the cars that I saw this weekend.

I mentioned to Dave Christie about what I have read about the 5 & 50 car having the weight moved around. Dave said they didn't do that on the Superbird, the back of the car weighed enough already. Then Dave and the other guy said that, yes they moved the wheelbase 2 " forward in back.





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