Mopar Blasts From The Past

[Bill Rolik]

Bill,

There were no Valiant post sedans in 70, because that was the first year that the Duster was introduced. With no side marker lamps, the Seligmann/Kenney car is a 67 Valiant 100 with most likely the 273/235. There was no 318 available in an A-Body car in 67, but it was in 68-69 only.

Bill Rolik

[bill dedman]

Bill,

You are, of course, 1000-percent keyrect on all counts!

I had completely forgotten that the "Commando" 273 was available in the 3rd-generation Valiants.

NHRA has recently de-factored that engine from its OEM rating of 235 down to 210, and it looks like some of them might be viable contenders in K/SA once again. Bill Bushmaker's daughter is running one in Div. VI and has run nearly a second under with a minimum of testing. 12.0s's at two different tracks for her '65 Valiant 2-door post. It's a natural J/SA car ballasted to K/SA.

Thanks a LOT for the quick and accurate reply!

Bill

[Bill Rolik]

Yes, I have noticed the performance of the Bushmaker car. Very strong considering that you can probably get more air through a Burger King straw than you can through the ports and valves of 273 heads.

And if you have ever seen original super-skinny 273 rods, you would never think they would last in ANY race motor. I am not sure if anyone is gambling by running these pieces in a 318 or 340 currently, but they sure are light!


Bill Rolik

[bill dedman]

Bill,
Don't bet too heavily on that... LOL!

As you're probably aware, the head with the casting number ending in "302" (actually,4323302) is now legal on a 273. I think that was a 318 head introduced around 1986, with the same size valves, but supposedly better-flowing ports and a high-swirl combustion chamber... allegedly worth something.

Still, 12-flat is moving for a 273/automatic car in (K/SA) at 2,900 pounds. I THINK Larry Hollums does that motor, so, that explains a lot.. LOL! Anybody remember the SS/IA car of Winter/Esslinger (another Hollums effort)???
'nuf sed.

Bill

[jim powers]

thanks for some great memories, do you still have the super stock duster???was a bad *** car,i knew you when you ran the duster and worked at the truck leasing company in elizabeth,i was your ups driver back then and ran a 72 duster at thetime myself

[Bill Rolik]

Jim,

After 26 years of ownership, the Duster was sold in 97 (home purchase), and my GT/GA Shadow is now campaigned by Ken Etter in CA.

The plan is to revive the 71 340 Cuda owned by Bill Meerholz for SS/KA, especially since the HP factor has been dropped to 283. It will also be used as a marketing tool for the musclecar parts businesses we are both in with separate product lines. The second engine option is to install a low compression 340 for GT/JA. The car needs numerous upgrades (wheelie bars, complete fuel system, electronics, yada, yada, yada), but the biggest single issue is the heads and valve gear. The car last ran (with Dave Weber power, quite well I might add) BEFORE porting was permitted. Some contacts have been made, and sponsor proposals are being drawn up now, but this is no slam dunk. Life has ""gotten in the way" (as it does for everyone in a costly sport like this) for many years, so some outside assistance will more than likely be needed to bring everything to fruition. There is no specific timetable, but we are going to push to make it happen.

Bill Rolik

[Bill Rolik]

Here is the deal on that track, with a bit of history first:

In late 1976, I was sent, along with local welding guru extraordinaire Bill Hayes, to Don Carlton's shop in Lenoir, NC. Prior arrangements had been made with Mike Koran and Ted Spehar at SVI in Michigan to procure a body-in-white Dodge Aspen for local SS/AA racer Ed Lukas, who wanted to go Pro Stock racing with Tim Richards power, and since Richards was the go-to guy for SS Hemi's at the time, it was a natural progression. Carlton, who did not normally do customer work, was fascinated by the project, and agreed to build the car!

We brought the body-in-white to Carlton's shop in the fall of 76, and were told to expect a rolling car for Ed by years end. Work commenced, but then, Carlton called to say that he and Clyde Hodges needed to completely modify their B/A Colt (including a wheelbase stretch) for the upcoming 77 Winternationals, and would not be able to deliver the rolling Aspen by the original deadline. So Lukas, who wanted to get moving on the Aspen on HIS end, said to Carlton "How about we send Hayes and Rolik to work on the Aspen, while you guys continue with the Colt?" Carlton said "Great, let's do it!"

Hayes and I flew down and spent almost two weeks on welding and fabrication. During our stay there, Carlton said "I am going to show you something that will scare the hell out of you". So we jump in his big-*** 73 Fury, with his 3-legged dog in tow, and drive over to Hudson Dragway in Hudson, NC, not too far from Lenoir.

The photo you show from my website (I have many photos from this trip) shows yours truly sitting on a cinder block on the starting line. Notice the "tree" swinging from a horizontal cable across the track!

The track (1.00 admission) was an outlaw facility that saw countless match races with all of the familiar names, and obviously, if you get out of shape here, you have a real problem.

Now here is the "fun" part per Carlton: Notice that the shutdown area basically goes straight up. If that did not stop you, you would hit the trees at the top. If you somehow made it through the trees, you went over the cliff.

The "long and winding return road" was through the trees to the left. How about that at night?

You can't make this up.

Pictured are the Aspen under construction after the body was mounted, and the bare body-in-white sitting in front of the shop and Carlton's "wire" car. At the top of the driveway to the right was a building where Don, Clyde and Don's father did their own fiberglass moulding!

They even took us to a "fish camp", which two knuckleheads from Jersey had never heard of before (fuhgeddaboudit). Now whenever I go south, I make a point to eat "hush puppies".

Bill Rolik

[Peter426]

Originally Posted by Bill Rolik

Gentlemen,

I reached into my photo archives to extract some photos I shot beginning in 1966 through approximately 1976, primarily at E-Town, Island and Indy, to create a special page called "Vintage Mopar Drag Racing". There is some pretty cool stuff here that I would like to share, and hopefully all you fellow AARP card holders will remember and enjoy!

Thanks, and enjoy the photos, the tunes, and the balance of the site!

Bill Rolik

SS1514

Bill,

Thanks for uploading those pix! To me that was drag racing's best era. I remember watching your yellow and orange SS/IA Plymouth Duster run many times at Raceway Park. That car was my favorite.

Regards,

Pete

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Bill Rolik

Here is the deal on that track, with a bit of history first:

In late 1976, I was sent, along with local welding guru extraordinaire Bill Hayes, to Don Carlton's shop in Lenoir, NC. Prior arrangements had been made with Mike Koran and Ted Spehar at SVI in Michigan to procure a body-in-white Dodge Aspen for local SS/AA racer Ed Lukas, who wanted to go Pro Stock racing with Tim Richards power, and since Richards was the go-to guy for SS Hemi's at the time, it was a natural progression. Carlton, who did not normally do customer work, was fascinated by the project, and agreed to build the car!

We brought the body-in-white to Carlton's shop in the fall of 76, and were told to expect a rolling car for Ed by years end. Work commenced, but then, Carlton called to say that he and Clyde Hodges needed to completely modify their B/A Colt (including a wheelbase stretch) for the upcoming 77 Winternationals, and would not be able to deliver the rolling Aspen by the original deadline. So Lukas, who wanted to get moving on the Aspen on HIS end, said to Carlton "How about we send Hayes and Rolik to work on the Aspen, while you guys continue with the Colt?" Carlton said "Great, let's do it!"
.
Hayes and I flew down and spent almost two weeks on welding and fabrication. During our stay there, Carlton said "I am going to show you something that will scare the hell out of you". So we jump in his big-*** 73 Fury, with his 3-legged dog in tow, and drive over to Hudson Dragway in Hudson, NC, not too far from Lenoir.

The photo you show from my website (I have many photos from this trip) shows yours truly sitting on a cinder block on the starting line. Notice the "tree" swinging from a horizontal cable across the track!

The track (1.00 admission) was an outlaw facility that saw countless match races with all of the familiar names, and obviously, if you get out of shape here, you have a real problem.

Now here is the "fun" part per Carlton: Notice that the shutdown area basically goes straight up. If that did not stop you, you would hit the trees at the top. If you somehow made it through the trees, you went over the cliff.

The "long and winding return road" was through the trees to the left. How about that at night?

You can't make this up.

Pictured are the Aspen under construction after the body was mounted, and the bare body-in-white sitting in front of the shop and Carlton's "wire" car. At the top of the driveway to the right was a building where Don, Clyde and Don's father did their own fiberglass moulding!

They even took us to a "fish camp", which two knuckleheads from Jersey had never heard of before (fuhgeddaboudit). Now whenever I go south, I make a point to eat "hush puppies".

Bill Rolik

Hi Bill while at Gainesville I was talking to Jack McCormack and "wild" Bill Hancock stopped by. He was looking good, a lot grayer, a little heavier. But the same person. He is currently living in Fla. He, Shep, and Hoover taught us everything we needed to know back then

[Bill Rolik]

Yes, Art, and I especially enjoyed the Performance Seminars that Chrysler (with Shepard as MC) would offer. They were usually held in the Philly area. At that time, it was like having an audience with the Pope. Sadly, I never was able to kiss his ring, but we all got tons of info and had great Q & A sessions.

Bill Rolik

SS 1514