Spy shots - Don Garlits Challenger

[Bob Pagano]

DVORAK has finished that car before that and is now updating it for todays standards, I have seen pictures and it is real sharp !

[X-TECH MAN]

Bob....Did he ever sell his red 63 Max Wedge ?

[Bob Pagano]

Not that I am aware of, he said why run the wedge in AA when he could run the hemi ! The 63 is worth big money with the Alum nose.

[Jeff Lee]

1962-1964 Dodge / Plymouth Max-Wedge cars:
Factory built race cars
No warranty
Immediately in Stock Eliminator class.

Can't believe I didn't bring that up a month ago...

[Myron Piatek]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lee

1962-1964 Dodge / Plymouth Max-Wedge cars:
Factory built race cars
No warranty
Immediately in Stock Eliminator class.

Can't believe I didn't bring that up a month ago...

I'm not taking sides, just being objective. But you could drive the Max Wedge cars off of the showroom floor and on the street, legally. The '68 Hemi Cudas and Darts are the closest thing I can think of to the current Challengers. But, of course, those ended up in SS only.

I think that the push for Stock may have been influenced by the fact that they could be finished faster and at a lesser expense than SS. More exposure and sooner, especially with the Ford "threat".

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lee

1962-1964 Dodge / Plymouth Max-Wedge cars:
Factory built race cars
No warranty
Immediately in Stock Eliminator class.

Can't believe I didn't bring that up a month ago...

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.

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

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.

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.

[bill dedman]

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

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by GUMP

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.

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

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Bob....Did he ever sell his red 63 Max Wedge ?

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.