Connecting Highway

[FINESPLINE]

I don't know if the car was originally delivered to long island but george baptiste bought his 68 cuda in the jamaica,queens area.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by FINESPLINE

I don't know if the car was originally delivered to long island but george baptiste bought his 68 cuda in the jamaica,queens area.

George told me a funny story about how he had to hide the fact from his wife that it was a race car.He had it in a garage near where he lived in Jamaica (Queens) and told her it was a regular street driven car.Still has the car.Both he and it are in retirement.

[Paul Ceasrine]

68' Hemi Cuda's,
No one seems to know for sure if a true original Factory 68' Hemi Cuda
was delivered to any dealer and/or racer in Long Island or Southern New York in the spring of 68'.
Some mention of Brodlieb Motors in Woodmere, L.I. of getting one, and Idlewild Motors in Springfield Gardens, also getting one. No one has any photos of these cars.
The damn Chrysler Regional Reps kept poor records. If you were close friends with a Regional Rep, you could fork over some _ _ _ _ , and
get a 68' Hemi A-Body/A-Bomb for $4200. Racers price, but you had to go out to Ferndale, Michigan to pick up the car.
paul

[FINESPLINE]

And just like the dp cars thathave an engine but have no drivetrain, even though the 68 cars were complete ,you dare not try to race it until you went over" everything. "

[Paul Precht]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

George told me a funny story about how he had to hide the fact from his wife that it was a race car.He had it in a garage near where he lived in Jamaica (Queens) and told her it was a regular street driven car.Still has the car.Both he and it are in retirement.

Hi Ed, were you there at the E town Nats that misty Friday night when George almost hit the wall. Knowing how unmolested that one owner car is could anybody guess what it's worth, Paul.

[Paul Ceasrine]

FINESPLINE,
Absolutely correct. They were not 10.60 machines 'right out of the box'
like some people think.
Engines came through with Heavy-slug 12.5-1 pistons, and the stock Hemi .475 solid lifter camshaft. If you raced the car in 68' the way it came out the factory, probably 11.60's.
Heard some of the cars left Hurst with blown engines too!.
Paul

[hemicop]

There was another Hemi Dart in the NYC area. Aording the "Barracuda/Dart authentication Guide" one was sold to "Manhattan Speed Shop". I don't remember such a place but in the mid-90s I built a clone car, sold it & according to the buyer Buddy Martin, Don Garlits & someone else thought it was that car. Trust me, it wasn't. The point is there were/are more mysteries floating around about these cars & the fact NYC streetracers used them fogs the stories even more & only increases their mystique and what went on back then.

[cammer427]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

The 'Brooklyn Heavy' 68' Dart sure looks right. But if I recall, a Tunnel-Ram was added. The rear wheels are properly set, indicating that it had a proper Dana rear (for the A-Body).

So it's quite possible it was a true BO29, but no-one's sure if it was the Mutt bros ex-car?

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by hemicop

There was another Hemi Dart in the NYC area. Aording the "Barracuda/Dart authentication Guide" one was sold to "Manhattan Speed Shop". I don't remember such a place but in the mid-90s I built a clone car, sold it & according to the buyer Buddy Martin, Don Garlits & someone else thought it was that car. Trust me, it wasn't. The point is there were/are more mysteries floating around about these cars & the fact NYC streetracers used them fogs the stories even more & only increases their mystique and what went on back then.

Manhattan Speed Shop was for real.The owner was Joey Doto (sp?) and his father
owned it.They had two stores.The one on W. Bway was mostly speed stuff and the one on lower 3rd Ave. was retail and dealer/repair shop supply.They did machine work too.A lot of cars racing on Long Island came out of there.The W.Bway store closed many moons ago.

[Paul Ceasrine]

cammer427,
From your Hemi Helper friend, Paul\
68' Hemi Dart; Code; LO23
68' Hemi Cuda; Code BO29
Good questions, and great thread going on here. The 'Brookyln Heavy'
Dart sure looks like the Mutt Brothers car. In 1971, lots of Hemi guys were going to the Tunnel-Ram and the monster Holley's, and abandoning the cross-ram with the 770 Holleys. Better atomization. So it is possible that the 'Heavy' car is one-and-the-same.

On Manhattan Speed Shop. Yes it did exist and they did sponsor a
72' D/G Vega (owned by R & R Construction) around 74'/75'.
The other location; Manhattan Speed & Power Equipment was located on 232 West Broadway.
As for other sponsors, Manhattan Speed Shop sponsored a Hemi Dart,
in 69' ?. I have a photo of their Dart versus Charlie Castaldo's SS/BA
car (his second Dart).

Amazingly, the only original Hemi Cuda that ended up in New York
(original factory order) was Ed Miller (SS/B) out of East Syracuse.
Paul,,,more to share