1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi - Page 2

lstanford · 06-16-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Car prices back then,

Bud Faubel sold his car at the end of the 1964 drag race season for
$3500.

With a guarantee that it could run right on the S/SA record of 11.47

It could have been $350,000, it didn't matter I didn't have the money. lol. I think you should be born with money and go out broke.

X-TECH MAN · 06-16-2011, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fecarman

it could have been $350,000, it didn't matter i didn't have the money. Lol. I think you should be born with money and go out broke.

X's 2......lol.

Mike Bassin · 06-16-2011, 07:59 PM

The first hemi car to hit the track at 75-80 in Maryland was owned and driven by Fred Leigh of Rockville, Md. I was the announcer at that time on Wed. nite test & tune sessions and we knew Fred had a new brown 64 Ply hemi automatic car on order. The date was about mid May 1964. Here comes Fred towing the new hemi car in, there were probably 50 cars and maybe 150 people total at the track, everything stopped to watch the new hemi make some runs. Fred drove it easy down the track and came back up to make the first run. I can remember this like it was yesterday. The car left fairly soft but by the time he went by the tower [ its about 150 ft. down track] I knew it was faster than all the stuff from '63. First run, 12.00 @ 120mph! Think of that, 48 years ago, just like it left the factory, no tuning, 120 mph. The sound of that car and all the hemi cars since will always take me back to that night. By the end of the evening, Fred ran in the 11.70s at 122 mph. Several weeks later, better headers and tuning the car would run mid elevens at 124.
Those were the days. Just got done announcing at Cecil County last Sat, John Pressley's nostalgia event, hemi cars were there, what a show!

Barnstorm · 06-16-2011, 08:56 PM

yeah...the sound of a race Hemi thru the factory headders is truly unique

jackarnew · 06-16-2011, 09:20 PM

MIKE
I drove FRED's pro/ stock a few times for him, I think the 64 car was lettered MISTER BUTTONS> Is that correct?

Jack Arnew

borninamopar · 06-16-2011, 09:22 PM

And there are some racers running in the low nines now with a few of the original cars: Still doing the same thing, with the same car; Only faster. Love them big old ugly Dodges. World needs more of them running down the track.

X-TECH MAN · 06-16-2011, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackarnew

MIKE
I drove FRED's pro/ stock a few times for him, I think the 64 car was lettered MISTER BUTTONS> Is that correct?

Jack Arnew

Yepper !

Mike Bassin · 06-17-2011, 07:39 AM

Jack,

That is correct, the first brown car was the '63 max wedge Plymouth which was also was brown, he called that one Mr. Buttons also. That car was fast and was regular week in and week out at 75-80. By the way, one of his tough competitors was Dave Reitz of the Bob Banning & Sons Dodge / Plymouth dealer Bounty Hunters team, Tom Sneedon was Dave's team mate. Dave Reitz was driving this past Sat. at the Cecil County Nostagia event. Dave rolled up in his re-creation '64 Dodge post car "Hounty Hunter" entry on his first time run. I introduced him and gave the fans some background on his driving accomplishments, he lays down a 10.98 & 121 mph with a .003 light! Dave is on the north side of 70 yrs old. Not bad!

jackarnew · 06-17-2011, 10:57 AM

Mike

I talked to Dave a few weeks ago as he lives next to a freind of mine .
He cook me into his garage and showed the Dodge to me. He said that Bob Jr. still drives the car some times.

Old drag racers never fade away they just restore and run again.!!!

jackarnew · 06-17-2011, 11:16 AM

Mike, were you at 75/80 on the .Friday night that Vernon Rawley came in direct from Grand Spalding Dodge with his 64 Hemi Dodge ?
He made a few runs and Ronnie Sox made two passes in it. Ronnie had a match race the next night at Cicle County, and did not unload his Comet.
On Ronnie's second pass in the car he lost the drive shaft on the line

Hemi's had a sound all their own, and the sound was POWER

06-16-2011, 07:59 PM	#13
Mike Bassin Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: East Berlin PA Posts: 133 Likes: 0 Liked 117 Times in 18 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi The first hemi car to hit the track at 75-80 in Maryland was owned and driven by Fred Leigh of Rockville, Md. I was the announcer at that time on Wed. nite test & tune sessions and we knew Fred had a new brown 64 Ply hemi automatic car on order. The date was about mid May 1964. Here comes Fred towing the new hemi car in, there were probably 50 cars and maybe 150 people total at the track, everything stopped to watch the new hemi make some runs. Fred drove it easy down the track and came back up to make the first run. I can remember this like it was yesterday. The car left fairly soft but by the time he went by the tower [ its about 150 ft. down track] I knew it was faster than all the stuff from '63. First run, 12.00 @ 120mph! Think of that, 48 years ago, just like it left the factory, no tuning, 120 mph. The sound of that car and all the hemi cars since will always take me back to that night. By the end of the evening, Fred ran in the 11.70s at 122 mph. Several weeks later, better headers and tuning the car would run mid elevens at 124. Those were the days. Just got done announcing at Cecil County last Sat, John Pressley's nostalgia event, hemi cars were there, what a show!

06-16-2011, 08:56 PM	#14
Barnstorm Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 186 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi yeah...the sound of a race Hemi thru the factory headders is truly unique

06-16-2011, 09:20 PM	#15
jackarnew Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bel Air Md. Posts: 130 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi MIKE I drove FRED's pro/ stock a few times for him, I think the 64 car was lettered MISTER BUTTONS> Is that correct? Jack Arnew

06-16-2011, 09:22 PM	#16
borninamopar Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: SW Mississippi Posts: 146 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi And there are some racers running in the low nines now with a few of the original cars: Still doing the same thing, with the same car; Only faster. Love them big old ugly Dodges. World needs more of them running down the track.

06-17-2011, 07:39 AM	#18
Mike Bassin Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: East Berlin PA Posts: 133 Likes: 0 Liked 117 Times in 18 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi Jack, That is correct, the first brown car was the '63 max wedge Plymouth which was also was brown, he called that one Mr. Buttons also. That car was fast and was regular week in and week out at 75-80. By the way, one of his tough competitors was Dave Reitz of the Bob Banning & Sons Dodge / Plymouth dealer Bounty Hunters team, Tom Sneedon was Dave's team mate. Dave Reitz was driving this past Sat. at the Cecil County Nostagia event. Dave rolled up in his re-creation '64 Dodge post car "Hounty Hunter" entry on his first time run. I introduced him and gave the fans some background on his driving accomplishments, he lays down a 10.98 & 121 mph with a .003 light! Dave is on the north side of 70 yrs old. Not bad!

06-17-2011, 10:57 AM	#19
jackarnew Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bel Air Md. Posts: 130 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi Mike I talked to Dave a few weeks ago as he lives next to a freind of mine . He cook me into his garage and showed the Dodge to me. He said that Bob Jr. still drives the car some times. Old drag racers never fade away they just restore and run again.!!!

06-17-2011, 11:16 AM	#20
jackarnew Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bel Air Md. Posts: 130 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: 1964 S/SA National Record Setter with a Hemi Mike, were you at 75/80 on the .Friday night that Vernon Rawley came in direct from Grand Spalding Dodge with his 64 Hemi Dodge ? He made a few runs and Ronnie Sox made two passes in it. Ronnie had a match race the next night at Cicle County, and did not unload his Comet. On Ronnie's second pass in the car he lost the drive shaft on the line Hemi's had a sound all their own, and the sound was POWER