64 Plymouth GT/EA in Ennis

[John Lang]

X-TECH-MAN,,,,,, All I can tell you is the way these cars came from the dealer, which is the way I stated, Period. No arguing meant or intended ,just as I saw then ! I went with both Gentlemen to pick up these cars, the Belv steel car, he drove home , and I followed ! The Alum car he borowed a single axle trailer to get it home ! The steel car price was around $3645.00 ,don't remember what the Alum car cost ! The gentelman that purchased the steel Belv, passed away about 5years ago, and his grandson got the car. The Alum car got sold in around 70 or 71, don't know where it went ! When my friend passed and gave the car to the grandson, it was like it came off the truck, except for the wheels ! He kept the steel wheels !. Now much Later,,,,,,,,, John

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by troublemaker427

All four of the '64 AFX cars "2%" cars started as max wedge cars. In early photos they even had the double hump hood scoops. All of the available 426 Hemis were in Daytona going in circles....

I have a picture of Bud Faubles "HONKER" after it set the NHRA record at Cecile County in early 1964. It is a 440 bench seat 2 door hardtop with the alum front end (X Max Wedge car). It still has the Max Wedge hood scoop but the grill was changed to the single head light grill with the 426 Hemi under the hood. Never assembly line produced but pass NHRA tear down anyway so anything was possable.

[BIGDAD]

WOW !!!

Looks like a swatted a hornets nest ?

I am not the sharpest pencil in the box but, two things I "think" I seen ..

The hood to me appeared to be glass and the heads appeared t o be alum (seen what looked like alum poking thru the paint ..but, I'm not positive so do say I said for sure on either of those..

Here it is

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by John Lang

X-TECH-MAN,,,,,, All I can tell you is the way these cars came from the dealer, which is the way I stated, Period. No arguing meant or intended ,just as I saw then ! I went with both Gentlemen to pick up these cars, the Belv steel car, he drove home , and I followed ! The Alum car he borowed a single axle trailer to get it home ! The steel car price was around $3645.00 ,don't remember what the Alum car cost ! The gentelman that purchased the steel Belv, passed away about 5years ago, and his grandson got the car. The Alum car got sold in around 70 or 71, don't know where it went ! When my friend passed and gave the car to the grandson, it was like it came off the truck, except for the wheels ! He kept the steel wheels !. Now much Later,,,,,,,,, John

I dont doubt you one bit. "Smoker Smiths" Plymouth and the "Color me Gone" Dodge both had 4 threaded hold downs to keep the hood in place. I didnt go with Smoker to pick up his car but I saw it the very next day in his garage. It was delivered to Richard & Davis Plymouth dealership in Washington D.C. I was in "AWE" at the Hemi engine.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by BIGDAD

WOW !!!

Looks like a swatted a hornets nest ?

I am not the sharpest pencil in the box but, two things I "think" I seen ..

The hood to me appeared to be glass and the heads appeared t o be alum (seen what looked like alum poking thru the paint ..but, I'm not positive so do say I said for sure on either of those..

Here it is

Fiber Glass was never accepted as a legal replacement for the Alum front end components in NHRA. IHRA does allow it due to cost and avaliablity. That is a " 2 door hard top" so the hood would HAVE to be hinged and was most likley a Max Wedge car when new unless its a put together car "born: with a different engine.

[BIGDAD]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Fiber Glass was never accepted as a legal replacement for the Alum front end components in NHRA. IHRA does allow it due to cost and avaliablity. That is a " 2 door hard top" so the hood would HAVE to be hinged and was most likley a Max Wedge car when new unless its a put together car "born: with a different engine.

Hood was not hinged, it lifted off .. That I'm 100% positive about
There was no departure line tween scoop and hood

"one piece" ..I did not place my hands on it but, my old eyes told me
Thats glass

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by BIGDAD

Hood was not hinged, it lifted off .. That I'm 100% positive about
There was no departure line tween scoop and hood

"one piece" ..I did not place my hands on it but, my old eyes told me
Thats glass

I might step on some toes here but it could be the "East Coast" and "West Coast" rule book deal.....LOL. If its a clone (or real) of a steel Hemi car then the front fenders and hood must be STEEL and have a hinged hood with an alum. scoop. If its a MAX Wedge body (clone or real) it should have a hinged alum hood, scoop and fenders. Max Wedge STEEL cars never had a hood scoop. The only lift off hoods in 1964 were the 330 2 door sedans and 2 door sedan Savoys but Im not saying all of the 2 door Hemi sedans had lift off hoods. As John Lang said some most likly came (Late Build date) with hinged hoods. One more car......several years ago Dave Wren and Mopar somehow got a 2 door hardtop Belvedere with an Alum front end legal and in the class guide using a race Hemi to drop into a lower class and it was runner up at Indy a long time ago. If this is the combo in question then the hood should still be hinged. Mother MOPAR made some wierd stuff when it suited them or NHRA rules dictated it. Maybe Carrol Shelby wrote a letter.....LOL. and the games continue.

[Bob Pagano]

Its Alum. no way Wesley would let that fly with fiberglass in Div 4 . A good body man can close the gap along the sides, you cant trust the old rivets, thats why there are more hoods without scoops.

[BIGDAD]

I didn't want to get to nosey , I know how some people are offended by that around these cars .

And I have a 64 and have been around these cars my entire life , I know what I seen .

I've owned alum body panels in my life , if that was an alum hood and scoop , I'd be suprised but , again I did not touch the car or the parts

So, its possible I suppose ..

[Mopar Steve]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

I might step on some toes here but it could be the "East Coast" and "West Coast" rule book deal.....LOL. If its a clone (or real) of a steel Hemi car then the front fenders and hood must be STEEL and have a hinged hood with an alum. scoop. If its a MAX Wedge body (clone or real) it should have a hinged alum hood, scoop and fenders. Max Wedge STEEL cars never had a hood scoop. The only lift off hoods in 1964 were the 330 2 door sedans and 2 door sedan Savoys but Im not saying all of the 2 door Hemi sedans had lift off hoods. As John Lang said some most likly came (Late Build date) with hinged hoods. One more car......several years ago Dave Wren and Mopar somehow got a 2 door hardtop Belvedere with an Alum front end legal and in the class guide using a race Hemi to drop into a lower class and it was runner up at Indy a long time ago. If this is the combo in question then the hood should still be hinged. Mother MOPAR made some wierd stuff when it suited them or NHRA rules dictated it. Maybe Carrol Shelby wrote a letter.....LOL. and the games continue.

Dave Wren's car was a steel nose Hardtop built for SS/DA in 1969. I spoke with Dave Koffel (who built the car for Wren) in detail about this car. Wren broke in the finals and Ron Mancini was given the Runner Up finish at the Nationals that year with his SS/DA steel nose Hemi '64 Dodge.

For what it's worth, I own the Mancini Dodge. I have researched the 4 steel nose Hemi's that were built for SS/CA and SS/DA in 1969 and can confirm the above as fact.