life after Super Stock for the Hemi A-bodies?

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by stefan callender

John Friel plans on a comeback one day, thats an original. Isnt Dailys car an original??

Stephan, I sure am waiting for John to bring that Dart back out to the circuit, but in the mean time I'll enjoy the video I have of his car in action back in the 90's when he parlayed a nearly 100+ ft long wheelstand into a 9.14 (which back in the early to mid-90's was about as good as it got), at 144mph. I believe at Rockingham was the track he ran that on, and he was in a time trial along-side of Bob Reed. Unfortunately, Bob's Cuda had some problems at the launch, and so he didn't move from the line. However, that mis-fortune allowed John's car to be seen in it's grand splendor the whole way down the track, and whoever taped the run must've liked John's car too, because it was the only run during that session that was taped from just after the burnout, to his crossing the finish line!!!

[Paul Ceasrine]

Hemicop,
Your right on. The cars were nowhere as re-fined as the 1964 or 1965 cars. The earlier cars were done at the Mopar facility. The 68' cars
were farmed out. Even the Hurst facility had part-time employee's working on these cars. Scary thought.
I think the factory cost for the cars was somewhere around $3300.
Engines with heavy 12.5-1 factory pistons, and stock Steet-Hemi
solid lifter camshafts.
Despite all the writing about these cars, they did not run 10.50's right out of the box. As usual, more misinformation.
pc

[MattConte]

Hey Dave! How is it going Bud?
Nice to see you here. This is the place for Super Stock and other drag racing info.
Matt

[davezinn]

does anyone have pictures of these cars from the 70's-80's they would be willing to share? i'm also interested in what were common modifications of those era's applied to these cars, suspension modifications, engine parts, etc. one thing i'm pretty curious about is how the cars were modified to fit the bigger slicks and still retain the leaf springs. i know that the springs were relocated but where the frame rails moved in too or were they replaced?

i noticed too that the team of DeFrank & Cohen have had at least two Hemi A-bodies, maybe more?


Dave

[Paul Ceasrine]

Dave,
The 10.5" slicks fit within the wheel-well of the Cuda.
The Dart required rear fender-well opening modification.
The frame-rails were not modified on the factory cars.
The cars were basic 68' 383 cars. Came through with
welded-in 'torque-boxes'.
pc

[Charlie A]

Originally Posted by davezinn

does anyone have pictures of these cars from the 70's-80's they would be willing to share?


Dave

Best I know of is right here: http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=13002

[treessavoy]

I read an article back in the day about how primative the 68 A bodies were.

Fiberglass didn't fit; most that weren't picked up at the factory showed up with broken glass; one was delivered with 7 12:50 pistons and one 11:50 piston and some racers had to wait for the manifold to be shipped to them.

There was a story about a guy at Hurst whose job was to take a sledge hammer and pound out the inner fender so the valve cover would clear.

Chrysler said the they new the cars would be completely rebuilt by the racers so they sent them out to the racers in basically unfinished condition.

On the other hand the 62 through 65 cars were well thought out and well executed and did run well right out of the box.

JimR

[Paul Ceasrine]

I remember reading, that Chrysler Performance forbid any
racer with a 68' Hemi Barracuda or 68' Hemi Dart from running anything
other than Super/Stock in 1968.

In no uncertain terms, they were told to stay away from A/MP,,,,,,,,,,,
as that record was being 'reserved' for the 'special factory-backed
teams', when they felt the time was right to 'crush' the record.

If anyone raced in A/MP in 1968 with any A-Body Hemi car, they would be outted from getting any factory help,,,,,,,,let alone replacement parts.

More or less,,,,,,,,,,,stay in line with the Chrysler Racing Program,,,,,,
or else....