A couple of Mopar "legality" questions...??

[cudadoug]

What I know about the shaker vs. TA hood deal was that there was a shaker shortage in 71. For a certain period of time, any 71 Chally that was ordered with a shaker, (which UNLIKE 1970 was available on the 340/383/440-4bbl/440-6-bbl or Hemi) it was subbed with a TA hood. Plymouth on the other had didn't seem to suffer the same shortage...

But that was 1971. In 1970, the shaker wasn't available on anything but the 440-6bbl and Hemi cars, so where is the justification that a 70 'Cuda with a shaker-ed 340 or 383 is legal? Or a TA hood on a 70 383 Chally?? Because it was available for the MODEL and YEAR?? Regardless of the motor? So if that logic is applied accross the board, the 6-bbl glass hood should be "legal" on a 69 383 Roadrunner, as it was available for the MODEL and YEAR.

The same argument could be had for the glass hood on a 390 Fairlane I would guess...or for that matter the Dart Hemi hood should be legal on a 340 or 383 68 Dart...

[Jeff Teuton]

Tom, that might be high. Every piece is still available. As far as the 68 with the Hemi scoop, the 383 we run (and everyone else) was available with fresh air pkg in b and e bodies. So whats the problem? If we didn't have to change the fenders and hood back to metal, we would probably do away with the scoop anyway.

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by cudadoug

What I know about the shaker vs. TA hood deal was that there was a shaker shortage in 71. For a certain period of time, any 71 Chally that was ordered with a shaker, (which UNLIKE 1970 was available on the 340/383/440-4bbl/440-6-bbl or Hemi) it was subbed with a TA hood. Plymouth on the other had didn't seem to suffer the same shortage...

But that was 1971. In 1970, the shaker wasn't available on anything but the 440-6bbl and Hemi cars, so where is the justification that a 70 'Cuda with a shaker-ed 340 or 383 is legal? Or a TA hood on a 70 383 Chally?? Because it was available for the MODEL and YEAR?? Regardless of the motor? So if that logic is applied accross the board, the 6-bbl glass hood should be "legal" on a 69 383 Roadrunner, as it was available for the MODEL and YEAR.

The same argument could be had for the glass hood on a 390 Fairlane I would guess...or for that matter the Dart Hemi hood should be legal on a 340 or 383 68 Dart...

If what you say is true about shakers then explain the 1970 Cuda that I ordered and received with a 340, shaker and 4-speed. According to the dealer order form at the time the shaker was available for the 340 and up.

PS never should have gotten rid of it.

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lee

You can pick up just about any mopar book and learn which bodies and engines the shakers were available on (code N96 fresh air option). You can find why the T/A hood was not just a T/A engine option and why. If you were really lazy you could contact somebody like Galen Govier (?) and pay him for the information with a break down of production numbers by engine.

Jeff,

Sorry, but I have little faith in these 40 years after the fact revelations. Many years ago the Mustang books were full of rumored 1972 "Boss" (Low compression, High Output, 351C 4 speed cars) and the Mustang Guru at the time said they did not exist. Yet there were two of them at the high school near us in Illinois. And they were pretty quick in local competition if you understand it. Many years later they were "discovered". What I have never, ever seen is the 780 Holley and aluminum intake 351C model which we can race.

[Travis Miller]

Originally Posted by cudadoug

If a guy was goofy enough to try and run something OTHER THAN a 440-6bbl in a 69 Road Runner in Stock or SS, would the glass 6-bbl hood be legal??

I think I've seen a few 70 Cuda shaker hoods on non-Hemi or 6-bbl stockers and I KNOW I have seen a pic of a SS 70 440-bbl Cuda in Div 1 a few years ago with an AAR hood.

Another question: Rulebook says nothing about SS cars trimming of rear wheelwells (I thought is used to say 2" front and rear...or something like that).

Answers in order are:

1) No
2) Yes they are allowed
3) See page 272 paragraph 7:3 of the 2009 NHRA rulebook (fenders also mean 1/4 panel)

Travis

PS. No Terry, you do not get the L88 hood on your Corvette unless you put the correct L88 engine beneath it.

[Todd Boyer]

The '70 'Cuda Super Stocker belongs to Allan Dame of southern Maine. At an Epping NH. IHRA National event a few years back I asked him about the AAR hood and he told me that he had talked to NHRA and told them since '70 and '71 Challengers used the fiberglass T/A hood then he should be allowed to use the fiberglass AAR hood. Apparently they OKed it. I think Larry Hill uses an AAR hood on his '71 440-6 'Cuda Stocker as well.

[Dan Bennett]

I'm fairly sure that Dave Hakim got the hoods legalized. I remember chinning him at Indy a few years back about the TA hood in particular. He told me then that Mopar had filed a letter with the NHRA regarding which cars were produced with the hood.

I'm not trying to throw rocks, but I think we have a few more paper cars than we usually talk about. I should mention that my first really competitive race car was a 70 340 Duster I bought new and that I was a diehard Mopar fan back then.

I did spend a few evenings in the Fenton B Body plant on unofficial tours with friends who worked there and have to admit it seemed like the build sheet was only a suggestion at times. I also remember seeing a black 340 Duster in 70 which carried black stripes, the only color available.

I guess I'm saying that sometimes the rules got followed to extremes and sometimes they were disregarded, but I never ever saw a TA hood on any car that didn't have the entire package.

I did try to run bigger tires on the back like a TA but never found a single tech guy who would buy it.

[Philip Saran]

It is my understanding that there was a letter from Chrysler having to
do with a shortage of parts (shaker hoods/scoops) and the AAR hoods
were substatuted in place for some short time period on the assy line.

It is that letter or rule that allows said red 383 challenger to run
the AAR fiberglass hood/scoop instead of the shaker hood/scoop.

[Jeff Teuton]

The 440-6 only had the 6 pack hood, the 440-4 had two functional scoops, the e bodies came with shaker hoods 383/440. Sold a few. The trans am hood could have been because of a shortage. The shaker cars were hard to get. And the build sheets were only a suggestion, although the purist don't want to hear that. How about a 69 b body cop car, blue w/red interior. Nice.

[Terry Cain]

Originally Posted by Travis Miller

Answers in order are:

1) No
2) Yes they are allowed
3) See page 272 paragraph 7:3 of the 2009 NHRA rulebook (fenders also mean 1/4 panel)

Travis

PS. No Terry, you do not get the L88 hood on your Corvette unless you put the correct L88 engine beneath it.

Party pooper