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Where are they now?
A look at 70s funny
cars that survive today...
 
From Florida comes the "Broadway Joe" Siti "Philadelphia
Flyer" Challenger of the late 70s, now owned by Russ and
Jackie Herter. Russ, a FL transplant from NJ who assisted Larry
Fullerton on the Trojan Horse entries, reports he found the car
sitting behind a gas station not far from his FL home, covered
in "6 inches of dust" in non-Philly Flyer colors. Research
by Russ into how and when the car made it from PA to FL has proven
fruitless. Following a two year restoration the car is ready to go nostalgia racing. (Photo at left courtesy of Dave Milcarek,
right photo/info courtesy of Russ Herter)
 
Currently
owned by Mike Dolph is the ex-Color Me Gone Monza of Roger Lindamood.
Mike reports "I bought the car from Roger Lindamood in 1981,
the Rumblin'' Fever picture is the paint and name is the first change,
84-96. In late 96 we wanted to run some NHRA races but the car
was too old. My friend in Michigan repainted the car and added
some body work to make it look like a Camaro. We then found we
didn't have enough money to race so I went to help with safety
in the UDRA. We then lettered the car with UDRA, took it to the
track, set it up to take pictures of the fans setting in the car.
This was about late 97 into 98. I then started doing exhibition
runs at the track so the fans knew they were in a real car. Now
in 2002, we will go back to the original Color Me Gone paint but
we will again call it "Rumblin' Fever" and plans call
for a serious attack in the nostalgia funny car wars." (Photos
and info courtesy of Mike Dolph)
 
From
the late 70s comes the all conquering "Army" Arrow
of Don "the Snake" Prudhomme. The car is currently in
the collection of Ken McDowell, retired president of Parma International,
the slot car and radio control car people. The car was restored
by Prudhomme and sold to Ken directly 10-15 years ago. It is as
run, except since Parma took it to a few trade shows they put
a starter on it, switched to gas from nitro (due to clean up time
etc.) and never display it at public functions with the drive
shaft in, (but it is ready to go back in). At the time of this
writing (late Nov 01) this car is for sale. People can contact
Bob Lichty at 330-456-7969 and if he can't answer any questions
he will be glad to put you in touch with Ken. BTW, as a side note,
Bob is looking for a Pinto or Torino funny car body that somebody
might be willing to part with. (Photo at left courtesy of Michael
Beach, right photo courtesy of Bob Lichty)
 
Like
the ex-Blue Max Arrow pictured below, the ex-Keeling & Clayton
Firebird can be found in Finland. Don Long chassised, Neil Leffler
driven entry was built in 77, campaigned through the late 70s,
found its way overseas in 1980. According to current owner Pertti
Soronen "Car is in my garage here in Finland and this summer
is the first season for me driving the California Charger in Super
Comp class. (Photo at left by John Shanks, photo at right from Pertti Soronen)
 
From
Virginia, covering both ends of the decade of the 70s, comes Rick
"Surf" Stambaugh and the "New Generation Racing"
Corvette. Body is from the ex-Moby Dick car of Ezra Boggs campaigned
in the late 70s; the chassis is a 1971 Logghe (the first "narrow"
Logghe chassis) originally built for Phil Castronovo and his Custom
Body mini-Charger which won the 71 NHRA AA/FC championship before
the car was sold and campaigned in 72 by Abe Ayoub as the "Valley
Tremor." Car continued to be campaigned as a nitro flopper
through the late 70s by the Stambaughs as the "New Generation"
Charger before being parked, then resurrected in the 90s with
the newer Vette body and the chassis updated for nostalgia F/C
wars. A family operation, son Matt is the crew chief and his sister
also works on the car. (Pictures at left by JW Last, Maple Grove
71, Tucson 78, photo at right courtesy of Brad Wise)
 
The
car generally credited with starting the "mini-Charger"
craze is currently in the hands of former funny car chassis guru
John Logghe of Logghe Stamping fame! Pictured is the car as found.
John plans on restoring the Mr. Norm car... although the car doesn't
appear to need too much TLC to get it back into it's original
70s condition. In fact John reports "The car is exactly today
as is was 30 years ago." Plans for the car after restoration
haven't been finalized... "As to what we will do with
the car after restoration, not sure, maybe burnout's." (Photos
courtesy of John Logghe)
UPDATE
2/03, thanks to Nick DeBenedetto:
Just thought I'd offer a friendly comment about the Mr. Norm's Charger.
I'm not sure it was the first mini-Charger funny car. The mini design came
about after one of the first funny cars reflecting the second Charger
model, the Hawaiian, had a terrible accident on one of its first runs. The
body was just too wide, especially in the front. Therefore, the body was
redesigned for funny car use (and was the precursor of the current
aerodynamic FC designs). I know the Hawaiian had one of the first of these
new bodies, if not the first.
  From
Finland comes the ex-Blue Max Arrow. According to Aulis Hämeenkorpi
"My good competition friend in class super comp owns old
Blue Max funny car. First and famous driver with that car was
Raymond Beadle in USA. Blue Max Arrow ´78 has come to Finland from Norway in the end
of 80´s. When car was some years in Norway it was most of
the time like "original" (engine, trans.). We have
heard that engine, injectors and so on are somewhere in Norway?!
Today: Owner
and driver Marko Tossavainen is one of the most famous super comp
driver here in Scandinavian ( he is ´99 &´00 Nordic
drag race series super comp champion). Car runs all the time very
good near 8.90 times with 509 Chevy BB and 95 octane. gasoline!
When Marko has
paint car two times, he has found there Blue Max colors under
later color covers!" (Photo at left from 78 Amalie Blue Max
Handout, photo at right courtesy of Aulis Hämeenkorpi)
 
One
of the more "correct" 70s F/C restorations belongs to
Bob Gibson who has restored the Tom & Jerry flopper from the
mid-70s. Car was ex-Bob Banning Challenger reshelled as a Duster
after being sold to Tom Woodbridge and Jerry Bates of Dragster
Inc in Richmond VA in 73. Car was found by Gibson in early 99
in New Jersey more or less intact... but the car did require
new tin work and some TLC to get the body back in shape. Car had
been utilized as an injected bracket car prior to the restoration... original
Tom & Jerry color's were found under the newer paint after
sanding. Car is currently in the "shakedown" phase and
will be joining Bob's Nostalgia Funny Car Association (NFCA) circuit
full time in 2001. (Photo at left from mid-70s Amalie handout,
photo at right courtesy of Brad Wise)
 
Bob
Rosetty from Philly has owned Joe Jacono's ex-Rollin Stoned Cuda
since 87... bought the car turnkey set up to run super comp, raced
it till 1993 when, among other things, family commitments forced
him to "put it in the barn where it slept patiently 'til May
of this year." According to Bob "I got a call from a
guy who said he was trying to put together an injected funny car
group. The next day I went to the barn and dug the car out. I
replaced the slicks, shifter cable, throttle cable, battery and
seat belts. Changed the oil and poured some fuel in and it fired
right up!!" The car is currently motivated by a 454 Chevy
with Hilborn injectors coupled to a Powerglide. Bob
reports "I would love to restore the car to its original form... if I could get Joe's help and
blessings... " (Photo
at left courtesy of James Morgan, info and right photo courtesy
of Bob Rosetty) UPDATE
6/02: Well,
it looks like Bob succeeded in getting Joltin Joe's OK! According
to Bob... "After much thought and many failed attempts to
locate Jacono on the internet, I called information on the telephone
and, sure enough, I got the number. Needless to say, he was a
little surprised to hear that, not only his car was still around,
but people still remembered his drag racing days. He wasn't real
interested at first, but the fever got hold of him too... he is
coming to the Funny Car Reunion to see the car. He said it will
be the first time he has been to Englishtown in 25 years! In fact
he e-mailed me about the reunion and asked me why I don't just
paint the car like it was! I responded that I'd love to if it
was ok with him. He said no problem as long as I did a good job
and don't forget the go- go bar.
The
chassis was restored over the winter of 2000. The Chevy motor
came out and I put together a KB hemi and a 'Glide trans. It
ran a best of 7.29 in August 2001. Over the winter of 2001, I
did the body over, freshened the drivetrain and rechromed the
front end. A lot of people worked on the project with me and every
one of them put heart and soul into it. I hate to sound like a
standard issue finish line interview, but I owe it to the guys
on the crew, I couldn't have done it without them." (Photo
of restored Cuda courtesy of Dave Milcarek, info courtesy of Bob
Rosetty)
 
Bobby
Miller's "Dr Dirt" Monza from AZ is part of the highly
competitive California Independent Funny Car Association (CIFCA)
that resides in the southwestern US. Car features an ex-Bernstein
chassis cloaked in an ex-mid-70s Hawaiian shell. The injected
on alcohol BB Chevy is a family run operation for the Millers!
(Photos courtesy of Bobby Miller)
UPDATE
9-02: The
former Hawaiian Monza shown as the Dr. Dirt Monza is now owned
by Leroy Blackman of Absecon, N.J. Leroy has been campaigning
the car in the same colors as pictured in 2002. However plans
are to paint the car in a Hawaiian -like scheme circa 1977 to
fit with Leroy's name Blue Moon.
 
Currently
residing in Maine at Muscle Cars, Ltd. is the early 70s Maverick of
ex-Midwest flopper racer Danny Miller. Jim White recently purchased
the car in TN after losing out on a deal to purchase the same
car in the mid-90s. Jim reports the car doesn't appear to have
been bracket raced following it's career as a nitro flopper which
likely accounts for the great shape it's in today. The car currently
is powered by an alcohol injected Boss 429 stroked to 494 hooked
to a Powerglide and Ford 9 inch. Intent is to race it at some
Nostalgia events this year, put supercharger on before seasons
end. (Photos courtesy of Jim White). Visit
the Muscle Cars, Ltd. web page to learn more... Muscle
Cars Ltd
From
Missouri comes Greg Jacobsmeyer seen here at the Mopar Nationals
at Gateway Raceway, IL, in Sept 99. Car is running a mid-80s
chassis, cloaked in a 70 Challenger body that at one time shelled
Art Ward's "Green Angels" flopper from Colorado. At
the pictured event, Jacobsmeyer ran a tire shaking, very early
70s like 6.92 at 206 on a low dose of nitro. (Photo by JW Last)
 
This
"under restoration" black Mustang II belongs to Barry
Riley from Ohio. According to Barry the flopper as been verified
as a Romeo Palamides car and was likely the last fuel F/C he built
before switching to jet cars. Barry goes on to say "As best
I can tell the car was used as a match race car & later as
an alcohol car but no definite history. I will be running the
car with Ford power & nitro." Plans call for running
nostalgia flopper events in the central US. Although the car's
exact history is unknown, upon removing the trim piece around
the blower opening Barry found the paint scheme depicted in the
right photograph. Based on this small clue, can anybody help identify
this cars lineage? Any clues on the cars past would be appreciated!
(Photo and info courtesy of Barry Riley)
 UPDATE
5/01: Barry
reports: "We are close to a test date, have to finish some
loose ends on F/C and have been doing many shows w/ Hooters. We
have a good deal w/Hooters & they are on board for this &
2 more years. We will have the girls working at all appearances
including backing the car up after every burnout & selling merchandise. at transporter. We are completely restoring a 74' Pete
semi & a 78' drop deck transporter. This is a test & build
year so look out 2002 we're going to put on a great show."
BTW, note the front spoiler... (shameless plug!)
 
Bill
Henderson from Florida is currently campaigning Paul Smith's ex-"Entertainer"
Vega from the 77 season as a Super Comp car motivated by a 511"
Rat motor. Bill has owned the car for 2 years, found it in Auto
Trader (previous owner had been bracket racing the car), and after
much bargaining traded a 40 Ford P/U to get the flopper. Bill
is entertaining (bad pun intended) the idea of putting a blown
motor in the car and going nostalgia racing. (Photo at left from
JW Last, 77 NHRA Summernationals, photo at right courtesy of Bill
Henderson)
 Starting
life as a still "yet to be identified" flopper in the
early 70s comes Mike Kurz's MO based econo flopper photographed
at the 99 Mopar Nationals at Gateway. Although Bob Gibson has
attempted to trace this car's history, only things for sure are
that the car has a Duster body, rides on an early 70ish R&B
chassis and likely ran nitro. R&B was based in WI, the "B"
was John Buttera who moved to So Cal and started his own legendary
race car building operation. Car's history is difficult to trace
because the car appeared to be seldom raced. Rumor as the car
WI based in the 71-72 timeframe, possibly belonging to a local
car club and likely a local fill-in on the Coke Cavalcade circuit.
(JW Last Photo)
 
The
69 Nova "First Love" is owned by Lesley Smith and driven
by Jerry Smith of South Westerlo NY. Car was campaigned from 69-72
by Jerry's brother Keith as the J&F Super Special nitro flopper
in the northeast. Car is now powered by a 470" Rat Motor
on alcohol which resides in vintage Logghe Stamping chassis. Paint
on the car was done 25 years ago by Bob Gerdes of Circus Paints
and lettering was done by Mr. J way back in the mid-70s also! (Photo
at left courtesy of Drag Racing Memories, photo at right by Jerry
Smith)
 
Currently
residing in the NHRA Museum is MT's Monocoque Mustang shelled
effort from 1970. Car was donated by Thompson's son, is in it's
original condition. Long utilized in Grand Prix and Indy car construction,
the Monocoque idea didn't adopt well to drag racing. Built by
Nye Frank, car didn't live up to performance expectations, was
retired not long after it's debut. (Photo at top courtesy of
Drag Racing Memories; bottom photo used with permission of NHRA)
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