FACTORY DRAG CARS Exposed! The Holy Grail from GM, Ford and Mopar
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- Опубликовано: 20 май 2024
- Factory drag cars are fascinating because of the rarity and extremely high value, but also for the WILD combinations that the big 3 manufacturers (General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Corporation) threw at these race cars. All of them were built to meet the homologation requirements set by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) for inclusion in Stock Eliminator categories.
Recently, the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia put together a Factory Drag Cars exhibit, assembling nine amazing cars to represent what the Big Three brought to the table from 1963 through 1968. By no means does this cover ALL of the factory drag cars in existence, but it does hit the high points, and also covers a couple of outlying muscle cars. Here's a list of the cars you'll see in this video:
1963 Chevrolet Impala Z11 - Production Numbers: 50 - 427ci - Wally Bell's New York Shaker
1963 Pontiac Catalina "Swiss Cheese" - Production Numbers: 14 - 421ci - Arnie Beswick
1964 Ford Fairlane "Thunderbolt" - Production Numbers: 100 - 427ci - Steve Honnell, original owner
1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Lightweight - Production Numbers: 50 - 427ci - Larry Davis
1965 Plymouth Belvedere A990 - Production Numbers: 101 - 426ci - Steve Atwell
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Z16 - Production Numbers: 201 - 396ci - Technically not a factory drag car
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 COPO - Production Numbers: 1 - Also not a drag car, but special ordered with 396/425hp, M22 Muncie 4 speed and 4.88:1 gears
1967 Mercury Comet Cyclone - Production Numbers: 60 - 427ci - Steve Honnell, original owner
1968 Dodge Dart LO23 "Hemi Dart" - Production Numbers: 80 - 426ci - Mr. 4 Speed, Herb McCandless
This display of Factory Drag Cars was awesome, and we were able to experience it on a "hoods up" weekend to get the full experience of these super rare cars.
Z11 FULL VIDEO: • CRUSHING HISTORY - Thi...
Swiss Cheese Pontiac FULL VIDEO: • FACTORY Drag Racing Hi...
00:00 Intro
00:29 Ford Thunderbolt
03:53 Galaxie Lightweight
09:14 Mercury Comet
10:52 Swiss Cheese Pontiac
12:49 Z11 Impala
14:45 Z16 Chevelle
16:54 COPO Chevelle
18:17 A990 Plymouth
21:23 Hemi Dart
#dragracing #history #dragcar 
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Am76, years old and I use to live by Dearborn Steele tube. Me and my buddies use to go there check things out. Going there was like going to Disneyland for us. We went to Detroit drag way all the time.
Oh wow I can't imagine what it was like inside that place.
God bless You mate🙏✌️🙏
Hey dotell I'd say that you were accidentally very lucky 🍀 to live where you did I'm 73years old and watched a lot of drag racing and also got to see how the " factory stock " class morphed into " superstores " and now with all the nostalgia drag racing they've morphed again ( back to" factory stocks " and I for one hope that these historical cars will be retired to museums when they've lived out their competitive days so that younger folks can see the vehicles that ruled drag racing before alcohol and nitro powered rail and funny cars took over Eben though we might not have got to see the monster careers of John Force , Don Prudhom and others but , as the video showed the older race cars are still popular sights in the various museums where they'll probably stay till someone new buys them hopefully to be restored so they can be sold to upcoming car lovers 💏 who will sell them to new lovers 💏 of historical cars at auctions ( Barrett/Jackson, and others) , etc. etc. etc. 😊😅😮😢😂❤😂😊❤😊❤😊
Am?
I'm close to your age fr. so Cal and bounced around Gurneys shop and Shelby's Mustang place. 'This is crazy' I thought.
The factory drag cars were the coolest cars ever built. 👍🇺🇸
Absolutely...they are fascinating!
Hey 442-Mike by looking at your alias I can't tell if you're a fairly "educated Millennial or a diehard Oldsmobile guy but I can agree 👍 with your comments pretty much 💯 % that the old " factory stocks " were drag racing royalty and should get get the best care and restoration as such 😊😅😮😢😂❤😂😊❤😊❤😊
They still make Factory Drag Cars. They are very pricey though . I will go in 50/50 with you if you want. The Demon 170 would be a good place to start.
The factory drag funny cars are the coolest and the rarest
So popular is the modern Mustang Cobra Jet, that Ford Performance built 50-car batches in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016.
The legend of the Cobra Jet lives on 50 years later with the 50th Anniversary Cobra Jet from Ford Performance Parts. This iconic Mustang race car is the quickest ever with performance in the mid 8s at over 150 mph.
Ford Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800 Debuts With 1,800 HP, Will Seek EV Records
It's a massive upgrade from Cobra Jet 1400 prototype and will try to beat the 1400's 8.12-second quarter-mile EV record.
Thanks for the detail on Herb's Dart, there is so much Memphis history wrapped up in that car. Eddie Wilbanks sadly passed away in 2022 but besides being an incredible painter, Eddie and another friend Larry Nolan campaigned a 41 Willys gasser for a while throughout the 60s. Great video overall, great watch
Ahh man, I didn't realize Eddie had passed away. He did some great work on this Dart...the details and overall finish was excellent.
I really love and appreciate the drag racing history and research you do to bring that history to us. I saw your daughter was with you. (I saw her in the reflection) That always touches my heart to see how she always wants to be with her hero.
Thank you for the kind words. Carlee loves to spend time with me...probably because it gets her away from her younger siblings haha. But we really do have a great time together.
Watching this vid just makes me feel so proud of the era I grew up in, where so much pride was taken in building these cars and the enthusiasm that it generated. Love the detail and stories behind all of these classics. Great job.🏁🏁👍
Exactly....glad I was a kid and got see it from a distance as not being of driving age. Back when America was great. Its a straight up sh!thole now.
@@matroxI’m 14 and I agree
@@emerykinzie794 Sorry you missed it.
My friend when we were still teenagers purchased one of the Ramchargers aluminum bodied Darts complete with the prototype Hemi for $5000. at an auction. He sold the body and like many General Lee enthusiasts at the time, put the 426 Hemi in a General Lee replica. I remember being in the back seat while driving down the highway, and getting pulled over by a State Trooper. As my buddy rolled down the window and the trooper stared in, he said to pop the hood, cause he wanted to see this locally legendary engine. It had SO much torque. The heads had ports the size of softballs.
That sounds like mighty small ports. I had a straight six engine that the ports were so big you could put a soda can in them.. sideways!
What a great display - I MUST visit there one day soon for a close up viewing. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.
Thank you so much for posting this video! I'm in my 70's and thoroughly enjoyed the crap out of this. I lived through time period and most of my friends are on the other side. It's sure nice to walk down memory lane once more while I still can. Thanks so much!😊
Thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
A fantastic trip back in time! Thank you!
Out of all the cars … that Hemi dart is the baddest 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Absolutely unreal to see all of these in one place.
I remember all these race cars and saw some of them in action in PA in ‘68-‘70. It was a fun time. Just luv that COPO Malibu Z16. Im in my 70’s now and still have my modified 396 4 spd Nova. Can’t give it up!
Nice! Wish I could've been around back then!
Thank you for the trip down memory lane!
I once owned 8 Max Wedge cars ‘63 and ‘64. All with proper tags and unique oddities that ID the cars. One that we found a broadcast sheet in. 1964 Dodge 440 Hardtop. High trim level. Aluminum front end, battery in trunk, but had a heater and radio. 13.5:1 compression and 50th Anniversary Gold with a white sweep. Perfect original seat covers were under black vinyl covers. This car should not have existed. I also owned a ‘64 Dodge Hemi 4 speed. In June they switched from the wedge to hemi. I have a letter from the man who ordered the car. He was expecting a wedge. I have the invoice for the car too. All these cars were restored correctly. You aware a ‘64 hemi block is different? Ever search for that air cleaner or the headers and bell housing? I found them in Houston at one spot. $10,000 in 1988.
Wow! That high trim level Max Wedge car sounds wild. I personally love the stripped down cars with big engines, but I also love crazy combinations like that. Sounds like you've had some serious experience!
@@HotRodHoarder I wanted to find a niche. Everybody wanted a hemi. So I got interested in the Max Wedge instead. At that time very few knew how to decode the tags or recognize subtle factory changes to these cars. It was a fun learning curve. I started by restoring a ‘63 Savoy by myself to learn every inch. Then I started using a well equipped shop to do full rotisserie restoration on dipped bodies. It is interesting that all this was done prior to the internet. Hemmings was a huge deal. In time, I had people calling me from all over the world with leads or wanting to buy a car. By the late 80’s and very early 90’s, I felt the cars would never be worth more. I sold the ‘64 hemi Dodge for $100,000. Sold all of the cars to bail out on top. What an effing dork. Today? I have a real altered wheelbase ‘63 Chevy II and a beautiful ‘67 Chevy II true 9 second street car. And a new high optioned C8. This is a slower pace but it fits my age better. I LOVE your work! Your videos are of great interest. I am trapped in the Old Days. Thank God! Now get out there and set that bitch sideways!
Awesome video Tommy!!!Thanks for everything you do for the history of the Automotive culture ✌️
I sent the link to this video to my son, who is also a gearhead. I got to see some serious factory experimental drag cars go from relatively closeup back in the day. They were running at Half Moon Bay Airport on an unused taxiway. Bleachers were set up right next to the starting line. I would be working there on a weekend, and just sort of wander over and sit on the bleachers. Oh man, it was so cool watching an FXA (“A” for automatic) Hemi Mopar pull up to the line.
Cool exhibit Tom, thanks for the very comprehensive tour!
Thanks for watching!
The accompanying dialog is fantastic, always look forward to what I call your research videos. Great background info.
Keep ‘em’ coming.
My kind of cars! REALLY appreciate your bringing this to us, I enjoyed every second of it.
Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks ,you brought back a lot of memories.Man it was a great time to be growing up!
All those drag racing legends.Dyno Don Nicholson,Dick Landy,Stone Woods and Cook.Bill Grumpy Jenkins to name a few.
Great video Tommy, thanks for sharing.
Probably one best videos on Drag cars. Enjoyed it very much!
❤️💯👍👊
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
This is a great exhibit! Love The Savoy.
It's an awesome place, we definitely plan on visiting regularly.
Great video! That Black Chevelle is a stunner and a car I never knew existed until today, thank you!
Thanks for another excellent video, you never seize to amaze me. I would really like for you to do a special video on the Ford 69 Mustang Twister drag car. You would be surprised at how few people have even heard of it. Just a suggestion.
Thanks again for the research you do.
Outstanding collection of rare, super rare factory race cars, thanks again for bringing us these rare beasts!!!
Thank you for watching!
A period in time that will never happen again😢awesome video❤
Thank you for watching!
It's been happening for the last 10 years and the cars are faster and safer.
Thank you for posting your excellent video!!
Just wonderful feature..
Mopar A Bodies Forever...
I own 68 Dart it's always amazing seeing the 426 in the engine bay I've lived in... thanks for sharing
Thank you Tommy for another great episode.
Thanks for watching!
The Hemi Dart was insane. I had one with the 273v8 in it. It weighed nothing and when that little engine was built to run an 850 holley double, it was a monster. I can't even imagine a 426 in it. Had to be like a kids go cart with a hayabusa engine.
My dad's buddy ran the West Virginia HemiCharger cars, 64 aluminum lightweight Polara and a lightweight 65 Coronet, and I was always with pop's when he went racing. I was 4-5 years old and I do remember the cars and atmosphere of the track back then. Definitely not the same today.
That was an excellent video really enjoyed it
Mate really enjoyed the presentation and information. Came here for the Mopars but enjoyed the whole thing. Cheers from Australia.
Thank you for watching, I'm glad you liked it!
In the mid 70's, a guy had a white T-Bolt for sale. It had everything except, the engine,4 speed & driveshaft. It had plexiglass windows, except for the windshield. He wanted $1200 for it. Later we heard he sold it for $1000. He also had a '69 Torino that he put a 427 in it. It looked like a factory installation,it was so clean looking. I can't remember what he was asking for it.
Wow! Would've been crazy to end up with a Thunderbolt for $1000.
I owned a 1964 Plymouth Drag Car, was the Jardine header race car had a 426 wedge head, when I had it it had a 383, aluminum front bumper, front fenders, hood and rear bumper, battery in the trunk, open the glove box no box but a sticker stating it was a drag strip car no intended for street use, when the headers were uncorked it would lift the front wheels about a foot, drove it and raced it on the street
Wow that's awesome!
Must have had some really restricted exhaust because open headers costs some power compared to header extensions
Thank you for a great informative video
I’m Australian and don’t know your cars well but love to hear about them
Thank you for watching!
I thoroughly enjoyed your video, please keep up your good work. Documenting those special cars is crucial to the preservation of the history of the men, women, and cars of drag racing. I may have missed something in your video or we aren't talking about the same Thunderbolts. Most of all, I'm not trying to start an argument. The Thunderbolts were amazing drag cars produced to ensure that Ford dominated drag racing -- at least for a while. The late Dick Brannen and I were friends. We had many discussions about how he was hired by Ford's racing division in the early 1960s and worked there for about 10 years. The Thunderbolt was his baby. According to Dick, there were more than 100 produced for homologation. Ford asked Dick to more or less design the Thunderbolt from the ground up both at Ford and at an independent contractor's garage. Then he was to compile and submit a list of the drivers from most of the regions of the US. The drivers needed to be regular winners, of course, and drivers that would not embarrass Ford. The drivers were selected and Dick contacted them offering the Thunderbolts, then Ford was there to support them. My understanding is that most if not all of the Thunderbolts were 4-speed and, if any automatics were built, they were not raced....... Once again, I'm not looking for an argument. My comments here are recollections of mine while talking to Dick about his recollections from his time at Ford. I encourage anyone seeking a much more accurate account of the Thunderbolts to purchase and read Dick's books.
great video of very cool factory drag cars!
I was a kid in elementary school during this era of the early mid 60s. I was a car nut and would be building model cars setting them up as racers, loaded up with decals. We had such cool cars and great music back when America was still sane.
Good Job... Thank You!
Nice to see some close up video of those famous cars. Good narration too. thanks
Thank you for watching!
I remember riding in a savoy with a 426 wax wedge with a bench seat when i was a kiddo....i was hooked from then on
Oh man I bet that was a thrill!
Dude that was a great video of some absolutely awesome cars . My whole life been a hard core Chevy guy but I gotta say I just love those 2 Ford's not only asba race care but also as hotrods , the early Falcons, Galaxies and Fairlanes are just a work of art .Goes without saying I still love the Chevy's. Really dig those 409 engine
Same here...Chevy guy for the most part, but I love the '60s Fords and Mopars.
Back when these beasts were made, no matter what you enjoyed (GM, Ford, Dodge, etc.) you respected power and performance!
You do such a great job describing and video. Thanks !! I'll go to that location if I'm ever near three..
I love factory hotrods especially the TBolt.
Same here. The Thunderbolts really changed the game.
Pure gold, thanks for video
Thanks for the coverage, Tommy.
Never ever seen those molded intake runners before on those Galaxies. (Seems like a recipe for breaking with engine twist - even if the engine's mounted solid.)
Yes, the molded ducts definitely seem like an odd setup. Thanks for watching!
Outstanding job....thank you
Thank you for watching!
Fantastic video!!!!
Excellent work you do! Good looking out!! Some of us don't get out much.
Thanks for watching!
The SS/AA 68 Hemi dart is my all time favorite!
In the 1990's, What bothered me the most was seeing so many cars crushed!
What an awesome history lesson 🙌
Love this deep dive, love these very special cars from a very cool era. I remember as a kid seeing lots of cars with that teardrop hood scoop as you could buy them aftermarket.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
I got to see Herbs Mr 4 Speed Dart this at the AACA Museum in Hershey PA last year on April 1st. What a gorgeous car. I got a few pictures of it. I wish I could get decaals made for the model l want to build. I live about 7 miles from there.
Nice! I visited the AACA Museum back in 2011. Definitely a cool place.
Was an awesome exabit to see in person.
FYI: For any interested in going to the Savoy. He mentioned the "Hoods Up Weekend". They will do that for pretty much all exhibits they have. It will always be the LAST weekend of the exhibit display. They only exhibit, I can think of off the top of my head where they had multiple "Hoods Up Weekends" Was the "Big Block" Exhibit, which make complete since. The exhibit was put together based on the Big Block Engine. Great museum. And as stated in the video. they are constantly changing exhibits. I think they have like 7 different exhibits scheduled for 2024.
This is one of your BEST videos... Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Thanks!
Thank you Frank! Hope you're doing well.
thanks for sharing so cool
Great story, amazing cars, thanks for your effort. Did I spy Carlee at work ?😊
Thanks Steve! Yes, you can see Carlee in the reflection on several shots. We had a great time!
What a great video so enjoyed this
Thank you for watching, glad you liked it!
I feel highly compelled to clean the underside of the Thunderbolt's hood.
I imagine I'm not alone. 🤔
My buddy has a real 4 speed thunderbolt. His brother bought it new, and wrecked it in the late 60’s. My buddy a long time hot rod body man built it for himself when he retired. 427 is long gone. He built a 331 stroker for it and put a mustang 2 style front suspension on it. I helped fiberglass the hood that was broken in the wreck.
Another great video!! 😊
Thank you!
Well done Hoarder. I was lucky enough to see a few of these cars go off at Lions and Pomona. fun times...
Excellent video!!!!
Excellent video !
These machines have to be the coolest of the cool.💪Awesome stuff, Hoarder. 👌👍
Thank you for watching!
Way cool cars and video. You got my Thumbs UP !
top notch cars and you might learn something, excellent video 🕺👍🏻
Thanks for watching!
I was thinking today about where to go for a little mini-vacation next month, I think maybe I'll finally go check out the McCandless Museum. Thanks for the nudge
I definitely want to check out the McCandless collection.
Groovy video, fun to see!
Great video, Thanks.
Wow,that paint on that COPO Chevelle 300 was like a mirror.Beautiful...
Excellent Video Thanks
Thank you for watching!
I was a young kid in the early to mid 60's. I remember about 1964 a neighbor across the street from us had a white car, with a tear drop hood that made a lot of noise when he drove it. I can remember looking into the opening on the rear of the tear drop hood seeing an oval air cleaner and as I got older and came to know what a Thunderbolt was it feels like that's what it was. I know it wasn't and Chevy or Dodge and would bet that it was a Ford. We used to like hearing him start it up, the noise it made, and hearing the tire noise. I've looked over old family photos from that era to see if by chance it was caught in a photo, in the background but never found one. I myself have always liked Fords.
The factory window sticker on that lightweight Ford Galaxie really surprised me, because it says: "3 month or 4000 mile power train warranty". I've always read that any of these factory race cars from Ford ( the Galaxie or the Thunderbolt ) were sold new with NO warranty whatsoever, and that first-time owners had to sign a waiver to receive the car.
But....which one was the quickest? Great cars, awesome video, thanks for sharing!
Good question! I should've done some research regarding the elapsed times. I would venture to guess the '68 Hemi Dart was the absolute quickest and fastest, but would've been interested to know the difference in ET from the '63 GM's to the '64 Fords and '65 Hemi car. Now I guess I have some homework to do haha.
Nice tour...Cheers.
Thank you for watching!
My dad had a 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 when I was a boy. It was green and it ran past many other cars it's size.
Awesome cars and a Great video
Thank you for watching!
@@HotRodHoarder You're welcome. I've been subscribed to you channel since right after you started it.
I'm 62 years old so a lot of the cars that you do videos on were cars of my youth.
I was born in 1961 and bought my first car when I was 15. It was a 69 Chevelle SS 396, 4 speed with a
factory 4.10 12 bolt posi. Over the years I have owned other SS Chevelles and Novas, Tri-fives and Corvettes.
I built several show / drag cars, a NASCAR legal Camaro,, and my last car I built was an injected winged Sprint car
that was run on dirt tracks...
I don't have anything against the LS platform engines at all, but it's really nice to see old school small blocks and big blocks
with carburetors or injection.
I met Arnie Beswick a couple years ago at The World Wheel Standing competition at Byron drag way, awesome guy. Great video, always enjoy seeing the old drag cars. A guy local to me has a 70s (I think?) Cutlass that he bought new and drag raced, he was on the cover of (I think) hot rod magazine. Unfortunately the car hasn't seen daylight in probably more than 30 years and he doesn't like talking about it 🤷 I've personally never seen the car but my older brother has, he's friends with the guy's son, but I guess he won a lot races 🤷
Sounds pretty cool...there is no telling how many cool cars are hidden away like that. Makes me want to find them all haha!
KICK ASS video Tommy.
Thanks man!
Man!.. so glad I could be there at the races standing with those guys looking over the mass
under the hood.. so much genius going on. .you could feel it.!
This potent collection is potent!
New sub here.! I love you channel
Thank you sir....good stuff The '64 was a beautiful car!
Thank you for watching!
There's a gentlemen in Montreal that has 3 un restored Thunderbolts that he's owed since 1974
Those were the days! Nowadays, there's too MUCH fiberglass. It's still cool watching the NHRA funny cars, though. And Top Fuel. But these cars were the originators. And I bet they are worth a million dollars. Preserve and protect! Thanks for sharing! 😎 🛞💨🚦🏁🏁🏁
Thanks for watching David!
Great video, being an AMC fan I’m a little bummed there was no mention of the SS/AMX or the SC/Rambler
I remember them AMX's in SS/C. Many finals back in the day were usually one of the hemi Darts and a Rambler! Many won on redlites as it was tough to sit on the line watching the ass of the AMX get smaller and smaller!
I remember Herb's dart racing here in Ky. and southern Ohio.
If I remember correctly, the small "bucket" seats in those Thunderbolt's were simply the factory seats out of the Ford Econoline van from the same era. These seats were/are small, lightweight, and sturdy enough.......which is why Ford Motor Co. chose them for the Thunderbolt.
Awesome video. Subscribed.
Thank you for watching and subscribing!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
Thank you for watching!
Really enjoy your informed videos of old racecars..have you ever run across a very rare Mopar lightweight called a frog..set a long standing record at motor trend mag in 1962.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I don't think I've ever heard of "frog"...guess I'm gonna need to go study that!
Steve magnate would probably be a fountain of information since he seems to have studied motor trend magazine..met old man at drag strip in late seventies that mentioned ot to me..only met one other person who knew of them..said dodge and Plymouth made lightweight small block cars on 1962
Amazing cars!...I wonder who was best on the 4 - speed, Herb McCandless or Ronnie Sox? I know both were extremely good at it. Cool video.
That's a tough one. There were a lot of talented drivers back then.
Neither one I was better then both of them
Actually herb was better thats why he drove for socks and martin
Yes. Dick Landy comes to mind as well. True, lots of guys could row that 4 - speed well, just watch the Gassers of today.@@HotRodHoarder
This was excellent
The good old days of muscle cars👍👍👍👍👍💯💯💯
Great video, only thing that would have made it better would be to hear them running. Was that Luke Bogacki narrating?
Chevy guy here
If memory serves me
The small seats were from the vans as they were smaller
Use to see The thunderbolts in So cal at erwindale raceway
Yes sir, the seats were the lightest thing that Bostrom offered. Bostrom was a supplier for all three of the "big three" manufacturers. The seats in lightweight cars, including the Thunderbolt, were the same as what was offered in Dodge vans.