Archive for November 2012

The Museum’s Great Group of NASCAR Warriors; the Wellborn Musclecar Museum will display three at MCACN on Nov 17-18.

Story by Geoff Stunkard

“Back in 1969, my dad took me to the Talladega race, and that was when I became interested in the Bobby Isaac Daytona; when that Dodge was going around the track, it just permanently became ingrained in my mind. I never dreamed that someday I would own the real car and drive it, especially not in Germany and at Goodwood and places like that.”

While many people know the Wellborn Musclecar Museum for the terrific collection of 1971 Hemi Chargers there, the aerodynamically-enhanced 'wing car' models from 1969 and 1970 have also been part of the collection since before it started. As Tim states, his attendance at that first race at Talladega played a huge role on his impressionable mind back in 1969; as a result, the car he drove in his high school years was a real Dodge Daytona. This car, Hemi Orange with a 440 and white interior, was his regular driver, but in 1979, it became an even larger tribute to the car Bobby Isaac had piloted back on that September on the high banks of Talladega.

“I found a 2100-mile ‘68 Hemi Road Runner that been totaled, and took the engine, K-member, wiring, everything, and just swapped it right into that Daytona. It all fit perfectly, I got everything needed for a B-Body Hemi, and my goal was to make this into a tribute to Bobby Isaac and the K&K car. So I decided to letter it up, and had the call-out letters, ‘Dodge’ lettered on the nose, and pinstripes painted on it.”

He drove the car for a couple of more years, but money was tight; when he made plans to get married, the Daytona was sold to a gentleman in Atlanta, and Tim lost track of it. As things became better economically, Tim wondered whatever happened to it. Ironically, it came back to him 22 years later.

“I’m getting ready to load up for Barrett-Jackson on a Wednesday night, and I get a phone call. It is the owner I had sold that car to,” he recalls. “I asked him some questions and he says, ‘do you want to buy it back?’ I said, ‘absolutely,’ and I drove straight to Atlanta that following Sunday afternoon when I returned, wrote him a check, and brought it home. It came back showing just 312 miles since the day I had sold it.” Talk about preserving history…

By now, Tim and Pam had already purchased a few other Daytonas and Superbirds. In fact, they were able to purchase the original K&K Insurance Daytona that had been part of the collection at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. This car had set records at Bonneville, and, through Tim’s efforts, got the very first 528” crate motor Hemi from Chrysler. Tim, licensed to drive at speed, then toured the car in exhibition races across Europe, driving it at 150+ mph speeds at places like Germany’s legendary Nürburgring and Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. This car has been on display in the new NASCAR Museum in Charlotte since the day that facility opened.

One car in particular does stand out. This was a Charger Daytona that Tim had found and bought from the owner’s ex-wife, and it has a story. The car was sold through the Lenox Dodge franchise in Atlanta; its origins of its ordering are lost; it was likely bought by the owner Tim found out about through Lenox’ used car department as a repo. CONTINUED Read more

The Wellborn Musclecar Museum is sponsoring the 2012 Aero Warriors display as this year's Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, November 17th and 18th, 2012 in Rosemont, IL.  The Museum will host the "Aero Lounge" at the center of the display.  This will be an oasis of leather couches and padded carpeting in the sea of over 550 cars on display for the two day event.  The Aero Lounge will be flanked on either side by significant winged cars from the prime of the Aerocar Era of NASCAR.   Most significant will be the only 1969 Hemi 4spd Daytona left known to exist still equipped with its original motor.

The 1969 Daytona was a Chrysler Engineering marvel designed to better compete in NASCAR against Ford who held the top speed record of 189 mph.  Dodge already having the dominant HEMI, decided that the aero group had the best change of taking the top speed and overall win crown in NASCAR.  They proposed a rear "Y" airfoil to keep the car planted, the front nose cone balanced out the aero package, resulting in one the most stable race cars ever produced.  The goal was a 5mph increase over the top lap speeds recorded at Daytona Motor Speedway.  The result was the first NASCAR race car to eclipse the 200 mph barrier.

To homologate the Dodge Daytona for 1969 race season, they had to be build quickly, each '69 Dodge Charger hand converted by Creative Industries.  Excitement over the car by the public was palpable.  Dodge dealers had committed sales orders for over 1500 copies of the Dodge Charger Daytona.   Of the 503 made, only 70 were HEMI Daytonas and of those only 20 were 4 speed, manual shift cars.

Currently, only 11 four-speed HEMI Daytonas are known to exist.   The Wellborn Musclecar Museum is home to XX29J93412548, the ONLY ONE that retains it's original, numbers matching drivetrain.  Documented by two broadcast sheets, this is a 6,000 original mile car and still retains all of her original interior and aside from the hood, she also has all of her original body panels.  She spent most of her early life as an IHRA show car, note the "before" photo of the show car paint scheme before the car was restored back to stock original.

Just prior to restoration, the car was procured by Otis Chandler's Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife.   Mr. Chandler had the car restored by the legendary Roger Gibson to stock specifications.   The car has also been featured in many hardbound books including "American Muscle, Muscle Cars from the Otis Chandler Collection" by Randy Leffingwell.   The vehicle is currently part of the Wellborn Musclecar Museum, owned by Tim and Pam Wellborn and featured in the hardcover book "The Art of the Musclecar" by David Newhardt.  Tim will be available during the MCACN show to autograph copies of this book which includes a total of 22 cars in the museum collection.

The Hemi Daytona in IHRA trim in front of Otis Chandler's VINTAGE collection

Considering the performance driven design, hand built limited run, and the revolutionary impact Daytona had on racing, it is certainly an iconic car.  Given that only 20 HEMI 4 speeds were ever made and this is the only one that remains with its original engine, it is most certainly rare.  And of course, also retaining her original interior and body panels, makes her a highly original example.  These are the reasons that this car has been the centerpiece for other significant collections like Otis Chandler's and Tim and Pam Wellborn.  So, make plans to join the Wellborn Musclecar Museum at the 2012 MCACN show, the relax amongst this and many other iconic Aero Warriors.