Larry Dickson's GTX was the highest sticker cost Hemi car ever built

“That guy came back from Vietnam and simply wanted the baddest car he could find, and he kept the car flawless. He didn’t change out the wheels, didn’t really change the suspension, but he know a few racer tricks, and that is what was done to this car. Just some parts and painting the engine black to get rid of heat, and that car has been that way since 1972.”

Tim Wellborn was talking about what has become a big attraction at the Wellborn Musclecar Museum in Alexander City, a 1971 Bahama Yellow GTX that is the highest-priced Hemi car of all the machines built in the supercar era. The car, through a set of interesting circumstances, came to the collection showing just over 49,000 original miles and is unrestored, though modified.

“That GTX is one rare automobile, and most people would want to bring it back to absolute stock. But being here in the museum and seeing so many people coming in and looking at that, they talk about the changes. The owner put the valve covers on it, put the headers on it, all things that could easily be changed back. In truth, hardly anyone left their engine bay stock back then. You wanted to open the hood and show people what it looked like with your changes; it’s not like today where there is a big plastic cover over the engine. Back then, it was just an extension of the car and how you might personalize that car.”

The engine shows some of the touches added back when Larry still had the car on the street. Tim intends to keep the changes intact, showing how these cars were modified by their owners.

For Larry Dickson, whose service in southeast Asia had been heroic to the point of being awarded some of the nation’s highest honors such as the Purple Heart and multiple Silver Stars, the car might have been the culmination of a dream of owning a Hemi car while he was busy with much more serious business. He had purchased a new 1970 383” Road Runner when he returned, but went looking for a Hemi car to replace that in early 1972. One way or another, he found out about a highly-optioned ’71 GTX in early 1972; this car would be sold to him through Courtesy Chrysler-Plymouth in Davis, with an added destination charge of 57.00 from Bayshore, New York. We do not know if Larry had them find this car for him or if they already had it on their lot. We do know a bit about what he bought, though.

Indeed, any aficionado of American muscle would have been drawn to this machine.

Dale Matthews drove the car briefly for our photos, which Tim thought was probably further than it had driven in over 30 years...

It had been ordered as a sales bank car in November 1970 with every serious option available in 1971 – the Hemi Super Trak Pack driveline, AM/FM stereo cassette with microphone, power windows and brakes, houndstooth interior, all the exterior trim packages, and, coming in at almost $500.00 over even all of that, a power sunroof and vinyl top. The sticker on the car new was $6592.75, 78% over the $3707.00 GTX base price and the highest-ever sticker price of any Chrysler Hemi musclecar. Based on the price of $4517.14 Larry paid, the car left the lot as a loss, especially since he financed it through his bank and not Chrysler.

The car received virtually every major option for 1971, including the sunroof and microphone-equipped cassette radio.

Items like power windows make some Hemi cars truly upscale vehicles.

Larry obviously took good care of the car, as its condition remained quite in line with the original construction. The engine did come out and was slightly modified; in serious racer fashion, it was painted flat blank when it was reinstalled, with headers, a few chrome goodies, and a Mallory rev limiter. The interior was unaltered except for the Rev Control, and the car even kept its 15” Rallye wheels. One evening, however, the car was damaged when it was bounced against a phone pole, leaving a big dent in the door. At that point, Larry parked it in his suburban California garage but never got around to getting it fixed; indeed, he never drove it again. It was eventually buried beneath typical family storage items.

Larry passed away, and the car came into the Mopar hobby through his estate. Tim knew it was special the first time he saw it, and he made a deal with second owner Scott Lindsey to get it into the Wellborn collection. By chance, Tim was able to secure a replacement original door painted in EL5 Bahama Yellow from fellow collector Peter Swainson, allowing the museum to maintain the car as an original and not have repaint anything on it. The car is presently on display in the museum together with pictures of Mr. Dickson in his military dress attire from back in the day, a full list of the options that were built onto it back in the day, and all the changes that Larry made when the car was cruising the hills and valleys of central California.

“(It’s) has been that way since 1972,” says Tim. “Because of that, it is actually the history of that car, and it would be wrong to erase that.”

The new Barn Finds section at the Wellborn Museum will be featured in Mopar Muscle in 2013.

People think that great cars, even Hemi cars, can’t be found these days. They are certainly not as common as they were once, but Tim Wellborn showed that you can still located rare muscle even now with a great car that was not even known to the hobby prior to 2012. This car will be featured in Mopar Muscle and Musclecar Review magazines in 2013.

“Roger Gibson had heard about this car down in Texas, so I contacted the gentleman who owned it, but I really needed to see some pictures before I’d commit to going to see it. It took several months, and he finally went out and bought a little disposable camera. He sent me that, and as soon as I saw the pictures, we were on our way to Texas!”

The owner, Marcus Hanna of Grovebeck, Texas, had bought the car back in 1972, a real Hemi/four speed Road Runner complete with Dana Super Trak Pak, FJ5 Lime Light paint, and Air Grabber hood. He had done some drag racing with it, and had swapped the stick out for an automatic back in the day. After it had accumulated just 31,000 miles, instead of selling the car when that passion faded, he parked it in a pole barn along with a stash of parts. He had gone on to become a judge in west Texas, and Tim was pretty excited to see this car in those surroundings.

“It has those stickers inside of it, and there are changes that way; the four-speed was swapped out for an automatic to go racing. Some of those things will be repaired, but for the most part, this one will be a time capsule.”

“You won’t ever see that car washed; it has that haze of having sat in a barn and I like that,” he continues. “I am going to get it running and take it to shows, using it to show what a car looks like when it is just found. So, it will bear that patina. It has zero rust, never been wrecked, and only shows a few door dings.”

Attention at MCACN found collectors Steven Juliano and Tony DAgostino checking the car out; it was selected by Musclecar Review magazine at this event as well.

Galen Govier and restorer Dave Ferro talk with Tim about the never-before-seen car at MCACN in Chicago; it is now on display in Alexander City.

When the car was safely back in Alexander City, he and Philip Love, one of the coordinators of the day-to-day operations, decided they would use one corner of the museum to display the fresh find. The car originally purchased by Gordon Denzler has already been drawing attention and it was added to this display as well. This 1971 440-6 Challenger R/T with Shaker and long option sheet had been special ordered and purchased in Canada by Mr. Denzler in March 1971; it has a huge amount of paperwork with it (perhaps the most of any Mopar known to have been bought privately) as well as being one of the nicest ’71 R/Ts in unrestored existence. Tim had already planned to keep it that way.

“Yes, that car would easily be one of the top Mopars in the world restored because of the options, but I will keep it original simply because it serves as a true model of how these cars were built,’ Tim comments. “It is dirty, dusty, but it is truly untouched, and that car can teach the hobby far more in its state right now than if it were restored.”

The Challenger R/T had been part of a larger purchase from the collection of John Hedges that had been made to supplement the museum several years ago, and had helped fill up the huge ‘dealership’ parts room that is part of the collection. As a result, around these two cars (and the Vanishing Point Challenger movie car on loan from Ted Stevens) are displayed a plethora of parts and pieces, some showing wear, some NOS, and even a few aftermarket items. Among them is aluminum 318 block that came from Herb McCandless.

The Six Pack Challenger would be an excellent candidate to restore if it weren't so original! Because of that, you'll see it just as it is.

Looking up, one sees an unrestored Daytona; this car came from Illinois and is powered by a 440/four-speed combo. Like the other two, it is a stabilized, rust-free vehicle showing some aging – like all Daytonas, much of the original nose paint was peeling and flaking, so the front end was primered. The scoops on this Hemi Orange model were left showing the worn paint; the interior was showing more serious signs of wear, so this car is kept above the fray. Unlike the other two, this car is actually a long-time vehicle in the collection, Tim’s own ‘barn find.’

“I’ve had it for about 25 years and bought it to restore it,” admits Tim. “What was most important was, again, that was an absolutely rust free, never-wrecked machine. It was all there, and is a perfect candidate for restoration. It has always been ‘the next one I’m going to get to’ car in the collection, but as I got busy with the ’71 Chargers, it got pushed back. Right now, it fits right in as a car that nobody has messed with too much before it goes to restoration.”

Tim's own barn find is this Daytona, whose only major fix was to repaint the faded nose.

The trio and the parts can be seen by the public during regular museum hours. Tim knows many people had the passion to find buried treasure, and says that is one more reason to leave these cars close to as they were found. Talking about the Hemi Road Runner, he concluded, “That car had never been shown, nobody knew about it, and it had two broadcast sheets. This was in 2012, so that just goes to show people, there is still hope out there.”

Millions of dollars of wing cars at 2012 MCACN, with the display row sponsored by the museum.

By Geoff Stunkard

The annual Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Ill., has become one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year for serious musclecar fans. The Wellborn Museum’s participation this year included multiple cars, a hospitality area in the display area the museum sponsored, and awards, both given and received.

Two cars from the Wellborn collection were honored as celebrity picks. Drew Hardin, Editor of Musclecar Review magazine, chose the recently-found 1970 Hemi Road Runner barn find from among the 500+ cars on hand as best exemplifying the dreams of most enthusiasts. The museum intends to leave the well-preserved but faded Plymouth as an example of what sort of cars are still out there. This four-speed/Dana 60-equipped Hemi car was unknown to the hobby prior to late this summer, residing for decades in a west Texas pole barn.

Meanwhile, legendary Chicago-area Dodge dealer ‘Mr. Norm’ Krause selected the Wellborn’s just-finished 1971 6.1L Hemi Charger tribute as his pick, a stock appearing musclecar with modern driveline and equipment upgrades. This car was on display in builder Ken Mosier’s exhibit area to show his handiwork. Highlighted near the venue’s entrance, the Dodge caught Mr. Norm’s eye early in the event.

The museum sponsored the Aero Warriors display, which was devoted to the NASCAR-oriented body releases by Ford and Chrysler of 1969-1970. As result, they were asked to present an award themselves in that category. After carefully deliberating, Tim chose the recently-completed Dodge Daytona of Tony D’Agostino, a spectacular white/red wing 440 model that had incidentally been awarded 999 of 1000 points in event judging earlier in the weekend.

In addition to the 6.1L and Hemi barn find, the Wellborns exhibited a Hemi Daytona survivor, a Hemi Superbird restored by Aloha Automotive Service, both in the aero display, and their 1972 Javelin pursuit vehicle, formerly owned by the Alabama State Police highway patrol. The latter was part of the special 1972 Invitational section.   As a finale to the weekend, that car was awarded Platinum Pick Judges Choice – Best AMC of the 2012 event.

Pam Wellborn, with Lynn Yenko, daughter of legendary Chevy dealer Don Yenko, were laughing as the 'furrbies' from the Midwest FurFest at the Hyatt visited the car event.

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

“This guy had been sent out to buy a refrigerator, and came back with this car. His wife was not very happy about that,” Tim laughs. “So, as you can imagine, that marriage didn’t last, and when they split up, she kept this car basically to spite him. Then it sat out under a tarp in her yard for a long time.”

Tim got a call from somebody who found out about the car, and soon made plans to go see it. It was rough; the car had been repainted Petty Blue and was showing a large amount of surface rust, though the substructure rust normally feared about was non-existent (great trunk, floor pans and cowl). Seeing the car initially, he was pretty skeptical at first glance, until he saw the 999 paint code on the fender tag. Then he pulled the back seat up to see if the build sheet was in it.

“When I saw that color, my heart jumped,” he says.

Omaha Orange was never a color offered by any of the major manufacturers; it was a color used for taxi cabs running around the Haight-Asbury and other San Francisco places at the time. To date, there is only one other Daytona painted that way, and its whereabouts are questionable. Tim gave the unrestored car to Roger Gibson, who spent a couple of years reworking it into one of the most accurate restorations of any wing car.

As built, the car got the special paint, the 440 Magnum, four speed transmission, and Dana 60 rear. It got deluxe bucket seats, console, and AM radio. Like the interior, the wing was black. Most of these cars were built as sales bank cars and very few got special ordered. This one is unique for all of those reasons. The car originally came with 15” body-color painted rims. While Gibson restored the original set, Tim has chosen to use a set of the rare 15” Kelsey Hayes wheels that were recalled almost immediately due to failures; they fit the car perfectly.

The museum also has other Daytonas beyond these two and the #71 racecar – one is a 6000-mile Hemi survivor and another that is 440 powered, now stored is among the ‘barn finds’ displayed in Alexander City. The Hemi with be at the upcoming Musclecar and Corvette Nationals in Chicago on Nov 16-18.

The following year, Plymouth used a similar group of changes to build a group of cars that helped bring Richard Petty back into the fold. These cars were modified from Road Runners and used sheetmetal pieces from the redesigned 1970 Dodge Coronet to get even more streamlined. The slippery pieces developed for the Dodge were reworked with some improvements and, unlike the 500 cars built by Dodge, NASCAR now required one for every two dealerships – over 1900 units.

As a result, the Plymouth wings are found in more variety and abundance than the Dodges. The museum has three Superbirds, one Hemi-powered, one Six Pack, and one using the 440 combination (those were the three engines available in the model). The unrestored Hemi Superbird will also make its first public appearance away from Alabama at MCACN.

The museum’s Charger 500, the first aero-styled redesign that preceded the ‘nuclear option’ Dodge Daytona release, will also be at the Illinois event; it too is Hemi powered.    ]]> http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/index.php/2012/11/12/wings-over-alex-city/feed/ 0 http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/index.php/2012/03/05/amos-digital-features-wellborn-musuem-gsx/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=amos-digital-features-wellborn-musuem-gsx http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/index.php/2012/03/05/amos-digital-features-wellborn-musuem-gsx/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:40:56 +0000 QMPEditor http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/?p=904 http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/index.php/2012/03/05/amos-digital-features-wellborn-musuem-gsx/feed/ 0 http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/index.php/2012/01/25/flashback-wellborn-museum%e2%80%99s-1971-charger-event-sets-stage-for-2012-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flashback-wellborn-museum%25e2%2580%2599s-1971-charger-event-sets-stage-for-2012-show http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/index.php/2012/01/25/flashback-wellborn-museum%e2%80%99s-1971-charger-event-sets-stage-for-2012-show/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:07:30 +0000 QMPEditor http://wellbornmusclecarmuseum.com/?p=878 2012 WMM Show date is announced! October 11-13

Charger fans gathered at the Wellborn Musuem last October for the 40th Anniversary of the 1971 Charger .

story and photos by Geoff Stunkard

The Wellborn Musclecar Museum hosted a very special show late last year honoring the 1971 Charger. With vehicle attendance available by invitation, this unique inaugural has set the stage for an even larger, more inclusive edition this coming October 11-13, 2012.

“We wanted to honor the Charger’s 40 year heritage last year because that vehicle has meant so much to Pam and I,” says Tim Wellborn. “However, we really desired to showcase and host something that was for the whole hobby. This October, we are making plans for an event that will be open to all makes of musclecars at our facilty here in Alexander City.”

2012 Show Dates: October 11-13

Three sequentially serial numbered Hemi Chargers were among the highlights of the event, which was largest gathering of 1971 Hemi Chargers ever done.

One unique car that came in for this event was the original 440-equipped model that paced the Winston Cup World 600 NASCAR race in Charlotte, N.C., back in 1971.

Inside, a new exhibit on display was this just restored operating Hemi cutaway, one of two in museum and the only one still existent with the transmission attached.

Not only Chargers were on hand; these two E-bodies staked out a comfortable corner in the lot. The Uniroyal sign is authentic and still part of the operating garage next door.

Late models on hand included cars like these from private owners as well as a Petty Enterprises beast with a supercharger that was driven in.

On Saturday night, the Sonic store next door to the museum graciously allowed attendees to fill up the parking lot with vintage musclecars. Contact the museum for 2012 event information!

Musclecar Milestones by Geoff Stunkard

Text by Geoff Stunkard / Photos by John Stunkard

 “My dad had Fords, and my first car was a Mustang, so I was not a Mopar girl when we first met; in fact, I had never seen a Hurst Pistol Grip until our first date when I climbed into Tim’s Charger. I saw it and said ‘what is that thing;’ my first thought was that it was some aftermarket redneck part.”

Pam Wellborn was laughingly recalling her first encounter with Chrysler’s legendary musclecar options. Tim Wellborn and Pam Twilley had known each other in high school, and Tim had arrived in a 1970 Charger for their first date that occasion. While the two enjoyed those carefree days, career and life choices would cause them to go their separate ways into other relationships and responsibilities after graduation. Pam moved to Birmingham to get her nursing degree, while Tim ended up beginning his serious work responsibilities at the family business, Wellborn Forest Products.

The ‘cuda seen here had originally came from the Phoenix, Arizona, being sold new through the well-known Town & Country franchise out there. It was the mid-1980s, and Tim had purchased it as part of a growing group of classic Mopars he owned. Partial to Chargers and NASCAR-oriented B-Bodies, it was the only E-body he owned at the time he and Pam’s relationship reignited in 1986.

“There is something about that car,” he says. “Blue, white top, big block…” “Yes, do you remember we drove that car to the Mopar Nationals in 1988 in Columbus?,” Pam replies. “We got married in 1987, and we had four or five cars at that time, including the Jamaica-blue 1970 Charger we had dated in a few years earlier. Now, I love convertibles; Tim loves the 1971 Chargers.”

As things worked out, the financial requirements of Tim’s family-owned cabinet business in Alexander City, which he took over when his father passed away unexpectedly in the early 1990s, eventually resulted in the painful separation of virtually their entire collection, saving just one wing car (a yellow Superbird) and the Tawny Gold Hemi Charger that Tim’s late father had owned. However, those lean years were time and money spent wisely, and, once back on solid footing, Tim and Pam were able to reacquire the droptop E-body from its then-current owner in Canada.

This car is unique, as most people forget that the only year you could get a 440 four-barrel in the Plymouth ‘cuda convertible was 1970. No 440 convertibles were ever built on the A-body platform, and in 1971, the final year of production, the 440 high-performance motor was offered only in Six Pack trim. The standard 440 option allowed A/C to be installed on this car; only 34 1970 440-4 ‘cudas converts were constructed. Moreover, it is fairly high-optioned: EB5 Blue Fire Metallic paint, color-coded Elastomeric bumper, racing mirrors, hood pins, AM/8-track, and side-sill-deck moldings. Pam, for one, is very glad to have it back.

“Yes, I have had an impact on our collection with the cars I’ve picked,” says Pam with a big laugh. “If it were up to Tim, we’d have mostly 1971 Chargers!”

Tim laughs and nods in agreement. Though Pam might have not been overly impressed with that Pistol Grip and the brawny Mopars at first sight, she was a quick and thorough study. Tim’s previous serious relationship had not been very happy; having admitted that his car interest was a pretty important part of his life, he wanted to make sure that any other woman he became serious about having a relationship with ‘got it.’ So, within a short time of their reacquaintance, Pam was learning.

“Tim gave me all these reference books when we first started dating, and I really liked him, so I studied them,” Pam says. “Back then, a lot of them were little guides listing options and parts. Pretty soon, I had memorized a lot of details, and eventually I was actually doing judging at some of the events we went to. Of course, I had a great teacher.”

As mentioned, this car was sold in 1994 to help keep the business moving, and went through a number of owners before returning to Alabama. When it came back, though pretty unmolested and still garage kept, the unrestored numbers-matching machine was showing its age. To this end, the Wellborns turned it over to restorer Andrew White of Apex Autosports, who did a spectacular job of bringing the rare metal back to award-winning status.

Meanwhile, Pam’s interest in convertibles resulted in some other cars that have come into the collection, including their W30 4-4-2 ’70 Olds and their Ram Air IV GTO Judge, both outstanding droptops even if they are not Mopars. The couple also has a 383-cid Challenger R/T convertible in the museum’s holdings. These rarities have become part of the museum’s best-known holdings, and remain an important part of the heritage of the musclecar era.

Why not a Hemi? Well, beyond the addiitonal cost and maintenance associated with it, you could not get air conditioning with the 426. Indeed, this would also go away in 1971 on this model, as it was not available with the Six Pack design, either...

One unique aspect of this car was the single 4bbl carb, a Carter AVS model that was superceded in 1971 with the 3-2 Holley Six Pack layout on Chrysler's performance 440 engines, making the 440-4 'cuda a one-year only offering.

The blue interior in the E-body was augmented with the dictaphone recorder, plus bucket seats with a console-mounted automatic shifter.

The rocker moldings along the bottom edge were an extra-cost option that only a few 'cuda owners chose to purchase. These and other styling cues were typical for American performance cars that year.

“It’s really unbelievable to own a car built as early as this one,” says Tim Wellborn, who owns it now. “What’s more, we also have the final one built in 1971, meaning you can see both the first and last 1971 Chargers when they are on display.”

They were called pony cars, models that fit a small but sporty segment between economy models and midsize cars. Named for the sales niche that Mustang had established in 1964, all the major manufacturers were making offerings to this marketplace by 1970. Prior to that, Plymouth had used their A-body platform to release the first Barracudas, but sales proved that it and the Dart from the Dodge Division was not quite what the public wanted. For 1970, it was the new Duster 340 aimed at the economy muscle market, because now Chrysler had released a completely new design, designated as the E-body, to meet the desires for ‘pony’ muscle.

These new models, Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda (that was called ‘cuda in performance trim), could be had with any engine in the Chrysler line-up, right up to the 426 Hemi. Though based on the B-body platform, big blocks in the E-bodies tended to be nose heavy. When it came to handling prowess, the refined 340 small-block ended up being the best overall choice, and you could get the four-barrel version in the both the coupe or convertible E-body styles. For hardcore fans, you could also get a very special E-body with a Holley six-barrel layout, which arrived in the special A53-coded Trans Am models that came off the line in March.

The Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-Am racing series had become a big deal for the manufacturers, and 1970 was by far the most visible year the SCCA ever had. Dodge hired Sam Posey to direct their Challenger program, while Dan Gurney’s All American Racers oversaw the Plymouth ‘cuda development. Part of the SCCA rules required that race-engineered equipment needed to be available on production examples. Thus the Cuda AAR (named after Gurney’s company) and the Challenger T/A (named after the racing series) were born, to homologate that hardware for the racetrack and promote the factory’s involvement in the series.

Continued

Special graphics and callouts in black tape were also standard, as was the rear spoiler, rear-mounted radio antenna, and mixed-size tires (Goodyear raised letter Polyglas E60x15 up front and G60x15 in the rear, all on 15x7 rims, with a Sav-A-Space inflatable spare in the trunk). Special heavy duty suspension equipment, front power disk brakes, and the special E55 340” engine completed the package.

Based on a stock 340, this was the most radical small-block done by Chrysler in the era. A high nickel content block with meat for four-bolt mains, head castings drilled for offset pushrods, and an Edelbrock aluminum intake (painted the same color as the engine) topped with three Holley two-barrels, were all part of it. Rated at a paltry 290 horses, the E55 was never again offered as a production option. With changes in policy and government mandates, the factory pulled out its money and support of the series after just one season, and the cars were never revived (though a ’71 Challenger was depicted in some 1971 model advertising).

The Wellborn Musclecar Museum features two of the most impressive examples from the one-year experiment. Moreover, both vehicles are low-mileage survivor cars, something the museum has specialized in. The duo came from the legendary collection of Otis Chandler, were subsequently sold to Carlos Monterverde and shipped to England, and finally returned to the States to become part of the Wellborn’s then-private museum in 2002. Take a look at them: Plymouth ‘cuda AAR and Dodge Challenger TA.

“I think this is likely the best survivor T/A in existence,” says Tim. “There are a couple of things that have been changed or fixed on it over the years, but it is a real time capsule. I don’t own many small-block cars, but I have never regretted buying this one. Like the AAR, it is a lot of fun to drive.”

Mileage: 30,000

Production: 2400 (989 four speeds)

Color: EB3 Light Blue Metallic with a B5 Blue interior

Standard Equipment: A53 Trans Am package (T/A graphics, fiberglass hood, rear fiberglass spoiler, side exit exhaust, heavy duty suspension, E55 340 engine, D21 four speed, D56 3.55 Sure grip, U01 Goodyear tires - E60 front/G60 rear tires front, V6H tape stripe, W34 collapsible spare)

Continued

The T/A hood was by far its most visible feature, and for good reason; this was perhaps the most effective scoop design to ever come from Detroit. Chrysler engineers used the raised forward opening to prevent turbulent over-hood air from entering the inlet. It proved to be a winner in drag racing when the hood was optionally offered on all performance models due to safety issues with the Challenger's original ‘Shaker’ design.

Options: (A44) rear window louvers (includes black vinyl top) * (A45) front spoiler package * (C16) console * (G34) outside LH remote painted mirror * (R11) AM radio * (J46) locking gas cap * (J55) undercoating * 15x7 Rallye wheels.

Cost in 1970: $4200 – plus.

The lines of the Challenger remain classic, enough so that this was the basic design selected for the re-release of the model in the 21st century. The T/A was certainly the most visually radical of the breed offered during the car’s five-year production cycle 1970-1974.

Offset tire sized on the E53 models were a first for Chrysler, allowing the body to attain a forward rake right off the showroom floor. The chrome exhaust tips were dealer-added following delivery to prevent damage in transit.

This Sav-A-Space spare tire came with a can of inflator; all of it is very hard to find if you need one for your E-body restoration.

The E55 small-block had the Six Pack Holley set-up on an Edelbrock manifold. The motor also had adjustable rockers, which had been discontinued when production ended on the 273 four-barrel. It was the most serious LA-series engine Chrysler released back in the day. Keith Black did the actual Trans-Am race versions, which displaced 305” inches.

Among the options on the T/A are the B5 Blue interior, which gives it a great deal of curb appeal. Note the Pistol Grip and dash layout; this is an unrestored car.

The view from above and behind again shows that raw muscle was a characteristic of the E53 package cars, making both the T/A and AAR legendary small-block vehicles from the musclecar era and very much at home at the Wellborn Musclecar Museum.