Feb 2014. pdf

ONE OF ONE MR. NORMS 50th GSS CHALLENGER
FEBRUARY, 2014
GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOW
MOPARS AND HEMI POWER SHINE
SCOOP: 2014 MR. NORM’S GSS CUDA RACER EDITION
EZ TECH 1965 – 1968 C-BODY SWAY BAR REFRESH
VISTA BURGER RUN COMPLETE EVENT COVERAGE
MR. NORM TALKS ABOUT HIS YEARS WITH DODGE
January, 2014
FEBRUARY 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
NEWS FLASH .................................................4
Mr. Norm’s Sport Club Member Ride ........ 30
Editor’s Page ..................................................6
Tech Page: Chrysler C-Body Sway Bar
Revival ......................................................... 34
Mr. Norm’s Corner .......................................10
Cover Story: Grand National Roadster Show,
Rolling Sculpture .........................................14
Mr. Norm’s Vehicle: GSS ‘Cuda Racer .......22
Women’s World ........................................... 40
Product Spotlight ........................................ 44
Millennium Musings ....................................26
West Coast Report ...................................... 46
Specials of the Month..................................28
But Wait, There’s More ............................... 50
EDITORIAL
Publisher .......................................................... Mr. Norm
Editor .......................................................... Larry Weiner
Managing Editor ......................................... Deb Murphy
Editorial Assistant.................................. Debbie Weiner
Contributors ......................................... Linda Mandalas
Howard Benjamin
Andrew Schultheis
DEALER SALES
East Coast ...............................................Mike Staveski
Midwest ................................................. Bob Longstreth
West Coast ............................................... Steve Temple
ON THE COVER: 1969 CHARGER R/T ON DISPLAY AT
THE GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOW
PENTASTAR POWER IS PUBLISHED MONTHY BY MR. NORM’S SPORT CLUB
P.O. Box 381 / Highland Park, IL 60035 / (760) 630-0547 / mrnorm1013@aol.com / www.mrnorms.com
NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS
Driving to the Beat of a Different Drummer
Photos courtesy of Daiwa
Automobiles Inc.
A
Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS Challenger
and
Jeep
Wrangler FIVE STAR
were prominently displayed by
Daiwa at the 32nd Annual Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) that was
held January 10-12. The Tokyo Auto Salon is the third
largest automotive aftermarket
show in the world, behind the
SEMA SHOW in the United
States and Essen Motor Show
in Germany. Like the SEMA
4
SHOW, the Tokyo Auto Salon
attracts companies and attendees from all over the
world. This year, a reported
300,000 people attended the
show.
Also like the SEMA SHOW,
major automobile manufactur-
FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
ers like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru and General Motors have a significant
presence at the Tokyo Auto
Salon. Each of these exhibits
featured a wide range of
tricked out vehicles that
showcase the latest trends in
customization and aftermar-
ket accessories.
The Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS Challenger and
Jeep Wrangler FIVE STAR
garnered lots of attention at
the Tokyo Auto Salon. With
their decidedly American appearance, the Mr. Norm’s
5
Challenger with its muscle
car heritage and Wrangler
FIVE STAR with its bold goanywhere persona offered an
interesting contrast to many
of the tuner and race themed
vehicles on display at the
show.
Editor’
M
Music and Cars
usic and cars. As
long as there have
been cars, composers have been
writing songs about them. As
early as 1905, Gus Edwards
and Vincent Bryan wrote the
music and lyrics to My Merry
Oldsmobile, a very popular
tune in its day that celebrated
the curved dash Olds. Through
the years, cars have been the
stars of songs of all kinds. For
example, in 1958, the Playmates recorded Beep, Beep, a
song about a Nash Rambler
and a Cadillac. But music inspired by cars really hit their
stride in the 60’s when groups
like the Beach Boys, Jan and
Dean and Ronny and the Daytonas started recording number one hits about muscle cars
and hot rods.
Back in the 60’s, before Bill
Lear’s invention of the 8-track
tape player, records were the
most common way to listen to
your favorite music. For those
of you who weren’t born yet,
singles were released on 45’s,
named after the speed (45 rpm)
they played at, and were
known as the little records
with the big hole in the middle.
Albums were larger in diameter, had a small hole in the
middle, ran at 33 1/3 rpm.
With performance cars capturing the hearts and minds of
America’s youth, it was inevitable that these vehicles would
be immortalized in rock and
roll music.
There were so many groups
capitalizing on
the popularity
of muscle cars,
hot rods and
racing vehicles
in their songs
that it would be
impossible
to
list
them
all
here. That said,
some of the most
successful
included the Beach
Boys who sang
about
Chevy’s
409, Ronnie and
the
Daytona’s
GTO
capitalized
on Pontiac’s muscle car and the
Ripchords claim
to fame was a Cobra. But the song
we Mopar guys and gals
choose to remember from this
era is the Little Old Lady from
Pasadena by Jan and Dean,
the granny who had a flower
bed of gardenia’s and terrorized the streets of Pasadena in
her Super Stock Dodge.
In addition to the singles
and LP’s that celebrated the
cars we lusted after then, and
still do today, there were also
albums that covered racing
events. From drag racing, to
stock cars and even boat racing, these records were about
the only way to listen to the
sounds of racing vehicles at
events running at full throttle
with open headers in the comfort of your own home. With
titles like The Big Sounds of
6
the Drags and The
Incredible Sights and Sounds
of the Winternationals 1964,
drag racing records were also
very popular in their day.
Today, vinyl records are
considered an anachronism.
In the mid 1960’s, the technology started evolving from records to alternative formats,
such as the aforementioned 8tracks. While they did not
quite equal the sound quality
of records, 8-tracks provided
the first viable portable format
that enabled you to listen to
music whether you were at
home or in your car. After 8tracks, cassette tapes were
next in the evolutionary ladder,
followed by today’s compact
discs.
But while vinyl may seem
’s Page
old fashioned by modern
standards, there is a movement afoot that embraces the
unique sound of a record as
opposed to the near sterile
sound of a CD. In fact new
records are not only still being
pressed, they are gaining in
popularity among many audiophiles. And proof of this is in
the diversity of genres available, which range from classical
to rock, country, punk, hip
hop and heavy metal from numerous record companies such
as Decca, Atlantic, RCA and
Polydor. In case you’re curious, check out The Vinyl Store
on Amazon or the new vinyl
records section on eBay.
There is also a growing
trend in acquiring original records. In addition to the sound
of a clean, unscratched Hi Fi
or Stereophonic record, there
is the art that graced the large
format covers of many albums.
Think about the timeless album jackets on The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely
Hearts
Club Band, The
Who’s Magic Bus
or
the
Rolling
Stones Let It Bleed
albums.
Each
was a piece of art
in its own way.
In addition, many
albums also included
photos,
lyrics and special pull out sections,
making
them very collectible today.
Lastly, what
could be more
fun than to
play these old
records on a
vintage
turn
table hooked
up to a receiver/amplifier
and speakers
from the era? All of this started
because one day this past
summer, while rummaging
through the basement, I
ran across a box with
all of our albums from
the 1960’s and ‘70’s.
This box has moved
with us from house to
house for the past 35
years without being
opened. Finding it
piqued my curiosity,
so I unsealed it and
looked at all of the
old records, which
brought back a lot
of
memories.
Among those that
I
found in the box were some
with memorable car songs by
the Beach Boys and Jan and
Dean that characterized the
muscle car era.
There was
even a copy of The Original Big
Sounds of the Drags in the
box.
Finding the records reminded me that we still had my
1974 Superscope R340 receiver/amplifier, also in a box that
hadn’t seen the light of day in
decades. While looking for it, I
ran across a another box labeled “Record Player” that contained a BIC Venturi turn table
I bought my wife when we were
Hey Little Cobra And Other Hot Rod Hits by the Ripchords. A
289 Cobra on the cover celebrates the title track from the album.
Many of the songs on the album were Beach Boys and Jan and
Dean tunes that the Ripchords covered
7
mon today. Of
course, listening to the music
brought
back a wave
of memories
about cars I
once owned,
going to the
races
and
old friends
from time
gone by.
The
next
time
the
winter
weather
gets you
down,
think
about
checking
out
engaged back in
1978. At this point, I was a
man on a mission, and finally
found the box with the Superscope, along with a long lost
pair of book shelf speakers.
After unpacking the components, I carried them and the
records up my office, hooked it
up, and after lubricating the
bearing on the turntable with
WD40 for a couple of days,
had everything working perfectly.
Putting all of this vintage
stereo gear together and playing the records was not only a
rewarding experience, but yet
another way to enjoy some of
the stuff that we had held onto
all these years. Listening to
the original records on the old
equipment, some of which
dates back forty years was not
only fun, but I realized how
different the sound is from the
compact discs and hi tech stereo systems that are so com-
some of those boxes in your
basement, attic or maybe some
that you left behind at your
parent’s house when you
moved out on your own. You
just might find some hidden
treasures that will brighten
your day and stoke the flames
of a bygone era. Drop me a line
at Larry@mrnorms. com and
let me know what you found. I
can’t be the only packrat who
saves everything.
Tell your friends and
members of your car club
to join Mr. Norm’s Sport
Club. They’ll get discounts
on parts, memorabilia and
receive Pentastar Power
every month for free.
.
Ronny and the Daytonas G.T.O Album cover with their 1964 hit single G.T.O.
The band members are posed with a 1964 Pontiac GTO
8
Mr. Norm
100 Years of Chrysler
Bob McCurry VP Dodge Division and Bill France Sr. of NASCAR with 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona at the Daytona 500.
Photo Credit: Mr. Norm’s Collection
2
013 marked the 50th
year of my involvement in the performance industry. In
addition, it’s also been 50
years since we opened Grand
Spaulding Dodge in Chicago,
and started down the road to
becoming the largest volume
Dodge dealer in the world.
Now, we’re into 2014, a year
that marks the 100th anniversary of Dodge. This is a company that played a big role in
my life and made a huge impact on what we now look
back on as the Muscle Car
Era.
I was not privy to a lot of
inside corporate information
on Chrysler before 1963 when
I signed up to expand our performance based used car lot at
the corner of Grand and
Spaulding into a bona fide
Dodge dealership. But, believe
me, I’m pretty sure I know a
lot about those years when I
was intimately involved with
the company, until I retired
from Grand Spaulding Dodge
in 1977.
10
As an aside, I guess in a
way, I was involved with
Dodge even before Grand
Spaulding Dodge. When I was
in high school after World War
II, I tooled around in a 1939
Dodge, although certainly it
was not quite as exciting as
what was to come from Dodge
in the 1960’s.
In the early 60s, Ford was
making a big push in performance cars with its Total Performance program. Ford was
very active in NASCAR, Indy,
road racing and drag racing.
m’s Corner
GM was also aggressively marketing performance vehicles
such as the 409 Chevy, the
421 Pontiac and ultimately,
the car that stood the performance world on its ear, the
GTO. At that time, Dodge didn’t have a huge slice of that
market but they were starting
to move in that direction. For
one thing, Chrysler had hired
Elwood Engel away from Ford
in 1961. Engel had been involved in the designs of the
1961 Thunderbird and the
Lincoln Continental. He had
an eye for what people wanted
in the look of a car. While I
was seriously leaning toward
Dodge in the early 1960s, the
fact they hired Engel was a
signal to me that the company
was going in the same direction I was definitely heading
in.
Another factor was Chrysler’s introduction of the Max
Wedge engine in the Dodge BBody. The innovative Max
Wedge was the racing engine
of its time. So here I was, sitting at the corner of Grand
and Spaulding selling used
high-performance cars. If I was
going to evolve into a new-car
dealer, I sure wanted to have
access to good-looking cars
that could blow the doors off
the competition. Dodge had
the power plant and the potential for drop-dead gorgeous design. You tell me – did I make
the right decision? I sure must
have. For the 14 years I was a
Dodge dealer, from 1963 to
1977, I did nothing but grow.
The economy may have gone
up and down, the market may
have
shifted,
but
Grand
Spaulding never had a slump
during those 14 years.
Then in 1964 when Bob
McCurry came onboard as
Sales Manager for Dodge Division and corporate Vice President for Chrysler, I knew we’d
hit the jackpot. I met McCurry
soon after he took over Dodge
and we had a good talk. I realized right away here was a guy
who spoke the same language.
We were wired the same way,
especially when it came to performance. You have to understand, this was the era of cult
figures in the industry. General Motors had John DeLorean, Ford had Lee Iacocca and
although McCurry didn’t get
the ink that these two guys
got, he was just as important
to the development of Dodge.
We worked together like two
performance conspirators. I’d
tell him what I needed and
he’d get it to me. He’d depend
on my sense of what our market wanted in a car and I’d depend on his ability to get it
done and get it done right.
MoparFest in Ontario, the Most
Hospitable
1964 Chrysler Turbine Car on display at the Chicago Automobile Show. The Chrysler Turbine Car was designed
underShow
thdirection of Elwood Engel, head of design at Chrysler from 1961 to 1972. Photo Credit: Chicago Automobile Show
11
I’ve often told the story of
wanting to put a high performance engine in a light
weight, compact car. Everybody but Dodge was doing it.
We needed that kind of vehicle to capture the imagination
of the kids, and to compete
against cars like the Ford
Mustang and Chevy II Nova
Super Sport. He told me his
engineers said that they
couldn’t put a big block engine in the 3000 lb. Dart. So, I
had my guys in the shop do it.
We pulled out the 273 and
dropped In a 383. Then we let
all of the magazine editors
take test drives with the Dart.
It knocked their socks off. The
Dart passed all the road tests
with flying colors. We took the
car to McCurry and he had
the factory to produce those
little speed demons. The only
thing McCurry insisted on
was that we had to purchase
them 50 of them at a time,
which I had no hesitation doing.
McCurry did his job producing
great
performance
cars, the kind of cars people
wanted to drive. And, I did my
job, generating excitement
with a national advertising
campaign supported by our
professional funny car racing
team, a parts department
stocked with factory and aftermarket parts and accessories, along with a high performance service department
with not one, but two Clayton
Dynamometers. Those were
definitely good years for both
Dodge and for me.
In 1973 as the muscle car
era drew to a close, we transitioned into the van market.
Conversion vans were the
next big thing at the time and
we made sure that Grand
Spaulding Dodge was the
place to go to get one. We
also provided many van
conversion companies with
“tin cans” as we called the
base Dodge Van. One year,
we realized that the van
converters in Indiana were
all running out of stock
vans to convert in the
summer. We saw a great
opportunity to provide
these vans to the converters if we could just
order an additional 500
of them at the end of the
model
year.
I
approached Mc Curry with
the idea, he supported
it and made sure that
we got the allocation we needed. Sure enough, we sold every one of the vans in just two
weeks.
I have to say, looking back
on my years with Dodge, I’ve
had a lucky life; lucky to be
associated with Chrysler Corporation, with the right people
with the excitement and guts
to push the envelope with performance. Dodge, McCurry
and I were a great team and
Dodge made it all possible
12
with their willingness to take an aggressive position in the marketplace.
1976 Dodge Street Van. Magazine ad
from 1976 promoting the Dodge Van
Clan (above)
Elwood Engel with Dodge Charger
Concept. Photo Credit: Mr. Norm’s
Collection :below)
RESTORATION SERVICES
RESTORATION SERVICES
Call, fax or e-mail for consultation services
Call, fax or e-mail for consultation services
106 State Hwy. PP
Scott City, MO 63780
Phone: (573) 264-2033
Fax: (573) 264-3821
E-Mail: rkgibson@clas.net
P.O. Box 35300
Richmond, VA 23235-0300
Phone: (804) 275-2155
Fax: (804) 275-1969
E-Mail: sixpackfrank@aol.com
COVER STORY
Grand National Roadster Show:
Story and Photos By Larry Weiner
olling
Sculpture. Spectacular design, extraordinary execution and attention to detail
are all hallmarks of vehicles in
competition at the Grand National Roadster Show. While
there are numerous classes for
vehicles at the GNRS, without
a doubt, the high point of the
show is the category reserved
for those cars in contention to
win the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award, or AMBR
as it is commonly called. The
AMBR is one of the most prestigious awards that a custom
vehicle owner can aspire to
win. Needless to say, dedicated
builders and passionate enthusiasts will work on creating
a one of a kind customized
roadster for years in their zeal
to achieve this lofty goal.
The Grand National Roadster Show celebrated its 65th
anniversary this year. Nicknamed “The Grand Daddy of
Them All,” The Grand National
Roadster Show is the longest
running indoor car show in the
world. Originally held in Oakland, California beginning in
1950, for the last twelve years,
the Pomona Fairplex in Pomo-
na, California has been home
to the show. Utilizing every
available building on the property, plus numerous displays
outside, the GNRS is truly a
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world class car show.
The theme of the Grand
National Roadster Show this
year was “Need For Speed,”
and over 500 vehicles were on
display in eight buildings, each
full to capacity with gorgeous
vehicles of all kinds. While
there is a misconception
among some enthusiasts who
have never attended the show
that the GNRS is mainly just
for roadsters and street rods,
nothing could be further from
the truth. In fact, nearly every
kind of vehicle can be found on
display at the Grand National
Roadster show, including lead
sleds, historic race cars, 50’s
shoeboxes, vintage muscle
Real AJ Watson Indy car. Check out the nose and you can see where the builder of the blown Hemi three window coupe below got his inspiration.
Twice blown Hemi in custom coupe with Watson Indy style nose. Note numerous photos on the floor that chronicle the build of this wild three window
cars, low riders, rat rods and
custom motorcycles, along
with street rods of all kinds.
Of course, the centerpiece of
the show is the roadsters in
contention for the AMBR
award.
As an example of the diversity of the event, each year at
the Grand National Roadster
Show, there is an entire build-
ing dedicated to highlighting a
specific group of vehicles, such
as the 75th Anniversary of the
‘32 Ford in 2007 and the History of the Race Car in 2010.
This year was no exception,
and in Building 9, the theme
was Bonneville “A Century of
Speed.” This building was
loaded with amazing vehicles
of all kinds that have compet-
The main show floor in Building 4 with five of the contenders for the America’s
Most Beautiful Roadster just after the GNRS opened on Friday.
15
1969 Charger Daytona looks like it’s going 200 miles per hour…..parked!
ed at the Bonneville Salt Flats,
from roadsters and belly tankers to streamliners, along with
coupes, sedans and even
trucks. The collection of vehi-
cles celebrating the exploits of
innovative hot rodders and daring racers in the quest to set
new speed records at Bonneville was nothing short of
1940 Willys Gasser
survivor from the
‘60’s with blown 392
Imperial Hemi
16
amazing.
The Suede Palace in Building 10 is dedicated to showcasing one of the
more recent trends, rat rods.
Vehicles of all kinds
filled this building,
many
displaying
some very original
approaches to hot
rodding and customizing, often times
done on a small
budget.
An
outgrowth of the original
“work in progress”
hot rods and customs that were so
common
on
the
street in the 1950’s,
today an entire culture has built up
around these vehicles, including men
and women wearing
costumes
and
makeup that reflect
an era that time passed by
over a half century ago.
While customs of varying
types were on display in each
of the buildings, The Custom
Room located in Building 5
was dedicated to these sometimes extreme vehicles and
featured amazing customs by
Gene Winfield, Roy Brizio,
James Hetfield and Troy Trepanier. Each of these vehicles
had a story to tell, some with a
long history of continuous
customization at the hands of
numerous owners. Others are
recreations of original customs
that have been lost to the
sands of time or tributes to
still existent cars that are so
desirable that one is simply
not enough. As an example,
Howdy Ledbetter displayed his
1964 Plymouth
Belvedere altered wheelbase hardtop
is seen above.
Say’s “It’s A
Hemi” on the
front fender
just in case
you were in
doubt! Check
out the pure
‘60’s style injected Hemi
with cast M/T
valve covers at
right.
tribute to the original Ala Kart
at the GNRS a few year ago.
The original was built for Richard Peters by George Barris
back in ‘59 and won the AMBR
award in both 1959 and 1960.
Outside on Saturday and
Sunday, nearly 1,000 vehicles
Mopars and Hemi power were well represented at the Grand National
Roadster Show again this year. There were a dizzying array of
Mopars on display in nearly every building, along with an endless
number of vehicles that featured Hemi and Wedge power.
17
Silver Bullet dragster with stack injected 273 Dodge small block was originally displayed at the 1967 Detroit Autorama. It
the GNRS with several vintage front motor dragsters and gassers of the era.
were on display as part of the
Grand Daddy Drive In. Cars
and trucks of all kinds were
driven to the GNRS and displayed between the vintage
1930’s buildings that house
the vehicles that are in show
competition. The Grand Daddy Drive In provides a venue
for enthusiasts who want to
show up for the day, display
their vehicles at the GNRS
and drive home again that
evening. It’s a fun, no stress
way to participate and see the
show at the same time.
As in past years, Mopars
and Hemi power were well
represented at the Grand National Roadster Show again
this year. There were a dizzying array of Mopars on display
in nearly every building, along
with an endless number of
vehicles that featured Hemi
and Wedge power.
From
18
dragsters,
gassers
and
streamliners, to hot rods, customs and even rolling chassis,
Chrysler power is an extremely popular choice among
builders. Hemi engines from
Chrysler products of all kinds
were seen in nearly every vehicle category, including legendary Chrysler Fire Power,
Dodge Red Ram, DeSoto Fire
Dome and Imperial Hemi engines. Vehicles powered by
Blowfish 1969 Barracuda Bonneville record holder was built by Troy Trepanier
Wild customized late ‘60’s Dodge pickup was powered by a V10 Viper engine.
t was restored in 2013 and on display at
muscle car era 426 Hemi engines were also in abundance,
including gassers and altered
wheel base cars equipped with
both superchargers and Hilborn stack injection, along
with classic muscle cars sporting dual four barrel Carter
AFB carbs. Mopar Wedge power was also seen in many vehicles, along with the recently
restored Silver Bullet fully enclosed dragster that was pow-
Gorgeous 1966 Charger looked factory fresh.
19
All Mopar enthusiasts know about Bill “Maverick” Golden’s Little Red
Wagon Dodge A-100 wheelstander, but how many have seen the original
Galpin’s Backup Pickup. This early Ford Econoline ran against the Little
Red Wagon in the ‘60’s and was on display at in Galpin’s exhibit.
2005 Dodge Ram with Cummins Turbo Diesel is the World’s Fastest
Pickup.
ered by a wild twisted stack injected
273 small block in Building 3, along
with a great display of vintage gassers from the 1960’s.
As if all of this wasn’t enough,
the Grand National Roadster Show
offered a wide range of entertainment, including live rock and roll by
The Eliminators, the Mountain Man
from Duck Dynasty was on hand
signing autographs, The Trophy
Queen Contest in the Suede Palace
and a myriad of vendors in the food
court areas served up everything
from burgers and hot dogs to hot
wings and churros. There were also
over 250 vendors located both inside
and outside with just about anything you can imagine, from reproduction steel bodies and frames, to
engines, injection systems, custom
interiors and wheels of all kinds.
If you have yet to attend the
Grand National Roadster Show, then
now is the time to put it on your
bucket list. It’s one of the greatest
car shows on earth, and it just
keeps getting better every year.
Southern California generally has
nice weather in late January and
this year was no exception. The
weather was nearly made to order,
with daytime temperatures in the
low ‘70’s and plenty of sunshine.
Pomona sure makes a great destination, especially if you live in a part of
the country where cold and snow is
the order of the day. Come on out
and see the show; you’ll be glad you
did.
Tell your friends and members
of your car club to join Mr.
Norm’s Sport Club. They’ll get
1968 Charger R/T was patriotically painted in blue with red and white accents and featured Hemi power.
SOURCE BOX
Grand National Roadster Show, 12223 Highland Ave. No. 550
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 9173, 877-ROD-SHOWS
20
discounts on parts, memorabilia and receive Pentastar
Power every month for free.
MR. NORM
DOES IT
AGAIN!
2014 GSS
CUDA RACER
EDITION
MR. NORM’S GSS CUDA R
INCLUDES THE FOLLO
● Mr. Norm’s Signature GSS Cuda Gold Body Side Vinyl Graphics
● Mr. Norm’s GSS Challenger Cuda Hood Vinyl
Graphics
● Mr. Norm’s GSS Cuda Grille Unpainted
● Mr.
Norm’s
GSS Cuda
Tail Panel
● Cuda
Tail Panel
Die Cast
Emblem
● Mr. Norm’s Windshield Ban
● Mr. Norm’s Embossed Met
● Mr. Norm’s GSS Special Edi
● Mr. Norm’s Logo Red Powd
● Mr. Norm’s Sport Club Win
● Mr. Norm’s Grand
Spaulding Deck Lid Emblem
● Mr. Norm’s / Katzkin
GSS Embroidered Logo
Leather Headrest Covers
● Mr. Norm’s Signature
CALL MR. NORM’S AT (813) 789-6
FOR THE FIRST
TIME, MR.
NORM SELLS
DIRECT TO YOU
AT DEALERS INVOICE!
NEW GSS CUDA RACER
EDITION PACKAGE ONLY
$ 1,795.00
RACER EDITION PACKAGE
OWING EQUIPMENT
nner
tal License Plate
ition Fender Emblems
der Coated Caliper Covers
ndow Decals (2)
Embroidered Logo Plush Carpet Mats Set of 4
● Mr. Norm’s Unique Serialized Number Dash Plaque
● GSS Cuda Racer Edition Will Be Registered in the
Original Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge Registry
6179 AND ORDER YOURS TODAY
‘CUDA STYLE GRILLE
Every Mr. Norm’s GSS ‘Cuda is
equipped with this highly detailed
‘Cuda-style grille
GSS LEATHER HEADREST
Custom GSS embroidered
leather headrest. Standard
FUNCTIONAL HOOD PINS Just like
the original ‘Cuda, the GSS ‘Cuda is
available with Mr. Norm’s functional
hood pins and lanyards. Optional
SERIIAL NUMBER DASH PLAQUE
Brushed silver dash plaque with Mr.
Norm’s signature and unique serial
number. Standard
‘CUDA STROBE STRIPE GRAPHICS’
Mr. Norm’s signature strobe stripes
echo the classic originals. Standard
‘CUDA STYLE TAIL PANEL AND EMBLEM
Inspired by the original, every Mr. Norm’s
GSS ‘Cuda features this distinctive-looking
tail panel and ‘Cuda emblem. Standard
PISTOL GRIP SHIFTER
Shift with authority with
the Mr. Norm’s logo Pistol Grip Shifter. Optional
HURST WHEELS Classic muscle car
appearance matched with modern
technology. Optional
MR NORM CALIPER COVERS
Mr. Norm logo caliper covers,
powder-coated in red. Standard
MR. NORM WNDSHIELD BANNER
Let everyone know you have a real
Mr. Norm’s GSS ‘Cuda. There’s nothing like the real thing . Standard
CUSTOM LEATHER INTERIOR Mr.
Norm’s GSS embroidered logo custom leather in your choice of colors.
Optional
SIGNATURE CARPET
MATS Mr. Norm’s signature plush carpet mats.
Standard
Millennium
From Matchbox to Mopar
By Andrew Schultheis
n each of the past articles I have talked about
my pride and joy, a 2013
Dodge Dart, focusing on
the modifications I've made to
the vehicle since I bought it.
However, for this article, I
want to break away from the
Dart topic and discuss a fundamental
question;
what
sparked my interest in cars in
the first place? To answer
this, we need to go back a few
years, well almost 18 actually.
I was born in 1996, and
from a very early age I can remember playing with all kinds
of Matchbox and Hot Wheels
cars at my Grandparents
house. My Grandpa owned
several classic cars, and my
Dad worked in the car biz,
plus buying and selling cool
cars on the side. Needless to
say, I was around interesting
cars all the time, and quickly
caught the bug. The ancestral
influence was almost as important in my developing interests as my genes.
26
As I got older, my interest
in cars continued to grow,
along with the ever larger collection of Hot Wheels and die
cast cars in my room. I can
also remember going to car
shows with my Dad and
Grandpa starting at an early
age. In particular the Trans
Am Nationals in Dayton Ohio
was one that made a big impression on me. At this time,
my Dad didn't work for a
Chrysler dealer. He had a
Trans Am and was a Pontiac
fan.
m Musings
Our modern
culture today is
heavily
influenced by a
multitude of
different
mediums, and
something that
definitely got me
into cars was
video games.
And it wasn't just my die
cast car collection, and the experience of going to car shows
with my elders that fueled my
car fire, but video games also
made a big impression on me.
Our modern culture today is
heavily influenced by a multitude of different mediums, and
something that definitely got
me into cars was video games.
One in particular, Need for
Speed, was one of my favorite
games. Need for Speed allows
you to visually and mechanically modify your car and compete in different types of street
27
races. Don't worry, there was
a disclaimer in the title sequence telling you not to attempt any stunts pictured in
the game. Nevertheless, my
favorite part of the game was
always customizing the vehicles. I even created renderings
of cars for my Dad using this
game.
Last, but certainly not
least, as soon as I got my driver’s license, I started working
at Bosak Motors detailing cars
to earn money. Each of these
factors added to my gear head
personality. Based on all of
this, I would say that I'll have
some sort of involvement or
interest in cars throughout my
entire life, and I’m just getting
started. I bet that many of you
have similar stories.
Thanks for joining me
again this month, and remember, Mopar or No Car!
Mr. Norm’s Speci
MR. NORM’S
FUNCTIONAL HOODPIN KIT
FOR ALL 2008 – 2014 CHALLENGERS
SALE PRICE $129
REGULARLY $179 SAVE $50
ORDER A SET FOR YOUR CHALLENGER TODAY.
CALL (760
CHECK OF ALL OF THE MR. NORM’S PART
Note: No other discounts can be applied to sale price. Shipp
ial February Sale
TH
MR. NORM’S 50
ANNVERSARY
EMBOSSED LICENSE PLATE
THIS LICENSE PLATE WAS CREATED TO
CELEBRATE MR. NORM’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
SPORT CLUB MEMBER SALE PRICE $9.06
REGULARLY $12.95
Order yours today on the Mr. Norm’s website at www.mrnorms.com
0) 612-6365
TS AND ACCESSORIES AT www.mrnorms.com
ping is not included in price Offer expires February 28, 2014
Tamara and her award winning Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS Challenger at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals
By Larry Weiner
Photos by Doug Walczak and
Larry Weiner
T
here was a time
when muscle cars
and racing were
the sole domain of
men. Back in the 1960’s and
even into the ‘70’s, women
who liked working on cars or
racing in sanctioned competition were the exception, rather
than the rule. Women like
Shirley
“Cha
Cha”
Muldowney, Janet Guthrie
and Denise McCluggage broke
down the barriers and paved
the way for many of today’s
rising female stars.
Those days are long
gone. Women have jumped
30
into the fray with both feet,
and many now stand shoulder
to shoulder with men at automotive events of all kinds, including exhibiting at shows,
driving in all forms of racing
and even spinning wrenches
on television programs. Today,
just like their male counterparts, professional race car
drivers like Ashley Force and
Danica
Patrick
are tails abound, such as the one
judged by their perfor- off Mr. Norms / Katzkin cusTamara loves
mance
rather
than tom leather interior she envitheir gender. It’s no sioned, with silver facing, blue
performance cars
longer just a man’s wrap and blue Mr. Norm’s 50th
world. Many women Anniversary embroidered logand
are just as jazzed os, making it the only 50th
about working on cars Challenger with an interior like
personalizing them.
and showing up with this.
Another, more subtle
them at cruise night as mod is the Ram logo engraved
And for her, it’s not
men. One such woman into the Mr. Norm’s 50th quaris Tamara Fitzgerald.
ter panel stripes, something
just a passion, but a
Tamara loves perfor- Tamara does with each of her
way of life.
mance cars and per- vehicles.
sonalizing them. And
Among the many things
for her, it’s not just a she does with her vehicles,
passion, but a way of Tamara even changes the swaps them out for a set of
life. She currently owns wheels and tires as the mood Torque Thrust II style wheels
several Mopars, includ- strikes her, which instantly that add a classic ‘60’s muscle
ing an SRT-8 Charger alters the appearance of the car look to the vehicle. Just as
and a Challenger, each Challenger.
Sometimes it she might change ear rings,
of which she has modi- wears the Hurst Stunner shoes or other accessories as
fied. Custom graphics wheels that are part of the Mr. the mood strikes her, Tamara
and interiors speak to Norm’s 50th GSS Challenger likes to continually change up
her attention to detail package, other times she the appearance of her Chaland desire to make her
rides unique. And lest
you think that the
beauty of her cars is
only skin deep, rest assured,
performance
runs in her veins. Modifications
likeRod
catPower
back
Mr. Norm’s Super
Truck on Hot
Tour
dual exhaust systems,
cool air intakes and
lowered suspensions are par
for the course with Tamara.
It’s all about enhanced performance, inside and out.
Tamara’s Challenger is truly a one of a kind. It started
out as a regular SXT that she
bought as a daily driver. Not
content to leave it alone,
Tamara had it upgraded into a
Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary
GSS at Bosak Motors in Merrillville, Indiana. Unique de6.1 Hemi is fed by cool air intake. Tamara’s mods run more than skin deep
31
lenger the same way, keeping
it fresh and fun.
As if owning a Mr. Norm’s
50th Anniversary GSS isn’t
special enough, Tamara has
the only one in the United
States that’s powered by a V6.
The Challenger has the same
appearance as a ground
pounding Hemi with the fuel
sipping economy of a six.
Tamara might say that it’s the
best of both worlds.
Like the Challenger, the
Charger SRT-8 also reflects
Tamara’s quest for personalization and attention to detail.
This Plum Crazy beauty features a set of 20 inch Hurst
Stunner wheels in a staggered
fitment with BF Goodrich
Comp 2 directional tires for
better handling that’s complemented by a cat back dual exhaust system and a cool air
intake for enhanced performance from the 6.1 Hemi engine. The exterior reflects
Tamara’s zeal to make the
Charger her own with unique
Dodge themed, color coordinated graphics, and her use of
Note the custom Ram logo Tamara added to the 50th Anniversary rear quarter panel graphic
logo.
the Ram logo on the rear quarter panel stripes.
Not content to merely enhance the performance and
personalize the appearance of
her vehicles, Tamara took another step into what was once
the domain of men by entering
her Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary GSS Challenger in a car
show for the first time. And
not any car show, but the
Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, a highly competitive
event where some of the finest
cars in the country compete
for awards and national recognition. Tamara drove the Challenger to the show and then
spent hours detailing every
inch of the vehicle. The result
of all of her hard work paid off,
and in her first competitive
event, Tamara walked away
with the Gold Street Stock
Modified award. Some might
One off custom silver and blue
leather interior in Tamara’s Challenger illustrates her attention to
detail.
32
call it beginners luck, but we
know better. Tamara loves
cars, enjoys personalizing
them and there’s no doubt
that the award she won at
the Muscle Car and Corvette
Nationals is only the first of
many that will find a home
on her trophy mantle.
Want to see your Mopar
featured in Pentastar Power? Email photos and information about your vehicle,
along with your name and
phone number to Larry@mrnorms.com
SOURCE BOX
c. Tamara brands each of her vehicles with the
Bosak Motors
3111 Lincoln Hwy, Rte 30
Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone: 866-631-3806
Contact: Mr. J
Tamara’s Plum Crazy 2006 Charger SRT-8. Note the
addition of the 20 inch Hurst Stunner wheels and
custom graphics.
33
Tell your friends
and members of
your car club to join
Mr. Norm’s Sport
Club. They’ll get
discounts on parts,
memorabilia and
receive Pentastar
Power every month
for free.
Tech
Chrysler C-Body Sway Bar Revival
Story and Photos By Larry Weiner
T
here comes a time in the
life of all vintage vehicles
when some parts must be
replaced as a result of the
combination of the ravages of time
and accumulated mileage. In the
case of the rubber bushings on
the sway bar, sway bar links and
strut rods on our 1967 Chrysler
Town and Country, it was a little
of both.
This ’67 Chrysler is a true survivor with just 59,700 original
miles on the odometer. The front
suspension and steering is all OE,
other than the shock absorbers
that we replaced when we purchased the car seven year ago. In
fact, the suspension on the Chrysler is so original that the yellow
paint dabs on the suspension that
were applied when it was built on
the assembly line are still easy to
see. While finding an unmolested
1967 Chrysler Town and Country
nine passenger wagon is akin to
The first step is to put the big Chrysler Town and Country on a four post lift that
is rated at 9,000 lbs.
the proverbial needle in the haystack, and the thought of owning
a survivor sounds so romantic,
the truth remains that this vehicle
is 47 years old. When you factor
in the mileage, it becomes painfully obvious that the sway bar and
strut rod rubber bushings were
well past their normal life expectancy.
Reviewing each of the components revealed the truth. All of the
bushings were either completely
ruined or in an advanced stage of
deterioration. Adding insult to injury, one of the sway bar links
had been replaced by a previous
owner with an incorrect part that
did not fit the Chrysler’s sway bar
bushing correctly. The handling
of the big Chrysler in regular driving cycles was sloppy, and it was
clear that the sway bar and strut
rod bushings were the culprits. In
1
Moog sway bar,
sway bar link
and strut rod replacement bushings.
2
Original strut
rod bushing is
dry rotted, has multiple splits and is
working its way out
of the bracket.
2
11
34
Page
short, it was time to replace all of
the rubber bushings on these
components.
Interestingly, when they were
new, the front sway bar bushings
on the 1965 – 1967 Chrysler CBodies were not field serviceable.
The sway bar links were spot
welded and cannot be disassembled to remove and replace the
bushings. The entire front sway
bar, bushings and sway bar links
were only available from Mopar as
pre-assembled set. If the vehicle
needed new sway bar bushings,
the entire assembly was replaced.
Needless to say, nearly a half century later, NOS C-Body sway bar
assemblies are unobtainable, so
we had no choice but to save
what we had using replacement
bushings which are similar, but
not exactly the same as the originals.
We sourced new Moog replacement bushings for the sway
bar, sway bar links and the strut
rods from our local Carquest. Replacing the incorrect sway bar
link proved to be a tougher challenge. This part was used from
1965 thru 1968 on Chrysler
Plymouth and Dodge C-Bodies,
but is not being reproduced. The
only solution is to find good used
originals. We contacted All American Classics in Vancouver, Washington and were fortunate that
they had several Mopars of the
correct vintage in their parts car
inventory that still had the original front sway bar links. We had
All American Classics remove
them and send us four, so that
we would have some spares in
case we ever needed another one.
At this point, a few words concerning safety. We recommend
wearing safety glasses or suitable
eye protection when working on
your vehicle. Wearing heavy duty
work gloves, a shop hat, long
shirt sleeves, trousers and proper
shoes is recommended. We performed the work on a four post
lift rated at 9000 lbs. You could
also do the job using wheel ramps
to get the vehicle high enough off
the ground to work under. Be
sure to put the vehicle in park or
in gear, set the parking brake and
chalk the tires. Regardless of how
you do the job, always exercise
caution and be careful.
Join us as we breathe new life
into the handling of this 1967
Chrysler Town and Country, and
make it a better, safer classic car
that’s much more fun to drive.
The handling of the big Chrysler in regular
driving cycles was sloppy, and it was clear
that the sway bar and strut rod bushings
were the culprits.
In short, it was time to replace all of the
rubber bushings on these components.
3
Incorrect
sway bar
bracket with
mismatched
bushing. Note
that the rubber
bushing is badly distorted,
split and
cracked,
4
3
4
Strut bracket removed, exposing original rubber bushing. Note yellow paint dabs that were applied on the line at the Newark, Delaware assembly plant where the Chrysler was built.
35
6
5
8
7
9
5
Sway bar removed from vehicle. In this photo it is easy to see
the distortion on the right side bushing and a corner missing on
the left side bushing.
6
7
Detail photo of the actual damage of the right sway bar bushing.
Right side sway bar bracket. This is not the original bracket for
this vehicle. This bracket was not designed for bushing resulting
in severe distortion, and the steel stem where it attaches at the
frame is bent.
8
Detail photo of the bushing for the sway bar bracket at the frame
mount. Like the other bushings, these are disintegrating from
old age
9
Used Chrysler sway bar bracket we sourced from American
Musclecar Classics
36
10A
10B
10
A,B Clamp the sway bar bracket in a vise. After locating the center of the spot weld on the
sway bar bracket, mark it with a center punch. Next, using drill bits of graduated sizes, drill a
7/16 inch hole in sway bar bracket. One hole must be drilled on each side of the bracket where it is
spot welded.
12
11
11
This photo shows that the sway bar bracket is comprised of
two pieces of steel that have been spot welded together,
forming an inner and outer section to retain the rectangular sway
bar bushing.
12
After drilling the 7/16 inch holes, use a hacksaw to cut
through the remaining spot weld and separate the inner and
outer sections.
13
Sway bar brackets mocked up with bushings to illustrate
how they will be assembled on the vehicle. A pair of 7/16
inch nuts, bolts and lock washers will be used to assemble the
now separated lower portion of the sway bar brackets to the upper
portion.
37
13
14
14
Mounting tab on frame where the
sway bar brackets mount. One
cupped steel washer is used with each
rubber bushing. They will be located on
each side of the mounting tab. A nut secures the sway bar bracket at the top.
15
Sway bar
bracket reinstalled on the
vehicle.
15
16
Detail
photo of
the sway bar
bracket installed
on the frame tab.
16
17
Lube the inside of the split sway bar bushings with bearing grease and install them on
the sway bar. Next, insert them into the sway bar
mounting brackets. Install the nuts and bolts in
the lower part of the sway bar brackets, but leave
them loose at this time.
TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
1. Tighten Sway Bar / Strut Rod Bolts to 30 foot lbs.
2. Tighten Sway Bar 7/16 inch Bolts to 30 foot pounds
3. Tighten Nuts to Retain Steel Cupped Washers and
Rubber Grommets to 15 foot pounds
Specifications were sourced from the following:
Moog Sway Bar Frame Bushing Kit Instructions
Moog Sway Bar to Strut Rod Bushing Kit Instructions
38
17
18A
18B
18
A,B Lube the inside of the split strut bar bushings with bearing grease and install them
on the strut bar. Next, bolt the two pieces of the strut bar / sway bar mounting bracket
together. Note that the threaded portion of the bolts face outward.
19
19
20
20
Tighten the bolts for the sway bar bracket at this time.
Completed installation of the new sway bar and strut bar bushings.
SOURCE BOX
All American Classics
15209 N.E. Fourth Plain Rd.
Vancouver, WA 98682
Phone: 360-254-8850
Part: Original Chrysler C-Body Sway Bar
Links
www.allamericanclassics.com
Moog Steering and Suspension
Federal-Mogul Corporation
Southfield, MI 48033
moogproblemsolver.com
Moog Bushing Kits used in this story
Part Number K7064 Strut Rod Bushing Kit
Part Number K7061 Sway Bar Bushing Kit
39
Women’
Countdown
to the 2014
Chicago
Auto Show
Are You
Ready?
By: Linda Mandalas
Photos courtesy of Chicago Auto
Show and Mr. Norm’s Collection
S
ince the first Chicago
Auto Show in 1901,
this venue has become
the largest auto show
in North America. 2014 marks
the 106th edition of the CAS
and the changes over these
years have been nothing short
of amazing.
First let me stress that if
you are in the Chicago area
during this event, February 817, it is a must for your itinerary. The show is held at
McCormick Place, which is situated on the picturesque Lake
Michigan waterfront and is the
largest convention center in
North America. At the Chicago
Auto Show, you will have the
chance to see the complete
range of domestic and imported passenger cars, trucks and
sport utility vehicles, along
with experimental and concept
cars; nearly 1,000 different vehicles will be on display. During your visit you will also have
the
opportunity
to
check out numerous
automotive accessories,
exhibits,
competition
vehicles as well as project builds and antique
and collector cars.
Here are several
days to take special
note of:
Tuesday, February
11:
Women's
Day.
Women are admitted
for $6. Manufacturers
will present special female oriented programs
on the purchase and
lease
of
cars
and
maintenance.
Wednesday, February 12 to Friday, February 14: Chicago Au- Mr. Norm with the Dodge Rebellion Girl at the
to Show Food Drive. 1967 Chicago Auto Show
Show patrons who
bring three cans of food will
receive a coupon for $6 admis- have to opportunity to bring
sion. All food will be donated to out the Danica Patrick or Dale
Jr. in you. Hop into one of the
A Safe Haven Foundation.
Friday,
February
14: Chrysler products and race
down the track that features
Telemundo Hispanic Day
If you are thinking that the an acceleration lane, slalom
only thing to do is look at cars, and brake zone. These are just
you could not be more wrong. a few of the adventures you
You will find a multitude of in- can partake in. There are also
teractive displays for everyone six outdoor test drive opportuin your family or group. For nities you can sign up for; eve2014 you will find three indoor rything from Chrysler, Jeep,
test tracks. Be sure to venture Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Kia,
all the way to the back of the Nissan and Subaru. Where you
South Hall where you will find start is up to you.
Now that you know some of
the Jeep Test Track. You are
going to climb into a Jeep the highlights of this year’s
Wrangler where a professional Chicago Auto Show, I wanted
driver will take you over the to let you know that what
exhilarating obstacle course, started with women being in
over rugged terrains and up the background of the auto
and over the hill simulator. world has changed dramaticalHold on for the adventure of a ly. In fact, it has become more
lifetime. Only feet away you and more dependent on what
40
’s World
women think - feel - and want.
That's right, the women's opinion matters.
Since the start of the Chicago Auto Show in the 1900's,
women were in the back seat,
doing little more than making
the preparations such as putting decorative touches on the
vehicles or standing beside the
model on display to gather the
man’s attention to drive interest and boost sales.
The role of women began to
change in the early 1980's.
During this Chicago Auto
Show, popular Top Fuel drag
racer Shirley Muldowney made
an appearance, signing autographs for her fans. Today,
this may seem as though it
was just a small stepping
stone, but in retrospect, it was
an auspicious move that paved
the way for women to take a
seat at the table in the automotive industry. Women were
now being looked at as a force
to be reckoned with when it
came to purchasing decisions,
leasing and the marketing of
automobiles.
The auto makers of today
know and understand the diversity among their buyers.
Today women make up over
65% of the driving factor when
it comes to big ticket purchases in the automotive market.
We women know what we like,
know what we want and we
are not going to settle for anything else.
Women are done walking
into their local auto dealer only
to be treated like an idiot, we
are tired of hearing "See
Sweetie, this is how you turn
your radio on.”
Today's automotive sales you question what this means,
are seeing the influence of the here is an example...
independent professional womDoor locks, handles and
en who selects and purchases control buttons. Men don't give
her own cars. Never before in them a second thought, howthe history of automotive re- ever, the women are helping
tailing have dealers been so them understand the needed
receptive to women in the sales design upgraded for today's
force, but they realize that the well-manicured professional
futures of their dealerships de- women. Larger buttons, easierpend on the customer satisfac- to-open handles and the need
tion of women.
to assure her heels do not get
Women are so savvy in to- stuck in the door track.
day's markets that it is being These are just of few of the desaid that women not only ne- sign enhancements for vehicles
gotiate harder bargains than that women suggested and or
men when it comes to vehicle implemented.
purchases, they also do more
extensive preparatory work. It has
been said that the
automotive
realm
was placed in the
masculine hands,
however with the
educated
female
customer,
times
have changed as
have the ways auto Myra Platt puts decorative touches on a car before
dealers sell their the opening of the 1916 Chicago Auto Show
cars and trucks
AND the way vehicle
manufactures market and
design them.
Women have
also impacted the
design and features of many of
the models on the
market
today.
With many of the
automotive manufactures having
women engineers
and designers the
need and wants
of women buyers
Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney signing autographs for
are being met. If fans at the 1980 Chicago Auto Show
41
depends
on
how
seriously
we women
are treated
a
n
d
viewed.
You can be
sure that
they
will
not lose a
sale
just
Jeep test drive at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show
because
As I have stated, women they see a skirt and high-heels.
do their research and due dili- Remember, our money spends
gence. Having a venue such as where we want to spend it.
the Chicago Auto Show availaDealers today can take a
ble only makes us, stronger, note from a man that was
more knowledgeable and a ahead of his time....back in the
force to be reckoned with. 1960's, Mr. Norm from Grand
Keep in mind...today's women Spaulding Dodge, right here in
are much more likely to "walk" Chicago. He knew how imif we are not recognized and portant women were to the aurespected as decision-makers.
tomobile dealer and lived by
The automotive industry his motto “The Customer is
now as well as in the future King.” Mr. Norm treated the
42
women that walked in his door
fairly and honestly....a tradition that many dealers today
need to take notes from.
So remember, take advantage of all the opportunities
the upcoming 2014 Chicago
Auto Show has. With all of the
celebrities and industry leaders
who are sure to be on the show
floor, you never know just who
you might see there! Check it
out!
Tell your friends and
members of your car club
to join Mr. Norm’s Sport
Club. They’ll get discounts on parts,
memorabilia and receive
Pentastar Power every
month for free.
Charter Sponsors
Bosak Motors
3111 W. Lincoln Hwy.,
Rt. 30
Merrillville, IN 46410
888-507-1403, ask for Mr. J
Crystal Chrysler
Jeep Dodge Ram
1005 S. Suncoast Blvd.
Homosassa, FL 34448
352-563-2277 / Steve Lamb
Fairfield Auto Group
3360 Rt. 406,
Muncy, PA 17756
888-548-3870 / Steve Kaiser, Jr.
Steve White Motors
3470 U.S. Highway 70
Newton, NC 28658
888-827-3721
Steve Landers
Chrysler Jeep
Dodge Ram
4600 South University
Little Rock, AR 72204
501-569-4063
Roger Gibson
Restoration service.
573-264-2022
Year One
Time tested quality
parts. .
800-YEAR ONE
Choice Hotels
20% discounts for club
members
with special number
code.
Meguire's Wax
Irvine, CA
800-347-5700 /
meguiar’s.com
Mancini Racing
Offering quality, selection and
service for performance
needs.
800-843-2821
Galen Govier
The Chrysler Registry
608-326-6346
43
MR. NORM’S
SUPER STOCK HOODS
FITS ALL 2008 – 2014 DODGE CHALLENGERS
HOOD INFORMATION
The Mr. Norm’s Challenger Super Stock Hood was inspired by
the original 1970 Hemi Challenger and Hemi Cuda Super Stock
Hoods. The appearance is authentic right down to the shape and
opening of the scoop. It ducts a nearly limitless amount of ambient air to cool the engine. There’s nothing like looking out the
windshield over the Mr. Norm’s Super Stock Hood when you’re
behind the wheel of your Challenger.
PRODUCT MANUFACTURING INFORMATION
The Mr. Norm’s Challenger Super Stock Hoods are proudly Made
in the USA from only the highest quality American made products. Each hood is hand laid, has rolled edges and features OEM
style inner, hinge plates and latching system. The Mr. Norm’s
Challenger Super Stock Hoods are easy to install using simple
hand tools.
As seen on the cover of Mopar Action Magazine
The Racers Net for the
Mr. Norm’s Super Stock
Hood is only $ 749.95
plus shipping. Also,
ask about the Mr. Norm’s
Functional Hood Pin Kit
for Challengers. It’s the
perfect complement to
the Super Stock Hood.
Check them out on the
Mr. Norm’s website at
www.mrnorms.com or
call Mr. Norm’s at (760)
612-6365 and order your
Super Stock Hood today!
GRAND SPAULDING DODGE
“QUICK AND DEPENDABLE”
The fourth in the series of Grand Spaulding Dodge paintings by noted automotive artist David
Item
Snyder. Check out the amazing selection of high performance Mopars that were traded in at
Grand Spaulding Dodge.
The first Grand Spaulding Dodge painting by David Snyder is now valued at over $1,200. Mr.
Norm has a limited number of “Quick and Dependable” signed and numbered paintings available. Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of highly collectible automotive history.
ORDER YOURS TODAY AT
www.mrnorms.com
ITEM NUMBER: SNYDER 3
West Coas
The Burger Run
Pepper Tree Frosty, home of the Burger Run
W
hile we live in
Southern California now, I grew up
on the southwest
side of Chicago, and lived in
the suburbs of the city for over
twenty years.
Rest assured
that I have not forgotten how
brutal the weather can be in
many parts of the country this
time of the year. In fact, from
time to time, I watch some of
the news and weather on WGN
from Chicago, just to remind
myself what it’s like back home
compared to here, just in case
I ever get jaded and start taking it for granted.
Unlike Chicago and many
other areas of the country
where the only car shows in
the winter are held indoors,
here in SoCal, the outdoor
show season runs non-stop
from January 1st thru December 31 every year, with only
slight breaks for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New
Year’s holidays. Like most
years here in Southern Califor-
nia, the winter of 2014 has
been typically mild and dry.
Since the holidays have ended,
once again there are shows
and cruise nights being held
every week.
One of the ways we keep
track of what events are scheduled here in Southern California is to check out SoCalCarCulture.com.
This website
posts a detailed event calendar
that lists numerous car shows
and events every month, many
with links to the event flyers
and entry forms. While perusing the January calendar of
events on the website, we ran
across a show in Vista called
1968 Plymouth Road Runner arriving at the Burger Run. This 383 Beeper pillar
coupe looked great in Buffed Silver with black wheels, tires and dog dish hubcaps. A great example of a real world Day One Mopar muscle car that nearly
everyone could afford when they were new.
46
st Report
the Burger Run. While I had
heard about this event, we had
never attended it. I contacted
several friends who had displayed their cars at the Burger
Run in previous years and
they all recommended it as a
show that enjoyed a great
turnout of nice cars and people. The weather forecast
looked promising, so we put it
on our schedule.
Sure enough, the weather
cooperated and on the day of
the Burger Run, while the
morning started out in the low
40’s, by noon, it was a balmy
75 degrees and sunny. The
Burger Run is anchored by the
Pepper Tree Frosty, a 1950’s
vintage ice cream and hamburger stand in the heart of
Vista. And while the name
may be misleading, since it is
not actually a “run,” the Burger Run did attract over six
hundred cars and trucks from
the 1920’s to the 1972 cutoff
date. To accommodate this
many vehicles, an entire section of the downtown Vista was
cordoned off for the show, and
there was still barely enough
space for all of the cars.
Walking the show, we couldn’t help but notice the nice display of AMC muscle.
A Rebel Machine leads the line, followed by three (!) Hurst Rambler Scramblers
in both the A and B paint schemes.
The Burger Run is anchored by the Pepper Tree
Frosty, a 1950’s vintage ice cream and hamburger
stand in the heart of Vista. And while the name may
be misleading, since it is not actually a “run,” the
Burger Run did attract over six hundred cars and
trucks from the 1920’s to the 1972 cutoff date
No car says 1950’s American optimism like a big Chrysler New Yorker with fins and tri tone paint. (left) This St Regis two
door hardtop was nothing short of spectacular. Center: License plate says it all. 1964 Dodge 440 sported a Hemi on
squeeze with a centrifugal supercharger. Right: Another supercharged Hemi, this time in a bright red 1963 Dodge 330. The
big inch Hemi was equipped with a GMC 671 supercharger topped off with two Edelbrock AFB style four barrels.
47
Needless to say, an incredible range of vehicles showed
up to strut their stuff, including street rods, classics, fifties
cars and of course, lots of
muscle cars. And while there
were many brand X cars in attendance, Ma Mopar was well
represented with a great range
of neat vehicles. Fat fendered
post war Chrysler products
were out in force, including
some that were beautifully restored, while others were rodded and even a couple of lead
sleds made an appearance.
The 1950’s was represented by
large, colorful cars that reflected the optimism of the Eisenhower era. My personal favorite was a spectacular 1956
Chrysler New Yorker St. Regis
two door hardtop that was a
perfect example
of Virgil
Exner’s Forward Look styling.
It glistened in tri tone colors
that included a jet black top
that was split by cream on the
hood, deck lid and upper
sides, with a deep ruby red
providing additional contrast
beneath the body side mouldings. Wearing a set of Kelsey
Hayes wires and wide whites,
Parking lot behind the Pepper Tree Frosty is jam packed with cars. And this
was just one of the parking areas.
this Chrysler was a knockout
that had an admiring crowd
ogling it all day. And when it
came to sixties muscle, there
were plenty of Hemi powered
Dodges and Plymouths ready
to strike terror into the hearts
of lesser cars. Even American
Motors was well represented
with a big contingent of Hurst
Nice Hemi Orange 1970 Charger R/T was parked on the one of the many
streets that was closed for the show.
48
Rambler Scramblers, a Rebel
Machine and a group of first
and second generation AMX’s.
With cars like these, what
more could you ask for on
sunny Saturday in California.
The Burger Run promotes
itself as the “Biggest Little Car
Show in San Diego County.”
Having attended the event, I
can honestly say that is an excellent description of the show
and we’re looking forward to
going again next year.
Nothing says Mopar muscle like 426
dual quad Hemi.
Cherry all original 1974 Challenger Rallye (left). For those of you who can’t get enough E-Bodies, how about this Top Banana 1970 Hemi Cuda (right).
F
or those of you old enough to remember,
the 1950’s were a simpler time. Girls wore
poodle skirts, Elvis was the king, and a hot
date on Saturday night usually included stopping for a burger or milk shake at the local
ice cream or hamburger stand.
While most of the A & W Root Beer,
Tastee Freez and independent fast food drive
in’s that were so popular during the middecade of the 20th Century are gone, in Vista,
California, Pepper Tree Frosty has not only
survived, but has thrived as place where locals and car enthusiasts alike continue to enjoy the food and relive the good old days.
First opened in 1953 as a Tastee Freez, a local family quickly purchased it, changing the
name to Pepper Tree Frosty in 1960. The
appearance of the Pepper Tree Frosty is little
changed from when it was built. You still
have a choice of walking up to the street side
outdoor service window to place your order,
or pulling up to the drive up window in your
car. The food is good, and on a hot SoCal
night, there’s nothing like an ice cream cone
to cool you off. And, just like in the good old
days, you’ll probably see some cool rods and
muscle cars parked in front at the curb, while
a group of young and some still young at
heart enjoy a hamburger, fries and chocolate
shake.
Thankfully, some things never
change.
Photos courtesy of Pepper Tree Frosty
SOURCE BOX
Pepper Tree Frosty
270 S. Santa Fe, Vista, CA 92084
Phone: 760-726-0732
www.peppertreefrosty.com
Vista Burger Run
1530 Linda Vista Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078
760-744-3340
www.burgerrun.info
49
But Wait, Th
Fueling Dreams
Mr. Norm’s S/FX ’65 Coronet running side by side against Bobby Wood’s 1965
blown altered wheelbase Chevelle. Notice the lack of a fence or retaining wall
for the spectators, and how close they are to Mr. Norm’s funny car as it leaves
the line.
Photos from the Mr. Norm’s
Collection
F
unny car racing today
is big business. A jam
packed calendar with
nearly
weeklong
events held at world class venues several times a month.
Mega buck corporate sponsors, multi car teams, major
product endorsements and
weekly television coverage.
Professional teams show up at
the events with sponsor emblazoned show quality eighteen wheelers. The big rigs are
loaded with spare engines,
transmissions and rear ends,
plus hundreds of parts, along
with machine shop like capa-
times sign autographs for the
fans.
Funny car racing in the
1960’s was a world apart from
what it is today. There were
few
regularly
scheduled
events, so teams match raced,
sometimes two and three days
or nights a week, at tracks all
over the country. Many events
were held at marginal facilities
that were little more than two
lane roads, with little separating the spectators from the
cars, or the cars from each
other as they careened down
the quarter mile. Track safety
at many drag strips was nearly
non-existent, other than an
ambulance and a fire extinguisher. Back then, the average team hauled their funny
car on an open trailer or, if
they were better funded, on
the back of a flatbed truck. A
team was generally comprised
of two or maybe three people
who handled everything from
driving the truck, to tuning,
maintaining and racing the
bilities. In addition, a full entourage of specialists trained
in all facets of funny car
maintenance
and tuning
tendat Lions. Photo courtesy of the Mr. Norm’s Collection
Nr. Morn’s S/FX Coronet
on the track
to every detail. Many teams
erect
elaborate
hospitality
tents for the sponsors, who are
wined and dined as they are
tended to by public relations
professionals. The pit area
where the cars are rebuilt between each round of competition are located on smoothly
paved blacktop and roped off
to keep fans back at a reasonably safe distance. The driver
is generally flown to each
event rested and ready for the
rigors of competition. His primary responsibility is to drive Mr. Norm’s Dodge D600 Crew Cab with the ’65
the car, talk to sportscasters the bed. This was considered a high end rig to h
after each pass and at certain its day.
50
here’s More
car. A spare engine was the
exception rather than
the rule,
Dyer’s
record breaking run
and in the event of a parts failLions made the front page
ure, racers oftenatreinstalled
used parts if theyof
were
thelucky
Los Angeles Herald
enough to have them. It was
thetoheadline “8.63 It’s
not uncommon forwith
a team
borrow parts from What’s
a competitor
Happening Baby,”
so that they could race each
in the process, made
other again in the and
next round.
Being part of a funny
car racGrand
Spaulding Dodge a
ing team in the 1960’s may
household
have sounded glamorous,
but name from coast
the sobering reality
is
that
to coast.it
was a tough life, and those
who chose it were dedicated
and worked many long, hard
hours every week.
Gary Dyer surrounded by fans as he prepares the nitro burning blown Hemi in
Mr. Norm’s team was no
the Mr. Norm’s ’65 S/FX Coronet for the next round of competition.
different. Gary Dyer was truly
a jack of all trades. He not only built, tuned and drove the the Mr. Norm’s 1965 Coronet increase its performance and
funny car, he also spent plenty S/FX altered wheelbase funny race it in competition, just like
of seat time behind the wheel car tells the whole story. The Gary Dyer.
Without a doubt, when Dyof the Dodge D600 Crew Cab car is parked in the grass,
flatbed that was used to haul it which served as the pits for er pulled Mr. Norm’s nitro
to the events. As soon as they this particular track. Gary is burning, supercharged Dodge
arrived, Gary would unload the literally surrounded by young to the line, they were on their
race car and tune it to suit the fans who are eagerly watching feet, rooting for him to win.
track and weather conditions everything he is doing, capti- Many times, dreams have a
where he was racing. vated by his talent and skill. way of becoming reality. So not
When it was time, he Note that there is nothing only were they dreaming about
donned his fire suit, around the car to keep the owning a tire smoking, 440 or
strapped on his hel- crowd back. In fact, and if you Hemi powered Dodge, but it
met, climbed in and look at the photo carefully, you had to be from Grand Spauldraced the car in com- can see that some of the ing Dodge, just like the mighty
petition.
After the youngsters are actually leaning Mopar that captured their imevent was over, Gary on the lightweight fiberglass agination at the track and
reloaded and headed left front fender as they watch fueled their dreams when they
to the next event, or Dyer performing his magic on returned home. Nobody underback to Chicago to the blown Hemi in preparation stood this better than Mr.
work on the car for racing in the next round of Norm, who as often as possiwhere he would en- competition. The impact of the ble, worked with Gary at the
hance it with the lat- moment is palpable and the races, and always found time
est mods and fresh- influence is undeniable. These to visit with fans and enthusien it up in prepara- young enthusiasts are dream- asts of all ages, stoking the
ing of the day when they will fires of those dreams and helption for more racing.
Coronet S/FX on
have their very own high per- ing make them a reality.
The
photos
of
Gary
haul a race car in
twisting wrenches on formance Dodge, work on it to
51