• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

PICTURE NOT YET SEEN.

Mike Gaines

Well-Known Member
Local time
10:10 AM
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
2,098
Reaction score
4,286
Location
Ahwahnee, (Fresno) California
Here is a picture of my old funny car that I don't think I have posted before.
This was a new paint job. We made the roof a fake vinyl treatment as that was quite popular back at that time. Picture sometime between 1967 and 1969, not sure. I blanked out the tail lites and license plate recess with aluminum plus painted the strips a little different in color.
Also although you can barely see the 2 wingnuts on the front of the passenger fiberglass door and the single wing nut doesn't show up that was on the rear of the door. We just undid the wing nuts and popped the door off...no DZUS fasteners in central Illinois back then.
I made the front windshield out of a large piece of clear plexiglass that I bought at the local hardware store (nope, no lexan back then). I put some sheet metal screws in the top and bottom center of the piece that I cut and then used a propane bottle flame to gently heat the plexiglass and form it around the bend in the framework. I attached it with the small sheet metal screws with washers and then put 1/2" electrical tape over the screws around the perimeter. Worked fine for all the years I ran the car.
As I have shared before this car started out as a 1963 Max Wedge Belvedere 2 Door Hardtop. After I sold the aluminum front end I bought 1965 Plymouth Fiberglass front fenders, hood, front bumper, doors and decklid...all 1965 parts..they bolted right on.
The red car on the right is the original Max Wedge Lightweight Car that I bought new in 1963 when I was 21.

best tshirt.jpg 20110624_34.jpg
 
Last edited:
You are the man, really cool stuff!
 
That's awesome Mike!! I bet that you wish you could have them back again.
 
Hey Mike, just curious, did you order the car?
Yes I did order it at my local Chrysler Plymouth Dealer.
I had no idea a 2 Door Post (Savoy) might have been a better car for drag racing.
I liked 2 Door Hardtops so I ordered a Belvedere 2 Door Hardtop with the Max Wedge & lightweight Aluminum Front End Race Version.
From the various Registry books, etc (such as Darrel Davis, etc) I understand that there were 6 2 Door Hardtop Belvedere produced in 1963 and they were all RED.
It was pretty cool car, No Heater, No Defroster...LOL
Trunk mounted battery.
I forget how much it cost, but I financed it and paid $100 a month for 24 months with a balloon payment at the end of 24 months to pay it off. My parents Co-Signed the loan for me (at the local finance company) plus the dealer signed "recourse" in case I didn't pay or my parents didn't pay if I didn't, then the Dealer would have to pay. It all turned out OK.
At the same dealership I bought a used 1959 Chevrolet Station Wagon for a tow car. I welded on tow bar hooks on the front frame of the Belvedere and flat towed the car to the races for the first couple years (like almost every one did at that time).
I think it was around 1965 or 1966 when I bought a single axle trailer. I didn't flat tow it anymore after I altered the wheelbase, etc, etc.
 
Yes I did order it at my local Chrysler Plymouth Dealer.
I had no idea a 2 Door Post (Savoy) might have been a better car for drag racing.
I liked 2 Door Hardtops so I ordered a Belvedere 2 Door Hardtop with the Max Wedge & lightweight Aluminum Front End Race Version.
From the various Registry books, etc (such as Darrel Davis, etc) I understand that there were 6 2 Door Hardtop Belvedere produced in 1963 and they were all RED.
It was pretty cool car, No Heater, No Defroster...LOL
Trunk mounted battery.
I forget how much it cost, but I financed it and paid $100 a month for 24 months with a balloon payment at the end of 24 months to pay it off. My parents Co-Signed the loan for me (at the local finance company) plus the dealer signed "recourse" in case I didn't pay or my parents didn't pay if I didn't, then the Dealer would have to pay. It all turned out OK.
At the same dealership I bought a used 1959 Chevrolet Station Wagon for a tow car. I welded on tow bar hooks on the front frame of the Belvedere and flat towed the car to the races for the first couple years (like almost every one did at that time).
I think it was around 1965 or 1966 when I bought a single axle trailer. I didn't flat tow it anymore after I altered the wheelbase, etc, etc.
Very cool!
 
You don't get to meet or talk to many who have acually ordered a real lightweight Max Wedge. Glad to have met you! Lol

I've seen plenty of hardtops from back in the day on the track. Yes a post might have been more ridged and were more in demand for racing. I've even seen Polara 500s set up for racing and for being a high end car I thought that was odd.

You lived this era and you know what went on. I like hearing tidbits of what was used and how things were done. There wasn't much for aftermarket performance parts. Things were hand made, trial and error. The pioneer days!
 
After I sold the aluminum front end I bought 1965 Plymouth Fiberglass front fenders, hood, front bumper, doors and decklid...all 1965 parts..they bolted right on.
this is very cool mike! it sounds also like a front clip from a '65 car will bolt on a '63? i have seen a '64 front clip on a '63...
 
Wow! Very cool
Don't happen to have heard of Jim Riscowski
out of St.Louis have you?
He built a car similar back in late 60s,was one
of 1st ones around here.
 
You don't get to meet or talk to many who have acually ordered a real lightweight Max Wedge. Glad to have met you! Lol

I've seen plenty of hardtops from back in the day on the track. Yes a post might have been more ridged and were more in demand for racing. I've even seen Polara 500s set up for racing and for being a high end car I thought that was odd.

You lived this era and you know what went on. I like hearing tidbits of what was used and how things were done. There wasn't much for aftermarket performance parts. Things were hand made, trial and error. The pioneer days!
Trial and Errors from back in the day....
My home track was Alton Illinois 1/4 mile drag strip (St Louis Suburb on the Illinois side of the river) That track, as well as all the others did NOT enforce the 7" rear slick tread width limit on their normal weekend races. I had a set of Positraction ReCaps that were 10" wide (probably weighed about 40lbs each). My typical ET for the 1/4 mile with those tires was around 12.35, way off the National Record of 12.15. I then went to INDY for the NHRA Nationals and I had to run 7" tires at that race...so I bought a pair of Goodyear Blue Streak Wrinkle Wall Slicks (I remember they cost $92 for the pair because I had to round up money from my pals that came with me). We mounted them up on 15x6 Steel Wheels and screwed the tires to the rims. We aired them up to about 6-7 lbs and my first run was 12.19..I couldn't believe it...I learned a lesson that the GOOD and LIGHTWEIGHT tires were the benefit over my real wide and heavy crappy recaps.
 
I owned a '64 Dodge the last year of high school and for two years after that. It was my daily driver for the most part and I'd race it on the weekends. I aways wondered how they raced them back then.

Years later, I had the opportunity to talk to Bill Jenkins at one of the first York US30 reunions. There he was, sitting at a cancer awareness table. No one around so I walked over to start a conversation. Well all I got was a couple of grunts. All I can say is he lived up to his name!

So the following year I took a 1965 Superstock magazine along that had two of his '64s in the featured section.

Later on that day, there he was, sitting at the same table, no one around and I walked up and opened the magazine to the article. I asked him which one was the Hemi and which one was the Wedge? Well he looked over the pictures and pointed out which was which. I couldn't shut him up after that! I also gathered some great info on how things were done and what they had to work with back then. Only the ones that lived it can tell you how it was.

I met so many great people at those reunions. It's a shame they're not having them anymore. Hearing your stories just keeps it going.
 
cool cars & shots of them
 
this is very cool mike! it sounds also like a front clip from a '65 car will bolt on a '63? i have seen a '64 front clip on a '63...


Dodge and Plymouth will switch also.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top