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Len Richter "Hemi Haunter" Bob Ford
Scrapped?: |
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The Hemi Haunter now painted Bob Ford's team color, Champagne Beige, with red coves. This was a $1 car sold to Bob Ford in Dearborn, and was intially driven by Ford test driver Len Richter. It was believed to have been wrecked by it's second driver, Kenny Salter. The current whereabouts of this car are unknown, it was likely crushed. |
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The Hemi Haunter from a magazine cover. |
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The Hemi Haunter at the 1964 NHRA US Nationals. Len Richter's Bob Ford Thunderbolt is in the background. ©2011 Dearbornflashback.com/Dennis Kolodziej Image. |
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Dick Brannan "Goldfinger" Stark Hickey Ford
MIA: |
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A shot of the SOHC engine in the red DST prototype from a 1965 magazine. |
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A rare color shot of the prototype in action at the '65 Winternationals, now painted dark blue. (Dick Brannan Photo ©2008) |
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The DST prototype was repainted yet again, this time it was a beautiful Candy Gold with Pearl White stripes and inserts done by the famous Alexander Brothers of Detroit. Raced by Brannan in '65 as "Goldfinger" with sponsorship from Stark Hickey Ford in Detroit. Believed to have been returned to H&M by Brannan, it's current whereabouts unknown. (Dick Brannan Photo ©2008) |
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Dick Brannan driving Goldfinger at Ford's Dearborn test track. (Dick Brannan Photo ©2008) |
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Goldfinger in the pits at Milan Dragway in Michigan in 1965. (Daryl Huffman photo ©2008) |
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Brannan's car driven by Holman & Moody test driver Paul Norris. |
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One of the fiberglass doors from the Goldfinger car was spotted at an Indiana swap meet around 2005. Where is the rest of the car? (©2010 Daryl Huffman/Gate Job Classics) |
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Ford C-6 Transmission Test Car
MIA: |
A partial article on the C6 test car from the April 1966 issue of Car Life magazine. The article states this car was a test unit and was not used in competition. (Dick Brannan Photo ©2010) |
An article on the C6 test car from the June 1997 issue of Drag Racing Monthly magazine. This was possibly the #10 H&M car. |
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Bill Lawton "Zimmy III" Tasca Ford
Survivor: | |
The November 1965 issue of Super Stock magazine featured the Tasca AFX Mustang on the cover. |
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The 1965 Tasca Ford racing team in the pits. (Jim Demmitt Photo) |
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The Tasca car was sold by H&M to NASCAR racer Bondy Long in 1966. At Long's shop, it received a straight axle, repainted blue, and renamed "Bowani II". Sam Auxier was raced it in 1966 with a both a 427 wedge and a SOHC . Current whereabouts uncertain, said to be in an collector's hands. | |
Sam Auxier shows off Bowani II at a photo shoot/test session at an unknown dragstrip. View the complete set here. (Photos courtesy Todd Claxton ©2009) | |
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Carson Hyman launches Bondy Long's Bowani Mustang. (Dennis Kolodziej Photo ©2010)
The former Tasca/Auxier car as it appears in 2011. It is scheduled to be restored to it's 1965 appearance. (Sam Auxier Jr. Photo ©2011)
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Les Ritchey - Performance Associates
Scrapped?: |
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Les Ritchey on the line from a 1965 racing magazine. |
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Here is Ritchey's Candyapple Red car from a 1966 magazine article. It is unknown if this is his silver '65 car after a repaint, or a different car. In May 1966, Ritchey was killed when his AFX Mustang was involved in a racing accident at Fontana Raceway. At Ford's request, the Mustang was stored at H&M where it would eventually reside alongside three other crashed Ford race cars that resulted in fatalities. These were Walt Hansgen's GT40 MkII, Ken Miles' GT40 J-car, and Horst Kwech's T/A Mustang. |
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Another shot of the 1966 version, this one with injectors. |
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Clester Andrews - Wickersham Ford
Survivor: |
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Andrews takes on a Brand-X at Green Valley in Texas in 1965. |
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Like so many other old races cars, #3 went under the knife and received some major mods to stay competitive. Straight axle, engine setback, heavily modified firewall and fuel injection evident here. |
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Front axle forward relocation was also part of the updates. Rear axle appears to have remained in it's '65 location. Caption indicates 427 wedge power was also retained. |
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The restored Andrews car from a 1980's magazine. |
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Al Joniec "Batcar" Rice & Holman Ford
Survivor: |
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Joniec's Pegasus Mustang in the pits at Cecil County Dragway, August 1965. |
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Car #6 after a visit to the batcave. |
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The Batcar after Joniec added injectors. |
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Joniec's Batcar was converted to a long-nose funny car for the 1966 season. It is currently restored to '66 specs with 427 SOHC power, owned by Don Snyder in 2010. |
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Paul Norris "Big John" Holman & Moody
MIA: |
A close-up view of the trunnion attachment of the unique twisted leaf spring used on the front of the 1965 AFX Mustangs. This shot is from an issue of Street and Strip magazine, read the entire article here. |
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The rarely photographed Norris car in 1965. |
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This is what appears to the 1965 Paul Norris H&M in 1966, now lettered "The Fugitive" on the rear quarters. The upper quarter vents have been removed and the opening is filled and finished. This modification was likely part of the H&M 1966 season update. It also appears in post-1965 photos of the Tasca, Bob Ford, Ronda, Andrews and Ritchey 1965 cars. (Charlie Morris Photo) |
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Len Richter "The Quiet One" Bob Ford
Survivor: |
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Richter in Bob Ford trim at Detroit Dragway in 1965. |
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The Bob Ford Mustang at the NHRA US Nationals in 1965. ©2011 Dearbornflashback.com/eaindy Image |
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The Quiet One driven by Jerry Harvey in early 1966, now with a gold and blue paint scheme, and still lettered with Bob Ford's name. |
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Another early-1966 Jerry Harvey/Bob Ford shot. |
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Jerry Harvey in 1966, car still has Bob Ford graphics. |
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The Quiet One driven by Jerry Harvey in 1966, now lettered with Paul Harvey Ford graphics. Paul Harvey was a salesman at Bob Ford in Dearborn in the early-60's, he left and opened his own dealership in Indianapolis in 1966. |
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The Quiet One in late 1966 with Harvey graphics |
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The Paul Harvey Ford team. (Dick Brannan Photo ©2010) |
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Jerry Harvey and Linda Vaughn with the Quiet One. (Dick Brannan Photo ©2010) |
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Jerry Harvey running the Quiet One at Detroit Dragway. Photo from the Fans of the Old Detroit Dragway Facebook page. |
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The Quiet One's next pilot was Hubert Platt, who drove it in 1968 and early 1969. (Dan Sharp photo) |
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Here is Hubert Platt in the Quiet One Mustang at Phenix City Drag Strip in the summer of 1968. Additional images here and here. (Sam Robinett photos) |
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The Quiet One on the trailer in 1969, now owned by Dyno Don. |
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The Quiet One rests in the pits in 1969. |
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The Quiet One on the track with an unusual hood scoop modification in 1969. Source: Old Hippie Forum |
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Another 1969 shot showing the odd hood scoop. (TMcCrea Collection) |
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The Quiet One tears it up at York US-30 in 1969. It will soon be sold to NYC street racers. |
The Quiet One transitions from the track to the street in 1970. Amazingly enough, owner/driver Tab Talmadge even has sponsorship on the car from local dealer Mooney Tucker Ford. Here, Tab prepares to launch his Cammer against a Hemi Cuda in a big money street race in Brooklyn, NY. This shot was featured in a November 1970 street racing article in Super Street Cars magazine. |
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Here's the Quiet One as found in the 1980's by Curt Vogt. (©2010 Dennis Kolodziej) |
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The freshly restored Quiet One at Milan Dragway around 1990. (©2011 Daryl Huffman/Gate Job Classics) |
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The restored Quiet One from a 1992 Super Mustang & Hot Fords magazine article. It was restored with a combination of Dyno's '69 graphics and Harvey's early-1966 Bob Ford graphics. Jerry Harvey ran it with Paul Harvey Ford graphics in late-66 and 1967. The Quiet One is owned by Don Snyder in 2010. |
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Phil Bonner "Daddy Warbucks" Archway Ford
MIA: |
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Bonner running Daddy Warbucks at York US-30 Dragway, from a 60's magazine article. |
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Gas Ronda - Russ Davis Ford
Scrapped: |
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Gas Ronda - Russ Davis Ford
Survivor: |
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Ronda's Mustang in the pits at Lions Dragstrip. Doug Hayes photo. |
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Ronda's Mustang at the 1965 NHRA US Nationals. ©2011 Dearbornflashback.com/eaindy Image |
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This is Ronda's car after Bill Ireland took it over in 1966, Ireland named it the "Trojan Horse." Photo from the June 1966 issue of Dragstrip Magazine. |
A rare color shot of Ireland's car on the hauler in 1966. |
Ronda's car has been found and restored. It was up for auction by Mecum in October, 2008. Mecum lists the vin as 5F09_3802440, which does not match the factory records, and has one too many digits in the sequential number. The actual vin should be 5F09K380xxx. The auction listing also claims there was a batch of 11 built, numbered 5F09_3802430 through 5F09_3802440, again with too many digits. See more photos here. This car is now owned by a collector, along with the real Gas Ronda long nose '66 Mustang. |
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Dick Brannan H&M #10
MIA: |
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Bob Hamilton "Long Gone" Larsen Ford
Survivor:
5F09K636xxx - Another Poppy Red fastback, built in a later batch of 4 or 5 cars at H&M, was driven by Hamilton
in 1965-66. Later became the "Jersey Rattler."
Bob Hamilton getting it done in Long Gone at Dover Dragstrip in 1965.
(Dean Lawrence/Doverdragstrip.com Photo ©2010)
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A post-restoration shot of Long Gone. |
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John Skistimas driving the ex-Hamilton car in 1967, now known as the Jersey Rattler. (John Skistimas/Charles Morris Photo ©2008) |
View mages of Hamilton's restored AFX Mustang at a car show in the Long Gone Gallery. |
Fuel injection has been added to the mighty SOHC since it's restoration. View recent photos of the restored Bob Hamilton AFX Mustang at a photoshoot for the now dormant Legendary Ford Magazine in the Long Gone Gallery. (©2010 Blueovalranch.com) |
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John Corrunker
Survivor: |
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Tommy Grove "Charlie Horse" Broadway Motors Ford
Scrapped: |
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Charlie Horse now sporting injectors. (Old Hippie Forum Photo) |
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Charlie Horse was passed on to Bill McDuell, who raced in Nascar's drag racing division The ex-Tommy Grove car, now known as the "She-Devil", was destroyed in a racing accident. (Charles Morris Photo ©2008) |
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The She-Devil in the staging lanes. Trunk lettering reads: "You've Just Been Wedged !!!" (Old Hippie Forum/Al Delillo Photo) |
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The She-Devil at speed.(Old Hippie Forum/Al Delillo Photo) |
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The She-Devil with some replacement body panels. (Jim Demmitt Jr. Photo) |
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The She-Devil all wadded up. (Sam Auxier Photo) |
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The She-Devil destroyed in a racing accident. (Sam Auxier Photo) |
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Jim Demmitt "FX Mustang"
MIA: |
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This is Jim Demmitt's car at Milan Dragway in the mid-90s. Demmitt sold in the early-90s to Al Rowland, who repainted it in Poppy Red. (Dearbornflashback.com Photo ©2010) |
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Ron Pelligrini "Quarterhorse" Hawkinson Ford
MIA: |
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Pellegrini sold the car to Dick Loehr, who renamed it "Stampede I." Here it is pictured with a straight axle inside sponsor Max Curtis Ford's showroom in Lansing, MI in early 1966. |
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This photo is from an ad where Loehr has it for sale in 1966. Loehr was running a 486-cube 427 wedge with fuel injection. |
A submission to Draglist.com indicates Loehr ran 10.70 at Milan Dragway in June 1966. This submission also states Loehr sold this car to Jim Lovett and Winston Lane in late-1966. |
The ex-Loehr Stampede Mustang campaigned by Lovett and Lane at New York National Speedway in 1967. (Bob Snyder Drag Photos) |
Another shot at New York National Speedway in 1967. (Bob Snyder Drag Photos) |
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Dick Brannan "Bronco" Stark Hickey Ford
MIA: |
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Dick Brannan puts away Dyno Don Nicholson at the 1965 Summer Nationals. Brannan was nearly unbeatable in this monster.(Dick Brannan Photo ©2009) |
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Dick Brannan takes on Phil Bonner and his Daddy Warbucks Falcon at Lions Drag Strip in 1965. Brannan would win the round and the event. (Doug Hayes Photo ©2009) |
The November 1965 issue of Super Stock magazine featured an article on the Bronco, this photo is from the color page. |
Some undercar views of Brannan's Bronco from the November 1965 issue of Super Stock magazine. (Dennis Kolodziej Photo ©2010) |
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AFX Mustang Magazine Articles
Paul Norris H&M Mustang featured in a 1960s Street and Strip magazine article.
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The Bob Ford Mustang was featured in a November 1970 Super Street Cars magazine article. |
The Bob Ford Mustang featured in a 1992 Super Mustang & Hot Fords magazine article. |
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The SOHC/C6 test car is featured in a June 1997 Drag Racing Monthly magazine article. |
The 1965 and 1966 AFX Mustangs were featured in a 1999 Mustang Illustrated magazine article, includes an interview with John Wanderer. |
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Many thanks to Bob "Mayhem" Bardell (R.I.P.), Jim Demmit Jr., Dennis Kolodziej, Todd Claxton, Jason Anderson/Blue Oval Ranch, Charles Morris, and Dick Brannan, for their input and assistance in creating and updating this page. Updated: 1-12-11 |
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