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70s Funny Cars - Round 1
70s Funny Cars - Round 2
70s Funny Cars - Round 3
70s Funny Cars - Round 4
70s Funny Cars - Round 5
70s Funny Cars - Round 6
70s Funny Cars - Round 7
70s Funny Cars - Round 8
70s Funny Cars - Round 9
70s Funny Cars - Round 10
70s Funny Cars - Round 11
70s Funny Cars - Round 12
70s Funny Cars - Round 13
70s Funny Cars - Round 14
70s Funny Cars - Round 15
70s Funny Cars - Round 16
70s Funny Cars - Round 17
70s Funny Cars - Round 18
70s Funny Cars - Round 19
70s Funny Cars - Round 20
70s Funny Cars - Round 21
70s Funny Cars - Round 22
70s Funny Cars - Round 23
70s Funny Cars - Round 24
70s Funny Cars - Round 25
70s Funny Cars - Round 26
70s Funny Cars - Round 27
70s Funny Cars - Round 28
70s Funny Cars - Round 29
70s Funny Cars - Round 30
70s Funny Cars - Round 31
70s Funny Cars - Round 32
70s Funny Cars - Round 33
70s Funny Cars - Round 34
70s Funny Cars - Round 35
70s Funny Cars - Round 36
70s Funny Cars - Round 37
70s Funny Cars - Round 38
70s Funny Cars - Round 39
70s Funny Cars - Round 40
70s Funny Cars - Round 41
70s Funny Cars - Round 42
70s Funny Cars - Round 43
70s Funny Cars - Round 44
70s Funny Cars - Round 45
70s Funny Cars - Round 46
70s Funny Cars - Round 47
70s Funny Cars - Round 48
70s Funny Cars - Round 49
70s Funny Cars - Round 50
70s Funny Cars - Round 51
70s Funny Cars - Round 52
70s Funny Cars - Round 53
70s Funny Cars - Round 54
70s Funny Cars - Round 55
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Where are they now? 

A look at 70s funny cars that survive today...  


From Florida comes the "Broadway Joe" Siti "Philadelphia Flyer" Challenger of the late 70s, now owned by Russ and Jackie Herter. Russ, a FL transplant from NJ who assisted Larry Fullerton on the Trojan Horse entries, reports he found the car sitting behind a gas station not far from his FL home, covered in "6 inches of dust" in non-Philly Flyer colors. Research by Russ into how and when the car made it from PA to FL has proven fruitless. Following a two year restoration the car is ready to go nostalgia racing. (Photo at left courtesy of Dave Milcarek, right photo/info courtesy of Russ Herter)


Currently owned by Mike Dolph is the ex-Color Me Gone Monza of Roger Lindamood. Mike reports "I bought the car from Roger Lindamood in 1981, the Rumblin'' Fever picture is the paint and name is the first change, 84-96. In late 96 we wanted to run some NHRA races but the car was too old. My friend in Michigan repainted the car and added some body work to make it look like a Camaro. We then found we didn't have enough money to race so I went to help with safety in the UDRA. We then lettered the car with UDRA, took it to the track, set it up to take pictures of the fans setting in the car. This was about late 97 into 98. I then started doing exhibition runs at the track so the fans knew they were in a real car. Now in 2002, we will go back to the original Color Me Gone paint but we will again call it "Rumblin' Fever" and plans call for a serious attack in the nostalgia funny car wars." (Photos and info courtesy of Mike Dolph)


From the late 70s comes the all conquering "Army" Arrow of Don "the Snake" Prudhomme. The car is currently in the collection of Ken McDowell, retired president of Parma International, the slot car and radio control car people. The car was restored by Prudhomme and sold to Ken directly 10-15 years ago. It is as run, except since Parma took it to a few trade shows they put a starter on it, switched to gas from nitro (due to clean up time etc.) and never display it at public functions with the drive shaft in, (but it is ready to go back in). At the time of this writing (late Nov 01) this car is for sale. People can contact Bob Lichty at 330-456-7969 and if he can't answer any questions he will be glad to put you in touch with Ken. BTW, as a side note, Bob is looking for a Pinto or Torino funny car body that somebody might be willing to part with. (Photo at left courtesy of Michael Beach, right photo courtesy of Bob Lichty)


Like the ex-Blue Max Arrow pictured below, the ex-Keeling & Clayton Firebird can be found in Finland. Don Long chassised, Neil Leffler driven entry was built in 77, campaigned through the late 70s, found its way overseas in 1980. According to current owner Pertti Soronen "Car is in my garage here in Finland and this summer is the first season for me driving the California Charger in Super Comp class. (Photo at left by John Shanks, photo at right from Pertti Soronen)


From Virginia, covering both ends of the decade of the 70s, comes Rick "Surf" Stambaugh and the "New Generation Racing" Corvette. Body is from the ex-Moby Dick car of Ezra Boggs campaigned in the late 70s; the chassis is a 1971 Logghe (the first "narrow" Logghe chassis) originally built for Phil Castronovo and his Custom Body mini-Charger which won the 71 NHRA AA/FC championship before the car was sold and campaigned in 72 by Abe Ayoub as the "Valley Tremor." Car continued to be campaigned as a nitro flopper through the late 70s by the Stambaughs as the "New Generation" Charger before being parked, then resurrected in the 90s with the newer Vette body and the chassis updated for nostalgia F/C wars. A family operation, son Matt is the crew chief and his sister also works on the car. (Pictures at left by JW Last, Maple Grove 71, Tucson 78, photo at right courtesy of Brad Wise)


The car generally credited with starting the "mini-Charger" craze is currently in the hands of former funny car chassis guru John Logghe of Logghe Stamping fame! Pictured is the car as found. John plans on restoring the Mr. Norm car... although the car doesn't appear to need too much TLC to get it back into it's original 70s condition. In fact John reports "The car is exactly today as is was 30 years ago." Plans for the car after restoration haven't been finalized...  "As to what we will do with the car after restoration, not sure, maybe burnout's." (Photos courtesy of John Logghe)

UPDATE 2/03, thanks to Nick DeBenedetto: Just thought I'd offer a friendly comment about the Mr. Norm's Charger. I'm not sure it was the first mini-Charger funny car. The mini design came about after one of the first funny cars reflecting the second Charger model, the Hawaiian, had a terrible accident on one of its first runs. The body was just too wide, especially in the front. Therefore, the body was redesigned for funny car use (and was the precursor of the current aerodynamic FC designs). I know the Hawaiian had one of the first of these new bodies, if not the first.


From Finland comes the ex-Blue Max Arrow. According to Aulis Hämeenkorpi "My good competition friend in class super comp owns old Blue Max funny car. First and famous driver with that car was Raymond Beadle in USA. Blue Max Arrow ´78 has come to Finland from Norway in the end of 80´s. When car was some years in Norway it was most of the time like "original" (engine, trans.). We have heard that engine, injectors and so on are somewhere in Norway?! Today: Owner and driver Marko Tossavainen is one of the most famous super comp driver here in Scandinavian ( he is ´99 &´00 Nordic drag race series super comp champion). Car runs all the time very good near 8.90 times with 509 Chevy BB and 95 octane. gasoline! When Marko has paint car two times, he has found there Blue Max colors under later color covers!" (Photo at left from 78 Amalie Blue Max Handout, photo at right courtesy of Aulis Hämeenkorpi)


One of the more "correct" 70s F/C restorations belongs to Bob Gibson who has restored the Tom & Jerry flopper from the mid-70s. Car was ex-Bob Banning Challenger reshelled as a Duster after being sold to Tom Woodbridge and Jerry Bates of Dragster Inc in Richmond VA in 73. Car was found by Gibson in early 99 in New Jersey more or less intact... but the car did require new tin work and some TLC to get the body back in shape. Car had been utilized as an injected bracket car prior to the restoration... original Tom & Jerry color's were found under the newer paint after sanding. Car is currently in the "shakedown" phase and will be joining Bob's Nostalgia Funny Car Association (NFCA) circuit full time in 2001. (Photo at left from mid-70s Amalie handout, photo at right courtesy of Brad Wise)


Bob Rosetty from Philly has owned Joe Jacono's ex-Rollin Stoned Cuda since 87... bought the car turnkey set up to run super comp, raced it till 1993 when, among other things, family commitments forced him to "put it in the barn where it slept patiently 'til May of this year." According to Bob "I got a call from a guy who said he was trying to put together an injected funny car group. The next day I went to the barn and dug the car out. I replaced the slicks, shifter cable, throttle cable, battery and seat belts. Changed the oil and poured some fuel in and it fired right up!!" The car is currently motivated by a 454 Chevy with Hilborn injectors coupled to a Powerglide. Bob reports "I would love to restore the car to its original form...  if I could get Joe's help and blessings...  " (Photo at left courtesy of James Morgan, info and right photo courtesy of Bob Rosetty)

UPDATE 6/02: Well, it looks like Bob succeeded in getting Joltin Joe's OK! According to Bob...  "After much thought and many failed attempts to locate Jacono on the internet, I called information on the telephone and, sure enough, I got the number. Needless to say, he was a little surprised to hear that, not only his car was still around, but people still remembered his drag racing days. He wasn't real interested at first, but the fever got hold of him too...  he is coming to the Funny Car Reunion to see the car. He said it will be the first time he has been to Englishtown in 25 years! In fact he e-mailed me about the reunion and asked me why I don't just paint the car like it was! I responded that I'd love to if it was ok with him. He said no problem as long as I did a good job and don't forget the go- go bar.

The chassis was restored over the winter of 2000. The Chevy motor came out and I put together a KB hemi and a 'Glide trans. It ran a best of 7.29 in August 2001. Over the winter of 2001, I did the body over, freshened the drivetrain and rechromed the front end. A lot of people worked on the project with me and every one of them put heart and soul into it. I hate to sound like a standard issue finish line interview, but I owe it to the guys on the crew, I couldn't have done it without them." (Photo of restored Cuda courtesy of Dave Milcarek, info courtesy of Bob Rosetty)


Bobby Miller's "Dr Dirt" Monza from AZ is part of the highly competitive California Independent Funny Car Association (CIFCA) that resides in the southwestern US. Car features an ex-Bernstein chassis cloaked in an ex-mid-70s Hawaiian shell. The injected on alcohol BB Chevy is a family run operation for the Millers! (Photos courtesy of Bobby Miller)

UPDATE 9-02: The former Hawaiian Monza shown as the Dr. Dirt Monza is now owned by Leroy Blackman of Absecon, N.J. Leroy has been campaigning the car in the same colors as pictured in 2002. However plans are to paint the car in a Hawaiian -like scheme circa 1977 to fit with Leroy's name Blue Moon.


Currently residing in Maine at Muscle Cars, Ltd. is the early 70s Maverick of ex-Midwest flopper racer Danny Miller. Jim White recently purchased the car in TN after losing out on a deal to purchase the same car in the mid-90s. Jim reports the car doesn't appear to have been bracket raced following it's career as a nitro flopper which likely accounts for the great shape it's in today. The car currently is powered by an alcohol injected Boss 429 stroked to 494 hooked to a Powerglide and Ford 9 inch. Intent is to race it at some Nostalgia events this year, put supercharger on before seasons end. (Photos courtesy of Jim White). Visit the Muscle Cars, Ltd. web page to learn more... Muscle Cars Ltd


From Missouri comes Greg Jacobsmeyer seen here at the Mopar Nationals at Gateway Raceway, IL, in Sept 99. Car is running a mid-80s chassis, cloaked in a 70 Challenger body that at one time shelled Art Ward's "Green Angels" flopper from Colorado. At the pictured event, Jacobsmeyer ran a tire shaking, very early 70s like 6.92 at 206 on a low dose of nitro. (Photo by JW Last)


This "under restoration" black Mustang II belongs to Barry Riley from Ohio. According to Barry the flopper as been verified as a Romeo Palamides car and was likely the last fuel F/C he built before switching to jet cars. Barry goes on to say "As best I can tell the car was used as a match race car & later as an alcohol car but no definite history. I will be running the car with Ford power & nitro." Plans call for running nostalgia flopper events in the central US. Although the car's exact history is unknown, upon removing the trim piece around the blower opening Barry found the paint scheme depicted in the right photograph. Based on this small clue, can anybody help identify this cars lineage? Any clues on the cars past would be appreciated! (Photo and info courtesy of Barry Riley)

UPDATE 5/01: Barry reports: "We are close to a test date, have to finish some loose ends on F/C and have been doing many shows w/ Hooters. We have a good deal w/Hooters & they are on board for this & 2 more years. We will have the girls working at all appearances including backing the car up after every burnout & selling merchandise. at transporter. We are completely restoring a 74' Pete semi & a 78' drop deck transporter. This is a test & build year so look out 2002 we're going to put on a great show." BTW, note the front spoiler...  (shameless plug!)


Bill Henderson from Florida is currently campaigning Paul Smith's ex-"Entertainer" Vega from the 77 season as a Super Comp car motivated by a 511" Rat motor. Bill has owned the car for 2 years, found it in Auto Trader (previous owner had been bracket racing the car), and after much bargaining traded a 40 Ford P/U to get the flopper. Bill is entertaining (bad pun intended) the idea of putting a blown motor in the car and going nostalgia racing. (Photo at left from JW Last, 77 NHRA Summernationals, photo at right courtesy of Bill Henderson)


Starting life as a still "yet to be identified" flopper in the early 70s comes Mike Kurz's MO based econo flopper photographed at the 99 Mopar Nationals at Gateway. Although Bob Gibson has attempted to trace this car's history, only things for sure are that the car has a Duster body, rides on an early 70ish R&B chassis and likely ran nitro. R&B was based in WI, the "B" was John Buttera who moved to So Cal and started his own legendary race car building operation. Car's history is difficult to trace because the car appeared to be seldom raced. Rumor as the car WI based in the 71-72 timeframe, possibly belonging to a local car club and likely a local fill-in on the Coke Cavalcade circuit. (JW Last Photo)


The 69 Nova "First Love" is owned by Lesley Smith and driven by Jerry Smith of South Westerlo NY. Car was campaigned from 69-72 by Jerry's brother Keith as the J&F Super Special nitro flopper in the northeast. Car is now powered by a 470" Rat Motor on alcohol which resides in vintage Logghe Stamping chassis. Paint on the car was done 25 years ago by Bob Gerdes of Circus Paints and lettering was done by Mr. J way back in the mid-70s also! (Photo at left courtesy of Drag Racing Memories, photo at right by Jerry Smith)


Currently residing in the NHRA Museum is MT's Monocoque Mustang shelled effort from 1970. Car was donated by Thompson's son, is in it's original condition. Long utilized in Grand Prix and Indy car construction, the Monocoque idea didn't adopt well to drag racing. Built by Nye Frank, car didn't live up to performance expectations, was retired not long after it's debut. (Photo at top courtesy of Drag Racing Memories; bottom photo used with permission of NHRA)


Currently residing in Fullerton, CA., is the ex-Jim Moore Arrow that ran on the NHRA trail in the late 70s. New owner Jeff Seraphine is running the car on the California Independent Funny Car Association circuit with a BB Chevy on Alcohol. Best performance to date has been 7.23 at 189. Car passed though many hands before Jeff purchased the car in 93 and won the CIFCA Rookie of the Year and championship in 95. Of note, Jeff came to asphalt from drag boats and keeps it "all in the family" with this wife and kids serving as his crew. (Photo at left from Jim Moore handout, right photo courtesy of Jeff Seraphine)


The killer injected nitro car on the east coast in the early 70s was Kenny Warren's, Tom "Smoker" Smith driven "Virginia Twister." Car is now owned by Jerry Smith (no relation) who also owns the ex-J&F Special Nova flopper. New paint scheme was designed by Charlie Wilson and applied by Brian Bennett who runs the ex-Gene Snow car pictured below. Car has a 470" Chevy blown on alcohol coupled to a 2 speed Powerglide tranny resting in a Logghe Bros chassis. (Photo at left from Drag Racing Memories, at right courtesy of Charlie Wilson)


Dave Sano's Jersey based nostalgia flopper is based on the chassis from the ex-"Speed Racer" Arrow of Tom Anderson. The body is John Force's first "Wendy's Hamburger" car from the late 70s (but Sano has the Arrow body also) and according to Bill Schaible was found in a field...  when the many layers of paint applied by later owners was stripped off there was the yellow and blue of Force's car. Sano's plan is to match race with other "nostalgia" funnies on the East Coast. (Thanks to Franko and Bill Schaible, Photo at left courtesy of Dave Milcarek, right photo by Bill Schaible)


JJ's 72 Vega is currently on display at Don Garlits' Museum in Fla. This is the "Romeo Palamides" car that Jungle sold to Nick Boninfante ("U.S. Male") after the 72 season. Nick had Joe Siti ("Philadelphia Flyer") update it with a 74 nose. It changed hands a couple times after that. Garlits found it sitting in a barn in PA and had it repainted at the museum to match JJ's 72 paint scheme. The 74 nose has mislead many into believing the car is not genuine JJ. (Photo at left by JW Last, 1972, at right, the Garlits Museum by Gonzo)


Ace Manzo crewmember Lou Sgro has restored the "Action Man" Kenny Goodell's Wynn's Stormer Dodge Challenger and has the car residing on the east coast. Car is one of the growing number of nostalgia floppers starting to emerge and return to battle! To learn more click on Lou's website! (Photo at left courtesy of Drag Racing Memories, photo at right courtesy of Tom Molyneaux)


Ex-Gene Snow/Jake Johnston 71 Charger is beautifully restored and running out of CT. For a short period in 73, car served as the first Bad Habit flopper before the Pinto was finished. Car ran as "Jersey Stud" alcohol flopper and the "Diamond Stud" econo F/C before being purchased by Brian Bennett and returned to it's former glory. Plan is to put the car back on nitro and go nostalgia racing! (Photo of restored "Rambunctious" by Mark Hovsepian)


Currently residing in Texas is Shirley Muldowney's ex-Connie Kalitta 1971 Mustang flopper which carried Cha-Cha to her first ever national event win at the 71 IHRA Southern Nationals. Car appeared for sale in Aug 13, 1971 issue of National Dragster with the caption "6.82, 219 with a woman driver...  think of what you can do with it!" Car later disappeared to the northwest and was run as a bracket racer before being purchased by current owner in mid-90s. Car is undergoing restoration... and rumor has the car for sale. (Photo at left from rare Shirley Muldowney handout courtesy of Abe Ayoub, photo at right courtesy of Larry Smith)


A car that needs no introduction is the Chi-Town Hustler. Long a crowd favorite and arguably the best at fogging in the starting line, one version of the Hustler was spotted in a Texas barn in the early 90's for sale as a roller for big $$$. Recently, it was rumored to be under restoration for placement in the NHRA museum. (Photo courtesy of Robb Lowe)

Well the rumor was true! Here's the fully restored "Hustler" as it sits in the NHRA Museum next to an other 70s Funny Car, the MT Monocoque Mustang which is featured above. This is the same car pictured in the barn above. Car was restored by NHRA Safety Safari member Bob Gibson. (Photo by Jim White)

 


From Wisconsin comes one of the ex-Blue Max Mustang IIs. Owned and driven by Mike Boisvert, the car is running a big block Chevy on alcohol. Car made a few late season shake-down passes at Cedar Falls Raceway in Iowa. Boisvert has spent 7 years working to rebuild and race the car, hence the nickname "Sheer Hell." (JW Last Photo at left, photo at right from Dieter Sturm)


Kenny Bernstein driving Ray Alley's Engine Masters Cougar, circa 1970. Car is currently being restored in CA. Note the chassis technology. According to Ray Alley (as quoted in Popular Hot Rodding in the early 70s) "All the tubes do is hold the wheels up. The engine department plus tires and new fuels is where it's at." (Photo at left courtesy of Drag Racing Memories)


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