Centalanzo’s

[paul-ceasrine]

DINO,

DO YOU SEE WHAT I STARTED 😮
Posted the start of this thread in July.
I have a couple of other cars to name, but I’ll hold back a little and absorb all the nice
posts and photo’s.
Kind of like a piece of Tiramisu’.
Or a little Sambuca with a Sfogliatelle’ (That’s Sfuyudelle for the non-Italian crowd. 😆 )
Paul
* P.S. Luigi’s, Main Street, Bridgeport (Nice pastry selection)

[dinoKeymaster]

Differant Thread for Differant car-driver…some of the good stuff gets lost in the sandwich like good Bruschetta.

[68hemiss]

Bobby,
Feel free to post any additional pics of the Centolanza’s cars.
Thanks,
Mark J

[paul-ceasrine]

Hey Bob (HVY70SS),
If you look closely at the photo of the (2) 65′ Valiants at Dover (Centalanzo’s and Ken Conley’s)
you will notice that the “Prince Valiant” is a 4-door. I think we ended up with the black-rimmed slicks, from the 4-door. (GoodYear, I think).
In 1965, New York City ordered 4-door black Valiants with 4-speeds (with a Granny first-gear; 3.09 ratio) for city driving. And yes, several with the 273/235HP 4-barrel Commando.
Some nice launches waiting for the light to turn green on 42nd Street/Lexington Avenue.
How did Ken end up with one of them?
What was the price of a Taxi-cab ride back then. 25-cents, plus 10-cents a mile.
That comes to .35-cents for a trip down Dover Lane (track + shut-down run + retrurn =
1-mile.
PC

[hvy70ssParticipant]

Paul,
That’s funny! Taxi rides at Dover, could have been a money maker. Sort of a “Keep Dover Open Fund” I bet spectators would have loved it!
I see Ken Conley once in awhile…I’ll ask him about the 4 door deal. Going to the race on Sat?

Bob Smith

[paul-ceasrine]

BOB,
Yes, Taxi rides would have been nice for the general fund. The first thing the
out-of-town patrons would have asked the driver, Where’s the hookers? 😆
Maybe at the end of the shut-down area, near the time-slip booth Dino could have set-up
Dovers own little 42nd Street 😮 Some Dutchess County (Braciole’s) 🙄
Back to the 4-door. That would be interesting to find out where that car came from?
Those Valiants actually came from the factory with “Hurst” shifters, and the 65′
Commando muffler (large pipe single unit) was virtually hollowed out (no restriction).
PC (My 273 brain hurts now 😉 )

[hvy70ssParticipant]

Paul,
Fast-Forward this wayback machine!! Lou ran his “new” Cuda at the Dover race Saturday. First pass on car ever 11.07….well below index in his class in NHRA stock eliminator. Second pass was off a bit but they haven’t got it all sorted out yet. Seeing him hitting every gear in a 4 speed was a real flash back to the SS/A back in the ’70’s. I’m sure somebody got pics of it that day.

Bobby Smith

[dinoKeymaster]

More From Bobby:
“Here’s a pic from ’73 @ Cecil County of Lou’s SS/E. See that 11.10 et ? He ran quicker than that at the Dover race this past weekend in stock eliminator on his first pass. Times sure have changed. Bobby Smith.”

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[paul-ceasrine]

DINO,
I bet that 69′ 383 Cuda their running now is in the 10.90’s very soon. Would have to give their 71′ SS/E Hemi convertible Cuda lights 😯 😯

Bobby Smith, Check out The H.A.M.B. site, NHRA Junior Stock forum,,,Page 43, post #854.
December 1967, National Dragster Ad,,, 65′ Valiant “Lil Brute’, D/SA, ForgedTrues, Doug Headers, Vicar engine, 4.89 gears, (2) sets of heads and pistons, runs under the National Record of 13.52. Contact; Lou Pellegrinelli (914-446-2834)

Looks like the 65′ Valiant ran in E/SA in 66′, then all cars were classed up for 67′, to D/SA.
Falls into the weight break of 11.30 – 11.88 wt/hp.. 2712lbs. ~ 235Hp = 11.54 wt/hp 😮
That was the E/S class for 66′, and D/S class for 67′. Bet you could have got the car for
$2000.,,I know soembody ended up with a set of slicks from them or Ken 😛
Paul

[hvy70ssParticipant]

Hey All,
Spent some time with “Lou and Ant” at our 2nd Annual Dover Drags. They ran on Sat. only due to other commitments on Sun. The F/S
‘Cuda is running well with times in the 11 teens. Seems like that clutch deal is a fine line. I know Lou and his son will have it figured out quick.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Talked with Lou and Ant about Plymouth’s involvement back in the day. Seems that there is a bit of misunderstanding by the general public. They weren’t 100% factory backed by Mopar. In fact, Mopar only supplied parts that were used as a test bed for the race cars. Not that that’s a bad thing though. As history dictates, Mopar had few select free rides, Sox and Martin being one.The real sponsorship?? Lou Pelligrinelli owner of Mountain Garage in Highland Falls. He paid for EVERTHING including that huge enclosed box rig back in the early ’70’s. Lou P. even supplied operating expenses for the Centolanza’s race events. That man LOVED drag racing!! My father and I knew Lou P. as a neighbor 5 houses down on Kleitz Ave. Funny…my Dad was a Ford man, Mountain Garage (Mopar) was 200’ feet away and I grew up racing Chevys…go figure! Anyway, Lou and Ant give all the credit to Lou Pelligrinelli back in the old days. Lou P’s. been gone for many years now, but without him a part of Mopar drag racing would not have been written.

Bobby Smith

[dinoKeymaster]

If anybody has contact with Centolanzo …tell him to Get On The Forum!

[mikey]

I thought you talked to them at Island. Maybe Ronnie Morehead, or Marty Timperio. ………..Mikey 😆

[m-amp-m-speed-amp-custom]

For awile we (M&M) recived some parts from a guy named Brian Shram (sp) at Chry’s Product Planning for Mr. Ed and Jimmie LeRoux’s Hemi Road Runner and Cuda, plus a LOT of Info! They had a real COMPUTER 😮 😮 . He even did a print out on how to build the roll bar for my ’67 Camaro Convt. SS/K.
GOOD people,
Rich

[Author]

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