new ride

[bossguy]

Thats interesting Andy, I never thought moving the rear wheels would affect the handling like that, but both you and Bill have driven them and I haven’t. I remember them trying to stay in lane but I always attributed that to jerking the wheel when you bang a gear or the fact that the wheelbase was probably altered using a tape measure and string instead of a jig and lasers. Those were the cars that did it for me. From the powdered rosin burnouts to fighting to stay in lane it was a great show. I have an autographed print of Daddy Warbucks hanging in my home that Drake gave me as well as photos of Tascas Mystery 9 AWB Mustang. I never get tired of looking at them.

[anonymous]

Hi Jack,

Moving the back wheels up and the engine back gave you big time weight transfer. Storm kings car for the most part as I remember it as the Black Arrow appeared to hook up and go pretty straight most of the time. As for Daddy Warbucks, I remember his T-bolt on nitro with a 4 speed going up on the rear bumper with all four wheels off the ground when he shifted gears. A sight I will never forget. Hubert Platt did the same thing with his T-bolt when we match raced him at Westhampton.

Andy

[bossguy]

Hi Andy, its funny you mention that particular warbucks launch, cause thats my favorite too. If you were to call Tom Caldera in California and ask him his most vivid memory of warbucks, I know he would say the same thing.

[34gasser-65awb]

Landy knew a thing or 2 about short wheelbase lightwieght Darts with the Hemi setback by some. Ran one in mid ’66 and into 67 (after his “factory” Coronet AWB went to the Studio Dodge guys). This one eventually got moved around some more, rears got stuffed RIGHT UP to the doors with the nose about a foot out from where it is here. Was still only 6inches or so longer than the original setup. Landy parted with this car shortly after the first few times he ran it blown on fuel. It shattered the Torqueflite and that was it. Back to stockers for Dick Landy.

[34gasser-65awb]

Thanx for posting that shot of one of the later (almost last) versions of the car. Sure was far from pretty, wasn’t it?

[storm-king]

The old ‘Arrow’s wheelbase alteration was done by a local blacksmith around Dover/Pawling/Wingdale. That car had a 100″ wheelbase with the rears moved forward, and ran straight as a string. It handled very nicely.

[Author]

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