[Brian Baker]

Besides my own.

Dave Sano's '73 "Screamin' Insanity" Grand Am. The body in this thing was cut in half last fall at Atco following a tranny/convertor explosion. Nobody thought it would ever be put back together, but it looks better now than it did before.

[Steve Barcak]

Looks good, I like it too. Of course, there is something about it that could make me like it better, something different in between the frame rails.
What is the history of this body? Was it one of the Thompson cars (body)"?
Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org

[Brian Baker]

It's not one of Mickey Thompson's old bodies. I'm not sure who it belonged to, but Dave found it, in all places, in a junkyard in New Jersey.

I'd like to see a Pontiac between the rails too, but keep in mind, most of these cars had Hemi's in them by 1971-72, and putting one of them together with used parts (block, heads, cranks) is a bit cheaper than doing it with a Pontiac.

Here's a pic of what it looked like before. I witnessed it run 6.80's prior to the mishap.

[Brian Baker]

Of interesting note, I know of one M.T. Grand-Am body that is left. To my knowledge, 2 of the 3 (or 4?) that he had are unaccounted for. His daughter has it, and the last time I checked (which was 3 years ago), it was sitting on a chassis from one of Mickey's earlier Maverick bodies. At that time she had no intention of letting the body or chassis go, and they were sitting in a storage lot (outside, such a shame) somewhere out west with weeds and grass growing around them.

[Brian Baker]

Here you go, Steve. A shot (from a handout) of the last known actively campaigned (or any kind of campaigned) Pontiac powered funny car.

Raymond Walker's BB/FC "Sunshine" Vega, circa 1975-76. I tried to track Raymond down, but couldn't. He was an Army D.I. stationed at Fort Knox during the timeframe he was racing. I did manage to contact one of his former crew members in Florida about 3 years ago, but he wasn't very helpful in providing any details about how they got the thing to live the few times they ran it on nitro'. It had a 421 in it.

[Steve Barcak]

One of the Grand Ams burned to the ground around the summer or fall of '73. I am pretty sure ( but not positive) that is was the first yellow one. I do know Butch Maas was driving and was burned pretty bad. I think his injuries caused added safety requirements in the class.
I know about Rays funny, it was featured in Super Stock and drag illustrated and hung in my old shop at my home. There were not real, documented times and speeds just aapproximates, kinda' like Arnie is about his stuff.
Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org

[Brian Baker]

Here's a link to some pics from FCR-V. Bob Rosetty's "Tweety's Rat" is too beautiful for pictures to do it justice. Check out the rims he has on it. Bear Claws in the back and I dunno up front (but I bet you do, Steve). Rob Bruce's Blue "Zombie" Firebird is one of Gordie Bonin's old bodies.

http://draglist.smugmug.com/gallery/1752681/1

[Polar-Pontiac]

One sweet ride.......

[Busster1]

Now that's cool! I love those old grand am and trans am funny cars!

[Larry Navarro]

Wow!....Didn't Mickey have one like that called the "Revelloution"?

[Busster1]

It was named revelleader. I believe his daugter still has it minus the drivetrain.

[Busster1]

It's located behind a shop in oregon and it's not for sale.

[GoatRider]

Brian how about an update on your FC? I'm sure you have not just been sitting around drinking beer all summer

[Steve Barcak]

Larry,
The "Revellution" Funny was a Duster and driven by Ed McCullouch (sp?) around '72. Of course many of these cars had the word "revell" in it because they were sponsored by the Revell model kit company.
As for other original Pontiac funny car bodies, I have 2 of them, The first is the Tyree '68 Firebird and an unknown '66 all glass Tempest.

For you vintage funny car fans, you may want to pick up a copy of the movie Funny car summer. It is a documentary of Fireman Jim Dunn touring the funny circuit in 1972. It is a must add to your collection if you are a funny car fan.
Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org

[Brian Baker]

Yup, that picture you have Busster is the car his daughter now has, sitting on that Maverick chassis I spoke of. She ain't getting rid of it.

[Brian Baker]

Another great funny car movie (and great drag race movie in general) is "American Nitro". It covered the 1978 Nationals at Indy, and showed the race where Tom "The Mongoose" McEwan defeated Don "The Snake" Prudhomme in the final...just two weeks after Tom's son died from leukemia. Tom was the underdog in that race. Some folks may not realize it, but Don and Tom were friends, not just racers. Scenes from the shutdown area show Don climbing out of his car in tears and embracing Tom, both men in tears. Probably the greatest moment in funny car history.

[Brian Baker]

Originally Posted by GoatRider

Brian how about an update on your FC? I'm sure you have not just been sitting around drinking beer all summer

Actually I may as well have been. I haven't touched the car since before the VMP race in May. Had to walk away from it for a bit when my overtime at work dried up, but hopefully things will pick up again soon.

[Brian Baker]

Here's another link to a great website:

http://www.70sfunnycars.com/

Over 400 pictures of cars from "back in the day" with a brief history on each.

[Busster1]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

For you vintage funny car fans, you may want to pick up a copy of the movie Funny car summer. It is a documentary of Fireman Jim Dunn touring the funny circuit in 1972. It is a must add to your collection if you are a funny car fan.
Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org

I have it and love it! Was he the first to try a rear engined funny car?

[Steve Barcak]

No Busster, Jim Dunn wasn't the first but, he was by far the most successful with a rear engined f/c.
There were a few 'cudas built in '65 that were back motors. They were 426 powered, blown on nitro. Tom McCewen (sp) drove it part of the time, It was based in so cal and sponsored by the Plymouth dealers of the area. The first one was destroyed in a endo over endo I think it was at Lions. They build a second car afterward, I did see it in Don Garlits museum unrestored in 1993, it may still be there. I am pretty sure that EJ Potter also built a rear motor funny cuda or valiant ( I am going by memory here), it was powered by a V-12 Allison. There were 2 other back motor funnies in the flooper era, Dennis Geisler (Duster I think ) flipped, rolled and destroyed his at Pomona in '75 and the third escapes me.
The problem with rear motor funnies is the same problem they had with rear engine dragsters in the 50s and 60s. With cars that short and the driver that far forward in the wheelbase and a blown fuel engine, the driver has precious little time to compensate and make steering corrections as needed in a high powered run. Jim Dunn was one of the few who were able to do it. Slowing down the steering ratio also helped a bunch, that was one of Garlits secrets to his initial success in '71.
Jack Chrisman also built a rear engine sidewinder funny in '71 without much success.

Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org