As some of you may know, I have an all original AA/FC I have been restoring for a few years. The only thing that is not original(as last ran) on the car is the headers and the the 75-77 era Monza body it came with. It last ran with a 71 Mach1 Mustang body on it.

I had a new 71 Mach1 body made for the car. The mold for my body came from an original body just like mine. I thought I posted a few pictures for you guys to see. To make it a Mopar thread too, I posted a picture of the engine as it was the day I picked up the car.


This is the original engine. Kenny Hirata was the bulder and tuner of the engines that were in the car. He also built this one too.


This is the day I picked it up.


This is what it looked like as last ran. The African American women was the owner and driver. She is the only African American women (known) to ever drive a BB/FC, A/FC or AA/FC.


This is the new body I had built from an original like she last ran.

This car was featured in the Nov 1971 Ebony magazine. The AP ran a story on her in 1972. When they built the car in 1970/71 it cost them 18K. I have all the history on the car, including pictures of it being built in Jan/Feb 1970.

I have a web site you can look at to see more history of the car if you are interested. www.ConquerorRacing.com

Enjoy.
Rick

Very, very cool! I love the Nostagia funny cars, and yours has a cool history to boot!

Are you going to try to update the chassis or is it just gonna be a cacklefest car??

I was thinking about updating the chassis. Then I was talking with the curator of the Harrah's auto museum in Reno about it a few years ago. He was advising me against that. I have spoke with Don Garlits, he did the same. I have a friend who works for the NHRA Heritage series and he did the same. Also, since then I have gathered so much of the original history on the car too. With all the history and the fact that everything is original except the headers and the new re-made body I deceided that complete restoration was the way to go. So it will be a ready to run car meeting all the requirements from the mid 70's as last ran. The NHRA will allow certain things to be done with them if they are all original. For example, burnouts, and half track passes like Don Garlits does. Of course I will show it and do cackle stuff with it too.

If you looked at the website, you saw some of the stuff I have. I have more too. I have two of the Ebony 1971 magazines and a copy of the Nov 1973 Ebony Jr magazine she was in too. I also have the original letters from 1972 and 1973 that she received from people across the US after the AP artical ran. I have all five draft copies of the AP artical too on the original telitype paper. We are still gathering info too. For example, Dale Pulde has been in contact with me to give me info and I have spoke with Kenny Hirata many times about the car and his involvement.

Tell your dad I said hello. We used to work together in DC when I was in the Coast Guard before I retired.

Rick

Rick it was great talking to you today sure has been a while. Car looks great ( nice STANG )

Thanks for the input.


Jimmy

hirata was just at norwalk and mrs Koffel was telling me how thay pitted next to each other.if you called koffels place in huron ohio mrs K would be glad to talk about it i am sure am maybe get some inside info on things[something not printed]it is worth a shot.

That thing seriously needs to attend the March Meet or Calif Hot Rod Reunion....awesome piece!

Jimmy, it was great talking with you too. Keep me in mind when you go testing. If I'm in town I'd love to go help you out.

Chassisman, that is the plan along with a few other things too. I have a friend who works for the NHRA Heritage Serires and he has already told me he wants the car to go to some National events in the Memory Lane area. However, I have to finish it first!

Rick

Hey Rick, cool reading and good luck with the project.

Hey Rick,
Glad to see you are doing well. I've got two more years at CGHQ. Gonna retire right before the big move to Saint Elizabeth's.

Looks like a fun project. BTW, our good friend Tom Sneden found his old funny car and is restoring it for shows and possibly a cackle fest. He's 80 now, so he doesn't plan to drive. Maybe he will let Kevin do some 1/8 mile passes...

http://www.dragzine.com/news/new-life-for-a-nostalgic-mach-1-funny-car/

that really is some cool history. there are a fair number of cars that are or have been restored all with history behind them but given that cars history certainly puts it in a class it's own. the fact that she (they) held on to it all those years is a testament to it's meaning to them. i imagine she's happy to see it being restored to it's original form. it certainly needs to be circulated.

Chris,
Are you the Chris that wrote that article? If you are, thanks alot!! I will pass this on to Nellie to read, she will be thrilled! She is so happy about the restoration. When I showed her the new body last weekend (while she was at work) she said, "I hope I can wipe this smile of my face before I go back in."
Rick

Hi Jon,
I bet Tom is really excited about finding his old car! I would love to find on like it too. Nellies first car was rebodied with a 70 Challenger body after the 68 cuda body was destroyed (she hit a tree with it!). I would love to remake that car too.
I bet you are looking forward to retirement. I know I have certainly been enjoying mine. The only bad thing about it is I still have to work, my toys cost too much for me to live on my retirement check. Perhaps one day I will slow down and retire for good!
We may be coming up to run the supercharger showdown at MIR this year with the TAFC. If we do, I'll let you know. Maybe you can make it out.
Rick

Thanks Darrell.

How's your cuda project coming along?

That is pretty cool,Rick!!

I just stumbled upon this story and WOW. Awesome might be too subtle a word to describe my feelings. I appreciate you having a dedicated website for the car and documenting its restoration, and look forward to seeing more (and if possible much larger) pics.

Do you know who originally painted and lettered the body, by chance?

Pink,
I wish I knew. They got the mustang body from Kenny Hirata. I was talking to Kenny and Dave a few weeks ago about this very question. Kenny could not remember who painted the body. Nellie and Otis had the body lettered. Nellie can't remember who did the lettering either. She just remembers they flew someone in from California to letter it. She said it was a real big deal then. The lettering was gold leaf too.

Dave Hirata wants to paint the car because he remembers it from when he was a kid and his dads involvement with the car. So he will be painting it when it is ready to paint.

Rick

Here is an updated picture of the car as it sets right now.