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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: BigTerry]
#874408
05/19/12 01:32 AM
05/19/12 01:32 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
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Quote:
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The Super Stock & Drag Illistrated magazine contest give-away car 
I wonder who won that? 
A guy by the name of John Zibor, but in reality, it was Pete Tritak. Say what, you're saying? Here's the inside story from another forum:
Originally Posted by colesy
Speaking of John Zibor, this has got to be his biggest claim to fame. It's not everyday that someone wins a Tritak & Morgan prepped SS/DA Cuda. Some of you no doubt remember this contest SS&DI magazine put together back in the day. To win, you had to sell SS&DI subscriptions. They followed the whole build process and after a season or so of racing they picked a lucky winner.
Dom replied:
OK NOW IT IS TIME FOR THE REST OF THE STORY!
Thought some of you would like to know the real story of John Zibor and the Tritak/Morgan Cuda. First of all, going back to 1963 Pete Tritak and I were both working at Tri Town Motors Chrysler Plymouth in Clifton NJ. I was parts manager and he was a mechanic. I use to pick him up in Passaic on my way to work from Hoboken.
I had met George Trifoli owner of Tri Town at Island Dragway. Pete use to drive Tri Towns 63 plymouth 426 max wedge car. Eventually George offered me a job and I went to work in the parts dept. Pete had some family problems and stopped driving the car and I took over.
Pete and I started a small business on the side right around the corner from the dealership. We built max wedge cars and did manual shift torqueflites and general repair, still working during the day in the dealership. Eventually Pete and I both went to work for Arrow Motors Dodge in West New York NJ. We still had the shop in Passaic.
Finally I was getting married and we continued in the shop after work in Passaic but I moved further south to Woodbridge and he went in to business as Tritak Performance in Clifton. I still worked at Arrow and moved to Irvington Dodge as service director and eventually to Knoblock Dodge in South River and I started Rinaldi Automotive out of my shop at my house in Woodbridge.
For those of you that have read all the previous posts, I won't go into it again in detail but.........I supplied to Pete the '63 Plymouth wagon that became the "War Wagon",and paid for the Jenkins motor that was in it. I was reimbursed by Pete for everything I paid out as we were still good friends and I had the $$$ to help him. He had much success with the wagon and got the deal with Super Stock magazine.
From the onset the deal was going to be a giveaway of the Cuda at the end of the race year. The decision was that Super Stock magazine would have a contest and that the person selling the most subscriptions for the magazine would win the car.
{I have never seen this mentioned before and hope that I don't piss off some people}, but Pete really wanted to keep the car. Enter John Zibor a policeman in Clifton where Pete's shop was . It was decided that John would be the front man for the contest and would be the winner!! Everybody that came through the door of Pete's shop got a subscription to Super Stock,{including me}. Pete paid for the subscriptions and they were all sent in with John Zibor as the salesman.
I don't remember the exact number of how many were sold but it far out distanced anyone else. There was a $$$ amount that took place between John and Pete but I was never told how much Pete paid him for being the front man. The car never left Pete's shop and the story that got around was that he bought it from John after he won it.
AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY!!
DOM
~~~~~~~~~~
Pete
Last edited by Qwik426; 05/19/12 01:35 AM.
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: Chris2581]
#874409
05/19/12 01:55 AM
05/19/12 01:55 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,231
State of retirement
52savoy
master
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master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,231
State of retirement
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Quote:
Same tach I have..The SW 505AH.One I have is almost 40 years old and still works great to this day. 
Did you get the chrome cup with it??
X2... I've had mine 40 years too and it works great
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874410
05/19/12 02:00 AM
05/19/12 02:00 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
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Plymouth and Dodge SS/D's and DA's in action at the 1971 NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown, NJ. The aforementioned Super Stock & Drag Illustrated magazine Hemi 'Cuda project car vs. unidentified Hemi Road Runner.  Dewey Cook  Dave Connors  Looks like Tim Richard's 'Cuda vs. John Tedder's Hemi GTX convertible.  Unable to make out the name on this 'Cuda. Anyone?  Pete
Last edited by Qwik426; 05/19/12 02:23 AM.
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874411
05/19/12 02:21 AM
05/19/12 02:21 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
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1971 "Indy" Nationals, which, by the way, the national event where Chrysler products won every eliminator, from Top Fuel all the way down to Stock eliminator, a feat heretofore never accomplished by any other brand.  Dean Nicopolis  Tritak & Morgan  Charlie Castaldo vs. Boitnoit Bros. 'Cuda in the left lane (at least that's who I think it is).  Dave Connors  Pete
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874413
05/19/12 01:53 PM
05/19/12 01:53 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Quote:
Great pics Qwik426, thanks for sharing them with us. 
You're welcome, my friend!
Pete
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874414
05/19/12 02:25 PM
05/19/12 02:25 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
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Bill Tanner's SS/DA Challenger R/T at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show  When's the last time you've seen a Sox & Martin 1970 'Cuda with its factory Shaker hood? That only sez SS/D to me. However, there is no record of the team campaigning a 1970 Hemi 'Cuda in that class. Still, cool-looking and RARE!  'Little' Richard  Centolanza Bros. and Clayton B. Wright pitted together at some race at Cecil County Dragway (or Drag-o-Way) sometime in 1971.   And last, but not least, my ex-SS/DA (street) car before it was converted back to street use sans any decals, race Hemi, fiberglass T/A hood, Super Trick wheels, etc., when previous owner George Duane campaigned it. I was told by one longtime drag racer that George had purchased a class legal $6,000.00 Dick Landy-built Hemi for the car; needless to say, that was mucho bucks back in the mid-1970s even to a service station owner. I purchased the car back in Nov. 1977 for the 'grand' sum of $1200.00! The race engine, drivetrain and other racing equipment was pulled and removed by George and the body sold (for $500.00) to a guy named Rich Mastrianno. In its place, at Rich's request, he installed a 1968 Street Hemi with matching 4-speed trans and Dana 60 rear pulled from his (Rich's) original 1968 4-speed Hemi Charger R/T whose interior caught fire and written off as totaled by the insurance company--argh!! What a loss! But that was the mindset back then. Car was originally Ice Blue Metallic, black interior, 4-speed, 383 cu.in. non-Shaker hood car. IF it were an original Hemicar, I'd still own it today for I was well aware of how to read the VIN tag unlike many back then. Still, it sounded, felt and performed just like a bona fide Hemicar. 
Last edited by Qwik426; 05/19/12 04:35 PM.
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874415
05/19/12 03:09 PM
05/19/12 03:09 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
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John Fenn  Kaiser Bros. & Kent Ritter now running in SS/GA with 440+6 power.  Rick Wolf  Felix Lukach  (Lynn W. Morton photos) Pete
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874417
05/22/12 03:28 PM
05/22/12 03:28 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Quote:
Thanks again Quik426, can you tell me what size tires the last 2 cars pictured would have been running?
You're welcome. Looks to me like 14" x 32".
Pete
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: Qwik426]
#874418
05/23/12 06:57 AM
05/23/12 06:57 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 520
New Zealand
nz383man
OP
mopar
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OP
mopar
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 520
New Zealand
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Quote:
Quote:
Thanks again Quik426, can you tell me what size tires the last 2 cars pictured would have been running?
You're welcome. Looks to me like 14" x 32".
Pete
Thanks Pete, I just bought a set of 14 x 32s on rims to see if they would fit but it was hard to tell without relocating the springs.
How much cutting & tucking was needed to fit those big tires in? Springs in the chassis rails? how much tubbing?
Cheers, Kevin
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: nz383man]
#874419
05/27/12 08:03 PM
05/27/12 08:03 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
Qwik426
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,041
New Jersey
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Quote:
Thanks Pete, I just bought a set of 14 x 32s on rims to see if they would fit but it was hard to tell without relocating the springs.
How much cutting & tucking was needed to fit those big tires in? Springs in the chassis rails? how much tubbing?
Cheers, Kevin
Hi Kevin,
On my car the following was done: inside part of inner wheelwheel housing (closest to frame rail) was heated with an acetylene torch and lower portion of it (i.e., closest to trunk floor) hammered flush with rear frame rail. I know, not state of the art nor pretty but low-buck and served the purpose. Other cars of that time period would usually have inner a.k.a. "mini" wheel tubs installed. It is accomplished as follows: the wheelwell housing would be split in two using an air chisel and/or drilling out the stock spot welds that hold both halves together, trim a few inches of trunk floor pan material up to the rear frame rail, move inner part of wheelwell housing up against it, clamp it in place, measure how much you need to fill in the gap which is now there between the two sections of the original wheelwell housing.
Back to my car: front spring hangers were not mounted in lower part of rear subframe as is usually done, but inside of it, i.e., the opposite of where the stock front spring hanger is located (i.e., outside of frame rail). In the back, offset rear spring shackles where installed.
Due to the larger circumferance of the slick, you will need to elongate the wheelwell opening, mostly in front. If you look closely at the Duane's Sunoco Challenger above, you'll see where they heated the outer wheelwell opening in the quarter panel (just ahead of the tire) and folded it over and hammered it flat gainst the stock wheelwell housing. Again, not pretty but lowbuck and functional. Doing it correctly would require cutting a section of the quarter panel (where the wheelwell opening is located) removing it, cutting a section out for the necessary clearance just ahead of the piece you removed and filling the gap with a piece of sheet metal to fill in the gap and the associated bodywork and paint necessary to complete the job.
Have fun!
Pete 
Last edited by Qwik426; 05/27/12 08:10 PM.
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Re: Early '70s SS/DA Cuda
[Re: Tommy D]
#874423
05/31/12 06:27 AM
05/31/12 06:27 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 520
New Zealand
nz383man
OP
mopar
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OP
mopar
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 520
New Zealand
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Quote:
As for tires...your dead on. Go with a 29" tall if possible. Coker makes a ribbed wall firestone in a multitude of sizes. The picture attached is only 27" tall. They look exactly like the Stahl brand front racing tires from back in the day. I'm sure you could even make a stencil to make them look like Stahl's if you wanted. Great thread. I love Cragars, mech tachs, hood scoops, and tunnel rams. What's better on a hot rod?
As I'm going for more of the Pro Stock look now rather than the SS/DA and the fact that we must run full tread tires on the street here in New Zealand I thoughtI might run these on the street. 
Coker Tire 72150 - Coker Tire Pro-Trac Performance Tires. S375/60-15
Wheel Width Range: 10'' to 12'' Wide
Tire Section Width: 15''
Tire Tread Width: 12.75''
Tire Overall Diameter: 32.5''
Wheel Diameter: 15''
Maybe.
I have the tunnel ram thing covered, magnesium, ex Motown team.
I don't like Cragars but I love the original Keystones so I got some of them.
not a great photo but they are the same as these
mechanical tach. . check.
hood scoop . . check, check
originally was going to us the black Sox & Martin style one but maybe I'll use the lift off hood & raise the scoop a bit to look more like the Motown Missile scoop.
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