AS A CERTIFIED CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH AUTHORIZED SALESMAN AND MEMBER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS ALL STAR MEDALLION SALESMAN CHRYSLER CLUB, I WAS AUTHORIZED TO ORDER FROM THE FACTORY ANY CHRYSLER PRODUCT WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OVER RETAIL CUSTOMERS.
I WAS APPROACHED BY A YOUNG MAN DRIVING A NEW WHITE 1964 DODGE THAT WANTED A NEW 1965 DODGE 426 HEMI TWO 4 BBL 727 TORQUE FLIGHT DRAG RACING CAR FROM THE FACTORY COMPLETE WITH ALUMINUM FRONT END, PLEXI GLASS WINDOWS AND BATTERY IN THE TRUNK ON A TWO DOOR POST BODY. HE WAS ON A WAITING LIST FOR OVER A YEAR.
I ASKED MR. ED BROWN, OWNER OF BROWN CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH MOTORS, IF I HAD HIS PERMISSION TO ORDER SUCH A CAR AND THEN IMMEDIATELY SELL IT TO THE PRE-ARRANGED BUYER. MR. BROWN AGREED. ED BROWN ALSO HAD A BIG CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH AND DODGE DEALERSHIP IN TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA. IN 46 DAYS, I HAD THE CAR DELIVERED TO ME. WE PUT A SET OF CRAGERS ON IT AND TUNED IT. NOTE THE CAR AT ABOVE AT ART’S TEXACO, OKALOOSA ISLAND, FORT WALTON BEACH FLORIDA ON HIGHWAY 98. THIS DODGE IMMEDIATELY DREW A CROWD WHERE EVER IT WENT.
JOHN ZEBCO PAINTED THE GOLDFINGER NAMES AND SCRIPT. WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY TO THIS HEMI WITH FACTORY HEADERS, YOU COULD FEEL THE GROUND SHAKE UNDER YOU. YOUR HEART WAS POUNDING FROM THE INCREDIBLE VIBRATION OF PERFORMANCE. WHAT A RUSH!
I WAS ALLOWED TO DRAG RACE IT AT PENSACOLA. WHEN I PULLED UP TO THE STAGING LANE, I DID A WHOLE SHOT WITH TIRE SMOKE BELLOWING OUT OF THE WHEEL WELLS LIKE SOMETHING JOHN FORCE WOULD DO, THE CROWDS WERE ON THEIR FEET IN ABSOLUTE HYSTERIA. I WAS UP AGAINST A NEW 1964 427 FORD THUNDERBOLT. ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE LAST AMBER PHASE LIGHT, I NAILED IT. I LEFT THE MOUNTED ON THE COLUMN AUTOMATIC IN DRIVE. THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET IN YOUR LIFE. WHEN THE TORQUE FLIGHT SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND, I COULD FEEL THE FRAME OF THE SEAT IN MY BACK. THE TIRES WERE LAYING RUBBER MOST OF THE LENGTH OF THE TRACK. I BEAT THE THUNDERBOLT SO BADLY I TURNED OVER MY RIGHT SHOULDER TO SEE WHERE HE WAS, AND I RAN OFF THE END OF THE STRIP AND KNOCKED DOWN A FENCE. THERE IS A CREASE IN THE HOOD FROM THE FENCE POST. THE GUYS SAID, WHERE THE HELL IS HE? ALL THEY COULD SEE WAS A CLOUD OF DUST AT THE END OF THE STRIP. THE TRACK SUPERVISOR SAID, HE RAN OFF THE END OF THE STRIP (IT WAS VERY SHORT BACK THEN) AND KNOCKED DOWN OUR FENCE. WITH ITS WINNING CLASS CREDENTIALS, IT WAS TURNED OVER TO THE NEW OWNER.
AT THE END OF EVERY RUN, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE PLUGS AND THE OIL. THE 1965 DODGE HEMI WITH A COLUMN SHIFT TORQUE FLITE HAD A SPECIAL DETENT TO PREVENT ACCIDENTALLY SHIFTING INTO REVERSE WHILE “STAGING” DRAG RACING.
THE GENTLEMAN WHO PURCHASED THE CAR EVENTUALLY SOLD THE CAR FOR A NICE PROFIT STATING HE COULD NOT COME CLOSE TO KEEPING UP WITH “COLOR ME GONE”, “LAWMAN”, “RAM CHARGERS” FROM DETROIT, “MELROSE MISSLE”, DICK’S LANDRY’S DODGE AND OTHERS. EVEN THE 426 STAGE THREE WEDGE HEAD TORQUE FLIGHTS WERE BRUTAL AND ALMOST UNBEATABLE. THE 383 TORQUE FLIGHT IN 1964 THAT I SOLD NEW WAS PRACTICALLY UNBEATABLE AND THEY WEIGHED ONLY 260 POUNDS MORE THAN A 1964 GTO. IT WAS IMPRESSIVE AND GOOD LOOKING. RICHARD WON THE DAYTONA 500 IN A NEW 1964 PLYMOUTH HEMI THAT WENT AROUND THE TRACK WITH OPEN HEADERS VIRTUALLY RATTLING THE COUNTRYSIDE. PLYMOUTH AND CHRYSLER CORPORATION CAME OUT WITH THE FIRST FOUR YEAR FIFTY THOUSAND MILE WARRANTY. I BOUGHT $10,000 WORTH OF CHRYSLER STOCK AT $44 A SHARE. IT WENT TO $106 AND SPLIT TWICE. I SOLD. I LEARNED THAT IN THE STOCK MARKET, THE HOGS GET BUTCHERED.
