Big-Tailed Beast All Clean and Shiny

R

Ram Fury

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Lads --
For some odd reason, perhaps so the swells in the Italian, German, and British exotics could see what the common folk drove, I was invited to show the Big-Tailed Beast at the 40th Colorado Concours d'Elegance in Denver (actually Littleton) yesterday (09-10-2023). It was great fun as that ram-inducted engine just drew spectators like flies to honey. Invariably, people would stroll by, hardly giving it a glance, then do a double take that stopped them dead in their tracks! After that they climbed all over the car, from fore to aft, checking out fins, "square" steering wheel, "flight deck instrument panel", swivel seats, etc. There was no way it could compete with the Lambos and the Ferraris, but it still got a red ribbon as an honorable mention. It was great fun and we were constantly engaged in conversations about the car, even with Cobra and Audi t-shirt dudes.
Joe Godec
'57 Chrysler 300C, '60 Fury SonoRamic, '65 Vette Fuelie, '65 Sport Fury 426S/4-speed
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I had a similar experience also yesterday, 9/10. In a sea of chevelles, corvettes, mustangs, and exotics, mine was the lone Chrysler C-Body. It obviously doesn't compete with Ford GTs, Ferraris, Vipers, or Lambos, but several groups of people came over and lingered, just taking the whole thing in. They especially liked the "jukebox" inspired instrument cluster, and the long, clean, square lines of the '66 Newport. They took pictures, posed in front of it, asked questions, and returned several times just to "long" for the Chrysler. It felt nice!
 
These cars may not 'compete' with brand X cars, but only in the minds of people with zero clue. As owners of these wonderful cars, care factor should be zilch.
 
That is a beautiful car! The list of your fleet is impressive as well. Thanks for posting the pics.
 
rags said:
you can drive your '66 full time. the others are garage/trailer queens. plus yours looks damn good. that doesn't just compete, it wins.
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Lads --
I don't drive my Beast full time because that ram-inducted engine runs on the primaries of both 4V carbs ALL the time, so it gets about 11 MPG on the highway and 8 in town if, and that's a very big "if," I can keep my right foot under control. But the real kicker is that although I pulled the heads and had the valve seats hardened, it still does have a 10:1 compression ratio so I like to throw five gallons of leaded 110 octane into each refill. The day before I cleaned it for the show, those five gallons of 110 each cost $8.99 although the 93 octane pump gas was "only" $4.29. The drive from my home to the show and back, some 150 miles, cost me just about a bill for gas alone.
The Beast does get out on the road, but not as much as I would like. Plus, I even flog it on occasion and on its 50th birthday (October 25, 2009), I took it down I-25 south of here (Colorado Springs) and pegged the speedo. It had 43000 on the clock when I bought it in 2000 and now has almost 59000.
Joe
 
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