C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Ah dang it. Well I hope so.
Don Carltons shop <---dont miss this
- Thread starter C Body Bob
- Start date
BigFury
Well-Known Member
Saw this car at the '15 Mopar Nats...hands down the coolest Duster Ive ever seen. Badass build!
Carlton Fan
Member
I'm sure my brother Denny thanks you!
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Aero cheats
AERO CHEATS AND OTHER SNEAKY STUFF
#1 To narrow the frontal area they watched the NHRA tech inspectors diligently to find out how they were measuring the width of the cars and found out that they were measuring from center-to-center of the headlamp lenses.
After discovering this they moved everything in but left the headlamps the same distance apart that they were.
... Notice in the pic of the Missile's front end how the headlamp trim rings are practically touching the center portion of the grill.
The front bumper was also sectioned and narrowed an inch or more on both sides for a tighter fit with the body.
Pretty clever. They got away with it for some time.
AERO CHEATS AND OTHER SNEAKY STUFF
#1 To narrow the frontal area they watched the NHRA tech inspectors diligently to find out how they were measuring the width of the cars and found out that they were measuring from center-to-center of the headlamp lenses.
After discovering this they moved everything in but left the headlamps the same distance apart that they were.
... Notice in the pic of the Missile's front end how the headlamp trim rings are practically touching the center portion of the grill.
The front bumper was also sectioned and narrowed an inch or more on both sides for a tighter fit with the body.
Pretty clever. They got away with it for some time.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
some Colt stuff
Colt that Carl Penley was building at Don Carlton's shop:
From Carl Penley:
This was when I had removed the body to paint the frame. The body was all fiberglass made from molds that were cast from Carlton's gold Rod Shop sponsored Dodge Colt. That made it identical down to every detail (even the rivets of the windshield and back glass frame). Actually, this was around 1980. I believe this was the last car to come from Don's Lenoir garage while Hodges Racing was still operating from that locati...on. Some time later, I sold the car to a local bracket racer. It was crashed and totally destroyed. Unfortunately, these are the only pictures I have of the car.
The front suspension, lower 4-link bars, and brake and clutch pedals are titanium. This car was started by Stuart McDade at Hodges Racing but he never completed it. I actually made a lot of the fiberglass body parts for it. Later on I bought it and a W2-340 Pro Stock test engine. Stuart had bracket raced the 340 with a Powerglide and trans brake in a Dart Swinger. He swapped the 2x 4bbl tunnel ram for a single 4bbl Petty intake that was borrowed from Roy Hill. The engine and trans mounts in my Colt frame were for the 340 & Powerglide. It was projected to weigh 1600 lbs ready to race.
Colt that Carl Penley was building at Don Carlton's shop:
From Carl Penley:
This was when I had removed the body to paint the frame. The body was all fiberglass made from molds that were cast from Carlton's gold Rod Shop sponsored Dodge Colt. That made it identical down to every detail (even the rivets of the windshield and back glass frame). Actually, this was around 1980. I believe this was the last car to come from Don's Lenoir garage while Hodges Racing was still operating from that locati...on. Some time later, I sold the car to a local bracket racer. It was crashed and totally destroyed. Unfortunately, these are the only pictures I have of the car.
The front suspension, lower 4-link bars, and brake and clutch pedals are titanium. This car was started by Stuart McDade at Hodges Racing but he never completed it. I actually made a lot of the fiberglass body parts for it. Later on I bought it and a W2-340 Pro Stock test engine. Stuart had bracket raced the 340 with a Powerglide and trans brake in a Dart Swinger. He swapped the 2x 4bbl tunnel ram for a single 4bbl Petty intake that was borrowed from Roy Hill. The engine and trans mounts in my Colt frame were for the 340 & Powerglide. It was projected to weigh 1600 lbs ready to race.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
The Colt Finished
John if I understand correctly this is the colt finished
Carl (Dan) Penley just responded to my email (Johns E-mail)and was astonished at the picture of his Colt that was posted on here last night. Here is his reply:
"Wow. That is it. I have never had a picture of it with the body on it. I sold everything I had to Frank Teague and Lee Huffman...the rolling chassis and body, the W2/340 that was the/a prostock test engine, and a 426 Hemi (iron block and heads). I never saw it after I sold it.
I heard someone say the original titanium front suspen...sion had a crack in one of the components so they replaced everything with steel parts. After it was wrecked, some one said the replacement front suspension failed causing the crash.
This Colt was being built for Stuart McDade originally. The molds were made from the gold Colt that Don won Indy with. I would imagine that these molds were used to make parts for all the altered wheelbase Colts that followed. I was hanging out with Clyde probably 1978 -1979. Clyde showed me how to make fiberglass parts. I made some Colt parts and built crates for them to be shipped to customers. I built all the parts for the Colt that I would later own except for the roof and quarters. Imagine the Colt in the picture in black gel-coat without windows and that monster hood scoop and that would be the way it looked when I sold it. Compare this picture to the picture of Don in front of the gold Colt at Indy and you can see how the top of the rear wheel opening is tilted slightly forward on both cars. My fiberglass Colt body was an exact copy of the gold Colt. It even had the rivet heads copied in fiberglass around the windshield and rear window openings (which I would guess there must have been some brackets to attach the body to the cage). I could remove the hood, fenders / grille section and pick up the front of the chassis with one hand like a giant wheelstand. I could easily push the entire rolling chassis and body onto Bruce's one-ton car hauler by myself. It was that light.
I sold my Camaro to Bruce Walker in 1979. That is how I got to know Bruce. I don't remember which year I bought the Colt but it would have been early 1980s. It may have been wrecked at Hudson but the date would probably have been 1984"
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John if I understand correctly this is the colt finished
Carl (Dan) Penley just responded to my email (Johns E-mail)and was astonished at the picture of his Colt that was posted on here last night. Here is his reply:
"Wow. That is it. I have never had a picture of it with the body on it. I sold everything I had to Frank Teague and Lee Huffman...the rolling chassis and body, the W2/340 that was the/a prostock test engine, and a 426 Hemi (iron block and heads). I never saw it after I sold it.
I heard someone say the original titanium front suspen...sion had a crack in one of the components so they replaced everything with steel parts. After it was wrecked, some one said the replacement front suspension failed causing the crash.
This Colt was being built for Stuart McDade originally. The molds were made from the gold Colt that Don won Indy with. I would imagine that these molds were used to make parts for all the altered wheelbase Colts that followed. I was hanging out with Clyde probably 1978 -1979. Clyde showed me how to make fiberglass parts. I made some Colt parts and built crates for them to be shipped to customers. I built all the parts for the Colt that I would later own except for the roof and quarters. Imagine the Colt in the picture in black gel-coat without windows and that monster hood scoop and that would be the way it looked when I sold it. Compare this picture to the picture of Don in front of the gold Colt at Indy and you can see how the top of the rear wheel opening is tilted slightly forward on both cars. My fiberglass Colt body was an exact copy of the gold Colt. It even had the rivet heads copied in fiberglass around the windshield and rear window openings (which I would guess there must have been some brackets to attach the body to the cage). I could remove the hood, fenders / grille section and pick up the front of the chassis with one hand like a giant wheelstand. I could easily push the entire rolling chassis and body onto Bruce's one-ton car hauler by myself. It was that light.
I sold my Camaro to Bruce Walker in 1979. That is how I got to know Bruce. I don't remember which year I bought the Colt but it would have been early 1980s. It may have been wrecked at Hudson but the date would probably have been 1984"
See More
BigFury
Well-Known Member
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Carltons shop
This is a Bill Rolic photo I believe was taken in late 1976
This is a Bill Rolic photo I believe was taken in late 1976
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
And another pic
I believe Bill Rolic also took this. The Duster is supposed to be the famous "wire" car. It sat around & was pushed to the back of the shop. Eventually sold to local bracket racer Betty Sigmon. I'll try to get pics of it with her lettering
I believe Bill Rolic also took this. The Duster is supposed to be the famous "wire" car. It sat around & was pushed to the back of the shop. Eventually sold to local bracket racer Betty Sigmon. I'll try to get pics of it with her lettering
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
LoL. I don't have a big enough pair to drive a Hemi Colt. A 340 Colt would be cool. You should go for it.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Betty Sigmon
Here it is. The famous Wire car after Betty bought it. 1850 pounds with a small block MOPAR. Never was legal in NHRA Pro Stock. I believe she crashed it badly. It was bought & repaired. Now belongs to a collector. Is that right John ?
Here it is. The famous Wire car after Betty bought it. 1850 pounds with a small block MOPAR. Never was legal in NHRA Pro Stock. I believe she crashed it badly. It was bought & repaired. Now belongs to a collector. Is that right John ?
Lol yea a Hemi Colt is a Ticking Bomb, a 340 Colt that is a good Idea I could only imagine How Fun that car would be but I don't know where in the Hell I am going to Find a 2 Door Colt.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
I see them from time to time on Racing Junk. Usually rollers
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
More Colt pics
These pics where provided by Mark Panos. He took these while at the shop. The car here being built used a lot of titanium parts and a radical front suspension that Don & Clyde liked to use
These pics where provided by Mark Panos. He took these while at the shop. The car here being built used a lot of titanium parts and a radical front suspension that Don & Clyde liked to use
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Mark Panos
And here is a pic of Mark Panos Colt that he race with. Not the same car being built in the pics.
And here is a pic of Mark Panos Colt that he race with. Not the same car being built in the pics.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Don Carlton
Wins in his Colt
Wins in his Colt
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Colt pic
Mark Panos sent me this pic & the info about it. Thank you Mark for the help. Very nice of you. Please join up. C body folks are a cool bunch. A lot of racers used C body cars to hauld the racer car. The Motown Missille is one that comes to mind
Here is something to whet your appetite: This photo attached, got it
from Dick Towers at Match Race Madness before he passed away, is the
original successor to the Mopar Missile. Yep, this is the infamous Mini
Missile that Carlton never raced, one of the 5 original Colts that
Chrysler contracted Dan Knapp to build in 1973 for Pro Stock racing.
Ron Butler finished the car for Spehar/Carlton, but then they found that
NHRA just wasn't going to allow an import Dodge to run P/S (that didn't
change until 1977 or 78). Let me know if you would like to hear Bruce
from the Rod Shop's story on how he stumbled across this car at Butler's
place in 1973.
Thanks!
Mark
Mark Panos sent me this pic & the info about it. Thank you Mark for the help. Very nice of you. Please join up. C body folks are a cool bunch. A lot of racers used C body cars to hauld the racer car. The Motown Missille is one that comes to mind
Here is something to whet your appetite: This photo attached, got it
from Dick Towers at Match Race Madness before he passed away, is the
original successor to the Mopar Missile. Yep, this is the infamous Mini
Missile that Carlton never raced, one of the 5 original Colts that
Chrysler contracted Dan Knapp to build in 1973 for Pro Stock racing.
Ron Butler finished the car for Spehar/Carlton, but then they found that
NHRA just wasn't going to allow an import Dodge to run P/S (that didn't
change until 1977 or 78). Let me know if you would like to hear Bruce
from the Rod Shop's story on how he stumbled across this car at Butler's
place in 1973.
Thanks!
Mark
joetrucker
Member
awesome to see, thanks
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
welcome Joe
