Thinking of building a Petty 61 clone

SGT FURY

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2019
Messages
2,417
Reaction score
3,283
Location
Northern California
I recently picked up this 61 belvedere project car. Traded it for 73 polara CHP U code project car. Got a TON of extra 61 parts with it. I got it mainly for the extra parts.
This belvedere has had a lot of work already done to it, but is still ruff in some areas.
It's a rolling shell. I was thinking of how easy it would be to make a 42 or 43 Petty clone out it.
Not much chrome,Not much interior. To do. What do you guys think?

image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
Looks like a pretty solid base to start with. You could have a nice project and have fun with it, without having to search out a lot of interior and exterior parts etc. and not cutting the car up. Good "budget" build perhaps.
 
It's pretty solid,It has the usual rocker rust spotty trunk and 1/4s. The floors have already been done.
no headlight rings to find,no trunk trim,no tailights,not much interior. I'm not the biggest diehard nascar fan,but I could watch vintage 50s60s70s nascar footage all day.
I would want it be as time period correct as possible. Not sure about the specs of the petty cars.
Were they 413s? Were they 4speeds? Etc.

image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
This would be a fun nostalgia build. Would not want to try and race one of these because as King Richard noted, these cars had terrible aerodynamics at high speeds.

Dave
 
Well,Looking at the pic where Lee and Johnny are going over the wall at 175mph!! If I had a choice of the way I exit this world,it would be like that!!!!
 
image.jpeg
I was searching for pics and came across these pics of Richards 60 that was for sale and saw that it was a manual colum shift!!
 
It's pretty solid,It has the usual rocker rust spotty trunk and 1/4s. The floors have already been done.
no headlight rings to find,no trunk trim,no tailights,not much interior. I'm not the biggest diehard nascar fan,but I could watch vintage 50s60s70s nascar footage all day.
I would want it be as time period correct as possible. Not sure about the specs of the petty cars.
Were they 413s? Were they 4speeds? Etc.

View attachment 333048

View attachment 333049

View attachment 333050

View attachment 333051

View attachment 333052

View attachment 333053

View attachment 333054

View attachment 333055

At the start of the '61 season 383, towards the end they ran 413's. See www.allpar.com/racing/petty-plymouth-racing.html

Dave
 
Were they 3spd colum shift cars? Like in the 60 pics? It seems like a easy project to do.I have this 61 imperial parts car for a 413.

image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
Sounds cool to me. They have a vintage nascar class out here and it’s a hoot to watch. You can build a street clone or pick up a VARA CSRG HMSA etc rule book and build a vintage racer you can run on the street and track. I think we saw that year Petty car up at Sears Point in the 90’s. A lot of the racers add exhaust and run them on the street as their age exempts them from most rules. I bet this would be the most valuable option when it came time to sell it off. Just my two cents. Great Idea keep us updated!
 
A 42 or 43?
42 or 43. Either way! 43 would be the one people understand and recognize the most.
In my mind... that's why it should be 42, but I don't expect everyone to agree.
Sounds cool to me. They have a vintage nascar class out here and it’s a hoot to watch. You can build a street clone or pick up a VARA CSRG HMSA etc rule book and build a vintage racer you can run on the street and track. I think we saw that year Petty car up at Sears Point in the 90’s. A lot of the racers add exhaust and run them on the street as their age exempts them from most rules. I bet this would be the most valuable option when it came time to sell it off. Just my two cents. Great Idea keep us updated!
That might be a cool way to go, if built as 43, it probably will be worth much more. BTW, I have a buddy who's involved in the vintage racing scene. As I understand it, there is nice $$ in renting seat time to folks who recognize whatever car and if it has good history. Built as 43 would be a big advantage, but IDK what a recreation would be worth for that.
 
Just as long as you don't cut anything it will preserve it in case some brave soul want to take it further.
 
Back
Top