thanx , joel . uhhh...i know how to save to my "favorites" , but i don't know how to "book mark " . jack
Sorry Jack. I thought everyone had heard about that book. It contains a very good first chapter with an in depth look at the history of those cars. http://www.jegs.com/i/S-A-Designs/840/SA189/10002/-1?parentProductId=1290461 Looks like links to the other threads have already been taken care of. I can sympathize. I was simply overwhelmed when I first joined HAMB in January. I could not believe all the cars and info that had not entered my mind for 30 or 40 years, and I'm still discovering more all the time. After 166 tornados last week, I'm considering changing my screen name to more accurately reflect my new outpost. Tom S. (somewhere in the Land of Oz)
Just for the heck of it, have you stock car guys seen this discussion thread here? I thought I'd go ahead and post this link in case any of you can relate. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=582098 Tom S. in Tn.
thanx , tom . when i first joined the HAMB , i felt like a person going into a hardware store for some nails or whatever . however , after i "got inside" , it seemed like i'd gone into a walmart for the first time . i STILL don't know how much is here , as i can't see it all from where i'm standing ! the problem [ for me ] is that it's laid out so differently from the forum i'm used to , and i really can't see what is here , let alone how to get there ] without someone pointing it out to me . i'm interested in all forms of racing - especially where ford competed....which was in just about every form of racing ! i'm also a model car builder [ ONLY fords !] , so reference photos are great to see and have [ i'm wondering if there's a model car thread on the HAMB ?] . i'd not heard of that book on altered wheelbase cars , but i might check it out when finances improve . thanx , also , for the link to the moonshine cars . i've always been fascinated with them . i hope you came thru the tornados okay , tom . i guess you're not in kansas , anymore . but then , you never were !!! jack
Jack, When you sign-in/log on (same thing) just go up to the toolbar and click "search", type in whatever you want to try and find on the H.AM.B. and it'll give you the connections. It'll take some time to go through things but once you find what you like then "bookmark"/"favorite" it. Let's get back to the Holman-Moody topic. Joel
thanx , joel . i'm sort of getting the hang of it , but it's hard for an old dog to learn new tricks .
Curtis crashed an Aerocommander 500 on short final and was having a REALLY bad day. . . . his passenger (Clarence King) was determined to have suffered a massive heart attack before impact, he had suffered an engine failure, and his blood alcohol level was .17. Those were considered the "contributing factors" to his stall and subsequent spin (not hard to do in a single engine aerocommander while sober, much less with all he had going on). this is all according to the NTSB report
Ralph Moody (far right) where he spent most of his time at work....in the shop among his craftsman. Picture courtesy C5HM.
Craftsmen, indeed. Artists, really. That shot is in the farbrication shop "wing" at H&M's big red brick building that was recently torn down. H&M moved into that facility in 1966. Those are two of the 1968 Torinos that David Pearson drove to the NASCAR Grand National Championship that season.
The first picture provided by C5HM is of Fireball Roberts with his Holman & Moody '64 Galaxie. The second is one I took of the same car while visiting the H&M gang recently.
Joel, You are correct this was Phil's automatic/white T-bolt. It still exists. Gene Wilson drove it after Phil was done with it.
that , i believe , is don white standing next to fireball . don drove fords and mopars to 2 or 3 championships in IMCA and USAC .
Hello Frank, The first shot is of Fireball and ( I also think) Don White standing next to an early season Roberts '63 H&M Galaxie. That car was painted a non-metallic lincoln color called Amethyst IIRC. Later in the season, Fireball's '63 was painted a metallic 55 Ford color called Regency purple. The second car pictured in the one that was on display at the Joe Weatherly Museum for years. It is now at Lee H.'s shop. That car was never a Fireball Robert's '63. In fact, it was never a 1963 Galaxie at all. It started out as one of the 20 odd 1964 Galaxies that H&M built for that season's race duty. It was originally the vintage burgandy and white #00 Galaxie that AJ Foyt drove for Banjo Matthews at the Daytona 500. That car was put together very quickly after the running of the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside where AJ totalled his first #00 '64. So fast, in fact, that there was not time to put in one of the trick cast alloy dashes that most H&M cars carried in 1963 and 1964. Instead, Banjo simply pop riveted a flat piece of alloy into the dash. I have period photos of that car from back then showing the dash. The same dash is in the car today. When Fireball and Joe Weatherly were both killed in '64, Bob Colvin decided to open a Museum at Darlington. There were no real Fireball cars available at that time it appears. So H&M hired Kenny "Red" Myler to rebody the former AJ #00 '64 (that had later served Junior Johnson as the pale yellow #27 IIRC), into a 1963 Galaxie and paint it up as a Fireball car for display at the museum. If I am not mistaken the engine under the hood is still the '64 vintage 427 High Riser that was campaigned by Banjo/AJ and Junior in 1964. I have heard that Lee identifies the car was an authentic Robert's chassis (I hope that I am misinformed and would prefer to be...can you advise?). Sadly it is not. But is is one of only two 1964 H&M Galaxies that still exist (though today it wears '63 tin). And that's pretty cool. Here is a shot of the other '64 that is documented to be still around: The #06 was later raced by Jabe Thomas in 1965 and 1966. I bought it several years ago in very sad shape. I hope to have it restored soon. Years ago, I saw a blue #11 Ned Jarrett 1964 Galaxie. It was on display in the NC Motorsports Hall of Fame. That car looked to be genuine, too. I have never been able to see that car again. Does anyone know anything more about it? I'd love to look it over again now that I am restoring the #06 car.
Frank, If I'm not mistaken the drag races run at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the mid 60's were 1/8th mile on the backstretch apron (in front of the original concrete grandstands). Cars I particularyly remember were Bonner's H&M SOHC Mustang, Sherill Greer's 65 Coronet (before he cut it up), Melvin Yow's Hemi Dart, Hubert Platt's 65 Falcon,and of course, Sox & Martin's 'Cuda.
I have heard that Lee identifies the car was an authentic Robert's chassis (I hope that I am misinformed and would prefer to be...can you advise?). Sadly it is not. But is is one of only two 1964 H&M Galaxies that still exist (though today it wears '63 tin). And that's pretty cool. I had a senior moment when I typed 64. I know it is a 63. Lee was not there when I took the picture but the crew believe it is an original H&M car. I suppose it is to a degree. Years ago, I saw a blue #11 Ned Jarrett 1964 Galaxie. It was on display in the NC Motorsports Hall of Fame. That car looked to be genuine, too. I have never been able to see that car again. Does anyone know anything more about it? I'd love to look it over again now that I am restoring the #06 car.[/QUOTE] I believe that is the car Kim restored for a doctor. I transported it to the Kruse Labor Day Auction about 10-15 years ago for the doctor who was there to represent it. He sold it for less than the restoration cost. The desire to own those cars has really increased since then.
You are correct. The backstretch was used in the beginning. I raced a drag bike there in I believe '68 and it was still on the backstretch. The problem was the track was slightly slanted and you would go sideways if the tires spun any. They changed to pit road which is flat and resolved that problem. Both tracks were 1/8 mile.
Frank, The faux Roberts car is, without doubt, a real deal Holman Moody car. It's just wearing the wrong sheetmetal. It is certainly the most complete of the original '63-'64 H&M Galaxies around. Way better than mine, for sure. There actually wasn't a whole lot left of mine quite frankly. By my count there are three real 1963 H&M Galaxies that are known to exist at present. A friend of mine owns a Lorenzen car (that still carries its original door jamb data plate) and a Panch car that was rebodied as a '64 30 years back. Brent Hajek owns the Turner/Scott frame that was bought from Mr. Haynes and restored by Randy Peterson. All of the other '63s I have seen have been replicas. Hammer Mason's sportsman Galaxie was not a Holman Moody built car from what I have heard. There are four '64 NASCAR Galaxie's around. The Roberts replica. Mine. Both of H&M origin. Not sure on the "Tiny Lund" Sportsman '64 that is at Talladega. It has been years since I studied that car. It may have originally been a Tiny home built. And the blue car is another possibility for '64s as mentioned.
The '64 Ned Jarrett car was restored using much of the original car I was told. I wonder where it is now. When I transported it to Kruse I told the doctor I would not have room to bring it back if he didn't sell it because I usually bought what I had room to haul back. "You don't have to worry about that" he told me. He is a nice guy who had a mission to save a very important car no matter how much it cost him. I am surprised one of the Jarretts didn't buy it there. It was a steal but can't remember the top bid. I'm thinking less than 30 grand.
Here is another photo of the H&M/Roberts Galaxie provided by C5HM. I particularly like this one because I very seldom see pictures of the ones who hand lettered the race cars BG........(before graphics). They were true artists. Looking at the white hair he had probably been doing it since the Charlotte Board Track races.
This is an original unrestored small block Cobra Jimmy Tucker is rebuilding the engine for. I took this picture on my recent H&M visit.
This picture was sent to me by C5HM with no explanation. My guess is it is Lorenzen's '65 Galaxie (you can see the #28 tow truck) before being lettered. Another picture of the old shop.
Frank, That is a shot from early 1965 (or, perhaps late 1964) at the old original H&M shop. The '65 Galaxies were the last Grand National stock cars built at that facility. Starting in 1966, the new brick building was used. That also is a Lorezen Galaxie that is just being completed.Fast Freddie used three different '65s that season. The cars were built in sequence (instead of all at once) and were phased in during different parts of the year. He might have only had two cars total, but a shunt at Martinsville in practice in the summerr of '65 forced H&M to get a street car from a dealership in August and hastily built him a third car. BTW, 1965 was the first year that H&M received bare, unserialized, "bodies-in-white" from the factory. Before that, the Galaxies they built for NASCAR use had rolled off of the Norfolk assembly line as complete (or, at least semi complete in 1964), regularly VINed production cars. Stock cars indeed. As a result, late '64/'65 was the first time that H&M VIN plates started showing up on Holman built competition vehicles. If you ever see an H&M VIN plate on a car before late 1964...beware. This is a shot of my old car, C5HM-10047. It was Freddie's early season car (Riverside to May, including the Daytona 500). Unlike today, cars were NOT track specific in 1965. They ran everywhere with just the spring/brake/suspension changes needed for a given track. My old car was replaced with new #28 H&M Galaxie by the World 600 in May. As mentioned Freddie's third car was built in August from a "show room" Galaxie (which could be the very last time that ever happened at H&M). That third car was later rebodied by H&M as a '66 (as was my old chassis). That is the car that was given to Wendell Scott after Freddie balled it up at Riverside practice in 1966. Wendell then rebodied it (first as a '65 because he couldn't afford new sheet metal) with a junkyard body and raced in in 1966. That is the car that Kim originally built way back in the day. That car has been returned to its correct side-glass-less late season trim (windows were only used at Daytona in 1965) from its former faux Daytona 500 configuration by Brent Hajek. It is on display at his museum in Oklahoma. Brent has corrected many of the errors in that early restoration. But he still has a few more issues to deal with (like the aluminum riveted over the tag openings...that didn't show up until years later). So modelers viewing this shot shouldn't replicate that feature. At least the car has a real deal 427 in it now. Much more is known about the old cars these days and it is good that Brent is trying to get the car right. Brent also has a number of other H&M built stock cars on display at his museum. Very cool place to visit.
This is the first picture of many I will be posting of when I organized the Holman & Moody Reunion during the 1989 Charlotte Speedweeks. It captured the first moment Fred Lorenzen looked at one of the '65 Galaxies he raced that year.....the first time in 25 years. You can see the somber look on his face as memories of that car runs through his mind. That is the car he wrecked at Riverside and was later aquired by Wendell Scott. The same car Kim Haynes restored. While I was trying to contact all the former H&M employees to invite them there I called Wendell and invited him too. Although he had never driven for H&M he had raced several former H&M Fords. He was very thankful I had invited him but said he had an annual family get-together that weekend and would not be able to attend. He went on to tell me about acquiring the wrecked '65 Ford from H&M in the fall of '65 and working on it all winter to have it ready for the '66 Daytona 500. He said he towed it to Daytona from Virginia by himself early in the week but had family coming down later in the week to serve as crew members. While waiting in line to be teched in he was approached by two white guys who seeing him by himself asked if he had any extra pit passes. They offered to help him in the race if he did. He did have extra pit credentials and gave each guy one. They took them and walked into the pits and Wendell said was sure it would be the last time he saw them. He went on to tell me when he got to tech he did not pass because of some of the welds on the repaired rollbar. He said he was really distressed when the two white guys came walking up. One asked if something was wrong. He explained what had happened. "I am a certified welder" one said. "Do you have access to a welder" he asked. The new crew member made the necessary repairs to the rollbar and the car was reteched and passed this time. Wendell told me the guys did serve as extra help for the rest of Speedweek...assisting his family. He said he had one of his best Daytona finishes that year. Then Wendell told me the reason he had gone into detail with that story. Those two white guys had become life long friends and were part of his annual family get-together. They both traveled to his home in Virginia from Florida each year. That was the only time I ever talked to Wendell Scott...he passed away a year or so later...but it was a conversation I cherish. He had a reputation of being a very nice guy and that is the opinion I went away with that day over 20 years ago. I have told this story many times verbally since that day but this is the first time I have posted it on the internet. I tried to get in touch with Max Seigle while he was filming the Wendell Scott documentary but he never returned my call. I have not seen it so I don't know if this story was a part of it. If not it should have been. Out of all the conversations I have had with racing legends over the last 25 years this is one of the most touching.
Great shot of Mr. Lorenzen. He is in failing health of late. He is truly one of the greats. And great story about Mr. Scott. All told, I think Wendell had three H&M Galaxies over the years. The first was his Red #34 '63 (Originally Curtis Turner's red #26 USAC car), He also was given the car that was rolled at Riverside in January of 1966 by Lorenzen. There was also a third 1965-66 Galaxie that I am still not clear about. That last car has recently been restored by Brent Hajek to Mr. Scott's 1966 livery. Mr. Scott was often promised that the cars he owned and sold to restorers would be returned to his trim. So it is great that one finally was. Frank do you rememberr the early SCR story in the March 1968 issue on Mr. Scott? Your post made me remember it. I just got it out and re-read it. That piece mentioned the '66 that Lorenzen waded at Riverside and how it was given to Wendell shortly thereafter. Mr. Scott is quoted as saying he "set some kind of record for re-building a racer". And he sure must have since the car was totaled at RIR as a '66 in practice for the January 23, 1966 Motor Trend 500 and Wendell started 28th (and finished 13th) in the car (then a '65) on February 27, 1966 in the Daytona 500. In the article Mr. Scott said the paint job was still wet when he pulled into Daytona. No doubt! I am guessing that is the car he referred to in his story to you. BTW, the Lee H. had the replica Fireball car on display in Florida today. Got a chance to confirm the car still carries its original 1964 High Riser 427 (head castings C4AE "F") ...was your old T Bolt HR powered? I don't recall...but it seems the car now has a brand new H&M VIN tag on the cowl identifying it as a '63. Curious. I was nice to see that the paint is finally the right color after all of the years. Kenny Myler painted that thing "Rose Beige" (a T Bird color) for some reason when he rebodied as a '63 it back in 1965.At any rate, the color was way wrong. The old girl looks much better in the correct hue.
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