Wanting Pics/Technical info on the High and Mighty (Ramchargers) 49 Plymouth

Looking for pics and any technical information to help me out on my newest project, I've got a bunch now that I found thanks to google! but i'd really love to find some of when the car was campaigned with fenders and in white paint... anyone able to help me out??

 

I work with these punks.

http://www.cemaclub.org/highmighty/index.php

 

There is a good article in an old issue of Super Sock Magazine from a few years ago. PM injectortim, I think I sent him a copy, mines buried in moving boxes.

AJ, CEMA was the first thing I thought of.

Jay

 

hmmmm.. any chance you could get the box dimensions, runner size, and height from the intake??? I'd love to get at the the car for a few hours with a tape measure lol

 

Thanks for the help guys, I'll make sure to check for the super stock mag in my huge pile later on. I'll send Injectortim a note if i can't find it...
That CEMA site is pretty awesome!! I've been on there a few times .. need to see some pics of the car in white to help figure out the lettering
Can any one help me out?????
T.G.I.F. HAMB'ers thanks for the ***istance
Trent

 

bump

 

This should get you pretty close. Just measure a Carter AFB flange and scale:

 

Bill,

I'd give any of my prized appendages to have a couple hours at your photo albums... the history in those is priceless.

Jay

 

wow... that is so awesome....Thank you kindly Bill!! Thats exactly the kind of picture I've been looking for, don't suppose you'd have any more pics of the original car? I'm really looking hard for pics when the car was painted white and with fenders, having a hard time finding enough pics to figure out the lettering and would really appreciate any help you could offer.....
thanks again! T.G.I.F
Trent

 

Fred,

Im' pretty sure I've got at least one color shot of the car in white. I'll have to dig deep.

BTW I can remember seeing that funky intake for sale every year at the MI State fairgrounds swapmeet. Same guy trying to sell it with no luck (and no history). It looked familiar but, never could quite remember where the heck I had seen it in the past. Then it shows up on the High & Mighty re-creation and DUH!! Oh well!

Ken

 

here's two that might help

 

It was at Autorama,might have been last year.
I posted a few pics in an album on Allshops.org

 

Here are some shots I took at Detroit 2 years ago, would've had more but the batteries took a dump! Maybe they'll help.

 

The pictures above are of the clone, of course. The clone was built by some employees of Daimler Chrysler. It is generally faithful to the original, except for the headers. The exit cones of the original were at a slightly larger angle. That's a small difference, but immediately apparent to those of us familiar with the original.

The clone does have, however, the original intake manifold.

 

thank you so much for your help guys, i've had a soft spot for this car for a very long time! and am now finally in the position to build a recreation of the "1960" white car... plans are to have the car looking as close as possible to the original from the outside but with some modern upgrades to the rear suspension, driveline and braking as well as a few other added safety features as the car will be raced occasionaly....... I'm in the process of scrounging up parts and info to help out with the build... picked up a 354 a few months ago and have found a 50 dodge biz coupe shell but i'd really like to find a complete 49 plymouth biz coupe ......so if anyone knows of any around let me know

again thanks so much for the pics and info!!... wishing you all a happy easter
Trent

 

I meant to write earlier, but forgot...

I was at Mom and Dads today, digging thru the ba*****t for some of my old model stuff, and came across an issue of High Performance Mopar magazine from the 90's. There's a High and Mighty article in it, but I forgot to grab it. When I go tomorrow for Easter dinner, I'll snag it and try to scan a copy for ya.

Jay

 

If you are planning to build a car with the same elevated center of gravity as the original High&Mighty, I would STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT race it UNLESS you are able to locate and use the slicks of the early sixties. But, if you do use those slicks, you'll be so slow off the line that it would be rather foolish to race the car, anyway. The clone makes exhibition runs, but these are made with the sixties slicks.

The design of the High&Mighty was dictated by the tires of that era and would be totally inappropriate today.

 

This is sorta a hijack, but you'd know the answer to this too Mr. Shope,

What about an AWB car? I'd like to build a 63/4 Dart, but was wondering what would happen if I ran newer style slicks? Would it hook too good?

Thanks,

Jay

 

Guys that built original were Chrysler engineers,..think they still live in Derroit area....Locate Jim Thornton or Tom Coddington..thats two of the four...

 

I certainly do not want to diminish the notable contributions they made to the Ramchargers, but neither Jim nor Tom were part of the original group and, therefore, were not in on the original design and construction. This does not mean, however, that they would not be able to supply in formation about the High&Mighty's design features and performance. Since he drove the car in compe***ion, Jim, in particular, would be very helpful.

Considering our ages, the original group is largely intact. I finished my working career in California and am now in Orlando. Barnes Daniels is retired in North Carolina. (He was originally from West Virginia.) Tom Hoover has a model railroad business somewhere in the Northeast. (He has always been fascinated with locomotives and, after leaving Chrysler, worked in this area as an engineer. No, not that kind. He designed them.) Maurie Leising, **** Burke, and Troy Simonsen retired from Chrysler (or Daimler Chrysler) and live in Michigan. Troy has a landscaping business. Skip McCulley retired from GM's Pontiac division. Pete McNichol and Dwight Knupp each had speed equipment businesses. (Dwight might have p***ed away. I've been unable to locate him.) I'm a bit confused (a common occurrence) regarding Jack MacPherson and Doug Patterson. One of them is no longer with us, but I can't remember which one. (I should have phoned someone before I posted.) One of them...I think it was Doug...owned a dealership in the Daytona Beach area at one time. Gary Schwartz is retired and lives in northern Arizona. Fred Gluckson is around, but I've lost contact. I'm sure I've left someone out. Again, I should have made some preparation before I posted.

 

The altered wheelbase trick...like the high CG trick used in the High&Mighty...is an interesting bit of dragracing history, but it has no place on the present dragracing scene. The modern wrinkle wall makes it unnecessary.

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer that. It's kinda what I figured.

Jay

 

Is that the copy with a pic of it in white paint on the cover ?? seams to me there was a little red express on the cover to, or in the mag somewheres... if so that article is the 1st time I ever saw the H&M and fell in love instantly!! think that was around 1992, I would love to see that article again
Trent

 

Mr Shope thanks for your information, wether your prepared or not i'm wow'd at your knowledge of the car and its history!!! would I be right to speculate that you used to be part of the original team or at least worked around the car with them?? The little bit of information that I do have on the car came solely from a few magazine articles, and we all know how ***ue they can be at times.... Would you have any idea what they ran for a rear axle and what gear ratio they ran?

About the racing of the car, I fully understand what your saying about the high CG, I recently purchased a brand new pair of slicks circa 1960, and will also only be racing it as a bracket car and only a few times a year. It'll be a blast strapping my *** in that seat no matter how often!! I won't ever set any low E.T's with it, but I quarantee that I'll be running near the top with smiles per 1/4 mile!
Thanks again!
Trent

 

Yes, I was one of the "originals." I was sitting at a table in the Chrysler cafeteria when the idea first came up. I was talking with Barnes Daniels and Herman Mozer.

And, I just realized I forgot Herman Mozer in the above post. I don't know how I could possibly have done that, since he was the spark which got us going and our first president. Don't really know what Herman is doing now, but I think he lives in Michigan. Herman, if you see this, please forgive me.

I had rear suspension responsibilities and also did the initial performance calculations. The latter required knowledge of the gearing, of course, but I'm afraid I'm not at all that certain of the axle ratio today. It seems like it was a 4.56, but it might have been a 4.11.

 

Wow.... so your the guy that dreamed up the suspension set up!! To say the least I feel honoured getting input on this project from you. Thank you so much for taking the time to help out.. I really appreciate it.
Any chance you now of any 49 ply busines coupes for sale around Orlando?

 

Some shots of the clone at Crysler employee show a cople of years ago.

 

I have been trying to book this car in as a static display in Ontario, Canada in July. I have been dealing with a gentleman named Bob Lees..
They didn't want to crosss the border with the car ,and declined our offer.
Mr lees is part of the group that's running th car now.
See them at the NHRA Reunion in BG in June.

Rick

 

Yep. That's the one.

Send me a snail mail addy via PM, I'll get you a copy.

PS. It's written by Mr. Shope himself!

Jay

 

Thanks for the note... what part of ontario is the show in? I may be up that way in july, wouldn't mind seeing a few shows if i make it up.... i'm in new brunswick