It aint no Orbitron but what the hell is it?

I wouldn't pay over fifty or a hundred for it.

 

Yeah, looking back at the pictures on the first page I noticed that you can see sunlight through the fiberglass. This can't be the original Charger III...it has to be someone's attempt at a knock off. The original wasn't a one-piece body. It's still cool, and MUST have a history of it's own, but not worth NEARLY as much as it would be if it were the original.

 

So wait how many of these things did they build??? I wonder which one this is. It's too close to the "original" to say its a copy.
-Dean

 

WOW!

 

it looks like a vette --- did it find its way home with ya or was the price to steep

 

Out of curiosity, how does one even approach having a windshield made for something like this? How wide would the wallet have to open?

 

What was the Flying Dutchman built using? Could this have been a more crude glass copy of the original Charger III used on the flopper?
-Dean

 

When concepts are made they often make quite a few copies so if one get damaged on the show circuit. some get finished some don't. This could be one of the charger III's but just never got all the finish treatments, or just a crude first take-off.

 

The very first time my Dad to me to the drags at KCIR, Al Vanderwoude (the Flying Dutchman) was driving this car. I fell in love with it so much, I found the MPC model kit of it and built it. Al had to build the tube chassis so that he nearly had to lay down in the seat so the body could close in over top of him.

The Flying dutchman was from Shawnee Mission, Kansas - lived off 67th and Lackman Road. I got to meet him when I did graphics for Dale Wilch Sales in the 80s. I did a pen and ink rendering of the Charger III F/C and his caricature. Nice guy and a historical figure in the early days of funny car.

 

Jayhawk, I lived in KC for many years. I knew Al and he indeed was a class act and a very nice guy always with a smile. He did however, relocate to Johnson County from, I believe, the LA area sometime before that time period you describe.

 

The Vander Woude's moved to Grandview, MO first, then found the Shawnee (not Shawnee Mission), KS house "out in the country" - it had a three-car garage! Reports are that Mr. Norm had three C-III bodies built, one was destroyed, one is "missing" (is this the missing one?) and one went to Al for the lay-down car. BTW, so many people complained about the "non-production body" giving him an "unfair advantage" that he rebodied it with a Maverick body and went even faster!

The little guy in the brown coat is Don Vander Woude peering in at his dad after a pass at KCIR.

 

Wasn't "Rapid" Ronnie Runyon another guy who started in Cali then moved to KC? His F/Cs were always running at KCIR, it seemed.

 

Exactly. When Ron started out in SoCal, he had one of the very first Chevy funny cars anywhere, a Corvette. I can't think of the name of it. He quit racing by the late 70's in KC and started building custom trailers out in Raytown. He built two for me. He flies his own plane and has a V8-powered motorcycle last I heard.

 

Nitrobro, after reading all the entries, my guess is that the glass body is one of those three. That would also explain why it is not exactly like the real thing; Mr Norm might have had the buck for the three bodies fabricated from scratch, likely not cast from the original as Chrysler would have done.

Do I know either of you KC guys? I'm the guy that used to paint shirts at all of the car shows.

 

Yep, looks like one of the Dutchman bodies has been found...maybe even cooler. I'd LOVE to see it rebuildt and repainted to look like the one above - even if it were a non-functional showpiece.

 

I found one about 12 years ago in Nashville. the guy that owned it had paperwork form Mr Norms ,sold it to a good friend a few years back . wish i still had it

 

Here is a picture of one of the Charger-3 bodies hanging in the service bay at Grand Spalding Dodge. Mr Norm told me that he indeed got the original mold from Dodge and had a few bodies made up by Ron Peligrini (Fiberglass LTD) and the Flying Dutchman for sure took one of the bodies. As stated before, this is probably one of the others and maybe it was never even used. Cool find !!

 

The picture of the body in the rafters looks exactly like the found body. It is also a convert and one piece. Pat.

 

nice dune buggy ... where is it "right now"

 

I was at KCIR when the Dutchman raced. Lots of fun. My dad wrenched for a friend of his on his Hemi Belvedere.
I even remember the guy who painted all the T-shirts.
I alsways wanted one of those shirts.
r

 

Wonder if that was Our newbie..Tom Davidson??

 

Hot Wheels TORERO (1969?) was a variation of this.