Racecars shipped to Sweden back in the day.

[COPO_Anders]

Thanks Dicky !
I spent the better part of an hour looking at pics and reading about the cars, and I have added it to my favourites.

Compared to the small population in Sweden, mabye 8 million back then, we bought a lot of American cars and parts.

[jannes_z-28]

Here it is with Don Schumachers name on it:


Don Schumacher and Paula Murphy was in England with their respective cars in 1973 for a matchrace. The Phelps bought both cars and Allan Herridge drove the Stardust and Paulas car was sold to someone I don't remember.

Here is a movieclip from 1973 when Schumacher is doing a long burnout.

http://www.ukdrn.co.uk/mc/shoe1.mov

Allan Herridge drove it for a while as one of the Phelps stable cars.

Later the Stones bought it and put in a Chevy in it since that was what they had experience with.

You can read more here.
http://www.70sfunnycars.com/FunnyCars21.html



BTW I met Paula in 1980 at the Winternationals, she was with the same company of people I hang out with there. She was a really nice woman and told me that the event in England was a very fond memory she had.

Jan

[jannes_z-28]

[ QUOTE ]
Anders, as a drag race fan it's nice to see so much interest in the sport in another part of the world. Here is a web site you may or may not have visited but it provides some interesting info & pictures. Dicky
http://www.70sfunnycars.com/index.html

[/ QUOTE ]

We have had a lot of good dragrace cars here since the early 70-ies.

In the mid 80s one guy put a ProStock 500 cu in. engine in a dragster and blasted the A/D record. Over the winter they sent the car to the USA and raced it at few events and brought it back to Sweden. They won a few of the NHRA Major races with it but most importantly destroyed the A/D index so no one was interested in racing in that class after that. None of the american A/D cars was competitive no longer. It took a few years to catch up.

Jan

[jannes_z-28]

Found a picture of that event in Santa Pod 1973 when Don Schumacher and Paula Murphy was there.

Here she is, miss STP



Picture from Start & Speed 8-1973


Jan

[COPO_Anders]

Thanks for the pics and info janne_z-28 !

Another Janne (the current owner of the Jungle Jim FC) called me today to talk about these old memorable cars. He mentioned that this pic of the FC with the Bilsport name on the body was taken in 1977, since that was the only year it was painted this way.

Thanks Janne !

[jannes_z-28]

What is cool about many of those cars was that they had Chevy Power. We had many blown Rats here in Sweden, the Nitro Hemis were outnumbered. A few years later you had to have a Hemi to be competitive.

The Manta was the first Rodeck powered car outside of the US if I remember right.

I helped one of the TopFuelers to get a new Chevy 454 block when I was travelling to California for the 1980 Winternationals. Back then I knew Larry O'Freia at Valley Head Service and he got the new block for me.


Jan

[COPO_Anders]

Here is another one I´m sure you remember Janne. Steinar Stolens 1972 Maverick. Since Steinar is a Norwegian I really should have called this thread "Racecars shipped to Europe..." I believe.
"The Baby imp", what does that mean ?
Built in the USA and powered by a Boss 429. It´s got NHRA... on the roof and Chesapeake Petroleum on the doors. Drake Wiscom helped Steinar getting the car and engine together, if I understand the article in POWER Pictorial Magazine #1 1977 right.

[Seattle Sam]

Anders,
An imp is defined as a "small demon" or a "mischievous child".

[COPO_Anders]

Thanks for the explanation Sam. I´m eager to learn.

Here is the car that was built for Bill Shorts, before it was repainted in Sweden. POWER #3 1977.
The Hemi was built by Sam Gianino, it says.

"CHALLENGER-HEMI"
"The -74 Challenger looks almost stock, but only the roof and the rearquarters are original !"

[COPO_Anders]

Here are a couple of professional shots of the Bill Shorts car in Sweden, taken by Bertil Lindgren. Bertil used to take photos for Start & Speed in the 70´s and 80´s.