Chuck Neely's Daytona

[69_500]

Don't get me wrong I love the fact that you display it just the way it is. It definately does show its heritage, without any explaniation like you said.

I just wish more people would do that. I've seen cars in the past few years get restorations that didn't need them. Some that had origional paint, but a few scratches, and such get stripped down and redone to make them look better. To me it makes them look worse. I like seeing origional cars.

[tan top]

every thing has its place . ,  from  100 point stock resto trailered cars  to un restored survivors. they are all awesome ,but old  race cars and real good unrestored cars should have the minimum amount of work done to them to preserve them cosmetically . but it goes with out saying replace / rebuild any part that is required for safety or use ability. cars like that are like a time machine  of years gone bye . just my 

[Brock Samson]

 Funny it's got the original deepdish hubcaps on it.. 

[FJ5WING]

Don't get me wrong I love the fact that you display it just the way it is. It definately does show its heritage, without any explaniation like you said.

I just wish more people would do that. I've seen cars in the past few years get restorations that didn't need them. Some that had origional paint, but a few scratches, and such get stripped down and redone to make them look better. To me it makes them look worse. I like seeing origional cars.

My Superbird would have easily qualified as a survivor but I grew tired of the 1980s undercoating that was trapping moisture and flaking off in my face everytime I crawled under the car and the rusty engine compartment bothered me very much. If you want the cars to stay unrestored you better start buying them all up. 

[nascarxx29]

John Demartz here in NJ owned that car .I thought it would be left as it was.But it got sold

[UFO]

Yea I know old thread but I found another pic to add.

[Aero426]

Great photo.   

[nascarxx29]

Saw a message board about that car but no pics

At 9:00pm on October 4, 2010, Boyd Steele said...
Frankie glad you mailed me back. Do you remember seeing a orange Dodge Daytona run at Blaney? I worked on that car for a few years.
.At 1:25pm on October 3, 2010, Boyd Steele said...
Would like to know if you ever went to Batesburg dragstrip or Pelion used to race at them and Blaney with Chuck Neeley's Ma's Monster Dodge Daytona. Hung around with Roy Alford Gil Roof and all the rest of the nuts

[Mike DC]

  
People always think it's better to restore cars, right up until most of the cars have gotten restored and originality becomes rare.  Then people decide originality was cooler after all.

[65post]

 
People always think it's better to restore cars, right up until most of the cars have gotten restored and originality becomes rare.  Then people decide originality was cooler after all.

[Ghoste]

Whats sadder (to me) are some of the well heeled buyers out there who seek out original survivor type cars because they can afford it and they know its cooler but then they begin to "update" and "fix" all the little things that are showing wear and bothering them.  I don't mean brake shoes or rad hoses, I mean repainting dull paint or recovering worn seats, not torn, worn.

[tan top]

 good picture , thanks for sharing 

wonder where that daytona is now 

[TiMopar]

UFO, that is a great picture, thanks for posting!

[Redbird]

I had occasion to take out my copy of "The Sox & Martin Book of Drag Racing" today. I took my magnifying glass and looked at the winged car in the shop that is behind the "67-'69 Barracuda just to the side of the Sox & Martin Superbird. From what I can see, the winged car looks an awful lot like the picture UFO posted above, except it is the passenger side. The partial shot has the Hooker Header decal above another decal above a Champion decal, all on the front fender exactly as UFO's picture has. It also looks to have a paint scheme on the lower door scallop as UFO's picture is, and SSEA in white shoe polish on the side window.

If the 5 & 50 Superbird had the steel plate under the package tray, lead in the wing and tail lights, dipped front sheet metal (plus the wheelbase moved around and big engine), I would wager the Sox & Martin car had at least the steel plate, lead weight, and probably the dipped front sheet metal ( and probably more lead shot in a compartment above the gas tank). I wonder how much they clued Neely in on how to add weight to the right places, and if anything was learned when the car was restored?

[Redbird]

Was Chuck Neely any relation to Bill Neely? Bill Neely is listed on the cover of "The Sox and Martin Book of Drag Racing" as an author with Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin.

Googling Bill Neely shows him writing 19 books about automobiles including "Stand on It", working for Goodyear and Autoweek. He passed in 2008. He seems to be credited with authoring "Drag Racing". He was from WV and lived in NC.

I don't know how common the Neely name is.

[Redbird]

I was at Mopars in the Park this past weekend. There was a Sox & Martin reunion event among other things. Buddy Martin was there, he seems pretty well with it, and I spoke with him.

Buddy said that S & M only had 1 Superbird. They got it on the dollar type deal and sold it for whatever they could when they were done with it. Buddy said they did not have anything to do with building the 5 & 50 Superbird. I was curious about this because in the late '70's I went to Ken Jennings shop in Aberdeen Maryland. Ken Jennings told me at the time that the Superbird he had (5 & 50 car) was built down south. Ken also told me in the late '70's that he had been told that Chrysler had 2 drag race Superbirds built down south in 1970.

I also spoke with Dave Christie on Saturday. He also said that Sox & Martin did not build the 5 & 50 Superbird, and he had no idea who built it. Dave Christie said the S & M Superbird was very hard on drivetrain parts. Dave named about 6 races that he said their Superbird was at. Dave said the car ran SS/EA with a street hemi and C/MP with a race hemi (12 1/2-1 pistons). Dave said the car did not break in competition but when it got back to the shop you could break the gears off the ring and pinion with a small hammer blow. Buddy said that he had heard the Superbird had been converted to a regular Roadrunner after they sold it and that he had no idea where it was. Buddy also said that Bill Neeley and publicity people wrote the Sox & Martin Book of Drag Racing. Buddy said he did not write it. Dave said Bill and Chuck Neeley were not related.

Buddy said that Chrysler would have paid them if they raced their Superbird at Bonneville (note here there was an interview in 1970 where Buddy or Ronnie, I
'd have to look up who, mentioned bringing the car to Bonneville) but they just didn't have time

Both Dave and Buddy said they did work on Chuck Neeley's Daytona, chasis and engine. Dave said there were 2 buildings at the S & M facility. 1 was for customers engines. Dave and another guy ( didn't get his name) who worked at the S & M shop both said customers engines were assembled there.  But that Jake had his own shop in the main building. There was a panel presentation where Jake's engine building was discussed. Buddy said cars did not sit outside at their shop. Both Buddy and Dave said Chuck Neeley's Daytona was a customer car.

There was a whole row of original S & M cars at the show. I felt under the rear quarter panels at the tire openings. (I know don't touch!) The S & M cars seemed to have a distinct and particular way of folding the metal lip over (one of the 1967 cars did not have the quarters rolled under) so the slicks wouldn't be caught by the metal. One of the things I remember about the 5 & 50 Superbird  was how the rear quarter opening was rolled over. It seemed to me different than the cars that I saw this weekend.

I mentioned to Dave Christie about what I have read about the 5 & 50 car having the weight moved around. Dave said they didn't do that on the Superbird, the back of the car weighed enough already. Then Dave and the other guy said that, yes they moved the wheelbase 2 " forward in back.

[Aero426]

Excellent information!

[Budnicks]

Wes McNay in California bought the car several years ago, restored it, and it has now changed hands again, to where or whom, I don't know.

Restored it, like as in Original ? Damn another Cool car with it's History Buried, Man I hate to see Cool Drag Cars, with History, get restored back to the Original condition, there are plenty original ones and I just don't understand  ruining  the COOL Ones by making them like all the others.

  I would give my left Nut to have that car setting right next to Big Willie in my Garage..

I have to laugh at the RESTORED FREAKS that ask me when I am going to restore my Daytona back to R4 Red and my answer is always the same, NEVER, the car is done and there is NO WAY in hell I would hide its History by making it like every other Tom, Dick and Harrys Daytona..

That car has some great history, but I think it would be hard to leave it alone, not try to make it present better... I know I would have a real hard time with that... I like it either way...

[nascarxx29]

My friend Hemi Fred Ristagnio was Jack Wersts crew chief.He has helped me out on asked about details of the Ken Jennings Jack Werst Superbird.Will ask him if he knows who built it .Also Hemi Fred longtime friend of Diane and Ronnie .He still owns one of his car .And has alot of Sox memorabilia on his site.If anyone might know anything else he would

http://www.prostockhemi.com/

http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae240/Wingcars69/martin-1r.jpg

[nascarxx29]

We didnt get the many unanswered questions put to rest.But this reply


the Sox car wound up in Louisiana as a bird THE SUPERCHICKEN"   then as a Road Runner bracket racer . It has been researched and found to have rusted away.

[tan top]

 intresting stuff   

[nascarxx29]

1969 sox car on display
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossmustang/sets/72157609164793335/

[nascarxx29]

Duster 1 Concept car at show

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossmustang/3048563071/
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/featuredvehicles/mopp_1212_1969_dayton_charger/

[Budnicks]

Nascarxx29 cool links & photos thanks for sharing...

[Mommahash]

The pic posted Oct 10, 2012 looks like Chuck and his best friend Roy Alford.