Another Petty in the past question

[Ghoste]

This car was also at Amelia last year.  Now my question is about the Satellite from 66-7.  Was the car ever made to represent a 67 model or did it retain the 66 trim?

[Aero426]

I am not sure, but I would think that given the 50 race schedule back then, they may have had at least one new car for '67.    At least that is what makes sense to me.    It would be a good question for the boys at randyayersmodeling.com on the Darkside (1948-1972) board.  Someone there will know. 

[Ghoste]

That car at Amelia was definitely a 66 though, correct?

[Aero426]

Should be a '67 as it would be the car that was in the Darlington museum for 30 years.

[Ghoste]

Okay, did that one begin as a 66 then?  That would still be the time of getting a body in white from Chrysler so reskinning or even re'trimming" would be uncommon no?

[Aero426]

There would be no problem getting a couple of cars built for the start of the '67 season. 

Comments from the brain trust at the model car board:

In the Bill Coulter book, Cars of the King, it states that the Petty's had built 3 "new" cars for the 1967 season (page 52).  I don't know if this correct or not but IIRC I think I remember Dale Inman saying that they built 2 for the '67 season. With a quick count off the top of my head....

1.) there's the one that "was" at the museum at Darlington (reputed to be the car that won most of the 27 races).
2.) there's another that Richard Brickhouse bought from the Petty's (from all accounts I heard that this was the actual car that won most of the 27 wins).
3.) The Neil Castles' Plymouth I think was a former Petty car (may be was an original '66 car)  
I know the engines were Petty's (they were always a "light blue" engine block.....signature color used by the Petty's).

Comment from Richard - source unknown:
Richard has said
"when we started racing the new '67 Plymouth we just weren't having any luck at all" "Then we decided to hang '67 sheet metal on the '66 frame"


Here is the thread if you want to read it.   I guess the general consensus is the Darlington car is probably a '67 car, but not the one that won all the majority of the 27 races that year.

http://www.randyayersmodeling.com/modelingforum/viewtopic.php?t=46788&highlight=petty+1967+plymouth

[wingcar builder]

It is our understanding that the 27 win car ended up in the Jabe Thomas arsenal and was rebodied several times and coinsedently was put thru the crusher couple years ago when they were cleaning up the farm. luckily C5HM saved the one HM chassis from being erased from existance. ~ Wingcar Builder

[Ghoste]

By HM are meaning the Ford?  I thought the Petty Ford going around was just a recreation?

[Aero426]

By HM are meaning the Ford?  I thought the Petty Ford going around was just a recreation?

He is talking about the former Jabe Thomas '64 Ford that was sitting outside for decades.   John Craft (C5HM) bought it and is currently restoring it.  It is coming along nicely.   Prior to Jabe getting it in 1965, it was a Holman-Moody factory car the year before.    It has nothing to do with Petty Fords, none of which are believed to have survived.