[sdbob]

Just by accident watched 2 videos by Arnie. 1st talking about racing the Ramchargers in a final race. They had 'heavytires on the rear' for weighin then switch to lighter tires to race Arnie. 2nd was about GM getting out if racing and Arnie buying the 63 SD Lemans from Mickey
Thompson. This was Throttlestop program.

[mgarblik]

Here are the links to the episodes. Not sure when they were actually recorded but Arnie seems to be doing well. Fun stories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwuWSxyNrbk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsRjQDRdFw

[BILL BOWMAN1]

For some strange reason, I get the feeling that Arnie is not a Mopar fan.

[sdbob]

I liked the writing on the back of his 63 Wagon. I wonder who came up with this saying?

[indiangiver 68]

Videos were done in September of 2024. He was invited to the throttlestop cars and coffee car show in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin.

[tom s]

I have a video of the 1965 IHRA winter nationals in Arizona.Arni was there with his Tempest and we were there with my 63 with Tyree driving.If anyone is interested I can send the link.Try a PM first and we can see if it works.Lot of other stuff running like the NEW then alter wheel base Mopars.Tom

[tom s]

Sorry!AHRA!Tom

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by sdbob

I liked the writing on the back of his 63 Wagon. I wonder who came up with this saying?

When we built and campaigned our authorized replica of the Mrs. B's Grocery Getter wagon, we researched the various paint schemes and lettering on the car. It was common back in those days to change the lettering on a regular basis as sponsors were added and deleted. Lettering was changed even to reflect current events and promote specific races/events. We chose to feature the "Here Ye, Here Ye" swipe at Mopar because we loved it as well. That saying on the tailgate came about according to Arnie because at almost EVERY event where the wagon was raced and didn't suffer transaxle breakage, it would win! It had a slight weight advantage over the Mopars, but the magic was the rear transaxle and superior traction that added weight provided. When the little Tempest didn't shell the teeth off the tiny 7" ring gear in the final drive, the car was very hard to beat. Arnie said it was rare that the Tempest could go to an event and run more than 7-8 passes without killing the final drive gears. He said they could change them out in about an hour.

That saying on the wagon tailgate was the result of the Grocery Getter being protested and torn down at almost every event. Arnie was sick and tired of it. The cry baby Mopar guys had to be pretty embarrassed when that homely "Grocery Getter" wagon left them in the dust. A beautiful site to me, not so much for the "Big, Bad Mopars". Arnie put that saying on the tailgate after a Mopar racer just couldn't take getting beat again and sucker punched Arnie while confronting him at the back of the wagon in the pits. From that time on, the saying appeared on the tailgate. Now you know the rest of the story.

BTW, I have photos of the Grocery Getter with at least 5 different and unique lettering schemes, many quite different from each other. I even have a pic of the car at the track with "body in white", no lettering at all, when he first got the car.

[sdbob]

In my teens I grew up with mopar guys telling me Pontiacs dont run,junk,etc etc. So I've been tainted. Thank you for the story. When I first read that writing on the back I laughed. I tried following Arnie in the early 60s by magazine articles. I find those little stories very interesting. I talked to Jim Mino about the other makes crying.Whrn he ran those early muscle car events.i said they are probably cheating so you
have to be cheating to beat them. Also the roundy round 69 GTO with the RAV in it,winning those BB chevie did not like that they even tried wreck him one night I was watching.

[Keith Seymore]

Dad and the Ramchargers went 'round and 'round on more than one occasion. One of his favorite stories was how, after beating their B/S automatic Dart for Stock Eliminator, they protested and made him tear apart the engine for inspection. He told Jim Thornton "I'll tell you everywhere I'm not stock if you'll do the same", especially since he knew he was "more legal" than the Ramchargers were. Thornton refused and actually set the cam up in "V" blocks and a degree wheel on the tailgate of their MOPAR station wagon and, using a dial indicator, (begrudgingly) found it to be legit.

The cam was actually bogus as h*ll; it was a special grind done by Mac McKellar, but with stock lift and duration (and the stock numbers stamped on the end).

Dad witnessed them pulling the spare tire out of a car one time and it took three guys to do it. He protested and won that one, too: turns out it was full of cement.

K

[sdbob]

Thanks Tom for the video. Interesting stories Thanks.

[mgarblik]

A big part of traveling and racing with Arnie for almost 30 years was really learning about the man, and of course all the crazy stories. We were in our mid 30's when we first began our journey with Arnie and we had plenty to learn. Two things I can say without hesitation about Arnie. 1. He is a fierce competitor and will do almost anything to win every single race. It can be a match race at a small unknown track with 30 people in the stands or Friday night qualifying at the US Nationals. Doesn't make a bit of difference. He is there to WIN first. Entertain the fans and give them their money's worth is a close second. 2. He is the most determined person I have ever known. No set-back, mechanical failure or personal problem is too large to overcome. He evaluates the situation, and comes up with a plan to finish the job, no matter what it is. He depends on his own common sense, wealth of knowledge and past experience to win the race.

[sdbob]

Curious about his 61-63 cars. I know from his video about changing cams. However were those heads ported for better performance? It amazed me how well his cars performed especially against Jim Wangers Royal Cars.

[tom s]

I think in FX they were allowed more than the stock classes.The 63 big cars could run I believe Bstock.I think the Swiss Cheese 63s had to run FX.The Tempests had to run FX in 63.I was at Tryees shop when the 2 63 FX Lemans were delievered.Also when Jess got his alu 63 big car.Tom

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by tom s

The 63 big cars could run I believe Bstock.

Steel cars would be B/Stock.

Farmer Dismuke tried to put our car in B/FX at Indy when he noticed it had aluminum, even though we had run B/Stock all year up to that point. He wanted proof of another 49 cars with aluminum. The Royal team decided to park our unlettered car rather than run against the other lettered cars.

Originally Posted by tom s

I think the Swiss Cheese 63s had to run FX.

Correct.