based on early '60's Mopar Logo

Mopar Memories -- yarns spun, stories told!

1965 Hemi race cars!

Jim Schild writes:

The first time I saw a 1965 Hemi race car was in a small garage in Cedar Hill, Missouri. I was talking with some friends when a young man came in and wanted someone to mount some Hoosier tires on his new Plymouth. We were curious about what kind of Plymouth he had and so we went outside to check it out.

The car was sitting on a flat trailer and had just been picked up from Paddock Plymouth in Florissant, Missouri. Paddock was the only dealer that was shipped four race cars rather than the single car received by most. This particular actually car sat in Paddock's showroom for a short time before it was purchased.

I looked the car over very closely and something so impressive created a very strong impression in my 19 year-old mind. I studied the car while on the trailer and also more closely later on when the car was brought out to the Pacific Drag Strip for action. With slicks and the pipes uncovered, the car ran low 11's at about 137 mph. The owner did not drive the car on the first few passes as he was only 16 years old and had no experience whatsoever. A mechanic drove the car and then offered a trip to the young owner.

When the 16 year-old owner finally let the thing go at the line, the car leapt forward with lots of noise and came down hard as it scared him to reality.

The car ran stock for the rest of the '65 season and over the winter was changed, as many were. By the 66 season, it had an altered wheelbase, fiberglass fenders, fuel injection and only one seat. A few years later, I saw the old body sitting behind a small house on the river near House Springs, Missouri. It was probably eventually destroyed.

The memory of that car never left me and I am now building a replica 1965 Coronet WO1 Super Stock. I have the body painted and I have all of the interior components and detail items. I need to find time to finish the car. It will be built as it would have been in the show room. I have researched every detail and I have almost every piece of period literature available on the 1962-65 race cars.

I am upset sometime today at the mis-information that is printed on these cars and the mistakes that are built into many of them because the owners have not bothered to look at original literature.

Jim Schild
Columbia, Illinois

Update

Craig Handley writes:

The car Jim wrote about was Mother's Mistake. It was owned by Tom Redmond. It was later raced by Butch Hicks and Bill Sanders (of "King Cuda" funny car fame).

When they went to the funny car I got the car from the Redmond's and raced it. The car was only altered in the rear so it was a handful to drive! Tom eventually sold the body for parts.

My partner, Bob Pickel, and I are currently racing an original Alteredwheelbase '65 Plymouth. The car is called El Toro. We race with Jakes and the Jawhawker. In the past Bob and I raced a '65 original awb Dodge. it was originally called Peppermint Flash and then renamed Taurus. As you can tell we have raced these cars since the 60's....

Do you have a story about a 1962 to 1965 Mopar that you previously owned?

How about a story about one of these Mopars that somehow changed your life and made you fall in love with these beauties?

Or how about suggestions for links to other web sites with historical references and stories about these years' Mopars?

Send me a note and it will get shared with everyone viewing this page!

Thanks for contributing!

Gary H.


February 4, 2002; December 30, 2002

Go Back to the Reminiscing - Stories Page. / Go back to the 1962 to 1965 Mopar Web Site Home Page.