Yankee Peddler Dodge
Bill and Patti write:
Does anyone have more info on Bill Flynn And the Yankee Peddler? We have purchased a car with Yankee Peddler on the side, we would like some info to see if it was one of Bill Flynn's? Could you please help!
Anything would be greatly appreciated!
We asked if anyone can help out to let us and Bill and Patti know about this car's past...
The responses received are below...THANKS! -- Mystery solved!
From: Gary A. - kaug426@home.com
The Coronet with the blue stripes is not Bill's. His was an altered wheel base car. According to Dick Landy, Bill received one of the last altered factory cars in 1965, it was a sedan. (Dick Landy said the early Altered cars were hardtops and were twisting from the pounding. The sedans with the larger roof "dogleg" and window posts added strength to the car body.)
I sent the info about the death of Bill Flynn a couple years ago to the 62-65 Web site. When I was a kid my father took me to the local Dodge dealer to see the car on display, it was injected. We watched Bill do dry hops with the car on Main Street, just a block up from the police station. After the Coronet Bill had a Barracuda A/FX altered wheelbase car. I grew up in the town next to New Haven, CT. where Bill was from. His shop was in the town I live in. Over the years I went to see all of his cars, I have met some people who had worked for or with him. He was grumpy when he was young...I am being kind...but he mellowed in his "old age". He would talk to me because he knew my father. In 1980 I visited his engine shop and he told me how he was hired by Chrysler etc. A few years before he died he ran a S/S Daytona and I use to see him, he was very pleasant to us..that's how I remember him. Gary A.
Hello. This is Geoff Stunkard. I did an interview with Bill Flynn prior to
his death (this was published in Mopar Muscle December 1992). Unlike some of
the other drivers, Flynn did not get a standard A990 Hemi car to run Indy
with; he only had the altered wheelbase car in his possesion that season.
Therefore, since that car has been documented and restored, the car you have
here is not one of his. In that time, when cars had moniker-type names, more
than a few people would name their cars close to what the stars of the era
were running. My advise would be to run the VIN and fender/door tag info to
ascertain that the cars is indeed an A990 race hemi before doing anything to
it, as numerous clones exist. Best of luck - Geoff
Jim Morgan -- jpmorgan@psn.net writes:
The '65 Dodge was built by Ken Morgan, Kens Auto Sales Rt 1 Rockingham, NC.
Joel Naprstek RACE CAR ARTRACECARART@aol.com writes:
As far as I know from research I've done, and it has not been extensive on Flynn's cars, there was only one 1965 Yankee Peddler in '65. That car started out the year as a S/SA car but was soon converted to the full AWB configuration. It is possible that Flynn had a S/SA car to run the '65 NHRA Nationals that year as a few of the other AWB racers did but I never heard of
it. It also is possible that this car came around in later years (after '65) as Butch Leal did with a '65 sedan car in the '70's.
SReasbeck@cs.com writes:
We have been involved in drag racing for a long while, since the mid to late '60's, and we are familiar with
the Flynn cars, and the tip off on this one it the ol' in front of the lettering instead of "the" This car is very nice though, and we hope to see more of them.
I still actively campaign a '65 Hemi Dodge. I had the privilege of seeing many of the late Bill Flynn's race cars, and I do not recall him running a stock wheelbase '65 hardtop. I cannot say for sure that he did not, however if he did it was for a very short time. The only Yankee Peddler I can recall in '65 was the famed altered wheelbase car, which was unique in that it was a sedan rather than a hardtop as was the remaining factory cars. I saw this car run as early as March, '65.
The car is very nice, although I am doubtful that it belonged to Bill Flynn. I hope this helps you out, and I hope to see you at the races sometime. I would love to see the pits filled with '65 B bodies.
New Home!
Steve writes:
The Ole Yankee Peddler '65 has been obtained by Bob George, an old factory racer from the
town of 84, Pa. Bob currently races a Hemi '65 Belvedere that I will provide
more info at a later date. Bob also owns one of the old Rod Shop Hemi Challengers.
The Peddler is currently being fitted with a full chassis for Bob's son,
Curt, to drive, and will be very light and very fast. Bob is a dealer for
Indy Cylinder Head and still builds and maintains many Hemi engines, and this
new piece will be fitted with 500+ inch Indy Hemi when completed, and times
are expected to be in the eights. I will keep you posted, as it should be
completed Fall, 2001.
July 26, 2000; revised August 22, 2000; June 2, 2001; July 25, 2001
See the original Yankee Peddler!
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