71 Harrell F/C anyone know of its whereabouts

[menmyfcs]

The difference between the Chevy, the Fords or even the early hemi were nite and day compared to the 426. The fact that Mopar was making parts for it to be run like this was another plus. You could run 75 degrees of timing in a 426 compared to maybe 55 on a Chevy and not crack heads or cylinder walls and ease of working on them was another. Fire was the next concern. I can always remember racing the Coke Cavalcade & running against Kelly Chadwick & Ray Sullins. The Chevy car would leave good & Kelly would say, "Man, I never saw you! I knew I was on a good one, then all of a sudden I would see the nose of your car & away you went". Ray Sullins came from the Harrell camp & was a big asset to Kelly. You could actually feel the difference on a burn out.

Dick had to change just like we did with Mickey Thompson. You had to be competitive to keep your name out there and have the sponsors. As you see today, GM and others still back cars that have their body on it (if you can tell what they are)! Remember, GM claimed they were not involved with racing, although Dick, Kelly, Jenkins, Smokey Yunick & many more were getting truck loads of parts. They were consultants that channeled their work through other areas,
which gave you all the cars that you are collecting.
On the other side, you had shops like Keith Black, Ed Pink and the Ramchargers carrying the Mopar banner & building race engines.

I do believe the late Jim Bucher was the last BBC to win in the fuel ranks. From about 71 on, the wins were pretty few a far between. Overall, Dick was most proud of the street cars, but he loved racing that funny car. The plan was for someone else to take it in the 72 season & for Dick to focus more on the street cars.....time ran out too soon

[sYc]

Amazing that you could tell the difference just doing a burnout. And 75 degrees of timing in the Hemi, unreal.


Here is check from Dick to Ed Pink for some of that "Hemi Power".

[menmyfcs]

I am sure that check is one of many. That Hemi just has brute torque.I was driving the Dougs Headers car in the summer of 70 when Kelly had to be back home and I drove his car one nite at US 30 in Gary Ind. Kellys was a high compression low nitro % like 70%.and a 3.60 gear The Dougs car was a Low compression high nitro car 4.10 gear. both cars could run the same but felt a bunch different.
When we we be at the Motel after a race Dick would normaly have some street car with him. He had a Vega that they just did a small block conversion on. We were having fun playing with it and Dick said he had to go. Later he came back with a suit and tie on took the car. next day he said it paid off. he got an order for 20 of them.

[sYc]

Interesting!! When and where was this? And, do you know if the cars were ever built/sold?

[menmyfcs]

We were in West Palm Beach Fl. at the AHRA Grand American.
Early 71. I am pretty sure it was kit that Don Hardy made.
Dave Libby or Harry Kalwei may know. I will see them all soon and find out if they know. I saw a article on them a while back and will have to look for it.

[68l30]

Night and day difference...WOW thats a ton of HP..Thanks!

Steve

[68l30]

Is this a Harrell Vega? Dave, I know I showed you this pic before...July of 1971,Note the stripe and the Strippers,ET-1 class with a 12.70 dial interesting car...Thoughts???

Steve

[sYc]

Thanks Dale. Now we know where to look for DH vegas, Palm Beach.

I would say you are right about Hardy being involved. Not only was Don Dick's chassis builder, but during the '70s, Don was very big into V-8 Vega kits. Everything from headers to 5 lug spindles to motor mounts, whatever.

[Chevy454]

Dale:

I'm guessing there was a pretty big learning curve when the switch to Hemi power was made, in both the tuning and the driving departments. Was there a different driving technique required with the elephant, other than a little more "pucker" in the seat area? About what horsepower range were the top hemi nitro cars in back in the early days?? If I'm not mistaken, aren't they in the 8,000hp range today???

[menmyfcs]

I am not sure what they figure the power to be now. I think if enough people made aftermarket parts for the Chevy then as they do now it would have been around much longer. KB and Rodeck blocks dart heads etc. At the time we made the switch the clutch just as today was a problem to deal with.
There were things learned that the Chevy wanted like to put the rotors in the blower backwards to help the front cylinders from being lean that also became a help for the Hemi.At the time the Hemi made more power by mistake than you had from the Chevy when it was right on.The thing Pat Foster and I both noticed is the Donovans and Chevys would just kind of get quiet and slow down at a 1000'the 426 was just getting up to where it kept on pulling. Then again you look at the normally asperated engines and the Hemi wasnt that great unless it had nitro or a blower. Until it crashed about 2 years ago one of the baddest nostalgia top fuel cars was a small block Chevy. Modern technology.DP