Anyone know where to get some of the old 70's-style Wheelie bars like these ones on Arlen Fadely's car? If I eventually need them (which is very well possible, the first thing on the back of my car that would touch the ground is the gas tank) I don't want the new style ones because they would totally kill the car's look. Any info would be appreciated, thank you...
Hey, It's a little dark to go out and take a picture of mine, but the Maverick has had the same wheelie bars since racing in B/SM in the late 70's and early 80's. Mine are a little longer than the ones in the picture, but are original and were on the car from the start. http://www.jegs.com/p/Competition-E...ering-Pro-Street-Wheel-E-Bars/743919/10002/-1 These from competition engineering look pretty close. If you want me to I can take some pictures.............just let me know.
Originally Arlen did not run wheelie bars. It wasn't until Mike Edwards bought the car that the wheelie bars appeared. I still have the original bars. Let me know if you need a picture of them. I'll dig them out and post a few. Joe
Thanks guys, I was just wondering since the gas tank isn't in the safest place if the car lifts the front wheels that much. I don't really want to run them but for mine and the cars safety I might have to. Then again I don't think the car ever ran them originally, and rumour has it from the past owner it at one point had a best ET of a 9.89 with a Boss 302/4-Speed. I gotta get the D/A sander out once we get it running and look for some names under the paint, but that's another story. I just hope I'll be allowed to run the car with the gas tank where it currently is.
Well, you certainly need something to help protect the sump on the gas tank..................hitting that could cause a real issue. I would sure love to see more pictures of the car, like the engine bay, interior, trunk area........................It would be interesting to compare it to mine. On my 70, the original owner took the orginal tank out, welded a 71 floor in and this allowed him to use the external tank. Of course after the B/SM wars the car was converted to a 5 gal fuel cell that rests between the rear cage in the trunk. One thing about pulling a wheelie like that is that when it comes down you will also be replacing some front end pieces....................wheelies certainly look cool, but will most likely cost you the race...........IMHO Thanks John
I might be mistaken, but It looks by the picture that that car has the mounts for bars.... yes? A question: Was that car always a Michigan car? Joe
Joe, Do you know where that photo was taken? I recall watching Arlen race that car at Byron Dragway (called Rockford Dragway then) and he had it on the back bumper there. The grandstands look similar too. I'll bet that car was on the bumper many times though.
Yes it does, unfortunatley I don't have any pics of it during any previous ownership though... I'm not sure if it was always a MI car to be honest, it's solid all around though but the odometer is froze at about 57,000 miles. The car was built in St. Thomas too. And Olerodder, I'll have alot more pics this coming after winter when it starts getting warmer out. Some neat little things that I wonder if your car has too are holes cut in the fenderwells for headers, chain travel limiters on the front suspension, stock maverick buckets, a nodular rear end, goose-neck gas tank in the trunk...I'd love to get some pics right now but it's freezing out lol
70ProStreet, I hope you have the "ole girl" inside for the winter. You know my car originally had a 302 block with C heads. I doubt if these are the original headers, but the ones I have were made by Dawson in SoCal and are adjustable length collectors...............yes the number 3 cylinder goes through a cutout in the fender well, but the others are inside the frame rails. The heads it has now are( the motor is a 408 stroker now) TF twisted wedge tall exhaust port type R heads.............just not sure if the headers are original to the car. Yes, it does have "cable" limiters for the front suspension travel and six cylinder coil springs up front. The inside is fully carpeted, tubs, rear barrier, floor..................and it is the original carpeting (in B/SM you had to retain the carpet) but it only has one race seat. The goose neck was cut out and now it just has a metal plate screwed over the hole. Yes, my rear is a 9" with N case and it now has a large aluminum front bearing snout, aluminum drive shaft and a ladder bar system that pivots at the axle. This setup was in the car during the B/SM wars..................and all of the tub is sheet metal not aluminum..................maybe why the car weighs in at 3125lb without me............................Oh yes, to make the car as close to 50/50 weight distribution, the rear crossmember is filled with about 100lbs of lead.........................no one would know if I hadn't been told by the guy who built the car. I would be very interested to compare pictures at some point in time. My motor and trans will be out of the car for a little R&R and I'll see if I can't get more pictures then.
Yeah she's in doors, and the only thing very different about that is that my car doesn't have any carpetting, maybe another IHRA thing? I'll find out more once we have it running and get the D/A sander out. It'd be really cool to have a Super Modified reunion one day...
I have been thinking about taking the carpeting out as it has been in the car since 1979......................and still looks pretty good for over 30 years except it is worn in the front..............but it could probably save a lot of weight................ Yes, it would be great to have a SM reunion. I tried to talk NHRA into letting the Maverick run in this years Hot Rod Reuion..................but was told I would need a diaper for the trans and the motor....................I just didn't want to spend the $1k for the diapers, then $300 for the entry...............plus trailering it down and staying somewhere.......................they did say I could bring it down and do exibition passes.....................but who wants to make single passes with hundereds of people watching..............................I would rather be racing some in the other lane....................maybe this next year.
Yeah, I wanna take my car to the local Nostalgia drags at Milan Dragway, last year there were 2 other Mavericks there, would be nice to line up to a similar Nova or Vega it would be really nice if we got a trailer with brakes so we could tow it around with the 72' truck. The carpet thing has me a little worried about the history though....then again someone could've took that out at some point, it has all the other interior pieces besides that, even the sun visors that can't come down because there's a roll cage in the way...I don't know, I guess we'll find out when we sand the paint down...
I wouldn't worry too much about the carpet. Back in the late 70's I was running in SS/IA with a Camaro and you could remove the rear seat but the carpet had to stay..........then that changed. The carpeting makes the car a lot quiter inside though, but being in there for 30 years it does smell like the inside of gas station..............Mine doesn't have the visors anymore, but does have the rearview mirror.................you can slide it on and off though............I used it for backing off the trailer and then it goes in the box on the trailer. I just can't wait to get back on the strip next year. When will you have your car ready to come out and play?
Probably this Spring, atleast that's what I'm aiming for, all we need is a Converter and we'll have everything we need
