Mopars in Rallying

-
nm9stheham

nm9stheham

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
Messages
12,087
Reaction score
4,281
Location
Waynesboro, VA
I ran across this site that I figure the FABO crowd would enjoy. Mopar actually had quite a history in rallying in the US/Canada and had parts and support for the Colts and Arrows for many years. If you have an old Direct Connection book, all those sections for the 1.6/2.0/2.6l were all directed at rallying. Later, the Omni/Horizon platform become one of the more ubiquitous rally cars on this continent cars for a few years; cheap, capable, and REALLY capable in the GLH 2.5L turbo version.

2 fellows in involved in the engineering side of the Direct Connection rally stuff were Doug Shepherd and Scott Harvey. The link below shows many of Scott Harvey's rally cars based on Mopar platforms. I can remember many of them from the Ramcharger through the 4WD Aspen. The last was my favorite: Take an Aspen, set the hopped up 360/727 back 18 inches, and replace the front end with one from a Toronado, with (I would guess) a Jeep transfer case somewhere in there. LOL This car was a threat to win any rally in the US and was a hoot to be around.

Hope you enjoy this tidbit from my old competition world.

Scott Harvey Rally Car Photos
 
.........Toronado front end......... Holy weirdness, batman!!

....But a toronado would have been a transaxle, so, ???
 
Isn't funny I've been collecting bits of info over the years and its always great to find more.
Scott's son was continuing the family tradition, although I haven't seen anything recently. IIRC they were usng the name Team Harco.
I've got some links to some info on Harvey's and Beckman's rallying on my car's webpage.

edit:
I always forget this forum doesn't have home page links for members anymore.
Shell 4000 Rally website: The Shell 4000 and BC Trans-Canda Rally History Project
Of note on the Shell 4000 History Page, are pdfs
"Scott Harvey and Rally Preparation" from Sports Car Graphic May 1967
and Eric Dahlquist "How to Beat the Shell (4000) Game" from Motor Trend '69 Yearbook, pp 160-5 with Scott Harvey.
It also includes a few tips for setup, a full list of equipment (spares) and where to stow on the Barracuda, and good photos of protection of oil pan, gas tank, mufflers and differential.

and a Chrysler sponsored film about the 1968 Shell 4000 Trans-Canada Rally that Ralph Beckman had digitized and put on youtube.


Speedvision on Beckman's return to Monte Carlo Rally Barracuda for Historic Competition
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Del.... that is a great link. Never saw that one before. If they hold the Idaho rally again down around Idaho City, you ought to slip on down to see it. https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/idahorally

67Dart273 said:
.........Toronado front end......... Holy weirdness, batman!!
....But a toronado would have been a transaxle, so, ???
Click to expand...
There's your front wheel drive part of the 4WD; the standard live rear axle was the rear half. If you look closely at the wheels on that Aspen, you'll probably recognize the large positive offset wheels that the Toronado used.

gzig5 said:
Looks like too much fun!!
Click to expand...
If you want some INTENSE seat time, there is nothing to compare to rallying. I hope to eventually finish my '72 Opel Manta (to reproduce my 1st rally car, in the form I always wanted back when I was young but poor), but I keep thinking a RallyDart or RallyDuster could be so easy to drop together just to have fun.....

Speaking of Scott Harvey, on the first rally stage I saw, he was in his Ramcharger and cut a corner by hooking the right side wheels in a ditch. There was a hidden steel culvert there that took out both right side tires. Oooops.... one spare! The cussin' and hollerin' must've driven the game out for the forest for miles around LOL

Thanks for the and links, Mattax. Nice to find someone interested in this sport on FABO! The rally Cuda's like that were before my time (I started in '78) but I've seen pix of those and old films with the '66 or '65 'Cuda builds of Gene Henderson running. It's not what you see often!

Now you know why I want a broad torque band over peak HP.....
 
nm9stheham said:
If you want some INTENSE seat time, there is nothing to compare to rallying. I hope to eventually finish my '72 Opel Manta (to reproduce my 1st rally car, in the form I always wanted back when I was young but poor)
Click to expand...


does still have the round quad headlights no?
i love those cars, toss some pics up
 
diymirage said:
does still have the round quad headlights no?
i love those cars, toss some pics up
Click to expand...
Yes it does..... not far enough along to show much anything... just a body up on jacks 'in process'. Got plenty of old rally pix but not Mopar related except for 1-2 of the 4WD Aspen. Man an early Manta body is light.... my son and I could pick up the rear of the body at the wheel wells between us when stripped! (Not anymore for me LOL)

BTW, Michigan is pretty much the cradle of rallying in the US. LOTS of events there over the years.... Houghton and the Keewenaw penisula, L'anse, Houghton Lake, Marquette, Cadillac, Alpena, Grayling, all come to mind where I've rallied. So you are right there....

See here for the other Opel I ran for over 10 years: An Ascona A. Looked like the 4th car in this video (the bronze colored one). Damaged it beyond repair in Maine.

The above video looks to be from Finland.. they are rally-maniacs over there.

Like I said, a rally Mopar A-body seems like a load of fun.... and any V8 car that shows up is a crowd pleaser! Put some C-Body t-bars up front for better suspension travel, and a 4 link rear with track-bar and proper coilovers ....it could have a pretty good suspension. Small block with AL heads and intake to get 100 lbs off of the front.. 4 speed..... Need to find a lighter rear axle than a 8-3/4" though. Wonder how well a 7-1/4" would last.... with dirt/gravel, the traction and torque on the rear axle is not a lot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top