Original Little Red Wagon A-100?

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The truck started out as something for AFX, just like the old dodge pickup that ran out of CA with a Max Wedge. It was only after it would not keep the front wheels down did it become a wheelstander. I think Dick Branister drove this truck first. Most of this truck was stock, nothing like what it took to keep the wheelstander going straight.
 
there was a really awesome story I just read about Mr. Bill sir in an old mopar magazine.

Apparently he had a an accident in Canada in the 75 or 76 season and he was saved and assisted in the hospital by a French nurse ....ooooh la la

It was a good read and very interesting.

I am glad he is still around and people are recognizing him for the work and effort he put into his racing and he really is a legend
 
there was a really awesome story I just read about Mr. Bill sir in an old mopar magazine.

Apparently he had a an accident in Canada in the 75 or 76 season and he was saved and assisted in the hospital by a French nurse ....ooooh la la

It was a good read and very interesting.

I am glad he is still around and people are recognizing him for the work and effort he put into his racing and he really is a legend

Thats funny. I am fond of the Little Red Wagon. Its MOPAR! And its got a Hemi. BUT its that damned first way it was built thats a ***** to find out to make a replica model too! (its gonna take me forever just to begin this model at this rate), but its fun to do all the research on it, and all thats being learned at the same time! :banghead:

I'm up for the task to see what I can learn and find out on this interesting little truck!

Rani, girl I'm gonna end up buying a 3rd one if I have the cash too, just to model it as a van as you picture! :poke:
 
Here is a few answers
Truck was built with carbs but it would go up and then stall from too much or not enough gas fall back down and restart and go again. It had carbs when Chy first showed it to Maverick but when he went to try it it was changed to Hilborns. If I get a chance I will take a pic of them I still have them with #1 truck
Lots of changes over the run of 4 trucks . It did start with left steering but after a few crashes it went to center drive for safety.
 
Here is a few answers
Truck was built with carbs but it would go up and then stall from too much or not enough gas fall back down and restart and go again. It had carbs when Chy first showed it to Maverick but when he went to try it it was changed to Hilborns. If I get a chance I will take a pic of them I still have them with #1 truck
Lots of changes over the run of 4 trucks . It did start with left steering but after a few crashes it went to center drive for safety.

So it when it came from Chry. It had a cross ram intake with 2 carbs?

I'd like to see this as you mentioned when you have a chance, PLEASE! LOL I will NOT begin this model till I know for sure as I want to make the model a replica to the very 1st one, if at all possible!
 
[URL="http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachment.php?attachmentid=1714734948&stc=1&d=1404873155"][URL="http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachment.php?attachmentid=1714734948&stc=1&d=1404873155"][/URL][/URL]


This picture was when the truck was first built as strictly a drag truck; not as a wheelstander.

It was only after they noticed it's propensity for wheelies that it was "reassigned" for
exhibition attraction duty and Bill Golden took over.

Dick Branster (of Color-Me-Gone fame) was originally involved with the build; not Golden.

The truck was regularly seen, along with the original Color-Me-Gone super stocker, sitting
at Ted Spehar's Jimmy Addison managed Sunoco station.
 
...BUT because of the lettering, its "white" in the picture, did the "yellow" version come when Bill Golden took over? See, ALL the models I've ever seen come with the yellow outlined in black,. lettering, NEVER have I seen the mold to have whats seen here....

So, with that said, what was the motor and how was "it" set up, BEFORE "Bill" took over?

AND when he did finally take the drivers seat of the truck, the FIRST trip down the track, what was the motor and set up then!?
 
...BUT because of the lettering, its "white" in the picture, did the "yellow" version come
when Bill Golden took over? See, ALL the models I've ever seen come with the yellow
outlined in black,. lettering, NEVER have I seen the mold to have whats seen here....

So, with that said,
what was the motor and how was "it" set up, BEFORE "Bill" took over?

AND when he did finally take the drivers seat of the truck, the FIRST trip down the track,
what was the motor and set up then!?
The truck was completely reconfigured for "wheelie duty" after Bill Golden took over.
The gutted interior with the central driver's seat and dual braking system, the larger
tires, the supercharged motor, gold/yellow lettering and all of the exterior "tarting up"
evolved over the years under Golden's tutelage. I'm not even sure if he still uses a
windshield now.

I think (but do not know for a fact) that Golden installed the injectors and, later the
blower.

That original build photo doesn't have much to do with the current version of the Little
Red Wagon but is very historically significant. I seriously doubt that any of the model
companies know of or care about the very early version.
 
OMM,
See thats what I'm trying to figure out BEFORE I begin the model, the designation of Bill Goldens version is what it will be, BUT, that also says a lot as I knew that it was changed over the years. When Bill Golden got the truck, OK, was it then with the 426 Cross-Ram with the 12 carburetors, and then thats when the Hillborne set up as added? As I know in the end, before the truck was retired, it had a full on blower on it, (I've seen pictures of all of this), the Cross-Ram, the hillborne injectors, and the Blower, I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the model as it was, when it first went to Bill Golden as I'm not changing the yellow on black decals....I don't have that ability to reprint decals replacing the yellow, with white....

SO...Being said that above, to keep it as close as I can to the original looks way it was when Bill first took over is what I'm trying to piece together from those who know and have seen it....(I never got to see that little truck, altho I'd love to have!)

Any idea how it looked when it became known as the wheelstander? As that may be the way I do the paint on it! As thats when Bill Golden was driving it!
 
Go right to the horse and call Maverick and ask him.
I believe he will tell you when he first saw it it had carbs but when he first drove it it had inj.
I didn't get it in a spot to take a pic of the inj. but I will plan something. I didn't set up an E- Town as planned.
 
Go right to the horse and call Maverick and ask him.
I believe he will tell you when he first saw it it had carbs but when he first drove it it had inj.
I didn't get it in a spot to take a pic of the inj. but I will plan something. I didn't set up an E- Town as planned.

I've sent Bill a message here but heard nothing back, I don't have a number or anything to contact him about it....SO....I'm between a rock and bolder.....So, my only hope for a model as I have, is to rely on those who worked or was around the actual truck.....

I have a guy that will print me decals, I just have to see if he can do "white" as that I know is an issue!
 
Early Little Red Wagon at the start of this film with Bill Golden and injectors.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGIxBjpMO4g"]Drag Racing 1964 - YouTube[/ame]
 
WHAT an AWESOME video! The beginning was great but, actually watching the races of the whole video was AWESOME Man the slo-mo on the end drags is GREAT to see all that rubber just burnin' and flyin' off those HUGE slicks.........WOW!

Looks like my LRW will have the Hilborne injectors then!
 
Maverick is a member here???? NO WAY! I have Idolized this guy my whole life.
 
-Yes, Bill Golden "Maverick" is a member here, not seen active since I think it said 2008 but yes hes a member to our GREAT site here!

Like you, I too like his way on the 1/4 mile....That was a serious thing back in the day and then to become an icon to Mopar, makes the truck AND HIM that much more known and well liked.....Kinda like I favor Richard Petty, even when he was driving a Pontiac....He was my driver of choice....Same goes for Bill Golden! Followed by Top-Fuel's Don Garlitz.....I've only ever got to speak to one in real life, face to face, Richard Petty.....I went to Dover Delaware back when I was in high school for out chapter's FFA club on orange sales and the top seller division was to go for the weekend to Dover raceway, and meet a BUNCH of the drivers, including Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr. Crusty Wallace, and a few others Terry Labonte, and I can't remember the rest....

But I've always favored the Mopar drivers....

Richard Petty
Don Garlitz
Bill Golden

...and a few other teams if one of my top 3 wheren't in it at the time but was a Mopar driver still, needless to say, I've not seen Bill Golden race in real life, I was to young, BUT I seen movies made of the races with my Grandfather way back in the day that he had!
 
toolmanmike just posted on another thread these pictures (copied from a Super 8 film?)
that are from when Maverick visited someones local drag strip. Supremely cool!

In the photos (from 2 different dates?) you can see the LRW equipped with both fuel injection
stacks and a blower.

Not to mention the BIG RED WAGON support truck which I have never seen before!

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=299363
 
OMM,
Thanks for posting that! That will HELP me get this model underway! (I have to admit, I haven't even begun assembly on ANY of this one yet!)

Might be the motivation, I need!
 
Hi, I'm teenager from Poland and building Little Red Wagon plastic model too. I want to contact with Maverick, but he wasnt here since 2008. It's very helpfull topic, but I have another questions.
Was the subframe in LRW with Hilborn injectors with straight or "crooked" differential. In the Lindberg kit it is crooked and if you put the engine into subframe the engine is crooked. Is it correct and was it that in the real one?
My next question is Was padding on Little Red Wagon doors?

In stock Dodge A100 driveshaft is crooked and the engine is straight. You can see my problem on this drawing:
 
Here is mine! - this is a re-release but I feel my Dad and I did it justice! It's on a custom made slot chassis - vintage Riggen 16d motor Polar lights funny car fronts, Revell hollow Goodyear front tires, Revell rear wheels/ NOS tires/ Strombecker mag inserts, Revell 1/24th driver, and a more detailed Revell 68 Charger hemi w/ the Limberg intake/injectors

Paint is silver base coat, Testors clear(candy) Red, and then polyurethane clear

We also have a L.A. Dart, Hemi Under Glass, and a Chuckwagon we're doing up..









 
Great job! Really good idea with the silver base and clear red. I didn't think of that. I'm getting back to mine now, almost ready to finally paint the body. I already have AMS (Advanced Modelers Syndrome) even though I'm not yet an advanced modeler. Laboring over every detail, unable to make decisions.
 
Wow! I love that slot car based version!

Here is a very well built LRW with transporter that was posted on Facebook recently.

LRW%20model_zpsimy0hcnr.jpg
 
I'm so glad to see this thread helping others doing the same model!

OMM, that LRW & transporter is a GREAT rendition!!!! Nice to see someone used the ole L-700 kit for it!!!!!!!!!
 
Jimmy first went to work for Ted Spehar in 1965. Ted owned an old Texaco station on Maple a couple blocks west of Adams in Birmingham. Besides accumulating a brisk neighborhood business, Ted had become acquainted with Dick Branstner. I used to see the ’64 Color Me Gone Dodge sitting out in front of the station, along with a little red Dodge pickup with a full-race Hemi protruding through the bed just behind the cab. My first glance at the yet unlettered, carbureted Little Red Wagon, then driven by Jay Howell. It was at this time that Jimmy and Ted began their long affiliation with the Chrysler race program.

http://www.myrideisme.com/Blog/woodward-aves-silver-bullet-last-words/

Jay was given the assignment to develop, and drive the “Little Red Wagon” this was a wheel standing Dodge truck. The Little Red Wagon was later campaigned by Bill “Maverick” Golden. Jay also designed, and built the “Dodge Charger” this was a mid-engine Dodge Dart. The Dart was powered by a nitro burning 426 hemi engine. Jay campaigned the Dart all across the Midwest, and in1965 won the U.S. Nationals with the speed of 164mph, and the time of 9.02 seconds.

http://www.detroitdragway.com/little-red-wagons-jay-howell/
 

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http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/2009/10/27/the-life-and-times-of-jay-howell/

Prior to striking out on his own, though, Howell worked for Dick Branstner at Branstner Enterprises in Troy, Mich. Branstner and driver Roger Lindamood had just won Top Stock at the 1964 Nationals with their Color Me Gone Dodge, and Branstner hired Howell to run the operation, which built engines and did chassis work for Super Stock and A/FX cars.

Among the company's major contributions to drag racing lore was the refinement of the Little Red Wagon wheelstander, which didn’t actually begin life as a wheelstander; Howell's contribution is that he took it on one of its groundbreaking "flights."

"The Little Red Wagon was conceived and built by two engineers at Dodge Truck, Jim Schaeffer and John Collins," recalled Howell. "It was powered by a 426 Hemi on gas and carburetors, with a rigid rear suspension. We were playing around doing neutral starts -- transmission in neutral, go to wide open throttle, and punch the Drive button! -- and it would pick the front wheels up maybe a foot or two. Spectators loved it. The truck was more or less being passed around to various teams, and it ended up at Branstner's after the rear suspension had been improved. It was assigned to me for some 'development work.' I ordered a roll cage to be installed and replaced the stock 426 engine with an injected engine on nitromethane.


Howell at the wheel of the Little Red Wagon
"It was late '64, and we were at Motor City Dragway outside of Detroit. I pulled up to the starting line to make a pass, and in the right lane was my friend Tony Knieper in his GTO. The injected nitro motor didn’t require a neutral start to pick the wheels up, but this time, it went up and kept going! The truck always had a tendency to drift right, and, true to form, it proceeded to do its thing. I’m now on the tailgate, and somewhere underneath the front wheels is my buddy Tony. I stayed in it until I saw him drive out from underneath me. I lifted, and it came down like a ton of bricks. It was quite a day. Dodge PR had a photographer there, and one of the local TV stations got it all on film. It made the 11 o’clock news. The rest is history -- well, almost."

According to Howell, the truck was funded by Dodge PR, and Frank Wylie assigned the truck to Bill "Maverick" Golden to campaign nationally.

Continued Howell, " 'Maverick' arrived in town for 'driving lessons' about the time I finished the install of a nitro-fueled, supercharged 426. It was late fall when we all returned to Motor City, and it was cold. I made a couple passes but couldn’t get it anywhere near hooking up. Late in the day, I made a pretty good pass and mentioned to Branstner, 'I think it’s carrying the front end in the lights.' We had a rather vigorous discussion, which I concluded by saying something stupid like, 'Fine, I won’t lift, and we’ll see who’s right!' Next pass, straight up, 147 in the lights. 'Maverick' opted not to drive it that day. I reinstalled the injected engine, and 'Maverick' went on his way.

"I have to give Frank Wylie a lot of credit for being a man of his word. He knew I was less than pleased over his giving the Little Red Wagon to 'Maverick.' He came to the shop during the reassignment and took me aside and said something like, 'Don’t worry; I’ll make it up to you.' Did he ever!"

Wylie arranged a meeting with Branstner and Howell and asked Howell to describe the dream car he would like to build and drive. His answer became the Dart Charger, a mid-engine blown, injected nitro Funny Car.
 

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The 1960s found drag racing exploding in a number of directions. From hot stockers out of Detroit to the gasser wars to streamlined dragsters, there is good reason why the sixties have and always will be considered the sport’s Golden Age. And few vehicles that came out of that fertile era could equal the Little Red Wagon.

This was a project that went astray from what was first intended. Dodge had actually been offering a standard size D-series pickup with a 413 cu. in. (later, a 426) Street Wedge engine option installed on the assembly line, and a version with some special parts had even been racing in the B/Factory Experimental class during 1962 and 1963. Jim Schaeffer and John Collier of Dodge’s Truck Divisions in Detroit had gotten the job of taking the new 1964 A100 ‘Forward Control’ compact truck and putting a 426 Hemi engine in it for A/FX and exhibition drag racing. The 90-inch A100 model, brand new for that year and available in van format as well, would certainly be a hairy ride with seven liters of NASCAR-designed lung in it.

To mount the engine in the truck effectively, it was set back 20 inches using a custom sub-frame that housed the entire driveline, resulting in a 48-percent front, 52-percent rear weight distribution. It used the drag racing intake with cross-ram carbs and S&S headers. The transmission, a Chrysler 727 Torqueflite automatic, was coupled directly to the differential. Weight was removed throughout the truck so the final effective weight was less than 2,700 pounds even with the heavy hemispherical engine. The final work was done by noted subcontractor Dick Branstner, who had won the U.S. Nationals in the Color Me Gone Dodge super stocker with Roger Lindamood driving. Jay Howell, an associate of Branstner’s, was tagged as the driver and the truck began its shakedown runs at Cecil County, Maryland on September 19, 1964.

Howell would be noted as a serious funny car driver in the latter part of the decade, but the little truck did not want to handle at all, and after a couple of scary runs at speed, he decided to call it a day (though Super Stock and Drag Illustrated got a feature for its second ever issue, and it ran in the centerspread). Continued testing showed that the truck still wanted to pull the nose in the air, so Dodge PR rep Frank Wylie, who had helped push the initial effort, called a noted West Coast driver named Bill ‘Maverick’ Golden to drive it during an upcoming Dodge Tough Trucks commercial.

Maverick, a former Marine, had become well known for the Dodges he had been running for the West Coast Dodge Dealers Association during the early 1960s and had set several records that had helped make Dodge competitive in a sea of 409 Chevys and tri-power Fords. Regarded foremost as a quiet thinker, Golden was credited for advances in Super Stock racing during those formative years that allowed him to often stun the competition; he and Wylie had built a strong working reputation during those years. In his new 1964 Hemi Charger, he had won the local but hot Super Stock class at Pomona for several consecutive weeks before heading out on his summer tour on the AHRA circuit in Ultra Stock trim. In the late fall, he agreed to drive the truck for the ad. After a couple of passes at Motor City Dragway, he brought the truck back to California for filming at Fontana Dragway and came away with stunning results – the nose rode in the air a full 600 feet before he bounced it to the ground!

The adage that racing evolution is written in blood proved true in the wheel standing business as well. The original 1964 truck was destroyed in Albuquerque in 1969, its replacement (supercharged with center steering and the first hydraulic rear gate) was wrecked in 1971, and a third Little Red Wagon built from those remains almost killed Golden in a high-speed flip in Canada in 1975. Once he recovered, he took the show truck out of mothballs and converted it to active duty. This would be the truck that raced as the Little Red Wagon for the next three decades.

http://www.rmsothebys.com/rw09/icon...dge-a100-pickup-truck-little-red-wagon/391311
 
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