1972 Dodge Colt

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famous bob said:
My old vega was a Don Hardy/east texas race car, early prostock advertisement car. I saw it at the tulsa dragstrip back when I was racing my hemi car. They had it on display ---
Little did I ever dream I`d own it back then .
Was pretty well built , in fact I wish I still had it !
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Hey famous bob, I have spoken with Don Hardy's son about the car, I asked if they had pictures and they said they built so many cars that no one took any pictures. I have seen a Hardy Vega on the web that Gary Emig finished. Same man finished mine. 1973 was when it was built.
 
How much for the Silver Machine? Talk about a happy place for the aluminum 318 elsewhere in the postings!
 
WOW! I'm jealous but happy for you, at least the car would get done. Here, it would sit and gather dust and boxes...
 
abdywgn said:
WOW! I'm jealous but happy for you, at least the car would get done. Here, it would sit and gather dust and boxes...
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Been there, done that also. I was talking to my wife, last car I took to the track was my Barracuda in 2010. It rained out. Next year will be 10 years. I want to get back out there so bad I can taste it. This was Bristol years ago.
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Home! I’ve probably seen you there before and didn’t even know it.. do you remember the one guy that had a \6 Colt with Hilborn injection on methanol?
 
Garrett Ellison said:
Home! I’ve probably seen you there before and didn’t even know it.. do you remember the one guy that had a \6 Colt with Hilborn injection on methanol?
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No didn't see that! I would have remember that. I towed out there from Tidewater for a slant six race. I was having issues with second gear and didn't do very well. I got so mad on the return road, I said "you are going to go or BLOW" and I hit second gear so hard the glove box flew open and I said under my breath, well you son of a bitxch, now you work! Came home and fixed up a Feather Duster I had at the house. Then I changed second gear and never had another problem.
 
Hyper_pak said:
Hey famous bob, I have spoken with Don Hardy's son about the car, I asked if they had pictures and they said they built so many cars that no one took any pictures. I have seen a Hardy Vega on the web that Gary Emig finished. Same man finished mine. 1973 was when it was built.
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Mine was a 72 , I got so mad a t trying to stop the 406 that I built for it from leaking oil , I sold the body to a guy in Bartlesville , he wanted it worse than I did at the time.
I , or anyone else has seen or heard about it since.
 
i been watching that car on racingjunk for a long time,if ya ever want to trade 3 mopar drag cars for it let me know
 
Thanks 440outlawdart, but I have my last drag car, I know now I saved the best for last. I think a lot of folks watched it, not sure why no one else bought it, but that worked in my favor here.
 
I've got to ask about your barracuda with the offset shaker hood scoop. Was that in High Performance Mopar in around 1988-1989?
 
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Yep, we towed to Englishtown NJ for a Mopar meet. High Performance Mopar, Jan 1989. I had built the car and started with a 440. Was not having any fun with it, so pulled the 440 and ran the 225. Had a Super Stock hood on it at first then made the Shaker setup. Original 70 Challenger shaker bubble. My friend Will has the car now.
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I remember Uncle Tony DeFeo's write up on that car well! Of the many things I lost through the years, I miss my library the most...
 
Removed all the wiring, the bumper (it is cracked I need to glass it), and cleaned the front frame tubing. I think I am going to go with Mustang II front spindles and then the disc brake system. This will allow me to use the Super Tricks I have for the front and get away from the spindle mounts. The rotors I have need work and I can't find them. The Kelsey Hayes calipers on the car are old and I can only find parts from snowmobile parts vendors. These parts are over 40 years old. No rotors. I learned a little about the car history from my friend Mark. He spoke to a man at the HAMB race who remembered the car and might have some pictures. Learning more everyday it seems.

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I forgot to post this, on Friday I found a company who can do my hood, they will take 3 weeks and I will have the hood. I was really afraid I was not going to be able to find a glass hood, but this looks like I dodged a bullet!
Also on Friday I found Gary Emig and spoke with him! He got the car in 1973 and installed a Milodon aluminum 426 and the Lenco. He said Richard Starkey bought a new Red Colt and took it to Don Hardy. After it was finished Mr. Starkey was going to have Gary Kimball drive the car. He was killed in a racing accident. A few Colts were crashed and Mr. Starkey decided to make a show car out of the Colt. Won a few car show, Best Competition Car Trophies. He wanted his grandson to drive the car, but that never happened. Gary was surprised that I found him and that the car still existed. He said, that car is over 40 years old and I still remember it. He wasn't sure where it went or who bought it. Sorry he didn't have any pictures of it. I thanked him for talking with me, and I sent him some pictures. That was good conversation.
 
Turned the car around today and removed the rear wheels. Found some stuff I didn't like, but hey that is the way it goes. Took the axle cover off and there I found a spool and a 4.87 gear, that I liked!
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Installed the NOS Tail Lights today. Tried to install the Centerlines I had, but they are too small. I measured the Weld wheels, 15 x 14 wide, 8 inches back, 6 inches out. I think I am going to need a centered 13 inch wide wheel to get away from the ladder bars on the inside.
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Keep it coming, that thing is a museum piece! I can think of no greater way to give tribute to it by putting it back doing what it was built to do. It’d really cool if you could find some vintage magnesium wheels for that, but I don’t know if they would be allowed in competition now.
 
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