"Black Ghost" headed to Mecum

[Keith Seymore]

Indy(?) in May:

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/legendary-black-ghost-dodge-challenger-193700419.html

[GMC_Typhoon]

Great car and story

[L72copocamaro]

I saw that too. Great story! Should be very popular on the block.

Not trying to hijack, but it reminds me of another street roaming hemi that I read about as a kid. Reportedly a factory job as I remember, with Mopar engineers hitting the streets in it late at night. I think it was a silver/grey 66/67 Coronet?

[TDW]

I saw that too. Great story! Should be very popular on the block.

Not trying to hijack, but it reminds me of another street roaming hemi that I read about as a kid. Reportedly a factory job as I remember, with Mopar engineers hitting the streets in it late at night. I think it was a silver/grey 66/67 Coronet?

That would be the "Silver Bullet", owned by Jimmy Addison. I have a signed picture of it hanging in my shop. He was a great guy to just sit and BS with.

[Tenney]

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/breaking-legendary-black-ghost-challenger-up-for-sale-by-original-family/

[Billohio]

I read just a small story on the car. It sounds pretty stock, how was it out running all the hot cars around Detroit?
Would like to hear more on why it has the miles it does and a trailer hitch !

[useless tony]

If the auction is coming up, why do the pics show it on stage at a Mecum event?

I too agree, a stock Challenger "cleaning up" in Detroit doesn't make sense unless this guy was REALLY choosey about who he lined up against.

[njsteve]

It was a preview to drum up attention for the indy event.

[olredalert]

If the auction is coming up, why do the pics show it on stage at a Mecum event?

I too agree, a stock Challenger "cleaning up" in Detroit doesn't make sense unless this guy was REALLY choosey about who he lined up against.

----Common practice to build up interest in the next auction!.....Bill S

[Keith Seymore]

That might explain why he had no interest in running me last August.

I thought two guys with their dad's old cars on Woodward would be a neat sell.

"The Black Ghost" vs "The Black Goat".

K

[olredalert]

----Keith,,,From what I have read here about your piece of history and this Hemi, you would eat that car up!....Bill S

[luzl78]

----Keith,,,From what I have read here about your piece of history and this Hemi, you would eat that car up!....Bill S

The original owner of the challenger would probably argue that. Ha

[Keith Seymore]

The original owner of the challenger would probably argue that. Ha

I guess we'll never know....

By way of background, mine has gone 12.20 in 1967 B/MP legal trim. Goes 12.40's as it sits.

I wanted to see what the big, bad scary MOPAR had but did not get a response.

K

[dykstra]

Not knowing the situation that the seller is in, I do feel kind of sad that he is selling it. It’s such a great story.

[L_e_e]

I told the story on here a couple years ago on how I met Godfrey, he was soft spoken and a very cool guy, too bad that I didn't learn his story until decades later.... A true 100% American Patriot :flag::flag:

[mssl72]

Cool story. I immediately thought of the "Silver Bullet" and wondered if the 2 ever raced.

[Big Block Bill]

That would be the "Silver Bullet", owned by Jimmy Addison. I have a signed picture of it hanging in my shop. He was a great guy to just sit and BS with.

I too have a picture of the "Silver Bullet" hanging in my stall at my business, it's not signed by Jimmy Addison but it has been hanging there next to my tool box for over 20 years. AWESOME car and story. And I am not into Mopars so much after owning a 69 Hemi / 727 Road Runner in High School back in 1974. The build quality was just awful. That's why I went to GM's but now drive a 2019 California Special Mustang with a 5.0 Coyote / 10 speed automatic with 3:55 gears I bought new in September 2018. It's like driving a video game.

Bill

[3X24SPD]

LOL, California Special...
I have a story to share with you on one of those.
Couple years ago, this girl showed up with one at the track to race on street night.
First time racer- she puts her foot down and keeps it there- didn't bother to lift until 1/2 mile after the starting line.
After she cleared the sand trap, she hit the hay bales and finally came to a stop.
So they flatbed the thing back to the pits.
Next thing you know, the thing is engulfed in flames because all the hay that got jammed up in the engine compartment ignited.
Burnt the car to the ground...

You'd be amazed how many racers don't know when to lift...

[Tenney]

Cool story. I immediately thought of the "Silver Bullet" and wondered if the 2 ever raced.

Don't know if they had "classes" on Woodward, but the Silver Bullet was maybe a little less stock?

[Keith Seymore]

Don't know if they had "classes" on Woodward, but the Silver Bullet was maybe a little less stock?

Nope. No "classes".

It was "Run what ya brung and hope ya brung enough".

They eventually morphed in to essentially Pro Stock variants driven on the street, as epitomized by the Jack Roush/Joe Ruggirello Mustang II.

K

[Keith Seymore]

I have a story to share with you on one of those.
Couple years ago, this girl showed up with one at the track to race on street night.
First time racer- she puts her foot down and keeps it there- didn't bother to lift until 1/2 mile after the starting line.
After she cleared the sand trap, she hit the hay bales and finally came to a stop.
So they flatbed the thing back to the pits.
Next thing you know, the thing is engulfed in flames because all the hay that got jammed up in the engine compartment ignited.
Burnt the car to the ground...

You'd be amazed how many racers don't know when to lift...

I really am in no place to pass judgement.

I have been racing my Chevelle for 44 years and I have never had this happen until just now:

Last August I was at the NMCA (National Muscle Car Association) race at Summit Raceway Park (Norwalk Ohio) and after making a pretty good first pass I went off the end of the track, into the sand (or gravel, actually, in this case). Nice pass - mid 9.90 or so.

I just zoned out. Normally right after I cross the finish line I get on the brakes, either moderately or fairly aggressively depending on the track. I crossed the finish line, shut the motor off and flipped it into neutral and was just coasting down when I realized I wasn’t going to get stopped in time. Rather than do anything evasive I just steered straight in and braced for impact.

In my defense – the shutdown area at Norwalk is pretty short. And – there is a hill there. So the end of the track is obscured until you clear the hill and then realize it’s right there. And it was my first pass of the weekend.

Nothing was damaged, except my ego and my confidence, but the car was a huge mess. Covered in dust everywhere. I also flat spotted the front tires and had to run into town to have a couple replacements mounted up and balanced.

It shook me up pretty good, but it took all day to get all the rocks out of the chassis and get the tires mounted, so by the time I had to make a pass the next day I was back in good form.

I’m still shaking rocks out of the frame rails, though. My enclosed car trailer catches them all. I think I am going to collect them and give them back to Bill Bader Jr.

K

[Pro Stock John]

Glad you were okay sounds like you zoned out. I used to crew for a car that runs 4.20's in the 1/8th and we used to race there.

[3X24SPD]

I really am in no place to pass judgement.

I have been racing my Chevelle for 44 years and I have never had this happen until just now:

Last August I was at the NMCA (National Muscle Car Association) race at Summit Raceway Park (Norwalk Ohio) and after making a pretty good first pass I went off the end of the track, into the sand (or gravel, actually, in this case). Nice pass - mid 9.90 or so.

I just zoned out. Normally right after I cross the finish line I get on the brakes, either moderately or fairly aggressively depending on the track. I crossed the finish line, shut the motor off and flipped it into neutral and was just coasting down when I realized I wasn’t going to get stopped in time. Rather than do anything evasive I just steered straight in and braced for impact.

In my defense – the shutdown area at Norwalk is pretty short. And – there is a hill there. So the end of the track is obscured until you clear the hill and then realize it’s right there. And it was my first pass of the weekend.

Nothing was damaged, except my ego and my confidence, but the car was a huge mess. Covered in dust everywhere. I also flat spotted the front tires and had to run into town to have a couple replacements mounted up and balanced.

It shook me up pretty good, but it took all day to get all the rocks out of the chassis and get the tires mounted, so by the time I had to make a pass the next day I was back in good form.

I’m still shaking rocks out of the frame rails, though. My enclosed car trailer catches them all. I think I am going to collect them and give them back to Bill Bader Jr.

K

Glad it turned out relatively OK for you and nothing major ensued.
In the early 70s my dad was running B-Gas with a 63 Chevy II.
Hillborn injected 426 Hemi. Straight axle.
I believe he must've been somewhere in the neighborhood of 9.0/150 MPH.
One run the chute didn't open, and there were no brakes on the 12 spokes outboard of the straight axle.
He told me it was a pretty wild ride and he nearly went into the swamp.

In my last 40 years of racing, the worst that's ever happened to me on the top end was snapping 7 out of 8 Pontiac cast rods in half going through the traps about 120MPH in my 65 GTO racing Lenny Caverly one night. Knock on wood...

[3X24SPD]

Sorry for derailing the thread. I really hope that kid does OK with the sale.
I'm sure it's not easy for him to sell his dad's car.
I'm sure you understand that better than most Keith.
My dads last car is right where he wanted it to go- keeping fast company in my shop.
On the occasions that I take it out and really let it eat- I feel he's right there with me.
I couldn't put a price on that.
When he passed, I picked up his ashes from the funeral home in the car.
It was a friday night- and afterward I headed over to work at the track.
Before we opened the gates that night, I'm very proud to say that I had the privilege of taking him and his car down the track for their last pass together.

[mssl72]

Don't know if they had "classes" on Woodward, but the Silver Bullet was maybe a little less stock?

I was thinking about the fact that guys are just out cruising looking for some action and ya don't always know who you'll come up on. Yeah, Silver Bullet isn't stock. I saw it at Woodward one year. Cool car.

[Lee Stewart]

Don't know if they had "classes" on Woodward, but the Silver Bullet was maybe a little less stock?

AFAIK the Silver Bullet had an A990 Race Hemi in it. Same motor in the Darts and Cudas doing 10 second quarter miles

[69 Post Sedan]

Here’s the Silver Bullet at MCACN…….it had a 487ci motor in it!!!

Kurt