RE: [Chrysler300] Re: AMAs, 355HP, Manual C300, et.al.

["Dan Elliott" <us@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Unfortunately, much of our discussion on this issue is subjective, including
the
comments in the post to which I am responding.  Over several years now,
I've spoken at length to Kiekhaefer pit crew
fellows, as I suspect you have too, Wayne.  In the absence of hard evidence,
i.e. Kiekhaefer
documentation or NASCAR, the comments of these people are the best we have.
I've seem
some of Karl P's documentation, and I can't conclude that any 1955 cars were
rebodied into
1956 models.  They may have been, but it is really not that important.
During the course of the two
seasons, the cars were so extensively modified both mechanically every week
and in the constant body panel
replacement and repainting, that to conclude that any particular car at
season's end was serial number xxx
just as it started the season would be incorrect.  I believe that Fonty and
his brother Tim, both raced manual
transmission cars at the same races during the 1955 season, as well as
others.  During 1955, the rules didn't
require a manual trans factory option, as they did in 1956. There are other
anomolies as well.  Some NASCAR
programs in 1955 (see the mid season program for the 100 Mile race at
Charlotte) list Tim Flock as the owner of
Chrysler 300 #300 and Fonty as the owner of Chrysler 300 #301. I believe
that is part of the genesis of the arguement
that the one remaining Kiekhaefer race car currently owned by the Henry Ford
museum was actually Tim's car from
1955.  When Tim was alive, it is said that he held that opinion.  Hence the
rumor over rebodying of the 1955 cars.
By the way, Fonty was first in that race and Tim was second; Fonty's car
definately would  have been slower if he
had a powerflite.

One pit crew member told me that they stopped at
a Chrylser dealership on the way to a race because they didn't have what
they considered to be the proper
gear ratio.  A brand new car at the dealership had the correct ratio; the
team purchased the third member from of the car
and installed it in the race car.  They did whatever they had to do to win,
just as every other team did, especially
the Ford and Chevy backed teams.  Carl and team were constantly
experimenting with every sort of combination
of Chrysler, Dodge, Ford and Chevy application in 1955 and especially 1956.
He ran engines on his dyno at full
throttle just to see how much time it would take to make them blow up.  He
ordered from Chrysler a 300B converted
to a convertible to see if it would be useful on the convertible circuit
newly created in 1956 (it was not, in his opinion,
and he sent it back to Chrysler).

Anyhow, won't it be great if we ever get the real documentation?  A couple
of years
ago, Kiekhaefer pit crew members were working with some documentation in the
context of opening a museum, but
that effort was shelved due to some "corporate difficulties" that manifested
themselves in the various transfers of
corporate ownership of Mercury Marine over the years.  The building became
unavailable, even though Carl had
seen the need for a museum before he died.

I can't speak to the 1957 cars, I'll take your word for it.  A three speed
torque flite was available in 1956 too, but
I've never seen any evidence that Carl used them in the 300B.   However,
this is an open question as far as I am
concerned, because about 30 300B's were produced with torque flites.
Perhaps Gil has a good feel for where the
torque flite cars went; I'm sure Carl must have at least tested this
transmission for use in 1956 NASCAR.

Dan


  -----Original Message-----
  From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Wayne Graefen
  Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 10:30 AM
  To: Intl 300
  Subject: [Chrysler300] Re: AMAs, 355HP, Manual C300, et.al.


  In any discussion of what the Kiekhaefer /Mercury Outboards race team did
with our beloved Chrysler 300s, let us always keep in mind that the dominant
abilities of the '55-56 300 Letter Cars was NEVER tarnished by anything
found illegal on any of his cars at any NASCAR or AAA race venue, nor was
any fine ever imposed for any illegality on any of his far more numerous
race boats. Carl had a reputation for total honesty with his racers and that
is something we as keepers of the Letter Cars can be very proud of. Now, the
rule book of the day was truly extremely brief and there was a great deal of
gray area that was addressed continually resulting in the encyclopedia of
rules for racing today. No racer won who didn't work extensively in the gray
but it was all legal and it was intended to promote development through
experimentation.

  I'd also like to comment on the postulating about stick shift cars. There
was only ever one C300 stick car built at the factory and it was because
Kiekhaefer's driver demanded it. None of the other C300s raced as stick
shift cars. Now some of the '55 chassis were rebodied as '56 cars and we
know there were both manual shift 340HP and 355HP 300Bs built so some '55
chassis may have raced in '56 after conversion to stick.
  But what was Carl's preference? He liked the automatics. In '57 when he
ordered three 300C hardtops with thoughts of going NASCAR road racing (a
series that was cancelled early summer of '57) the three cars were all
automatics and this despite the fact there was the 390HP manual trans
package available from the factory.
  The first car ordered was just experimental and was rather quickly sold.
The next two were special orders of hardtops with convertible frames with
Imperial hubs and drums with the 390HP engine and TORQUEFLITES. These are
called Road America competition models in his correspondence with the
factory indicating he at least intended to compete at the race scheduled for
the Elkhart Lake Road America course near his corporate plants.
  I own the Charcoal Gray 300C Road America.

  Wayne G

  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



  


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