Roger Dolan '74 Chevelle

[Tom Birky]

Starting another project. The 1976 season Roger Dolan Chevelle. The car was built by Al Frieden's Star Engineering. There were 3 nearly identical cars built. Roger raced 2 of them. One raced exclusively at Oscaloosa, Iowa. The other one raced at Hawkeye Downs and other tracks around the Midwest. Board member Bob Dixon told me where the car was sitting a couple of years back and a friend and I went up and looked at it. Took a bunch of pix. It's pretty beat up and weathered, but amazingly complete. It still retains the original gauges, belts and steering wheel as well as fiberglass doors, hood and trunk lid. Even the signature aluminum quarter window fillers and window fairing are still on it.  I spoke to a gentleman that worked on the car when it was new and he verified it as the same car. It ran a 454 ci engine that was originally built for a drag car. I believe he told me they ended up changing the cam and the car really took off! They tore up a couple of sets of gears in the quick change rear end because of the torque and weight of the car. It was swapped out for a Ford 9" grand national rear and that was the ticket. The car won the first feature event on the newly revamped Hawkeye Downs half mile. The formerly high banked track was graded down to a 2 or 3 degree bank if I recall. Roger would put the Chevelle right up by the wall and rim ride around the track. It really took it to the Camaros and Novas!  The crewman told me that car turned the first 19 second lap at Eldora in qualifying. Anyway, the car was a real good looking machine in the day and a piece of Eastern Iowa racing history.

I seem to be better at starting projects than finishing, so here goes with another one! Finding time to build is always a challenge so I decided I'd try a different approach on this one. It's going to be pretty simplified under the sheet metal in order to speed up build time. I'm starting with an AMT Bobby Allison Monte Carlo for the chassis and the MPC Lennie Pond Chevelle for the body. I took out about 3/16" around the firewall area to matchup the wheelbase. Next I cut the rear interior off. This is going to allow me to position the dashboard right where I want it by sliding the interior back just a bit. The tires will be the MPC Super Stocker tires just because I think they look right with a set of slotted gasser wheels from the AMT gasser wheel tire pack. Wish me luck!   Thanks for looking. tb

[Dirtman]

Very interesting story and car. Awesome beginning!

Rett

[BobD]

Hey Tom - I didn't realize there were 3 identical cars built. I assumed these photos were all the same car (or maybe they were) at different stages of "life".  I know your build will be 'spot-on', but I have one question: Will you ever build a non-Chevy race car? LOL

51 (55) by RD Dix, on Flickr
11407005_667182893414690_6912640129188490937_n by RD Dix, on Flickr

51 by RD Dix, on Flickr

[Tom Birky]

Bob, I believe those three are all the same car. They all share the blue chassis like the beauty I posed with. RJ Murphy, who crewed on the car since new confirmed that's the one we knew from Hawkeye Downs. There was one that raced at Oskaloosa and one he wasn't sure where it went, but this could be it? This is Roger at Eldon. I don't even know where that's at. Anyway, very close to the 51, some minor bumper changes and the 51 has fiberglass doors where the 44 has steel doors.  As for anything but a Chevy stockcar? It will have to be very special if I do! I was indoctrinated at a young age!

[Bob P.]

This looks like a very interesting replica build Tom. Thanks for the history and background on the car. I think the history and research is a fun part of replica builds. Keep us informed on your progress.

Bob

[Brian Conn]

  I don't know what has captured my attention more...the build in progress or the back story to the build.  I am really enjoying seeing those mid 70's Iowa Late Models that are being used as reference material.

From the outside, it's clear that the wheelbase on the #44 car is considerably shorter than the #51 Chevelle we were all used to seeing.

  Noticed that too....Take a look under the car and behind the rear tire...looks like a leaf spring to me...that Chevelle would have had coil springs instead which leads me to believe either:
1) It has a Nova front frame section and the rest of the frame is a leaf spring late model style piece.
                                                             OR
2) Used the front 2/3rds frame from the Chevelle and used a late model style rear frame section with leaf springs.
   Either way , the wheel base could have been shortened from its stock length for a Chevelle.

  Another possibility is something we done on the '72-'76 Torinos to reduce front end weight which gave the body a shorter appearance but retained the stock wheelbase.  The front clip (bumper,grill,hood and fenders) would be moved back...the back side of both the hood and fenders would get the now extra length of sheet metal trimmed away in a stock appearance fashion.  The bumper would be attached to the end of the frame horns and there would be very little of a gap between the back of the grill and the front of the radiator cowl...as I recall, doing this moved everything on the front clip back 8 or 9 inches which reduced weight and help with the front to rear weight %.