not a working video, despite the arrow in center
I'm not sure, but this might be the car as first built by Sox & Martin.
Posted on 01/03/2021 5:34:04 PM PST by ETL
PowerNation
This week on PowerNation we have four more new episodes of car and truck tech for you from our shops. Plus Courtney features “Tennessee Thunder”, a restored Sox & Martin 1971 Dodge Demon drag car.
Back in 1971 team owner Freeman Crowder bought the Pro Stock race car from Ronnie Sox for a turnkey price of $14,000 and hired John Livingston to race it, with much success. John actually beat Sox in his own car in a race in Lakeland, FL.
Freeman later that year sold the car. His grandson Lee Crowder always wanted to find the car since he was 7 years old and teamed up with Larry Ferrell of Ferrell’s Autoworks to make it happen.
Larry found the car in Florida where it had been sitting under a carport for 17 years and the team began the 2 year restoration. Amazingly, Lee still had a crated Hemi 426 engine from 1971 and they stroked it out to 472 with Indy Cylinder heads and a Weiend Tunnel Ram intake making 712 horsepower.
It’s painted just like it was raced in ’71 with DuPont “Wimbledon White” with Atlas Green and Blue stripes. The car has it’s original Sox & Martin brakes which are no longer made as well as the original four speed Slick Transmission with Dana 60 rear end.
Lee plans to take this restored piece of rolling automotive history around the country at car shows and you can see it at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway May 15-17. Lee and John will be there too is you’d like to meet them. It’s a great story you can see on PowerNation this week!
not a working video, despite the arrow in center
I'm not sure, but this might be the car as first built by Sox & Martin.
I remember a summer vacation when I was about 11-12 in the early 70’s in Lancaster, PA.
We stayed at the local Quality Court Motor Inn. In comes an Dodge angle bed car carrier with a Sox and Martin drag car on it. I think it was a ‘Cuda. I still have the pictures dad snapped of me standing next to it. He had to practically pry me away from it afterward. LOL
Have to dig out those pictures now.
damn... loong time a ago
Sox and Martin epitomizes the saying “If you can’t beat them join them”.
Which is what exactly happened.
The Hemi ‘Cuda they drove is and has always been my lifelong dream car.
They were at one time the top in drag racing...
I still remember seeing their car at the New York Auto Show.
Along with other famous “Funny Cars”
Thanks for the posts 👍👍
BTW- Although I'm again living in Manhattan, I have a brother who lives in York PA, home of at least one major national annual hot rod show. I'm planning on moving to nearby Carlisle PA in a year or so to be near him and other members of the family. Carlisle, as I'm sure you know, is one of the biggest car show towns in the country. Hadn't even known that until sometime after already choosing it as the place I want to move to.
Cool, a Hemi in a Demon. Must have had to stiffened it up a lot.
As I mentioned in my last post, I grew up and still live in New York City. That annual show you are referring to was tremendous! Unfortunately, like most everything else that is or was good here, it went the way of the pyramids. It was held at the then 59th Street Coliseum and was called the Rod & Custom car show. We still, I think, have the annual International Car Show. Never was much into that one, as it's basically like going to a large new car dealership with a handful of famous and/or customized cars sprinkled in.
Same here, although I'm still a baby of 63. Lol!
Anyway, we should get down on our knees and thank our lucky stars that we got to grow up in some an incredible time, as opposed to this increasingly pathetic present day culture. I feel so bad for the kids today.
I love seeing & reading about these S/S - SS/S - FX cars and 60’s stockers in general. I recently googled and found an old S/S Galaxie lightweight from Dockery Ford in Morristown,N.J.and that the car has been found and is undergoing restoration. It was supposed to return to Island Dragway in N.J. at the end of last season but I don’t know if that happened. I appreciate you posting this article and if you find others please post them.
Lol!
Yes, the Demon was of course Dodge’s version of the Plymouth Duster, both being Mopars.
You ain’t alone buddy. Where did the time go? 😂🙌😯
I love stories like this. I become strongly attached to my vehicles, so this warms my heart a teence.
I wish I could have inherited my father’said ‘78 Trans Am the way I was supposed to. Unfortunately, the money was sorely needed, but at least we know the people it was sold to. I might be able to buy it back someday.
“I feel so bad for the kids today.”
You’d be surprised at how many kids love the classics.
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