Bought my dad's old '67 Buick Funny Car "Ingenue"...

Hey...keep posting away Guy,don't stop now if you got more!:gp:
Funny thing is,I talked to Brian Beattie yesterday and he only has that great head-on shot of it lifting the wheels @ Raceway Park,I've never seen this shot but if you have more,by all means post 'em up.

Cool shot of Pellegrini's '68,look at how narrow that rearend was!
No wonder it didn't handle.Love that picture though...them there were racecars!

POST AWAY...:gp: :gp: :gp:

 

That 4X shot looks like YORK US30 in PA.

 

John, You seem to have a growing fan club here at V8Buick! Glad to see the car ended up where it really belongs. Personally, I can't wait to see it when you get it finished, but until then, why don't you use this thread to keep us up to date on all the restoration/rebuild details. Maybe even finance part of it with a multi-segment magazine story showing all the components that went into a funny car of that era.
One question remains though....when you are done, are you gonna don the suit and put the hammer down to see how quick it runs? Cacklefest is cool, but popping the chute at the top end would be even better!
Best of luck with the new project! Later, Randy

 

Hey thanks Randy for the kind words..
I can tell you this much,the car needs to be taken out and shown based on all the interest I've received in such a short period...I'm just floored.And yes,I'd love to see the car go downtrack again...not sure if that'd be with me in it or not.

So far I've been contacted by two Buick event directors expressing interest in having the car at their show next year regardless of it's current condition.Since I haven't even seen the car yet,I am undetermined about plans for next year but I will say my personal goal is to have it at the CA Reunion in Bakersfield in '11.

Now whether that happens or not is another thing but that's the goal...:TU:

I would not be against selling one of these to help finance that...plus I'm out of space at home.

 

That is an excellent idea Randy and I will do just that,I'll just continue to update this thread after I receive the car and you can bet there'll be pictures-o-plenty!
One thing I've never been shy on the net is with posting pictures,lol.:kodak:

Thanks again for the idea...:gp:

 

More PLEASE ... that shot gave me a chubby

Does anyone know if that body still exists ?

 

Love that picture myself...just screams racecar and those huge slicks,narrowed rear and dark shade make it look like one big roller,lol!

If you read Ron Pellegrini's bio on www.standard1320.com it says the Romeo Palamides strange split chassis was ill-handling and was crashed skiding through the lights at Rockford Raceway on the roof @ 172mph.
Might still exist though...

 

John,
We are Buick guys here and just love the fact that this part of our racing history will be preserved!
As for your 70 RS/Z/28, it looks so much like the guys at the end of my street it's creepy....he's kind of a jerk though!
I love the Father/Son aspect of all of this too, in my garage is a 1985 Buick Regal T-Type WH1 designer package car that my Dad ordered new...it was his company car (Morton-Thiokol) at the time...it got nick named the company race car, took me 19 years to get the car.
I do all my own work and am a pretty good painter, if you guys were closer I'd paint that thing for nothing!

 

Hey thanks Kurt for the kind comments,I appreciate it very much...:3gears:

 

Getting closer to bringing her home guys,just faxed over my shipping request,gonna run me $1598 to get Ingenue to Nor Cal,I'm hoping to receive it and put her away before I leave for vacation on 11/23.

Will post up more info as I learn it...:TU:

 

Latest word is...

...looks like a Don Garlits Swamp Rat fueler will be making the trip out west together with the funny car,both are in the Gilmore museum about 50' apart now and the fueler is on loan from the NHRA museum in Pomona where it's going back to.

I'd imagine these two old racecars will have plenty to talk about on the way out here,lol...:grin:

 

Not much new to report today guys,still awaiting the transporter to pick up the car.Hopefully more information this week as to when Ingenue will arrive on the west coast.

 

John -- If you do not feel it inappropriate, tell us how your family ended up moving from Brooklyn to Cal, what else your dad did in his automotive career, whether Coney Island Ralph and the others associated with this car are still living etc.

 

My dad was stationed nearby here in Fort Ord in the early 1950's so my mom & dad knew it well.

Fast forward to the late 1960's when dad would tour with the AA/GD,they would attend Indy and Pomona and after attending the Winternats in 1969 and arriving back to a bunch of black snow,I guess they decided they had enough and we made the trip out west in 1970,dad,mom,my sister,myself and a basset hound named Longfellow...in an 11' camper my dad pulled it with a 1969 GMC pickup equipped with...yeah,you guessed it...a 455 Wildcat motor & TH-400 trans.
Dad even had the starwars aircleaner on that motor,wonder whatever happened to that piece?o No:

He worked at Steitz Buick here in Salinas when we moved out and eventually opened Peninsula Speed & Machine around 1973.
He still has his machine shop here and @ 78,is very creative.

I know Rapid Red Lang is still alive and I believe Coney Island Ralph Landolphi is as well,he was the one who came up with all the pictures I currently have.

I am still putting all the pieces of the puzzle together but I hope in time to know alot more than I do now.

 

I looked through every single picture loaded in my computer and really thought I had more, but so far can't find anymore.o No:

If I find more, I'll put them up here...

 

Bummer...super cool picture!

Edit: Talking to Coney Island Ralph Landolphi now on the phone...!

 

Here's one.

 

That car is so cool...:beers2:

 

Here are some pics. They may be the same as some already posted.

http://www.standard1320.com/Pellegrini/Pellegrini web.html


Referring to the "Superbird" car:

Ron states... "The 1967 Buick chassis was built by Logghe stamping and the interior by Al Bergler. An interesting side bar story is- if you look at the rear quarter panel you will see the name Don Schumacher co-driver. When we first started Fiber Glass Ltd. I was looking for any sheet metal to build molds. This young kid comes into the shop with fenders, hood and doors from a new 442 Olds that he wants to race. We got very busy and I had no time to make the molds for the Oldsmobile parts and I delayed him with unkept promises. Finally I talked him into getting a complete car built by R & B Automotive. It was, of course, Don Schumacher. Don rented a part of my shop for his race car operation. I had become friends with his dad, Al Schumacher, and more or less kept an eye on Don for him. Don was fearless and had some close encounters of the wrong kind. He wanted to go from injectors to a supercharger and I was concerned for his well-being. I hoped that by offering him a ride in my car he would gain more experience with the injected car. There was no holding back this kid and he turned out to be an NHRA Champion and father of Tony Schumacher todays NHRA World Champion."









Referring to the" Beware" Car:

Another story from Ron... "The 1968 Buick chassis was built by Romeo Palamides. Romeo was now a tenant of mine at Fiberglass Ltd.and I wanted to try a narrow chassis high gear only funny car. Romeo came up with the idea not a have the upper and lower frame rail welded to each other. He came up with uprights that had a saddle welded on one end and this rested on the lower frame rail. The idea was to transfer weight.This car always had a funny feeling in the steering and after taking it out 4 or 5 times I was not able to keep it straight. I had made up my mind (not to smart) that I would take the car to Rockford Dragway (100 feet wide) and that I would get I down the track or take it home in pieces. What was happening under acceleration the frame rails were not only lifting, but also twisting ( I think ) and this caused the car to have no steering. Luckily for me the car did a slow barrel roll on its side first and then its roof and skidded through the lights at 172MPH. The car was bent but never bit in the pavement or went off the track. I decided that I had to be either a businessman or race car driver and retired from driving that day."

 

Latest word is...

Transporter to pick up the car next week and I should have it in my possession the following week...just in time for me to put her to bed before I leave on vacation.

Stay tuned for pictures guys...:TU: