Name that......errrrrr......funny car body!

[Juiced Drag Racing]

Front and back show Thunderbird. (circa 1984)


Only a few FCs were campaigned and mainly in the mid west.


Juiced

[M.R. Ogle]

I would also say it's a TEMPO.

[Juiced Drag Racing]

I looked at those too and I would have gone with that but the "Snout" sticks out too far.

The side of the body is a bit closer to a Tempo.

Tempbird?

[M.R. Ogle]

It definitely has more snout than the Tempo did... I think this is a conglomerate, too... here's a pic of a Thunderbird:

[Juiced Drag Racing]

That I think is a later Thunderbird, 1987 on.

Here is an 84...

Nose of the bird, headlights of the Tempo?? A weird mix...



Juiced

[Juiced Drag Racing]

It is close. It looks like the the top of the hood line does not match with the door window line.


A strange combo indeed.

[PaulSongas]

Looks like a Tempo body, with a T-Bird nose. That picture of the all black car is Ron Correnti in 1985.

It's cool whatever it is.

[M.R. Ogle]

Good thing they got the photo quick... didn't he burn a couple of those T-Birds to the ground?

[Juiced Drag Racing]

Yes, T-boned another as well.

From 80s funny cars:

After years of racing under-funded Top Fuelers and AA/Funny Cars, Ron Correnti got his chance at a major nitro ride. Bill Dunlap was one of racing’s most free spirited owners, but he did not race junk. Dunlap began racing the ‘Capt. Crazy” AA/FC in 1984 after a very successful TA/FC career. Drivers like Gary Southern and Paul Smith drove the machine first, but in mid-85, Bill hired Midwest racer Ron Correnti to shoe the car.

In late 85, Dunlap built the first Thunderbird funny car, but good luck was not in the works for the Capt Crazy T-Birds. Correnti had a major fire at Edgewater, Ohio, in late ’85, destroying the first Thunderbird. A new Thunderbird was built but it, too, was destroyed. At the 1986 Winternationals, the new Correnti was T-boned by Dave Uyehara in the ”Insanity” Charger. Ron ran a best of 5.77 at 253.59 in the Thunderbird. Dunlap returned that year with new driver Gary Phillips in a Chevy Cavalier sponsored by FCF Banking.

[PaulSongas]

Mike, yeah he wrecked a couple of them.


T-Boned is not a real good description of that crash. Correnti put a train legenth on Uyehera, and went through the lights just fine and hit the chutes.. Meanwhile, Uyehera came across the cones at the top end going full bore, never lifted 'till just before he hit Ron. Rear ended Ron pretty hard and wrecked both cars.

Dunlap returned that year with new driver Gary Phillips in a Chevy Cavalier sponsored by FCF Banking.

LOL They ran that car for about 5 races, then lifted the blower and kicked the rods out at the Spring Nationals.. It was hurt, and he drove it way past the last MPH light and all hell broke loose.
Chutes burnt off and he went through the sand about 100 mph and ended up in the farmers yard past the end of the track.

[PaulSongas]

Good name!!!


I Found a Vid of Gary Phillips crash-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvxgZVMtqro

[Mike Casey]

I just got back from jeffs place. I dropped off some molds i just got in the pacesetter deal. One of them was a variation of this body. Jeff said he originally made it. It was supposed to be a "baretta" I guess. Bill Cain from "toys for big boys" asked jeff to make it and they were only supplied to him.

[PaulSongas]

Couple Beretta FC's

Johnny West and Jim Murphy