But it was the cars that were the stars. There were 1968 Super Stockers lining Main Street from end to end. An amazing collection of Sox & Martin cars—three ‘68s, one ’67, a ‘70, ’71 and ’73, and a Colt—all real. What was really neat, was the reunion of some of the racers and their old cars, cars they didn’t know ahead of time would be there. Dick Towers’ Dart definitely brought back memories for its original owner, Jack Thomas. Jim Wick saw his Barracuda for the first time since he sold it in 1971. He rolled up next to the car and wouldn’t move.
Two Hemi Darts with consecutive VINs. Both cars are out of Canada. The white one belongs to Dave McDade, from Canada, the other, Jack Thomas’ old car, now belongs to Dick Towers. Both owners drive their Hemi Darts on the street.
‘Course, these cars have been elevated from mere “race car,” to “highly collectible.” While some owners are in it just for the investment potential, they are in the minority. Most in this specialized niche of the hobby are real car guys—either racers, or racing enthusiasts. To them, they are the keepers (and preservers) of a special piece of automotive history.
So what’s a ’68 Super Stocker worth today? Condition is the most important factor in the equation. If the car is junk, it’s junk—no matter who drove it. So figure what the price ofscrap iron is as a starting point. The second factor is history. Who drove the car and what did it do? At the top of the list are Ronnie Sox and Dick Landy. Everyone else (in terms of a car’s collector value) is an also-ran. Super Stocks recently have changed hands in the $400,000 range, and we know one collector who refused a firm offer of 850 grand. Fred Engelhart sold this particular car to the collector back in 2000 for $62,000. And, other than waxing it and taking it to a few shows, the guy has done nothing. He just thinks his ‘stocker is a neat car to own. Hey man, they’re all neat!
This is an old Wayne County Speed Shop car which they ran in Super Stock, and then in Modified Production. This Hemi Dart has lots of tricks. If you look real close, you can see that the nose is drooped down, and the wheelbase is slightly altered. There’s lots of hidden weight in this ride, including some in a little compartment above the gas tank. Eddie Wheeldon has owned and raced this car from 1978 to the mid ‘80s, in both stick and auto configurations. Then, Fast Eddie broke the engine, and parked it. Eddie put the engine back together the night before Engelhart’s event, from parts he had “laying around.” The car’s previous owners include, Joe Holmes, Bud Gross and Ken Lupi.
