THE CHASE

Strange twists of fate befall a limited-edition Mr. Norm’s 2013 Plum Crazy Challenger.

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“Oh, where, oh, where has my Challenger gone, oh, where, oh, where can it be?…” EET THE CHMIELEWSKI’S—Zac and Marilla. Married as teen-

Magers, they quickly adopted Mopars into their family. First was an ’05 Hemi Magnum R/T. A year later they bought their first house, which put a financial squeeze on their car payments, so the Magnum was replaced with a well-used 300C which unfortunately was less than reliable. In 2010, back when Zac was still in high school, he saw a purple Challenger with white stripes on a car lot. It became his dream car. So, in 2013, when Dodge brought back the Plum Crazy Challenger, Zac sold the 300C to come up with a down payment on his Challenger R/T Classic dream at a local mom & pop Dodge dealer.

Challenger sports Mopar Performance T/A hood and SRT front lower valance conversion. Zac and Marilla Chmielewski now keep their limited edition Mr. Norm’s Challenger on a leash.

Suspension features Hotchkis lowering springs, front and rear swaybars, Bilstein B6 shocks and Spohn Performance trailing arms. Norm’s Stunner rollers are upgraded to CCW SP550 one-piece monoblock forged wheels 20x9˝ up front andf 20x11˝ out back.

Zac and Marilla were living the dream when they drove their Challenger to a Monster Mopar Weekend show in Indianapolis. On display was a Mr. Norm’s Challenger that Zac thought was just the coolest thing. Coming from a GM/Shivvy family background where the buzz was about Chevelles, Camaros, and Corvettes, Zac didn’t know Norm from the man in the moon (to coin a cliché.) He contacted Larry Weiner, who was handling the Norm projects, to see what it would take to put the Norm’s spin on his ride. Larry came up with the numbers which was a bit (quite a bit) more than Zac (20 years old and coin-challenged) could swing. Larry said he’d talk to Norm to see what he could do.

Norm, who never passes up a deal (he once took a wristwatch as a down payment on a car back in his Grand Spaulding Dodge days), came up with a hot rod layaway plan. Norm was going to make only 7 of his 50th Anniversary Challengers in Plum Crazy and would reserve the Number 4 slot for Zac if he could pay it all off within 6 months. Norm’s cars were built by shops in Florida, California, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Zac didn’t have the dough to ship his car anywhere. Larry was able to contact 2 shops in Zac’s area to handle the interior and striping and the Dodge dealer where Zac originally bought the Challenger to install some of the suspension hardware.

From there, Zac upped the ante and bolted in a Petty’s Garage Strut tower brace, big Brembo binders, and various other suspension upgrades he did himself for autocross and road track action where handling and braking are more important than horsepower. “It’s more of a just for fun thing for me,” says Zac, “rather than going all-out competition.”

Zac also went with a Mopar T/A hood to add some race persona to the Dodge. He worked with Larry to come up with a custom stripe as the Norm’s 50th Anniversary cars never came

Rear is spiffed with an SRT Hellcat spoiler, while exhaust gets the Blastin’ Bob’s resonator delete.

Norm throws in a Katzkin premium leather interior with embroidered logo seatbacks.

with that hood. He swapped the lower valence to the SRT piece which has ducts for better brake cooling. Some duct tweaking was needed to clear the power steering pump which differs between the R/T and SRT. “The stock shifter was lousy,” notes Zac. A Barton short-throw stick solved that problem.

So, life was good, and Zac and Marilla lived happily ever after. Not!

In 2015, disaster struck as a raging fire that burned up half their house. The Challenger, parked in a detached garage, was spared. The contractor they hired for repairs was a scammer. “He said that we owed him a bunch of money for work he didn’t do and it turned into a whole legal nightmare. My house was half repaired, and I had to pay someone else to finish the job just so I could live in it, and the insurance was not being helpful,” says Zac.

Barton short-throw shifter instructs the Quicktime steel bellhousing-equipped Tremec 6-speed manual trans.

To make matters worse, Zac’s family tool and die business, Zac’s source of income, was closing their doors. The financial burden was overwhelming and Zac couldn’t make the payments he still owed on the Challenger, so he had to let it go after owning it a little over 2 years. Zac didn’t want tire kickers and rowdy test drivers coming by to see the car, so he contacted a local dealer who specialized in high-end exotics—Ferraris, Lambos, those sort of cars. That dealer didn’t really know what to do with a Dodge, so he hooked Zac up with another dealer who flipped cars a couple of notches lower on the snob scale— Corvettes, Porsches, those ilk of cars. This dealer had a collection of his own and said he’d keep the Challenger for a while and then maybe sell it.

Zac was beside himself having to part with his dream machine and was determined to keep tabs on it the way some people can’t let an ex-heartthrob go and keep track of their new life on social media. Yeah, an automotive stalker...

The wholesaler kept the Dodge for a year and then parked it for sale on a lot. Zac and Marilla would drive down regularly to visit their wayward dream car. Musta been gut wrenching for the couple who had no way of buying it back what with house repair bills and Zac starting a new career as a truck driver.

When the Challenger didn’t sell, the dealer took it to auction where it was picked up by a Ford dealer. The car floated around for a few months and was listed on eBay, eventually ending up at Penske Chevrolet in Indianapolis. In late 2016, Zac took a day off from work and the C’s drove 3 hours down to Penske just to see the Dodge and take some pictures of it. Zac had been in contact with every dealership the car had been in to stay on its tail. The trail went cold when Penske sold the Dodge and Zac, at a dead end, gave up the chase.

Some time went by, and Zac was selling some car parts on Facebook Marketplace. An interested buyer’s Facebook page said that he worked at Penske Chevrolet. Zac asked him if he knew about the Challenger. “Sure do,” came the reply. “I’m the

The Mr. Norm’s package includes a plethora of goodies including graphics, plaques and emblems, quarter panel scoops, lowered suspension and more.

5.7 Hemi shows added AEM fender pull cold air intake, DiabloSport Trinity Tuner, Billet Technology PCV catch can and their engine dress-up kit.

person who told the manager to buy it at auction.” Zac asks if he knew what happened to the car. “I sold it to a guy a couple of months ago.”

Zac’s heart rate was nearing the rev limiter. Zac asked if the parts buyer could reach out to the new owner. “I could tell him about the car’s history or whatever, I’d love to talk to him. I’ve kept all the important documentation and stuff for the car, ’cuz I was just afraid that if I gave it to someone who didn’t care, they’d just throw it out. When I got the car new, I told the dealer not even to wash it. I’ve kept every sticker, every wrapper. I’d love to reach out to this guy and, maybe pass this stuff onto him.”

The Penske guy made the connection with Verne, the car’s new owner, who was located about 2 hours from Zac. The two started talking and became friends with Verne promising Zac first shot at buying back the car should he ever sell it— an unlikely prospect as the Challenger was now his dream car and he enjoyed driving and showing it. Verne was in his 60s and was a truck driver, same as Zac. The two would talk cars to each other on the road but that was kind of a pretense as Zac’s real intent was, “if you ever want to sell it, let me know.”

In 2018, life was back to normal for Zac and Marilla, Zac was in better financial shape and finally accepted the fact that Verne would never sell his beloved Challenger, so the C’s went out and bought a new Challenger R/T in GoMango. It was fun and they enjoyed it, but it just didn’t have the same magic of the first car. In late August of that year, Zac was getting out of work and missed a call from Verne. Zac called back and got some bittersweet news. “I’m thinking of selling the Norm’s car. Just got back from the doc, says I have Stage 4 cancer and he gave me 4 weeks. I’d love for you to buy the car back because I know how much it means to you.”

Verne had kept the Challenger immaculate. ’Course Zac wanted it back, but he was now stuck with a brand-new Challenger, and he couldn’t afford both. Fortunately, Zac’s parents were looking for a new car and the GoMango Challenger fit the bill. Also fitting—back in Zac and Marilla’s garage—was the one-of-7 Mr. Norm’s 50th Anniversary Plum Crazy Challenger (just remember to keep that fire extinguisher handy, Zac!).

The Finishing Touch

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HOT HOT WINGS WINGS INDEED INDEED

Mecum’s record $1.3 Million Dodge Daytona and Superbirds Mecum’s record $1.3 Million Dodge Daytona and Superbirds elsewhere highlight increased interest in collector cars in 2022 elsewhere highlight increased interest in collector cars in 2022

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IM WELLBORN was up in the Motor Trend channel’s

Tbroadcasting booth with commentators John Kraman and Scott Hoke on May 23rd as lot F111 rolled forward. Back in early 2015, Wellborn had presented the world with its first-ever opportunity to publicly purchase the Hemipowered Charger Daytona he owned. At Mecum Kissimmee that day, the car had sold via an agent to actor David Spade for a huge $990,000. Today, at Dana Mecum’s 2022 Indy Classic, the next opportunity to buy a comparable example of this model was being offered. This particular car is an example that Wellborn notably refers to as an “elite musclecar,” meaning not just rare but with the correct optioning, condition, and provenance to set a record price. Within the first 30 seconds, Wellborn’s record price was eclipsed as the green aero warrior almost instantly hit $1M, then $1.1 and finally settled at $1.32 with buyers premium to hammer “SOLD!” It only took about 2 minutes to change hands.

Wellborn, among the most savvy of buyers when it come to investor-grade muscle, was philosophical about losing his former notoriety as a seller, saying he knew this day would come. The car being offered itself has been well-heralded as being likely to set a record prior to the event. Painted in rich F8 Dark Green Metallic with a black wing, the car retained the original line-installed Hemi driveline, A34 Super Track

X From Ray Evernham came the prototype Charger Daytona that set the 200 MPH World Record with Buddy Baker in 1970. The restoration brought $550,000, which seem to be in line with what better stock-type racecars bring. Two restored Indy cars here topped the $1M mark, however, W This amazing Dodge Daytona, 1-of-1 in F8 with matched green interior and its factory Hemi intact, took home a large $1.32M to go to a new owner during Mecum’s 2022 Indy auction.

S This Paxton supercharged Mr. Norm’s Demon 340 from 1972, rarely seen in any condition, may have been the nicest in existence, and a record-setting final price of $165,000 reflected that.

This 16-mile Demon with literally no dealer prep and everything including the unopened crate intact, jumped to $220,000 to show what “investment preservation” can result in.

One surprise buy may have been this 1967 Dodge Coronet Hemi convertible, very low in production at 3 units (and the only automatic ever built) that sold for just $82,500, a price that reflected its likely need for a serious 21st century restoration that could well cost as much again.

A late consignment 1971 ‘Cuda convertible, one of 33 383-powered built with a 4-speed, featured EL5 Bahama Yellow paint and some day two OEM upgrades. It was a stunner price-wise as well, rising to an amazing $214,000 when it sold late on Saturday.

More visible than the Dodge at 17 units built but still a factory Hemi droptop was this 1967 GTX in red, selling at $112,750.

Pak with 4-speed and 4.10 Dana, and 1-of-1 provenance on its documented, matching C6G green interior. The original engine likely made a difference in desirability, but regardless, with just 22 4-speed Hemi Charger Daytonas of any sort released in 1969, the term “elite” applies.

At this price, the car made Mopar history as well as headlines nationally, with the record being broadcast on a number of news programs that night. The Daytona has often been noted the rarer of Chrysler’s two best-known aero-specials, having had just 503 total units built. Rules changes by the organization FIA/ACCUS resulted in Plymouth being required to create over 1900 SuperBirds later in 1969 as 1970 models. Nonetheless, two of these Plymouths also topped the million-dollar barrier at two Barrett-Jackson’s events earlier this year, both of them being automatics and reportedly both to one determined buyer.

Truth be told, while it has been some time since a real ‘71 Hemicuda convertible has changed hands publicly, those Hemi E-body Plymouth droptops remain the true bellwether priceleaders for all Hemi-powered production cars. Even $4.8M was not enough to buy a unique one last summer. While many B-body convertible models are very limited in factory production, the wing cars have a mystique. There was nothing like them ever offered as street cars before or since. Their desirability among the collector car set is well-established, and the high-stakes drama that played out in NASCAR (on track and via rules changes) aids that heritage. For an owner to be able to state, “yes, it is a factory Hemi car” helps this notoriety, and adding value in any instance is the as-delivered driveline being intact, especially a car like this most recent Daytona. Furthermore, the Charger’s R/T level premium options as well as this car’s 4.10 final gear, never available on the SuperBird, made this car very special.

The records did not end with this car, as immediately after it drove away, a documented Mr. Norm’s 1972 GSS Demon from the same collection (Motor City Muscle) featuring an NOS Paxton blower hammered sold at a huge $165,000, by far a record for any smallblock A-body Mope. Overall, there were 19 Dodges and 19 Plymouths that topped the $100,000 mark here, with the Mayflower gang highlights topped in drama by a $214,500 sale of a 1971 ’Cuda convertible 383 in EL5 Bahama Yellow paint with day-two OEM added accessories (certainly this is a very big number of any 383 model),

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Soon after at Tulsa, the prices reflected that Indy was not a mere outlier. A ’69 Hemi Road Runner hardtop at $165K and a ’70 V-code Charger R/T at $152,900 made the top 10 there. The Green Hornet TV program generated a number of replicas, and this Barris-displayed version sold for $93,500, complete with signatures from the Batman show stars (guess they got into the wrong ride one day, or maybe the Batmobile was getting an oil change)

and $242,000 for a 440-4BL SuperBird that had once been a pacecar at Bristol Motor Speedway. The prototype race Charger Daytona that set the first 200 MPH record would have also headlined the event’s results for us at $550,000 had the green car not taken all of the oxygen out of the room for that model.

For big car fans, the leader at Indy was the Barris’ showcar 1966 Imperial that was used for static displays in Green Hornet TV series livery with noteworthy star signatures at $93,500, followed by a classic ’48 Town & Country woody convertible at $82,500. Still, a number of C-body models were nicely bought, and this is an area to watch going forward as the “too much is just enough” crowd seems to be growing in popularity.

Late model, low-mileage supercharged Dodges continue to be very strong as well, giving pause to the once-pooh-poohed idea of absolute preservation. A Demon showing 16 miles, minimal dealer prep, and the unopened accompanying Demon Crate accessory package soared to $220,000 on Saturday afternoon and a ’19 Hellcat Redeye Widebody sold for $115,500.

Mecum action continued at Tulsa, where a 1969 Hemi Road Runner hammer sold for $165,000 among the Mopars offered, and at Orlando in July, with a beautiful, highly-optioned 3-row 1972 Town & Country wagon with 46,000 miles went to a fresh home at $29,700.

With dollars now bringing less every day for general purchases, for some buyers the potential values of quality cars like these are expected to be a hedge against inflation. That said, it will be interesting to see what happens in ’23, and whether these new records sales shake even more quality iron out of hiding to be hammered, “SOLD!”

Also from Evernham’s garage was this Power Wagon he rebuilt and gave to his late father as a gift. Somebody else drove the nicely-engineered modified heavyweight away for $110,000.