SUBURBAN FLIGHT

Texan Dave Schult z goes big (fins and fast) with his 9-second ICH wedge ‘6 0 wagon.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF STUNKARD

“THE ’60 PLYMOUTHS have the tallest fins of any American production car. I’ve loved them since I saw my first one back in ’59!”

For fans of the Forward Look models, 1960 did prove to the apex of the Virgil Exner styling era. The decade’s changeover year also found the Chrysler Corp. floundering due to executive malfeasance and changing tastes. The following two model seasons, with cars designed by committee after Exner’s efforts were rejected, would be a struggle from a sales standpoint. However, for fin fan and racer Dave Schultz, this car, a 1960 Fury Suburban station wagon, became the perfect basis for his current racecar.

Known on the “the Old Hippie” on social media, Dave is also one of us, a long-time Mopar guy who, as mentioned, recalls the ’60 fins he saw as a kid. He has owned everything from V-code Six-Pack SuperBirds to late 1970s Dodge Magnums, but his vintage Mope interest is still strong, with machines like a ’58 Dodge pickup, a ’59 Desoto Adventurer, Chrysler 300 and Imperial convertibles, and many ’60 Plymouths. But he is still a drag racer (we ran a 1972 Demon of his on these pages years back), so when this big’un showed up for sale in 2002, its past life of grocery getting would be over.

“This car originally a 4-door, 3-on-tree with the “Leaning Tower of Power,” says Dave, who hails from Beasley, Texas. After taking the car all apart, Ken Presley from Hemi-Time Restorations media-blasted the car and sprayed it in primer. Dave next took the car to Mark

Capable of 9.30s, the big wagon scales at 3500 pounds thanks to homemade fiberglass parts, Lexan glazing and good F/R weight distribution. That includes Dave... Air Force veteran and “old hippie” Dave Schultz at the NMCA race in Bradenton with his redone 1960 Suburban wagon.

Interior is nicely done, solid safety stuff, high PPP shifter handle. Gauges and dials mounted up on dash look like “Back to the Future” stuff. Front end of 1960 models were big, with new unibody design offering a lot more foot room and versatility for riders. Two-door wagon model is part cop car thanks to B-pillar area swap by Mark Artis.

Artis at Texas Thunder in Frisco, Texas for the serious upgrades—cage and 4-link— and major body mods when Artis welded the center of a 2-door sedan 1960 Plymouth Texas Highway Patrol car into the center area of this car to create the present 2-door layout.

It was still pretty hefty, so the next step was to pull a set of molds off the 1960 hood, rear gate, bumpers,

Engine is a 580-CI Indy MegaBlock in iron with aluminum heads, Rat Roaster intake, and front fenders, which AFB carbs. Bullet Cams custom roller, Molnar were replicated in that ’ol bottom end, 14.1 Diamond pistons and MSD Corvette miracle muck, ignition. Pushed dyno needle to 900+ ponies. fiberglass. All the clear “glass” has been replaced with polycarbonate as well. “I started racing the car in 2006 as the Texas Whale. It was a red car with a Killer Whale on the sides. I won the 2014 NMCA Championship in this car, after getting close for the four seasons prior.” After tripping all those lights fantastic, the Suburban was getting worn out, so after 11 years, Dave tore it apart again in 2017 to get it to what is shown here. The factory unibody chassis was disassembled, blasted, rebuilt and painted red, with the body underside sanded smooth and painted with POR15 Silver before reinstalling the components. A new Fuelab fuel system with AN-12 braided lines, 00 gauge battery cable, and new brake lines also went in. He redid the metal in the rear, which was repainted with green spatter paint and cleared and, once the body was prepped, it was taken to a shop in Indiana to be wrapped in vinyl to a woody design Dave had sketched up. The car was also rewired for a second time during its re-restoration, and Dave dyed the formerly black seats in red and recovered the door panels with diamond-padded vinyl for a custom car look. “I bought a 5-gallon aluminum fuel cell and Aerospace Components sponsored me for two battery hold-downs for the pair of 16V batteries as well. I fabricated the two aluminum

weight boxes; rules allow for up to two ‘loose weight’ boxes secured with four ½˝ high-grade bolts, and the boxes can weigh no more than 100 pounds each (when loaded). They’re used for weight distribution and to slow the car down to my index.”

Index as in 9.75 quarters for the C/ FX index on the NMCA Nostalgia Super Stock program. That means horsepower. The car uses an engine built by Damon Kuhn at Diamondback Engines in Needeville, Texas. This is a 580-CI wedge motor that pulled 903 ponies on the dyno. It starts with an Indy Mega block featuring cross-bolted mains and an almost-square 4.560” bore / 4.50 stroke. A Molnar crank stays happy though 7500 RPM, with Molnar rods and 14.1 compression Diamond pistons. and for exhaust—well, Dave says, “We don’t need no steenkin’ exhaust!”

The top side is an Indy 2X4 Rat Roaster intake hosting a pair of inline AFB type 850-cfm carbs (thanks to the rules’ limitations), while the bottom is covered by a custom pan fabbed to clear the long 4.50 stroke. Sparky gets called on via the MSD 7AL2 box, MSD billet distributor, 8mm wires and side-clipped Autolites.

The gearbox is a T-Flite A727 put together by Dallas Schultz, with an 8-inch ATI converter, Griner valve body and CSR shield to keep the toes and jewels safe. Up top is a PPP KwikShift I shifter. There is a Strange 9” diff stuffed with a spool and tight Richmond Gear 4.68 ring to finish it up, with a 4-link to allow adjustment for track conditions. Afco shocks let it bounce, or not.

Finally, for wheels, Prostar 15x12s use 33˝ M/T 10.5-wide slicks with tubes out back for hook, with skinny rims and tires by the same brand are up front for lift. And lift it does, as the images show. “The car currently weighs 3580 full of fuel and my 260-pound fat ass in it,” laughs Dave. He says on his tech sheet he’s a former exotic dancer. We think he still moonlights.

In the end, the wagon climbs the pinion at launch to run mid9s (a 9.30 at 143 is best), and the Old Hippie smiles as he trips to another big win. The strange crochet bird on the passenger seat was made by his 86-yearold mom and it is Dave’s lucky charm. Thanks goes to Fuelab, Aerospace Components, and ATI (for sponsorship), son Dallas (occasional crew and help), Doug Duell (racing series knowledge), Bruce Lang (tuning) and wife Deb Schultz for sammiches (you’re on your own there, dude…)

Custom wood side treatment is via wrap by Lisa of Evansille, Ind., that Dave designed himself. Fins were highest ever in ’60.

Remove ’glass rear gate to see battery boxes, weight boxes, fuel cell. Sorry, kiddies, rear-facing back seat is gone now.