Bob now took his friend and Mustang knower David Beyer with him. Bob and David knew about the fiberglass bodywork with a extended front from the late sixties but they were all fastbacks. When they arrived the disappointment was big. The engine, the Halibrand wheels in the rear and the classic wheels in the front were all gone. The shortened Olds -57 rear axle likewise
-Shoot.
It was just a rusty frame lying there, plus the old gearbox and a body in decay. Bob hesitated.
David said: Yes, I have no idea what this is but I will not go home with an empty trailer. If you don’t buy it, I will. Bob paid $ 600 and went home with his head full of questions.
Years passed. Bob showed pictures of the project for Don “Big Daddy” Garlits who now lives in Florida but he had never seen the car. After a few days he called. Big Daddy had asked around and behold a guy named Ron Pellegrini that had some info. Bob called and yes…the rest you know.
With the new knowledge the trio set to work in 2003. The frame was taken to Bill Holtz in
Fort Myers, an old dragster blacksmith.
He ruled out the frame directly. It had given up of all impacts and of age. He re-created the same in chrome moly tubing and dressed it with aluminum. Bob tracked down an Oldsmobile rear axle according to the original that was shortened and strengthened. The right wheels were purchased and of course a 392 Hemi by Pellegrini’s memorys and notes (with some practical updates).
The son Scott put down months on the body. He cleaned up all the damage, restored, repaired, and at the sanding he found stickers which was photographed and later re-created.
The car was sprayed with one-layer paint as in May 1965, and the letters were ordered by the old photos. In 2005 the body could be lifted on the frame and the world’s first Funny Car was resurrected.