Durant Special: Last of the Homemade A-Bombs

[grandsport3]

Evening Fellows, Completing most of my Wentzville, MO Museum memorabilia projects for Mid America Raceways but had to start on this one. It's a replica of the Durant Special made and driven by Dick Durant, an aircraft engineer who worked at McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis. Dick raced in the mid-60's and early 70's Can-Ams. Most successful with the Durant Special, a homemade car loosely based on the Cheetah (mid engine/driver over the rear suspension) and rear suspension based on the Lotus 19 with a widened JABRO body (NOT a Devin that the books say it was). I watched Dick and his Special run very fast and usually win the big Modified and Production class races until the ex works McLarens and Lola's started showing up. Dick switched to a B-Production 65 Vette and a drove a C-Modified Corvette "Gran Sport" (with Buick GS  badge on the rear deck!), with owner/drive/buddy Marvin Schoenfeld at Road America and Elkhart Lake. Dick bought a Lola T-160 or 161? and had a Chaparral built 427 Chevy in it that I saw in his driveway. Dick raced the Can-Am about 5 or 6 years with only 2 or 3 top-ten finishes, where he learned "You Can't Beat Cubic Money!" This will be about a 3 part series and I have the engine done and the chassis about 2/3 done. The body is a junk 1/24 Strombecker Scarab as no one makes a Devin or JABRO that I know of. Thanx for viewing Ancient History 101, John.

[grandsport3]

Afternoon Fellows, This is part 2 on the thread. Started the build with the center section from the AMT '37 Chevy early Modified kit 6087 which is a great source of tube frame front engined cars chassis and suspension (also makes a good Cheetah chassis). Has Good Halibrand quick change differential. The small block Chevy is an AMT, bell housing is a metal caster GM white metal part with AMT 4-speed with the '37 Chevy shifter. AMT 63-65 Sting Ray fuel injection with single injector side draft body. Headers are strange, Dick ran extremely small diameter tubes with the two center piped on top of each other, it looks like three pipes per side vice four but that's the way he did it. Fuel tanks are '37 Chevy, scratch doubled, with Accurate Miniatures Grand Sport filler caps on tube. The seat from the '37 sits high to clear the driveshaft, the steering wheel will be almost flat angle like a bus or truck. Rear suspension (and front) is where I'm in the Dark, No good reference, I've heard Sting Ray but it looks Halibrand quick change to me. Wheels did change but probably go with slotted resin Halibrands. Tires will be the Gold stripped and lettered Firestone's from the AMT '73 Warren Tope Trans-Am Mustang. I'm notching the Strombecker Scarab body, Dick dropped it over the engine with intake and alternator sticking out in the air. The body radiator opening will be opened up to look more like a JABRO. Thanx for viewing, John

[afx]

These homemade specials were always interesting.

[grandsport3]

Happy Thanksgiving Fellows! Well, that's over with until next year. NO MORE TURKEY's! Anyhow, it's a blah day, everything's closed and everyone's home (hopefully) with their Families. Soooooo: Updated a few "Iron's in the fire" and using my reference material. I did decide to jump up a few years on the "Durant Special" Saga. Between 1964 and 1968 Dick raced one of the last actually Fast C-Modified's in the Country and should have won a USRRC National Championship but a fuel injector drive cable (an old Corvette Nemesis) took him out on the Last lap in the Lead at Daytona. Dick saw the light and played the "Can't Beat Cubic Inches or Money" and bought a Lola T-161 (not sure of type or from who, looks like a Chuck Parson's Simonize Lola). Dick ran the Can-Am for 5 years but I just want to show you guys the Jump it took to stay competitive in the late '60's early 70's. King Cobra's were way Obsolete as were Cheetah's and 427 Cobra's, "Hairy" cars all but behind the times (except on the Street). What a difference a Year makes! Thanx for viewing, John