History Bonneville Record Car / NEED HELP!

Congratulations! As a guy who spent many an hour hanging around Norms shop this is a sight to see. I haven't seen that car in 50 years or so but it still looks good today. I can't wait to see it at a show or cruise. Sure brings back some good memories. Thanks for saving this car.
Dan

 

Awesome, I was just thinking about your beast and how I wanted to here it talk, thanks for making my morning!

 

Outstanding! Congratulations! It look and sounds amazing! Hope you continue to share the story of this great car with us.

 

OK, that's all well and good, but what's with the Rambler in the garage???????

 

Congrats!

 

I only just recently found this thread, Wow!

The car sounds great.

Nice to see it moving again. You must do an in car down the road drive movie when it finally hits the road.

Well done.

Mart.

 

Great thread, great car!! Super happy to see it's moving like it should be, not sitting in a dark museum somewhere.

And you can't quite clean your garage yet. Your brake lights and back-up lights aren't working.

 

Just found this thread. SOOOOOOOO cool. Enjoy the hell out of that beautiful car

 

Josh (@Hyfire) - Congrats to you & your father on getting Norm's 300D back on the road again! ... I was grinning ear to ear when I watched the video! ... Well done my friend!

 

Was at the Grand National Roadster show yesterday, spent most of my time at the A Century of Speed Bldg. 9 Spotlighting Bonneville Salt Flats racing. I bought the Ron Main and David Fetherston book BONNEVILLE A Century of Speed and on page 69 is a very nice photo of Norm Thatcher's 300. It struck me that your barn find should have been included in the cars on display.

 

Well I hope that happens. If this showing turns out to be a big success, they may have it again next year.

 

I know that Doug Love Grove he lives in Las Vegas Now owns Las Vegas bus sales Brilliant Man

 

I haven't checked out this forum for awhile but tonight I thought I would see how it was going. Imagine my surprise to see on page 11 the newspaper picture that shows the 1959 Coronet that with the blown motor that Norm used at Bonneville. that car is the car that my adopted uncle Norm Sthiles bought from Norm Thatcher and drove for years. It had the stock 413 with three on the floor trans and dual quads with Norm Thatcher built tube headers on it. I got to drive the car to Thousand Oaks and work on it for Norm in 1976?. That car was still sitting in the back yard of the Arleta house before Norm passed away. Sure wish I knew where it went. Thanks for the memory.
Dan

 

That car is bitchen'!

 

Ok I re read the entire post. On page i is the hemi that found it's way into the 1959 Coronet and on page 11 the Coronet. On page 8 the Avanti in the background is the Bill Burke Avanti (#90) that is the same car as my avatar after I restored it (along with a host of people helping) and is currently being set up to run the Ohio Mile later this year. In the Bonneville report on page 18 for 1958 I see that Tim Rochlitzer is mentioned. Tim played an important role in helping me live out my 47 year old dream of racing at Bonneville and he has been active at Bonneville for many years. A good night for me and glad I spent the time.
Dan

 

1961 doesn't seem so long ago until you compare how the gent looks 50 years later.

 

Josh (@Hyfire) -

I still don't know who ran the 300C @ Bonneville in 1957 ... but I think I may have come across a pic of it in a collection of vintage photographs simply entitled "Bonneville" ... and dated "1957" .... Here it is:

​

... Just kiddin' ... Here's the B&W photo I found:

​

Note the "COMPTON ~ GUY MOOTHART" license plate frame:

Guy Moothart Inc. Chrysler & Plymouth direct factory dealer on Long Beach Blvd. in Compton, CA​

 

wowsers !! Awesome reading. Go Mopar!

 

Nice shot of the Guy L. Moothart dealership. My old 59 300 was originally sold there, it resides in Norway now.

 

I've always assumed this is the same 300C car. Let me know your thoughts...

And here is Norm's '58 300D, to show the differences in the windshield (and hubcaps). I initially thought it was the 300D until I took a look at the 300C overhang.


I'll see if I can get the video up.

 

Here is the very short clip of Bonneville from Alex's "Hot Rod Story". One of you two sent me this. I talked to Alex and he thinks he recorded Norm's car... but I'm thinking he may have been thinking this car. I'll try to get the El Mirage one up.

 

Link not working.

 

XXX

 

Josh (@Hyfire) -

The "Thatcher 300D" is a special car ... but it is still a car ... so I'm glad to hear you (& your kids) are enjoying driving it (even if it's just around the neighborhood)!

It's really great to see the car back in it's "natural habitat"! ... Did you take any pics without the late model Challenger in the background? ... or were the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) marketing folks using your "Thatcher 300D" / El Mirage for yet another "2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat" ad campaign?

 

That's what photoshop is for! I got about 5 good runs in with the Chrysler. It's a very fun car. Of course I could beat on the Challenger, but the Chrysler 300 did very well and held it's own.

 

Tell us more about the 5 good runs you got in. How hard did you push that beautiful beast?

 

Josh (@Hyfire) -

The license plate looks great! ...

PFF 326 (CALIFORNIA 56) plate - El Mirage, November 2014


PFF 326 (CALIFORNIA 56) plate - Wendover - 1958 or 1959​

Is it a repro? ... or did Frank still have the old plate(s)? ...

PFF 326 (CALIFORNIA 56) plate - circa 1961 (when Frank owned it)


JXX 003 (CALIFORNIA 63) plate - June 2011 (when Frank was selling it)

[​

 

Josh (@Hyfire) - Any more video at El Mirage? ...

​

 

Josh, congrats on the fine article on the car and the profile of Norm Thatcher in the current (June 2015) Collectible Automobile magazine.

 

​