Need a little help please. Many years ago I sent a set of "tripower" Holley carbs to Jerry Luck Motorsports to be redone. They were in pretty bad shape. Jerry needed a custom aluminum polished radiator for a corvette magazine project so I built and shipped it to him. In exchange, he sent me back a set of carburetors with a story behind them. Since they were going on a BBC in a 1957 Chevy & since my carbs were really rough and missing all the vacuum stuff and since he knew it didn't matter to me which side the throttle linkage and the fuel inlets were on, he did me a solid and sent me what he said would be a surprise and it was! Inside the box was a brand new, never run complete set of Mopar version Holleys and they were chome and beautiful. I called him after receiving them and he told me they were made for a 6 pack debut 440 for the Detroit Auto Show for Chrysler. He told me after the show that they were to be removed from the engine destroyed!!! Jerry said they couldn't bring themselves to do it so they made their way home to a closet and had been there in a box for many years, waiting for the right guy... That being said, I guess that was me. It seems as though I wrote the book on delayed gratification as just a few weeks ago, they were finally installed on my stroker BBC at the dyno shop and run and they performed wonderfully however, i am now having some misgivings on whether these carbs are too valuable to keep. They have now had fuel in them but been drained back down and removed from the engine. I am trying to find out if indeed these were done special by Holley for Chrysler and for this Detroit Auto Show debut if maybe they are too valuable to keep? IF the story is true, they would be 1 of 1 assuming this is provable. Here is the info on the carbs themselves: Center carb 3418550 LIST-4144-1 2372 cast number in air horn D-1565 6R (3405)B stamped in bottom of throttle body is 91383 6 and 4383 3 Front & Rear carbs no list number I can find but cast in air horn is D-1565 6R (3406)B stamped in bottom of throttle bodies is 91383 10 and 4517 So, can anybody help with this? If not, do any of you know someone who could. I presume this would be the 1970 Detroit Auto Show but not sure. I have photos I can post or send if interested. Thank you in advance for your help! Topradman
If there aren't any photos of the Detroit Auto Show of the car with the carbs, it didn't happen....All kidding a side, It would seam more appropriate to see these on the intended Mopar. If that car could be found it would be a great finish to a very valuable vehicle to a collector. At a BJ auction...let the crazyness begin...................
I consider myself as a skeptic to long-ago stories...but... ...if you closely study each pic in full size, the plating ...or better said, the buffing before plating, it looks to have been done on all brand new pieces. They don't really look like "some chrome shop" did these ...they look more upscale to me. Also look at how the throttle plate screws are staked just like factory. the 1970 debut for 6-pack makes some sense too, but I would think if the story is true, it would have been a display engine, not actually in a car there. That kind of close-up detail work makes me think that. also, they are "Vacuum operated outboards", used on factory production street cars. Chrysler Direct Connection once offered 6 pack carb sets with "Mechanical outboard carbs" as "offroad use only" for racing, so being that these are Vacuum, it makes a bit more sense that these were to display what was on the new Mopars being sold. One thing I can't picture though, is if it was a display engine, the aircleaner would hide them? But how do you prove it after 40 years, and if you could, how is a value determined? .
Too Valuable to keep? Ive got a 55 chevy 2 dr wagon. and all the time someone offers stupid money for it. I paid $150 and junked a $130 four door to fix it . to date I have less than a $1000 in it. When I refuse to sell I tell wishful buyers I got that car cheep enough I can afford to Keep it. That's my point you got the carbs cheep enough that you can afford to keep them. Now use and enjoy them.
I'm with @alchemy - Use 'em! Honestly, those look great, and while I'm 100% with you on finding out if the story is true, it's the same story whether they're on your car or not. Fuel won't hurt them, they were designed for it. Polish the chrome every so often and off you go!
You could try to get ahold of someone at Mopar Collectors Guide magazine, they know guy's that have some of the factory show car's of that era( if you don't want to run 'em ) I think we are getting a little ot though.
They are nice carbs, and knowing the back story is something you can enjoy. But after all this time I doubt there is any connection to be made that would make them collectable / valuable beyond being a nice set of carbs. Remember they were headed for destruction. Run the hell out of them and enjoy.
As another note. I'd get in touch with that Mopar guy on TV. If he's for real, he sure knows a lot s**t about them...
The 2372 date code shown in the pic with the stamped numbers on the air horn show that it's a service replacement carb. Holley changed the date format in about 1973. 2372 decodes to the 237th day of 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002. So I'd guess here...1982. The proper date for a 1970 carb would either start with a 9 for 1969 or 0 for 70. So it would look like 931 (March of 69, 1st week), 093 (September of 1970, 3rd week) Holley used 0 for October, A for November and B for December. They could definitely be show car carbs...just not in 1970.
Yeah it's just that, a story, without proof. If you had a order sheet on mopar header paper with the carb numbers and description of what was supposed to be done on the carbs and for what purpose then you would have something... But the reality is you have a nice set of chromed carbs. Every good used car salesman will tell ya every car has to have a good story and I've seen car parts sold the very same way
I think this would be a case of finding the 'right guy' if in fact they are actual mopar six pack carbs and you can come up with some documentation to back the story. If you're going to need replacements, a set of rebuildable cores will set you back about $1500, new reproductions a couple of hundred more. If I had to guess, I's say these were a display set that was used when Chrysler was touting their 'Direct Connection' aftermarket line in the early '70s through '87. The date code seems to support this. And remember, rare doesn't always translate into valuable. I think any added value will be because they're chrome (given the current costs for plating), which won't be an attraction for the restorers as it's a non-stock finish.
Put em back on and give each one of those "period" triangle mesh air cleaners. The 6 pack debuted in 69. If there was a special built for 70 or 71, well, maybe, but since the cars were a late issue "69 1/2" I can't see the extra effort for 70. 71 with a new platform for the Satellite and Charger? Well, maybe, but as said above covered by an air cleaner. A HUGE one at that. Run em, with pride, with your thumb on your nose as you pass a Mopar show...
WEll if they were built in 1972, its not going to work very well as they were not building any tri carb engines then . I will tell you a story ,A speed shop owner ,his name was Couch ,was in business in DesMoines Iowa in the 70s . One of his things was buying large quantities of excess speed parts. I was at his place in 1972 or 73 and he had tons of Holley Carbs. The 6 bbl carbs were $25 each . I didn't need any of them and Bought several Three Barrels for $35 each . Come to find out I couldn't give them away. I also bought several Moroso Cool Cans .
Joe.. I'm sure there was a lot of that going on. When I built my first GMC 6 to run at Bonneville in 1975 I needed carbs and the Glendale Speed Shop was selling 215 cfm and 280 cfm Holleys for $15 each in boxes. I bought 3 280's and ran them for 20 years making modifications to them. I believe they were actually on some AMC V8's in stock form by the number.
If they are useable...don't have passages full of chrome on the inside. I would use them. Even if they cost you $500.00. I bet you would get $1000.00 worth of enjoyment out of them. Gene.
Put them on that big auction site with your story and a modest reserve. If they are really rare the market will be strong.
If they will keep you awake nights, just send them to me. Then you can get some sleep. I'll improvise and find a home for them. Seriously, run the snot out of them on your BBC!
I had a six pack once! Then I got fat and it went away. They look nice can't help with any potential value or anymore information.
Cool and that would add to the story. Unless the show car connection can be confirmed they may not be that exciting to a lot of hard core Mopar restores because of the chrome though. Those guys may be more anal about things being exact than the Mustang or Corvette guys. Friend of mine just picked up this set for one of his Mopars last weekend. You can bet they will be perfect when he is done though.
Funny....I looked at his posts.....first one and it's really off topic for the forum.......go to the many Mopar forums for answers and money......and I'm kinda a mopar guy.......
Holley started using the hex-head bowl screws much later then the early 70's, so something is FISHY there. They used the flat blade screwdriver screws.
You could still order a complete 6-pack setup for a 340-440 from the parts department at any Chrysler/Dodge dealer anywhere in the United States.... $2500.00 last time I looked..... Air cleaner and linkage will be extra....
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