65 Plym Belevdere Afx "temptation"

Trying to find out info on a car I purchased. Its a 65 Belevedere AFX
Past owner thought it might be the old "Temptation" race car. The car is blue and white with a stripe on the roof.
Thanks

 

Got pictures?

 

Heres some pics

 

I remember back in the early 90's reading an article about a guy who bought an old mopar, I think it was a 64 dodge. It had a square hole cut out where the licence plate would go... Paracute mount!! Well he found out it was one of the Ramchargers cars. As I read on I realized he was the owner of a gas station near by. So I decided to check it out but by the time i got there he had already sold it.

 

How about an intro?

 

bump

 

That car was from my home town. I remember seeing it when I was in Jr.High.school. The driver was Wayne Darnaby. I think he still lives here. Haven`t seen him in years. He hauled the car on a 65-66 Chevy one ton ramp truck.Pretty neat rig back in the day. I don`t think I ever got to see him race. I always wanted to know what happened to this car.I think I have an old magazine with an article on it.Pretty nice car coming from a small town (pop;20,000) in Texas.

 

Hey all y'all....I stumbled onto this site and saw my Temptation Race Car being talked about. I'm wayne Darnaby and I owned that car. I had no idea it was even still around. It was a big surprise when I happened on this website.

If there are any questions about the early goings on with this car I'll try to answer any questions.

Take care

Wayne Darnaby
Summerfield FL.

 

Don't wait for someone to ask. Believe me, nobody is going to complain if you wish to tell stories about the car for a few pages.

 

Heck yeah.. I'm all ears too!!!!

 

Bring it on Waydar!

 

Pretty Please with Nitro on top!

 

Hey All Y'all....it will take me a little while to get this together about Temptation, as I have 25 parrots and 70+ cats and kittens so I stay a little busy....but I will get back with the gory details. Just hang with me for awhile.

waydar

 

Crap! You've got me beat on cats & kittens...I've only got about 30....HMMM...How many Model A's do you have.

 

Stories,photos any info from your days of racing would be awesome!

 

Max, was that car in Boscobel? i went chasing the legend/story on that one back in 1989 or so. could never find the car, so it must have been sold before then.

 

Stories are about all I have now...I lost nearly everything I owned when my house burned to the ground in '86. I just have bits and pieces now.

I'll try to attach a picx I have. Never sent one from this site.

 

Great photo Sir,sorry to hear you lost everything in a fire.The history on your car fascinates me.There are a lot of similarities between your 65 Plymouth and the one I'm working.

 

My car was built for Richard Petty. He decided not to take it and later went with the Barracuda....the one that got into the stands and killed some people. The car had an acid dipped body, aluminum hood, fenders, doors, no interior, titanium K member, bus battery, 426 hemi, aluminum heads, 2 4-bbl carbs, auto tranny. I picked the car up from John T Fisher Motor Co in Memphis in an 18 wheel grain hauler. To be con't.

waydar

 

Just after getting the car ready to race, Gene Snow had a race against Kelly Chadwick in Fredrick OK but his Rambunctious Dart was down at the time...so he borrowed my car to complete his race with Kelly. It was a 3 out of 5 and I don't remember who won the 3.

From there I headed to Detroit and Dick Branstner's shop. That was the real beginning of the car that became Temptation. Jay Howell, Roger Lindemood, and Walt Ulrick did the rework on the engine and chassis, and Roger did his thing on the transmission, he was the best transmission specialist I ever saw. They moved the rear wheels 2 % I think, it wasn't much but it helped. Added injectors and I started running fuel. We became the first funny car to run fuel. The factory wouldn't let their cars run fuel yet...as I was an independant, they couldn't stop me.

I ran out of that shop for sometime while living in the Detroit area. Don Gartlis was working from there as was Bill Flynn and his Yankee Peddler. While there Cotton Owens had Branstner build David Pearson the Cotton Picker Dart. I helped build that car and got paid for my work. A good deal, huh?

In the meantime I flew to CA and bought a car haulingt truck and Super Stock race car from Hayden Proffit. That car was destroyed at Gary IN at Dragway 30 I think it was. It was being driven by my partner at the time. As he went thru the timing lights, a heavy crosswind got him sideways and he rolled many times...his injury was a cut on him finger as he shut off the key. I set a world record there as a B/Fuel Dragster as there was no class for me to run yet.

Roger Lindemood watched me race and said I needed to hone my christmas tree starts. My trip there was the first christmas trees I had ever seen or run. So Roger worked with me and really made a great improvement in my reaction time. Roger, if you happen to see this, thanks. During this time Roger was driving "Color Me Gone" 65 Dodge.

I raced my way back to TX and married Sherry that I had met while at Branstners. She became my chrew chief and mechanic. A truly wonderful lady. We were together for 40 years and 14 days when she passed away in '05.

I got the car ready in time for the '65 Nats at Green Valley Raceway between Fort Worth and Dallas. I had to run the car as a B/Gas Altered Competition and I won the class. I didn't make many friends in the altered coupes that weekend. Never the less, I took the trophy home.

Time for the upcoming '66 WinterNat'ls in Irvine CA. We loaded up and headed to see Don Hardy and Kelly Chadwick in Floydata TX to do the full wheelbase altering. Don did the work in a John Deere garage...like they say, "Nothing run like a deer"....got the car finished in time for CA.

My first pass driving in an altered wheelbase funny car was a practice run...next run was in competition. What a way to get used to driving a completely different car. We worked our way thru the cars and next to last blew a head gasket. Borrowed one and had the car in line when called. Had to run Dick Brannan in a factory ford for the money. I got beat in the lights...but at least an old country boy was the runner up against all the factory cars, and they were all there. Well enuf...to be con't. Stay tuned, don't touch that dial.

waydar

 

what a great thread!

 

Wow ..

So sorry for the loss of your best friend ...god speed

 

Boy, that car just became worth a bunch of cash if it's actually the "Temptation" car! Cool find, and PLEASE tell us more, Waydar.

 

Wayne when I was a little kid my Dad worked for Rueben Tucker I.H..I remember the back 57 Chevy you ahd and your buddy had a white 57 Chevy.At this time Buddy Eaton was shop foreman.Kenneth Mahoney was one of the mechanics.Wendell Ware had the canary yellow 57 Chevy then got rid of it and got a white Tbird that Phoebe totaled out on the narrow bridge on north beaton.Then I remember the black 63 Plymouth you had then came my all time favorite TEMPTATION.M y Dad always liked you and said you were a good mechanis and caught on real quick.I also remember the travel trailer behind the tow truck.Oh what memories Temptation would rattle the tin at Greenvalley when you ra.Wayne THANKS for the memories.Talk Later Dickie

 

Luve this stuff and from the original guy....!!!

 

Wayne,good to see ya around this board,saw the car run at the Valley on several occasions.That would be a nice car to clone for Nost.SS racing

 

who currently has Landy 65??

 

That Wentworth guy in Winnemucca

 

Very interesting read!!! How about some current photos of the possible car???

 

Hey! That was me. It was'nt a Ramcharger car, It was 1 of 3 Dodgechargers cars. Driven by jimmy Nix. When I got it it was a bracket racer which was vandalised. The owner was fed up & did not know the history. I sold it to C.K. Spurlock,( gambler chassis) who re sold it during a divorce. I don't know where it is now.