|
|
Veteran
Posts: 118
Location: Nawth Kerolinuh | I looked over the car before the auction. It was fair, but there was quite a bit that would need redoing, especially the interior. Whatever you pay for the 501, you're going to pay quite a bit more to make it right. |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
  
Location: bishop, ca | That's exactly what I said, at the outset of this thread, on this car.
And, speaking NOT of-which, famous former corporate-sponsored drag racer (The Haulin Hemi), Lee Smith advises that his
real, documented D501 race car is for sale, privately, and not for huge-money, but not cheap, either.
If interested, please PM me and I'll put you two together.
I've taken a road trip in this car, with Lee, and you do not need to have a radio in it, to be entertained by it.
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
 
Location: Seville, OH | I never heard of a non-padded seat; how is it constructed? Are there any springs or is it a plank of plywood?
I also seem to recall that Lee had stripped another D-501 of all of it's unique parts and they were for sale at one time. Is that true? |
|
| |
|
Location: Under the X in Texas | d500neil - 2013-11-17 8:56 PM Just exchanged a couple e-mails with Mr. Smith, and he pointed out that his pure-drag car has a padded front seat in it. Checked his car's IBM, and, yup, the ONLY option that its original owner, Arnie Beswick, Special-Ordered on/in it was for a padded front seat! (SNIP) Kiekaefer's pure-track race car was Special-Ordered with no padded seats in it....just like 'our' convertible, in this thread. Since I own one of the '57 Chrysler 300 special ordered Kiekhaefer race cars, have the purchase order for it and another, and the build sheet for it and another, you'll have to explain this to me because my seats are standard production seats. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
Location: Seville, OH | I think Neil is referring to Kiekaefer's D501, not a 300. |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Since when is this a "300" thread? --lololol...
Yeah; I'm talking about Dodge D501's (and, coincidentally, Carl Kiekaefer's having special-ordered of one of them, which he never raced, but he did 'dyno' its engine...the dyno results have been preserved).
The standard Dodge seats have a thin layer of 'jute' material residing over the seat springs.
On Coronets the "AirFoam" padding was optional on either/both seats.
The Custom Royals (and the Royals and Custom Sierra wagons) came with the AirFoam front seat as standard equipment---my own ride has a non-padded rear seat in it....and it feels 'firm' (hard) and flat when you sit on it.
Yes, Lee's other D501 'pieces', including VIN plate & P/T plate, from an All-Moonstone-Gray colored sedan are available.
Its engine number is known, but I can't recall that he has the engine block, from that car that he parted-out, in
Detroit, in the '80s.
That car had the gold/black Custom Coronet interior, but only one Accessory Group, containing the radio,
heater, back-up lights, LT O.S. mirror and the day/night inside mirror.
Edited by d500neil 2013-11-19 6:08 PM
|
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | JFG (just for grins), here's Mr. Lee Smith in his factory AWB (altered wheelbase) 65 Plymouth Satellite (Haulin Hemi II)
and the only shots he took of (what was left of....) the D501 that he parted out, in Detroit.
This is the all Moonstone-gray car, above.
My scribbles say: " D501 in Michigan (mechanics already parted out)."
Edited by d500neil 2013-11-19 11:56 PM
 (PICT4158.JPG)
 (PICT4159.JPG)
 (PICT4160.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
 PICT4158.JPG (102KB - 383 downloads)
PICT4159.JPG (48KB - 343 downloads)
PICT4160.JPG (100KB - 367 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca |
And, WTH; it's late; these photos courtesy of Maker's Mark bourbon.
Here's a couple shots of Lee's D501, taken at his estate in Moline IL, a few years ago.
The first one shows Illinois condensation on the windows, except for the rolled-down driver's
glass.
 (PICT4164.JPG)
 (PICT4165.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
PICT4164.JPG (105KB - 357 downloads)
PICT4165.JPG (104KB - 363 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca |
Alright; this is ridiculous; nobody wants to see any photos of some old D501 race car....
and Lee, in action.
Remember, according to Lancer Mike, the D501 was not a car model....right.
 (PICT4166.JPG)
 (PICT4172.JPG)
 (PICT4173.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
PICT4166.JPG (105KB - 356 downloads)
PICT4172.JPG (107KB - 366 downloads)
PICT4173.JPG (103KB - 374 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
Location: Seville, OH | Yeah, that Detroit one with the center stripe is a real wreck. I'd scrap it too.  Man, that would be a real find today.
Edited by Swept57 2013-11-20 1:45 PM
|
|
| |
|
Location: Parts Unknown | Um .... wouldn't the "Coronet" badge be replaced with "D-501" badge if it were a different model ? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | I thought the D 501 option package was available throughout the Dodge model lineup like the D 500. Is that not the case? |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Brent, it HAS a D501 badge on it, and it has a unique model coding for it, too.
The D501's extensive, and extremely-heavy-duty mechanical package (with no other mechanical options available on it other than power brakes) was only built into Coronet.....2-door sedans and convertibles (and very-few, special-ordered hardtops).....bodies.
Only 'trim/feature' items were optional on them, and those features were installed by the factory on every car that wasn't specially-ordered for racing purposes, so as to increase their attractiveness, and profitability, in the public-consumer venue.
And, there were only about 102 of them that were ever built, for NASCAR homologation purposes, for its being a purpose-built race car model.
If a PLY "Belvedere", et al, are 'models'.....then the 102-ish D501 is the KING(Kong) of the FWDLK car models.
Here's the lead-page of Dodge's A.M.A. Specifications Sheets, of 1/57, for NASCAR homologation purposes,
wherein all of the D501's standard equipment is listed, in comparison to the "D500" models' equipment.
Edited by d500neil 2013-11-20 6:22 PM
 (PICT4186.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
PICT4186.JPG (102KB - 347 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 390
| d500neil - 2013-11-20 12:59 AM
Alright; this is ridiculous; nobody wants to see any photos of some old D501 race car....
and Lee, in action.
Remember, according to Lancer Mike, the D501 was not a car model....right.
This then begs the question: What ares the model codes of "normal" Coronet 2dr sedans and convertibles, and what are the model codes of "D501" Coronet 2dr sedans and convertibles? |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 471
Location: MN | More D501 pics less 65 Coro |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Scored eight 60's car mags for 10-bux(!) recently, altho none appeared to feature MoPars.
But, reading and research is fun.
The first mag, 9/62 Car Life, produced this OhWow letter.
According to the Ed., seven years later, "nobody" knew or recalled anything about the 1957 D501 car
model, or stillborn racing effort.
Does anyone have access to the Pittsburg PA phone book, to see how many "Donners" may still live there?
Somebody might remember the car, which could still exist.
It's interesting that Mr. Donner knew so little about his car's (probably a sedan) unique mechanical features.
(I should check the Nov and Dec '62 Car Lifes to see if anyone responded to this letter; a couple of the published letters in
this issue referenced articles that were published in the Jul issue).
Edited by d500neil 2014-04-23 7:42 PM
 (PICT0101.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
PICT0101.JPG (79KB - 338 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Location: The Mile High City | kmccabe56 - 2013-11-21 5:59 AM
This then begs the question: What ares the model codes of "normal" Coronet 2dr sedans and convertibles, and what are the model codes of "D501" Coronet 2dr sedans and convertibles?
This is a good thread.
Kevin asked and I will answer: the BDY code on the firewall tag for a "normal" Coronet 2dr sedan with a standard 325 V-8 engine is 2142.
The BDY code on the firewall tag for a "D501" Coronet 2dr sedan is 2442.
The BDY code on the firewall tag for a "normal" Coronet convertible with a standard 325 V-8 engine is 2143.
The BDY code on the firewall tag for a "D501" Coronet convertible is 2443.
Neil's example of the A.M.A. bulletin is interesting. If this is part of the body of evidence, then a Sierra D500 is a different model from a Sierra and a Custom Royal D500 is a different model from a Custom Royal? They each have distinct BDY codes on the firewall tag. To go a step further, a standard V-8 Coronet is a different model from a Coronet D500 since they have distinct BDY codes?
There really is no "model" code on the firewall tags, just the BDY code. However, all Coronets share a common numeral 4 in the third position of the four-digit sequence. All Royals share a common numeral 7 in the third position; and all Custom Royals share a common numeral 8 in the third position. Using this information, one might consider the third position as the "model" code. |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | But you don't know the coding for the hardtop D501 model (and, it is not what you might guess...)
The D501's have unique BDY codes, shared by no other Dodge models; the BDY codes identify the D501 models.
Dodge's Model codes ARE the BDY codes.
The D501's have unique mechanical features that are not shared with the other Dodge models, and were not
optionally available on any of the other models, either.
Edited by d500neil 2014-04-24 8:30 PM
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Neil, did they build any hardtop 501s that you know of?
Greg |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Oh, I see you already stated they built "very few special-ordered hard tops".
Greg |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Dodge actually built quite a few hardtop D501's...forget the number, off the top o' me head, right now, but there were quite a few of them,
including Kiekaefer's special ordered HT.
Most of the 10 cars that Mr. Davis didn't find are probably HT models...but, at least one of the 10 should be a convertible (that's the MoPar
Collector's Guide car, from 9/91).
If I were there w/you and Ronbo, this summer, we could have a good conversation regarding this matter, over some liquid libations....
...and discuss the Mole, who had access to to CHS records, back in the '90's.
|
|
| |
|
Location: The Mile High City | So, Captain Kiekenheimer's D501 two-door hardtop is coded BDY 2146, which might otherwise be decoded Dodge, standard 325, Coronet, two-door hardtop. Might it be possible he ordered that very car and switched the engine to a crate 354 and made all the other necessary modifications? Is it possible that car was mis-stamped?
The number of hardtop D501s beith seven - ish. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | For sure, libations in forward look glasses, right?! I'll pack one with your name on it.
Seems to me I heard about that Mole. A rather devious character I've been told; been escorted out of a number of different places. Got photos to prove it!
Yeah, your ears will be burning.
Greg |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Mike,
I would interpret 2146 as:
Dodge 122" WB
Standard chassis/engine for lower price models
D-66. Coronet 8 cyl
2dr ht. Special club coupe
Greg
|
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Mike; WRONG; but thanks for playing SWAG.
2146 is only a part of the D501 story.
Went thru my D501 file, and of the 92 501's that are accounted, 8 are HT's, 23 are verts and 61 are sedans.
And, BTW, Mr. Davis found one 1957 Dodge Coronet 2-dr sedan, which was built on 8/23/57, whose
IBM card indicates that it was a (real-) Super D500, but that it had a FUEL INJECTION engine installed in it....
Engine number was L-360-16xx and its VIN was 35301xxx.
So, IRONICALLY, there is a myth about some 'early' 1958 Dodges being built with the (1957-) Hemi engines in them,
when, in actuality, there was at least one 1957 production-car (having both a current VIN and a valid engine-number)
which had a 1958 (Fuelie-) engine in it.
It probably served as a Pilot (test) car.
Its engine coding is interesting, too, on the IBM card, because the 57 version is not set up for an Extra-Super-D500
model, so the factory kinda tap-danced around the engine coding a little bit, but the coding is consistent with the 58 engine
codings and the car's engine is a 58 D500 361 c.i. Wedge/B-block.
Its disposition and current whereabouts (you may be shaving with it, today) are unknown, and, it probably was sold
in-house to Engineering Dept/Proving Grounds, or to a lucky Honcho...but there you are.
Of the 23 found-verts, 2 are all-blue with blue tops, and none of them had a green top.
Precisely half of the 92 found cars are single color.
Edited by d500neil 2014-04-25 2:20 PM
|
|
| |
|
Location: Parts Unknown | No wagons ? 
|
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Nope; the D501's were a specific car model, based upon the Coronet body.
No automatics, either, as previously discussed, altho it is possible (but highly improbable) that one or more of the missing/unaccounted-for IBM's may be for a T/Flite equipped car.
Edited by d500neil 2014-04-25 2:18 PM
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Neil, thanks for those details. Interesting stuff.
Greg |
|
| |
|
Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Flattery will get you nowhere (or not)....
This car confirms (y)our theory about the engine coding on the Fuelies, since one has now been found.
Edited by d500neil 2014-04-25 8:45 PM
 (PICT0103.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
PICT0103.JPG (106KB - 336 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | I obtained a pair of NOS 1935956/7 T-bars a while ago and installed them in my Regal, a non sway bar car. I am very disappointed with the ride. I was expecting a significantly stiffer front end. That didn't happen. A little stiffer but that is all!
I think I mentioned this before but didn't elaborate on the ride. I may have forwarded photos of them to you.
Greg
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | OK, I might now understand what your email was about. The engine in that pic with the post-it note was my L360 SP engine. It was the one I found with the dual point distributor in it------- remember? I thought I had found an FI car!!
I still have that engine but I had to trade the distributor to get the correct 58 AFB for the Regal.
Greg |
|
| |
|
Location: Parts Unknown | Do you two need a little "alone" time ?
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Flattery??? It wasn't flattery. I was just being civil and thanking you for great info.
Greg |
|
| |
|
Location: Parts Unknown | I think he meant "flatulence". 
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Alone time?? Hell no! I did that once and am still wearing the scars!
Greg |
|
| |
|
Location: Parts Unknown | Doctor DeSoto - 2014-04-26 10:25 PM
I think he meant "flatulence".
=================================================
Wait till you get some flatulence time. You'll be scarred for life !
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | I see that these pics I found on the Getty Archives website have not been already posted here. It really is a shame that Neil is gone, as he would have had a blast looking at these, I think.
Getty's description says that the photos are from a May 10, 1957 photoshoot for a test drive of a dual carb 1957 Dodge. Getty has the Motor Trend archives, so it probably was a Motor Trend test drive.
 (150189109.jpg)
 (150189115.jpg)
 (150189111.jpg)
 (150189129.jpg)
 (150189128.jpg)
 (150189113.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
150189109.jpg (419KB - 367 downloads)
150189115.jpg (435KB - 358 downloads)
150189111.jpg (338KB - 338 downloads)
150189129.jpg (432KB - 342 downloads)
150189128.jpg (369KB - 354 downloads)
150189113.jpg (354KB - 346 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4654
| WOW, great pics, thanks for posting. That would be my favorite FWLK! |
|
| |
|
Location: The Mile High City | Great stuff! I guess due to the larger wheels, it did not get the standard wheel covers. As to why it did not have the ultra-standard hub caps, I don't know. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
Location: Seville, OH | The wheels were 56 Imperial 15" so dog dishes and standard Dodge full covers wouldn't fit. I dont recognize those hubcaps, but Neil always mantained that my 501 would have come with 56 Dodge full-size spinner caps. This is also the second period picture of a 501 that has straight pipe exhaust. The exhaust deflector tips apparently were not standard on the 501. Lee Smith added them to his 501 and he also welded tabs to his wheels so he could run dog dishes. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | soiouz - 2015-11-29 10:37 AM
I see that these pics I found on the Getty Archives website have not been already posted here. It really is a shame that Neil is gone, as he would have had a blast looking at these, I think.
Getty's description says that the photos are from a May 10, 1957 photoshoot for a test drive of a dual carb 1957 Dodge. Getty has the Motor Trend archives, so it probably was a Motor Trend test drive.
I, too, would have loved to hear Neil's comments on this car!!
Really neat to see pics of a new car taken a few months after it's build date! BUT, I have to question some stuff;
The motor mounts appear to be LATE 57 style.
The ballast resistor appears to be 58 style.
The spark plug trough screws are early not late production.
I have never seen an original battery hold-down secured with hex nuts instead of wing nuts.
I would be willing to bet that Neil had these photos in his library years before "Getty" ever procured them!
|
|
| |
|
Location: North Australia | Very nice pictures. This car would have gotten old Neil sitting upright for sure!
It must have been a bear to drive with manual brakes. (Would have come with the Imperial 12 inch brakes I suppose, but all Imperials would have power assist?)
The hub caps look like they have an emblem stamped into them? Are they Dodge caps? They look good on this car.
Steve. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1728
Location: Fleetwood, Pa | Fuel line from pump to carbs seems pretty nicely bent up and routed to me. Wasn't it the consensious that these were pretty hastily routed??? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
Location: Seville, OH | I'm not seeing any emblems on those caps. They almost look like aftermarket smoothies.
This car clearly is not fresh off the assembly line as evidenced by the grime on the engine. As a magazine test car it was probably tinkered with quite a bit by the time these photos were taken. I don't think Neil was aware of these. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 854
| Those hubcaps look like 1949 Plymouth ,those would be 15 inch. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4654
| 1949 Plymouth with full hubcaps
 (49 ply.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
49 ply.jpg (193KB - 349 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
Location: Seville, OH | Yeah, that could be them! I doubt that it left the factory with those caps, but who knows on such a limited special-assembled model. I think the yellow convertible that was featured in the MCG article had the 56 Dodge spinner caps. I need to dig up my copy of that to verify. |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 9650
Location: So. Cal | LD3 Greg - 2015-11-29 10:52 PM
....
The motor mounts appear to be LATE 57 style.
The ballast resistor appears to be 58 style.
The spark plug trough screws are early not late production.
I have never seen an original battery hold-down secured with hex nuts instead of wing nuts.
Are you sure about those motor mounts? My '57 Windsor has the same mounts and is more early than late (2300 serial number). |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1622
Location: Seville, OH | I wasn't aware there were two styles. Can someone post pics? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1906
Location: Ontario, Canada | Poor pic but this is the earlier style with the mount in the centre of the rubber. The later ones are off centre.
I have a box of salvaged mounts. Some time I'm in that shop I will get better pics.
Greg
 (image.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
image.jpg (108KB - 369 downloads)
|
|
| |
D 501
