The Cal-look Lounge

i don't know how to start this topic   ::)..... :D

Due to looking at my archives, I eventually notice small details that I hadn't necessarily seen before  :o :o

in 1971/72 :with EMPI in FDIs hands , a decison was made to take IPII drag racing across the U.S. , as a promotional tour to push FDIs products
 alarge bluebird motor home with an enclosed trailer was supplied and this outfit was manned by darrell & sharon vittone . while on this tour , the crew tongue of the trailer broke off and the trailer began to roll , damaging the inch pincher inside since the show must go on

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 phone calls home were made, parts were air freighted : fresh fenders etc... and they trashed on the race car managing to make the needed repairs.
they then arrived on time , at the US nationals at indianapolis and went on to a win

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 another amazing accomplishement by vittone in the face of adversity

in late 1972 : the car car is turned over to FDI and Darrell Vittone starts the Race Shop, the car was sent East and raced for a brief time with driver Jim Carlson for EMPI/FDI

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as we can see the car was repainted as the old paint scheme

after Jim Carlson drove the IP II for FDi  and it seems that jim  like to made some scratch on the rear fender of the car ,

on this picture we can see that IP II  has damage on the pass rear fender

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that picture was taken at Madison Township Raceway Park , Englistown N.J , during the summernationals 1972

those 2 pictures were taken the same day (race number on the windows)  but don't know where was the dragstrip ,and i don't know if it was before or after the summernationals ,but the damage on the rear fender still there and look smaller than the one on the picture above with NED BUG II and LG II ,Jim Carlson was the driver

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this picture was taken during the Last Drag Race at LIONS ,it seems that the rear fenders was repainted again or changed no damage this time  , and the driver  was still Jim Carlson

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another picture from the same day/event  , but this time it seems  that the left rear fender  have some damages

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after the LIONS last drag race, i don't know what happening to the INCH PINCHER ,but  it seems that some new paint was applied to the fenders or may be the car(not sure???)

the paint scheme looks different from the older one   ::) ::) , any idea ???
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that picture was taken during the winternationals 73  driver was still Jim Carlson

here's the cover of the may 73 street rod magazine with  Jim posing with the door open ...why ??? because IP II had news fenders at the rear and not painted ???

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Here's 2 pictures who prove that inch pincher had received 2 new rear fenders

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those one were taken during the US nationals at indianapolis ,in sept73 (i read it was the w-e of labor day )

and after that  it seems that it was the end of the inch pincher too , no pictures related in any magazine after that  ....who know where ip II went after that event

here's  the picture who show the difference in the paint scheme , ma be i'm wrong  , if someone have an idea about that , he's welcome
 the older one
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and here's the latest one , note the difference

Thanks for sharing Fabian! Look at the air scoops on the C-pillar also.

It really doesn't surprise me that the IPII was repainted, spot-painted and repaired more than once, while it was raced in the States. These cars were often towed on open trailers, got banged around in shops, and work during rounds was franic. Tar Babe was spot-painted a number of time, without any signs of it being done between races! Also, the weight break between NHRA and AHRA was slightly different, so the teams had different body parts to offset these differences. Could there have been two IPII cars run at the same time, as some have suggested?   I think not.

I admire your attention to detail my friend.

Like others of said, these cars were in a constant state of change both from damaged sustained in competition and transportation and the desire to squeeze another tenth of a second out of them.

We have a saying about "Grandpa's Axe." We may have changed the head twice and the handle three times but it's still Grandpa's axe.  ;)

I think you're mistaken, it was Trigger's broom...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbha4XclSMU

;)

it seems that the lee eliminators logo was bigger on those doors and you find too that the inch pincher logo is different ??? , i remind that deano said that there were 2 sets of doors one in fiberglass and the other one in metal

and here's another tread i've made with the doors logo (http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,11876.msg180169/topicseen.html#msg180169)

Nice infos Fabs!

Fabs, the front fenders are also different!

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Just a thought fabs, But were in a age of computors and drawing stuff beforehand on the computor and tweek till we get the lay out right for painting. Back in the day, Painters did stuff more by feel and in a groove( sort of speek). And stuff was probably more different from side to side even. I have to say you have good eye for detail!!. For any body that has not did a large lay out of a multicolor paint job, Lots of work!! My hats off too guys like dick vale and santini !! And my old paint teacher, Mr Larry craig !!

Amazing topic! Respect!

With all these body parts being replaced one would think some made it to garage walls... after all a pretty famous car.

Yes, it is very interesting. Look at the gap between the lower red stripe on the bonnet and the two stripes coming down from the windshield: It's definitely wider on the left picture.

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thx Georg ,don't have notice that before   :o

The right picture seems colorized to me... red and orange looks the same.... pretty strange.

jon, I tried of the reworked this one but not obvious :-\

the magazine is dated 73 , but there's another picture and the color looks different too

Fabs,
Great CSI work on outlining all of the paint changes on IP2- interesting read- thank you.
Troy

thx troy  ;)

I think you´re right but yes, strange combination of colorized pic and actual repaint...

Another thing immediately obvious to me  (that possibly makes the 2 door sets that you remember, one in fibreglass and one in metal) is that in certain pictures there is a chrome plate beneath the door handle, or at least a more definitive painted oval beneath it, and on others it is not there  :o

Greg

And last observation, could just be the angle, but first pic seems to be a smaller Chop top to the second, the first pic rear quarter window and front window appears bigger? The sticker in the rear quarter window is certainly different and higher than the second pic too.
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Oh yeah, and in the second pic, there is some writing directly below the front window that isn't in the first.

Sorry!, and the more I look at this the signwriting on both the rear side beneath the rear quarter window is in different positions, and the "Lee" sticker is totally different, the front door Empi signs are also different, with the curves of the Empi logo above the word Empi, closer in the second pic than the first.

Greg