Factory FOMOCO Vin Search... - 1966 Ford NASCAR Hauler

[Wowabunga]

I've been asking nicely for 15 years who was the original owner of my 1966 Ford C-Series NASCAR hauler and still I'm coming up empty.  No photos and very few solid leads, it's like there's this giant black hole that sucked up everything....  poof... nothing...!

 

The question for my AACA friends is "who" could I call at the Ford Company and ask about running a vin number going back in time to find the original ownership...?   I'm just a small fry they might not even talk with me I worry.   I did contact the Marti report and they said their service only touches on passenger cars and trucks, not commercial.  Was assembled in Lousiville, should I call there..?

 

For a fun twist:   I've read tall tales about the 1960's racing days and how FOMOCO would give their race teams free trucks/haulers, and many fabricated by Holman-Moody.  One wild story is how some of the trucks didn't have paperwork or titles... Ford just said here's a nice shinny new truck, now go win some trophies.  Fingers crossed my truck has some sort of paper trail.

 

Posted here back in April about doing a vin search at the MVA and since that time I've uncovered a wee bit more info on my trucks origins.  I've traced back ownership now to 1974.  But still no info on use or ownership from date of manufacture in 1966.  Recently I posted on the Holeman-Moody Facebook group with lots of interest but still no good direction to chase.  The past two weeks I've been posting non stop to race communities and the info has been a trickle so I am moving forward.  Here's a great photo sent to me this week featuring racer Tom Peck and the Hagerstown Speedway in 1979..!

Edited December 8, 2022 by Wowabunga (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

I remember the earlier discussion.

 

Any chance the hauler body has a manufacturer's plate on it, anywhere?

[Wowabunga]

19 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

Any chance the hauler body has a manufacturer's plate on it, anywhere?

 

No tags that I've seen.   A tiny bit of information came thru this week per the Holman-Moody haulers of the 1960's:  Holman-Moody subcontracted their haulers from Baker Body Company in Charlotte ( they built line trucks for the electric company ) and I'm told all the cabinet door latches had "Baker" stamped in them.  My hauler has generic latches.  So maybe my hauler was built by another builder.  I have a growing list of half a dozen fabricators who made these monolithic haulers from the 1960's.  If there's any magazine writers who want a good story please do a story on these "fabricators" who worked behind the scenes to build all these very cool open haulers.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Wowabunga (see edit history)

[mike6024]

 

Let Hagerty clean up your truck for you and use it to haul this around when they get it back into shape. You can get some publicity, then hopefully sell it for more.

[Wowabunga]

57 minutes ago, mike6024 said:

 

Let Hagerty clean up your truck for you and use it to haul this around when they get it back into shape. You can get some publicity, then hopefully sell it for more.

 

My truck won't fit into the barn... but it is parked next to a barn.  Bring the tv cameras boys. 

 

I've talked to Bobby Allison, local race track announcers, former mechanics, and former racers who are all connected to this truck.  They all had one thing in common and it was a love / hate relationship... bring some cameras Barn Hunter and I'll tell you more    .

Edited January 14, 2022 by Wowabunga (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

Back in the fifties and sixties when I was a kid, I went to high school with Fred Lorrenzen’s younger brother. Fast Freddy was known as The Elmhurst Express in local races and as a NASCAR driver drove for Holman- Moody. At the time Ford didn’t even give uniforms to the crew except race day. They had to rent their own during the week. This for a driver that won more races  than Richard Petty in a three or four year period (something like 28 to 21) with only driving in half as many races. I doubt Ford will have any records of which racer had that hauler. You might try reaching out to Ray Evernham at Rick Hendricks team. Ray is a NASCAR encyclopedia of information. 
Good luck. 
dave s 

[Wowabunga]

23 minutes ago, SC38dls said:

I doubt Ford will have any records of which racer had that hauler. You might try reaching out to Ray Evernham at Rick Hendricks team. Ray is a NASCAR encyclopedia of information. 
Good luck. 
dave s 

Thanks for sharing the tight spending Ford sponsorship lore.   Someone on the FordFE forum suggested contacting the NC Department of Motor Vehicles and I'm thinking that might be worth the time and money, but to go to the Maryland MVA I don't think it will go far.

 

I sent a facebook message to Ray Evernham a week ago and nothing back.. I will try another route to grab his attention.  Thanks...! 

[Wowabunga]

A North Carolina records search attempt will cost me a whopper ONE DOLLAR so I'm on this...!  The link below lays out the guide lines and guard rails in the national DPPA driver info act.  A good, a very good resource.

 

The only exception that I might fit under...

"5. For use in research activities and statistical reports a. Personal information must not be: Published Redisclosed Used to contact individuals"
 

 http://www.the-lost-car-registry.com/resources.php

Edited January 14, 2022 by Wowabunga (see edit history)

[NailheadBob]

Try contacting Dale Earnhardt Jr. on face book, or by e-mail, he is very big in the history of Nascar, and is on NBC peacock with his show, he did a show with lost speedways and traveled all over the United States, if he can't find what you need, he will put you in touch with someone you can, this is up his alley, he does the show with Dirty Mo productions with Matthew Dillner. Keep us posted.

 

Bob

Edited January 14, 2022 by NailheadBob (see edit history)

[Wowabunga]

1 minute ago, NailheadBob said:

he did a show with lost speedways and traveled all over the United States, if he can't find what you need, he will put you in touch with someone you can, this is up his alley

Ok I'm love'n this direction Bob...!   With the right background music a show producer could streatch this story out like The Mystery of Oak Island...!  

[NailheadBob]

Also try this: 

Dirty Mo Media | Dale Jr. Download Podcast | United States

https://www.dirtymomedia.com

 

and see Dale Jarrett, Nascar driver who had a big presence with Ford motor company, and Robert Yates racing, and the famous Wood brothers racing, all associated big time with Ford  manufacturer ,

 

and with Earnhardt he would love to see the photo of your hauler.

 

Bob

 

 

[Wowabunga]

6 minutes ago, NailheadBob said:

and with Earnhardt he would love to see the photo of your hauler.

Bob

 

 

I've found if I drill down and get very specific the "read story" starts to flow.   I was told the Hagerstown Speedway bought the hauler from a team out of State College Pa and I was given two drivers names.  By joining some small but very active racing forums I nailed the name of the original owner, got me a nice photo ( posted below) and even spoke on the phone with a former mechanic who laughed and told me the truck was always breaking down.  Currently am following the ownership tips from every one I recently met and have been directed to look to New York State as my next direction.

 

The contacts you listed Bob are WONDERFUL.  Somewhere there's a magazine or a tv show that could equally benefit from telling this mystery story.  The photo I'm posting is from about 1974 and it's the earliest photo I have.  

[NailheadBob]

Randy,

 

I also would like to know the history of this truck, keep me  informed. Ray Evernham also was a searcher for old original stock cars that he could trace back to the original owner or driver, he has found many and restored, one that he found was Marty Robbins the country singer/star, won a lot of races at the Nashville fairgrounds, BUT would have won a lot more, but he would leave a race that he was leading so he could get back to the Grand Ole Opry for his singing spot on the show. Ray then restored the stock car to its original condition, looked like new again. Dale Jr. did the same thing looking for his late fathers early day stock cars and Jr. would purchase them. So it can be done, keep your nose to the grind stone. The search continues.

 

 

Bob

[8E45E]

Who made the ramp bodies for these two Dodge trucks?

 

Original Snake and Mongoose haulers head to auction | Hemmings

 

Craig

[Wowabunga]

2 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Who made the ramp bodies for these two Dodge trucks?

 

 

So much of that info is lost.  From the article:  "The crew cabs were originally utility trucks - to take crews of line workers out to job sites".   Baker Body of Charlotte made line trucks for the electric company.  A truck with a lot of storage boxes and.a boom... so just remove the boom and put in a flat ramp and you're ready to race.  Nailing down a concrete answer Craig for you wold be nice.

[TAKerry]

How about Reading truck bodies?

[Wowabunga]

2 hours ago, TAKerry said:

How about Reading truck bodies?

That's a direction I need to head down...!  A old timer told me Holman bodies will have latches that are stamped "BAKER" because BAKER did the fabrication.  My truck has 11 generic latches and 1 "READING" LATCH.    Was the one "READING" latch a replacement, or were the other 11 replacements..???

[NailheadBob]

SC38dls,

 

My aunt and uncle lived in Elmhurst, and we were very young at that time, and when we would visit them, we would be on the look out for Freddy Lorrenzen, as he was at our local race tracks and winning, before he went down south to Nascar.

 

 

Bob 

[Wowabunga]

UPDATE:  Found a new prior owner in McClure Ford out of Troy Pa.  While being owned by Al McClure...  modified racing champion Geoff Bodine used the hauler briefly at the Shangri-La racetrack.  The McClure's bought the hauler out of Richmond Va in 1973 but they can't recall who they bought it from.

 

I sent a IM message to Ray Evernham and to Dale Jr and was ignored.  I'll survive LOL.

 

Waiting on a paper VIN request to be returned from the Richmond MVA.  Fingers crossed it will have some info as the trail has gone cold.  Photo is from 1975 in Troy Pa.... I was so happy to find this photo which is the earliest pic I now have.