1965 Dodge - Plymouth AFX cars

[gtx6970]

Thought this might be the best place to ask this.

I'm trying to put together a general list of the original cars. Which ones were auto and which were 4spd ?

All were originally produced with steel block hemi. Aluminum heads. Magnesium crossram intakes and 2 holly carbs

They were built by AmbleWagon in the Detroit area

Then converted to Enderle injection in the field.

 

Brings up the question---

Which were short stack...which were tall stack ?

Best i remember.  There were 12 cars produced. And I think I have numbers correct( part of me wants to remember there were 13 total .)  But I may be confusing the 2 different versions of the Golden Commandos car , white with red inter versus  2 tone bronze/white with gold interior car. But seems odd with the 2 cars having two different color interiors so was there actually 2 cars???

 

 

 

6 Plymouths and 6 Dodges I think

 

I'm having a brain fart moment right now in an attempt to remember them all. 

Plymouths were -

Golden Commandos  ( the 1st one aka Test Mule )  4spd ? or auto? Maybe both depending on time frame 

Melrose Missile  - auto 

Sox -Martin - 4spd - Became the Buckeye + Vernon car

Butch Leal  - 4spd 

Lee Smith  - 4spd

A 6th is ???

Dodges were-

Dave Strickler - 4spd

Dick Landy - auto

Ramchargers - auto 

Bud Faubel

Lindamood - Color Me Gone ( this one became the Mr Norms car ) Auto 

Bobby Harrops Flying Carpet Dodge 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 01:42 AM by gtx6970

[Brutalform]

All I know from what I’ve read, is the short stack cars were stick shift, and the longs were automatic. I’m sure in all the testing and tuning they did in the 60s, some guys did some different things to their cars. One thing is for sure Bill, is the info doesnt come easy on these cars. I just finished the Strickland AWB car, which I cut the stacks, being a stick,  and also just finished the Landy car which is an auto with the long. 

Edited Friday at 11:08 PM by Brutalform

[Shark]

I'll add to the confusion. Ronnie Sox told me of the six Plymouths, his and Butch Leal's car were the only 4 speeds. So if that's the case, maybe Lee Smith's was converted. He said they were the most dangerous cars he drove, but the most fun also. 

[gtx6970]

9 minutes ago, Shark said:

I'll add to the confusion. Ronnie Sox told me of the six Plymouths, his and Butch Leal's car were the only 4 speeds. So if that's the case, maybe Lee Smith's was converted. He said they were the most dangerous cars he drove, but the most fun also. 

I've heard this before

I'm not necessarily trying to truly determine how they were built...More so how they were campaigned at the time

[Brutalform]

I’ve head that same thing about Smiths car as well. Which reminds me I have to get back to that build as well. Still looking for decent decals, as Fremont doesn’t seem to have them anymore. 

[Brutalform]

2 minutes ago, gtx6970 said:

I've heard this before

I'm not necessarily trying to truly determine how they were built...More so how they were campaigned at the time

Maybe we can get a list together and get it to be a sticky?

[gtx6970]

I found this 

So it sounds like  the 2 Golden Commandos cars were in fact 2 separate cars. Which would make sense for the 2 different interior colors 

So, it opens up the question

What happened to the 1st one? As I believe only one exists today. OR is that car actually a recreation / copy 

The term AFX stands for "Altered Factory Experimental"

Chrysler was already dominating with their Hemi powered lightweights and they carried this over into 1965.
The NHRA had a Factory Experimental class (A/FX) with less restrictive rules, so Chrysler took the opportunity to build
an outrageous factory race car. Unfortunately, the NHRA found these cars to be unacceptable for this class,
The A/FX cars debuted in the AHRA in Phoenix Arizona and were an instant success with the fans!

12 factory A/FX cars were built:

Plymouth
* A/FX White Test Mule
* Al Eckstrang and Forest Pitcock, Colden Commando Club Car
* Butch Leal, California Flash
* Lee Smith Plymouth
* Ronnie Sox, Sox and Martin
* Tom Grove and Cecil Yother, Melrose Missile

Dodge
* Bobby Harrop, The Flying Carpet
* Bub Faubel, Hemi Honker
* Dave Strickler
* Dick Landy
* Jim Thornton and Mike Buckel, Ramchargers
* Roger Lindamood, Color Me Gone

Other racers made an unknown number of copies, the sedan AFX cars were not factory built.

The bare bodies were constructed at Chrysler's Los Angeles assembly plant, and shipped to an outside vendor for acid dripping. This process allowed the body weight to be reduced by 200 pounds. The A/FX modifications were pretty extensive,
so they could not be done on the regular assembly line. The bodies were then shipped to Amblewagon ---
a Troy, Michigan contractor specializing in ambulance conversions. Obviously the forward relocation of the front and rear axles caused considerable sheet metal work (uni-body construction).
The front wheels were moved forward by installing special lower sub frame rails and sectioning the inner fender panels.
The upper control arm pivot and shock mount were moved 10" forward. A lightweight stainless steel K-member also bolts on
the new frame rails 10" farther forward. The steering linkage was extended and longer torsion bars installed to compensate for the relocation. To move the rear axle forward, the floor pan was sectioned and a 15" section removed. The floor pan "kick pan" was moved forward to the area formerly housing the rear seat. The quarter panels were sectioned and the stock wheel
openings moved forward.

Sheet metal filler panels were added to the sectioned areas and everything was welded back together. A cross braced four point roll bar was installed for chassis stiffening. Finally, fiberglass doors on lightweight hinges were added to the already light body. A fiberglass deck lid with an OEM latch and fiberglass hood with a slightly taller version of the A990 type scoop were installed. The fixed windows were thin "Chemcor Plexiglas". The front bumper was also fiberglass, with molded in mounting brackets.
The rear bumper remained steel to maintain rear end weight.
Inside the car was the roll cage, a fiberglass dashboard replica, lightweight Bostrom bucket seats on aluminum mounts and carpeting. The radio, heater, arm rests, sun visors, dome light, rear seat, carpet padding and sound deadeners were all removed.
The cars weighed 2800 pounds when delivered. Weight distribution was excellent, with 56% on the rear.
The power for these A/FX cars was the same engine as the 1965 A990 Super Stockers (the A990 426 Hemi). An actual A990 S/S car was cannibalized for the engine, drive line and interior for each A/FX car. The A990 426 Hemi cranked out over 500 horsepower. During the 1965 season, Chrysler engineered a fuel injection system using Hillborn injection with reworked mid-range and high-speed circuits. The Injector stacks varied depending on the transmission type. 13-1/4" stacks on Torque Flite cars and 7-1/4" stacks on 4-speed cars. Performance was increased with this system over the dual Holley carbs.
High 9s at 140-mph were not uncommon near the end of 1965.

1966 brought on total madness as these cars were changing rapidly with all sorts of chassis, suspension and motor changes and some cars could not be classed, so a new "MATCH BASH" class was created for these new "FUNNY CARS" and the rest is Drag Racing history !

Drag Racing is the original "EXTREME" sport. Nothing was more extreme than the original Drag Racers of A/FXer's, Fuel Altered's, Front Motor Slingshot Dragsters, Fuel Coups, Gassers, Funny-Cars or any combination of these monsters of mayhem that lit up a Friday night at your local Drag Strip. They were Part engineer, mad scientist, artist, dare devil, test pilot and gladiator. These diabolical, designers of deaths construction were ride'n shot gun with the devil himself in these home built Hell-wagons. These powder kegs soaked in Nitromethane hardly resembled Automobiles...... Nor did the pilots seem human. The ominous image of these brave competitors continue to inspire, intrigue, frighten and excite new and old generations. Thanks to those who have had the courage to actually get in; adjust their goggles; grab the wheel; stomp on the gas and go screaming down the track to get the win light.... They are truly inspirational !

 

Edited Saturday at 01:46 AM by gtx6970

[Shark]

Ronnie eventually had 2 AWB cars, he modified the stock sedan into one. Made more money match racing these cars than class racing. He said by the time they sold the factory built hardtop car, the body was eat up beyond repair due to the acid dip kept working. He told me he knows that car doesn't exist anymore. That may have been the fate of some of the others.

[gtx6970]

My primary interests lies in the Amblewagon built hardtops 

Not the privateer / Owner built cars, Be it hardtops or sedans

 

As far as I know , The only sedan built at Amblewagon was the PeeWee Wallace Virginian Plymouth.

 

 

Edited Saturday at 04:05 PM by gtx6970

[Rigor]

Don’t quote me but I would imagine they where all 4 speeds then switched over to autos

[M W Elky]

On 6/20/2025 at 7:32 PM, Brutalform said:

I’ve head that same thing about Smiths car as well. Which reminds me I have to get back to that build as well. Still looking for decent decals, as Fremont doesn’t seem to have them anymore. 

I got these from chuck boener and they look great. I haven’t used them yet but his stuff is fantastic 

[Brutalform]

11 minutes ago, M W Elky said:

I got these from chuck boener and they look great. I haven’t used them yet but his stuff is fantastic 

They look great. How do I get in touch with him? Website?

[Dr Cobra]

On 6/20/2025 at 9:43 PM, gtx6970 said:

I found this 

So it sounds like  the 2 Golden Commandos cars were in fact 2 separate cars. Which would make sense for the 2 different interior colors 

So, it opens up the question

What happened to the 1st one? As I believe only one exists today. OR is that car actually a recreation / copy 

The term AFX stands for "Altered Factory Experimental"

Chrysler was already dominating with their Hemi powered lightweights and they carried this over into 1965.
The NHRA had a Factory Experimental class (A/FX) with less restrictive rules, so Chrysler took the opportunity to build
an outrageous factory race car. Unfortunately, the NHRA found these cars to be unacceptable for this class,
The A/FX cars debuted in the AHRA in Phoenix Arizona and were an instant success with the fans!

12 factory A/FX cars were built:

Plymouth
* A/FX White Test Mule
* Al Eckstrang and Forest Pitcock, Colden Commando Club Car
* Butch Leal, California Flash
* Lee Smith Plymouth
* Ronnie Sox, Sox and Martin
* Tom Grove and Cecil Yother, Melrose Missile

Dodge
* Bobby Harrop, The Flying Carpet
* Bub Faubel, Hemi Honker
* Dave Strickler
* Dick Landy
* Jim Thornton and Mike Buckel, Ramchargers
* Roger Lindamood, Color Me Gone

Other racers made an unknown number of copies, the sedan AFX cars were not factory built.

The bare bodies were constructed at Chrysler's Los Angeles assembly plant, and shipped to an outside vendor for acid dripping. This process allowed the body weight to be reduced by 200 pounds. The A/FX modifications were pretty extensive,
so they could not be done on the regular assembly line. The bodies were then shipped to Amblewagon ---
a Troy, Michigan contractor specializing in ambulance conversions. Obviously the forward relocation of the front and rear axles caused considerable sheet metal work (uni-body construction).
The front wheels were moved forward by installing special lower sub frame rails and sectioning the inner fender panels.
The upper control arm pivot and shock mount were moved 10" forward. A lightweight stainless steel K-member also bolts on
the new frame rails 10" farther forward. The steering linkage was extended and longer torsion bars installed to compensate for the relocation. To move the rear axle forward, the floor pan was sectioned and a 15" section removed. The floor pan "kick pan" was moved forward to the area formerly housing the rear seat. The quarter panels were sectioned and the stock wheel
openings moved forward.

Sheet metal filler panels were added to the sectioned areas and everything was welded back together. A cross braced four point roll bar was installed for chassis stiffening. Finally, fiberglass doors on lightweight hinges were added to the already light body. A fiberglass deck lid with an OEM latch and fiberglass hood with a slightly taller version of the A990 type scoop were installed. The fixed windows were thin "Chemcor Plexiglas". The front bumper was also fiberglass, with molded in mounting brackets.
The rear bumper remained steel to maintain rear end weight.
Inside the car was the roll cage, a fiberglass dashboard replica, lightweight Bostrom bucket seats on aluminum mounts and carpeting. The radio, heater, arm rests, sun visors, dome light, rear seat, carpet padding and sound deadeners were all removed.
The cars weighed 2800 pounds when delivered. Weight distribution was excellent, with 56% on the rear.
The power for these A/FX cars was the same engine as the 1965 A990 Super Stockers (the A990 426 Hemi). An actual A990 S/S car was cannibalized for the engine, drive line and interior for each A/FX car. The A990 426 Hemi cranked out over 500 horsepower. During the 1965 season, Chrysler engineered a fuel injection system using Hillborn injection with reworked mid-range and high-speed circuits. The Injector stacks varied depending on the transmission type. 13-1/4" stacks on Torque Flite cars and 7-1/4" stacks on 4-speed cars. Performance was increased with this system over the dual Holley carbs.
High 9s at 140-mph were not uncommon near the end of 1965.

1966 brought on total madness as these cars were changing rapidly with all sorts of chassis, suspension and motor changes and some cars could not be classed, so a new "MATCH BASH" class was created for these new "FUNNY CARS" and the rest is Drag Racing history !

Drag Racing is the original "EXTREME" sport. Nothing was more extreme than the original Drag Racers of A/FXer's, Fuel Altered's, Front Motor Slingshot Dragsters, Fuel Coups, Gassers, Funny-Cars or any combination of these monsters of mayhem that lit up a Friday night at your local Drag Strip. They were Part engineer, mad scientist, artist, dare devil, test pilot and gladiator. These diabolical, designers of deaths construction were ride'n shot gun with the devil himself in these home built Hell-wagons. These powder kegs soaked in Nitromethane hardly resembled Automobiles...... Nor did the pilots seem human. The ominous image of these brave competitors continue to inspire, intrigue, frighten and excite new and old generations. Thanks to those who have had the courage to actually get in; adjust their goggles; grab the wheel; stomp on the gas and go screaming down the track to get the win light.... They are truly inspirational !

 

Actually there were 3 Factory Experimental classes, A/FX, B/FX and C/FX. Which class you ran in was determined by weight to cubic inches. The A/FX classes were the fastest because they got to carry less weight per c.i.