BIG Willies Dayton restored, and then some.

[Greg Myers]

From Hemmings http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/06/19/big-willie-robinsons-duke-and-duchess-daytona-rides-again/ You remember Big Willie from the opening shots of "Two Lane Blacktop" ?

[vintagercr]

Nice!

[Craig Irwin]

Thats not the same car, thats Willies tow car. He had a red one, his wife had a green one, and this was the third.

[Deano]

Thats not the same car, thats Willies tow car. He had a red one, his wife had a green one, and this was the third.

According to the article in Hemmings, they could find no evidence that a tow bar had ever been installed in this car but plenty of clues that it had, in fact, been raced. I'd like to find color shots of the red one, myself.

[Mr mopar]

I alway like this car!

[philo426]

I think the red one beat the Two Lane Blacktop '55 Chevy!

[1972coronet]

I got to meet Big Willie Robinson about a year prior to his passing ( ) . He's a legend here in the Los Angeles area !
Hell of a nice guy , too .

From what I understand , Wille and his late wife , Tomiko , purchased two brand new 1969 Charger Daytona from Earl Ike Dodge (formerly of Inglewood ; was on La Brea , near LAX) . Those were the green and red cars ( 440 and Hemi , respectively ) .

[Greg Myers]

Red

[1972coronet]

Google Earth map showing the location of the former Earl Ike Dodge :

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1175+S+La+Brea+Ave,+Inglewood,+CA+90301/@33.947971,-118.352731,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80c2b6f0b0af9795:0xb1fbcf38847353c

No further information at this time .

[Mike_G]

Google Earth map showing the location of the former Earl Ike Dodge :

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1175+S+La+Brea+Ave,+Inglewood,+CA+90301/@33.947971,-118.352731,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80c2b6f0b0af9795:0xb1fbcf38847353c

No further information at this time .

I lived pretty close to Earl Ike Dodge in 1969: https://www.google.com/maps/place/825+Walnut+St,+Inglewood,+CA+90301/@33.9533852,-118.3569517,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80c2b6fca387a133:0xe6c459b4919ef10e

[Gary Smith]

I have a good friend in Ky who's brother Gary French bought this car from Willie. I got to check it out and have my photo taken in it before they sold it to whoever bought it next. He told me that haulin it home to Ky from Ca was lots of fun because it caused quite a stir from passers by. Especially when they would stop for fuel. Way cool.

[espo]

In the April issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines there is an article written by Jim Donnelly about Willie Robinson. He has many pictures from the day from photographer Steve Reyes who spent some time with Willie in South Central Los Angeles. There are some great photos and some personal interaction between Willie and Steve Reyes.

[Greg Myers]

Yes http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2015/04/01/hmn_feature5.html Pictures in the "View Image Gallery" button just above the street light.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Greg Myers

[Deano]

Great set of pics, Greg. Puzzled by the photog's comment that 'Queen Daytona' was rebuilt into 'King Daytona'.(Photo 6) That would make this photo kinda ... um ... impossible.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Deano

[1972coronet]

I lived pretty close to Earl Ike Dodge in 1969: https://www.google.com/maps/place/825+Walnut+St,+Inglewood,+CA+90301/@33.9533852,-118.3569517,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80c2b6fca387a133:0xe6c459b4919ef10e

Nice ! One of my great-uncles lived off of Florence ; he was there --age 70 and disablled-- for the 1965 riots .

Used to be a nice area .

( while I'm side-bar-off-topic ; COX phone prefixes for the area were : ORange and ORegon , IIRC ...)

[Greg Myers]

Good to know.