Mustang II Pepsi Challenger? (1 Viewer)

[mikebcurve]

This photo popped up elsewhere. No one there had any ideas as to what the deal was with it. Does anyone here have any back story?

 

[Mike]

Look at what the crew guys are wearing. Makes me feel that Snake had nothing to do with this.......

 

[glofria]

Betcha it's a European or Australian setting.

 

[Gone Dead Train]

This photo popped up elsewhere. No one there had any ideas as to what the deal was with it. Does anyone here have any back story?
View attachment 15118

Well for sure, it's not Prudhomme. That is a mid 1970s Mustang body and it was 1981 when Prudhomme got the
Pepsi deal and the body was a Dodge Omni (remember Don had the huge fire at the World Finals, OCIR) this picture
has to be from the 80s and the next year "The Snake" had the Pontiac Trans Am body in 1982.
Maybe a tv commercial? it sure looks like a staged photo shoot? never seen this photo. Don never ran a Ford body?

AA/FC 1981

Couple of hat pins from my collection. Two different color versions of the yellow pin

Forgot about these two, two different versions

 

[M Jones]

Well for sure, it's not Prudhomme. That is a mid 1970s Mustang body and it was 1981 when Prudhomme got the
Pepsi deal and the body was a Dodge Omni (remember Don had the huge fire at the World Finals, OCIR) this picture
has to be from the 80s and the next year "The Snake" had the Pontiac Trans Am body in 1982.
Maybe a tv commercial? it sure looks like a staged photo shoot? never seen this photo. Don never ran a Ford body?

View attachment 15119
AA/FC 1981

Couple of hat pins from my collection. Two different color versions of the yellow pin

View attachment 15122
View attachment 15123

Cool stuff

 

[DixonFan]

Snakes Pepsi challenger is in the Brothers car collection / museum which is less than 10 minutes from my house. If anyone gets a chance to go visit this collection, you won’t be disappointed!!

 

[Just Paul]

This photo popped up elsewhere. No one there had any ideas as to what the deal was with it. Does anyone here have any back story?
View attachment 15118

Yes. It was painted up for a Coke commercial. It had nothing to do with The Snake. After the cars made their runs, they put the Pepsi body on a dummy chassis and blew the $&@?! out of it and put that in the commercial as Coke beating Pepsi. Filmed at Brainerd.
I’m pretty sure the Pepsi body was a former Bear Town Shaker, and the Coke car was Doc Halladay. I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I’m mistaken on that part of it.

 

[mikebcurve]

Yes. It was painted up for a Coke commercial. It had nothing to do with The Snake. After the cars made their runs, they put the Pepsi body on a dummy chassis and blew the $&@?! out of it and put that in the commercial as Coke beating Pepsi. Filmed at Brainerd.
I’m pretty sure the Pepsi body was a former Bear Town Shaker, and the Coke car was Doc Halladay. I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I’m mistaken on that part of it.

View attachment 15128View attachment 15129

Thanks Paul! I saved the photo and couldn’t remember where I seen the discussion. It was obviously not part of any real competition. Thanks for the additional photos!

 

[GumbyWVU]

Well for sure, it's not Prudhomme. That is a mid 1970s Mustang body and it was 1981 when Prudhomme got the
Pepsi deal and the body was a Dodge Omni (remember Don had the huge fire at the World Finals, OCIR) this picture
has to be from the 80s and the next year "The Snake" had the Pontiac Trans Am body in 1982.
Maybe a tv commercial? it sure looks like a staged photo shoot? never seen this photo. Don never ran a Ford body?

View attachment 15119
AA/FC 1981

Couple of hat pins from my collection. Two different color versions of the yellow pin

View attachment 15122
View attachment 15123

Forgot about these two, two different versions

View attachment 15126
View attachment 15127

Nice collection!

 

[Gone Dead Train]

Nice collection!

Thank you. I have been collecting drag racing hat pins for over 4 decades.

1,276-drag racing hat pins
9-drag racing button key chains
2-World of Outlaws pins
1-IHBA (drag boats) 1993 member pin
8-Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pins
Note, I only collect National Event pins, that I have attended. Same with track pins

 

[mick]

these are great old photos. i think the first photo in first post is inside turn 10, same as paul's photo of coke car. (last sweeping turn before drag strip)
great shot of the old BIR tower too. wondering if this commercial could have been filmed during one of the crown auto funny car challenge races that
preceded the 1982 inaugural national event?

 

[Cliff]

I saw the Pepsi Challenger Firebird at the old Tucson Dragway. Remember that the car was new & how astonished I was with the shape of the body. Looked so futuristic back then.

 

[Just Paul]

Here we go

 

[Just Paul]

Department of corrections from my above post. The Coke car was Hugh Monro’s Ambition.

 

[mick]

you know, i woke up last night wondering if paul's recollection of coke FC was correct. something told me it was hugh monroe's.
yeah right. like i remember hugh monroe ..... although i do remember the ambition funny car? darrell amberson?
help paul, wasn't he a mn guy? remember him in early 90's doing burnouts with such high rpm's you'd think he'd grenade
the thing on the burnout, seem to remember corvette body?
check out the rear deck in that old photo. ahead of it's time?

 

[.]

you know, i woke up last night wondering if paul's recollection of coke FC was correct. something told me it was hugh monroe's.
yeah right. like i remember hugh monroe ..... although i do remember the ambition funny car? darrell amberson?
help paul, wasn't he a mn guy? remember him in early 90's doing burnouts with such high rpm's you'd think he'd grenade
the thing on the burnout, seem to remember corvette body?
check out the rear deck in that old photo. ahead of it's time?

At one point Darrell Amberson was a business partner with Doc Halladay when they were in the trailer manufacturing business. If I'm not mistaken, he went on to work for the Lehman's Garage company, and then eventually Lamettry's Collision. (both large companies with multiple locations) I believe he was fairly high up at both Lehman's and Lamettry's (like vice president, or president) Long story but I had a connection with Lamettry's Collision and one day I asked one of their office ladies if she knew Darrell Amberson.... She said "oh, yes.... He has racing pictures on the walls in his office and he really enjoys talking about those days". This was probably 8 years ago so I'm not sure where he is today.

 

[PJ]

I've wondered if the Pepsi car will be the next Capps tribute car at Indy

 

[Cliff]

Napa Challenger.

 

[Chili]

Here we go

That commercial was both horrible and awesome at the same time.