[Laneco]

Years ago, when my husband was working in his dad's auto shop, a local fellow affectionately known as "hemi-Ed" brought a unique car in for restoration. It was a old race car that had been passed down through the years and pretty much run out all together. But it wasn't just any car, it was one of the Dick Landy hemi-powered darts.

The car had been tubbed some time in its life. To restore it, the floor pan got cut out of a donor car and applied to this. Then the body and paint work. Front end was all fiberglass and there was a cool tag that said something like "not for highway use" on the door sills. And it was a hemi. A real hemi baby. Not some detuned street car, this was a factory made bad ass...

I was in the house about 50 yards from the shop when the freshly rebuilt engine got fired the first time (open headers of course). Timing was off and the first attempt was a fantastic misfire. The sound was brief, unbelievably loud, and so violent that I thought the propane tank outside the shop had exploded! I ran outside and obviously the shop was still standing but surrounding the car were four grown men, all dead quiet, faces filled with shock and a little fear. With shaking hands, a few quick adjustments and they started it again.

Inside of a metal building, a full race hemi with open headers is simply awe inspiring. The exhaust barked and popped so hard it felt like someone was literally pounding on my chest. I had no desire to stand over the engine bay - the air pulling into the open topped carbs toyed with my hair promising to snatch it from my head if I got too close...

I've been around a lot of high powered machinery and I dig it all. But the only thing more intimidating at close range than a race hemi is a top fueler.

My father in-law has quite a few pics of the car. I'll try to round a few up and post.

angela