1969 Wolverine Trans-Am photos

[wrongwayron]

I certainly wouldn't trust an ad such as this, but it's worth a look. It suggests NOT the same vehicle.
http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/773-AMC-Javelin%20Trans-Am-V8
However,
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z16637/AMC-Javelin.aspx, sez that same thing.

[Jon Mello]

Ron, I took the liberty of correcting your links as you had them go directly to email rather than connecting to the website (url). Those links are pretty cool but do not reference the Firebird Steve was talking about. The ex-Fisher Firebird which was driven by Dick Brown in early '69 was wrecked at St Jovite in July of that year. It was replaced with a different Firebird which was built by the T/G (Titus/Godsall) team. Whether that ex-Fisher Firebird was rebuilt and sold is a question that nobody has been able to answer so far. That's my understanding anyway. If somebody knows different, please chime in.

[wrongwayron]

Yikes: Maybe, someday, I'll get my ducks (and links and e-mails) in a row.
 Thanks for fixing them for me.
Actually, I was addressing Steve Holmes question about the Javelin driven by Bob Tullius at MIS versus the one he drove in NASCAR Grand American (GT). Appears the MIS car was an '68 factory car made into a test mule ... with no reference to the NASCAR vehicle.

[wrongwayron]

And now I've crossed my own replies.
I got myself in a hurry with the Brown Camaro; and was quickly corrected by you and others.
Maybe I'll stick with sending you images and letting you caption them (so far, you've done a far better job then my memory allows). LOL
I may start rescanning the 1969 Mid-Ohio images and sending them ... soon.

[OCTARD]

Hello Ron,

Please keep contributing your thoughts and comments to the forum.  Your memories, from your perspective, are appreciated by folks like me. 

And your photos, well they're as good as it gets.

Thanks so much for sharing.

-Chad

[Jon Mello]

Another recap of the Wolverine Trans-Am, this one from Car Life Magazine.

[wrongwayron]

Gerald Melton has supplied the Sports Car Racing web site with b&w images of the 1969 MIS race. http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Michigan-1969-05-11.html

[OCTARD]

Thanks for pointing those out, Ron.  Who knows how long it would have taken me to see those. 

Some of the unclassified photos at the bottom of the page are particularly interesting.

-Chad

[Jon Mello]

Some more race reports for the Wolverine Trans-Am, courtesy of Ron Lathrop. Thank you, Ron!

This first report is from the July 1969 issue of Sports Car Graphic magazine...









This next report is from the August 1969 issue of Road & Track magazine...









Lastly, we have a short write-up from the July 1969 issue of Car & Driver...

[Jon Mello]

A couple of color photos taken at the Wolverine Trans-Am but found in the 1970 Mid-Ohio Trans-Am program.

Milt Minter's Firebird


Mark Donohue pit stop

[Jon Mello]

Adding some AMC Javelin photos from the Wolverine Trans-Am courtesy of "Javelin GT" and "klvn8r" from this AMC forum.

This particular photo shows the hood up and reveals the taller manifold and aircleaner used by the Javelin team at that particular race.
It is obvious that the blistered hood is necessary for clearance.


Also, there is a nice short interview with Ronnie Kaplan on tajavelin.com where he describes the special engine used by the Javelin team
to start the '69 season. This special engine based on the 343 block rather than the 290 and with a lower deck height, taller manifold,
dominator carbs, etc is the reason why they were so fast at that Michigan race. Sadly for the AMC team, somebody didn't properly
homolgate that engine (fill out the proper paperwork) so it couldn't be used for the rest of the season.


Here's Bob Tullius' Javelin back by the garages. I believe this car of Bob's was one of the team cars from the '68 season.


My understanding is that Tullius' Javelin was an official AMC team car at the beginning of the '69 season and these photos seems to support that.


Ron Grable's Javelin. Looks like Ron is suited up in the car.

[wrongwayron]

Both these "newer" articles say the Tullius MIS Javelin was Revson's 68 vehicle which became the '69 test mule.

http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/773-AMC-Javelin%20Trans-Am-V8

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z16637/AMC-Javelin.aspx sez the same thing.

[klvn8r]

I believe that is correct.  Ted Roberts drove the other factory 68 car, in 1969.  It is located in the Dallas area.  That fantasy junction page has good pics....the other link won't open for me.

klvn8r

[Jon Mello]

Thanks for the info. I got Ron's other link working. How many Javelins did Ronnie Kaplan's shop actually build? They built cars for Nascar GT as well as Trans-Am, right?

[klvn8r]

You pose a very interesting question, Ron.  Both 1968 JRT Javelins are accounted for, one in Dallas TX, the other, in Canada, I believe.  Strangely, the 69 cars seem to have a somewhat checkered past.  I  have a few pictures from the 80s and 90s of one of the 69 cars at a reunion race at Watkins Glen, and another at Road Atlanta.  I also recall a story about one of the 69 team cars being stolen from its owner in the Pennsylvania area, about ten years (or more?) back.  There was some talk of it being 'cloned' when it disappeared.  That car on the Concept Carz page at one point, is/was owned by Craig Jackson.  What that car is, I'm unsure.  Appears to be a 69 chassis and paint, but the front clip is all 1970.  Note the ram air hood, and different style grille and bumper from 69 Javelins.  Is it the 'theft' recovered car?  Is it the other car?  I don't know....all I can do is speculate, at this point.

klvn8r