1967 Plymouth Belvedere - Judy Lilly

Yes, America, it may be 2021 but it's still possible to find a for real, documented, beautifully restored factory Mopar racer that legitimately did tire-smoking combat during the Super Stock wars of the 1960s. This 1967 Plymouth Belvedere I two-door sedan is described by its seller as an authentic factory four-speed Hemi car that was raced in Super Stock/B by the female drag pioneer and hall of famer Judy Lilly, mainly in Colorado during the 1967 racing season. A photo of Lilly in this, her first factory-sponsored Plymouth race car, remains on the National Hot Rod Association's website. Located through a classified ad in 1991, the Belvedere I was subsequently restored to a high standard by Mopar muscle specialist Jim Drain of Pinellas Park, Florida. While under restoration, the car's original paint showed Lilly's name lettered on the car. - Lilly and her onetime car were reunited at a major Mopar muscle gathering in Farmington, Minnesota, with the celebration captured on video. According to documentation provided , this is one of only four known Belvedere I two-door sedans ' as opposed to the more common pillarless hardtop ' to be factory-fitted with a 426 Hemi, one of just three four-speed cars, and the only one known to have been a factory-sponsored race car. This Belvedere I was fitted by the factory with Chrysler's second-generation 426-cu.in. Hemi V-8, an undisputed king of the quarter-mile and super speedway alike. With a manufacturer rating of 425 horsepower, the street version of the Hemi in 1967 had a compression ratio of 10.25:1, and received its fuel mixture via a pair of inline Carter 600-cfm four-barrel carburetors. The engine in this car is a correctly dated 1967 426 Hemi running open headers that was assembled by Dick Landy Industries in Los Angeles before the Mopar legend Landy passed away in 2007. - the Plymouth has not been driven since its restoration and starts and runs readily. A small leak is reported from the four-speed manual transmission, which now uses a modern Hurst competition shifter. The engine bay presents as spotless.- that this Belvedere I was refinished in 2009 using two-stage paint in its original Daffodil Yellow hue, with Dark Copper Metallic stripes (the paint code was reportedly taken from the 1967 color chip book when the race paint scheme was designed). The hand-painted markings and sponsorship lettering were highlighted in real gold leaf and were faithfully reproduced based on period photographs from the time Lilly raced the car as well as remaining paint details on the car. The paint is described as being in very good condition overall, with no scratches or dings. According to seller, this Plymouth has never experienced any rust, or rust repairs. The body seals and gaskets are said to be new, mainly NOS components. The chrome and badging looks to be in very good condition. The Plymouth is said to retain its original date-coded glass, with a scratch where part of its NHRA classification lettering was removed. All the exterior lighting is termed operable - - the bench-seat interior of this Belvedere I is entirely stock and original except for competition-mandated period accessories. The upholstery material is described as appearing brand new in most areas. The only interior blemish noted is a small, discolored area of the driver's-side bottom cushion, which remains factory original and was not replaced since the factory seating materials are no longer being produced. The carpet and headliner are both said to be in as-new shape. An aftermarket Stahl tachometer is bolted to the top of the steel dashboard, which presents in outstanding condition, with the instruments in the basic gauge package described as fully functional. This car was delivered from the factory with a radio delete plate. The trunk has a floor mat, houses a relocated battery and presents as spotless. -- that the restoration of the chassis, which he describes as factory stock, included all new components. Never driven since the completion of that work, this unique Belvedere rolls on aftermarket wheels from Keystone, which look to be in excellent condition and mount racing tires, including period-correct drag slicks with pie-crust sidewalls. The Plymouth is said to be entirely documented with the original body-number stampings, VIN tag, fender tag, plus extensive documentation of the car's build and history with Lilly driving. This 426 Hemi-powered 1967 Plymouth Belvedere I, restored to very high quality by an expert, to be a fully authentic link to the Mopar drag wars of muscle-car folklore.