It took one week for Geary Plymouth/Chrysler in San Francisco, California, to take delivery, and another two weeks for it to be sold to Mike De LePena for $4,100. The Belvedere was occasionally raced, but not competitively during the twenty-three years that De LePena owned it. In 1989, the car was sold to Scott Smith. Thankfully, it has not been in an accident in the forty years it has been on the road. In March 27, 1997, Merit aquired the Plymouth from Scott, and it was quickly given the five-star treatment. Merit asked Jim Drain from Pinellas Park, Florida, to perform all of the disassembly, restoration, and reassembly. While apart, the B-Body was taken to Creative Custom Cars in Clearwater, Florida, to be repainted the original color over the factory paint. pieced back together, the Belvedere is one of the most pristine examples of Hemi-powered Plymouth around.
Merit's personal philosophy is to try to preserve these last few existing cars before they vanish. Out of the 10,000 Hemi-equipped cars produced from 1966 to 1971, only 7,500 or so are accounted for. Merit's collection of 16 cars is a preservation of American history and heritage. Merit prides himself on showing these elephant-equipped Mopars at as many shows as he can attend. Sure, he might want to see the original blueline or redline tires boiled off the factory Magnum 500s, but he still takes joy in pumping life back into forgotten or abused Hemi cars.
Fast Facts
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| Owner: | Merit Pennington, Clearwater, FL |
| Car: | 66 Plymouth Belvedere II |
| Color: | WW1 White, red interior |
| Engine: | 426 Hemi, factory block, heads, internals, dual-quad intake, Carter AFB carburetors, exhaust manifolds, freshened with all factory components |
| Transmission: | A833 manual transmission, Inland shifter |
| Suspension: | Factory manual four-wheel drum brakes, no power assist, factory torsion bars, rear leaf springs |
| Rearend: | Dana 60, Sure Grip with 3.55 gears |
| Wheels/Tires: | Factory 14-inch steel rims, blueline tires |
| Quarter-Mile: | No historical record |
Fast Facts
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| Owner: | Merit Pennington, Clearwater, FL |
| Car: | '67 Plymouth Belvedere II |
| Color: | F7 Forest Green, black interior |
| Engine: | 426 Hemi, factory block, heads, internals, dual-quad intake, Carter AFB carburetors, exhaust manifolds |
| Transmission: | A833 manual transmission, Inland shifter |
| Suspension: | Power assisted front disc brakes, rear drums, Police Handling package including heavy duty anti-sway bar, torsion bars, leaf springs |
| Rearend: | Dana 60, Sure Grip with 3.55 gears, factory axles |
| Wheels/Tires: | Magnum 500 14x6 rims, factory equipped redline tires |
| Quarter-Mile: | N/A |