The Charger would consistently produce mid-11 times without fail, giving new-found credibility to the Hemi-powered B-Body. Ed's only alteration to the Dick Landy car was taking red paint and blocking out the famous racer's name on the doors (though keeping the DLI decals on the fenders). These cars were easily exchanged, sold, and junked during those years because of their overabundance and over consumption of an ever-decreasing commodity: gasoline.
A hair above 27 miles showing...
A hair above 27 miles showing on the odometer is pretty impressive. But the skeptic in us surmises the odometer was disconnected with the first drivetrain swap some time after Landy's first season with the Charger.
Ed sold the Charger to a gentleman by the name of Willie Turner in 1974. He would keep the car until 1979 when health issues would ground any further race participation. During the five years Willie owned the Charger, a few alterations were made. Wanting to participate in dual classes, a factory clutch pedal assembly would be installed under the dash, while the linkage to the column-mounted automatic shifter would be disconnected and mated to an aftermarket Hurst Dual-Gate shifter. It is presumed that the Charger would bounce between SS/E and SS/EA brackets, swapping the automatic with a manual transmission regularly.
Willie sold the Charger to a young Ron Sites in early 1979. Ron had an interest in racing and had spent some of his hard-earned money for a complete Hemi that was machined and ready for assembly, but was never bolted together. Ron planned to build it for some aggressive street and regular drag racing action, and while looking for an ideal platform to do so, Ron discovered the Charger sitting in a parking lot of an apartment. Ron made several attempts to purchase the car, not fully understanding the impact of what a Dick Landy-built Hemi car was at the time. A deal was agreed upon and the Charger was taken home. he intended remove the replacement 440 (Willie proclaimed that the wedge was far less bothersome than the unusual 426 and kept the elephant for himself), and restore the B-Body to its stock appearance.
Missing the original Hemi...
Missing the original Hemi raced by Dick Landy, Sam Punnuty, and finally Eddie Thomas, the Charger needed to be maneuvered under manpower (though we all know that race cars went through engine blocks like gym socks). Currently, a 440 sits between the fenders.
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your perspective, a series of events would interfere with his plans. Ron and his wife Rose had recently started their own business, an endeavor that would eat up most of their time. Years later during a move, the Charger's bumper and hood would be damaged during a towing accident. The thin skin of the Charger exaggerated the injury, making the crunch look far worse than it truly was. Soon children came, and the family's needs took precedence over restoring an aging musclecar. The Charger continued to sit idle for 27 years, collecting dust, and taking up space in their side garage. It wasn't until May of this year when Ron posted a couple pictures of the forgotten DLI Charger on dodgecharger.com that word got out about the "lost Landy Charger." The discussion board was afire with people downloading Ron's images, making comments, posting ancient articles about the '70 B-Body, and ecstatic to see the car. Ron unwittingly deployed one of the biggest bombs to the Mopar enthusiast hobby via an online chat forum.
Here you can see one of the...
Here you can see one of the results of drastic weight reductions rendered by aggressive acid dipping.
It was decided that Ron needed to take the Charger to the '06 Chryslers at Carlisle show to see if he could get Dick Landy to authenticate the car personally. Ron had called Landy twice, wanting to pump the aging Mopar guru for information to confirm that his car was a true "Dandy Dodge." At first, Dick first argued that he never raced a '70 Charger, but with some pictures and photocopied magazine articles, his memory was quickly jostled. Dick admitted that "he had so many cars in those days that it was hard to keep count." Dick met with Ron and Rose at the Chryslers at Carlisle show and gave the Charger the "once over." Slowly, he grazed his hands over nearly every inch of the B-Body, observing the alterations made to the rear suspension, the interior, the painted-over markings, the wounded front clip, and came up with the assessment that "it looked like one of his cars," and finally gave Ron the affirmation that, yes, it was indeed his long-lost '70 Charger.
Since that time, Ron has had several offers from people wanting to get their hands on the legendary Landy machine. Ron and Rose demanded that whoever purchased the Landy Charger needed to properly restore the car back to the way it was when Dick owned it, and Bob Lambeck drove it in the '70 Pro Stock season. And trust us, Mopar Muscle will be there to cover it as it happens.
 These were the Goodyear slicks...  These were the Goodyear slicks that came with the car when it was purchased from Willie Turner in 1979. The Cragars were part of the Landy look and were one of the first things bolted onto the Charger. |  The Super Stock B-Body was...  The Super Stock B-Body was gently rolled out onto the showgrounds for only a short time before the curious began to congregate. |  It's hard to believe that...  It's hard to believe that a race car would still have a backseat in it, but sure enough, here it is. Rose and Ron took a rag and some vinyl cleaner to the seat to show the immaculate condition that it's still in. |
 The Charger's long lines looked...  The Charger's long lines looked fast and seductive, but were anything but at the race track. The recessed buttressed window, shovel-like grille, and concave rear fascia caused more drag at high speeds, causing drastic changes that resulted in the Daytona. |  The interior is all but perfect,...  The interior is all but perfect, with the high-back '70 buckets, black carpet, and headliner. Restoration for the interior ought to prove to be the easiest part of the impending resurrection. |  For nearly three decades,...  For nearly three decades, this is how the Landy Charger looked, nestled away in the Sites' garage. Ron and Rose had the foresight to hide the Charger from the elements in their small garage. Even though it took up space, and Ron was never able to carry out his plan of building a serious Hemi-powered Charger, they never parted with it. |