Brock Yates was nothing if not rebellious. This character trait lead him to create the greatest outlaw road race ever in response to the malaise era of gas lines, fuel economy and safety Nazis. The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, more commonly known as the Cannonball Run, was a high speed dash across the United States that had just one rule: there are no rules. Yates ran this event himself in a string of memorable vehicles, one of which was a Dodge Challenger modified by NASCAR legend Cotton Owens. While the original car shows no sign of ever being for sale, this 1973 Challenger has the potential to be an awesome tribute car. Found on eBay in Desoto, Kansas with a current bid of $3,050, there will be money left over to add a plethora of go-fast goodies to the build.
Yates made a trial run piloting a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsvan that was affectionately named “Moon Trash.” The first official race found him winning in a Penske Blue Ferrari Daytona coupe with Dan Gurney as a co-driver. For the second official race, Yates secured a 1972 Dodge Challenger from the Chrysler Corporation press fleet. This car was transported to the Spartanburg, South Carolina shops of NASCAR mechanic Cotton Owens. Owens basically built up a modern day whiskey hauler, with a beefed up suspension, powerful engine, roll bar, front and rear spoilers, brake modifications, additional gauges, dinner plate sized Cibie driving lights, and a cavernous auxillary gas tank instead of whiskey jugs. The car was a beast, but navigation errors and bad luck kept Yates from winning that year.
Yates and the Challenger were back for more in 1975. The Challenger was worked over again, this time by fabricator Ron Nash. Nash further refined the suspension and brakes, and added headers and better tires. Once again, bad luck played a role. Hiding from the cops for about a half an hour didn’t help either. Yates placed third in the race. This was the last time the car competed, but Yates kept it until his passing from complications from Alzheimer’s. A sad end to a proud lion.
Having seen the original car at the Amelia Island Cannonball Run reunion in 2011, I was struck by just how purpose built and mean the car looked. It was basically a ’70s era stock car with lights and a tag. As it is with all of us with more projects than brains or money, I always wanted to build a similar brute of a Challenger. While my current projects will take me twenty years after my passing to complete, I hope that one of you readers will be inspired by my dream and take a look at this rough but buildable Challenger. It is just ragged and incomplete enough to modify without feelings of guilt, but solid enough to make a good foundation.
This Challenger needs a lot of work to get there. The paint job is atrocious, and the interior is in tatters. The floor and rear rails need some rust work, but the front torque boxes are good to go. The seller tells us that all of the missing glass, parts, and trim are present in the trunk. Have you ever seen inside a Challenger trunk? If so, then you would have a hard time believing the claim. At any rate, the basic parts are promised to be there to work with.
The eBay ad states that the engine is a 5.2 liter V-8, which is likely a version of the ubiquitous 318 cubic inch engine that powered so many Chrysler products over the years. Yates’s Challenger supposedly packed a 340, but I have also seen accounts that it packed a 383 under the hood. At any rate, the 318 would have to go. With all of the interest in swapping modern, more efficient engines into muscle cars, the auto parts section of craigslist is filled with big inch V-8s from the muscle car era. A little patience and some folding money might find you a 440 block to build up for power. From there, I would ditch the Torque Flight automatic in this one for a Tremec six speed from Silver Sport Transmissions. The Cannonball Challenger supposedly topped out at 130 MPH. With a modern six speed with a high sixth gear you could surely expect 150+ mph if the right amount of horsepower were there.
Not that we would encourage you to drive over the speed limit. That would be wrong. It just seems that an updated version of the Cannonball Challenger would be a cool beast to have lurking in your garage. Although we will likely never see another authentic Cannonball Run in our lifetimes, I think Brock Yates would approve of a little rebellion every time you mashed the go pedal in your own interpretation of his Challenger. He wasn’t much of a rule follower, and neither should you be.
I knew Brock and he was a special kind of cool. He is missed!
I knew Brock as well. He had a house in Warsaw Ny. My hometown. Always wondered when Burt would come to visit. But every time I saw a convoy of sheriffs headed from Walmart to Wyoming Ny I assumed that’s when Burt was in town.
For a Mopar the price so far is cheap until you start restoring this beast.
Interesting info about the Cannonball race and a little about the Yates Challenger on the web. Interesting car to say the least. Was the movie the Gumball Rally also about this race? Liked that one back when I was a kid, mainly because of the Cobra.
Gumball Rally was basically a rip-off of the Cannonball Run movie. IIRC the Cobra was a replica, but maybe not. There was a actual Gumball Rally, and events continue to be held, including the Gumball 3000 in Europe.
The Gumball Rally movie came out 5 years before Cannonball Run. And was a better movie.
In 1976 there were two movies, the whacky fun hearted Gumball Rally and the more violent gritty movie simply called Cannonball, which was still kinda wacky, I remember that had David Caridene in the lead role driving some red trans am. Cannonball Run didn’t come out till the early eighties. I always figured Gumball was based on some sort of race.
I’d use a Cummins 2.8 turbo diesel, stack through the hood, 150 gallon fuel cell, cooler full of energy drinks, condom cath and a diaper. You’d never have to stop.
Gray and rainy this Sunday morning in Maryland outside of DC. I was waiting at a left turn arrow signal on red, to cross four oncoming boulevard lanes. Traffic was sparse, and a lone vehicle coming at me in the opposing left turn lane had his green arrow. First glance I thought it was a new Challenger but no, it was an early 70s Challenger in original trim, looking spotless. The guy went for a U turn and I laughed when, even though he was babying it around, the rears lost grip on the wet blacktop and he managed to stop it at 90 degrees then crank the wheel back and head down the road.
I haven’t seen that car around, and wondered is someone was taking a test drive on a Sunday morning of a sweet find in some garage. Tan, no vinyl top, I think the cool looking hood with the sort of lateral vents, dual exhaust, nice original wheels. Unmolested. Then when I get home from the soccer match I was coming from, hot shower behind me and coffee in front of me, I click on Barnfinds to see what is new and this car looks like a deteriorated version of what I had just seen. Cool.
Fun to read the Cannonball Run thoughts, and hear from people who knew Brock Yates. I was a circulation department flunky in a first job in NYC at Car & Driver’s publisher, so maybe I rode an elevator with him. Great idea for someone to make this the tribute as discussed.
Nothing wrong with the 318 ,can be made to have plenty of power .Hi
These were wonderful cruisers with the 318, more then enough power to get you anywhere you need to be, plus a small block will run circles around a big block in the twists and, it get twice the gas mileage doing it too. That is why the 318 was the standard V8, it just made sense. This car with the 318, a 323 rear end and maybe a 4 speed, would be perfection. A car you could take cross the country on a trip (esp if fitted with air and a decent stereo set up). My insurance man thought my 318 was a far better choice then the big blocks, esp when I was young, and that was a blessing to my wallet along with more MPG at the pump. Remember the dark days when gas went from 50 cents to a buck a gallon and we all cried out in anguish? I recall seeing rare muscle cars in the backs of lots unsold at even give away prices, usually traded in for a sub compact four cylinder. In those days, my 318s kept me sane, if I had a 383, not sure what I would have done.
I met Mr.Yates at a book signing here in Rochester. I don’t think he would care too much for this example.
As I have said before, and Mr. Holt agrees, nothing wrong with a 318 very reliable engine, also bore and stroke, better than 360. Personally 7000 is a little too much considering condition
Troy, the Gumball Rally film was inspired by the Cannonball, but lacked the panache of the real event.
My favourite line from the Memorial Trophy Dash relates to the Ferrari Daytona: “We never got a mile over 172…” Reported top speed for the GTB4 coupe was 173 – LOL!
The original run in the van was to see how quickly one could get from coast-to-coast.
You guys should also google Cannonball Baker…
If you watch “Chasing Classic Cars,” you can sometimes spot Yates’ Challenger in the background in Wayne Carini’s storage facility.
The price seems high for a car that needs everything, but I guess the market will be the final judge.
You guys got me so curious about Brock’s Challenger, I looked it up and yes, that is one mean looking animal. Loved it. This one here is so far away from Brock’s, but if I bought it, I would have to leave that eyeball thingy on there!
Regarding tribute cannonball run cars….this one is more my speed….
My wife always says it’s for sale.
Is that the car Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis drove into a pool?
Not THE car but a tribute car.
I bought a 73 Challenger …318 3 speed in the floor…no power…no A/C new in the Summer 0f 1973…$3000 out the door…Yellow with a black vinyl interior. The car ran great and got me thru the gas crisis in ’73 & ’74. I put twin exhaust with glass packs on it and got consistently 25 MPG running 60~65 on the highway (speed limit was 55…remember). My car had mid 3:1 gears and would run 125~130 top end…best 1/4 mile I saw was around 14.0 and 90 MPH. I moved to South Florida in 76 and traded it on a new ’77 Z/28 4 speed with A/C. Wish I still had both of those cars !!
I bought a 29k actual mile, one owner 74 Challenger in 1978, 318/auto; I proceeded to add factory exhaust tips for the duals, rallye cluster dash, “pop” top gas cap cover, scooped hood, and a T/A spoiler. Stripped off the vinyl top, and changed the color from honey beige to bright blue metallic…..40 years later, I STILL own it…w/ 69k miles on it! I’m gonna have to scan my photos into the digital age!! :-)