The Polaris Drag Team purchased the car new for professional drag racing in 1970 and campaigned it from 1971 through 1973. The Polaris Drag Team repeatedly won best appearance awards at the largest drag races in the world for all classes of cars.
The car features its original acid dipped sheet metal, as well as its original roll cage and Logghe chassis with 4-wheel Hurst Airheart disc brakes, Logghe coil over shocks and tin work by Al Bergler. It ran Gapp & Roush Boss 429 engines, B and M clutched C-6 and Chrysler 4-speed transmissions, and a Dana 60 rear end which is still under the car.
Found on
https://www.facebook.com/groups/getting.there/ now being restored in Richmond Indiana according to
http://public.fotki.com/VincePutt/semi_truck_shows_/ford-race-car-haulers/viewcomments.htmlthough there do not seem to be any photos that Google can find (frustrating) I accidentally stumble across some info:
Found on
http://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=53339.80;wap2:
It seems Jack Roush was involved with Andy Plym and Polaris from start to finish.
Andy was originally racing a Boss 302 with Bill "Butch" Reeves in 1969-70. They came into contact with Roush, who showed them one of the Ford Drag Team cars and truck combos. Andy liked it, and Roush recommended he change over to a 428 SCJ coupe with an automatic. Andy didn't think he could find one, but Roush knew of one in Chicago, and Andy personally picked it up.
Andy's story about the truck and trailer turning up in Chicago in the early 1990's is 100% true and that he almost bought it and reunited it with the car, but that the same forces which shut down Polaris in 1974 prevented the reunion.
Roush went on to build Boss 429 hi-port motors for Polaris. Paul Bedoian told me that he was told that Polaris learned of him while sitting in Roush's shop waiting for a business meeting. There was a copy of National Dragster sitting on the table and Polaris read about Bedoian in it and flew out to meet him the next day. Larry Mihalek, team captain for Polaris, also designed the two plug per cylinder Boss 429 heads Gapp and Roush would later build.
Bob Glidden bought ten Polaris Boss 429 motors from Andy Plym when Glidden started racing those motors. Andy spent $500,000.00 per year on Polaris and that the real reason it was shut down was that it was just then becoming successful and could no longer be used as a tax right off. Andy and Co. tried to purchase it from Polaris Racing, Inc. and keep the team going,
the following is found on
http://www.leaderpub.com/2011/10/16/niles-polaris-drag-team/While the success of the Polaris Drag Team rose and fell over the years, the late Andy Plym, a resident of Niles, and a Vietnam veteran, considered it to be his life.
Plym, a truck driver, and his friends developed the idea of building a car in his garage located in Niles and forming a team while at a drag race in Martin.
It was not an easy task for what would become the Polaris Drag Team, but many friends and soon-to-be friends stepped up. Soon a red, white and blue color scheme was devised with a logo called “Uncle Sam” for the Ford Mustang. Once they found a way to haul the car from place to place, the little-known team hit the road. Printed brochures helped members get the Polaris name into fans’ hands.
The crew, which included Plym, Wayne Vangilder, Larry Mihalek, Jerry Baker and Bill Reeves, started in a super stock style of racing. The team’s endeavors were successful, and it once used a Boss 302 engine in the late-1960s.
Plym had a bigger and better vision: a Boss 429 engine. Once that was installed, the team saw more success in the super stock-style of racing. Later, the team moved into the pro stock division. Success resulted in disagreement and separation. Plym wanted an even bigger engine with a horsepower of 800, but his team members thought that would be too big.
The Polaris Drag Team began its descent, and soon, some were calling for drag racing to shut down. After seeing such great success, Plym’s dream was crushed. Chris Bjerknes, a Niles resident, recently purchased the car.
photos from
https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail.cfm?lot_id=DA0914-193505In late 1968 after returning from Vietnam, Andy Plym of Niles, Michigan caught the drag racing bug, and soon after purchased a Boss 302 Mustang.
Having limited success he turned to Gapp and Roush Racing of Livonia, Michigan for advice. They suggested a 428 1970 Mustang coupe. This was the start of the Polaris Drag Team.
Team members included Larry Mihaleil, Jerry Baker, Wayne Van Gilder, Bill Reeves, and Andy Plym. They went with a Red, White and Blue patriotic theme called the “American Way”.
Super stock racing was very successful to the Polaris Drag Team. So they decided to add a Pro Stock car to their efforts. With the expertise of Larry Mihalek and his connections with the Ford Drag Team, they selected a new 1971 Fastback Mustang.
It was a plain Jane, Grabber Blue, 6 cylinder, 3-speed, sportsroof, VIN 1F02L135858. The 1971 Mustang car was immediately cut apart at the dealership, and hauled to California for acid dipping. It was next taken to the Logghe Brothers Shop for tin, brakes and chassis work. They chose a Gapp and Roush raised port Boss 429 engine backed by a BandM clutch and a C6 transmission.
These were all first for Pro Stock. A Dana 60 with 4:88 gear ratio was used. The body is currently restored to the same red, white, and blue Polaris Drag Team colors, including the unique red, white and blue interior – seats, door panels and carpet.
This car was raced Nationwide along with the Super Stock car, winning many awards including the Best Appearing Crew Award in Indianapolis in 1972 and 1973.
This was on Ebay in Sept 2014, didn't sell at 70 thou. When at Mecum, I think I read it didn't sell due to the reserve being too high. It simply cost too much to restore than anyone wanted to buy it for, foiling someones plan to fix it and sell it for profit.
