1971 Dodge Demon

BEING SOLD WITH TITLE



The story: Bill Creech grew up in Southern California and was privileged enough to have a hot rod / drag racing dad, be in the absolute pinnacle of nitro funny cars (the early 1970s), and live close enough to OCIR (Orange County International Raceway) at the time the super track of its day and host of the most badass funny car events you ever dreamed of the Manufacturers Meet being the main one. 200 nitro funny cars on the property with 64 qualifying to represent their respective factory teams. This was the time of: Mongoose vs Snake, Jungle Jim vs The Snowman, the Lil Demon vs the Blue Max, The Revellution Demon vs The Chitown Hustler it was a spectacle, it was an event, it sounded like you were going to a monster movie. And when you arrived and walked in the pits you were not disappointed insane paint jobs, wild characters, and loud cars. Add in the brand wars: Dodge vs Chevy, Ford vs Plymouth it became even more crazy and filled with excitement. Everyone was in and everyone went. To Bill these are the critical missing components in drag racing today. Nobody cares about the Matco Tools funny car vs the Peak Antifreeze funny car, one bubble car vs another bubble car boring and fan attendance reflects it. None of those exist in drag racing anymore it has gone corporate and therefore bland and uninteresting. Racers have lost the plot as they are purely focused on winning rather than understanding that without fans, there is no racing at all. With that in mind,Bill set out to create a car that would time warp people straight back to 1972. A loud car that shakes like a Southern California Earthquake, a name and character that make you want to see what it is, a paint-scheme that will keep your eyes glued to it, and burnouts that will make you think he is violating at least a dozen EPA regulations. Bill always loved the lines of the Dodge Demon. Add in that most people collect Dodges not race them, and add in that Demons were only produced for two years combining that with one of my favorite cars Pete Everetts Lil Demon and that became my target. Bill purchased the Demon in Ohio and brought it to California. he began getting it to be more of my style and once he was satisfied with how she ran, he contacted Bill Everett (Petes son) who enthusiastically gave Bill permission to use the Lil Demon namesake. Then he took her to Riverside California to Richard McPeak one of the most well-known hot rod and race car graphics painters of the 70s who just so happened to have painted his dads hot rod / race car (1970 Dodge Charger R/T Magnum Force).  Taking his input of all of my favorite funny cars, Bill gave Richard a sketch of what he thought it should look like. He gave him a look, and told him to throw that away and just let him do his thing he kept Bills pics of the original funny cars. A week later Lil Demon rolled out of his paint booth in November 2007. Three days later she was drawing massive amounts of attention at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma CA and the attention never left her. The only change I would make to the car would be to remove the modern contingency decals and replace them with 1971 decals (whether the parts are actually on the car or not).



The Facts



Vehicle: 1971 Dodge Demon H Code car. Originally 340 4-Speed Plum Crazy Purple. This is an H code car the rarest of the Dodge Demons. Ive owned the car for 16 yearsNamesake: Pete Everetts Lil Demon early 1970s Dodge Demon nitro funny car (AA/FC) competing in Division 7 NHRA AHRA, and Match Racing predominantly in the western US. The Lil Demon name is used with the late Pete Everetts son (Bill Everetts) blessing.Racing Heritage: NHRA Division 7 Summit Series (Bracket), Heritage Series (C/Gas), West Coast Pro Gas (C/Gas), and special eventsSpecial Events: Funny Car Fever, Fox Hunt, Pinks All Out (television show)(picked a different class for airing so car did not appear on show), Team Sacramento RacewayAlways a fan and announce favoriteWon Best of Show in 2011 at a car showPerformance: The car runs very consistent low 9.4X ETs in the mile. It has run a best of 9.31 @149MPH. It is capable of running in the low 9.20s or high 9.10s with additional tuning (combo only has 10 or so passes on it still sorting out shock and 4-Link settings when parked). With the bigger cam and some weight loss (factory glass, door panels, etc) it should be an 8.80 carMedia: The Lil Demon is ALWAYS a fan, announcer, and media favorite. The paint scheme and loud snapping-popping engine with big smokey burnouts drag fans instantly back to the early 1970s era of drag racing when cars were named after characters and the drivers took on that persona the event wasnt just about the competition it was also about the thrill for the fans and Lil Demon always deliveredThe car has appeared in National Dragster and many online hot rod and racing oriented publicationsIt repeatedly shows up in current posts and blogs about the best looking Demon ever and the likePaint Scheme:Unique to this car, the paint scheme is a combination of most of my favorite funny cars from the early 1970s at the fabled OCIR (Orange County International Raceway)Conceived and painted by Richard McPeak in Riverside CA. McPeak is one of the foremost hot rod and race car painters in Southern California in the heyday of drag racing. He painted my dads race car (1970 R/T Charger locally known as Magnum Force) in the early 70s. In 2007 I had him paint my Demon in the same paint booth that he painted my dads car inThe scheme uses nearly every 70s painting technique: Flames, pinstripes, lettering, feathering, pearl, stripes, panels.Breakdown: As mentioned the paint scheme is unique to me, but is a culmination of my favorite cars from my childhood at the drag strip.The flames over the top (not down the sides) are from the Mongoose II and Snake II funny cars driven by Tom McEwen and Don Prudhomme respectively.The yellow and horizontal stripes are from the Stardust funny car driven by Don SchumacherThe Lil Demon name is from the Lil Demon funny car owned by Pete Everett. NOTE: Pete passed away before I could locate him, but his son Bill Everett gave me permission to use the name on the side of the car and was thrilled that someone so vividly remembered his dads car and that the name would once again be terrorizing opponents and thrilling fansThe unique spelling of Lil rather than the more proper Lil or Lil is unique to the Lil Demon funny car and this carThe blue color in the flames and panel outline are from multiple funny cars: The Jungle Jim Vega driven by the late Jim Lieberman, The Blue Max driven by Raymond Beadle, the Mongoose II driven by Tom McEwen, Don Cooks Damn Yankee and The Snowman driven by Gene SnowThe lettering style and coloring  is from the Dunn & Reath funny car driven by Jim DunnThe gold leaf with outline on the window lettering and numbering is from The Blue Max, the Damn Yankee, and Jungle Jim Vega funny cars



Engine:400 ci Low Deck Mopar (stronger block than a 440) filled and hardened511 cubic inches professionally built by Muscle MotorsIndy Cylinder Head 440-1 heads CNC ported and polishedIndy Tunnel RamTwin Holley 1050 Dominator carburetors tuned and flowed by Jessie BiggsCompetition Cams .727 lift cam (baby cam for the combo)Competition Cams triple spring valve springsTD 1.5 rocker armsOverhead oilingTTi ceramic coated headersMoroso electric water pump and vacuum pumpMSD Pro Billet digital distributorMSD Digital 6 ignition with two step and rev limiterEagle crankRoss PistonsRNR Aluminum rodsCharlies 10qt dragster panSpecs: HP: 860+/-, Compression 15.8:1Transmission:Chrysler 727 Torqueflight 3 speedPro Trans internalsSteve Griner Valve body and trans brakeLow band applyATi torque converter w/ 5600 stallRear Differential:Dana 60 shortenedMoser axlesRichmond gears 4.56:1 and spool1350 U-jointsDrive shaft shortenedBrakes:4 wheel discFront: Aerospace engineeringRear: WilwoodWheels:Front: Weld Magnum Frontrunner (Sfi)Rear: Weld Magnum Pro  (SFi)Tires:Goodyear Racing EagleChassis:NHRA certified to 8.50 (currently out of date should recertify no problem) car (firewall rearward) square tube race frame mild steelAlston Chassis works Four Link16 pt cage mild steel attached to chassis under the bodyFront stiffeners chromolyChassis built by Winning Way ChassisInterior:Kirkey seatRJS  5 point beltRJS Safety netSafecraft Halon system (dual nozzle)Grant GT steering wheel with Moroso quick release collarPrecision Performance Products (PPP) shifter with line lock and transbraksSet at angle on pedestal for optimum shiftingAutometer Pro Comp and Sport Comp gauges: Fuel Pressure, RPM with Shift light and recall, Trans Temp, Oil Pressure, Water TempPainless Wiring Switch panel (wiring is Painless Wiring harness)Lights and blinkers workHelmet and steering wheel hooksParachute leverOriginal door panels windows workBody:1971 Dodge DemonAll factory steel except for fiberglass: front bumper, hood, rear deck lid, rear bumperMaster cutoff switch located on PASSENGER REAR bumper (Pull On/ Push Off per NHRA spec)All windows are factory original glass and workAll factory original chrome trim in placeFactory side mirror and door handles all present and functionalFactory lights all present and functional (including blinkers)Ed Quay custom full width adjustable rear aluminum wing (the first Demon with a full width wing others were 10 narrower as the wing was actually for a Dart)Weight 2960# without driverFluids:Radiator: WaterFuel: VP C16 or 115-117 octane equivalentOil: Racing oil weight based on conditions typically a 5/30, 10/30, 20/50 Brad Penn was preferredDifferential: 75/90 Brad Penn hypoid was preferred