As the popularity of performance cars grew in the early 1960s, Detroit automakers started battling for supremacy at the drag strip with factory specials. The cars looked like common street vehicles, but they came with drag-prepped upgrades under the shell. It's around this time that Ed Miller became a drag racing legend.
It was 1967 when the NHRA created the Super Stock category. Unlike Stock Eliminator, Super Stock allowed more upgrades under the hood and the use of wider tires for better traction. The class was supposed to give Detroit automakers a place to showcase their latest muscle cars and the inaugural season came with a massive prize for the champion. The winner would get a whopping $10,000, about half the price of an average home at the time. As a result, the Super Stock championship America's best drag racers line up at the Christmas tree. And many of them drove the latest factory dragsters made by Ford, GM, and Mopar. Miller, on the other hand, joined the series with a two-year-old, 1965 Plymouth Belvedere A990. And much to everyone's surprise, he won the championship and set a few speed records on his way to the finals. He would soon become one of the top sponsored Mopar team racers. He ran a dealership performance program and drove Barracudas, Dusters, and Challengers to glory in various drag racing classes. Now a retired legend, Miller still runs his old speed shop, which is packed with classic Mopars, dragsters, car parts, and a few race-spec Hemi engines. It's the perfect place to be if you're into old, track-prepped Dodges and Plymouths and thanks to YouTube's “Poor Boys Garage,” we can take a virtual tour of the shop. A time capsule that looks a lot like it did back when Ed was still racing, the shop is home to quite a few Mopars from the 1960s. While some are regular muscle cars that have been stripped for parts, others are full-blown dragsters that have been retired decades ago. But there's also a Hemi-powered Plymouth Duster that looks like it could run the quarter-mile at any given time. Unlike most cars parked in the yard, the Duster has been stored inside and appears to be in excellent condition. The race-spec Hemi is sparkling clean, one of the most beautiful gas-guzzlers I've seen in a long time. And check out the yellow 1969 Road Runner dragster with the large “beep beep” decals. It looks as if it's been sitting for a long time, but it still runs. Go to the 20-minute mark and you'll see it being dragged out of its resting place, washed, and parked inside a garage. Under its own power! So are any of these cars for sale? I have no idea, but it seems that Bradley was able to rescue a 1964 Plymouth Savoy drag car. Based on what he said in the comments, we will see it on his channel soon. Until that happens, take an exclusive and exciting tour of Ed Miller's shop. It's one click away in the video below.
Keyword: Ed Miller's Old Speed Shop Is Mopar Heaven, Packed With Hemi Cars and Engines