Darrel Arment Photography

My current automotive project is a big one. I have the 1983 Chrysler Imperial that was Shirley Muldowney's corporate car when she was factory-backed. I am in the process of implanting a Dodge truck V10 engine and AOD transmission in a space presently occupied by the 318 smog engine and three speed TorquFlite trans. The first step in the process was to find a donor chassis so I could make all my fabrication changes without disturbing the original car. My friend Larry Pontnak, owner of Mo-Par City in Oregon IL, supplied the entire front 1/3 of an 83 Imperial for mock-up purposes and has also contributed heavily to other modifications, like the creation of a custom oil pan and pickup tube. He also helps with misc parts aquisitions.

Tim Strange at Strange Motion Rod & Custom in Cambridge IL fabricated the one-off rack mount and modified the K-Member to fit the combination. Now it's time to get busy replacing all the frontend components with new bushings, joints and a pair of Magnum Force tublar A-Arms. Then I installed the big rotor/six piston caliper Wilwood disc brakes. At present all of the front suspension components have been freshened with new bushiings and ball joints and a larger diameter anti-sway bar added. The components have been powder coated or painted and joined to the K-Member forming a completed subassembly. I also have all the engine parts that aren't going to be painted powder coated and put back in place and a new cam shaft has been istalled to gain a bit of power. Then I set everything back into the K- menber and fitted it to the donor chassis so that the radiator cables and hoses could be installed.

With all of the mockup work out of the way it was time for Strange Motion Rod and Custom to get involved again. Now the car is in their hands and the final engine transfer is being made. At this point the engine compartment has been stripped of wiring and paint and is ready for a fresh coat of black paint and the V10 engine with an AOD transmission. It looks like the rebuild is well on its way. When the engine was installed in the car we found that it would be necessary to raise the center portion of the hood 1 3/4" to clear the intake. The metal work and finish bodywork have been completed at this time.

In order to get the car to sit right it was necessary to have Eaton custom build a pair of rear springs that would lower the car a full two inches, then to keep the handling extra crisp A custom 1" inch anti sway bar replaces the original 5/8" piece. Of course one thing always leads to another and when the springs were in place and a large diameter wheel/tire combination were bolted in on the assembly, it looked wrong in the wheel opening. So the entire assembly had to be moved back 7/8" so that it would be properly centered in the opening.

******
The car is finally back in Missouri and is presently at Jim Montgomery's shop in Cuba, MO where the final work will be completed. Things are kind of up-in-the-air right now about what path to take. This project started ten years ago and a lot of technology has come our way in that time. There are tubing K-members, and much better engine and transmissin combinations available so we are in the middle of some rather large decisions. What I really want is a nice high-speed touring car that has sharp, crisp handling and ample power. When we get it all figured out, I'll put a new paragraph in here and let you know where we're headed.

I have been doing freelance automotive writing and photography for 15 years now. Some of the magazines that you will find my work in recently are: Street Rodder, Kit Car, Vette, and Classic Trucks. These are all Primedia publications,but occasionally you will see my articles and photographs elsewhere too. Recently some of my photographs were used in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art book that corresponded with their Made in California exhibit. I also have contributed several photographs to Pat Ganahl's book entitled The American Custom Car.

I started this second career by working exclusively for MoPerformance Magazine, now called Chrysler Car Enthusiast. After two years learning the ropes there, an old friend of mine named Doug Marion, then editor of Popular Hot Rodding magazine, published some of my work - which got me started with Argus Publications - which would eventully become Primedia. Incidently, my friendship with Doug began in 1979 when he shot and featured my 68 Plymouth and my 68 Dodge racecar in Popular Hot Rodding.

Cars have been my abiding interest from Day 1. As a kid in the 50's I had a smorgasbord of beautiful (and some say outlandish) cars to grow up around in central Iowa. I went from teenage street racing with my 55 Chevy in the 1960's to organized drag racing in the 1970's and 80's. I raced hard for five years, ran out of money and walked away far better for the experience.


In the late 80's I started laying the foundation for my magazine work and by 1990 was busy cranking out articles from my home base in St.Louis, MO. I cover several major events in the Midwest each season in addition to a lot of the smaller events in the St. Louis metro area. Then there are the occasional road trips that offer something very special at the end of an extended drive/flight.



CURRENT ARTICLES IN PUBLICATION ARE:




Currently on the bookstore shelves is a new book from the editors of Consumer Guide entitiled HOT ROD & CUSTOM CHRONICLE by Thom Taylor. I contributed photos of eleven different 50's customs for the effort and was thrilled to see the quality of the full-sized hard bound book. Some of the photos I contributed were brand new pics taken speciifically for the book and some were from my files. I think any hot rod or custom car enthusiast would love to own this book.

Also re-issued in soft back for your consideration is Pat Ganahal's "The American Custom Car." This release of the soft back has a cover photo shot by me several years ago. That cover pic is the Barris-built Rev. Ernst Chevy owned by Burns Berryman.


February 2008 in MUSTANG & FORDS I have an article entitled Attention Getter. This beautiful 66 Mustang fastback is owned by Texan Christian Yarsabal who is currently working security in Iraq. It was Christian's 25 birthday present to himself. The car was finished by Showcase Custom Auto in St Louis MO for Matt Nieters. Christian snapped up this green beauty and anxious to get home to it.

In the April/May 2008 MOPAR ENTHUSIAST you will find my article and pictorial coverage of Monster Mopar Weekend 2007. The three day event was held at Gateway Internation Raceway outside of St Louis, MO last September.

Last year's Goodguys Custom of the Year is the subject of my article entitled "Elegance Under Glass" that appears in the June 2008 issue of STREET RODDER. The car started as a limited-production Minotti 37 Ford coupe. The two toned coupe is a streamlined, elegant, luxurious, fun to drive winner owned by Doug Hoppe.

Just out is the June/July issue of MOPAR ENTHUSIAST with my coverage of the invitation-only 3rd Annual Super Stock & A/FX Racer Reunion. Held at Greg Mosley's Plymouth-Dodge Collector Car Museum in Moline, IL last summer, this reunion seems to grow in both the quality of interesting old race cars and the personalities they attract. The event and racer interviews were preserved on video by a crew from the JR Thompson ad agency, led by Clay Thompson. Lots of pictures in this article, a must-see if you are interested in these treasured 60's race cars.

The August 08 issue of CAR KULTURE DELUXE features my pictures and article on Larry Watson's 58 Thunderbird owned by Jack Walker. The Watson Thunderbird changed the face of customs in the 50's with the use of paint rather than with body modifications. This is truly an eye-catching set of pics.

More T'birds - The August 08 issue of MODIFIED MUSTANGS AND FORDS features my article on Jim & Diane Hatcher's 56 entitled "Boosted Flight." The title refers to a mild custom with a Supercharged engine. The Hatchers have produced a string of great cars and this one is as good as it gets.