Ron LaVere Dodge Mirada stock car barn find

[Unocal76]

Haven't seen this posted anywhere outside of Facebook, so I'll share it here. Back in 2022, racing historian and collector Chad Culver found a Dodge Mirada stock car sitting in a barn in Harrington, DE before he saved it and brought it to his museum. It was to be driven by Ron LaVere in the NASCAR Busch Series, but the team ran out of funding before it hit the track. A really noteworthy find, as I believe this is one of only two surviving Dodge Mirada NASCAR stock cars, the other being Nick Fornoro Jr.'s Mirada located at the Memory Lane Auto Museum in Mooresville, NC. I contacted Chad in 2022 and he sent me some more photos of the car after it was cleaned, which I have attached here. Chad's website has a full write-up about the car here: Richard Petty Kit Car Barn Find

 

[AMC Diplomat]

So it's one of these? https://www.motortrend.com/news/inside-the-rarely-seen-mopar-petty-enterprises-kit-race-car/

 

[Unocal76]

So it's one of these? https://www.motortrend.com/news/inside-the-rarely-seen-mopar-petty-enterprises-kit-race-car/

Yep, just with a Mirada body on it.

 

[8T2TOP]

A J body non cracked windshield is rare enough,when did they switch to plastic,lexan windshield?

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

I tell ya: I love my Dippy Coupe, but the Mirada in a race car finish has always (to me) looked bloody "meant to go fast"!!!

 

[Lightning II]

A J body non cracked windshield is rare enough,when did they switch to plastic,lexan windshield?

Around the early 1990’s if I remember right