Phoenix Karma
That’s not to say that the whereabouts of this elusive machine were a total secret. As with any well-kept secret, of course, some people are in the know. Two of these individuals were Dave Blake and Charlie Grant, both from Phoenix.
From the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, Dave Blake had the foresight to hunt out and buy as many Hemicuda and Challenger convertibles as possible, going so far as to place want ads in Hemmings Motor News. After years of hunting, Dave was eventually successful; by the mid-1980s he claimed five prized examples, including a 1970 Hemi Challenger convertible, three 1970 Hemicuda convertibles, and a 1971 Hemicuda convertible.
At the beginning of Dave’s mission, production totals were not publicly known, and hunting for cars nationwide was difficult. During these early efforts, Dave came to one critical realization: He knew these cars were far more rare than the general public thought, because try as he might, he simply couldn’t find one to buy.
This early effort led to an unbelievable chance meeting in Phoenix in 1977. On one side was Dave Blake, a young man actively scouring the nation for a Hemicuda convertible. And on the other side was Bill Graham, previous owner of one of these rare automobiles. These two guys were both street racers, and on this day they bumped into each other on the hot Phoenix asphalt. Car chatter ensued and eventually Dave brought up his quest for a Hemicuda convertible. Bill’s reply? “Oh, I used to own one of those.”
Dave was in shock. Could this be true? Or was this more bench-racing talk? Dave’s doubts forced Bill to prove his point. Bill sped off and shortly returned carrying an old insurance slip. Sure enough there it was, the magical BS27R1B VIN prefix along with serial number 337604 suffix proving the car’s existence. Dave had been unsuccessfully combing the world for one of these unicorns only to find out there was one right in his own backyard the whole time!
As a fun side note, this discussion led Dave and Bill to become friends, and Dave introduced Bill to his sister. So the car’s legacy laid the groundwork for them to become brothers-in-law.
A 30-Year Secret
Dave, now armed with the car’s VIN, went straight to the Phoenix DMV. This was 1977, before any privacy concerns, and for the princely sum of $2 Dave received a comprehensive printout detailing the car’s current ownership. The current owner was Charlie Grant, right there in Phoenix. What were the odds?
Turns out, Charlie had been the buyer of this ’Cuda just one year earlier, shortly after the Graham brothers had turned it down. Charlie had the original Hemi engine for the car, but it was damaged and sitting on a stand in his garage. The early years had not been kind, and after another year on the road under Charlie’s watch, the car was beginning to show its age. With only 20,000 miles showing on the odometer, Charlie placed the car into long-term hibernation in 1977, planning to restore it someday.
And of equal importance, Charlie was a very private individual and didn’t want anybody to know about his hidden treasure. But Dave Blake knew, and beginning in 1977, he tried for years to buy the car, to no avail. Still, this secret was safe. Charlie was extremely private, and Dave had nothing to gain by revealing this hidden treasure. This unspoken secret alliance lasted for nearly 30 years.
And a Revelation
During the spring of 2004, Dave and his father took their most prized possession, their 1971 Hemicuda convertible, to the Spring Fling car show in Van Nuys, California. Dave had been following the recent surge in prices and had already turned down huge offers for his car. But this day was different.
Two special people were in attendance, Bill Wiemann and Charlie Grant. Charlie had come to see what all this fuss was about, knowing that sitting in his garage was the “missing” car everybody was looking for. And Bill Wiemann? Well, at this time Bill was both a successful businessman and a Hemi convertible buyer extraordinaire, at this moment being the owner of 3 of the 12 1971 Hemicuda convertibles ever produced. And on this day, Bill had his sights set on Dave’s 1971, to add a fourth to his stable.
In exchange for Dave’s pinnacle car, and in full public display, Bill dropped the bomb. He offered Dave $2.5 million and a P-51 Mustang fighter plane. Dave and the rest of the world were floored, because at that very moment they had all just witnessed the price for these rare 1971 Hemicuda convertibles double yet again.
The Earth shook, and everybody felt it. Most important, onlooker Charlie Grant felt it, and Dave now knew that there was no way he would ever be able to buy Charlie’s car. Dave’s secret was no longer valuable, and it was finally time to let the rest of the world in on it. Dave politely rejected Bill’s offer, but as a consolation he told Bill his secret: the existence and whereabouts of the “missing” 1971.
As you can imagine, this sent Bill into a tizzy. Bill, like a bull in a China shop, stormed up to Charlie demanding answers. This strategy backfired, and a subdued Charlie flatly denied all existence of the car. But Bill now knew the truth, and acting like a rabid treasure hunter, he was not deterred. For the next year, Bill hounded Charlie, all to no avail. Bill even went so far as to do a property ownership search on Charlie, and then flew his private helicopter over Charlie’s properties trying to catch sight of this elusive machine. Charlie still kept quiet, to Bill’s frustration.
Lost No More
The day finally came in early 2006. Bill, also now living in Phoenix, had driven his fleet of Hemi ragtops to the local Pavillions car show. Charlie Grant was on site as well and saw how well Bill cared for his cars. Charlie also recognized that although he owned this fantastic vehicle he would not have the means to restore it with the care and attention it required. It was time.
Charlie met with Bill and told him that yes, he did in fact own the “missing” 1971, and it was at his shop in town. No time was wasted, a deal was struck, and the last of the U.S.–ordered Hemicuda convertibles finally returned to the public eye after 33 years of hibernation.
A few years earlier, I had purchased a different car from Bill Wiemann, and that transaction had gone smoothly by both parties, so I felt comfortable contacting him again.
Having owned the car only for a few weeks, Bill was understandably still riding the high because of his new find, but he could be persuaded. He had agreed to publicly debut the car at the Chryslers of Carlisle show in just two months and was frantically rushing to get the car ready. I agreed to honor his commitment, and we struck a deal. The “missing” Hemicuda convertible was now mine, and the debut at the Carlisle show was a resounding success.
The hunt for the last known 1971 Hemicuda convertible had finally come to an end.
Restored to its “as-original” condition, this 1971 Hemicuda Convertible is on the very short list of most coveted muscle cars for collectors. (Wade Ogle Photo)
By Ryan Weaver
Jenks is lost and I want to find her. She is a 1969 Chevelle SS 396. I refer to the car as female for two reasons: I have always referred to any coveted mechanical device of great power and grace in the feminine gender. I can reminisce about my parents taking my brother and me to buy our first new bicycles and remember everyone commenting after one of us said “she” is a beauty. The second reason is that Jenks was sponsored