Rare Mr. Norm's 1965 Coronet 500 a Dealer Built Drag Racer

Rare and Intersting

Mr. Norm is a legendary name in the world of Mopar. It all started back in 1962 when Norman Kraus opened Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, which would go on to become a destination for fans of Mopar performance. This particular '65 Dodge Coronet recently featured at Hot Rod is one of the many high-po vehicles built by the dealership, and it's an incredibly rare and interesting machine with a history that's still somewhat shrouded in mystery.

Photos: Hot Rod

Race To Sell

For Mr. Norm, racing was the ultimate marketing tool. And it worked, as Grand Spaulding Dodge quickly became the highest-volume performance Dodge dealership in the U.S. The dealership also sponsored a number of dragsters across pretty much every class, from funny cars to Super Stock and altered wheelbase machines over a span of decades. 

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1965 Coronet 500 right here in the Dodge Forum.

Tailor-Built Racer

As a result of those efforts, customers could opt for a host of performance add-ons for their own cars from Mr. Norm. And this Coronet has quite a few of them. Thankfully, the original Grand Spaulding Dodge invoicing material remains with this particular car, so we have somewhat of an idea of what's been done to it. But other modifications remain a bit of a mystery. 

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1965 Coronet 500 right here in the Dodge Forum.

Upgrades Galore

This particular Dodge was originally built with a 426/365 hp Street Wedge powerplant and a four-speed transmission. At some point, it was upgraded to a 1966-model year 426 Hemi with twin Holley carbs, a chrome cross-ram intake manifold, a '70s-era Dana 60 rear end, and a fiberglass front end with a drag racer-inspired hood scoop.

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1965 Coronet 500 right here in the Dodge Forum.

Calling an Expert

Hot Rod was able to decipher much of the work that had been done to this car thanks to Mr. Norm's vehicle expert Larry Weiner. "It is clear that the changes to the car, such as the rear end, were done sometime after 1970 due to the date coding on the part," Weiner said. "The bell housing is a hydro-formed unit with a block plate, which would have been popular around the early 1970s, the earlier cars using the Ansen cast iron units for clutch safety." 

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1965 Coronet 500 right here in the Dodge Forum.

Few Clues

The engine swap, however, doesn't appear to have been completed by Mr. Norm. "I made a call over to Norm Kraus, the original Mr. Norm, and asked him about the car," Weiner said. "He's 86 years old and still excited about cars. He believes that due to the crude nature of cuts made to the K-member to fit the Hemi engine, the upgrades would not have been completed at Grand Spaulding Dodge. In addition, things like the rear welded wheels would not have been used—most customers would have bolted up a set of Cragar S/S five-spokes and sent him down the road." 

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1965 Coronet 500 right here in the Dodge Forum.

Exception to the Rule

"A fire destroyed all of the paperwork surrounding the legacy of Mr. Norm's car sales in 1968," notes Weiner. "For that reason, there's no way to tell if a car prior to that year was originally ordered by the dealership. Even worse, there's no way to tell how many cars were actually created. This makes it hard to prove if any car came from the dealership unless the car retains the original sales documents. Even the stickers that the dealership would proudly apply to the cars as they left the lot really hold no significance since reproductions are common." Thankfully, this car is an exception to that rule. And for that reason alone, it's a rather special piece of Mopar history. 

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1965 Coronet 500 right here in the Dodge Forum.

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