Page 11 - Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2021

locate the pair. When he got them,
Cackling at the 2013 NEHRR with Segrini in the car.
Bobby watches oil pressure as Billy starts the car.
to Billy’s shop in November of 2007
where they awaited final assembly.
In the meantime Billy was
gathering parts for the motor.
He found a 392 Chrysler Hemi
from a 1958 Imperial with only
40k miles on it. Billy had to buy
6 magnetos until he got the right
Schieffer unit. It was then shipped
to Tom Cirello for the rebuild. The
Mondello heads were painted on
the inside by Billy and the engine
was shipped to Mc Betts on Long
Island to install the Milodon caps
as well as new cam bearings. Billy’s
old pal Mike Sforza degreed the
cam and Art Chrisman supplied
the billet polished 6-71 blower
and he redid the valve covers too.
The aforementioned valve covers
were purchased from a racer in
Arizona. It took Billy 9 months to
FALL 2021 | NITRO MADNESS MAGAZINE
he assessed that they were not up
to his strict standards. On a phone
conversation with Art Chrisman,
he told him about the valve covers
and Art said he would redo them.
Art also supplied the Donovan
rocker arms that were resting
comfortably under his workbench.
Venolia pistons and rods round
out the internals. Mike Sforza also
built the original Schiefer clutch
assembly. Once all these pieces
came together Billy started the
final assembly.
The rear wheels are original
Halibrand wearing 1300x16 M&H
slicks. The wheels sport Airheart
spot brakes that were tested at
1100 lbs. of pressure. The interior
was stitched in black leather by
George Frank Upholstery. Simpson
supplied the seat belts and twin
parachutes. The body panels were
then shipped to Circus Paints in
New Jersey so Bob Gerdes could
work his magic with DuPont Candy
Apple Red. Then Julian “Mr. J”
Braet took care of the lettering,
graphics and gold leaf.
Final assembly was scheduled
for late November and Pat called
Billy to say he would be flying in
to oversee the assembly. He’d be in
town for about a week. Personally
I was pretty excited as I was going
to photograph the assembly and
get to meet and hang out with this
legend. Sadly it all was not to be
as Pat was stricken with an aortic
aneurysm and spent the following
four months in hospitals from Idaho
to California. It was a testament
to his tenacity that he was able to
last as long as he did. Most who
are stricken with this do not. Faced
with the fact that he would never
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