Thanks to BangShifter Corey Stainbrook we have a cool piece of drag racing to show you that’s currently for sale in Canada. Some race cars are famous for winning lots of stuff. Some are famous for being failures, and many are famous for various other reasons. When it comes to this particular 1979 hemi Dodge Omni, it’s all about the music. This car was owned by musician Frank Marino who was the lead guitar player in the band Mahogany Rush.
The bad was not hyper famous like Led Zeppelin or anything like that but they were a name in the rock and roll world that played huge festivals and Marino is known as one of the all-time bad ass rock guitarists to ever handle and ax. He was also a big time gearhead and car guy. He was so into this car and the drag racing world, the Omni appeared on one of their album covers.
Powered by a 366ci hemi and driven by Canadian drag racing hall of fame member Joe Roy, the car was never a national event winner but it had all the right parts. Bob Lambeck built the small displacement engine (remember, small blocks were still part of pro stock at that point), the Don Ness built car had all the bells and whistles, and it ran 8.60s as best we can tell from our research.
After some time running the Omni, Marino sold the car and off it went. He was still playing with Mahogany Rush and messing with his other stuff so the sale of the pro stocker was no longer a priority. Like all old race cars, the trail runs kind of cold from there. Until now!
Don Ness has verified the car and this is the one that was on the album cover and at races like Sanair. Being sold as a roller, it is a pretty unique and cool car. You see very few of these cars out there and it would be awesome for someone to build it into a nostalgia pro stocker!
LINK: THE AD FOR THE OLD MAHOGANY RUSH PRO STOCKER!
Well, now, that’s pretty funny, because I saw Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush at the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando in 1979…very cool car!
I could have swore this car started as a TC3, not an omni..
After a little research, I stand corrected.. This is infact a dodge omni..
Thank you for reminding me of Mahogany Rush! I seem to recall Frank Marino as a bit of a Hendrix copyist but as he drove a car as nice as this I’ll give him a listen on the ol’ Tube of You,,,
“Powered by a 366ci hemi …….. small blocks were still part of pro stock…”
I don’t remember hearing about a small block hemi, and by looking at the colored photo this one isn’t either.
Back in ’79 this car was powered by a destroked 426 Hemi, hence the 366. I remember this car well since I was a MR fan.
Small blocks by displacement. If the thing measured under 370 inches (I believe) it met the cutoff as a small block and got the weight break.
As I mentioned this car is being sold as a roller so the current engine is kind of irrevalent.
I seem to remember it was a 500 C.I. Hemi ….. Band owned …. Fast car. Did 0 to No band in under 9 seconds ….
Love Bangshift!
Cheers.
Tex
I remeber putting this car together at race engine spelialties in Dorval Quebec which was owned by Ray Barton,who is now in the states making alot of money.At the time doing the car,Frank would some times drive me home in one of his vette,s,way back in the day.As a note frank was to scared to drive the car,and I would love to buy it if I can get a number or email,mrmopartech