With every barn I get invited to scope out, every garage I’m invited into, every story of “you gotta go check out what this guy has” that I hear, I always pray for a scene like this. You’ve seen the good stuff, the pretty, the clean, the polished and obviously loved. You’ve seen the in-progress projects. You have BS’d for a good minute when your impromptu tour guide stops, gets pensive for a minute, then indicates that there is a hidden stop on this tour and you are privileged enough to get a chance to see it. You leave the comfort of the shop, walk into the woods, into a building that most would consider a write-off, on the verge of collapse. It takes a couple of minutes and at least five attempts to find the right key that unlocks the door, but when it finally opens, with a bit of dust and some leaves blowing out of the way, you see the shape. You see the paint, the likes of which haven’t been seen since who knows when. You see a dream machine, the kind of car you scoured the internet for pictures of, the kind of car you would expect to see on a rotating platform at some big-name auto show. And here it is, tucked away in the woods, with only the odd insect keeping it company on a regular basis. 
The story on this car is loose, so bear with me if fact doesn’t line up with research, but the name that lines up with this car is Wes Jerde, who passed on recently. Jerde was a Kansas City builder and machinist who knew his way around an engine. Reportedly, he ran the shop that Dick Harrell had previously been based out of and the Challenger was a Hemi-powered beast good for a low-to-mid 9-second quarter. Then, around 1979, the car was retired, put away and kept out of sight until a couple of months ago, when it was put up for sale.
What’s real and what’s myth? That’s something for a buyer to research and figure out. What we’re concerned with is a snapshot back in time. The paint, the Super Tricks, that funky offset-intake hood scoop…all of that deserves to be brought back to life. Get a Hemi together, get a four-speed in that beast and get it back on a starting line. Money no object? In this case, burn it like old leaves. This Challenger needs to live as a proper representation of what it was back then.
(Thanks to Junkyard Digs for the tip!)
McT for more info contact Joseph Used Cars in Grandview MO.Delon Joseph is the one selling it. The reason for the offset hoodscoop was for a cross ram dual 4 setup that the car had.
Looks like it has the drooped front sheet metal that was happening back then.
Hi Bryan my name is Terry Murphy, Delon Joseph and I own the Pro Stock Challenger you wrote about. I am giving you a personal invitation to come see the car it is everything you would think you would see on a early 70’s Pro stock, it is like a time capsule from that era would have! It is @ my shop Terry Murphy Race Cars. My address is 1113 NW knox st Blue Springs, MO. Please let me know if you are interested in coming would love to have you!! Thanks for the write up.
I’m sitting with Marvin Goodrid,(Petersburg, IN) an original owner of the car, his name appears in one of the photos. He has more info and pictures of this car from back in the day. Contact us if you would like them.
James Cannon< the article on the car found it's way to me being from Sandborn, Indiana Clark Blackwell was also part owner and driver of the car. Saw the car as being build back in the day at Clark's station, and I worked for Tom Barns who painted the car and haul truck. I shared the article with Clark Blackwell, who lives in Lockwod, Missouri and lost track of car after he sold it. He was tickled to hear about the car who would have thought after all these year it sat in that barn and may live again.
James Cannon, I’m Allen Terrell from Sandborn, Indiana and remember the car Clark Blackwell and Marvin Goodrid build in fact was just out high school worked for the guy that put paint job on the car. Tom Barns was guys name and had paint shop at the time in Sullivan, In. saw the car being worked on there at Clark’s station back in the day. I shared this article with Clark Blackwell who lives in Lockwood, Missouri he was tickled to hear about the car.
I grew up in Kansas City and met Wes Jerde in 67 when he had built and raced a 64 Nova called Nova Too Late. He built cars with Dick Harrell and did take over his shop when he was killed. He worked with Al Vanderwoude of Flying Dutchman funny car fame including a Charger III funny that you can google. Knowing Wes as a builder and racer for many years and no disrespect intended, I think we are seeing two different cars with Wes’s and the other called Evil Woman. I did race against Wes in the Challenger driving a Pro Camaro I built when I returned from Nam called Jumpin Jack Flash and it was bad fast in it’s day.