By 1967, most Pontiac funny cars had moved to Chevy or Chrysler engines to remain competitive. Dick Jesse bucked that trend with a blown Pontiac 421 in a steel GTO.
Dick Jesse was not about to switch, so he relied on a blown Pontiac 421 to keep up with the hemis and rat motors. Tom Bonner photo (Instamatic 126)
If you call yourself “Mister Unswitchable,” you can’t very well change to another brand of car or power-plant. So Dick Jesse started with Pontiac, and remained with Pontiac long after most indian-head funny car racers switched to Chevy or Chrysler engines under Poncho sheet metal.
Jesse’s GTO was another funny car that captured plenty of attention at the 1967 Detroit Autorama. Unfortunately, there are signs and advertising banners plastered over most of the car, but we can still glean some interesting info from this image.
The car is mostly original steel GTO, as you can see from the metal cowl in front of the windshield. If you look closely, you can also see a factory push lock button on the driver’s door. If you were installing a fiberglass door panel, would you bother to install the factory door lock mechanism?
Next, look at the gap between the hood and cowl. Like many match-bash funny cars, this GTO has the front fenders lengthened to accommodate moving the front wheels forward. Apparently Jesse lengthened the front fenders but didn’t bother extending the hood to match.
The secret of Jesse’s success with the mostly original Pontiac can be seen under that chrome “rat-fink” helmet. To allow the big GTO to run with lighter fiberglass, tube framed funny cars, Jesse bolted a supercharger to his fuel burning Pontiac 421 engine. After Jesse solved some oil-starvation issues, the Pontiac mill was more than sufficient to push Jesse to a number of match race victories.
Jesse managed to remain competitive through the ’67 season with the blown Pontiac, before upgrading to a radical chopped-top GTO in 1968.
17 thoughts on “Dick Jesse’s Mr. Unswitchable Pontiac GTO Funny Car”
I knew Dick during this time, he was good friends with my best buddy, Nick Renzi, and by tagging along with Nick that is how I come to know him. He had a shop in Highland Park during part of that era. Also Jack McCormick was part of that group. I wish I could find those guys.
I knew Dick well, used to hang out and he got me started in drag racing. Also worked with Dick at merrolis chevy in Detroit . B
Dick Jesse was my sister-in-law’s father. She never knew him. If you have any pictures or stories we would love to hear them. Thank you,
Purchased a 1965 Tiger Gold GTO Hdtp. from Dick at Royal Pontiac, had Doug’s headers and Bobcat kit installed, along with kpo kit for shifter. 4.30 axle ran car at Detroit& Motor city strips car ran high12 to low 13 seconds. won King of the compacts at D/Dragway many times that year. Mr.Jesse helped me immensely when ever needed that season. a good guy all around.
Hi guys…My name is Bill Walters. My brother, Clarence Walters, and a guy by the name of “Ham” built the original “Mr. Unswitchable”. It was NOT a GTO, it was a Pont. LeMans. It was built in my brothers shop at the corner of Hamilton & Monterrey in Highland Park and the unique thing about it was the “Automatic Transmission” that nobody seems to be talking about. Dick called it “Mr. Unswitchable” because he would not run anything but a Pontiac. I worked at GMAC at the time and I financed it for him. It turned the fastest time ever turned on the track and the time held until another automatic beat it 1 year later. Nobody would believe at that time that an “automatic” could be faster than a stick shift. My brother Clarence died in 83′ but my brother Jim worked on the car and was at all the races and knows everyone that was involved.
My name is Ted, back when both cars were built the 65 and the 67. I worked with Ham Park at Gurwins auto body who was the mastermind for the body work for both car’s. I used to go with him after work to Highland park transmission to work on the car. (65) I was involved in the 67 but went into the service in Jan 1967 so never got to see it in action except for a couple of times at Motor City while on leave. Ham has passed away a number of years ago, he was the best body man I ever met. I knew Dick J Clarence W Russ. Tom L and Ham
Ted, if you knew Dick and my brother Clarence as well as Russ, Tom and Ham; you probably also knew Hal Miller. When you went into the service in ’67 I was working for GMAC and also knew Dick who was working for Royal Pontiac at the time. I financed the ’67 for him and it was NOT a GTO as many people have been saying. It was a LeMans with a .283 V8 engine that Russ and my brother bored and blew to 1500 hp. Jim Davis, above mentioned that Dick “had a shop in Highland Park” which is incorrect. The shop was owned by my brother Clarence and Russ who were both transmission specialists. So-o-o-o…I financed the car for Dick who talked my brother and Russ into building it and dropping the first Auto Trans ever matched against stick shifts into it. Ham then re-built the body into a GTO! (Note that Dick did not make any of the payments on the car until after it was converted! Once GMAC realized that it had been converted…and into a “funny car” they opted NOT to repossess it. Subsequent payments came from race proceeds! …and that is “The Rest Of The Story”
I understand Dick purchased 5 1965 GTO’s in August of 1964 can you confirm they were MFG in August of 1964 or were they MFG in July of 1964. What does the Cowl tag show example 07D in 1964. Looking for a 1965 GTO I purchased in 1964. Thank you for your time.
I believe I remember Hal Miller. The name of the shop was Highland park transmission
I drove this car. My sister was married to Ham Park. I also worked on the creation sometimes. Dick crashed this car at Motor City Dragway not bad. Dick never drove it again. Ham drove it for some time. I ran 197 with this car at Onondaga Dragway.
I remember Dick Jessie having a small shop in highland park on hamilton and having a short wheel base dragster in 1968.
Man I sure enjoyed reading this thread. THIS is the kind of great stuff that was going on when I was a teen in JR HIGH back in 65-68! My home town car was the MELROSE MISSLE funny Belvedere
Thanks, Keith! I’m glad you like these stories.
Clarence had a short wheeled dragster as well. I remember watching old 8mm movies of it with Clarence’s son and my cousin Kevin Walters. I believe Cliff was the driver of that as well.
Just googled on this post after a call from a high school friend. I grew up in Highland Park in the 50’s and remember riding my bike by their shop on Hamilton many times. I built the Mr Unswitchable model car and credit these experiences as the foundation of motorhead beginnings. Great story brings back the best memories!!!
I knew Dick during this time, he was good friends with my best buddy, Nick Renzi, and by tagging along with Nick that is how I come to know him.
He had a shop in Highland Park during part of that era.
Also Jack McCormick was part of that group. I wish I could find those guys.
jim
I knew Dick well, used to hang out and he got me started in drag racing. Also worked with Dick at merrolis chevy in Detroit . B
Dick Jesse was my sister-in-law’s father. She never knew him. If you have any pictures or stories we would love to hear them. Thank you,
Purchased a 1965 Tiger Gold GTO Hdtp. from Dick at Royal Pontiac, had Doug’s headers and Bobcat kit installed, along with kpo kit for shifter. 4.30 axle ran car at Detroit& Motor city strips car ran high12 to low 13 seconds. won King of the compacts at D/Dragway many times that year. Mr.Jesse helped me immensely when ever needed that season. a good guy all around.
Hi guys…My name is Bill Walters. My brother, Clarence Walters, and a guy by the name of “Ham” built the original “Mr. Unswitchable”. It was NOT a GTO, it was a Pont. LeMans. It was built in my brothers shop at the corner of Hamilton & Monterrey in Highland Park and the unique thing about it was the “Automatic Transmission” that nobody seems to be talking about. Dick called it “Mr. Unswitchable” because he would not run anything but a Pontiac. I worked at GMAC at the time and I financed it for him. It turned the fastest time ever turned on the track and the time held until another automatic beat it 1 year later. Nobody would believe at that time that an “automatic” could be faster than a stick shift. My brother Clarence died in 83′ but my brother Jim worked on the car and was at all the races and knows everyone that was involved.
My name is Ted, back when both cars were built the 65 and the 67. I worked with Ham Park
at Gurwins auto body who was the mastermind for the body work for both car’s.
I used to go with him after work to Highland park transmission to work on the car. (65)
I was involved in the 67 but went into the service in Jan 1967 so never got to see it in action
except for a couple of times at Motor City while on leave. Ham has passed away a number of years ago, he was the best body man I ever met.
I knew Dick J Clarence W Russ. Tom L and Ham
Ted, if you knew Dick and my brother Clarence as well as Russ, Tom and Ham; you probably also knew Hal Miller. When you went into the service in ’67 I was working for GMAC and also knew Dick who was working for Royal Pontiac at the time. I financed the ’67 for him and it was NOT a GTO as many people have been saying. It was a LeMans with a .283 V8 engine that Russ and my brother bored and blew to 1500 hp. Jim Davis, above mentioned that Dick “had a shop in Highland Park” which is incorrect. The shop was owned by my brother Clarence and Russ who were both transmission specialists. So-o-o-o…I financed the car for Dick who talked my brother and Russ into building it and dropping the first Auto Trans ever matched against stick shifts into it. Ham then re-built the body into a GTO! (Note that Dick did not make any of the payments on the car until after it was converted! Once GMAC realized that it had been converted…and into a “funny car” they opted NOT to repossess it. Subsequent payments came from race proceeds! …and that is “The Rest Of The Story”
I understand Dick purchased 5 1965 GTO’s in August of 1964 can you confirm they were MFG in August of 1964 or were they MFG in July of 1964. What does the Cowl tag show example 07D in 1964. Looking for a 1965 GTO I purchased in 1964. Thank you for your time.
I believe I remember Hal Miller.
The name of the shop was
Highland park transmission
I drove this car. My sister was married to Ham Park. I also worked on the creation sometimes. Dick crashed this car at Motor City Dragway not bad. Dick never drove it again. Ham drove it for some time. I ran 197 with this car at Onondaga Dragway.
I remember Dick Jessie having a small shop in highland park on hamilton and having a short wheel base dragster in 1968.
Man I sure enjoyed reading this thread. THIS is the kind of great stuff that was going on when I was a teen in JR HIGH back in 65-68!
My home town car was the MELROSE MISSLE funny Belvedere
Thanks, Keith! I’m glad you like these stories.
Clarence had a short wheeled dragster as well. I remember watching old 8mm movies of it with Clarence’s son and my cousin Kevin Walters. I believe Cliff was the driver of that as well.
Just googled on this post after a call from a high school friend. I grew up in Highland Park in the 50’s and remember riding my bike by their shop on Hamilton many times. I built the Mr Unswitchable model car and credit these experiences as the foundation of motorhead beginnings. Great story brings back the best memories!!!