Saturday, September 15, 2012

400 Horsepower Nostalgia

Spent today at Pittsburgh Raceway Park (Keystone Dragstrip for real old time gearheads, if reading this) with buddy Matt where they were conducting Nostalgia Day - drag racing and car show - nothing later than 1978!! Haven't been to that place since probably 1976. Was totally blown away. Don't even know where to begin, so I'll let  photos do the talkin' (click on photo for enlarged view):





Above is a 60's Corvette ('62?) - off the track and on. Lots of chrome (suspension and all) - this thing could place in any custom show as well as turn 9 seconds on the track. Our favorite ride of the day (if that means anything - almost like tryin' to judge one of the muscle shows Sarah competes in).




'55(?) Chevy (above) - both pics.


'30's(?) Gasser (above)

Some track action:


Burn out pit (above) - always the crowd pleaser

Note on above: Back in the old high school days (when most everyone had a runnin' car) it was tradition for all the gearheads of the graduating class to parade the school the last day, power-breakin' and burnin'-out in the parking lot. A few pours of Clorox Bleach was always applied to increase the 'burning rubber' factor, as most everyone was runnin' street treads. 


Rail vs Gasser (above) -  Oh Man!


70's (I think) 10 second GTO (above) - Oh Man!!


More Gasser action (above) - Oh Man!!!


They threw in some big gun Funny Cars for added excitement (above) - Oh Man!!!!


Gotta' include this '70 Chevy Nova SS 396 (above) - Oh Man!!!!!!

Note on above: Owned two of these back in the day - a black '70 396 like the one above - was a crankin' car - had some problems with it after a year or two with engine overheating - sold it to a guy in town who repaired the problem - don't know what ever happened to it. Bought another, a '73 350. Anything after '72 was pretty much a sled - I think it was around 250HP stock (2 barrel carb). Was OK lookin', though (other than the giant chrome bumpers - front and rear - as well as being a little long in the front end in my opinion) - not a classic Nova. Positive traction rear end was a good one, though. Jacked up the back end with some air shocks and shackles and added some L60 tires on the rear with aluminum ET mags all around - was pretty sharp (green with black stripes on the side). Couldn't take the low horsepower, so eventually had a friend 'soup' it up - installed a racing cam, 4-barrel carb and headers. Put some Lakewood traction bars on as well (mainly for looks). Picked it up the first day he was finished. Was pleasantly surprised - it cranked - maybe 350HP I'm guessin' (stock 3 speed automatic transmission - a 4 speed standard transmission was to be my next addition, as soon as I could find a used one - and afford it). Drove it directly home (after winding it out a few times on a backcountry road as a test) as I was runnin' open headers and expired inspection. Finish the exhaust after next pay. Who's settin' on the front porch waitin' on me but my girlfriend - and she needs a ride home to Mt. Pleasant. Didn't have another option for a ride, so off we go. Crusin' north on 119, just past KFC, here come the State Police in the opposite direction. He looks over at  the car and looks me dead in the eyes - no sticker, all jacked up, tires out past the fender wells and loud as hell with not pipes or mufflers. Right away his lights and siren comes on - but he's gotta' go at least a quarter mile to turn around to come after me. I take off. I don't wanna' get in a police chase with my gal in the car (her dad would've killed me). I'm on it - fly'n north and eyes glued to the rear view mirror. Went about a half mile - still no cop in site, but I know he's commin'. Spot a used car lot on the right (current Brooks Olds) - I zoom in to the lot an pull it to an opening in the front row of sales facing the highway. We're settin' there maybe 5 minutes. She says "maybe he decided not to chase you". I'm thinkin' the same thing, and am ready to pull out - zoom - here comes this State Cop flyin' by about 90mph with lights flashin' and siren blaring - right past us - HA! I fly out of the lot, head the opposite direction and take the back country roads thru Scottdale, and eventually get her home with no incident. Hung out at her place 'till sundown and snuck back home in the dark.
Same car, the following Saturday night. About 2am and a friend and me been out partying most of the night. It's killin' me not to drive that thing - and he's egging me on to take it for a ride. We take it out, and eventually make the left on Brimstone corner - about a quarter mile through town to Rt119 with one traffic light in between. I round the bend and the light, about a block away, changes from red to green. I punch it and am doing around 90mph and climbing after 3 blocks when all I remember is seeing a set of legs diving clear of my headlights and my friend screaming "Look Out!". I swerve to left then back right - almost lost it. I'm braking and eventually round the bend on to 119 about 40mph and fishtail left, sliding into a short (about 4 inch tall) concrete median with my rear end, almost flipping the car. Made it the less than 1 mile back thru town to home - no cops. Woke up the next morning. Went out and looked at the car. Had a huge piece of rim broken from around the bead of the left rear rim, flat tire and practically all the engine oil on the ground under the car - had blown the engine to boot. Replaced it with another stock 350 I got from the junk yard, and that was that.

Some Car Show action:


'55 Chevy (above)


'70-'71(?) Plymouth Roadrunner (above) - nice paint


'69 or '70 Chevell SS 396 (above)

Note on above: Had a '71 Chevelle SS 454 (big block) similar to above ( 2 single headlights instead of two double) - red with black stripes. Bought it ready to race for $1,700. Cowl induction. Dual 4 barrel Holly Carbs. Racing cam. Headers. Full instrumentation w/ tachometer. Electric fuel pump. Traction bars. 3 speed automatic transmission with shift kit - would chirp tires when winding out and shifting into 3rd gear - a 10 second car. Solid black interior with bucket seats. Raced it a few times - but really wanted to preserve it. Kept it mostly in my grandfathers garage - just took it out to cruise on sunny summer days. For some reason it eventually developed a problem maintaining compression. Sold it to a friend ($800), who repaired it - said that it had worn crank bearings. He totaled it about a week after the fix - rolled it several times. Didn't get hurt. Later heard that he put the engine in a Corvette he bought. Ok with me - I was done with the race cars.


'66 or '68 Impala SS (above)

Notes on above: Not a '67 - I had one. Had SS badge on the grill and rear. 327, 4 barrel carb and dual exhaust. Blue. Automatic with bucket seats. Sold it for $300. Guy still owes me $100 on the deal - too bad he's dead.

1972 was pretty much the end of muscle cars (thanks to the EPA). Chevy, at least - that's all I've owned or wanted to - had to be an SS (Super Sport). Nova or Chevelle as a preference. Just wish that at the time we all knew what those cars would eventually be worth. Lots of fun seeing it all again, though. 






No comments:

Post a Comment