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#961
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K
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'63 LeMans Convertible '63 Grand Prix '65 GTO - original, unrestored, Dad was original owner, 5000 original mile Royal Pontiac factory racer '74 Chevelle - original owner, 9.85 @ 136 mph besthttp://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ My Pontiac Story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 "Intro from an old Assembly Plant Guy":http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 |
#962
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I'm announcing that I'm listing the Black Bird on Ebay for a 30day listing. It's time for a new keeper of this treasure. I have been invited to bring it to many venues but I do not have enough time to bring it out and show it.
Bob Ashton had invited the car twice to MCACN out side Chicago. Once for the Royal Display and again in 2017 for the anniversary of the F-bodys. Thanksgiving is too busy a time of year for me to make that commitment. John "Cheater" "Mystery Tiger" Politzer promises to sign the car for it's new owner. What a guy!
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 |
#963
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Link to the auction? Not a 'player' but I'd like to follow it.
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Greg Reid Palmetto, Georgia |
#964
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#965
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Thanks for the link.
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Greg Reid Palmetto, Georgia |
#966
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Eric is there any Video for the Blackbird - tried to search youtube etc. this is a great pic
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The Bandit Rules - Make mine with a SD-455 Engine . |
#967
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Video of Black Bird
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But back in July, just before the Concourse d' Elegance of American here in Detroit I did a video and photo shoot with several people from Hagerty Ins and Scott Oldham. Hagerty Ins, for their magazine and on line video, wanted to use my '68 GTO convertible Royal Bobcat 428 for a future feature story about three high performance dealerships. Ace Wilson's Royal Pontiac, Mr. Norm's Dodge and Don Yenko's Chevrolet. They used my 1968 verdoro green black top 428 GTO convertible for the Royal Pontiac example. A black 1968 Dodge Dart GSS 440 for Mr. Norms' and a yellow and black 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SC 427. I brought Royal Pontiac's John "Cheater"/ Mystery Tiger Politzer along for the shoot. We spent the whole day in the City of Pontiac and at M1 Concourse. Scott Oldham is the late Joe Oldham's son. Joe was best known as an automotive writer for "Cars" magazine. Joe had purchased a new 1969 Chevy Camaro from Baldwin Motion. He did a feature on it and soon after it was stolen. When Joe became ill a few years ago he and Scott replicated that car making a few changes to it. No hood tac and built this one as a 4 speed car. Scott couldn't understand why Hagerty wanted my GTO and not the Black Bird. I could not answer that question. But to see the young film crew with their preconceived image of Woodward Ave that we raced on in the '60's is to understand. They pictured the Woodward that passed through the Oakland County suburban area as a dirty factory town. NEVER WAS. They positioned our cars near some railroad tracks by some old building. Oakland County has been one of the wealthiest counties in the country.....Lets just call it Hollywoods image is WAY off. I do have to tell you my GTO ran flawlessly while the other two cars had some real issues. One kept over heating and the other kept stalling and it's battery went dead. Funny too. The other owners kept asking me what I had under the hood. They wouldn't believe that it was just a 428 HO with a 744 cam. I do have to say both John Politzer did like the two other cars which where both recent frame off restorations. My car was done in 1986! Their cars did not sound very strong. Just nice cruisers. Scott wanted to drive each car around the M1 Concourse. When it came to driving my GTO I insisted we pull out to Woodward Ave and I showed him how to launch the car on the street and use the Dual Gate. To say he was shocked and excited by the GTO was an under statement. After the drive Scott asked me where Ted's Drive In was in relationship to where we are. I said you had just done the turn around in the GTO at the Square Lake Rd intersection where Ted's once stood. I hope he enjoyed the ride! Hopefully, Hagerty does post the Video and the article and not just shelve it. I have not seen the video or any of the pictures of the shoot. But I did take a few of my own. I'll post them when I have a chance.
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 |
#968
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Blackbird > Great pic
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The Bandit Rules - Make mine with a SD-455 Engine . |
#969
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Wow that is my Wife Kat in her old 99 GTX Grand Prix in the Burnout Box in the Background! Those were good Times Racing with the royal Club at Milan Dragway.
Thanks for Posting the Picture!
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Jeff R 60 Jaguar Mark 2, 3.8L Automatic 67 Sprint Firebird 230 OHC-6 4-Speed A/C 78 Catlina Safari, Pontiac 400 powered 77 Astre Formula, 215 Buick V-8 T-5 73 Lemans Safari, 400 4bbl 4-speed 71 Catalina Enforcer, 455 4bbl 06 Mallet Solstice #024 LS2, Now with a Tremec 6060 6-speed! 2012 F-150 Echo Boost (My local Ford Dealer SUX!!!) 2020 Dodge Charger Scat pack (recovered) |
The Following User Says Thank You to camerjeff For This Useful Post: | ||
#970
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I came across this today. I wonder if Blackbird ever raced the black ghost?
https://youtu.be/Jd0io1zktqI?t=961 |
#971
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I'd like to know about that supposed king of the street also.
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#972
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Black Ghost
It's been a long time since I checked into this forum. Before a few years ago no body that I knew that regularly raced/ cruised Woodward, Telegraph, Northwestern Hwy/ I696 ever seen or heard of the Black Ghost. I've seen it up close several times this year and have heard it run. The original owner's son drives it and shows it. To tell you the truth that car being a "stock" street Hemi back in the day was not a preferred MOPAR for the street. It would have been a 440 6Pack or in the Dusters/Demands a 340 or 360, the T/A with a 340 Six Pack would all run more consistently than a street Hemi. I had no problems with running a Street Hemi with my Nova. The Nova ran 12.8's at Lapeer Dragway on street tries and open headers. The Nova hooked up much better on the street than on the strip. No one here in Detroit understands what the big deal is about that car that no street racer ever heard of or seen at the hot spots of the day other than being an original owner car.
When you review the link to the Black Ghost, you'll see the car seemed to race in the City of Detroit. Not exactly the Meca for hot cars. The action was not within the City of Detroit or Highland Park but in the wealthier suburbs of Woodward Ave. Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills. The Cities that the Woodward Dream Cruise Passes through. One guy in a 427 Vette from West Bloomfield does not represent the action out on Woodward from North of the Detroit City limits at 8 Mile Road all the way almost to the City Of Pontiac past Ted's Drive Inn at Square Lake Rd in Bloomfield Hills. No the Black Bird would not have wasted it's time with that car. Maybe one of Jim Wanger's lesser cars would have. Like his '69 GTO Ram Air IV Bobcat that ran 12.50's. If it got by the Bobcat Jim would throw his '69 Judge at it which ran mid 11.s.
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 Last edited by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer; 08-01-2022 at 04:34 PM. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Dr. Eric M. Schiffer For This Useful Post: | ||
#973
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Welcome back Eric -
Your name has been coming up a lot lately. I did try to get in touch with the owner of the Black Ghost - I wanted to challenge him to a best two out of three go during the Dream Cruise with the GTO, maybe as a subset of the M1 Concours drag activities. I figured it would be a cool outing for a couple kids with their dad's old cars. We could bill it as "the Black Ghost vs the Black Goat" (lol). I don't know what the MOPAR runs but I my car has gone 12.20's in full race trim (Ram air, no exhaust and 9" slicks), so I think I've got some room to play in street trim. Never heard back. I also thought maybe it could plant the seed for other Woodward legends to meet up and re-create some runs, including the Black Bird vs Silver Bullet, etc. K
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'63 LeMans Convertible '63 Grand Prix '65 GTO - original, unrestored, Dad was original owner, 5000 original mile Royal Pontiac factory racer '74 Chevelle - original owner, 9.85 @ 136 mph besthttp://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ My Pontiac Story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 "Intro from an old Assembly Plant Guy":http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 Last edited by Keith Seymore; 08-01-2022 at 04:25 PM. |
#974
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Keith,
That would be a great thing for you to run him the weekend of Road Kill drag racing. We know that will not happen. Since Stellantis (Chrysler) is a sponsor they wouldn't want to see there stock street Hemi beat. Back in the day a MOPAR guys would street race 440 Six pack or Demon/ Duster 340 or 360. They ran more consistent on Woodward. Street Hemi's would load up too easy. You need to stop by Pasteiner's on Woodward north of 14 Mile Rd, some early Saturday morning. These guys are getting there as early as 6:45 AM just park out front along Woodward and not get blocked in the parking lot. The official start time is 8AM until 10 AM. Than we have to clear out before the other businesses open. The Black Ghost has shown up there the last couple of weeks. He was there two weeks ago but I had my Z06 there. I could probably take him on with my '68 GTO Bobcat. Last weekend Harold Sylvan was there with a film crew to show off Jimmy Addison's old '67 GTX aka the Silver Bullet. Keith Famie was making a film called "Detroit A City of Hot Rods & Muscle Cars" for PBS. I had no idea they were coming and got attacked as I showed up with my GTO. "Why didn't I bring the Black Bird"? I replied, "because I sold it and would have had it there if I know anything about this!" Harold claims that he was told I'd be there with the Black Bird. Yah right! They filmed me with a few other guys around a 1963 XKE. They even interviewed Steve Pasteiner SR, Steve Pasteiner JR and Frank Hicks. None of these three had ever been around back in the day. Seriously! They filmed the two Pasteiner's talking to Harold next to the Bullet. I was right there. I loved the question one of the two Steve's asked Harold. "Is that the original engine". Harold told them No! Told them how he got the car and he had to get a hood and deck lid for it. But didn't expound. I did add to it that the car had been blue and was used for testing at Carlsbad Dragway in California before Tom Hoover got it for Addison. Incase you don't already know, Addison had a tunnel ram on the engine he had in the car and cut the old glass hood for a "Pro Stock" style hood scoop. The engine was removed to put into a lighter car. Many cars had come out that where much lighter and faster. Like Joe Ruggiero's Mustang II built by Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush with a 509 CID engine running in the mid to low 9'S. Steve Lisk with his Challenger with the Tunnel Ram. Those two cars had been featured together in the Oct 1976 Issue of Car and Driver's article by Brock Yates, "Back to the Street Mother". It was about our continuing Thursday night High End Club racing on I-696. Meeting at the Nugget Restaurant on 12 Mile Rd near Orchard Lake Rd. Then you had Jim Wangers' and his red Monza with NOS in the low 9's. Addison et. al. had a Duster they acid dipped a little too long. The Duster was not usable. That was the end of Jimmy Addison and his street racing. If they don't cut me out of the film you'll see how I'm trying to bite my lip and keep my mouth shut. The best I know is that Harold was NOT a street racer back in the day. But claims to have gone to the Sunoco Station where Addison worked. The station was just the next block north of the complex Pasteiner's is in. It's now an oil change shop. I can tell you that in 1967-'68 I stopped by that Shell Station with my car. Stepped in side and Jimmy Addison can running out of the service are yelling "what do you what". I replied "gas". Jimmy said "You kids get out of here! Stop coming in here". I found out he did that to every kid that stopped by. A few years later I saw the rusty acid dipped Duster in the one bay when it came back from the dipper as I drove by the station many times while cruising Woodward. I saw the Motown Missile there once. ANY WAY. Back to the Black Ghost. I'll see if the kid is willing to run my worn out 1968 GTO Convertible Royal Bobcat for some smiles and giggles! What do you think? Oh, you have to see the trailer they made. So many shots that are NOT Detroit! Like the drag strip. Not any of the three around Detroit that are left. Not Milan, Ubly or Lapeer. Interview with Tim Allen (Bones) with his California collection. Tim went the Birmingham Seaholm and had a Corvair back in the day. Tim and I have mutual friends including his older brother John Bones. You'd think they'd hook up with the Dan Jenson for the Pure Stock Nationals. I'd say lack of depth in their research here! Take care! Here is the like to the trailer: https://detroitmusclecarfilm.com (NOT FOR HISTORIC VALUE)
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 Last edited by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer; 08-04-2022 at 07:46 PM. |
#975
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Here is some thing of interesting. I was at our Saturday morning gathering of automotive guys this past weekend, (08/06/2022) with my 1968 GTO Convertible Royal Bobcat. A gentleman began a conversation about Royal Bobcats as he remembered them.
He was actually yanking my chain on some of the comments. It was pretty funny. He knew a lot about Pontiacs. Turns out he was an engineer for Chrysler working with the race car group that included Tom Hoover. I told him he should have been here last week when Harold Sullivan had Jimmy Addison's '67 GTX here. The gentleman stated that Jimmy used to get "Tail Gate Delivery" every time he lost a race. I asked what is "Tail Gate Delivery"? He explained that some how a new Hemi engine would fall out off the tail gate of a factory truck at the Sunoco station when ever Jimmy lost. Did this guy say that Jimmy lost? Yes he did. More then a few timed they made the "Tail Gate Delivery". LOL Gee... the current owner calls the car "KING OF WOODWARD". and says the Silver Bullet never lost! Hummm LOL Now here is someone else who was there! But on the INSIDE of Chrysler engineering. Designing, testing and building Hemi's. Looks like someone else on the inside admits the KING had been dethroned a few times! LOL By the way I never mentioned the Black Bird. Or who I was. Only that I was out there Thursdays on Northwestern Hwy / I-696. On Woodward and Telegraph. But he saw that my sun visors had been signed by Jim Wangers, George DeLorean, Win Brown and the glove box by Ace Wilson Sr. Another of the Saturday morning regulars was part of the conversation. He had worked with Jimmy Addison after he was no longer at Ted Spehar's Woodward Sunoco. Anyway we exchanged personal information. He laughed saying you know back in the day we where rivals and would not speak. I said that was than this is now and we can laugh about it. By the way his name Mike Koran. Look for his name in the picture with Jimmy Addison with the white Direction Connection Bracket Race Car. Turns out he is president of a company called SVI in Troy, MI. I found on their website that they where founded in 1969 and incorporated in 1972. They supported the Chrysler engineering racing effort. They are a Technological, Concept and Development Company. They build full concept vehicles, platforms, suspensions, drivetrains, powerplants and safety, marketing and advertising. Look for the picture on the web site of Jimmy Addison and a few others long side a Direct Connection Bracket race car. The picture was taken in 2019. Part of the many pictures was the Don Carlson in his 'Cuda launching the MOTOWN MISSILE wheels up. They have many more clients then Chrysler now. Link to the site is www.svi-results.com Remember TAIL GATE DELIVERY after every loss! From a Chrysler engineer who was there! LOL What more can anyone say?
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 Last edited by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer; 08-09-2022 at 07:24 PM. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Dr. Eric M. Schiffer For This Useful Post: | ||
#976
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Just realized that you'll need to go to svi-results.com Facebook page. Go to the svi-results.com home page and click on the the F Facebook icon on the top right. This will take you too the Specialized Vehicles, Inc Facebook home page. Scroll down and you'll see a couple of group pictures of their teams with the Direct Connection Bracket Test Car from 1981. The names of those in the smaller group picture are below it. You'll find both Jimmy Addison [third from left and bracketed after his name (Silver Bullet)] and the gentleman I spoke to about "TAIL GATE DELIVERY" Mike Koran on the far right in a suit. Now onto the 2022 Woodward Dream Cruise. As I used to sign off from my Royal Pontiac Club of America Editorial "Time to Burn Rubber".
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 |
#977
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Glad you are back on here Eric. My friend Kris, owned the Silver Bullet from the late 1970's until he traded it for a Petty Blue Superbird sometime around the early 1990's. We used to hang out at his house all through the late 70' and mid 80's. When he bought the car, it had been doing the Autorama show with the usual Autorama mods back then. It also had a broken block, if I remember. I remember helping him move it in and out of the garage because of the lightweight body parts. You had to be careful where you pushed it. This was in Sterling Hts., 16 and Dodge Park area. Kris is a big Mopar guy. I remember cruising Gratiot and seeing Wangers Monza and his Red Trans am. They were fast but you never knew how fast because they only beat someone by a fender or so. Good times.
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#978
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Glad to see a few posts bringing this thread back to life again. Haven’t posted in a while because I had nothing new to add. Happy that Eric posted some new information. A couple of my friends are at the Woodward Dream Criuse right now. They already met up with Eric Schiffer and John Politzer and are having a great time. Unfortunately I’m nursing an ankle injury and couldn’t go with them. Very disappointing as Eric is a great guy and I was looking forward to seeing him and the other Michigan guys again. Eric is the key player in this thread so hopefully he will keep it alive with new information from time to time.
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#979
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Jim Wangers' Red Monza
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Oh, made it on page one of the Sunday Free Press, August 7, 2022 Freep.com.....Well actually they have Harold standing next to the GTX, with the hood off to display the hemi, talking to Steve Pasteiner Sr on the right. The dark shadow with the baseball hat is Steven Pasteiner Jr. further to the right. Just behind Steven you can barely see my grey hair, forehead and blue shirt at Steven neck. I had a hard time biting my tongue. The Pasteiners' were never around during the hay day. Sr asked Harold if this was the original engine to the car. Harold only said it wasn't but explained how it got the car by trading for it. That the car did not have a hood or trunk lid. Didn't mention that the car once had a tunnel ram. He makes everyone believe that it always was as you currently see it. I then piped in that the car was originally blue and when new it was used in a magazine test at Carlsbad, CA before Jimmy received it. I also mentioned Tom Hoover's green Hemi powered '66 Coronet. I just couldn't hold it in! LOL. Harold gave me a look. LOL After that I kept my mouth shut.
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 Last edited by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer; 08-23-2022 at 08:17 PM. |
#980
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 Last edited by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer; 08-23-2022 at 08:07 PM. |
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