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#61
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Quote:
The almost universal theme form these kids is that "I'd love to have a classic muscle car, but: a) I can't afford them, they are so expensive; b) insurance for a young guy is impossible to get; or c) the knowledge of working on our older cars is no longer common to their set of friends". So, while they are still not my cup of tea, at least these kids aren't showing disrespect to our old iron and someday they'll graduate to a man's car. Hopefully. On our part, we need to be sure we're fast enough to not be embarrassed by a mildly modified (exhaust & tune) Evo (12.2) or something similar. You're right, they don't fit into the muscle car crowd. We're old! As far as wings on Saturns go, that's a good thing. They're not putting wings on Catalinas! Like nose rings and tongue studs, they'll grow out of that crap when they go for their second serious job interview. Stuart |
#62
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I'm only 23 and I bought my first old car with my high school graduation money. The thought of building a tuner never once crossed my mind. So, that's not a good excuse.
I would say 90% of the tuner crowd dislikes muscle cars. They back their 125horse hondas 100%.
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Robert Lewis 1959 Star Chief 4 Dr HT dual quad 389 4 speed 1962 Pontiac Plain Jane Catalina http://pontiac-59.com/ |
#63
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I did race a Turboed CRX that was a mean SOB and my Powerstroke beat him by a fender. It was still funny watching a 6,200 pd F350 beat a car that probably didn't weigh 2,000 lbds soaking wet. I've seen 4 ton crew cabs dip well in the 10s that are fully streetable and then go pull a big trailer home.
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Two 1975 455 Grandvilles & '79 455 Trans Am ‘69 Camaro SS 396/375 (owned since ‘88) ‘22 Toyota Sequoia V8 ‘23 Lexus LS500 awd ‘95 Ford F-super duty 4wd 7.3 p-stroke & countless Jeeps & off road vehicles. |
#64
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__________________
1959 catalina 4dr a/c car 1970 gp strip car ... 1972 gp j 455/4 1971 bonneville hearse 455/4 1972 grand safari wagon 6 pass 455/4 1995 Firebird Formula 5.7 convertible 2002 gp 40th anniv. SC V6 2003 gmc sierra 2500hd 8.1 liter ***LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE https://www.facebook.com/GratefulParts*** http://stores.shop.ebay.com/GRATEFUL...__W0QQ_armrsZ1 |
#65
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The year is 1989. I bought my '72 GP the year before. Everything was fine until I spun
a rod bearing. Needless to say, I had to save up the money to overhaul the engine. A good friend of mine (former USAC engine builder) helped me with the cam/manifold selection and assembly tips. By now, it's 1990. I'd just finished the installation of the engine and was driving home after another friend set the Q-jet and tuned the engine. Back then, IN 131 ( now Lewis and Clark Blvd) only had 4 stoplights on it. I'm sitting at the stoplight just west of Applegate Lane when some punk in daddy's 5.0 Mustang pulls up. He looks over at the ol' GP, says something to his girlfriend and laughs. He then started reving his engine. I WASN"T impressed! Taking his cue, I powerbraked the GP and revved the engine just enough to open the butterflies on the secondaries. The kid turned WHITE!! I looked over and asked him "Want to run 'em?" He barely nodded his head. 100ft past the intersection I was already 2 carlengths ahead. Never did see that kid again. |
#66
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As I keep researching the Tyner NASCAR 69 GP, it gets really interesting...
Back in the day, Tyner used to set up the car ON PUBLIC ROADS!!!!!!!!! AT SPEED!!!!!!! This story was confirmed by two people already, both who worked with Tyner. Evidently there was a nice long sweeping turn not far from the Lakeville, SC shop. Imagine that blowing by you as you sputtered along in your 54 Bel Air..... |
#67
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__________________
Two 1975 455 Grandvilles & '79 455 Trans Am ‘69 Camaro SS 396/375 (owned since ‘88) ‘22 Toyota Sequoia V8 ‘23 Lexus LS500 awd ‘95 Ford F-super duty 4wd 7.3 p-stroke & countless Jeeps & off road vehicles. |
#68
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Last night I had a little fun in the T/A: it's has a 71 455 thats never been rebuilt in it (sans timing chain and new gaskets in 1990) and a 3.08 posi in the ass end of her.
Well, a newer 4.6 Mustang pulled up maybe 2 years old ? Kid started blippin' the throttle. Honestly, I didn't want to race him the engine runs great but, its a stock low compression Bonnie engine, so I didn't think I'd try him. I got tired of the punk, so I backed up and heated the tires up so the car might hook up. When the light turned green it was on ! The T/A hooked up and I had a 1/2 car length on him out of the hole. I wound the old engine up to 5,200 before shifting it hoping it didnt blow it to hell. He stayed at that 1/2 car length as I didnt gain on him and he didnt gain on me. I had my foot to the radiator on the throttle and shifted it again at 5200 hoping the old '55 would forgive me for not having any mercy on it. Coming down Manchester to the next light I backed down as I was hauling ass and the kid did a ricer drive by as if he won. It was kinda funny watching him lock his brakes up hard at the light where a cop car was hiding thast promptly pulled his ass over Slim victory; but I think I'll be taking a boring bar to the old engine this spring
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Two 1975 455 Grandvilles & '79 455 Trans Am ‘69 Camaro SS 396/375 (owned since ‘88) ‘22 Toyota Sequoia V8 ‘23 Lexus LS500 awd ‘95 Ford F-super duty 4wd 7.3 p-stroke & countless Jeeps & off road vehicles. |
#69
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First a non-Pontiac one, then a Pontiac one...
in 1991, my dad had a 69 Skylark, 350 2 barrel that my sister was driving. It had been rear ended pretty hard, but it ran and drove like a new car. I ended up trading something to my dad for it, and drove it for a year or so. I welded on the back portion of a 69 4-door car, and had it looking fairly decent eventually. Anyway, I had a co-worker with a 79 Camaro that he claimed ran low 12s, and he was always talking crap about my 66 GTO convertible. One day he comes up to me and says, "hey I have my Camaro here, wanna race?" I told him I had driven the Buick that day, but I would go out and play anyway, just to see how fast his Camaro was. After work, all of our co-workers follow us to the parking lot to see the cars. He opens his hood, and it's a typical small block Chevy with headers and chrome everywhere. They are all drooling over it, then someone asks me to open my hood. Well, the car had nearly 200,000 miles on it, and had overheated recently, so the engine was covered in brown crap. They all laughed. We headed out a couple of miles from work and found a place to run. The Camaro's driver counted us down, and we launched, and that Buick kicked his azz! it wasn't even close! We ran a couple more times, then stopped at a gas station. The guys who followed us to watch gave him so much crap for losing to my ugly Buick. He never lived that down. If I remember correctly, my Buick ran 16.50s at the time. So much for his 12 second Camaro. I never bothered to run him in the GTO. For a Pontiac story, I had a 73 Ventura (It has since been wrecked) that I put a 455/4 speed into and cloned to a 74 GTO. The 455 was stock except for a Comp Cams 280 cam and a set of cheap 3-tube headers. It was a street car, but I ran it at the Friday night drags fairly often. There was an acquaintance of mine who had recently bought a 67 Chevelle that had been tubbed and caged, and had a built 396 with 4.88 gears. He was out there one night, and kept talking about how fast his car was, and bragging about his 60 foot times, etc. His car was running low 13s. I was running cheap street tires, and was consistently getting better 60 foot times and ETs than him (my car ran a best of 13.02 @ 106 mph, with 1.9x 60-foot times. For the first few runs, we were comparing times, but as the night went on, he was getting pissed off that my street car was running faster than his tubbed and caged car running slicks. By the end of the night he was avoiding me. I don't think I ever saw him at the track after that; I don't know what he did with the car. OK, one more Pontiac story. Same car, 73 Ventura. This was before I painted the car, so it was a combination of original paint and primer (it looked pretty bad). Out at the track one night, I lined up against a Nova of the same vintage. My buddy was out there with me, standing near a group of people, younger guys, who were talking about the cars. One of them said, "that Nova is going to whoop that ugly-azz Pontiac" and the others agreed. I don't remember what the Nova ran, but the race wasn't even close. My buddy said those guys' jaws dropped when my Ventura launched and left the Nova in the dust. Importsmasher |
#70
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A very long time ago, late 70's-early 80's, a good friend of mine bought a used 74 SD455 Trans Am. ($6000!!!) Pretty typical,3.08, automatic, air (removed by first owner), Admiralty Blue, black standard interior. Anyone who's been around a few of these SD cars knows there was a huge variation in how they ran. Some were just okay and some flat out flew out of the box. This one was in the latter category. As a point of reference, my own 1970 Trans Am, with a swapped 455HO, Chambers #2 solid cam with 1.65 rockers, Torker I, Hooker Super Comps, 3.55 ,Turbo 400 with a stock converter, forged pistons (+0.030") ran 12.41 @ 109.8. This stock 74 T/A took my doors off (with me driving the 74 and a friend driving my car).
One of the Star Wars movies had just come out, Empire I think, and the 74's owner let me take the car out not just to go to the movie, but for fun. I was on the inner loop of the Washington Beltway, coming up on Rt 95, just after New Hampshire Avenue, after the 10:00 showing of the movie. Road almost empty. We pulled alongside a car I normally would have left alone: early 70's Nova, Dana 60, shortened, tubbed, roll cage, steamroller tires, Pro Ram hoodscoop, going about 50 in the middle lane (probably because of something like 4.88 gears). I say normally would have left alone, because this 74 gave you the feeling of near invincibility. You knew that there were faster cars out there, but no one would make you look silly. Just an incredible feeling. Looking over to the right, we saw the guy somehow had two girls with him in the front seats. When I goosed it, they found that incredibly funny. I downshifted and hit it harder, getting the driver's attention. Possibly he would never have wasted his gas on a stock car (or a Pontiac, which could never match up to any Chevy), but I figure the teenage girls in the front seat finally goaded him into it. We slowed to about 30 and hit it pretty much simultaneously. I'd love to tell you about a close race that went on 'til 140, but the fact is that it was over almost as soon as it started. That SD hit so hard the downshift to 1st was like a trans brake hit. He was positively "in it". But I let off about 80-90 because he was at least 5 cars back. Ask Carl, he was along for the ride. Slick |
#71
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September-1965. 4 spd-tripower 65 GTO, 3.23 gears. Cruising at about 70 on a brand new looking stretch of I-70 early morning a few miles or so west of Indianapolis. Virtually no traffic on either side. I notice a 65 Goat easing up on me. He eases up beside and we both nudge a little bit up to about 80, then we floor it, going too fast to grab gears. Anyhow, we are quickly up to about 100 with me slowly pulling him.THEN, up ahead of us in a deserted stretch of road we see a whole crew of road workers scattered about all over the road ahead of us. They see us and start scrambling off the road. We go by them at about a 100 and they were all laughing, waving and smiling. I settled down and let the Goat go on by.
Another time in 65 (same GTO). I think it was on I-66 (or whatever it was then) a few miles west of DC. In traffic I notice a couple of 65 Mustangs trying to get sorted out in traffic to have a go at each other. One had regular 289 flags, the other had hypo 289 flags. Anyhow we all got sorted out in traffic and the Mustangs let in on each other and I sorta follow along for the ride. It got up to about 90 or so and the hypo started pulling away from the other Mustang. I dumped the Goat's end carbs on the hypo and promptly put him away in my rear view mirror. |
#72
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I have a few old racing stories. This one is back a few years ago. I had a friend that owned a remarkable 66 GTO. He ordered it from the factory and had Royal prep it for him. I learned later that it had a Royal Bobcat prepped 421 under the hood. Backed by a 4-speed and 3:90's in the rear. He used to race at Great Lakes and would blow a transmission a week in the car. Most of his paychecks went into new trannies every week.
One Saturday he was sitting at the local A&W getting food and this guy was showing off his 427 vette. It was the uber version that is so valuable these days. After bragging he was the fastest car in the county and finally getting my friend annoyed he walked up and asked him to put his money where his mouth was. "500 bucks you can't beat my old GTO." he stated. So they drove out to the local racing spot and went at it. My Friend beat him by more than a car length. The Guy paid up and said he would be back. He claimed his car was not running right. And he drove off. About an hour later he drove back and the vette sounded a bit better. They raced again double or nothing. The GTO again won. It was a bit closer. Now my Friend has 1500 in his hand and figured the Vette guy would give up but no. He showed up again and wanted to run for double or nothing. Well, they went out and the Vette lost by only a fender. That close you say? Well My friend blew his trans in 3rd and coasted to the finish line. So almost all the money he won went into a new transmission for the GTO. But the Vette guy never again showed up in the area.
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Try calling CRUSHPROOF! 512-386-9889 |
#73
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Back in about 1987 when I bought my "84 HO T/A, I was driving on East Washington in front of the mall. I pulled up to the stop light in the left lane of the three lane boulevard. On my right was a 1982 Crossfire Vette. The driver looked at me and when the light turned green we both took off. I waited a split second to floor it until I knew his intentions. He was in it hard so I nailed it. After I shifted into second gear, I started pulling him. By third gear it was all over. We had to stop for the next light, he wouldn't even look at me. His Vette had just got beat by a T/A.
Second story is of a 1976 455 4-speed T/A I owned. I had bought this car in 1989 as a project while going to Tech school. I had pulled the heads off it to repair some broken exhaust manifold bolts. While I had them off, I cleaned them up and did a valve job. Did a complete tune up and carb overhaul and then recurved the distributor. Added true duals and then drove it. The car looked bad, it had been hit on the passenger side in the door and quarter not to mention the rust it had. One day while driving it down the 4 lane highway, a string of cars was passing me on the left. The lead car was a 1969 Firebird 350 HO. Don't remember the others. They were all show cars probably coming from or going to a show. As the Firebird passed me I gave the driver a wave to let him know I thought he had a nice car. He must have thought I wanted to race because he took off. We were already going 65 or so on the interstate. As he started to pull away, my right foot reacted by planting the gas pedal to the floor of that T/A. I didn't even bother to downshift. I caught that '69 Bird and passed him in short order. After reaching triple digits and having a comfortable lead, I let off. Every one of those cars passed me then. They had all been racing me at the same time! That low compression 455 really performed well.
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1970 Trans Am 1971 Trans Am 1974 Trans Am 1978 Y88 Trans Am W72/auto 1979 10th Anniversary Trans Am 1984 Trans Am 1993 Trans Am 1999 30th Anniversary Trans Am 2001 10th anniversary Firehawk #104 2006 GTO |
#74
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Race story..Umm It was 1979 and I was towing by 16' ski boat with my '76 T/A 455 4 speed. There were four of us, adults, in my car as we sat at a red light. A new Datsun 260 or 280 Z pulled up on my right. The guy was out to impress, with his gold neck chains and girl friend. He was in a lane that eventually merged into my lane about 100 feet on the other side of the intersection.
The light just bareley went green when I launched. Not only did my weighted down T/A beat him. But so did the prop on my boat. The guy backed way off from us at the next light. LOL
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1968 Firebird Ram Air, "Jim Wangers' Black Bird" 1968 GTO Convertible 2002 Corvette Z06 |
#75
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A few nights before the Woodward Dream Cruise I was out with 3 buddies checking out the cars on the avenue. Some kid rolls up next to my 70 RAIV TA and asks me if I wanna run him. I politely declined, it was nothing special, it looked brandee new, maybe he had a turbo. So he decides he should ride right on my arse down woodward. After several lights I got a little pissed, so we stopped at a light and as soon as it turned green I roasted the tires right in his face and took off in a cloud of smoke. I made the next right and then took another right. This happened to be a dead end street in Pontiac. So I get to the end of the road and hit the gas and spin the car around 180 degrees to go back. Well this genius decided that he was gonna show me just how fast his cooper was, so he nails the gas from about 6 blocks away (now in front of me), runs it up to about 60 or so just leaning on the horn. So he blows past me, into the dead end circle, jumps the curb next to the Dead End sign, goes down an embankment, up the other side, and the car finally stops on top of a chain link fence post. Man we all laughed so hard for days after that. How could somebody do something so stupid! IWe waited fo the driver and passenger to get out, but I didnt ask them if they were OK. Seriously I dont think I could've done it with a straight face.
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#76
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Me n Ethyl in Mexico sitting at a light Minding My Own Business (MMOB). Along comes a WRX STi. He sat there and watched us watch the light change a couple times and I hear him holler, "what's the camera for?" So I am sitting here thinking, I got this all on tape. I looked back and shrugged and said, "case I run into a wrx STi." He laughed and launched out of the turn lane. We gave him the intersection for a hit. Enjoy the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec8yiEM41jI Not being one to let a good thing go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZh1VSGUIjs |
#77
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The year was 1980 and we lived in Northern IN. My dad was a truck driver and he would find his boys cars all over the midwest. I turned 16 so after a friday night soccer game my dad takes me and 2 of my older brother for a drive to Su St Marie MI (Sp) to pick up my 1971 Fromula 455 Firebird. It is late when we arrive we pay the $800 for it and start for IN. My dad would not let me drive thru Detroit so my older brother is driving and i am riding shot gun. We are on 275 in Detroit and my brother starts slowing down so i ask him what is wrong. He points to the corvette beside us. Now we are on 275 around 9 O clock at night going 20 mph. The corvette takes off and my brother in my Firebird blows by the Corvette. I was so proud, but my Dad was pissed and let me drive the rest of the way home. I drive the car thru high school and then I decide to rebuild the motor. Remember I am only 18 years old. I sent the block, crank and heads out to be machined. THe next week I get a call from the machine shop telling me my motor was a 350. I first suspect they are trying to get my 455 but realize that I had been driving a good running 350 for 2 years. I did beat a 396 Chevelle with a tunnel ram on it but he could never get it to hook up. I drove that car for 9 years then sold it to get married. 2 years after getting married I was missing the Firebird so i picked up a 68 Firebird 400 convertible. I have owned it for 22 years and last fall i picked up a 1969 Judge. Always been a Pontiac fan.
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#78
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Can't play much anymore. Car is a low 9 second streetable car. Occasionally, I will get a chance to hammer someone who has no clue. And, yes there are quite a few out there that could beat me n Ethyl.
We've been working on the base tune for a while to get her to the track and see what we can get out of her. Was out logging the other day and some MOPAR guy zig and zags through traffic to catch me. I wave at hime not really intending to do anything but he launched. I thought it was funny so I smoked him. Reason I hate playing on the street is after shutting him down by 4-5 lengths at 60, here he comes with a high speed flyby. Truth probably is he was all the way in it still after I shut off. Anyhow, enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqJrn_bZlY Camaro SS pulled up beside me one night. Wasa going to let him go but decided wtf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4la3N1jRyI |
#79
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Some time around 2004, had a 1969 Firebird with a 462, SD rods and ported 62's. Ported TII with dominator, 1 3/4" headers. It was street legal, but ran on race gas pump mix. Hanging out at popular street racing spot, there is guy there that frequents the hang out with a 70 Chevelle with a 632" motor. He was not the typical boaster, but really confident if you know what I mean. We were both on full slicks. No one ever tried to race him that I seen, and he never hit anyone up. Late that night after most have gone home, he says he's about to leave. I ask him which way he goes and he says down the feeder road. So I say, me too!!(lie). I say heck man, let's play around a little on the feeder. He is hesitant, but finally says ok. He is alone, I have a friend riding with. We run him four or five times from stop, roll and everything in between. On last race I just tell him go when your ready, I'll chase you. I handed him his ass every time, even pulling on him after the peddling for traction. On last run at probably 120 plus mph, I see blue lights come on out of my side view. Since he was several cars back, I stay in it, make a turn, zip up to a Hotel and hide in the parking lot for a while. Never saw the guy again after that. Every time I cruise with my buddy, we talk about that night. BTW, the Bird was running 10.20-10.30's on motor at that time. Good times indeed!
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1971 Base Firebird..505ci IA 2A Round port E-heads by Butler 348 cfm.. Comp street SR 266/272@.050 Victor intake/Quick Fuel Q950. 1 7/8" Dougs headers..3" mandrel bent exhaust with Hooker Max Flow mufflers, T-350 well built with 10" 4000 stall nitrous Continental converter..3.73 posi . Caltracs and 10" slicks. Belt driven water pump, alternator, Pwr steering and brakes,Flex fan. 11:1compression, straight 93 octane pump fuel. 10.35 @ 129.88 with 1.45 60ft N/A at 3700lbs race weight. |
#80
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Not really a racing story. A few days ago my mom was telling me about the night that she and my dad,[he passed away in 1999] bought their 66 GTO. Picked it up at the dealer in November 1965.
Since it was on the showroom floor it had close to zero miles on it. Instead of taking an easy family drive around town or back home he heads for his favorite street racing spot. Its about a 30 mile drive and my mom said she was crying and yelling at him the whole time to let her out. She said she was really mad at him because he was racing our brand new and only car. She was also upset because she didn't think they would be able to make the $33.00 monthly payments. Best part of the story is I was 4 yrs old at the time and going street-racing with my parents in a brand new 66 GTO. Too bad I don't remember it. This is where it sits today,unrestored and still looking good. |
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