[Tenney]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eric M. Schiffer

Ok...So you want to know all about Jim Wangers' 1968 Firebird Ram Air I AKA the Blackbird which I own. First let me state that in Detroit during the height of the street racing there where many very fast cars. Some got press others did not. Most these guys had direct factory connections to engineering parts.

The difference of Addison's GTX and every one else is that every one else kept their mouth shut. If Ford, GM, Chrysler, AMC top brass or even the news papers got wind of this things would hit the fan. In fact it did hit the Detroit papers when some reporter came around the Howard Johnson's on Northwestern Hwy for our "High End" gatherings one Thursday night in 1968. The head lines talked about the Illegal Street Racing being supported by the factories.

On any given night there was a new "FASTEST" car. Everyone was always improved the cars. The "big races" were never on Woodward. They could be on I-96, I-75, M-59 or some industral park off Telegraph Rd and Plymouth Rds.

The late Jimmy Addson's car, '67 GTX AKA the Silver Bullet, is getting alot of press now a days because his current owner Harold Sullivan is very influential in the Mopar world with his nice Mopar collection. It has been Harold who has been pumping this "King Of Woodward" and never been beat story. This was such puffery! Prompted by Harold Sullivan. Harold even commission a poster called "Woodward Kights" under the title in small print it says, "The Silver Bullet "King of Woodward" Leads the Charge. It is a very nice poster that shows Woodward ave north bound in front of the Sunoco station that Addison worked out of with Addison's silver GTX, Jim Wangers' Black Bird, Speadhar's 440 6- pack Super Bee and a '67 BB Vette. Great print.

As the saying goes " A LIE WILL MAKE IT AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE THE TRUTH CAN GET IT'S BOOTS ON".

Jimmy Addison did an interview in the May 1989 "High Performance MOPAR" magazine, article titled "The Legend of the Silver Bullet" page 26 and 27. On page 27 Addison admits lossing to Mike McGauri on different occasions. "Perhaps Addison's stiffest compettion came from the Chevy racing group headed by Wally Booth abd Dick Arons'. A guy by the name of Mike McGauri ran a Camaro with a 460-inch big block Chevy. He beat me, and I beat him," recalls Addison. That was the only car to ever beat the Bullet."

Mike McGauri's '69 Camaro was featured in a short in November 1971 "Popular Hot Rodding" page 50. You'll note the L88 style hood with a Grumpy Jenkin's style pro-stock hood scoop to accomadate the Tunnel Ram. You will also note the front tow hooks that most of the guys had to flat tow to the race. The car was an original white COPO car with Rally Sport head lights that Steve Mair eventually bought from Mike and restored it to original and sold it. (possibly to Reggie Jackson)

Racing out of Booth and Arons' was their top engine builder Dwayne Head. Dwayne's Chevelle was just as fast as Mike's '69 Camaro. Dwayne was known as the "Hill Billy". The Chevelle fell to the Blackbird in those early years.
You had Andy Manerino and his "Wap's Rat" Camaro. Andy beat the Black bird than Fankie beat him on a later date with the Blackbird.

There where some Ford Engineers that beat Addison with a well prepaired Mustang.
A straight axle 'Vette with an Ohio plate lined up as a blocker next to Keith Wilson, who Detroit Area Pontiac guy's know, behind Addison as he was going to run another car. When Addison and the other guy took off there was enough of a hole for the Vette to fit through. The Vette drove on by Addison. After the race Addison said I wasn't racing the Vette, he never beat me. This was typical Addison. He would race anything he thought may be faster....or he'd hit the brakes if the other car began reelling him in and was going to pass him. On the other hand it was no unusual for Addison to keep on cranking after the finish line as the other guy coasted after winning. Basiclly, Addison extended the finish line, or shortened it to fit his needs.

Addison wouldn't race very fast '56 and '57 Corvettes coming out of Midwest Auto Supply owner Ron Reader had a George Delorean built Pontiac under the hood. Later a Big block Chevy built by his neighbor Booth and Arons. Than you had the Mike Fons plum '57 Corvette later bought by Steve Maynard with a 440 CID Big Block Chevy. This Vette was featured in the September 1971 "Car Craft" magizine page 39. The same issue that featured Addison's car on page 40. The magazine even mentioned that this Vette could eat up Addison's GTX.

Addison's "Bullet was beaten twice on Woodward just North of 9 Mile Rd by the Ben Harrison Jr, son of Ben Harrison, Pontiac Motor's cost manager. Ben Sr. is responsible for bringing you the '69 Grand Prix and for getting the '77 Can Am through GM management

Another car that beat the "Bullett" was a 1970 Chevelle big block owned by Steve Mair who's dad was General Motors VP Alex Mair. Steve's Chevelle was prepared by Chevrolet engineering. Very light weight car. Like most Detroit cars they had been acid dipped, no inner wheel wells etc. It beat the Addison's Bullet by train lengths.

Steve's Chevelle and the Blackbird did line up one night on M-59. The cars would do several burn outs to heat the tires. The race drew too big a crowd that Jim Wangers called it off before the police showed up. Jim felt that would have been the best race of the Black bird if it had taken place.

Rick McKinney who's dad was a tire one supplier to the industry race with the big boys in his gold 1973 LS7 Camaro. Rick ran Mike McGauri in his '69 Tunnel Ram Camaro and stayed neck and neck until over 120 MPH when the Tunnel Ram took over.

Now to Jim Wangers 1968 Firebird RA I column shift automatic was originally ordered by Tony Knieper, the parts Mgr for Stan Long Pontiac as a race car. Tony was a Pontiac racing with factory connections to engineering. Toney was great with suspension set ups. (side note K&L on the sale panel of the original '63 421 SD Stan Antlocher/ Stan Long Tempest stands for Kneiper and Long)The car had RA II heads later. When Tony and his brother Mike got killed while trailing their '67 Firebird from one track to another late one night. The family wanted out of racing.

Jim Wangers' driver, John Ploitzer aka "The Cheater" and the '66 Geeto Mystery Tiger, was good freind with the Knieper family. John made the deal the have Jim Wangers buy the '68 black Firebird. Politzer was the subjacet of Brock Yates Car and Driver article in fall of 1967 "Street Racing".

Once Jim Wangers had the car it sat for a while. When PMD cancelled there 1970 455 high compression Ram Air IV engine program Jim talked to Russ Gee about doing a what if that motor was put into the '68 Firebird and lets see what would happen on the Street. Tom Nell designed the cam shaft and went to General Kenetics and ahd it ground. The Heads went to Diamond Elkins along with the Trans Am program heads, Herb Adams, Tom Goad and Nell were doing. Then Carter throw in a Thermo Quad and Edelbrock a PB4 maniford and Doug some headers. An artcle was done on the car in the March 1971 issue of "Popular Hot Rodding" sating on page 30. It shows all the work done by Brain Ballish at Royal Automotive. John Politzer did the driving. By the Time this article hit the stands the car was already running a half second or n more faster. Jim Would not let Et's be published before the cars where at least a half to a full second faster. A second article was written about the car in January 1972 in "Super Stock and Drag Ill". Jim Would only admit to 11 flat at 127 mph. The car was a very low 10 second car by then.
Jim Wangers sold the car to his second driver, of this car, Frankie Ulbrick. It was actullay under Frankie's ownership that the now very tired BlackBird did battle with the "Silver Bullet". Jim Wangers had told Frankie on many occations that the engine need freshing up. However, Frankie leaped out on the Bullet, Frankie hit second and leaped out even further. As they hit highend Frankie saw Addison coming on but hit the finish line first. But in Addison fashion he just kept on cranking and extended the finish line. Rick Dyer, owner of C.A.R.S. inc., the Chevrolet reproduction company, was there and swears Frankie beat Addison. Soon after Frankie did braek the block. Frankie also used N.O.S. later.
The Black bird remained in the hands of a few racers and continued to win alot of races. The car eventually made it back to Frankie Ulbrick's cousin and was freshend up by George DeLorean. The cousin was going through a divorce so they called JIm Wangers. Jim bought the car and it sat for a few years as Jim had other interests and musch faster cars. A Monza low 9's, the '74 Red T/A a '77 Silver T/A a couple of Monte Carlo's and a couple of Grand Nationals.
Jim offered the '68 Bird to me about 15 or more years ago and have freshend it up again. It is more like it was for the first article. A streetable "Legal" car. However not leagal for the Strip....
The Bird is mentioned in: "Milt Schornak and the Royal Bobcat GTOS", "Factory Lightweights" by Charles R. Morris, cover of "Pontiac Enthusiast" ad artilce page 24 Sept/Oct 2006, "Pontiac Enthusiast" May/June 2009 page 72 and in "American Muscle Supercar" by David Newhart.
I hope this is enough info.....
Have a nice Holiday and New Years..
Eric

Count me among the customers for your book, Eric!