[400 4spd.]

In the past I've invited Eddie Hill over here to the PY Forums. He has graciously accepted and posted a few times, being well received here. Because I also own a 67 Corvette, I've been a member on the Corvetteforum.com site for a while. For a couple of years there has been an ongoing thread over there in the "off topic" section that is dedicated to the lives and accomplishments of Eddie and his wife Ercie. It begins with early Pontiac powered cars that many of you may find interesting, with frequent input from Eddie. If the link provided does not give you access, I suggest you join the site to read first hand accounts about his drag racing history and other ventures. I promise you will like it.





https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...some-love.html

[carcrazy]

I'll have to check it out. I was a member of that forum for years when I owned Corvettes.

[misterp266]

Can’t read it without joining.

I read somewhere that Eddie had some M/T Pontiac Hemi heads but I’ve never seen any pics or info on him testing them out.
Had a great chat with him years ago in Atlanta when he was at the Southern Nationals. Very down to earth guy! One of the good ones for sure.

[Goatracer1]

I'm a big Eddie Hill fan. I have a Kenny Youngblood print "Y2 Kaboom" of Eddie's explosion. Also several die cast models of Eddie Hill's dragsters.

[Jack Gifford]

Was there ever a model of his twin-Pontiac dragster?

[Goatracer1]

I have never seen one. If I found one for sale I would buy it.

[Dragncar]

That dude spoke of throwing all his Pontiac junk in a lake.

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by Dragncar

That dude spoke of throwing all his Pontiac junk in a lake.

Well, I've felt that way sometimes lol

[RossGN]

Eddie sold me my first motorcycle in 1978...a 1977 Honda MR175 Elsinore.
He and Ercie both super nice people. I managed a glass shop in Wichita Falls for quite a few years. Ercie once called us to replace a patio door in their house. At the end of the phone call she let us know there was a Python that was allowed to roam the house, but not to worry...it was harmless

Eddie had the first dragster to top 200 mph.....it had two Pontiac engines, so.....

[RossGN]

My "ELDERLY" cousin posted this on a cimmunity page. "Sunnyside" is a oldevelopment of houses built after WWII Working class neighborhood. The time period he is talking abou t is likely early to mid 60s:

Wait! What was that noise?

Sunnyside – The garage behind the former residence of Wichita Falls’ own Eddie Hill, world famous speed merchant. On any given summer afternoon, you might suddenly stop what you were doing, stand erect, and listen intently. 112 other kids in various locations throughout the neighborhood were doing the very same thing at that very same moment (picture meerkats). Wait! What was that noise? It can’t be thunder. The sky is bright and clear. Listen closely. Then the noise occurred again. Without regard for consequences, you drop whatever you were doing and jump on your bike. That noise was distinct. You knew exactly what it was and where it was coming from. Eddie Hill had pushed his dragster out of his garage and fired it up. You lived over a half mile away but the noise was obvious and undeniable. You rode as fast as your legs could pedal, as throngs of kids simultaneously swarmed into the streets. They too were heading for Eddie’s house. (Remember that scene with flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz?). The lucky kids lived close by and arrived almost instantly. You arrive as quickly as possible. Jump off your bike while it’s still moving. Let it land where it may. It didn’t have a kickstand anyway. You clamored to get close. Eddie didn’t do this very often, out of respect for his neighbors I’m sure. The noise was deafening. But when he did, it was an event. You would gawk with wonder when the mechanical beast thundered and spit out flames from the eight skyward-pointing exhaust pipes. Try not to cover your ears. It’s a sign of weakness. Jostle for position. A few minor skirmishes would break out. When the dust settled, the toughest kids had the best view. Law of the jungle. Survival of the fittest. The view from the back wasn’t really that bad anyway. You made it work. After Eddie had tinkered and tuned and revved, the beast was pushed back into the garage. Everyone lingered as long as possible but eventually jumped on their bikes and headed home. Those who lingered the longest were at a distinct advantage in the next day’s telling of the story – “After you left, he let me drive it!”. At some point throughout those years, Eddie held the title of “fastest man alive”. I beg to differ. On days when he fired up his dragster, I knew at least a half dozen kids who lived a quarter-mile from his garage who could traverse that distance in just over four and a half seconds. On a Schwinn. Everyone knows Eddie’s reputation for being a really nice guy. As the years passed, I have developed a sneaking suspicion that there were times when Eddie pushed his dragster out and fired it up only under the guise of “working on it”. There is no doubt in my mind that some, if not all of those times, “working on it” was simply an excuse by a kind-hearted man to give a neighborhood full of young, excited kids a memory that would come racing back into their minds someday. Long after he had hung up his fire suit and driver’s helmet.

[KS circutguy]

Whata great story, Thank You.

[433lemans]

I would have been one of those kids. Heck, if he were doing this today, I'd be over there as fast as my 73 year old body would take me!

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

If I win the lottery soon I'm buying the green 71 Stingray Convertible coming up at Mecum.
LS6 4spd
Then I'll join that forum.

['ol Pinion head]

Ross, was this @ Eddy & Ercie's acreage up the hill from Greg Ciuba's shop?

[sdbob]

Thank you for posting.