Hot Rod Reunion.......

[Fritter]

Very cool Chuck!! I had mine for a year in 86-87. Drove around great and looked good, but then I started picking and sanding on the body and dug tons of bondo out. Then I realized I was 16 and had no money, so I sold it.

The bright side is that I learned how to work on cars quite a bit during my ownership of it.

[KS Carrera]

One of my all-time favourite events! Thanks for the pics, Chuck!

[Jimmysidecarr]

Awesome thread and pics!
I love the old American iron and the nostalgia drags stuff especially!
I'm a few years younger than you Chuck, graduated in '70, but I have fond memories of that 60s high performance stuff.
In 64 or 65 my dad took me to work(Bender Ford, Syracuse NY) to see a 64 Fairlane Thunderbolt that had come off the race trailer on the NY State Thruway and was in the body shop for repair. It was one of the first ones that were that maroon color. As you can imagine with me being only being 13 or 14, I was drooling, peaking through the mesh on the raised hood scoop holes at the high riser intake and two four barrel carbs!

Then one of the body guys asked if we would like to hear it run! OMG!! What a sound! This was the first time I had heard a very high compression, open header, large V8, with a very lumpy high lift cam with lots of duration.

I haven't been the same since!
I also used to help a friend who was the engine guy on a 1962 Pontiac "Tin Indian", one of the few aluminum front end, 421 Super Duty Catalinas, this one was a super stock F car and this was in the mid 70s so they were not as competitive anymore due to the 396 Camaros and the 428 Mustang Cobra Jets. Still an awesome car and an extremely valuable learning period in my life.

Later I ended up building a gasser style 1952 F1 Ford pickup. When I bought it it had 65 Galaxie running gear already in it, 352 4bl, FMX auto, and fortunately a 9" rear end. Still had the straight axle and appeared very stock. I already owned a 428 SCJ that I had built up and knew it would bolt right in. I had built it with an overly tame 514/300 RV cam because I only had a stockish smaller converter and couldn't afford a race one.

The 428 SCJ was a little much for the existing driveline. So after trashing the FMX in 2 weeks, and then trashing the 3:00/1 gear when the crush sleeve collapsed. I stepped up to a C6 and a 3.91 traction lock. Also around this time I found and modified an old Aluminum tri-power intake and carb set up, I converted it with a ton of grinding and epoxy to kind of a pseudo Bud Moore Mini Plenum. I could change (3)top plates and run a Quadra-jet or a Holley or the three deuce Holleys. It was basically an abortion, but I learned a lot messing with it.

On twenty year old 7" Altas Bucron cheater slicks my best time was only a 12.83 at about 106. Oh Well.
I learned a lot and had a blast with it, pretty close to the ultimate sleeper on the streets, with no engine scoop sticking through the hood the only give away was the fender well headers and the sound at WOT. Then it was too late.

Gratuitous pics (before and during launch)



Thanks for the blast from the past pics from Famosa! That had to be an awesome time!

[Jimmysidecarr]

That El Cid Cobra picture sure jogged some memories!

I found this on it. Pics too.
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010...lby-cobra.html

[Chuck Miller]

Hey Jimmy,

My best was in about 1967 at San Fernando Drag Strip in my buddy's '65 Satellite 426 wedge/single 4 barrel/4 speed/stock rear end/with cheater slicks at about 13:00's at 104 ..... hmmm, big top end

.... a skinny little kid drive'n a BIG car....

Kind'a like this one......

[Jimmysidecarr]

Nice those were very cool cars! The Max wedge version was one of the "milestone cars".

Now since then you must have been in something that has accelerated quicker than a 13 flat.. Right??? Especially being a Porsche guy! P-cars have never had a hook up problem, and they have always been nice and light!

These new cars now a days a NUTZ! Have you seen that the V6 Mustangs are running 13.7 with over 300 horse and get 30 MPG!

Ain't technology GRAND!

[KS Carrera]

Now since then you must have been in something that has accelerated quicker than a 13 flat.. Right??? Especially being a Porsche guy! P-cars have never had a hook up problem, and they have always been nice and light!

Well, as a drag racer and P-car fan (and past owner of a nine-second VW Bug), I can tell you that P-cars are slugs on the drag strip. Most hi-po VWs will blow the doors off them, I'm afraid.

But back on topic, anyone who's not been to the Hot Rod Reunion does not know what they are missing!

[Jim Garfield]

Some really cool cars there Chuck, thanks for the pictures. That first one reminds me of the Dennis Wilson/James Taylor Chevy from Two Lane Blacktop.