History Your wildest street cars..

Whenever I get together with my old car buddies and the conversation turns to talking about cars we once owned " back in the day" someone inevitably say...." Hey Moose, I'll always remember that wild 57 you used raise hell with around town. When I think about it I must admit it was a bit over the top for a street car at the time. After coming home from a tour in Vietnam I was lucky enough to get a job working at what is now a long closed speed shop in Avon Connecticut called the Motor Clinic. We even had a dyno which back in 69 was a big deal in my area and was a great draw for the areas hottest cars to come and get tweeked to the max. I had the privilege of working on all sorts of hot cars and learned a great deal about what was needed to get a car to really romp. Having access to the tools and being able to get good deals on parts I decided I wanted to build something that would really get people's attention. I didn't want a drag car, I wanted something that would be a real attention getter on the street and be a load of fun. A friend of mine had a 57 Chevy body that he was going to build into a drag car but marriage and a new family got in the way so I was able to buy the body with no engine for a really good price. Without going into great detail I would say I was able to put a car together that went like hell and certainly got people's attention which sometimes included the local Police. It had a built L88 with tunnel- ram, Crane roller cam and lifters, blueprinted and many other tricks I had learned working at the speed shop and to top it off a Watson style paint job. To put it really over the top I installed a tube front axle and jacked the car to an obnoxious height. The car had no problems pulling the front wheels when I ran slicks which I often did. As I said this was strictly a street car and I never did take it to the strip but I will say I never got beat on the street....Who me street race??????



Thinking about the old 57 got me to wondering if anyone else out there in HAMB land has any stories and pictures of their most "Obnoxious" street cars.

 

Way cool panel layout!
Kind of hard to tell, is it gold?

 

Yes...The car was Spartacus Blue Firemist and the panel lines were gold.. Wish we had digital cameras back in the day.

 

Very KOOL ! That is a kick Ass, take no prisoners type ride ! Good for you! Milwaukee WI. had some rides like yours, but majority were muscle cars, some hopped up and wicked fast. I had a few low buck 1/8 mile street race cars 64-70,(pic's in album's) nothing anywhere near as fast as yours, had to pick and choose, not that fast, but had a tons of fun/cruising/occasional Street racing, won a few bucks, broke lots of parts,(junkyard was my parts store) good times/ memories. In 1970, won my last street drag race and lost on eluding police, a Judge sincerely encouraged me to get out of Street racing, I took his deal,(alternative was Huber law jail time) advice and went to open wheel racing for my fix of speed, 20+ years, many great memories/stories.

 

Ive had several hotrods thru the years and never had a scary fast car. Maybe one day?!

 

Nice 57 Chevy Moose!
Back when I got out of school and got a job I had an OT 70 Nova. It had a 350 .030 over with a tunnel ram, two Holley 600s, a Borg Warner Super T10, a 12 bolt with 4:88 gears. Only had two front bucket seats so I could fit the roll bar in the back. Strictly a street car we used to cruise Elm St with in Manchester NH. I did take it to New England Dragway once and ran 12.2 at 113 mph shifting easy so I wouldn't break any parts. It was a blast on the street! Here's a picture of the engine.

 

Put this 65 Chevelle together in 1973/74 while in auto. tech. school.
350 small block 12.5-1 plus .030, Super T-10, Olds 5.13's.

 

@TFoch Sounds like a great car Tom. I wonder how far we would get driving these cars on the street today. Those were sure different times.

 

Yeah some of my buddies had some pretty quick cars. A little different than what the young folk are cruising with today.

 

I would call that '57 a Street Freak. We didn't have anything that wild around my hometown Moose. Pretty cool.


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Moose where did you hang out withe the 57' ?

 

There weren't many like it around my hometown either but then I was always considered to be a bit crazy...

 

All over the area but a lot of time at Scarpelli's drive in,the McDonald's that was at the top of East Main street,
Winsted , Avon and often to the Berlin Turnpike.

 

Since you admit "to be a bit crazy"...ever run it with straight headers on the street?

 

Oh Yeah!!!!

 

Certainly not a traditional build but, I built this car in 1971-72, glass body, a mix between a Corvette and a Camaro, rectangular tube chassis, 426 Plymouth wedge, Torqueflite, Corvair steering box, street legal and driven, crazy times!

Been looking for this car for some time, a friend found it yesterday, I spoke with the owner, it's in excellent shape and he's had it for 38 years, what an incredible story!!

 

Every car I owned back in the day looked and ran the balls in my young jaded eyes. Thought I could do no wrong.
Looking back on it now some 55 years later I might ask myself.......What the hell was I thinking?

 

No photo's of my Falcon after I jacked it up with a straight axle and big Mickey Thompson's on the rear,it had a 428 and a 4 speed and was a double handful to handle,to high,to fast and not enough brakes.

It was a red light to red light hot rod and I got in trouble every time I drove it. HRP

 

My last car was "stupid fast" 327, B+M th350, Ford 9", custom tube frame, all aluminium interior sheet metal, '68 Spitfire body. Too scary for me!

 

Your right about being jack up with a straight axle making it a handful to handle. Great on a straight stretch of road but going too fast into a tight corner, not so much. I drove the 57 for a couple of years which included some exciting moments and finally decided I'd better quit while I was ahead. I pulled the engine and sold it to my cousin who was going to put it in his 58 Corvette(never did happen) and sold the body to a guy who ended up putting the stock suspension back in....It was definitely fun while it lasted though.

 

Had a OT 69 nova in late 70s early80s. 327, 671 blower, two 660 center squirts, crower cam, tilt front end , 12 point cage. It was the only blown street car around here for quite a few years. Fast and dangerous. My coupe in my avatar is the fastest car I have ever owned, frequently have to change shorts, and she makes babies cry. LOL.

 

Used to be on the Berlin Turnpike all the time back then, Mister Donuts next door to Mc Donalds..Surprised I didn't run into you but I worked 2nd shift, some wild shit after midnight; I should have kept notes and wrote a book! Still around the turnpike, meet the 40 year crew and goof on all the kids way before midnight now..

 

My Falcon sat up much like your '57,it got a lot of attention when cruising around,unfortunately too much of that attention was from the police.

Jacked up fast car,loud pipes,peace symbol painted on the rear axle housing and long hair I was just asking for trouble in a small town. HRP

 

I have to put my 3.5 cents in on this, back in the Day when I Had my
Speed Shop we used do Street Racing, but Not my regular Race Car.
We had a Plane jane Nova I think it was a 64 Acid diped Body Plexagas
windows Tinted, 10% engine setback
327 2 fours Tunnel Ram 4 speed, The Car weighed 18 Hundred Pounds
and was Quick as a Bunny, & we only Beat you by a Fender No More
than That.

just my 3.5 cents


Live Learn & Die a Fool

 

This is my '54 Chevy. It was modified back in 1965 by a resident of West Seattle, Washington. The car was lifted 10". The engine was a Pontiac 389 with a Muncie 4 speed and '57 Pontiac rear axle. The engine was setback 20%. I believe the engine was installed around 1967. Headlights are tunneled 12". The paint was applied in his back yard. He ran M&H Racemaster slicks on the street. Pretty close to the wildest street freak around our area. I bought the car in 2013 after his passing. Still a time capsule.

 

The '55 had an L-88, 4-speed, 4:56 posi. The '57 has a 355 sbc, reverse manual valve T400, narrowed Currie with 4:88's.

 

@Sting Ray

That 57 is a great color..Nice

 

Mine was, and still is, primarily a street car. As it happened, it did fairly good on the drag strip. In this form it showed a lot of "street freaks" the way home from Bob's Big Boy! Drag racing was fun, and fulfilling. But blowing off some "hey look at me" street racer was a blast. God, I miss the 60's!

 

@High5 Wow what a great survivor. You mentioned the Pontiac rear, that was the only way to go back in the day. I tore up a lot of rear gears and axles before I smartened up and made the change.