Hey would anyone here happen to have a good set of 5:13 ring/pinion gears for a '55-'64 Chevy 8.2 rear? Apprently they don't make them that steep anymore -Dean
Pete -- I DID catch this pic when it appeared before. A little irony for you --- Ron Garey's first drag race effort was one of these '54 "hi-performance" Hudson Jets!! Then it was on to the Oldsmobiles after that for him! Big, old Hudson twin-H power in that little lightweight Jet! Man, how it did fly!!! I'm sure there a few old central Ohio racers out there that rember his Jet!! Keep em comin' Kentuckian!!! Tweed
You may be thinking of Rich Rann's white '68 Chevelle 4 door, which had a Skip Asay logo on the side. It had a 327-275 hp, P/G combo from his '68 Chevelle 2 door and '67 Camaro if I'm not mistaken ?
Thats my 56 wagon in front of the olds, CAR IN TOW on the rear window. I believe that was Alex Jarrell in front of me. THANKS, HENRY
Skips and Rich Ranns Chevelles were using the 327/ 250 HP combo. The engine used heads with smaller 1.72 intake valces. It was a one year only engine combo.
I was out of racing from the early '70s to 1980. I started to attend some races just to watch. I took a long weekend with my girl and drove up to New England Dragway from NJ to watch at a points race. We were sitting up near the finishline up on a hilly area if I recall right. I saw Rich Rann's Chevelle spin off the track and go in the trees/brush area......Much to my surprise I think he won the race on Sunday.....I thought at the time of the spinout the car must have been badly damaged, I guess not.....It was around 1978-1979. We sat in a restaurant one night across from Larry Kopp...He was racing his early Corvette in D/MP and set the record that weekend, I think.....All those trips to various races during that era got me hooked again and I soon put together a '69 Camaro and ran SS/JA for a couple seasons.....
I remember that race. I believe it was a WCS points meet. At that time, many racers opposed (for good reason), the breakout rule (bumper stickers that read "PUT THE BRAKES ON BREAKOUTS"). I believe if you had a car capable of running under the national record, you could lose a race. Rich had dumped the brakes, to keep from breaking out, near the finish line. The brakes locked up, he crossed the finish line in his lane, without crossingg the centerline, and won that round. After the finish line, he went off the track into the woods/grassy area. The 4" Cragar S/S rims got bent up and the Moroso front tires were flat. There were clumps of dirt and grass hanging out of the rear quarter panels. But he and the rest of the car were fine. Cleaned off and with a pair of bought or borrowed 3.5" Fenton Gyro wheels, he finished up and won the event. I think shortly after that, NHRA put the rule into effect that allowed you to dial down to prevent any further incidents of that type.
Here's a '54 Hudson Jet racing a '56 Ford. I've got a great story about this car on my website. The direct link is: HudsonJet.net/4522.html
Still looking for any pictures of Harold Dunn's 57 nomad "Sir Nomad" His car was green and had the name in white on front fenders. Anybody have any pictures of it. I would appreciate it. Thanks! Maddman
I had a friend or hope I still have one from Mission Bay, Canada by the name of Bill Wells. I built the engine for his 50 Olds coupe called Wells Fargo I think. I drove the car at the Winternationals 1967 or so and was beat by Bill Erhsam's 51 Stude The Commander Here is a picture of the cars at Mission Raceway. I have been working on scanning some of the old pictures I have and getting the 8mm film onto CD's, Tulsa, Indy, Riverside, Sacramento, Inyokern, Santa Maria are a few of the 8mm's I have I hope they turn out. Tony, you remember Ike Smith ran a couple of the Hudson's in Div 7, I think he had a Jet with the Twin H in it at Carlsbad raceway do not remember the class. I heard that Cliffords Hornet was in central ca somewhere Purrcell ? I think he bought it from Clifford and lived somewhere around Porterville. Hope the picture come's out OK.
here's a 1-2 minute slide show of two old junior stockers. it's put to some great (but unathorized) music. the pop-up seem to be gone on the replay. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxECh2Hrdk0
Keith: Yes I remember Ike Smith I lost to him in the fourth round at the May 1967 points race at Carlsbad, My first NHRA points meet. He had the "Beast" Hudson Hornet. The picture that has appeared on this site several times of a Hudson Jet was Ike Smith's and the picture was taken at Carlsbad.
Did you know that Bruce Morgan bad mouthed Hurst Corp. and Pontiac after he won this car? It was a 389 Super Duty equipped piece and Bruce ran the snot out of it when he first got it. It seems he had engine problems early in the period he owned it and tried to get it fixed under the factory warrenty. When the local deealer and the factory would not fix it for free he went on a campain to bad mouth and put down the Pontiac and Hurst Corp. George Hurst said he would never award a race car as a prize again. The ones awarded later on were all show room stock mild engined cars. Bruce later installed a stock 389 engine and sold the car. What did he do if his 57 Chev. had engine problems as all race cars do at some time? What a "Dick".
Bob, You mean these guys? The only car I remember them running after the '55 was a '67 Camaro 350/PG in I/SA (I think). Seems to me they were the first ones to jump on the PG as everyone else used the TH350.
The Jalopy Journal
