I just returned from this event. Both a period-correct recreation of the early white-over-gold Gran Sport plus the restored actual Stage II Gran Sport that were both driven by local legend Lennie Kennedy were on display. It was thoroughly enjoyable. c
I was thinking back to the good old days of Class Racing at Cayuga. There were lots of good cars there. Here's one from the 70s, a little newer than Jr. Stock but still Stockers.
Skip Hacker won P/SA driving our '66 Belair at the 1973 NHRA Summernationals. We flat towed the Chevy from Louisville KY to Englishtown NJ. The towing trip going back home was a lot more enjoyable with the class trophy onboard.
Yes, he's retired now. In fact I'll see him tomorrow. We're taking a '66 Nova to the swap meet at the Fairgrounds to put in the for sale car corral.
I'm sure that photos will be forthcoming. There were multitudes of cameras present and a video was being made that will include plenty of footage featuring members of the Reynolds family that has operated the dealership since 1915, the people who restored the cars, and, of course, the two stars of the show. I continued my life-long pattern of leaving the house without a camera and therefore, I can't post pictures. Sorry. c
Here is a link to the start up of the Reynolds Buick at the dealership on the 19th. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b6-6EynFfA
Some photos of my 68 Z 28 Camaro when i wanted to order this car in sept 1967 my local chevrolet dealer told me that chevrolet did not offer a Z 28. I called Malcolm Konner chevrolet in Paramus NJ. They said they had some 67 left overs in stock and 3 68'S. So i called my local dealer told them if they wanted to sell me a car they better find a way to order the car.They called me the next day and said that they had to order the car through the central office.I had the car in 6 weeks.The photos were taken in 1968 or 69 at Island Dragway in NJ. ROBERT
Did you or anybody you've known ever run one of these? Looks pretty "Trick" for it's time. (most torque arms today ie; camaro, the torque arm is on the drivers side ) Larry
That's actually very "trick" for it's time! Take a quick peek under several of the current, modern day 7-second Drag Radial cars and you will see a VERY SIMILAR set-up! In fact, it's been outlaw'ed under some of the Mustangs but the newer Camaros/Firebirds can get away with it because it's actually very similar to the stock torque arm suspension.
Yes ,and they worked very well . Joe DeLorenzo ran one on his 210 ht 57, pictured a few pages back. I used a homemade variation of that theme on a few of my cars back then. Actually, I could never understand why the factory put their torque arms on the left side. If you think about it as to where the weight shifts to and also the torque reaction to the rear end housing under power , it makes more sense to put them on the right.
I realize that... so I too question why the later model camaro install is on the left (drivers side)? Mark, do you have any photos of the Stahl Torque Arm installed on one of your cars? I'd really like to see that. Larry
This weekend my son and I attended the Dutch Classic at Maple Grove and hung out with friends Tim Bishop and Jerry MacNeish. Jerry was not in "record setting" trim and ran 10.48 in his '67 Z-28 D/S on Friday. I think that is a tad quicker than the Wenzel's ran back in 1967. Tim sold his record setting 68 Z-28 about eight years ago and is running a 1997 Friehawk (350 LT-1) in B/S. He set the ET record on Friday with a 10.15 @ 131 MPH. Hard to believe stockers run that fast!
When my brother and i set the R/S MPH record we were knocked down for the rear tires being wider then 7 in's. We did not know about the cheese grader trick. i think we used a knife to trim the tires to size. ROBERT
Robert what do you mean by "Knocked Down". If the tires weren't legal width, than you shouldn't have been able to set the record! I've been around the barn enough to know that if it ain't right / legal, then you don't get the record... and you might be sent home. Larry
I think it took us 3 record runs before we got the tires to 7 inches. I think the car would have hooked with 6 inch tires. ROBERT
FYI - 2011 NHRA - Rule Book Amendments - Look to page 25 Following IHRA's Rule Book that's been in effect for quit awhile, now NHRA, will accept cars back to the '55 model year as "Stockers"... Well Whoop-D-Do!! I'm gonna continue with my wagon project as I originally set out here. It will be a lot more fun, and I'll do it at my pace, and budget, and never have to worry about NHRA F'n It Up!! Larry
L/SA, M/SA, N/SA, L/S, M/S, N/S Stick combination rated at 225 horsepower must weigh 3320# w/driver in M/S. The index for M/S or M/SA is 12.85. Three-speed is only accepted stick shift configuration. Powerglide is the only accepted automatic transmission.
Chuck, have Pre-60 Stocker HP Ratings been published already? If so please add a link here. Thanks! Larry
Larry, you'll find the ones that are currently available here: http://www.nhra.com/competition/classification.aspx Note that the only two marques that are included prior to 1960 as of this point in time are Chevrolet and Cadillac. I have no idea when the others were removed. I suppose more could be added and, if people make specific requests, they probably will be. That information must be based on data provided by the manufacturer. There is no indication that NHRA Tech has even kept the specs for 1955 Oldsmobiles, for example. People are likely to be excited that the old cars have been reinstated but, don't forget, they will typically fit into the lower classes, probably no higher that I/S or I/SA. The cost to build such a car into a competitive combination would be no less than to build a newer car plus the cost of the vintage body and components. Not many people are spending $20K to compete in O/SA these days and that would be a bargain for building one of the 1955-1959 cars. For an example of the attendant costs to building a Stocker out of one of these, go out and check prices on an FI unit or even a pair of WCFB carburetors and an untouched dual quad manifiold and then a '57 Chevy body to begin with! How about the price of a Pontiac FI or a J2 Oldsmobile induction system? I'll be amazed (and gratified) if over half-a-dozen of these cars are built from scratch for today's Stocker wars. There are many technical questions to be addressed. Example: A Tri-five Chevy has no crossmember to support the rear of the transmission. Therefore, an aluminum Powerglide case won't work because it doesn't have the ears for a side-mount. Do you want to go out there with a 220 horsepower, '57 Bel Aire using a small '57 Rochester 4-jet and manifold and a cast-iron PG to against a '66 version of a 283 with a larger carburetor, a superseded manifold, and an aluminum 'Glide? I doubt it. In order for this to be any more than a gesture of good will, there will need to be some accommodations for the old cars put into place. These things usually take a lot of time and legwork to be straightened out. At age 71 I have relatively little time and my legs aren't what they used to be. I hope it all turns out to be what everyone wants but I'm not stampeding toward this as the salvation of the Eliminator or the sport. It's a Brave New World out there. c
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