The header story reminds me of a conversation I had many years ago with Chick DeNino. We were discussing header performance with dented/flattened tubes ( like the 428 Mustangs & 427 Fairlanes always had) and Chick told me he and Jake King did some dyno testing when he worked for Sox & Martin. They deliberately banged up some tubes and found no difference in HP. He also surprised me when he said "A good body man can build a decent set of headers."
Funny you should mention a body man doing headers, but I did go to trade school with Bob Gerdies of (Circus Custom Paint) for body work and did it for many years at Chevy,Pontiac and Ford dealers. Painted a maroon Delivery for Mike Michello from Long Island, NY - RIP (nice guy) I believe he was buried at the cemetery by Island Dragway. Anne and Walt bought Mike's 69 Camaro conv. Did the stripes on Al's 69 Camaro, and "of course" our own Silver race cars. One Sat. night for a Sunday race I stayed up 10 1/2hrs and put a "21" pin striped racing stripe on my 57 Vette. I guess racers NEVER like to sleep before a race. I didn't see Mike's name on the JR list, Div 1 - 55 Chevy !!
Craig- I still dont have leads on Jim Kinney's 70 W-31 car, but I did manage to find his phone number which i assume you already have? LMK if you dont! did I tell you that I have managed to locate my original car? Just havent been able to negotiate a deal to re-acquire it - ugh!! T.
HELLO TO LOU C, LOU,DID THE 57 CORVETTE STOCKER "SWEET RIDE"(JIM JENSEN-MORRIS COUNTY?)HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO L.A.W AUTOMOTIVE? IN CONVERSATIONS WITH JERRY S,YOU HAVE COME UP A NUMBER OF TIMES! HAVING TROUBLE WITH PHOTO UPLOADS-STANDY BY FOR A JAY KALMUS SHOT FROM RP NEWS ECT.
Jay Kalmus was basically the guy who got me and my partner Joe Simon involved in drag racing. We were good friends and I traveled a lot with Jay in 1968 racing his wagon in D/MP. Jay was a mailman and his post office was right next door to the gas station I worked at. We saw each other almost every day. He retired and moved to Florida. Sadly he was stricken with cancer and fought it for years before it took him. I saw him a number of times during that period and he was always upbeat. He sold 55-57 chevy parts and had a really nice '57 Nomad showcar. Probably was his original tow car that he used in the beginning. We went to Indy in 1966 with Jay and stayed in an old style motel with garages.....Jay made some runs out on the highway testing while we were there......Jay also worked for Van Iderstines part time and was always there at night at the main store........He was a great guy and I am forever in his debt for turning us on to organized drag racing..... P.S. we did set the D/MP record in 1968 with his wagon....
Lew, Is Jim related to Bill Jensen from I think Vernon off Rt23, because that's who I bought the car from at Frankie Iaconio's old shop on Union Blvd. in Totowa. The car was a two-tone Lavender with a silver cove. I believe it "was the same car", don't recall if I took the name off or Bill did.The car wasn't that color for long (a few hours),I painted it silver on that weekend. Lou - LAW
What did most of the cars use for restraints? Stock seat belts or aftermarket aircraft style? Did any use shoulder harnesses as I know most didn't have roll bars and if so how were they attached? I'm thinking about doing a period correct car and wondered what to use.
"Lap Belts" were used (most of the time) and somewhere on this thread (Colesy would know) there is a great shot of 'Spyder' launching the Monster Mash with his seat belt hanging out of the (closed) door.
Tweed, I have his number and talk to him a few times a year. This car seems to be very elusive for some some reason but I will press on. Merry Christmas Craig
Joe, Nice stuff on the 65' Mustangs. Little killers. Saw a bunch fastacks in F/S in 1968. Then the little coupes in 1969 in F/S, versus the 69 Z-28's. They hung in there. F/S in 1969,,,,69 Z-28's, 340 Cuda's, 390 AMX's and coupe 289 Mustangs!!!!
Paul, Both stick and auto cars used 600 CFM Autolite 4100 carburetors. -Autolite 4100 (4V), Automatic choke (1963 & 1964) and manual choke (1965 & 1966) -Holley 4160-C 4V, Manual choke on Shelby GT 350. Carroll Shelby sure pulled out the big guns with a 715 CFM Holley whopper on his so epuipped 'Stangs!
Very Nice, And those little 289's held up good. Don't recall having ever seen a 289 HiPo blow out the internals. Imagine if they offered a little better flowing cyclinder head unit for the HiPo in 65' - 67'. Still can't get over those coupe's in E/S in 68' and F/S in 69'. Versus the Oldsmobile 'Ram Rod'. Mel Burns got one into the 12.80's in AHRA B/SP.
Rich, Thank you for your memories of Jay Kalmus. I started running D/MP in '69 and got to know Jay pretty well. Nice guy. RIP Jay.... Verne
Hey Tweed, If that is the car I'm thinking of, it was for sale awhile back for $60k as a roller. Boy, that racing heritage sure adds to the value (price). I remember seeing it in primer and not much more than a shell with some ever-important documentation. Good luck on your endeavor. Also, I saw a little ink on you in the December issue of "Muscle Car Review". Until next time..... Dave.
I found this photo last eve on a gasser website.... No Info attached, it just says "Pow Wow Wagon"... anybody? (notice the S&H GreenStamps sticker in the window. I don't remember them being involved in dragracing?) Larry
Paul, Yep, definitely strong 'lil high winders... here are a few more clippings from my Charles R. Morris "Total Performers" book. I like the $1200. Weber induction setup with 385 h.p. available on opted C.S. cars.
Many thanks for the memories, Colesy! I'm still surfin' this thread...I'm all the way up to page 285, which is quick for a guy who mumbles while reading... Ernie ran the Show, '67-'70, IIRC. The Peaceful Pacers (no relation to AMC...) ran things till '66, I think. Many of the Pacers are still with us, and I'll see what "stories" and pics are available to share. I haven't heard back from "Zeke" re: Quebec/Napierville, and Alban and George Couture and "Fireball" and others. Certainly, there were some serious Super Stock participants from there. I'd like to add that, thru Page 285, there is some astounding content and outstanding "participants". This is simply automotive archeology in a very pure, unadulterated form!
Definitely! This thread should be "etched in stone" in a hard cover book one day so all of this great history is never lost! Maybe someone can contact Larry Davis?
Thanks again for all the Ford info. I would love to have one of the Weber setups like the photo shows. I still have a Ford over the counter set of 3-2 barrels for a 289 that I bought used in about '71 and am think of putting on my '65 Falcon along with a "Lemans" cam. Probably be more sound than furry but what the heck. What class did the '67 Z-28 run when new? I remember one coming to a local track but not the class it ran. First one I saw, he only ran one time in class eliminations and then ran for the money in top stock eliminator. I think he won if I remember right.
I hate to come across as a Barrie Poole "groupie" (recognizing his greatest feats were accomplished in Super Stock) but he did start (as so many did) in Jr. Stock, and he tuned John Elliot (and many others) to levels perhaps not otherwise attainable. Ford of Canada's racing program (through John Phillips) was certainly helped by Barrie's acumen of tuning FoMoCos. In recognition of that, I present the following: http://www.peisportshalloffame.ca/personalities/personalitiy.cfm?ID=103 His former '67 Wagon will be auctioned this coming January by Mecum in Floor-ida... http://mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=FL0111-102684&entryRow=63
I believe Ford's "Total Performance" catalog, circa '64 or '65, had several small block intake/carb combos listed, including the Webers, and 3-2s. They even had a choice of 427 "crate engines"...long before crate engines were "cool". Holman-Moody were the source for SOHCs, as I recall.
There were a few cars around here that ran what was called a "Cobra Kit" that had a cam and lifters, alum. intake and holly carb. Some had the valve covers and chrome air cleaner. We ran a '69 Boss 302 engine in a dirt car back in '69 and we added a stroker crank from HM. They sent the wrong rod bearings so I had to make a trip up to Charlotte to get the correct ones. I remember a complete tunnel port 302 sitting on a counter as well as stacks of Ford GT parts out under a shed. Sears sold "Competition Proven" cams and kits in their catalog. I had some "Total Performance Team" stickers in the back side windows of the '65 Falcon I had at the time. We also had the Holman-Moody and Competition Proven stickers on our dirt car. I know a fellow who has one complete SOHC engine that he bought at the big sale they had when they closed the first time. I still have one of the catalogs that they had for the sale. Sorry to get off the junior stock thread.
The Jalopy Journal
