I sure don't condone it anymore, but does the mention of Oregon Ave., Delaware Ave. or Front Street conjure up memories? I was there every chance I had. First with a black '62 Impala SS, then with a '68 Nova. The '62 got spanked regularly, but I won my share with the Nova. It was primer grey with a 400 Pontiac motor. Any memories from back in the day?
I wasn't there in the early 70's(I was still riding in my pedal car!) but I was a semi-active participant in the early 90's. I mainly ran my Monza 2+2 with a 406 stroker in it but took the 69' bird there a couple times. I work over there at night now and don't see much activity anymore except some rice burners and crotch rockets heading to Hog Island.
bad burb.. is that your 40" in the avatar? and if so what are you doing with it? I bought mine from a cranberry farmer in pemberton....always a south jersey car....I'm always lookin for 40' parts too......that looks like a nice car man.
I remember being there in the mid late 70s early 80s. We used to go to Decatur rd up in the North East and to the Meadows which was off of Aramingo Ave down by the factories. Front st was always cool, down in front of the Oscar Mayer plant. Never raced, always just a spectator. Had a 70 Challenger with just a 318 w/ 340 heads. Man that was tons of fun. Also used to cruise Frankford Ave in the NE and remember a 69 ( I think) green Camaro called Emerald City. Had a mural painted under the hood of a ****ty little Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz sitting with her legs spread open. Steve
haha, Bullet Man, I do to now. It's a different world than when I left in the '70's. BigDaddy, I don't remember "Emerald City", but I remember a couple of 10-second Camaro's that would get trailered in. Some bad boys "back in the day" When I tell folks about there being hundreds of cars street racin' every Friday and Saturday night, they look at me like I'm lying, so now I hardly ever tell anyone.
Yup!! For me; it was more around late 70's and do recall a 68 or 69 nova that was always there (did you run the nova in late 70's). Can't recall the nova's color but it had cragar's on it, not too wide a rear tire, sat low for an era of air shocks, and was quick! Think it even had a Fraternal Order of Police badge bolted on the rear license plate. (These helped guys get out of tickets per say) I'd always spectate and serve as flag man from time to time. Best race I'd seen was two trailered cars that went from Front St. to P***yunk ave (by the junk yards). One a clean 69 Chevelle (White/Black Vynal) and the other a 71 Javelin full Super Stock race trim (decals all over the sides as you would see at an NHRA event). Both open headered, a wad of money changed hands. The Chevelle though wicked fast fell to the Javelin by a half car length. The Javelin on the p*** lost a header collector as it went over some bumps...sparks a flying. Both cars then trailered back up and they disappeared into the night. My sister lived at 68th and Guyer Ave's to which you could clearly hear the cars running late at night; burnouts; gears banging, etc. And yes, to confirm what is being said....cars were lined up all the way down both sides of Front St. Cops would just slowly drive down the road with their lights on to chase people away to which they would go eslewhere and or use a water truck to wet the roads...Delaware Ave. etc.
We were doing street ricing in my area (Lehigh Valley) back then heard about Phila. I never got down there but some others from the area did. I was running a 67 Mustang fastback with boss 302 back then. I could hold my own. I remember a dark green 67 rug top mustang coming up from Phila. Man that thing was fast. blow my doors off. I come to find out it had a 427 side oilder in it. Wondering if you remember it. It had to be 1971 or 2
The last time I had the Nova there was probably '75 or '76. I drove it up from Georgia just to do a little racing while home on leave. On Friday night I missed a gear running a guy in a '69 Chevelle, still almost beat him, but I was done for the night. My shifter really needed new spring clips and bushings, but I thought I could "muscle it". Well, I've got the hood up, leaning on the front fender with a Kool hangin' from my mouth, watching the action and this kid walks by and does a double-take. He said "That thing's got a Pontiac in it!" One thing led to another and he said "Come on over to my house tomorrow, I'll help you get the shifter fixed." Best I remember, he lived over near Chester somewhere, anyhow, I go over there the next morning and his dad had a factory light-weight '62 Pontiac Catalina in his garage! No wonder this kid recognized the 400 motor! His dad was a real Pontiac wiz. I can't remember his name, but what a neat car he had.
do you remember a maroon 67 chevy II w/ gold american racing daisy wheels, or a burgundy 65 gto with a gump lump on the hood and lace paint down the sides (trunk too)? they used to run northampton st. in easton a lot.
That's dads 40. His car came from the Pemberton area too but he bought his in the mid 80s. The owner moved up from Virginia in the 80's and brought his 40 with him. He had it in a barn since 54' after dropping in a new 59AB flatty. My dad was operating a body shop out of the HubCap Place on rt 70 and he had his 40 Stude g***er outside and the old fella stopped in and asked dad if he wanted the 40 Ford. Sold it to him for $600.00 We have everything to finish the car including all the new chrome. Need to get some other cars done first though.
HOT40ROD, I remember the green Mustang convert, but I didn't know the guy. Never raced him either. I tried to pick on other 13 & 14 second cars. THAT guy was a bad dude!
Oh yeah, who could forget the trailered in cars... Remember the Chevette running the staggered injection BBC in it? That car ran low 8's at Atco(I think he died in a crash at Atco in the 80's) There was a black tubbed Nova running a 427. I remember the 68 GTX with the Hemi in it(all black). Those days are gone now...
Yeah, those days are gone...but the memories are still there! I remember the first time I took my B-I-L from Western Maryland up there. He lived near an area where maybe 10 or 15 cars would show up on a good night. When we turned onto Front Street, he confessed to me that all the time I had been telling him about it, he thought I was making it up. I had to laugh, cause if I hadn't been a part of it, I probably wouldn't have believed it either.
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