Hi Lou, This is a fun deal after all these years ,isn't it? Here's what I was getting at,... and it wasn't directed at you personally. You may not have even known this. The Chevy II hardtops had an extra piece of metal inside the rocker panels. It ran the entire length. It was a heavy gauge ,galvanized piece of stamped sheet metal. It was there to keep the door opening from flexing without the extra support of the post roof. I just wanted to see if anyone knew about it, more than anything else. I wasn't being critical of your efforts,that's for sure. Besides that, I wouldn't want to be the one without sin to cast the first stone. If you remember the 4 dr Bel Air 16 # Super Stocker I had , well, when I went back to Stock in '75, I needed a convertible body to make 16 # in Stock. I found one with a rusty New England frame, so I took the body off the 4dr and dropped the convertible body right on to the Bel Air frame. It came out awful light, and the doors didn't shut too good , but I did manage to set the P/Stock record twice with it. More phoniness revealed next time!
It just dawned on me --- The firsf pic of the Brainbeau car is a '66 and the others posted directly after show a '67. I guess we will need some documentation as to whether the car pictured at Indy is the original.
I've enjoyed talking with Sam Murray a few times at the track. That's fairly remarkable in itself since he lives in Massachusetts and I'm in Los Angeles. Having Indy close to the middle of the country facilitates such get-togethers. Sam's a genuine "ole-timer" but, according to this article in Hemming's, <http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2004/10/01/hmn_feature24.html>, he re-created the Brainbeau car. That doesn't detract from his remarkable accomplishments with the 4-4-2. It's a rush to see that car with the front wheels in the air while Sam's grabbing gears at the same time. c
Sorry, but the link didn't translate through to the message board. Either I did something wrong or the site blocks out the links. Anyway, you can find the article at Hemmings.com. Add this tag to the ".com" designation without using the quotation marks: "mus/stories/2004/10/01/hmn_feature24.html."
http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2004/10/01/hmn_feature24.html?t=printable Is this what you wanted Chuck?
Thanks, Gary. It wasn't exactly what I "wanted" since I have the original article but is was certainly what I was trying to post. Hope this helps someone. Time to head for the track. One of the guys is doing some testing at Fontana this weekend. As luck would have it, it's an Olds! c
Some great history, John! Rare Poncho, too! Now I'm really stumped; I need a clue. What is the passenger's first name? Pete
Really clean Chevy II...and it's got "three on the tree"! Best of luck to you on the project. Btw, these would look nice on the car also: A sign and lettering shop can recreate this one: Regards, Pete
welcome perez, nice '66 chevy II! love the radio and cigarette lighter deletes. what are your plans for it? possibly an L79 327?
Pete, It's Vinny Meyer, my partner for a year, starter at Englishtown, and driver for Dom in the wagon. According to Dom, he's now retired, living at the Jersey shore somewhere and uninterested in computers.
It's sad to see what big money sponsers did to drag racing. It seperated the average people from the sport by making any glory unobtainable if you don't make $80,000+ a year.
The Woodland/Andresen Brainbeau 67 car ( not to be confused with the 66 car) was beautifully and successfully re-created by Sam Murray who had been a pit crew member for "Woody" with the original Brainbeau cars. Sam had done the Olds gang proud with his Wheel-standing stocker!! The Pic Chuck Norton has put up is of the "original" car. Kudos to Sam again!! "Thanks for the memories"!
Mark - I, too, raced one of these 66 bel air 4-doors. And I, too, went to P/S with it after the rule changes made it cost-prohibitive for a budget racer to switch to a Roller cam and a Hemi 4-speed with Dana rear-end! UGH. Cant seem to forget those things that forced us budget SS racers to the bench! If I'm not set up to send you pic of my car, but i'm sure MIKE442 has a pic of he he wouldnt mind posting. My car was the former Jimmy Parker (Parker 'N Scammon) car out of Columbus, Georgia. I happen to still own the car. When I quit racing it in 79, I shoved it into the rear of the shop and threw a tarp over it and it is still "laying" back there as we speak today! Never met you, but sure remember your cars ( along with Dave Le Bruns Bob Johnson camaro to. Always envied thos quick CT racers! Joe DeLorenzo, Merloni,Santangelo, Yacavone, on and on and on! You guys rocked then!! In order to keep racing competitively with my 4dr, I even swithched to AHRA P/P class and met with some measure of success i that class. Keep those pics coming. Got any pics of Delorenzo's cars? 57's or Camaros? Tweed
Sorry, I gave Check Norton credit for posting the Brainbeau original 67 pic and it really was Biscaynes! Anyway, Loyed Woodland ( Woody) has found and re-acquired his original 66 Barinbeau car(the one in Mike442's avatar) and is in process of restoring it today. He also owns the remains of a 67 W-30 car that they believe to be the original 67 car that Sam Murray cloned. They arent 100% sure, but there is considerable evidence that makes them believe that it is. Tweed
Mark - Here is the Pic of my car that i bought from Jimmy Parker that i referred to in last post(see post #3758). Any chance you remember it. It held record in early 72 when i got it. I bought it with the money I got from selling my 67 W-30 car. Who ever thought of rare muscle cars and who ever heard of "number matching" back then! I still have the Belair -- Guess I kept the wrong one - eh? They only made 129 67 W-30's with TH400!!
Now there's a nice looking race car. Sure miss those old days. There seemed to be a lot of those big four door Chevys back then. By the way, Mr. Parker is still building cars and racing. Bob Rice
Remember it? Ha! That's the car that started it all for me with the 66 Chevys. I saw it at Gainesville in '72, I think. I had to have one too! Single traction bar and all. Is that still on the car? Have you talked to Jimmy Parker. He's a good ol' boy. I'm sure he'd be glad to hear from you. Tell him to get on this site.
not sure what it is guys but something in this thread is kickin in my anti-virus program it has never DONE THIS BEFORE so be carefull,my a-v denied it access it is some h1.ripway. com /Vorhaus thing the A-V is saying i'll check into it here in a bit and let ya know what it is,has something to do with internet explorer
Does anyone know if there will be a "Jr. Stock Eliminator" type of event after York 2010 at Beaver Springs ? You know with the 265s and 283s not 350 engines. I'm thinking a 283/245 1957 Chevrolet. Can someone post the 1969 rules ? Bob
It would be cool but I dont think there are enough around any more. Most are high dollar restorations these days.
Man, this Chevy's paint job and lettering is cooler than cool! Seems only back in that era such cool paint and lettering schemes were possible! What happened? Pete P.S. Those polished Fenton Gyros kicked-ass and added to this Chevy in the looks dept.! I would love to see a modern day recreation of this cool-looking wheel in lightweight aluminum. Ditto for the Motor Wheel Flys.
John, Believe it or not (please do) while trying to figure out who your ex-partner was, the name Vinnie Meyer popped in into my mind but I just could not make the connection. Now I know! Thanks. Pete
Bob - Thanks for the reply. I thought Jimmy was "still at it". Havent talked with him since about i would guess 1978 or so! He and his fellow Columbus Ga buddy, Sherman Adcock ( 427 chevy big car fame) were still pounding them out for years. I believe i saw where Sherman had a son or sons continuing the family racing tradition? Know anything more about those south Ga guys? By the way, the pic of the car is taken at Phenix City, Alabama dragway. Tweed
mark- HELL YES! - that single tracation bar is still on the car today!! I already owned the car at the 72 Gatornationals. Bought it a few weeks before. I'll never forget that Gatornationals.!! My Olds racer friend Ron Garey had an entry for Gators and his car blew the motor the week before the gators and he called me and asked if I wanted to take my "new car" to the Gators on his entry form. Back then, you didnt have to necessarily take the car that you had registered in your entry. He drove the car to a best of 12.79 on the 13.08 index -- .29 under -- AND FAILED TO QUALIFY!! Got bumped in the last session, as it ended with needing .31 under or better to make the field! If you had checked out the car there, I may have even talked to you!! Parker had already built a 66 2dr hardtop to replace this car, and he was there, too, racing his "new" blue 2dr HT SS/R. No- he didnt qualify either!! LOL
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