thru the years i've heard stories of civilian drag racers, and the 'factory racers'.......anyone have first hand knowledge? for example on-the-west side there was a nova w/ 'experimental' chevy BIG BLOCK that 'followed a certain tech center mechanic home', and had to be 'returned' rather quickly! legend has it that there were occasions when BIG THREE experimental mechanics would 'match race' their cars? COME ON ANYONE ABLE TO CONFIRM THESE URBAN LEDGENDS? red ryder more to come............................
I lived at Nine Mile and Northwestern when the Northwestern Drive-in was the haven for racers. I was to young to be savey about who was there, but do remember a grey 1953ish Cadillac that was a fairly regular racer and seemed to win often enough against lighter cars. Who knows what lay under the hood!! Maybe the Shadow do...........
While I was not around during the time you are asking about, I can absolutely ***ure you that on many a night, on many a freeway (not so much Woodward) during the mid-90's there was a white mid-90's Camaro with a large hood budge running around beating up on anything that came near it...It was nicknamed 'the Great White Shark' and on the side of the fender where it would normally read 'Z-28' or 'SS', this one had the obligatory 'SS' but underneath that in small print it read ' General Motors Engineering'...Supposedly it had a big-block under the hood and the more astute of you may remember a Hot Rod Magazine test of this same car...it was wicked-fast and yes, it prowled the streets of Motown looking to feast on unsuspecting prey driven by GM Engineering's finest. You don't have to go so far back to find Factory Racers on the street... So I'll ask...did anyone on here work on that car?
i have it first hand that john delorean's brother, GEORGE/'civilian' would occasionally '***ist' those with an inclination to 'attend' woodward. TONY KNEIPER/'civilian' had a pontiac powered 40 ford coupe he 'used' to keep cash in his pocket. he later campaigned the STAN LONG PONTIAC SS/? FIREBIRD. anyone 'old enuff' to remember these fellers? i had an interesting conversation with DELLA WOODS about TK several years ago, TK was considered a 'seriously competive' street racer in that time frame! with the woodward dream cruise coming up some of this may jog some memories? red ryder
there was a nasty 67 plymouth GTX Hemi they called "the silver bullit" that was a rolling test vehicle for chrysler that used to run on woodward. Also Royal pontiac would also have cars on woodward as well. No better way for the companies back then to market their stuff and also good test beds for new things they were trying out.
I lived at 8 mile rd.in Southfield bought one of the first 500 428 cobra jets in 68 1/2.I had Bill ****s of Ford Motor Co.build me a fully blue printed and balanced,.060 over,.651 lift -320 duration solid lifter set up,all new from carb to 9 qt. pan.Had Doug.Nash build me a crash box trans w/posi rear,white and blue pearl paint and I would run Woodward ave.on weekends and Telegraph rd.during the week.I had 2 pages to my driving record.I remember Stan Long Pontiac and lots of sponsored cars out there on the weekends.We used to race early in the morning like 1 or 2 am at a place called college road,I'm talking changing slicks and fresh plugs after a couple runs.Man those were the days,it was nothing to see a funny car out there,I'm not kidding.Sorry to ramble on but you struck a nerve.Just think my stang wouldn't run right if I didn't feed it Sunoco 260 and that was 36.9 per gallon!
I know this is a old thread but maybe this helps http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652803
YES. I AM! I was a good friend of Tony's, he was mentoring me to race the stick shift cl***, as he was automatic! (National Champion)He and the boys from Pontiac Engineering (Pete Seton)did my Cam and heads, suspension, etc. I was a Draftee, so I joined the Marines and spent 13 months in Vietnam, after returning home, Tony was racing the 67 Firebirds, not long after, he was killed when his brother, driving the hauler, fell asleep and hit an overp***! That and my Vietnam experience ended my racing career! I had a Jade Green 64 Goat,4spd, set up by Tony, turned 13.02 without headers at New Baltimore! We, Tony and I, would travel Woodward and blow people off! Mostly for tank of gas and ego!
Thank you for your service in Vietnam. I was talking to an old friend last week about his car experiences of the 60's. He said he left and folks were still cruising, street racing, etc. He did his time in Vietnam and came back to a totally different time and society had changed and moved on.
My '68 Roadrunner and I knew that road QUITE well. Went through a tank of gas every two nights for quite a while. Too many stories to tell in this small space. "Silver Bullet", girls in Corvettes, a Chevelle T-boning a tree.....almost getting arrested for drag racing (evading THAT one was exciting).......I lived near 11 Mile Road and Woodward. It was my sandbox. I know the photos are not H.A.M.B. friendly, but you asked.....
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