Features Corvette hot rods - picture thread

Nor-Cal

 

Nor-Cal

 

Bad *** Black….

 

Indy 65

 

Looks racey.

 

Always wondered why the rear wheel wells looked like they were cut with a jigsaw in a state of panic while the rest of the car is in show quality!?

 

My thoughts exactly for 64 years...

Hello,

In a previous film shown on the HAMB, it sets up the whole process. The pre-staging, the set up, the race, the end and the tow back. One complete racecar presentation. Of course, the Corvette is the Bones Balogh and John Mazmanian famous Corvette. One of our favorites...



The presentation is one complete showcase of one of the historic race cars on the Westcoast. Ending with the drive off to the pits… completes the film.

Which shows the oddball rear wheel cut out design.

By this time line day, we were finished as drag racing participants, but were still racing late at night at the Cherry Avenue Drags. So, we still kept a sliver of our old antics. This Great Western Exhibit center was a short drive for us, but it was a good car show and others like them in our So Cal neighborhood area, still attracted teenagers to them. In 63-64, we attended as many as there were, locally, at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium and elsewhere. By 1965, that too was behind us for being participants.

But, visions still dance in our heads, including driving a custom Corvette to the high school parking space in front of the school… YOWZA!!! "Where were you in 62?"

from my old Friday Art files, with the appropriate wheel openings...

Note:

“Bones then met Big John Mazmanian at a local drag strip. They were both driving B/Modified Sports. John was king then but Bones' big 671 would always get a hole shot, always out of the gate that first low gear. He went to the 62 Nationals in Indy and won. When he returned and ran at Irwindale he was beat by Big John. They then became partners and John bought Bones' transmission, motor, blower, and injector for $500 and put it in John's car. Up till then J&J Muffler were friends of Bones' and they had sponsored all his cars.”

We knew of both of the racers in their Corvettes. One was similar in power to our 292 SBC 671 supercharged motor we used in our 40 Willys Coupe build for C/Gas. My brother had his idea of the next build if there was to be one. A modified Altered Roadster was one choice and a modified Corvette was the other. Those were the closest to reality that inched closer in our conversations prior to all of the drag racing stuff “gone in 30 days…”

Bones Balogh had a Chevy sedan that ruled the Gas Coupe Cl***es and when the Corvettes came into the picture, still ruled those cl***es. But my brother just could not get over the butchering of the John Mazmanian Candy Apple/Tahitian Red Corvette’s rear wheel opening for the big slicks. It looked as if a kindergarten cl*** was allowed to use their skills to open up the wheel well. Square lines on a round body design? Where did that come from in the archives of smooth car designs?

Record setting Corvette by Bones Balogh

Jnaki

Someone is bound to say who cares, it was a record setting sports car that ruled the roost. The combination of Bones Balogh and John Mazmanian was a team like no other. But, in looking at the two Corvettes, the purple one of Bones Balogh was the coolest looking. IOHO


By the way, how did such tall people drive those small compartment Corvettes with getting cramps, even in the quarter mile? (Rich Soroonian drove Mazmanian’s Corvette later…)

When my friend, who was 6’3" and I was 6 feet we had the opportunity to cruise around in a 1960-61 Corvette. We were supposed to exchange manifold from 2 different 283 motors. But, we had to take the Corvette for a drive or two. We felt like two sardines in a 1960 Corvette 283 with dual quads and 4 speed.

It was good for a weekend of cruising, but for us, it was a nice car, but not one to cruise around long distances and perhaps race. Even for 11 seconds at a time. YRMV

Note 2:
For history sake, please note that Bones Balogh was the first one to have a new Isky-Gilmer 671 supercharger belt drive kit, including an Edlebrock manifold for a SBC motor, in 1960. My brother and I probably had kit number two, also for an SBC Motor in April 1960.

 

Nor-Cal