Rochester NY historical pic and question

It's Ross's old car and as Dirty mentioned, Big Chief has it now...It's been repainted and many update's have been made to it already..
It REALLY is a VERY cool piece of history and it's real cool to see it in person as we have...
I'm sure someday they will get it together and bring it back out...

 

Ross also had an Opel Gt altered for a while years ago. I believe it was after the Rambler . Don Shaffer of Greece was co- owner of it back then, and he still has the car. He's talking of bringing it out again , but with a different body. Possibly a Fiat. I would love to see both of these cars out again!

 

How about Don's 429" Ford Falcon! All black and just spectacular, as who the hell remembers that Ford built their last Falcons using the Fairlane body. Just wish that Don would bring it out more often.

 

We're talking about Ross,must be the guy I knew,he was selling for Nu-Way auto parts later on I think? He always made me laugh.

 

The "Ross the Boss" Rambler is about 80 percent done. Tom Lennon and I have had the car since 1989. You Rochester old-timers know more about the car and its past owners than I do but I guess Ross sold the car to Kenny Allnut (sp??) who ran it for a while (once with a supercharged motor!) and then when Ken and that crew went down the tubes the car basically was left for dead back in the late 1970's/early 80's from what we're told. A kid (14yrs old) out in Albion ended up with it and was in the process of cutting it up into a swamp buggy! The original interior tin work was gone as was the steering and brake system but everything else was intact. When we got it the car was in the green/silver flake and a hurt'n turkey.

Lots of hours and money are into the car now. Its had a complete restoration and update. It was originally SBC powered but its currently set up for a 600hp small block Ford/C6 combo we've got waiting for it. Its now Wimbleton White with LeMans Blue stripes. It has a fresh cage with updated brakes and steering. Bobby Jaus did the interior tin work for us (the only thing on the car we didn't do ourselves) and Ross got to see it about 8 years ago when that was being done out at Jaus' shop.....Ross hated the white color combo then but when he seen it at Lancaster a couple years ago he was warming up to it.

I guess it typically ran in the low-mid 10's back in the day and when the wick was turned up (and when Ross could keep it straight - he mowed down the christmas tree out at Spencer one night) it would run in the 9.90's @ 135-140 range.

I brought the car our to the g***er reunion at Lancaster a couple of years ago. The car show snobs wouldn't let me park it in the show because it wasn't 'done' so I parked it on the track across from the WNY G***er gang. Lots of people remembered the car and I had the 1972 Area Racing News magazine with the car on the cover taped to the hood which helped jog memories too. It was a hoot. Ross was at the track that day and he got to check it out too. Ross sure is a character and I know some people don't care for him much but I feel its fitting to letter the spoiler as it was in the day with "Ross the Boss" as tribute to the car's past and a bit to Ross' colorful personality as well. One of the highlights of the show for me was a pair of kids ran up and told me the story of how this car sat in a field next door to them in Albion and they spent many hours 'playing cars' in/on and around the car. They were extremely happy to see the car again and that it had not been cut up....apparently the car was a day from being s****ped when Tom went and picked it up.....the kid lost interest in the swamp buggy thing and the dad was ready with torch and saw to cut the car up the next day had it not been rescued.

Here's a few shots from last summer. Every year we plan on getting it done....and every year "life" happens and priorities are shifted away from the car.....soon it will be done.

-Bigchief.

 

I'd LOVE to have that Falcon. I was over to his place about 10-12 years ago and got to walk through the garage. Yeah....it would be nice to see any of his cars out.....

-Bigchief.

 

Yep, a rare and unique piece indeed! He had some electrical problems with it the past 2 yrs, and was affraid to drive it . Those problems have been remedied, so I think you'll see it more in the future.

Tony - Glad your enjoying this. Just think - some day you'll be an old fart , and you'll probably be on here ( or somewhere) remminising about your "good old days" just like us!!

I think overall most of us older gearheads are having as much fun as we used to, and for some , maybe more. Yes, it's more expensive now , but most of us don't consume anywhere near the alcohol we once did, so that leaves more money for our cars and their gas tanks!

Bernie Scheuerman

 

BigChief , Its very cool that you found and saved that car. It defintly was a different racecar from back in the day

anyone else have any pictures from the local tracks???
anyone remember Jim Oddys fiat that he raced at empire?
I cant find any pics of it. I had his austin as my first streetrod. Ron....

 

Hey Bernie...I hear ya.. Although i'm feeling pretty old already..
We bust ball's about it all the time. Song's that my gen grew up with have been being remade for a few year's now by new "artist's" if that's what you wanna call 'em...
Hell, we already sit around and tell story's about what we did when we were in our late teen's.......being relatively new drivers and all

Tony

 

The last I saw Bill Drake's car, it was sitting in a field in Cato rotting away. I don't know if its still there or not.

The car was raced once or twice back in the eighties at ESTA, but on one p*** the rear broke and tore up the car pretty good. The guy that had it sold what was left.

 

Sorry to hear about Drake's car.

Big Chief - Car looks great...."we'll keep the light on for ya"

Great pics being posted on here guys - keep them commin'!!
Anybody got one of the Caruso Bros. Willys? I believe they may have had a 66 - 67 Chevelle after that also. How about the "Ball of Cofusion" Corvette? Jim Rufiange's 65-66 Chevy wagon? Bruce Caffaro's Mustang? ( he still has it) The "Dalton Gang" 57 Chevy 4 door?
Lots of great cars MIA.....where are they now??

Bernie Scheuerman

 

man those names are familiar.
here is a newer picture I found of a willys that is in CA that says Caruso bros and I ***ume its one of them that moved out here???
Bruce Caffaros mustang was very cool and fast, I liked it when it was black with the red,white and blue stripes
and didn't the Dalton gang also have a 66-67 nova wagon????(If I remember right)
I worked at eastridge auto parts and delivered parts to them dailly.
anyone have a picture of "SNOOPYS" lime green Thames p****???
I had a 48 morris van that I drove on streets dailly and delivered parts in, and then raced it in street ET on the weekends. Ron....


EDIT: I just got a email from Jim Caruso (son of one of the Caruso bros.), he sent me this picture of their old willys and the car the son races now. the picture below says "Airoso Bros" not Caruso bros.
sorry about that, eyesight and old age... Ron...












here are the pics of Caruso s car and my 48 morris van

 

Ron- Thanks for the pics ! I read on anther forum where it said that Caruso's (at least one anyways) do live in Calif. now and had built a clone for nostalgia racing. That must be it.
Caffaro's Mustang is still black w/ the stripes .Pretty much the way it was when he stopped racing it in the mid 70's. He brings it to Log Cabin occasionally.
I do seem to remember a Dalton Nova....they had the Shell station on Ridge & Culver, right?
Like your cars! Do you still have the '48 ?

Bernie Scheuerman

 

Now that we're talking drag cars, how about the yellow '57 Chev wagon called the "Bad Banana" and its kin, a yellow '69 Chev wagon called the "Bad Banana II". Who remembers them? Both of these cars hauled ***. I especially liked the '69 as it was a full sized car, it had a 427" in it and it was stirred by a 4-speed! This thing could flat out haul the bacon and surprised many other racers with how fast it was. The last I saw it was over on some street off Maiden Lane. The orifginal owner, who ran a knife sharpening business, still had it and was looking to sell it. Rochester's winter had gotten a hold of it and it did have some rust. But, it was a very cool car and I wonder if it is still around???

 

Back in 90'ish i had bought a yellow ChevII wagon called the Bad Banana II that was raced...I dont know if its the same car your thinking of John?...The car had a sh!tty tub job so i rolled it for a 41 Buick Sedan....I have to dig for some of my old race photos..

 

Both "Bad Banana" Chevy wagons are featured in the photo gallery section at www.sundayniagara.com along with lots of other cool cars from Niagara.

Bernie Scheuerman

 

I live right across the street from Buck's Auto now where John and Johnny Unamann are still at it building engines. They did the heads on my 283 and as well as the AMC 360 I put in my Spirit. Unfortunately for me I will soon be moving to Caledonia so I won't get to hear the afternoon dyno pulls anymore. I also won't be able to pull my engine projects over to Buck's on a cart anymore. I'll have to use my truck like everyone else! B&M has some kind of car business running out of now, but I think the building is for sale.

Josh Quick

 

Bernie, those are the Bad Bananas, for sure. However, and I'm probably wrong, but wasn't there a '69 Bad Banana also? Something like a Kingswood Estate, or something like that. Man, I could have sworn that was the one I remember seeing at the strip and over off Maiden Lane.

 

I don't remember seeing the car in person. I do remember seeing a Kingswood Estate wagon for sale in an early 70's issue of Hot Rod. I remember it because it had a 427, a 4 spd., and it was from Roch. VERY unusual factory combo. It was billed as the "worlds fastest Kingswood Estate wagon", and I believe it ! It has to be the car your thinking of.
On a sad note, I just learned that former Turner Bros. modified stock car driver Bobby Merz from Webster p***ed away yesterday. Bobby was the modified track champion at Spencer in '59 and '61.

Bernie Scheuerman

 

my old austin(oddys car) went up to Canada to a few different people and is now back in WNY and John C***iol is restoring it nicely.
I sold my 48 Morris van to a guy in PA who still has it, I talked to him a few weeks ago. Ron....

 

"On a sad note, I just learned that former Turner Bros. modified stock car driver Bobby Merz from Webster p***ed away yesterday. Bobby was the modified track champion at Spencer in '59 and '61."

Hey Bernie,

Was Bobby Merz related to Dale Merz? Probably so. Dale lived right behind my good friend Frank Pelkey. We used to follow him to the races at Spencer.

 

Yes they were. I see Dale occasionally at swap meets, he sells old Corvette parts.
Frank Pelky ?... I raced Super Stocks with Frank at Spencer ! I believe he competed in '85- '87. He also lettered (by hand) my car in '87. Great guy! Last I heard he got married and moved down south in the late 80's. It sure is a small world !

Bernie Scheuerman

 

Man, this thread is sweet. I wish life was like it was back then. I love hearing all of Ron's stories.

 

Anybody have any info about, or remember a full fendered, early 30's g***er coupe called " Gang Green" ? It could have been a Model A, but not sure. Saw it on the street a few times around 66-67.

 

Yes, Gang Green, if I remember right belonged to two brothers and every once in a while they would take it from the streets to the track where it ran like a scalded cat. It had a nose high stance with a Moon tank in front of the grille, big old rear wheels with tires sticking waaaaaay out of the fenders and a BBC, I think !It was, I believe, a 1930 -1932Chev and not a Model A. As the name implies, it was GREEN! I haven't thought about this cars for a good many years and now you've gotten me thinking - Is it still around??? Damn, being here in Florida sure doesn't do me any good in searching through my old photos as I know that I've got pictures of this beast back home. As I said, Damn. Any other Rochester, or ex-Rochester, guys got any photos of this car?

 

Here's another survivor from your neck of the woods: The '41 Olds Spl. #23 that ran at the Keene Hill Climb from '58-'66. Was street driven, too. Team of Rizzo & Foote.
We refurbished the car for its current East Coast owner - he's pledged to take it to the 4th of July Bi-centennial celebration this year at Keene. Had to build a new alloy front end for it by looking at a couple of b&w photos . . .

 

Hamburger, sure looks like a neat car. I really can't say that I remember anything like this from our area. Doesn't mean that it didn't exist, only that my memory ain't so hot some times. Perhaps, you are referring to Rochester, NH as there is a Keene in that area.

Anyway, do you haver any other photos of this neat car? If so, it would be great to see them.

 

Ok so in going back to how this Post started....
I took a zig zag way home today and took a pic of a few old Dealer locations..
Lets start with Fred Walker as was originally stated in the Post.
I have not posted a pic yet so hope this works...
Here is were Fred Walker once stood

 

Wow it worked... heres a few more. Pretty good for a puter lamo.
So Judges is still there (on Lake)although something else now.
Also did someone mention Bruce Caffaro. Heres his shop in Irondequoit..

 

Shall we make a little mark in time and mention who we are,and what we're building or own,So in years to come we can reflect on it?
I'll start with 1950 Shoebox fordor,chopped 6",with '56 Rambler tail lights,still in the process,hopefully by the end of 08 it'll be ready,Chad Holberton,Old section of Greece (Dewey/Stone)