History Stock-S/S-F/X 1959-1966

1962 at the Detroit Dragway ... most likely the S/S meet that Detroit ran each year around the time of the NHRA nationals. I don't recall if it was run before or after the NHRA meet.
Joel

 

That's a precious picture, Joel!

 

Too bad I don't know who shot it or have more from that event. Nat. Dragster from that week would be a clue. I'm not sure but I think the Detroit meet was a week or so after the NHRA nationals each year. Though I never attended they must have been great meets. Cars from all over the country came to run.
Joel

 

I've never seen flat tow tabs like those under the Pontiac bumper. I'm guessing homemade?

Verne

 

Attached is the Top 10 List & "Stocker Rules" from DRM (Drag Racing Magazine) in early '65. Notice they basically were trying to implement a 'pound per cube' formula. Appears like they, the manufacturers and sanctioning bodies all failed to control the tremendous changes that went on during that year, especially concerning the match race cars.

 

After the Nationals moved from Detroit Dragway they had a big meet the Saturday night after the Nationals for many years. Because Detroit and Indianapolis are only a few hours from each other they always had a great turn out from cars from both the east and west coast before returning home. They had lots of cars from all classes including record holders from the Nationals. I remember in either 63 or 64 they had so many super stocks that they didn't finish eliminations to well into the wee hours of Sunday morning. It was truly the who's who of super stock with cars from all over the country plus all the locals from Bob Ford, Ramchargers, Color Me Gone, Packer and Royal Pontiac plus lesser known locals like Serbay Motors and McCullough Ricci and others. What a show! The heyday of drag racing in my opinion. I don't remember if it was straight eliminations because it seemed the cars made a lot of passes. All without having to be rebuilt between rounds, imagine that.

 

Hey Verne
I made a lot of those tow bar ears many years ago. Used 3/8 flat and I think either 2 1/2 or 3 " wide. Drilled holes where they fit the bumper brackets to bolt up to and then a hole in the front for the tow bar to hook to. Rounded off the front section to look better. When I was in Carlsbad we put a lot of them on cars. Some guys took the aluminum license plate backing or center piece of the bumper out and left it out but most cut it to fit back on the front of the car. Looked better that way. In later years I worked at a machine shop and had a nice new "automatic" torch that followed patterns. During my lunch hour I would make tow bars and ears to sell for extra money.
Larry

 

Larry, that's really cool. In '69 when I decided to race my '62 more than drive it on the street, I saw the cost of a new NMW tow bar & tabs and decided to make my own too. I used the original 2 bolts per side that held the bumpers to the brackets. At that time, my car had no alum license valance so it didn't matter, but now I have a cut down one to clear the brackets. They're still on the car and will always be. And I still have the tow bar.

 

Re: Post 1076 and 1079
The '55 was purchased by a couple of guys from Hacketstown N.J. Painted it Red and White. Damaged it in a towing accident, made a lousy repair. Had the engine freshened up but was not very competive. Neither one of them were very profecient with the old style 3 speed. A effort was made to make the car competitive with a Powerglide when NHRA adopted new weight/ horsepower breaks but the car droped out of site .............520612748exATjE_ph.jpg Post 1076 and 1079

 

From Drag Racing Magazine in spring of '65.

 

Wguy... more details on that way cool '62! Engine / Drivetrain? How fast in 1969? I LOVE that late '60s street look.

 

This is the engine that was in it at that time. It was a new L-78 (all stock inside). Wide ratio Muncie, 4.56s


It wasn't a "serious" race car at all. Drove it on the street during the week and raced weekends at E-town. Best was 13.17 @ 108 with that set-up. (2 ton car). Later on, it did get a cam, Venolia open chamber pistons, tunnel ram and Booth-Arons ZL-1 heads which only made it way too much motor for the car. Had more fun when I went back to a 409

 

What type of wheels are those on the rear of Sox's Plymouth above??

 

Howard wheels. Popular at the time and a number of cheap copy cats were made to look like them. Sox & Martin had them on their '64 Comet and Dyno Don had a pair of flat(non-dished ones on the front of his '64 Comet.
Great car Verne.
Joel

 

Some of the AWB Mopars in '65 ran faster and quicker times that year but non was more impressive (consistently impressive too) and a killer car that the Sox & Martin Paper Tiger pictured. That car and team were absolutely dynamite. The car exploded off the line and the 1-2 gear change was fantastic. The whole car shuddered on the shift but never missed a beat.
Joel

 

What kind of air cleaner is that?

 

Ronnie was the best "stick" man there was! RIP Ronnie. We really miss you!

Joel, I've never heard of Howard wheels..................... I must have been living under a rock?????

Here's some others I absolutely love. Can anyone identify these? My cousin in Tenn has a set of them but I forget what they are.....



That's a photo from Joel!

 

C'mon Verne, what's the story on that yellow '62 Bel Air off to the left in the background? Don't leave us hangin' thinkin' that's not gonna go un-noticed!

 

Looks like the Tokyo Rose 56 sedan delivery way in the back. Ahhh, the good old days. I missed them the first time around but the HAMB sure is giving me the chance to enjoy them now.

 

. . .

 

Sorry, I don't know anything about the '62 in that photo. Maybe Joel does?

 

What strip was this taken at?

-Lee
Atomic Radio
www.atomicpinup.com

 

Johnny Loos 65 Plymouth,looks like the old Sites Bros 65

 

Dyno Don's Comet in early '65 (DRM) before he altered the wheelbase.
Dick Harrell launch @ AHRA Winternationals in '66. (May '66 SS&DI)

 

Englishtown.

 

Bill "Mr Bardahl" Heilshers "Topless" Chevelle

 

Groom Bros "Black Trash"

 

"Whack Jobs" AWB

"Doc" Burgess "Black Arrow"

Tim Baker Drag New 12/2/66

"Mr Tomato"
Robert Lindquist Photo

Jess Tyree Tempest

 

The topless Chevelle pictured belonged to Bill Heischler and less than one year before that photo was taken was a brand new 1965 Chevelle 300 two door sedan car with a 327-350 HP radio/heater delete. It was almost immediately swapped with a Z-11 427 CID engine from a local Z-11 Impala (the Chuck Turner car) and went through several St. Louis owners before having it's top cut off like that.