Every year around the hoidays its great when my dad and uncles sit down and talk about there street racing days . Now that im old (29) theres no hold in back about what my dad used to do when he was young in the 60s . I would like to hear some memerable street races you guys have been in .
me,71 340 duster, him 70 judge, got him by a car length, 95 in a 35, the dumbest thing i ever did next to marrying my 1st wife!!!
Street machine nationals in Indy approx 79? Raced my yellow 56 chevy (had a 454 LS6 4 speed 4.56 dana) at the time against a nearly new super- customized 6.71 supercharged 350 yellow corvette. Raced on the 4 lane interstate thru town around 1AM start to quarter mile finish. I had 3 guys in my car, 2 in his. Had him thru 3 gears and really walked away from him in 4th. Then heard a loud explosion-Corvette dude pulls over, with blown bottom pully, belt, when thru his radiator and not sure what else. Steam everywhere. He was pissed-not only did he get his doors blown off, but the next morning he was to have his car in a photo shoot with hot rod magazine. 6 months later, saw his car in hot rod. Wonder if he told them what happened?
I've got a couple; First one goes back to 1972/73.......I had a 64 Comet (that was and ex drag car) with a "real" 289 Hipro with shaved 69 351 Windsor heads, 4spd and 4:56 gears. I was coming back from night school (getting my BS in Business from Portland State) and was crossing the Morrison bridge that crosses the Willamette, when a tri5 Chevy stops beside me. The passanger says, Hey, I'll bet that car is fast", well that was all it took. I pulled him by a car or two and the bridge makes an S turn at the East end. I was going through this S turn at 80+mph and hit the "washboard" pavement at the end of the turn...............the rear end skipped and the next thing I remember looking at were the headlights of the tri5 coming at my drivers door over my left shoulder.............the Comet was sliding sideways at 80+mph. I am not sure to this day how I ever got the Comet straightened out, but I came to a stop in the same lane I was racing in at the stop light on the other side of the bridge and tri5 comes up beside me, and the guy casually asks me, "Hey buddy, what kind of gears do you have in that thing". He drove off and I drove for a couple of blocks before I had to stop and pull over because I was shaking so bad I could hardly steer. I pulled into a 7eleven and got out of the car and sat on the curb. Someone was watching over me that night......................... The second was when I took my 48 Coupe out for its maiden shakedown run. It was in 1979 and the Coupe had a 55 Chevy 1/2 ton straight axle, 327 340HP motor from a 61/62 Corvette, M21 close ratio, 57 Chevy rearend with 4:11's. I came up to light on SE Division Street somewhere around 140 something and up pulled a really nasty sounding 66/67 Goat. We took off from the light by the time I was 4th gear I was maybe 2/3 cars ahead of him. When we came to the stoplight on (the same street David Douglas is on) he just made a left turn. I looked down at the temperature gauge and it was way over 220............so I made a quick right turn and pulled over next to the curb. I turned the motor off and it stopped almost immediately and I thought it siezed. I got out of the car and opened the hood only to find nothing left of the fan belt. Since I had no tools and the nearest gas station was a ways away I started walking for home about 2/3 miles away. I gathered the tools and another fan belt and walked back to the car. I put the fan belt on and tightened everything up then crossed my fingers and started the car up. To my surprise the motor came to life and the oil pressure was around 80psi. I drove the car home and to my surprise the engine sounded healthier and would rev a little quicker than before. When I had raced the Goat I was shifting around 6300/6500 and it now would do around 7000. I had that car for a couple of years and motor just got better and better...................
My only car that was'nt a Chevrolet, was a 70' 340 Dart Swinger I bought new ,right out of high school. I paid cash as my !@#$%^&* father would'nt even consider cosigning for me; showed him! Anyway, it had a Torqueflite and 3.91 Sure Grip, the car was Vitamin C Orange with a blacked out 2 scoop hood (actually, Dodge called the color GOMANGO, Plymouth called it Vit C Orange). Holley carb swap, headers,Cherry bombs, lifted,with Cragar SS wheels; I'd race anyone, anywhere. So, cruise night, Everett, Washington, Colby Ave, AKA "the GUT", I race a built 57' Chev off a light. The cops chase us down, light us up, and pull us over. I'm scared as I've ever been. The cop says,"you and I both know what this car will do; don't do it in town"! Lets us both go! Never raced in town again; took it out to the Marysville flats ,through the bridges, where the cops had no place to hide. Got into legit drag/bracket racing after a while. No longer street race; too many cops, too severe penalties, and I ain't a kid anymore. Last car/guy that tried to get me to race on the street was 2 young fellas in what was obviously daddies car, a Pontiac Solstice (sp). The driver's revving it up, I look over, his passenger says, "nice car huh". I say, "hey, that's one of those new Pontiacs, the Pontiac Tampon". The kid looks at me all confused, and I say, "yeah, you have to be a real pussy to drive one". The driver gets ticked, light changes, and he takes off screaching the tires; as a Snohomish County Sheriffs Deputy, in an unmarked car, lights him up and pulls him over. I think the kid probably learned the same lesson I did years ago, don't race on the street. As I drive by ,the cop looks at me smiling, I wave, and he gives me the thumbs up. I saw the cop when we were at the light, and saw it was an unmarked car he was in. I set the kid up. I've told that story a bunch; always gets a laugh.
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