Topic: Gearhead stories.

[Don R]

 If I remember this story right, the rear of the 65 Impala rear fender had a cast metal cap above the bumper. Fisher Body couldn't get the tooling correct to make the stamped fender work and ran out of time, so they went to plan B. By 1966 they had it figured out and the cast cap is gone.

[Don R]

 In 68 I had a drivers license but was not old enough to be allowed into the pits at 34 raceways. I believe the rule was 18. I was the crew on my brothers 49 ford cadet stock car, we realized too late that the hot flathead V8 even with an Offenhauser intake and 2 Strombergs, Edelbrock heads, a Harmon Collins mag and tube headers had nothing for the 302 GMC straight 6's in the tri five Chevrolets. Rules didn't allow us to run a 300 ford 6 so we were toast. My brother wanted me to drive it on track but I was afraid they would notice me and make me sit with the wives across the track. A fate seeming worse than death.
 I didn't drive it and we ended the season and never went back. I should have driven it. We always beat the fabulous Hudson Hornet, so I may not have finished last.  The only dent he ever put on it was by a clown in a dune buggy before the heat race. 

[Don R]

 Shirley Muldowney was posing for pics on FB with Wild Bill from the Crab fishing TV show Deadliest Catch. There were dozens of crazy posts before she clarified that they just hung out at the races for a while.
  We left Indy one Sunday and stopped at a popular BBQ place in Brownsburg on the way home, Shirley was eating there by herself and there was a table near her with kids running around and under the table and screaming. I washed my hands and when I came back it was quiet and my buddy was splitting a gut trying not to laugh. I asked what happened, Shirley had stood up and told the parents and kids they were just a bunch of brats! Too bad I missed that.

[Don R]

 The disc brake tech talk got me thinking of the front engine dragster I drove in 89. I asked around if anyone remembered it running and a local guy (now a pro stock chassis builder) remembered racing him a few times. He said the guy used the parachute every pass so be wary of the brakes.
 I checked and the pedal was very hard to push, I needed a gorilla leg to stop it. The pedal ratio from the pedal to pivot to M/C was 2 to1. We went to the junkyard and got a pedal arm from a rambler stick shift car. I was able to make the ratio 6 or 7 to 1 with a forklift master cylinder and it stopped great after that. I only went about 130 in it but it was better getting stopped.

[Don R]

 1989 my buddy and I bought a front engine dragster and took it to Memphis to the NDRA Muddy Water Nationals. Just by luck we made it into the final on Sunday, met a few famous drag race legends (Dyno Don, Arnie Beswick who we already knew, KS Pittman and a family with a mustang funny car. The Meadors family. Claudie liked our car and while we were admiring theirs, we struck up a friendship. Claudie was coaching me on my driving until we got beat in the final.
 Fast forward twenty years or so Claudie had moved to a FED top fueler and recently passed away. His family was doing a memorial tour with the car and did a cacklefest start-up that they held a charity fundraiser raffle for.
   I introduced us and of course they didn't remember the race. I described their funny car and remembered it had a cracked head and Claudie would pull the plug and spin the water out of the cylinder every pass. They did remember that and were amazed with my description of the car. The Mom even went to the trailer and brought us each a bottle of real Texas Dr. Pepper made with cane sugar.
   My race car partner and I bought a bunch of tickets and "somehow" I won the chance to sit in the car during the startup. They loaded it with a little more nitro than usual and halfway through I took off the mask and sat there with tears in my eyes. From the Nitro fumes of course.

[Don R]

 During the 1989 nostalgia race mentioned above we were visiting KS Pittman the famous 40 Willys gasser driver and telling Cordova Dragway stories. The crew had driven KS's car to the starting line and warmed it up for his race with Arnie Beswick.
 A kid came running out of breath and said KS!, KS! they need you at the car!!  KS turned and said hey kid, can't you see I'm talking to these guys? And continued his story. Beswick was doing burnouts, KS looked at the starting line after a bit and asked if we would be around a while so he could visit some more. Of course we said yes and he said I'll be right back, there's something I gotta do.
 I was offered the chance to race KS or Beswick but the early/early Olds rear end in our car was throwing out oil onto inside of the tires and howling like a banshee. Since my boy parts were against the safety plate shielding the ring gear when I was in it, I declined to drive again. I shoulda went for it.  No guts no glory.

[BenelliSEI]

In 1970 I went to th CASC Racing School at Harewoord Acres, Ontario Canada. It was a converted WW11 pilot training centre. Basically a large triangle of air strips, with some chicanes made of hay bales. My best friend Jeff and I bought a 1959 Sadler  (front engine) Formula Junior for $500, hooked the trailer to my Dad’s ‘63 Buick wagon (no brakes) and off we went.....

The car (a single seater that probably weighed less than 800lbs.) was a hoot to drive, but it just wouldn’t go around the two left hand corners on the track. Took us half a day to realize the RR, ancient Dunlop Racing tire had no air in it...... The side walls were as hard as a rock, and with so little weight, they stood up straight! 20 minutes with a bicycle pump and what an improvement. I look at 16 year olds today and wonder at the shear ignorance we must have displayed. No video games, we just dove in. Somehow we survived, and this year is Season 53!

Found a picture of one, just like ours. We ran on stock, steel wheels. Mags were a real luxury in 1970.

[Don R]

  A friend opened a diesel shop and has done well business wise. He has a side business of street Rods/machines and recently bought a 33 willys coupe. I saw the picture of it in face book and someone mentioned it was formerly white.
  I realized I had the Hot Rod mag centerfold of that car on my garage wall. It was built by lil' John Buttera for Joe Hrudka that owned Mr. Gasket. Since then Pinkys hot rods, Chip Foose and a few other big names have worked on it. Jesse James was supposed to have bought it but never showed up with the money.
  It's amazing, the suspension is all handmade billet, the wheels bolt on from the back sides. The brakes are inboard, quick change rear end, everything under it is billet, custom oil pan, rocker covers, water pump, front cover, mounts, 4 speed trans, pedals etc the hood is power as is the trunk.
  Joe doesn't think he can afford to keep it long term but I thought that about my sandcast too.

[Don R]

 My car show, a friends wife made the video.

  That first car belonged to a local hot rod hero, he built a few cars for other guys over the years but didn't live long enough to get this one done. This builder did it all himself. He built everything except the interior. 392 hemi on efi.

 The black cherry 40 chevy with flames is mine. I got it in 1973 and built it in the early 90's. The yellow 32 plymouth sedan is the one I welded the steel roof into.
  There is a 2020 Shelby GT in there that has the 6.2 engine, blown etc. It has coolers on the rear axle and manual trans, it was designed to go 200 mph as long as possible. Bought by a dealer, blown up by same dealer. Too costly to repair to warranty specs so he sold it to my buddy. They welded up the block, got a crank and carillos to solve the weak link and put it all back to better than new specs. Will spin tires at 70mph in 5th gear.

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