That's Nothing - Did I Ever Tell You About The Time...

Bench racing - most of us have heard that term. If you haven't, they are the equivalent (at least half the time, if not more) of "the fish that got away" stories. Some are based from third person legend or lore, some are from personal experience. Some stories are true, others are so far gone, they're not even from this galaxy. It is also a pastime that is partaken in by both males and females.

I can remember back in the mid to late 80's, when 100% stock, off-the-assembly line restorations were all the rage with muscle cars. It used to be a Corvette only deal, but it swept to other makes and models - the rarer the better. Those with deep enough pockets, made every attempt to use correct date-coded NOS parts or even better, the original parts the factory installed on the car. Things got so crazy, that people researched chalk markings, paint daubs, and even the sometimes sloppy fit and finish the factory experienced on the assembly line.

I remember a friend of mine named Terry who restored a rare 1971 Boss 351 Mustang. Did I mention it was an unusual shade of green? His plan was to restore that car as if it just rolled off the assembly line. Down to every last detail. He was fortunate enough to purchase the Mustang 99.8% complete and in incredible original condition. Terry paid a good deal of money for the car, but was lucky it didn't need all that much work restoration wise. He did spend a great deal of time and even more money researching, tracking down, and installing correct NOS parts - mostly small stuff, from a battery to hoses to stickers. The only bummer about the Mustang when Terry purchased it, was the fact it was missing it's original rear spoiler. No problem - he found a correct NOS one... for about the price of a mortgage payment. The spoiler came with the correct mounting studs, but no attaching nuts. Terry spent weeks trying to track down the correct pieces, but to no avail.

When a big national Ford show came to Carlisle PA - Terry was ready. Also by about this time, he almost lost his job, his wife, and family due to the amount of time he was spending on the Mustang. He made it to the fairgrounds, but he had to install a set of incorrect nuts to hold the spoiler on. No matter - the car was done. He was beaming. He was going to sit and chill out. Until this know-it-all geek came along...
Terry had the hood, windows, and trunk lid open. This guy somehow noticed the incorrect attaching nuts for the spoiler - and let Terry know about it. At first, Terry didn't say anything to the guy - he just made a noise like a cat makes when you squeeze it to hard. When geek-boy mentioned the nuts to Terry again, he reached into the trunk and took out the tall tire jack stand (with the notches in it). Terry had this strange look in his eyes when he responded, "Yup, those nuts are incorrect. Which makes the spoiler incorrect."
WHAM! Terry strikes the spoiler with the jack stand and breaks it with a resounding slam. "And since the spoiler is wrong, that means the trunk lid is incorrect!" Another sickening thud hits the air as Terry strikes the Mustang again. Terry was going for a 3rd hit on the car when four of his friends grab Terry, the jack stand, and yell at geek-boy to get out of there as he gazes on in horror, his eyes the size of dishes. After that show, Terry got some counseling and his friends pieced the Mustang back together through various fundraising events. True story, by the way.

Scenarios like this is also one reason why I no longer show any muscle car or hot rod I may own at a certain time. I realize that enthusiasts are trying to establish a connection between you, them, and your car. The problem is, tons of incorrect information usually flow out of their mouths. For example, almost 30 years ago, I owned a 1968 Dodge Dart 2-door. It was originally a 6-cylinder car that I modified. In the end it had a 440 Magnum engine with an automatic. However, it still looked fairly stock to the untrained eye.
I would hear stories about how someones uncle had one "ordered one exactly like it"; but I knew that was impossible. I also heard tales about a 1965 GTO with a hi-performance 401 cid V-8, Hemi 4 speed, and optioned with a rare cowl induction hood - none of which any GTO ever came with. Yes, these are true stories.

I still enjoy NASCAR racing from it's golden years - prior to 1972. However, one of the best Daytona 500's, as well as one of the wildest all time stock car races, occurred on February 15th 1976. After years of misfortune, David Pearson finally won the Daytona 500 in spectacular fashion. On the final lap, Richard Petty led Pearson down the backstretch. Pearson attempted a sling-shot pass, and took the lead into turn three. Petty picked up the draft, and returned the favor in turn 4 to take the lead back. Exiting turn four, the two cars touched, and spun out of control. Both cars slammed into the outside wall, and Pearson spun into the tri-oval infield. Petty continued sliding towards the finish line, and appeared as if he would cross the line spinning backwards. But the car hit a grassy rut, and slid to a stop 50 yards short of the finish line. Pearson refired his wrecked car, and headed for the finish line. Petty's car was stalled, and Pearson idled by to win the race. It is often regarded as the greatest finish in Daytona 500 history. That's another true story.

Back in the late 60's drag racing was full of priceless stories. One I remember in particular was when Ronnie Sox of Plymouth racing fame was asked to "intentionally" lose to his competitor who drove a Chevy. The track owner said "...he was tired of the Mopars and Fords winning all the time. Most of the fans were GM fans. And the fans pay the bills."

Ronnie (and his partner Buddy Martin) were pissed to say the least. As an act of defiance, after both cars staged in their respective lanes and the starting line Christmas tree started it's lighted countdown, Ronnie left on the 1st yellow bulb, (there are three yellow bulbs, then both racers are supposed to leave on the 4th light down the tree, which was green, but is now also yellow). The team of Sox & Martin made it dead-nut obvious to the owner what they thought of the situation. Yeah - you guessed it - another true story. 


Finally, I'll have to relay the story of how this 1958 Thunderbird got into that tree. You'd never believe me if I told you...

Now it's your turn. Until next time, peace out.
Dave

You Never Forget Your First Time

I got the idea for this post as I was writing last weeks blog when we were "...going forward into the past" a.k.a. remember when. Between last Saturday and now, I've been looking at old pictures, new hot rods, and cool videos of people "exercising" their high performance vehicles after a winters nap. Other ideas popped into my head as I spent some time yesterday morning up at my oldest daughters garage working on a Chrysler 300M that I picked up for basic transportation purposes. My wife will drive it mostly - which is fine. The only things she cared about was that the car was in good shape, was comfy, and had heated leather seats for the wintertime. It was definitely worth the $500 I paid for it, even though we had to dig it out of a 5 foot snowbank in March. This was not the first time I had performed this ritual.

You never forget your first time... car wise, people. Let's keep it out of the gutter. Those other memories I don't even want to know or hear about. I relayed a few stories last week about how I got involved with muscle cars, which lead to a love of drag racing, and then hot rods, and then street rods, and then...
I still fully embrace all facets of the American hot rod and muscle car, but here's a few of my firsts on several fronts. Be sure to comment and/or email yours.

First car - I can remember turning 16, getting my drivers license, having a full time job that summer (and part time the rest of the year), and jonesing for my 1st car. It was a mutual thing between my parents & I because the novelty of driving me around everywhere - and picking me up from work late at night - was wearing off. Cars were a lot cheaper back then, but unfortunately, minimum wage was

only like $1.65 an hour. On the bright side, however, we had an elderly couple who were snowbirds, before there even was such a term for that. They owned a 1970 Mustang with a 302 V-8 coupled with a C-4 automatic. It was the formal hardtop model, so it looked more sedate than it's siblings.
Still though, it spent winters in Florida, and was in immaculate shape. They purchased a new Ford Pinto wagon when they thought the transmission in the Mustang was shot - it wouldn't go into 1st. The local Ford dealer didn't take it in trade - he didn't want to deal with it. They offered it to me for $250 bucks. They thought maybe my Dad & I could "tinker with it." Before committing to purchasing the car, my Dad & I took it out for a test drive and realized the transmission was fine - it was the column shifter that was slightly fubared and couldn't be shifted manually down into 1st. As long as we kept it in drive - it shifted perfectly. We informed our neighbors about this, but they already had another car and sold it to me for the same price anyways.

First mistake selling a car - About a year later, and still driving the Mustang, which by this time had everything fixed - but also added an aluminum intake, 4-barrel carb, new brakes, and dual exhaust to the mix - our neighbors were complaining about the tons of problems they were having with the Pinto, and wanted to buy the Mustang back... for $2000 dollars. That was over a summers worth of paychecks! The car still looked great, sounded great, and actually ran better than when they sold it. They were tickled I took such good care of it. I was urged heavily by my parents to sell, which I did, but the transaction was also fueled by the thirst for another "cool" car - and now I had $2000 to spend! That was my 1st mistake.
The 2nd mistake came shortly thereafter. I searched for weeks for a replacement, but there seemed to be a drought of offerings. Once again, my parents were getting annoyed driving me around (the feeling was mutual) and I broke down and purchased a Ford Granada. The problem was, I needed wheels - beyond yesterday! I tried to reconcile myself that it was a 2-door model with a V-8, in good condition, and it was red. Within a week I entered sellers remorse. The Granada was way heavier than the Mustang, the V-8 had so much smog equipment on it that the performance wasn't even marginal, the trunk always leaked (as did the rear tail lights) and a year later the transmission blew out. I somehow managed to sell it for $500 to a mechanic due to the low mileage and the fact it was practically rust free.

First time street racing - Now, I'm not advocating street racing here. Yes, I know it's been happening since at least the late 40's, and like working at McDonald's - a lot of people have done it. I'm just relaying a memory. It was when I lived in Worcester Massachusetts and the race took place along Park Avenue, which was a major 4-lane roadway that went through the center of the city. There were also numerous traffic lights, but all were about a 1/2 mile apart.
I was actually a passenger in my friends 1966 Dodge Coronet - a beautiful dark blue 2-door that came from the factory with a big block 383. At a time when Mopar's were not as big as they are today, hardly anyone could tell the difference between a 383 and a 440 V-8, especially when my friend had the 383 lid on the air cleaner assembly. The engine was modified and had about 600 horsepower that was hooked to a Hemi 4-speed. And no one really knew what a Dana 60 rear end was or just how bullet proof it was... until my friend had hit 110 mph by the top of 3rd gear...

First muscle car - This one is short and sweet. A 1971 Dodge Charger R/T with a 440 magnum and automatic (so my wife could drive it occasionally). It was sprayed with an odd shade of green, but it was modified nicely. Yes, I street raced it occasionally in Worcester. Both my daughters had their baby pictures taken on the hood of that car. I sold it to put a down payment on a house.

First (and last) "real" restoration - This one is almost as short as the Charger story. What I mean by "real", is this was the only vehicle I've ever owned where I did a frame-off restoration. I went through everything over the course of 5 years - paint, body, interior, tires, wheels, suspension, brakes, engine, transmission, the works. The interior was about 75% done when I sold it. It was a 1979 Chevy C-10 truck that had less than 35K original miles with a very healthy small block 350. In the end, it had a $6000 tri-color paint scheme - Atomic orange pearl, black metallic, and silver pin-striping. God knows how much else was invested into the truck.
The reason why it is my last, is I realized I do not have the time, patience, and strength to sand that much metal ever again - even with the help of others. It literally was "sand until you bleed." Thank God a woman wanted to purchase it for several years and wanted it WAY more than I did. That made things easier...

I want to hear form you!
Until next time, peace out -
Dave

Going Forward Into The Past

Is it me or we going through another phase of "remember when..." in certain sections of hot rodding and racing? The automotive manufacturers, after the last 10-15 years, seemed to have gotten the retro novelty out of their system. Save for the Challenger, the other performance heavy-hitters consisting of the Charger, Mustang, and Camaro seem to be moving forward once again in design. Rat rods, while still cool, aren't on the top of the hit-parade anymore. Even certain makes & models of muscle cars that seemed to be featured every month in different magazines because of popularity isn't the norm anymore.

I don't know about you, but these are some of the things I'm seeing in the following areas -

1). Street / Hot Rods - While there's still a tremendous amount of diversity out there, which is a very good thing, I'm seeing more experimentation of colors, paint, and styling that were prominent in the late 50's into the early 60's. Remember when nose jobs, chopping, and channeling were popular with regular vehicles and not just 20's & 30's rods? This seems to be making a comeback.The car pictured to the left is a 1965 AMC Marlin. It has a custom grille insert, along with a Chevy Nova hood, and a bumper from a 1965 Plymouth. Chew on that for a while...
One thing I'll admit I thought would never come back (and in a way hoped it wouldn't) was the pro street concept from the 80's. The difference this time is the cars are WAY more streetable, look closer to their original stock configuration, and make more power without the complexity or financial overload.

2). Drag & NASCAR Style Racing - I've mentioned this before; nostalgia drag racing is huge. Smaller, less complicated nostalgia drag racing events are really gaining popularity. As an added bonus, Gasser style race cars are making a serious comeback. All three are a top-shelf "remember when..." warm fuzzys. I came across a photo of what is considered "The Day Drag Racing Began." This event took place in 1949 at a landing field at Goleta in the Santa Barbara area. It was a contest between two well known dry lakes veterans, Tom Cobbs and Fran Hernandez. Just groove for a moment on the picture. Talk about humble beginnings...

Now, note in the second half of the notation above; NASCAR style. While Daytona will always be Daytona, and all the pomp and circumstance that goes along with it, local roundy-round racing is still riding high on the popularity scale as well as participation despite the economy. Why? I call it the D.I.Y. factor - anyone can do it and it doesn't have to look pretty either. Competition and fun is the name of the game and financials come farther down the totem pole of priorities.

3). Muscle Cars - If you're old enough to remember, there used to be a concept called "Day 2" looking performance cars. This was in relation to the day after a muscle car was driven off the dealer lot and the owner was now in the process of adding wider tires, mag wheels, headers, and maybe some aftermarket goodies like an aluminum intake manifold, a bigger carb, and an accurate tachometer.I will admit - this is something I grew up with. As a result, when the "factory restoration" craze swept the country in the mid to late 80's, it was cool to see that stuff, but for me, the novelty wore off fairly quickly. I was pumped when "Day 2" restorations started becoming popular. And yeah - the cars get driven... a lot.

4). Rarity Be Damned - One of the fantastic things about this hobby is the fact that there is truly something for everyone. It also leads to freedom of, "it's your car - do what you want with it." In the past two months, I've read articles ranging from the first Shelby Mustang (a 1965 GT350) that was restored to 110% originality, to a 1956 Chevy that was once an original matching-numbers vehicle, and is now an 6-second (that's not a misprint) street machine complete with wheelie bars and parachutes. Both are cool for their own reasons, but I'm grooving more on the 56 Chevy. It's totally street driven (and easily I might add) and it still wears it's original paint. (Photo courtesy of DRD Photos).

5). Sleepers - What else can you say? Everyone seems to have a soft spot for these rigs. Except now things are really getting creative. Sometimes it's a stock looking sedan that runs 11's. Other times, it becomes a quest of "you want to do what with what?" Beware - technology, whether it's nitrous or turbos, can take an ordinary looking car that can now eat up some of the fastest street cars out there. Case in point - this 1969 Chevy wagon is a high 9-second quarter mile street / strip terror. By the way, it weighs 5100 pounds...

Lastly, I'm adding a small feature to the weekly blog. Apparently a number of you liked some of the junkyard pics I've posted and wanted some more. Either these pics are increasing your appreciating of these particular specimens of Detroit iron in some way or you're just sick bastards. Be that as it may, I'll be posting one new pic per blog, as long as I have them.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave

Where It All Began...

Sometimes it's strange where ideas come from. Samuel Smiles once said, "... if you sow a thought, you reap an act; Sow an act and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny." So true. I was doing some proof reading yesterday on a book I've finished writing and will be submitting shortly on performance / muscle car advertising from 1955 to the present. I stopped and asked myself, "How did I get to this point? Ten years ago, I would have never even considered writing a book."

I thought about how I became interested in performance cars, or cars in general for that matter, in the first place. I'm sure you all have read countless articles and books on famous race car drivers that almost always ask the question, "How did you get started?" If you're one of those performance nuts, be it via muscle cars, drag racing, NASCAR, or some avenue of street rod, how did you get involved in the hobby? Was it through a parent, other relative, or a neighbor? Was it early in life, when you were a teenager, or after you were an adult?


I can remember when I first became interested in cars as well as muscle / performance cars. It was back in the late 60's when muscle cars were actually called "super cars". It was a great time - at least in my eyes. I lived in this wonderful euphoric place called the suburbs just over 30 minutes (in 1968 commuting time) south of New York City. Big time drag strips were nearby, NASCAR was on TV, Mattel debuted their infamous Hot Wheels toy cars, occasional street racing was common, hot rods were everywhere, gas as well as speed parts were plentiful and cheap, and our neighbors were cool.

Our cool neighbors were my initiation to performance as my Dad was Mr. Counter-culture of the neighborhood. He drove Jeeps, VW's and Saab's. My Dad still taught me things about cars and their basic function, we just never owned anything that had over 90 horsepower. He was more focused on practicality and good gas mileage. Our neighbors on the other hand - totally different story. To the right was Lenny and his 1967 Hemi GTX. To the left was a guy named Al; he owned a 1968 Ford Torino with a 428 Cobra Jet. Did I mention about five houses down lived Frank who owned a 57 Chevy 210 with a Hilborn injected 427?

My Dad realized that instilling any virtues about foreign cars was out the window when I started building models of "Jungle Jim" Liberman's Camaro funny car, or the 31 Ford coupe with the blown 427 Cammer engine, or the wild-looking 'Cuda street machine. I was a child of "more"... the faster it was, the cooler it looked, the more I dug it. It didn't matter if I was at the race track or a car show. Moving or standing still - if it rung my bell, that's all that mattered.

The same could be said for motor sports in general, be it NASCAR, the NHRA, or a local car group, or a single enthusiast. Throughout automotive history, some things haven't changed - going faster, making things better, new ideas, daring to be different, experimenting - it's always been there, but it had to begin somewhere. Look at the lightning-fast evolution of drag racing and funny cars in the 60's, for example. In just five short years, the changes were astounding. Ditto with NASCAR - start at 1960 and go forward 10 years - you'll be sitting back as well going, "Holy crap!"

That's one thing I love about hot rodding and street rods - the game is always changing - and change is good. However, we should always remember and honor the past. I hope we never get to the point where we shut the door on it. I've been fortunate in my life where I've had the opportunity to not only take both my daughters to car shows, but also my grand-kids. My wife and I still attend them. My immediate family can, at minimum, can appreciate an "old car", be it a street rod, muscle car, or even a rusty jalopy on the back of a trailer being carted home to be restored in some fashion.

For a time, I was worried that much of the modern generation (kids born after 1995) wouldn't "be into" cars (domestic or imports) like they used to be. This was due to the fact that their parents never really lived in a time where they could catch the car "bug" or the fact that cool and/or fast cars were everywhere. These parents only sort of remember what it might have been like. Their kids now wanted "image" cars  - vehicles that were higher end or were more like a status symbol. However, in the latest issue of Hot Rod magazine, I received some good news:
"... all of a sudden, there's a new generation of car guys and girls. Brand bias is waning and more people are tolerant of both imports and domestics. Cars are cool again. MTV released a study that claimed "millennials have drive", basing it on a deep insight: they'd rather give up texting for a week than lose their car for the same period. Can you imagine the pain?"

Until next time, peace out.
Dave