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Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: CSK] #2461009
03/04/18 06:04 PM
03/04/18 06:04 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,963
new jersey usa
1
11secdart Online content
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11secdart  Online Content
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1

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,963
new jersey usa
Married my wife of 30 years sooner rather than date for 7 years, should have lived together ( she had her own apt for years) rather than live at home. I have owned my Dart for 35 years in that time I was most successful when the car ran in the 11s ( it still does on a stop) I wasted over 20 years trying to run Pro/Heavy against 9 second cars running mid 10s and trying to go faster, I should have just stayed in the 11s. P.S. IMO i like Brad Penn my last motor ( 363 W2 heads , 590 lift mech. cam, !!.5 to 1 comp. on race gas) had over 1100 runs on it and is still good as new inside.

IMG_1068.PNG
Last edited by 11secdart; 03/04/18 06:05 PM.

68 Dart 410 / 904
92 D150 original owner
21 Ram 1500 Quad Cab, Big Horn , Hemi ,4x4
23 Audi Q5
16 Honda HRV
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: BradH] #2461016
03/04/18 06:12 PM
03/04/18 06:12 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,475
SW Ohio
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cgall Offline
top fuel
cgall  Offline
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C

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,475
SW Ohio
I made a lot of bad decisions that diminished my racing career, but hey, they say what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. One thing I do right is the opposite of BradH, I will never tear down my car unless I have everything in place to get it running again. My car isn't fast but I have raced it every year since 1993. I quit playing softball and soccer long ago to focus on family, but I have always made time and found enough money to keep racing. And my wife tried to make me feel guilty many times when I went to the track on a Saturday night and she was at home with two kids. Some guys play golf all the time or have a girl on the side, I just liked to race. Now I'm divorced and I have a big house with a 42 X 21 garage and I will be ready to race next month, I'm planning on racing at Indy this year at their double-up races, first one is April 7-8.

Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: BradH] #2461035
03/04/18 07:10 PM
03/04/18 07:10 PM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,049
Mo.
racerx Offline
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racerx  Offline
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,049
Mo.
Interesting story's in this thread work

Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: BradH] #2461058
03/04/18 07:39 PM
03/04/18 07:39 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,005
Tulsa OK
Bad340fish Offline
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Bad340fish  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,005
Tulsa OK
I do agree on keeping a car running. Taking them down for extensive work can turn into a blackhole of never finished pretty quick. There is things done on my car that I would have liked to do nicer but it would have taken way more time and money. Having the car running and driving makes it easy to stay focused and nibble away at things.


68 Barracuda Formula S 340
87 "Chrysler" Conquest
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: racerx] #2461063
03/04/18 07:42 PM
03/04/18 07:42 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,212
Minnesota
peabodyracing Offline
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,212
Minnesota
Took me way too long to learn to short shift 1st gear running a 4 speed and rely on the torque rather than twist the big block so bad. It should not have survived my stupidity.


Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: cgall] #2461151
03/04/18 09:37 PM
03/04/18 09:37 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439
Val-haul-ass... eventually
B
BradH Offline OP
Taking time off to work on my car
BradH  Offline OP
Taking time off to work on my car
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439
Val-haul-ass... eventually
Originally Posted By cgall
One thing I do right is the opposite of BradH, I will never tear down my car unless I have everything in place to get it running.

That's a great approach, assuming you have a spare engine, trans, differential, etc., waiting to swap in when you hurt something.

Otherwise, I don't see how you can avoid down time while you tear stuff apart to determine what needs to be repaired before it can go back together.

Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: BradH] #2461177
03/04/18 10:12 PM
03/04/18 10:12 PM
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,457
Washington
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madscientist Offline
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,457
Washington
Originally Posted By BradH
Originally Posted By cgall
One thing I do right is the opposite of BradH, I will never tear down my car unless I have everything in place to get it running.

That's a great approach, assuming you have a spare engine, trans, differential, etc., waiting to swap in when you hurt something.

Otherwise, I don't see how you can avoid down time while you tear stuff apart to determine what needs to be repaired before it can go back together.



That was my plan back in 2104. I had another transmission and had a deal for another engine so I could do the second engine and gearbox up and just swap it.

My friend died and the whole deal was set back and took me almost 3 years to fix all the crap.


Just because you think it won't make it true. Horsepower is KING. To dispute this is stupid. C. Alston
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: BradH] #2461211
03/04/18 11:27 PM
03/04/18 11:27 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,475
SW Ohio
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cgall Offline
top fuel
cgall  Offline
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C

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,475
SW Ohio
Not picking on you, Brad, just saying I am a racer first and my cars have always been set up for longevity above all. I do keep a fresh spare trans and swap it out every 300 runs, have a fuel pump, starter and other stuff I take to the track with me. Nothing worse than lining for semifinals and battery is dead or some other preventable circumstance.

Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: cgall] #2461372
03/05/18 10:07 AM
03/05/18 10:07 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439
Val-haul-ass... eventually
B
BradH Offline OP
Taking time off to work on my car
BradH  Offline OP
Taking time off to work on my car
B

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439
Val-haul-ass... eventually
Understood

Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: BradH] #2461377
03/05/18 10:17 AM
03/05/18 10:17 AM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,116
PA.
pittsburghracer Offline
"Little"John
pittsburghracer  Offline
"Little"John

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,116
PA.
This game can kick you in the wheels sometimes. I made one small change last year and did one stupid mistake. I lost probably 10 race weekends over it and was so pissed off I could eat nails. In the end it made my car way better and taught me how to build my own transmissions but wow what a way to go about it. I wish I could say I will never do anything that stupid again but I won’t take that bet.


1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: pittsburghracer] #2461384
03/05/18 10:54 AM
03/05/18 10:54 AM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,406
Weatherford, Texas
RapidusMaximus Offline
top fuel
RapidusMaximus  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,406
Weatherford, Texas
To keep it racing related...if I knew then what I know now in 1985 I WOULD NOT sell a 68 Super Bee, give the 3500 I got for it, wheels, tires, and a 70 model Duster body to a place called Custom Auto Works in Waxahachie, TX to build me a Super Gas Car...who then approx. 3 months later closed their doors, went out of business, disappeared with my money, car, tires and wheels...it was a year long nightmare hunting the owner down...but I found him... smoke


1968 Plymouth GTX
1974 Dodge P/U Long Bed Stepside 318
2019 Ram 2500 6.4, auto, 4WD
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: RapidusMaximus] #2461408
03/05/18 12:13 PM
03/05/18 12:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,651
Wichita
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GY3 Online content
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GY3  Online Content
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,651
Wichita
Originally Posted By RapidusMaximus
To keep it racing related...if I knew then what I know now in 1985 I WOULD NOT sell a 68 Super Bee, give the 3500 I got for it, wheels, tires, and a 70 model Duster body to a place called Custom Auto Works in Waxahachie, TX to build me a Super Gas Car...who then approx. 3 months later closed their doors, went out of business, disappeared with my money, car, tires and wheels...it was a year long nightmare hunting the owner down...but I found him... smoke


Can we hear more of this story?!


'63 Dodge 330
11.19 @ 121 mph
Pump gas, n/a, through the mufflers on street tires with 3.54's. 3,600 lbs.
10.01 @ 133mph with a 250 shot of nitrous an a splash of race gas. 1.36 60 ft. 3,700 lbs.

Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: GY3] #2461427
03/05/18 12:47 PM
03/05/18 12:47 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,406
Weatherford, Texas
RapidusMaximus Offline
top fuel
RapidusMaximus  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,406
Weatherford, Texas
Originally Posted By GY3
Originally Posted By RapidusMaximus
To keep it racing related...if I knew then what I know now in 1985 I WOULD NOT sell a 68 Super Bee, give the 3500 I got for it, wheels, tires, and a 70 model Duster body to a place called Custom Auto Works in Waxahachie, TX to build me a Super Gas Car...who then approx. 3 months later closed their doors, went out of business, disappeared with my money, car, tires and wheels...it was a year long nightmare hunting the owner down...but I found him... smoke


Can we hear more of this story?!


It could be a whole thread by itself, but briefly...I was really hot to run Super Gas in a well built full chassis Duster, found a really clean 70 Duster rolling shell, sold my 68 Bee, bought wheels and tires and headed to a race car shop in Arlington called Paul Peyton's race cars, I had used them before and had good luck...well they were over booked and down to one employee at the time so they told me about this "other shop" but didn't know much about it. So...I drove out there met the guys, nice shop, lots of cars in work...sweet, made a deal to bring the Duster back the next weekend, they wanted a 3500 deposit to get started and I left my wheels and tires there for fitment purposes. Everything seemed to be going off without a hitch until I got a call late one night from an employee telling me that he just overheard the owner trying to sell my wheels and tires and that I should come see what's going on??? So...the following Saturday morning I made the 3 hour drive out there to find the shop locked up, nobody around anywhere...neighbor saw me looking in the windows and told me they had moved everything in the middle of the night 2 days prior...gone....vanished...no contact info, no forwarding address, no new business location...took me about a year to find him through 1985 type PI investigation, by then he had filed bankruptcy...my money, Duster body, and wheels and tires were never found, in the end only thing I got to do was clean out his storage building which contained a set of Chevy bolt pattern 14" wide rear wheels and tires and a welded together Chevy Vega ladder bar, strut chassis that was bare and this was after I showed up at his new job making threats that could have gotten me thrown in jail. I think I got 1500 for everything I carried off that day...without a doubt the worst deal I ever got into....


1968 Plymouth GTX
1974 Dodge P/U Long Bed Stepside 318
2019 Ram 2500 6.4, auto, 4WD
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: RapidusMaximus] #2461446
03/05/18 01:26 PM
03/05/18 01:26 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,237
north of coder
moparx Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"
moparx  Offline
"Butt Crack Bob"

Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,237
north of coder
should have left my humpback in the swamp [south carolina] where it was back in 73 or so........ but it's coming [VEERRRY slowly !] along. hope i can at least coast it down the street before i croak.......
beer

scan0003.jpgIM001505.JPG
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: Jambbii] #2461449
03/05/18 01:31 PM
03/05/18 01:31 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,443
Northern N.J.
hemi_doug Offline
master
hemi_doug  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,443
Northern N.J.
Originally Posted By Jambbii
Originally Posted By Hemi_Joel
I wanted to get my 2 daughters and my son into racing when they were young. My wife was against it, I gave in. Now, I regret that. I should have fought for it. I see family teams at the race track, and it's good thing. My daughters don't like to do anything that I like to do, and vice-versa.


My kids are the reason I am probably not racing right now... I do take them to the track once in a while.



LOL...My kid is the reason why I AM racing now....well she's racing, I'm wrenching and paying....how's that work anyhow?...lol.



71 440-6 4spd & 69 Hemi 4spd
Re: If you knew then what you know now... [Re: hemi_doug] #2461485
03/05/18 02:39 PM
03/05/18 02:39 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,976
Chilliwack B.C. Canada
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RUNCHARGER Offline
I Live Here
RUNCHARGER  Offline
I Live Here
R

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,976
Chilliwack B.C. Canada
I'd have to say I wouldn't have sold my 64 Race car when I got married expecting to get back into it. Looking back I would have bought a roller at that time rather than plan on building another car.


Sheldon
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