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around..

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the poncho was also running a rat...

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A rat,huh? That's kinda disappointing. Seems most guys ran big Chevys or Mopars around NYC. There was a guy in Queens that had a beautiful 69/70 or so black 4-4-2 that ran a rat also. That's what I especially enjoyed about my friends Gremlin---ALL AMC! and he did win more than his fair share. Come to think of it there actually was an old Buick in my neighborhood & a couple of Fords but they were a true minority in my neighborhood---- probably 99% were Chevys

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As far as my exposure and new-found respect for
AMC was after high school. I was in West Texas at the time. I owned a 72' Poncho T-37 (400 HO auto/w s-kit/2200 rpm converter and 3.73 gears). While cruising one night, I went up against
a 70' AMC Machine (390, 4sp, 4.10's).
We both jumped out at EXACTLY the same time, through first. Hit second and he pulled up a nose.
He hit third sooner than me and started pulling
away. I held on to 57-5800 and hit third and tried to keep pace to his right side door, but he
SLOWLY pulled away in fourth from me. He me by close to a car length through the marked quarter. I believe that, if I had
a bit more gear the tide would have turned. Fact
remaining, is that a 70' Machine showed me HOW
to run on a access road on I-10 in WEST TEXAS!
Come to find out he was running the factory hi-po cam! Impressive! I WAS a believer then and still today! They run!

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The "trick" as everyone knows, is finding someone that's actually good with a motor. While all engines do basically the same thing and don't know what brand they are, each one DOES have its quirks & finding someone that knows them & can work with/around them is tough. Chevys almost everywhere are the most numerous so you'll get alot of people who know about them. The other brands, fewer in number, take a little more effort & searching. BUT if you find a good, say Ford machinist, you'll probably have a good motor. Here in Phoenix, I know of 2 seperate shops I'd take a Ford motor to,depending on the engine. There's tons of Chevy guys around here so that's not an issue. But a Mopar, B-O-P? Good Luck! Hell, I even know a good AMC guy here so even that one isn't an issue.
Back then P/S was a developing class so advancements were coming by leaps & bounds so guys guarded their "secrets" closely. Today streetracing can be won or lost at the drop of a nitrous pill or a change of a blower pulley so in some ways it's easier. Back then it actually took brains & skill to win at streetracing as the majority were N/A so you had a reason to be proud & boast! Sadly that isn't the case any more......

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As far the CHEVYS' are concerned with you CAN build a smallblock from 265 to 454 in increments
of one cubic inch at a time!! FYI, Sorry Chevy guys!! Couldn't resist!
Well said, H-Cop!! The saddest part of street racing, besides the MANY DANGERS and DISONESTY is
lack of comraderie amongst fellow racers. Back then
there was a CODE of ethics. Now it's dog eat dog!!
Nobody cares!! What used to be considered a sport,
art or a state of mind even, is now
a way of America's youth to practice automotive "self-expression". It's a
two-edged sword that can either harm or help.

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There are still afew around. My chassis guy is good with alot of different types but if you talk to him at length he likes the old mid 70s style P/S or S/S type cars & around here not alot of guys are familiar with with (he's from the Mid-West). I'm a bit older so the guys I know/hang around with are all familiar withthese cars but talk to the younger guys arond here & they're all about Mustangs, Nos, or tube-chassised cars that really aren't all that unique anymore except for the panels covering the chassis.
But to get back on topic.......... c'mon now, let's hear just what you ran back "in the day" and what did the car do e.t.-wise? I started but I can't believe no one would own up to there old combos--after all it's been decades, C'MON!

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We are all still HARDCORE runners, and some of our
combo's STILL work today. It's sort like Macy's
NOT telling Gimbel's their sales profits. Combo's
are well-guarded, to most, unless obsolete!! Help
is one thing, since it's generic, everbody wants to run better. But to tune the SAME combo, and be
better on the run than your competitor, isn't good
especially if it's EXACTLY the same down to the innards!! And you are NOT racing partners either!!
Not Good!! In match/class racing and NASCAR, I can see it. Maybe somebody else has a different take on this!! Food for thought!!!!

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We are all still HARDCORE runners, and some of our
combo's STILL work today. It's sort like Macy's
NOT telling Gimbel's their sales profits. Combo's
are well-guarded, to most, unless obsolete!! Help
is one thing, since it's generic, everbody wants to run better. But to tune the SAME combo, and be
better on the run than your competitor, isn't good
especially if it's EXACTLY the same down to the innards!! And you are NOT racing partners either!!
Not Good!! In match/class racing and NASCAR, I can see it. Maybe somebody else has a different take on this!! Food for thought!!!!

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My take on it---the Web is SO large, the chances of running into someone who duplicated your combo EXACTLY & run into him are pretty slim. even if the engine was the same, the car, suspension, trans & driver are all variables that could make the engine combo a dud for a particular racer. Plus some of the parts that were run are so old maybe 10-20 percent actually have them anymore?
My guess is, building my "old" stuff with today's modern technoogy & building techniques, coupled with the better parts for the rest of the car would push the same car into the high 9s/low 10s? That would translate into a3/4-1 second e.t. reduction---but since I could NEVER afford another '67 'vette, it's all a moot point. That's why I have no problem bringing this od stuff up.

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with most of your post, Hemicop as well as respect it. I was simply putting an opinion
on the post in defense of the "silent" HARDCORE
runners. Sure technology has reduced et's by maybe a full second or more compaired to "old school" standards 35-50 years ago. But some of the "tricks" back then ARE still in effect and maybe some people just do not want to "share" for
different reasons! The ones who do, great info!
The ones who don't, well you have to respect THEIR standpoint on it! That's just the way it goes, sometimes!! And as far as some cars being pushed to the low 10/high 9 sec. index, try low 9's to high 8's with the bigger displacement cars
or medium displacement cars with BOOST.

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This thread is worthless. What's worthless to one, is treasured by others. Opinions are like.....blah, blah, blah. If you don't like the music, turn the station....insert a CD. I look at music like this. It's the sound track to each persons life. They're all different and all have different meanings. In the 70's there were many bands playing music that give me fond memories. Some not so much. That's what it's all about.!

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Worthless? I don't see it. and the fact it's 12 pages long shows many did it and still enjoy BSing about the stuff, and perhaps posting pics of their cars or how/when they ran a pparticular car.
Weekend nights at Connecting or wherever were special. Some guys got their first taste of musclecars, streetracing, perhaps they met their wife/girlfriend at these places. The fun or friends we had at that time, sometimes never left us and us old guys like to rememebr or tell the young guys how it was or should be with the hobby. I wish I had pics of some of he cars & people from back then--the clothing styles alone are worth a good laugh & some of our cars you wouldn't even cruise in, much less race. But it was all good fun, meant as an escape from work, school, etc. and NOTHING beats the sound of a healthy big-block rumbling through an overpass at 2:00 A.M.---if you never heard that, you wouldn't understand..........

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This thread is worthless. What's worthless to one, is treasured by others. Opinions are like.....blah, blah, blah. If you don't like the music, turn the station....insert a CD. I look at music like this. It's the sound track to each persons life. They're all different and all have different meanings. In the 70's there were many bands playing music that give me fond memories. Some not so much. That's what it's all about.!

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Worthless? I don't see it. and the fact it's 12 pages long shows many did it and still enjoy BSing about the stuff, and perhaps posting pics of their cars or how/when they ran a pparticular car.
Weekend nights at Connecting or wherever were special. Some guys got their first taste of musclecars, streetracing, perhaps they met their wife/girlfriend at these places. The fun or friends we had at that time, sometimes never left us and us old guys like to rememebr or tell the young guys how it was or should be with the hobby. I wish I had pics of some of he cars & people from back then--the clothing styles alone are worth a good laugh & some of our cars you wouldn't even cruise in, much less race. But it was all good fun, meant as an escape from work, school, etc. and NOTHING beats the sound of a healthy big-block rumbling through an overpass at 2:00 A.M.---if you never heard that, you wouldn't understand..........

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AMEN brother!!!!
I started this thread for a very specific reason, the younger group enjoys reading about our escapades from yesteryear just like we did when we were young. I appreciate all of the racing stories, and related posts too, as I didn't do a lot of street racing due to the fact my muscle car was a '62 Dodge Dart auto. with a 361. Not very competitive but had a great back seat...first child was conceived back there.
So keep the stories coming...we all love them and if you don't.... go read the Sunday Times.

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This thread is worthless. What's worthless to one, is treasured by others. Opinions are like.....blah, blah, blah. If you don't like the music, turn the station....insert a CD. I look at music like this. It's the sound track to each persons life. They're all different and all have different meanings. In the 70's there were many bands playing music that give me fond memories. Some not so much. That's what it's all about.!

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Worthless? I don't see it. and the fact it's 12 pages long shows many did it and still enjoy BSing about the stuff, and perhaps posting pics of their cars or how/when they ran a pparticular car.
Weekend nights at Connecting or wherever were special. Some guys got their first taste of musclecars, streetracing, perhaps they met their wife/girlfriend at these places. The fun or friends we had at that time, sometimes never left us and us old guys like to rememebr or tell the young guys how it was or should be with the hobby. I wish I had pics of some of he cars & people from back then--the clothing styles alone are worth a good laugh & some of our cars you wouldn't even cruise in, much less race. But it was all good fun, meant as an escape from work, school, etc. and NOTHING beats the sound of a healthy big-block rumbling through an overpass at 2:00 A.M.---if you never heard that, you wouldn't understand..........

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100% with ya'