1960s-1970s Drag Racing Pix

All found on the Internet. All thanks go to the original photographers and persons who uploaded them to the Internet for others to enjoy.

Ex-Car Craft Magazine Project Hemicuda project car.

Drag-On-Lady Shirley Shahan and friend. Dick Landy Dart in the background.

Check out the color combo on this 1968 HEMI Super Bee.

Wasn't this posted a few years ago and somebody complained about their pictures being stolen?

Ex-Sox & Martin Superbird or just painted-up like one?

Complainers are gonna complain. They're miserable people. I've never "stolen" a photo. I merely share them. Putting them on a CD and selling them on Ebay is stealing.

Jump Pam.

I agree. I can't remember the details. Maybe somebody can chime in. I do enjoy the old photos..

Even hardcore Mopar guys love and respect da Grump--at least most of us do. Here's a very rare photo of his SS/CA ZL-1 427 Camaro. It's an automatic car--not a stick--first I've seen from the Grump's camp.

I know the details. I don't care to repeat them except to say the a-hole's initials are L.M. The miserable s.o.b. complained to the moderators and as a result had my long thread taken down 'cause I posted some of "his photos" along with hundreds of photos that didn't "belong to him."

Q426

A couple of rare photos of one of Steve Bagwell's non-Hemi-powered race cars. I wonder if this is the same SS/DA Hemi 'Cuda convertible (original car if I recall correctly) repainted and running a 383 wedge in SS/KA? I presume it is.

I always loved (and still do) the paint job on this car.

Hemi!

More to come. A lot more.

Stay tuned...

Q426

great pics. thanks

thanks great pics of the golden age.

I wish I could step back in time and relive some of those moments.

Very cool, the Golden era in my opinion...
Wish I'd carried a camera around back then, but I was too caught up in the moment.

I knew both Andy Bodewin and Bob Hickman (RIP) but I had not seen that white hardtop 1964 Plymouth of theirs Bob was a great guy and racer, he was not above doing what needed to be done to win though
He was consider the Max Wedge God in SO CA years ago
He helped Bob Mazzolini go fast for a long time

Thank you for posting!

GREAT post !
THANK YOU !

i know some may not go to the bullet but their is a ton of old photos , (if firefox dont show all the photos use chrome)
https://www.yellowbullet.com/threads/old-drag-photos.457950/

Thanks guys. I'm glad you like the photos. Yes, more people should've taken a camera to the track. The 'problem' with living in a "golden era" is that you don't realize it until it's over!

Q426

Yowza!

Yes, the white hardtop 426MW ran all that year, Ron Debler driving at Bowling Green in that pic.1975 IIRC because he drove his own 62 Dodge SS/HA 383/343 in 1974, and drove Rudy Schings' 1965 Plymouth Savoy A990 SS/BA (first in the 9's with Allread Hemi).

Tritak & Morgan SS/DA Hemi 'Cuda before custom paint and lettering.

Technically a Mopar.

A rare shot of Big Willie Robinson's 1969 HEMI Daytona Charger before its radical transformation into a street racer.

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Check it out: a 383 Barracuda and not a 'Cuda model.

Cool play on the Led Zeppelin name.





I seen this car run at the 1974 NHRA Summernationals at Englishtown. Car had a 426 HEMI in it. I don't know how it passed tech 'cause no 1967 Belvedere (or Satellite) station wagons were ever built with a 426 HEMI to the best of my knowledge.

Oh no!

Now, who in their right mind would scrap a HEMI Road Runner?? Especially a clean, rust-free race car?

Propane-burning 426 HEMI Charger 500.

Welcome back!

That Dick Simon Fairlane was a rocket in it's day.

Original 383 car, turned into a HEMI.IIRC, the car was cut up to for Super Gas, and the project never finished, so it was scrapped. The original owner is on Facebook.

You remembered. Thanks!

Q426

I see. Thanks.

Q426

Back when funny cars sported muscle car bodies and looked cool.

Back in the day (original 383 1969 Super Bee converted to Hemicar).









Today.

Thanks for posting these great photos. Beech Bend in Bowling Green has a rich racing history, great old facility.

You're welcome. I'm glad some people out there enjoy seeing them. Yep, BB had a lot of great cars make passes down their quarter mile.

Q426

Another clue that it was not a hemi car is while looking at the engine picture of the car it has a 2 speed wiper motor, what looks to be 22" radiator and core support. Very cool picture without a doubt!
Matt

More than a few rust free ex-race cars wound up in the scrap yard unfortunately. How many were rescued and restored God only knows.

Q426

Thanks a lot, my fav cars are old drag cars / day 2 cars. What I want to know is where did they all go.....

Some fantastic action shots taken here from drag racing's best era IMO. Even today, 46 years later, these cars would not look out of place if you pulled into the staging lanes with one. That fact speaks volumes.






Okay, so the wheelie bars are outdated but you still get my point.

That might be the front end of my Duster in the Rod Shop SS/IA Challenger photo. Boertman gave the Hamburger cars a hard time, as did Bobby Warren's Camaro.
(Not that I could ignore the gal in the Hooker shirt...)

For a few years, it was really magical, with Junior Stocker, the Gas & MP classes, the early musclecars, and the emergence of PS.
Lots of different sounds, and I miss the high-RPM 4-speed cars; some guys could really powershift a stick.
In a way, the Fuel cars were more interesting, too, with lots of experiments and just regular guys running them.

Today...same car with a couple mods!

This was actually the #2 Bagwell convertible car. 340 as a SS/KA and later a hemi. You posted a picture earlier today of the #1 Bagwell car which was an original hemi car. Bagwell sold it to Richard Griffin and the picture you posted at the Sportnationals was its first race with Richard as the owner but Terry Earwood drove it at that race if my memory is correct. The SS/KA was later a hemi car and raced by Mike Bogina as the High Adventure Hemi and last I heard was still in Mikes family.

Anyone know the story on the H/MP Valiant?

Exactly! I've never been able to sum up that period like you just did. Magical indeed!

Q426

I was wondering myself.

Q426

Thanks for the information Stewart!

Q426

Pardon the "P"s.

Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ circa 1970.

Pardon the "P"s but these photos are too cool not to post.

Check out the look on Dennis' face.

Not a Camaro.

.....

Rare photo of Ron Manciini and his Bee-Liever 1968 SS/EA 440 Dodge Dart (1968 NHRA Springnationals, Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ).

My favorite Pro Stock era (1970-1974).

My favorite funny car era as well.

any more?

Might as well fess up now, guys. How many of you, who were around for the era, looked at all those C/SM Camaros, closed your eyes for just a second or two, and tried to remember the sound of a stick small block coming off the line via a 9000 rpm clutch drop?

Cool pics I can almost hear those M/P 10 grand small blocks rowing through the gears with those Doug Nash 5-speed transmissions That is what made me want a stick-shift race car when I was along the fence at Dragway 42 back in the 70's.
Thanks for sharing

Gus

Oh heck yeah, gimme a wound-up small block 4-speed car any - make that every - day.
Back in the day, you weren't considered a REAL door-car driver unless you could rip powershifts on a stock 4-speed at max RPM like it was an automatic.
I fondly recall Ken Dondero powershifting a blown 301" T10 Thames gasser @ Lions, maybe 20 feet away. Freakin' glorious.

Another thought: Chris Karamesines is one of the very few who can be seen running in EVERY era of drag racing.
May he live forever.

Pics are Awesome!
Thank You!

LOL, had exact same thought!! IHRA Modified Eliminator Vid & 12,000 RPM Launch

I remember those days very well, 40+ lb. flywheels and no RPM limiters, 5.57 to 6.17 rear gears ratio with a 3.25 1st gear ratio and foot on the floor launches when the first yellow (4 yellows back then) came on and then let go of the clutch pedal when the last yellow just started to glow
Oh baby, what memories
I remember seeing Rehr and Morrison 2nd gen Corvette with Lee Shepard (RIP) driving it at the 1971 or 1972 Winternationals (SP?) in either Modified Eliminator or maybe in one of the old gas classes that ran back then. He would shift that car out of low gear with the rear of the car besides the Christmas tree and be in high gear around 400 ft. from the starting line, screaming SB Chevys had a distinct exhaust sound even back then, make you want to stand back in case of flying debris occurred

Here are a few of my Uncles wagon at OCIR and Pomona.

These old pics make me want to put Centerlines back on my Savoy
Gus

Here are a few more ...one more of the Wagon, My uncle's racing partner Al Etter when he first ran his car at Pomona in the 70's... and Tim Halls A Dragster. Tim currently runs a SS/JA SS/JA duster. The last one is a picture of the wagon in its current state... really makes me sad to see it rotting away. It's already rusted beyond repair.

I think I beat Don in that car at OCIR a week before the divisional race back in the mid 1970, maybe early 1980s bracket racing Al move two blocks down the street from me in Hesperia after he retired form the telephone company, I've had him flow more than one set of heads on his bench
What is Kenny doing now?

Haha, not sure which flow bench it was but Don's flow bench is at Shane's (Don's Son) shop in Utah. Precision Cylinder Heads
Kenny is working at Mazzolini's shop these days, then heading to his shop in the afternoon, just talked to him yesterday.

I sure miss my Uncle - Don
And Al too.

Those guys were my idols growing up and hanging out at the racetrack.

Cab- Those little block Chev's spooling up into the stratosphere certainly did have a sound of their own. They also came apart in interesting ways. Our first Winternationals vacation was the 82 Winter's. During S/S elim's, there was a red 56 Chevy. He did his burnout, then wound it up for the dry hop. The rpm's came way up, then the sound just stopped. Dead. That entire rotating mass came to a dead halt it seemed like. The sound just ended from where we were sitting. That car did a rotational rock that was plainly visible from up in the east side stands, about 200 feet down from the starting line, and all sorts of internal engine parts externalized themselves.

Such a sad sight the remains of a great car. Remember it well from back then. 383-343hp. E/SA

I think this fits here

There has to be a couple cool stickers on the windows of that bus
Gus

Isn't this the van that has gone to Indy for every Indy 500 race every, maybe he drove something else before this van, since the van was new?

Not sure Cab, I have not heard of that particular van. Sounds awesome though.

Nothing like racing a ragtop. I actually picked up a .1 with the top down. That was with a '65 Belvedere with a 426 street wedge.

Many more.

Q426

Ditto!



Oh yes! First car I learned to powershift was my street driven 1970 383 Road Runner with the 23 spline A-833 4-speed transmission.

Here's a photo (of a photo) of my RR back in Dec. 1981 after I got through cleaning my car off and shoveling the snow out of the driveway. I wish I never sold it. (Check out the open Air Grabber scoop.)



Q426

Rare photo of Sox & Martin's 1969 GTX.





Someone on another forum said Lee Smith's ex-Pro Stock 'Cuda (below) was running a 305 cu.in. de-stroked 426 HEMI. I never heard of such a small inch 426 HEMI.
I am aware that 340's were de-stroked to the 305 cu.in. size back in the day to run in E/MP and E/Gas and 426 HEMI's had crankshafts available that would reduce the
engine size to 366 cubic inches but 305 cubic inches? I find that very hard to believe.

Any thoughts?



(Check out the headers. They don't look like HEMI headers to me.)

I set them straight on the FaceBook site. The Mopar 305s in the Gas classes as well as Dick Brooks NASCAR Dodge Daytona in 1971 have their roots in the Trans-Am series (Sam Posey Challenger/Dan Gurney Cuda) and Keith Black. (LA small blocks) The 305 "Baby Hemi" has been mentioned from time to time over the years, but is incorrect. There were some smaller Hemis based on low deck big blocks for a little while before the 500 ci across the board rule was made.Charlie Malyuke built them for himself and John Hagen and they ran VERY well.

Too cool.

Thanks. I agree.

Q426

My favorite Pro Stock Maverick.

I bet this car made at least ten thousand passes in its lifetime. Bob Pagano behind the wheel (I believe) in this photo.

Chick's car started out as a brand new 4-speed 1968 Dodge HEMI Charger R/T. Too bad he didn't start with the cheaper Slant Six or 318 model.

Rare photo of Linwood Craft's Pro Stocker.

What's the story behind this car? First time I've seen it.

Pro Stock 1970 Buick Skylark.

Modified Eliminator was my favorite eliminator back in the day. Ninety-nine percent of the cars had manual transmissions and all had high rpm, Pro Stock-style engines.
Later generations of drag race fans have no idea of how cool these cars were to watch. No idea. Southeast Gassers gives one a glimpse of the excitement.

What would drag racing be without pretty girls? Especially back then.

Great shot!

Pro Stock's original and most exciting, colorful and best era in my book featuring cars you could relate to unlike those P/S cars the came along in the decades since.

YORK US30 DRAGWAY photos from the early 1970s.

The Grump sneaking some cold ones into the pits.






The last photo is from 1973, That's 49 years ago. If this Pro Stock Dart Sport were magically transported to now, today, and it pulled into the pits at your local track it would not look out of place, i.e., dated. That is how far ahead of their time and advanced Pro Stockers and similar cars (i.e., Modified eliminator cars) were back then. Now imagine this is 1973 and you're seeing such a radical, bad ass car first time in the pits. Mind-blowing is an understatement. I should know. I was a kid back then and seen these cars. It was an awesome experience.

Now, transport yourself back to 1963, ten years earlier, or even to 1965. Drag cars were crude in comparison, light years behind. That fact is even more mind-boggling.

The Zulmeister himself, Richie Zul. Some of you may know who I'm talking about. Ditto the second photo, in the ex-Grumpy's Toy VIII Pro Stock Camaro after his 1969 Camaro Pro Stocker was stolen from a motel parking lot overnight during the 1973 NHRA Summernationals at Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ.

Carmen Rotonda in Brooklyn Heavy's ex-Billy Stepp Pro Stock 1971 Dodge Challenger (updated to 1972 model).






Above, the Boss himself, Ronnie Sox's Pro Stock Duster on the weight scales at York.

Don Nicholson, Paul Blevins and Wayne Gapp respectively.

Don Schumacher....you newbies (i.e., younger guys) should recognize the name.

Nice to see you back!

Thank you. I'm back again.

1971 NHRA "Indy" Nationals photos.

Awesome pics as usual Funny thing is as we have come a long way in keeping our tracks clean. Do you notice how much litter and garbage is all over the pits at these races? Our racers and tracks are much cleaner today

Gus

Coolest thread on the internet!

Lol. You were reading my mind.

I'm glad you're diggin' it (like they used to say).

Thus far I've only posted a minuscule of what I have collected.

How many of you were aware that Steve Bagwell once had a Pro Stock car? I didn't until I seen this photo of his 1972 Cuda (yes, I did see photos of his 1973 Dart Sport but not this car, presumably his first Pro Stocker).

Propane burning 1969 426 HEMI Dodge Charger 500 hence the name.

My favorite Hurst girl.
.

My favorite.

Oh man we are walking down memory lane now. I remember a bunch of those cars racing at Dragway 42 and Thompson back when I was a kid and caught the drag racing bug.

Thank you so much for the memories I can almost hear the 427 in that Fairlane screaming to the moon

Gus

I knew one Ford Racer, Ted Wells, that had one of the 50 1966 lightweight Ford Fairlane that Ford had assembled and prep for drag racing only, his was a 410 HP with a single four barrel originally.
We were talking about engine RPM during a rain delay at the Orange County track back in 1975 or so, I was racing my 1970 Cuda stick shift 426 Street Hemi motor and he ask me what RPM I shifted it at and cross the finish line I told him I let the clutch out above 6000 RPM with throttle on the floor and shifted it at 7000 RPM with 5:38 gears and 9x30 inch bias ply Firestone slick it would cross pretty close to 7000 RPM in the 1/4 mile.
He told me he let his clutch out at 8800 RPM and shifted around 8000 RPM and cross above 8000 RPM
I didn't have a clue how high those 427 FE motors would rev

wonderful to remember the past as it was ! i thought i was being tricked by the things that make the cobwebs my ol noggin has an abundance of !
it's great to see all those cragar, keystone, and chromed steel slot wheels as i remember.
with that said, has anyone weighed a 15x10 of the above, and compared them to a 15x10 aluminum slot [anson or fenton ?] wheel ?
i just remember all those wheels were pretty heavy back then.
at one time, i weighed a 15x4 cragar wheel, and i think it weighed more than the factory 15x5 1/2" steel wheel.
they sure looked much better though !

Me too thanks!

Mostly 64 and 65 cars pictured. Don't let the cover shot fool you, there's lots of AWB Mopars in there.

Thank you for all your effort in posting these fantastic great quality pictures.

You're welcome. It's my pleasure.

My lord, that was Modified Eliminator-type RPMs back then not so much Super Stock at least with big block cars.

I'm glad you like it. I have tons more--literally.

You're welcome. It's my pleasure. You're right, it does take time and effort to search out the photos in my Automotive folder, upload the photos to a photo hosting site then copy and paste the links into messages to this thread.

My favorite Pro Stock era (1970-75)

1971 HEMI Charger, Chrysler "mule" aka test car. I have no idea if it's a Charger R/T or Charger Super Bee model.

Bob Glidden

I saw Jim Van Cleve's 427 Fairlane run at Seattle in 1980. He told Al Lee that he left at 8500, and it sounded like it. That was a fun car to watch. I was told about a pairing he once won against a Chevy that ran down in SS/MA or thereabouts. Van Cleve missed the shift into third. The driver of the slower car spotted the nose drop in his mirror, and clicked it off with several hundred feet of track left. Van Cleve, having shut his engine off, heard the other car shut off.Thinking quickly he grabbed a gear and legged it. The Chevy guy couldn't get his fired as quickly, and Van Cleve took the stripe by about a fender or less.

That was the car that at times carried the front wheels through 3rd gear right? Car is still around.

Vintage Acto and E-Town

I love hearing stories like this. Watching stick cars run before the era of 2-step rev limiters was the best.

Speaking of high-winding FE Fords here's another one. I'm a diehard Mopar man, have been that way since I was 10 years old. However, mid-size, big block, 4-speed Ford intermediates of this era I've always had a fancy for--except for those damn shock towers! Lol.







I believe this is an ex-Van Cleave car. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Something you didn't see often back then: a GTO running in Super Stock. I don't recall seeing any at my local track in the 1970s.

Jim Stevens' Boss 302-powered early Ford. This was a very competitive car in Modified Eliminator back then.






Whoa!!

If you have to ask who she is you're reading the wrong thread.

Jims Maverick was fast also.
I bought several sets of used tires with 3 or 4 runs on them from him when he was racing the Maverick in B/SM in Modified Production. He was on the deal with Firestone back then and would change them after 3 or 4 runs
Good guy, L.A. County full time Fireman also.

I was going to mention that.



I didn't know Jim was a fireman too (like "Big Jim" Dunn).

The 'Cuda Pro Stocker (above) when Jack Werst originally owned it.

I remember Gary Herman Hemi cars and the old Irwindale track very well , That picture must have been taken during the winter with a high pressure front to the northeast blowing all the smog out into the Pacific to be able to see the San Gabreil mountains that clearly. There less than ten miles away
I can remember racing at Pomona when the smog was in, you couldn't see the same mountains to the north from 3 miles away Some days when it was bad, you couldn't see one mile clearly

does anyone remember if there were any problems reported in the higher powered cars, with spinning the centers out of the two piece keystone classic and cragar ss wheels ?

Thanks for the local weather report. Cool track. One of the originals.

I've never heard about it. They were very well engineered. Heavy wheels, no doubt but also tuff.

Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ mid-1970s.

Who remembers this ad?

Thanks for the memories!

I always wondered what the meaning of that name was on the GG cars. I doubt it had something to do with potato chips though.

Ex-Granny Goose Camaro.

You bet! Stay tuned for many more.

Back when funny cars looked like real cars, like the ones that fans in the stands drove, and the engines (most of the time) were the same make as the bodies.

Pontiac engine.

Ford engine.

Dodge engine.

Chevrolet engine.

Whoa!!

There's a color photo of the photo (below) in a 1972 issue of Hot Rod Pictorial. Remember those? That's where this car-crazy, grade school kid first saw it. Fifty years later I FINALLY get
to see what happened when the car landed. Talk about keeping someone in suspense! Lol.

Killer car in Stock Eliminator back in the day. Not a 'real' Hemi convertible in case you're wondering. I forget what it left the factory with under its hood.

A really trick car for its time. So trick that NHRA told Paul Rossi not to bring it back or some story like that. Does anyone remember the details better than me?

Just guessing, but the picture appears to be showing someone slamming on the brakes to keep from breaking out. I never did like the results of using those heavy 'C' shaped ball joint extentions. Pretty sure that is what led to the out of shape front suspension.

IMO, something definitely broke in the front end (upper ball joint?) for the front wheel to camber in so severely.

the same car if i remember right

the first picture leaning on the fender of the white 64 plymouth, kinda looks like me when i had hair ! [had, and still do have, way longer sideburns though]
the shades, white T-shirt, and [sorta] dirty jeans was my "uniform" of the day as well !
i just LOVE the 62, 63, and 64 2dr post cars !
thanks for sharing memories that make me feel young [? ] again !

Rossi 1971 Challenger was built by a chassis builder that had built a bunch of Mopar cars fro drag racing, I can't remember his name right now but he was from Austalia is what I remeber. I think his shop was in or near Santa was his shop was in or near Santa Monica,. CA
Ron Butler was his name; He was the drag racing chassis guru at that time, especially for all out sportsman cars up:
I don't remember hearing anything about Paul being told to quit racing that car by NHRA but I wasn't in his crew or real close to him either
He got into road racing Mopar stock type road racing spec. cars, not all out NASCAR or SCTA all out road racing cars, is what I'm remembering now CRS on the proper series name now

Thank you. It's my pleasure.

Yep, Ron Butler was his name. He built the Mopar Missile Duster, Butch Leal's Pro Stocker and SS/B 1965 A-990 car and others. Ron was a top notch chassis guy. I forget what the exact technical infraction was with Paul's car. It may have had something to do with weight distribution (too much over the back wheels).

did anyone notice, we all "lean forward" so we can go just a little bit faster at the big end ?

Thanks for going into more detail. I knew I wasn't too far off.

1970's Pro Stock, my favorite era, especially the first half of that decade.

One of "Big Willie" Robinson's HEMI Daytonas.



Sometime after founding the International and National Brotherhood of Street Racers in 1968, Big Willie acquired a pair of 1969 Dodge Charger Daytonas – one in orange with a black tail stripe and one in green with a white tail stripe. Rumors that will never be confirmed suggest that the Chrysler Corporate gave Big Willie the orange car while the green car was purchased at a low, special price.

He would drive and race the orange car and his wife, Tomiko, drove and raced the green car. Both Charger Daytonas were decorated for track action, with the International and National Brotherhood of Street Racers logo on the doors, the Keith Black Racing Engines logo on the front fenders, Willie and Tomiko’s names on the quarter panels and unique “graffiti” on the Daytona tail stripe. The stripe on Big Willie’s orange car had the word “King” painted over the Daytona logo while Tomiko’s car had “Queen” painted just below the base of the huge rear wing. Also, the orange car had “Big Willie and Tomiko” on the rear quarters while her green car said “Tomiko and Big Willie”, putting preference to the name of the person who drove and raced each car.

Also, while Big Willie’s Daytona was heavily modified to serve as a full-blown race car, including acid-dipping the body to remove weight, Tomiko’s Daytona was closer to stock, featuring full interior and all of the items needed to serve as the tow vehicle for the orange car. Early on, Big Willie relied on a modified 426 HEMI engine, but he would eventually swap in a 556-cubic-inch HEMI engine from Keith Black Racing Engines. The aftermarket hood of those HEMI engine-powered cars carried the moniker “African Elephant” to signify that HEMI engine power under the hood. Unfortunately, years of racing the acid-dipped orange King Daytona with that monster KB HEMI engine power destroyed the car, forcing Robinson to retire it from racing while the Queen Daytona car was lost in an on-track crash sometime in early 1973.

where are any roy hill p/s cars

The blue/red Arrow is Roy.

i know , where are they now wrecked, sunk in a swamp ,in a barn

I have a bunch of my dad's old slides from Indy in 68-71 and New York National in 68. However I can't post on here because they only allow 4mb pictures. Is there an easy way to post them on here with out spending a bunch of time re-sizing them?

Found this link a few years back from an old airport where they raced occasionally back in the early 70's...

It was great to see Dad's old 69 Dart "Banshee" in some of the clips...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIhEwlhHmjU

I'd love to see them. I use this photo hosting web site to upload my pix to this forum. No need to re-size. I like them large.

https://www.imagebam.com/

If you need help let me know and I'll walk you through the procedure.

Cool! I've seen photos of your dad's car. In fact, I believe I have at least one if not more in my collection. If I come across them, I'll post the pix.

If you click on “actual size” under the pic you want to post, it will give you resize options
Easy peasy

does anyone know what ever happened to John Teders car? was that the original Mr Motech car in that photo before it was painted for the trade school?

The bottom pic in 3097752. That's got to be one of the final pairings in Saturday qualifying, back when Saturday qualifying was the real show. 20-25, and more pro cars. The last session was always the best. Some guys looking for a Hail Mary pass just to get in the show. Another group sitting up near the lanes, ready to make a pass if they got bumped out or bumped down to the wrong side of the ladder. Saturday at the Winters was THE day to be there.

That's my understanding.

1990 NHRA Summernationals photo.

Silvia Hauser and her ex-Paul Rossi Dodge Challenger.

What engine is that in the Rod Shop car??

Which rod shop Dodge?

The Colt wagon

That is one of the Gourney Weslake (SP ?) road racing engines that Mopar made for a while back in the 1970s

Here are a few from my own family.



This is Tom Walls & Gary Sutton's Plymouth Belvedere. Notice the warning about its aluminum fenders.



This would be Tom Walls, my half-sister's father. Gary Sutton and Tom were early race partners. Gary (Uncle Gary to me) would go on to win the 1991 Winter Nationals in his 1970 Plymouth Cuda. Many of you may know that car from Dave Schmitz ownership. That Cuda is now in Europe and is still in action.



And this last one is my mother Patricia Walls, standing next to the Belvedere. Her and Tom would eventually buy one of the Melrose Missile cars, but I don't know which one. My mother is still living (82) and remembers many of these early racers. In fact, she was good friends with Ed Terry for years. Ed Terry worked at a Ford Dealership in Oakland Ca, where my mother lived. My mother ordered a 1971 Maverick Grabber from Ed Terry and Ed drove it to her home personally to show her the car the day it came in. My mom still owns that Maverick, 64,000 miles young to this day and in great shape sitting in my shop.

It was nice to see Ed Terry's name on at least two of the cars in this thread.

Does anyone know what ever became of the Rod Shop Colt wagon?

Great post and history. Now, all we need is a time machine to go back to that simpler time (and all those cool cars!) and to escape the madness, chaos, degeneracy and evils of today.

That's a very good question. What did become of the Rod Shop Dodge Colt station wagon? I'm sure someone on Facebook knows but we're here, not there.

The other Rod Shop Dodge Colt. I still remember when I, this car-crazy, young punk kid, queried the mechanic working on this car (who was friendly, not condescending and answered several of my questions) about the inner workings of the 426 HEMI engine on Friday, early afternoon during the running of the 1975 NHRA Summernationals at Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ. Why, oh why, I didn't borrow my mom's Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic camera and brought it with me to the track that day.

Cool 'Cuda from the New England area which unfortunately had a tragic ending early on in its life. Not the driver, the car, just to clarify.



"Look ma! No roll bar!"





On second thought, this has to be the first Heads Up Barracuda because Harris Auto Sales is not lettered on the quarter panel like it is in the first photo.

I which I could find the article on the rod shop colt wagon it told how this car was build in a very short time , they had a regular colt like the one in the picture that they ran in pro stock it got wrecked so they contacted Bill Stepp and bought his but Stepp had a race to go to and they were to get it after the race and someone forgot to put the wheelie bars down and they rolled the car over and Bill Stepp had to give there money back he was not happy

The mr Motech car is raced locally to me, Jack Peterson owns it

Gary Sutton married my friend's mom

I assume the color scheme is different. BigDad do you have any photos of it as it sits today? I have a lot of memories of that car growing up. John would spend time at the Motech facility at 8 mile in Detroit. my father was a lead trainer/supervisor of the Weld tech side of the facility they shared the same facility. He would let us sit in the car during the high school nationals at Milan and once in a great while take us for a little spin in the parking lot at the tech center. John was always good to us boys.

real cool memories for sure. and thank you for the info.

That car used to be local to me...Wondered where it went to. That pic is from that time period.

He brought it to track couple years ago, and proceeded to drive it right into guard rail ( previous chebbie racer ) GUESS the Hemi was too much for him , lol ..
but, he has since fixed it

this was last summer

The Rossi car is on display at PRI this weekend.

Gary was married to his wife Barbara for a very long time. They had one daughter, Kim. The last time I saw Gary was at my Dad's funeral where he was a pallbearer in 1991. I think Gary may have been divorced from Barbara by that time.

Yeah that's about when he married Jan ,

Is that the same Gary Sutton that was the chief starter at the old Orange County drag strip that also drove a top fueler back then?

thank you bigdad!!!I just love that car!!!

Tedder had two different cars, the white car with the rainbow stripe is the second car and not the first black/yellow Motech car

Thanks. I didn't know that.

Oh my!

that is correct. I have been in and seen both.

John's first car.

i wish i had taken pictures when i bought my charger back in 1970.
it had J.C. Penny [] 5 spoke wheels, and was hit HARD in the rear, pushing the tail lights into the rear tires.
the trunk latch broke loose from the tail panel, allowing the trunk lid to flop onto the sail panels, somewhat protecting the rear window.
the car was put on the frame machine and pulled by an old German guy who worked there.
he knew what he was doing, as the car still wears the original trunk floor pan and the original rear rails.
the trunk lid and back glass, plus the dutchman panel are original as well.

More guys should've but didn't (including yours truly) so don't feel bad.

"Let it All hang out".............a song back then, and i almost had the name of the band, but the spiders in my noggin kept the name back in the corner, covered with cobwebs.............

and that is it.
thank you John Brown.

I remember that song well, lets party

i need to take a nap first, Cab.

My dad took these pictures at Indy.

"Wild Willie" Borsch

Raise your hand if you remember times like this. I wish I had a camera handy back in the day hanging out with my buddies doing stuff like this.
But how many of us actually thought about that then? Very few, that's how many. We were too busy having a great time, enjoying the moment.

not having an "engine stand", we used two 55 gallon drums with a couple of pieces of [real measurement] 1/2" plywood bolted together to get the engine to a comfortable work height.
with block upside down, put the crank in. turn block on it's end and use whatever wood shims would lift the block enough to allow the crank to turn, or stick crank snout through hole in plywood and shim front of block to steady it. install pistons, oil pump & pickup [or just pickup if big block] etc, then oil pan.
flop block right side up and shim with 2x4's to keep steady, then assemble rest of engine.
when done, roll "gym set" over engine to lift from drums. other methods used to lift engine included chain blocks, fork lift, bucket truck, wrecker, etc, depending upon where engine was being assembled.
and we weren't afraid to put one together outside with the wind blowing.

And I'll bet that those motors assembled outside in the wind live forever, HUH
That is one of the lessons many people have wish they had learned that lesson by advice or watching someone else make that mistake

Dude, is this a perfect example of "shade tree mechanics" at work?

surprisingly, those engines lived a long and hard life at my junkyard.
one was for a 350 cat dozer, and the other was for an international boom truck.
not the correct way of doing things for sure, but back then, we did what we had to do, where it needed to be done.
today, we know better, but i'm sure there are other examples all over the world that have had rebuilds done outside that have lived a surprising life span.
remember the old saying : "kiddies, do as i say, not as i do !"

Back when "Bumper Jacks" ruled...... Those of us that had/used them probably experienced brief moments of fear laying under the car when it would start to tip over - with luck a quick foot or hand could steer it back on center

Those bumper jacks i do remember.

O.G.

Dig the timing of the shot of the Wayne County Dart (#3107082). The clutch has been released, and the rear suspension has reacted. The tires have wadded up and rotated just a bit, but the front suspension has not begun to rise. I'd bet the bottom yellow is still lit.

Those were the days.

1973 fellas. That was FIFTY YEARS AGO. That's how far ahead of their time the Pro Stocker above and drag racing doorslammer technology was back then, e.g., 4-link suspensions, lightweight wheels, narrowed rear ends and big tires tucked-up under the body, lowered stance for less aerodynamic drag and better handling, dry sump oiling systems, clutchless transmissions (Lenco & B & J), etc.. Some of these Pro Stockers even had clandestine (and illegal) nitrous oxide systems hidden in their cars.

If you could transport this Pro Stock Duster from 1973 to today to any drag strip in this country, it would NOT look out of place in the staging lanes, especially one filled with bracket cars. Put a modern hood scoop and wheels on it and no one would ever notice anything odd or different. But if you went back in time from 1973 to 1963 and you compared these cars to the ultimate doorslammer cars of that era (very early A/FX and match race cars), it would be LIGHT YEARS difference. That's really saying something. All we've really had since that era--exceptions notwithstanding--were refinements to these original ideas. Think about it.

Now, imagine you're a very young drag racing fan like I was back then and seeing these cars up-close in the pits and racing down the track. That is one mind-blowing experience you just can not fathom unless you were there and experienced it.

I agree up to a point , that pro stocker is todays average bracket car ….
But if we transported the dart back to 1973 . Imagine what they would think . Just a big block with one plate and a tiny 275 tire and just one carburetor . And probably a full second faster !

Car looks good Tony ! .. I haven't seen it in a long time

That was my point and precisely why that car would not look out of place in the staging lanes today alongside your faster bracket cars that incorporate things in their cars that were originally developed five decades ago.

Btw, the quickest Pro Stockers were running high 8-second ET's in 1973 (NHRA legal) and 8.50s in match race trim (like the one below) with big-inch engines.

Btw, the quickest Pro Stockers were running high 8-second ET's in 1973 (NHRA legal) and 8.50s in match race trim (like the one below) with big-inch engines.

[/quote]


....that's a "funny" looking Dart Sport

where did they section that grille?

1968 NHRA Springnationals, Raceway Park, Englishtown NJ.

Same national event.

Back when Pro Stockers actually looked like production cars.



And funny cars too.

Sheldon Gecker. From what I was told, you didn't want to see Sheldon in the next lane because odds were you were going to lose. Beautiful car. (1978 photo)

Nice to have you back!

Gecker was a killer for years in S/G in his Barracuda and later a Daytona IIRC.

Thanks. I didn't think anyone would miss me.

Maybe 1964, Masters Field, Opa Locka (N Miami) old WW2 Airbase, Flag Starter, no guard rails or fencing whatsoever.
This a Polaroid pic, you can see the photographer's (my Dad) shadow how large the camera was back in the day, but you had your pic in 60 seconds.

Can anyone identify the track or the cars and owners, this was late 1974.