Toy4Hal
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2003
- Messages
- 140
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Corvette
- 62 Maroon, 03 Anniversary Convertible
Ah! The 60's!
What's that expression --- "if you remember the 60's, your wern't there?????" Somewhat true.
I'm slightly older than many of you and was in my "prime" in the early 60's. Remember it as the best years of my life! I remeber all those muscle cars. I had the honour and previledge of being the tech inspection guy at 3 drag strips in eastern Canada!
For our "project cars", small block chevy's were the only real game in town. Parts at every scrap yard! Just make em work together! Injected small block chevy in a short wheelbase dragster (C/Dragster). Fun ride!!!
There is no question in my mine which cars "ruled" the streets. It was the big block chevys of the mid 60's. When they started putting 396/427 engines "from the factory" into those Cameros, Chevelles (we called had some called Chevelle look-alikes from Pontiac called Beaumonts), and even into the "big bodies", that's what people bought and used on the street.
You seldom saw a GTO. Sure, Ford put out some 390s, and some 428s, but they were not nearly as popular. In my part of the world, the Chrysler stuff was not all that common "on the street".
These cars were the "factory hotrods". The owners didn't even have to know anything about how to race or modify or tune! Just put the money on the counter and drive out with a car faster than any on the street (until the next model).
That's what I saw as the tech guy! Heck, I even saw guys start buying automatics because they didn't require a scattershield back then! :confused
On the track, it was still the big block Chevy's, unless the "pros" came to town. We did "class" racing back then, so things like 340 Darts ruled in some mid-class areas (small block). That's when the factories started to "lie" about horsepower. And the Hemi's, the few around, ruled in A/S and SS/A. But at the end of the day, count the trophies and you see Chevy's ruled!
Like others, I never saw a true Cobra until I got to CA. Now there are a couple here on the hill where I live! Heck, there were not many 'Vettes around my part of the world! But it was in 62 is when I fell in love with the 62 'Vette. Took me 40 years to finally get one!
There was a dealer in Toronto back then that built a "Stallion". From a late 60's basic Mustang, this dealer put in a "very strong" Ford 427 with ram-induction. This was a "street" car -- not a race car! I got to drive one down the track at Cedar's Dragway in Montreal (no, no scattershield but i got to make the rules!
) This thing would fly! However, what they missed was putting in brakes that would stop it! So, into the mud we go!!!!
I could go on and on (like I didn't already!). But, yes, I remember the 60's, and the muscle cars, and early drag racing on and off the street! Can I go back?????
Hal
What's that expression --- "if you remember the 60's, your wern't there?????" Somewhat true.
I'm slightly older than many of you and was in my "prime" in the early 60's. Remember it as the best years of my life! I remeber all those muscle cars. I had the honour and previledge of being the tech inspection guy at 3 drag strips in eastern Canada!
For our "project cars", small block chevy's were the only real game in town. Parts at every scrap yard! Just make em work together! Injected small block chevy in a short wheelbase dragster (C/Dragster). Fun ride!!!
There is no question in my mine which cars "ruled" the streets. It was the big block chevys of the mid 60's. When they started putting 396/427 engines "from the factory" into those Cameros, Chevelles (we called had some called Chevelle look-alikes from Pontiac called Beaumonts), and even into the "big bodies", that's what people bought and used on the street.
You seldom saw a GTO. Sure, Ford put out some 390s, and some 428s, but they were not nearly as popular. In my part of the world, the Chrysler stuff was not all that common "on the street".
These cars were the "factory hotrods". The owners didn't even have to know anything about how to race or modify or tune! Just put the money on the counter and drive out with a car faster than any on the street (until the next model).
That's what I saw as the tech guy! Heck, I even saw guys start buying automatics because they didn't require a scattershield back then! :confused
On the track, it was still the big block Chevy's, unless the "pros" came to town. We did "class" racing back then, so things like 340 Darts ruled in some mid-class areas (small block). That's when the factories started to "lie" about horsepower. And the Hemi's, the few around, ruled in A/S and SS/A. But at the end of the day, count the trophies and you see Chevy's ruled!
Like others, I never saw a true Cobra until I got to CA. Now there are a couple here on the hill where I live! Heck, there were not many 'Vettes around my part of the world! But it was in 62 is when I fell in love with the 62 'Vette. Took me 40 years to finally get one!
There was a dealer in Toronto back then that built a "Stallion". From a late 60's basic Mustang, this dealer put in a "very strong" Ford 427 with ram-induction. This was a "street" car -- not a race car! I got to drive one down the track at Cedar's Dragway in Montreal (no, no scattershield but i got to make the rules!
) This thing would fly! However, what they missed was putting in brakes that would stop it! So, into the mud we go!!!!I could go on and on (like I didn't already!). But, yes, I remember the 60's, and the muscle cars, and early drag racing on and off the street! Can I go back?????
Hal
