I think it'd be cool to hear from you guys. What were your street-race hangouts?
VAN -Many of those places have been mentioned on here and I occasionally go by some of them late at night like I did so many years ago, and can still see and here the Ghosts or memories of those VERY impressionable times of youth. It was the sights and sounds, the chicks, the friends, the fights, the betting, the pride of competition and being a winner in something you created, and sometimes people getting busted. AHH youth was crazy good times, most of the time! ;)
I remember discussing that you and I frequented Van Nuys, back then. Great times.
We probably gave each other the "cool ride" head nod as we cruised past.
If we can talk about Upstate NY, there was always a Boss 302 VS Shelby thing......seems like Bosses came from behind for the win.
Once I was "racing" myself doing burnouts from lights in my 67 Shelby. One time I did a nice one by a local Mall, got to the next light and a car pulled up next to me, the guy motioned to roll my window down, he said, "Nice car!" I said "Thank you!" then a badge came out and he said, "If I see you doing that again, you will be in trouble!" I said "Yes officer." he took off.....Strange though, I found out that he owned a 69 Shelby....maybe his could not do nice burnouts? and he got mad, because I could?
I later became friends with his daughter, small town! I was 20 years old then....
This is totally FICTION and never ever happened
Once upon a time there was a magical place called Nebas. Nebas was located in a wonderful place called Fort Lauderdale Land.
It was a early Friday night and these young folks from Miami Land decided to venture north.
They got on a mystical highway called Eye-95 traveling north until they found the exit to State Road 84. As they headed peacefully east towards the beaches they encountered a very ugly and nasty 1967 Chevy Nova. The Nova snarled and spouted fumes that made everyone cry in the next car.
Oh that car was a docile and kind 1972 Pontiac Trans Am 455 H. O.
The Nova kept revving and making all sorts if noises. The kind people on their journey kept ignoring it. The driver said what a beautiful night to be cruising. (What he actually said was turn down the radio and turn off the AC)
Suddenly the light turned green, the Nova lunged ahead about 20 feet.
Now the Trans American being a heavier vehicle and on that particular night had 4 , yes 4 passenger's occupying it's lush Interior, did not burn out, but squatted down, accelerated and just before it's owner shifted into second gear he looked at the Novas driver face in distress.
In came second gear and that heavy Bird flew by the Nova as if it was standing still ! (Gets interesting)
Less than 1/4 mile ahead, the TAs driver notices flashing lights, attempts to slow down.
The trooper hears the car, leaves the car he is ticketing and proceeds to the middle of the three lane highway. He puts up his ticket book waving it so the car pulls over.
The TA doesn't seem to agree with him. The trooper decides to put his had on his gun and extends the ticket book as if it was a bible.
Suddenly the TA turned its lights off and rapidly but cautiously accelerated by and around the trooper.
They say the trooper was left spinning in circles as the TA went by.
The TA arrived at Nebas, they greet all friends and start to mingle. About an hour later or so the TA group is walking around and is approached by an
unhinged individual, screaming it's you, it's you !
That trooper wants your ass, they have a bolo out for you the white firebird your ass is grass.
Well, we'll, we'll they immediately evacuated the premises and what was a 45 minute ride home on the interstate took them 4 hours on the back roads
Of course this never ever happened and they lived happily ever after.
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Late 1967. At the stop light on Market St. & Castro in SF. In CSX2192. New Corvette pulls up along side, light changes and we take off. Watching across the street was one of SF finest! Pull the Vett real bad and look in the mirror and he is coming with red lights. Figure he can only get one of us so I turn on Noe street and wait. He turned also. That became an exposition of speed tick....5 points. Had to ask why he didn't go straight and get th Vett? His response was that I had pulled the Vett so bad that I deserved the reward, aka ticket! I protested the ticket as my license was on probation. I beat the ticket only because the officer didn't show up for the court date!
Quote from: 6s2055 on March 22, 2022, 12:51:52 PM
Late 1967. At the stop light on Market St. & Castro in SF. In CSX2192. New Corvette pulls up along side, light changes and we take off. Watching across the street was one of SF finest! Pull the Vett real bad and look in the mirror and he is coming with red lights. Figure he can only get one of us so I turn on Noe street and wait. He turned also. That became an exposition of speed tick....5 points. Had to ask why he didn't go straight and get th Vett? His response was that I had pulled the Vett so bad that I deserved the reward, aka ticket! I protested the ticket as my license was on probation. I beat the ticket only because the officer didn't show up for the court date!
Lol! Good result!
In DuPage County, they call the officer if you answer ready for trial and the court waits for his arrival if not already present.
Side street off Whittier Blvd. Cop nailed us after about 100 yards. I stopped the other guy tried to split. Cops got him after 4 blocks. When I went to court (mandatory appearance) I bravely asked the judge if I could do traffic school. He and the cop conferred and he said since I stopped and had shown the "right attitude" he's let me do school so it wouldn't show up on my record. He issued a bench warrant for the other guy who decided not to show up at all.
I can neither confirm or deny the following actually happened to someone known to my brother :)
If you are familiar with Dearborn MI then this account setting will be known.
Driving a 1970 Mustang, 351C 4v, shaker hood scoop, C/R 4 speed, 4:11, competition suspension, Koni all around, Crane Fireball cam with tuned B351 intake and Autolite 4350, down Ford road toward Telegraph Rd, (westside street racing venue), good friend alongside on Honda 750 wants to "run", so he pulls a wheelie while crossing Outer Drive, and Dearborn's finest (sitting in a parking lot, blacked out) observes this display of driving technique go by,...
turning north on Telegraph, the thought of attempting to evade is quickly discarded when the blue & red lights appear coming around the corner and picking up speed behind,
both the car and Honda pulling over to the shoulder are met with the flashing lights, then the driver of the Honda decides to bail on his friend in the Mustang, and screams off with lights off......
as the Dearborn B&W pulls around the Mustang to begin the pursuit of the Honda, the officer yells out the window to the Mustang driver,
"you're lucky tonight because of your stupid friend, you better just go home, if I see you back out here pulling that kind of stunt, you'll spend the night in the station"!
Friend on Honda drove back home in Livonia via side streets without lights on to prevent being observed by law enforcement!
went back the next night to cruise, but without friend & Honda.
never got ticketed on Telegraph Rd in THAT mustang !
jim p
You mean none of you were staring down at your iPhones huddled together, texting each other without eye contact instead of tearing up the roads and living life to the fullest? Huh!
At age 16, I had an undeclared race with a Pontiac Firebird (early 70s from my recollection) and me in my first car, a 1969 Mustang coupe with a stock 302. We got into it along Warden Avenue in Scarborough. Warden is a four lane road, two lanes northbound and two lanes southbound. The roads were dry and we were headed due north. We were running side by side in the middle stages but he began to pull away. The Firebird occupied the right lane and I (along with my best friend) were in the left lane. Up in the distance, a car pulled out from a side street to my left and proceeded to go northbound as well, now occupying my lane of travel while I was doing about 80 mph. I came up on him fast and so I hit the brakes hard and not having experienced drum brakes that pulled unequally, it sent us swerving side to side until I hung the wheel hard left and did a 180 ending up facing southbound on Warden in the southbound lanes. The Gods must've smiled upon us that day because even further ahead the southbound traffic was stopped for a red light at east/west St. Clair Avenue next to the Warden subway station. The Mustang just sat there, engine humming, waiting for its next instructions. I looked at my friend and asked him, "what just happened?" I pulled into a small grocery store parking lot and unpacked the experience, rather a bundle of nerves. A very eye opening experience that made me a much better driver today, with better survival instincts. My first drag race and from that point on, I refrained from engaging deciding it wasn't worth it. I just wanted to stay alive. A bit embarrassing when I relive it now in this short account.
Quote from: FL SAAC on March 22, 2022, 11:05:31 AM
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The best year for the Trans Am. Round headlights versus square.
In the early 70's we used to race a Mustang in NHRA Modified Eliminator B/Gas with a 427 SOHC, first with 2 4 barrels and later with fuel injection
We decided to head down to Ocean City maryland for a little R&R before heading to Delmar Delaware to US13 the closest drag strip on Sunday. We had 1957 Ford school bus with a ramp built onto the back to transport the car
Since the car needed to be "tuned up" and we were sleeping in the school bus on the side of the road north of Ocean City we decided that the nice flat, straight and somewhat deserted ocean highway would be the perfect spot to test it.
We put the ramps out and had backed the car down unto the street. Fired it up and pretty much woke up the neighborhood. The Indian River inlet bridge was about 1/4 of a mile away and my buddy drove it down to there turned around and did a couple of burnouts that would have made the Chi Town Hustler blush with envy. A blast down the road and going through the gears sounded so good he turned around and did 3 more passes. We then proceeded to load the car back on the bus and had just locked everything down when two local county sheriffs one Maryland state trooper and one Delaware state trooper showed up. (we were just on the state line). They asked what we were doing racing on public roads and of course we looked at them with shock, Us race on public roads, of course we wouldn't do that. We had just started the car on the ramp truck to make sure everything was ok. We pointed out that there were no tire marks in the street, that showed we had not been racing. Of course 1/4 miles away it looked like the starting line at a drag strip, but the Maryland and county sheriffs had not driven that far down the road and the Delaware cop had not noticed them. The stench of burnt rubber, hot oil, and clutch was lingering in the air and we said because it was a race car it always smelled like that when starting. They knew we were lying, we knew we were lying, but knowing it and proving it were two different things. They sternly said if they got any more reports they would lock us up, impound they school bus and the car and make sure we lost out licenses for a very long time. We then started the bus up and drove very slowly away from the area. We arrived at the track around noon and found out they did not open until 5 because it was so hot during the day. We spent the afternoon with the two professionals that were the booked in show, TV Tommy Ivo and Don Gartlis. It was quite an entertaining afternoon to say the least but that is a story for another time
But launching a full out race car on a pretty much major highway on an early Sunday morning was and still is a great story of what we did when we were you and dumb
Quote from: deathsled on March 22, 2022, 01:41:53 PMI hit the brakes hard and not having experienced drum brakes that pulled unequally, it sent us swerving side to side until I hung the wheel hard left and did a 180 ending up facing southbound
I've got 2 drum brake stories - both in the rain and in my Jeep FC170 shortly after I got my license. Went through a flooded (2') underpass then smacked a guy waiting at the next light - vertical learning curve that drum brakes don't work when wet. Next was a couple weeks later rears locked when stopping for a light it spun 90 degrees and we ended up in the middle of the intersection perfectly lined up for what became our new direction of travel.
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on March 22, 2022, 02:38:15 PM
Quote from: deathsled on March 22, 2022, 01:41:53 PMI hit the brakes hard and not having experienced drum brakes that pulled unequally, it sent us swerving side to side until I hung the wheel hard left and did a 180 ending up facing southbound
I've got 2 drum brake stories - both in the rain and in my Jeep FC170 shortly after I got my license. Went through a flooded (2') underpass then smacked a guy waiting at the next light - vertical learning curve that drum brakes don't work when wet. Next was a couple weeks later rears locked when stopping for a light it spun 90 degrees and we ended up in the middle of the intersection perfectly lined up for what became our new direction of travel.
It's no wonder why we went to four wheel disk brakes. But then, the Z/28 had the JL-8 option as far back as 1969 (which very few ordered apparently).
The front disc calipers on a SS, RS or Z28 where regular production passenger car type single piston calipers.
When you ordered the R. P. O. JL8 option on a Z or an SS Camaro you got four piston calipers that where very similar to the Corvettes
That's why this option was expensive and only about 200 Camaros received this particular brake set up
Quote from: deathsled on March 22, 2022, 08:38:12 PM
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on March 22, 2022, 02:38:15 PM
Quote from: deathsled on March 22, 2022, 01:41:53 PM
It's no wonder why we went to four wheel disk brakes. But then, the Z/28 had the JL-8 option as far back as 1969 (which very few ordered apparently).
So...yeah......racing ???
1990. I'm 20 in my 66' 428 powered Fairlane GTA. On Long Island Nassau County, You would cruse Hempstead Turnpike. I'm at Burger king one night around midnight talking with a guy I know in a Buick Grand National. We never actually raced each other. He had his Hoosier Quick times. I had my Mickey Thompson 28 X 9 slicks on so we drove to Route 109. There's an intersession at Bi County road and a flagpole almost exactly a 1/4 mile away. We got there and waited for the light to turn red, pulled up and when it turned green, we were gone. I beat him by 1/2 a car at the end. That's when I looked in the mirror and saw lights way back in the distance. I decided to pull over. He ran and got on the Southern State Parkway. I was stopped and out of my car with my hands in plain sight by the time he pulled up. I was shocked after he ran my license then said he wasn't going to give me a ticket because I actually pulled over. He then said that running those soft street tires were no good in the rain. Funny thing is the street light is shining right on the spot of the tire where it says "Destined for drag racing only. Not for street use". I don't know how he didn't see it. But it was fun beating the Buick and not getting arrested that night! Just one Hempstead Turnpike story.
The first experience right?
1976 at the first meeting of the Cobra Club in Sparta, NJ. It was at Mark Bucheim's place.
At the time he has CSX 3121 which had just come out of the paint shop and was a medium metallic blue.
It was the only 427 in attendance as I recall but there were about a half dozen 289's, 1 '65 GT350 and me and my 68 GT350.
One of the 289 owners was bugging Mark that 427's were a load of useless iron and his "Dragon Snake" replica, Ameican mags, 2x4's, etc, was a good deal "quicker".
Well, at some point someone suggested that we all go for a nice cruise in the countryside? At this point in time, Sparta, a little ways of of Rt 23 north in "Jersey" was not quite rural, but not far from it either.
So there was a procession that lined up. I just followed at the rear, not knowing these roads at all. Now I can tell you that is was rural enough for cars with brake scoops to get their share of horse manure after passing through the farm.
One of the Cobra owners, maybe Rich Feldheim, thought that was hilarious. I think he was the one that asked me not to park next to his Cobra and put my "Mustang" out in the street? Maybe not, but one of the snobs there did?
Anyway, I don't know what kicked it off, but someone gave someone a dirty look and it was off to the races. I had already decided to give them plenty of room as in theory, not to pile in on their wreck?
At this point, there were only three cars in this "scenario"...not a race...just a "scenario". The other cars were smart enough to have gotten lost, stopped to pick wild berries or gone home. Not me.
Now if anyone asks someone how fast they actually were going and the driver responds..."oh...130", it's my opinion that he is just a little bit full of s hit. The reason being that at that speed you need to look so far down the road that your eyes, at least mine, can't focus instantaneously on the speedometer.
I can tell you though, that IF you had the wet dream to install an rpm indicator light that would flash at a predetermined rpm you set as a safety factor, you WILL see it flashing. So at 7,200 in second I noticed the flashing red light.
Anyway, this was a nice quiet, freshly blacktopped back road. Nice and straight, but a little bit up and down. You know that when you get butterflies in your belly from the free fall after each jump. :o
So there goes 3121 and the phony Dragonsnake and here I am in the "chaser plane".
Like I said, I'm at 7,200 rpm and they are disappearing into the horizon. Fine. No problem. Not yet. Now granted, there was a bit of a commotion and a little bit of noise so I suppose it is to be expected that it is going to gather some attention right?
Right. Here's the question though. Who would have thought that after the Cobras zoomed by that none other then Little Abner, driving a hay truck loaded to the hilts with hay and horse shit would have pulled out of a side street RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, looking to see if these were cruise missiles that just went by?
I guess that when you live in Dog Patch you don't need to look at the intersection and you just pull out? All I can say is that thank God there was no oncoming traffic in the other lane 'cause otherwise good ole' Dougie wouldn't be 'round no more.
There was no way it was physically possible to stop, only to swerve in avoidance.
Now I can't attest to exactly what Little Abner was doing to wrestling that load of horse shit and hay but I coulda' sworn I heard him swearin' in his best Gomer Pile voice, "GOLLY...WHAT IN THE HELL?" Just as well I really don't want to know the answer to that.
I just kept going so that there would be no cops to make me clean up all the crap off of the road before they slapped on the cuffs? ::)
You know? At some point I actually had the thought that maybe IF I was wearing those retractable shoulder harnesses it would help them find the body in one piece?
Iove it !
Always said better lucky than good
Quote from: shelbydoug on March 23, 2022, 11:02:42 AM
The first experience right?
1976 at the first meeting of the Cobra Club in Sparta, NJ. It was at Mark Bucheim's place.
At the time he has CSX 3121 which had just come out of the paint shop and was a medium metallic blue.
It was the only 427 in attendance as I recall but there were about a half dozen 289's, 1 '65 GT350 and me and my 68 GT350.
One of the 289 owners was bugging Mark that 427's were a load of useless iron and his "Dragon Snake" replica, Ameican mags, 2x4's, etc, was a good deal "quicker".
Well, at some point someone suggested that we all go for a nice cruise in the countryside? At this point in time, Sparta, a little ways of of Rt 23 north in "Jersey" was not quite rural, but not far from it either.
So there was a procession that lined up. I just followed at the rear, not knowing these roads at all. Now I can tell you that is was rural enough for cars with brake scoops to get their share of horse manure after passing through the farm.
One of the Cobra owners, maybe Rich Feldheim, thought that was hilarious. I think he was the one that asked me not to park next to his Cobra and put my "Mustang" out in the street? Maybe not, but one of the snobs there did?
Anyway, I don't know what kicked it off, but someone gave someone a dirty look and it was off to the races. I had already decided to give them plenty of room as in theory, not to pile in on their wreck?
At this point, there were only three cars in this "scenario"...not a race...just a "scenario". The other cars were smart enough to have gotten lost, stopped to pick wild berries or gone home. Not me.
Now if anyone asks someone how fast they actually were going and the driver responds..."oh...130", it's my opinion that he is just a little bit full of s hit. The reason being that at that speed you need to look so far down the road that your eyes, at least mine, can't focus instantaneously on the speedometer.
I can tell you though, that IF you had the wet dream to install an rpm indicator light that would flash at a predetermined rpm you set as a safety factor, you WILL see it flashing. So at 7,200 in second I noticed the flashing red light.
Anyway, this was a nice quiet, freshly blacktopped back road. Nice and straight, but a little bit up and down. You know that when you get butterflies in your belly from the free fall after each jump. :o
So there goes 3121 and the phony Dragonsnake and here I am in the "chaser plane".
Like I said, I'm at 7,200 rpm and they are disappearing into the horizon. Fine. No problem. Not yet. Now granted, there was a bit of a commotion and a little bit of noise so I suppose it is to be expected that it is going to gather some attention right?
Right. Here's the question though. Who would have thought that after the Cobras zoomed by that none other then Little Abner, driving a hay truck loaded to the hilts with hay and horse shit would have pulled out of a side street RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, looking to see if these were cruise missiles that just went by?
I guess that when you live in Dog Patch you don't need to look at the intersection and you just pull out? All I can say is that thank God there was no oncoming traffic in the other lane 'cause otherwise good ole' Dougie wouldn't be 'round no more.
There was no way it was physically possible to stop, only to swerve in avoidance.
Now I can't attest to exactly what Little Abner was doing to wrestling that load of horse shit and hay but I coulda' sworn I heard him swearin' in his best Gomer Pile voice, "GOLLY...WHAT IN THE HELL?" Just as well I really don't want to know the answer to that.
I just kept going so that there would be no cops to make me clean up all the crap off of the road before they slapped on the cuffs? ::)
You know? At some point I actually had the thought that maybe IF I was wearing those retractable shoulder harnesses it would help them find the body in one piece?
No personal racing stories BUT I did spend a night in Detroit following Nick the Greek around while his nephew got races lined up. We went for breakfast about 5 in the morning . That was a night to remember.
I also heard another story about some guy who had a little red corvette LT-1. I will abreviate it as much possible
It was during spring break, the bikers where in Fort Lauderdale and about one million of your friend's also on the strip.
Biker tells the vette, hey Blondie ! Refering to the guy in the Vettes girlfriend. The vette guy tells back your Blondie because the biker had long goldilocks.
The biker gets furious and off his bike, the vette guy pulls out a hand cannon but hides it so goldilocks dies not see it.
All of a sudden and completely unrelated a semi automatic or rapid fire device is heard just off to the right hand side at a park.
Goldilocks jumps on his bike and rides down the side walk never to be seen
And they all lived happily ever after
P.S. the vette got sold and went to Jersey, the black charger 440 magnum is still owned by uncle Luis