Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

Couple of '68s.

Fastest, for sure, was a '68 Barracuda owned by a guy in town I really didn't even know but he sure knew his stuff. I'd see him driving it on the street every once in awhile and regularly at Cayuga Raceway in Southern Ontario in the late 70s. Slicks bolted on and that car would lay down low 12 second 1/4 mile runs and the occasional high 11.

Fastest owned by my self or a close friend was another '68....a 400ci Firebird. Never saw this car at the track and I have no idea how it would really run if timed but WOW did that car launch...... HARD!! Probably a mid-13 second car based on the FUZZIEST of long term memories, but who really knows. I'm compared it to my own '70 GTO that did high 13s. They all seem faster now than they probably were.

Memories are funny that way.

[Treken]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

1969, 340 Swinger...

If you can keep it on the road when giving her, not too much would touch it...

And when you add slicks, headers, and traction bars, with a super light body and bored out engine for racing, you end up in front...

Unless you get pulled over by OPP and asked if you have a screwdriver...Do not say no... The OPP officer ended up walking in front of the Swinger and ripped the plates right off the car... Yes, had to walk home, and not as fast...

The noise and the 1.5 foot wide slicks was a giveaway to being pulled over on the street...

[Rondor]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

One the the amaizing things to me back then was when automatcs begin to beat 4 sppeds. That sent shock waves far and wide and I'd have to say plymouth and dodge were the guilty party. Never forget a race in Daytona between a 413 Doge ND a 413 Plymouth/ with push button auto. Plymouth wom by a considerable margin Drag racing hasn't been the same since.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

One the the amaizing things to me back then was when automatcs begin to beat 4 sppeds. That sent shock waves far and wide and I'd have to say plymouth and dodge were the guilty party. Never forget a race in Daytona between a 413 Doge ND a 413 Plymouth/ with push button auto. Plymouth wom by a considerable margin Drag racing hasn't been the same since.

Sure but would it take a "fuel injected stingray"?

We'll never know. The song never said.

[jerrym3]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

I remember 1963 Plymouth 413s beating 4 speed Impala 409s at Englishtown, NJ.

Since the Plymouth had no competition in the automatic classes, they ran a race putting a Corvair at the 1/8 mark and the MoPar at the normal starting line. Both took off from a dead stop, and the Plymouth was the winner at the end of the quarter mile.

A huge, shocked crowd gathered around the Plymouth after the race.

[farmbird]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

Without a doubt, Fuel injected Corvettes

[CVCashmere]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

1966 GTO. Lotsa fun in the corners and the highway, too.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

I remember 1963 Plymouth 413s beating 4 speed Impala 409s at Englishtown, NJ.

Since the Plymouth had no competition in the automatic classes, they ran a race putting a Corvair at the 1/8 mark and the MoPar at the normal starting line. Both took off from a dead stop, and the Plymouth was the winner at the end of the quarter mile.

A huge, shocked crowd gathered around the Plymouth after the race.

Corvair?

Typo?

Honestly I'd have expected it. Corvairs in stock trim weren't anyone's idea of fast.

[jerrym3]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

No typo. It was a Corvair.

The objective was to show that a 1/8 mile run by a Corvair vs a 1/4 mile run by a MoPar 413 would be won by the 413.

Since classes back then were split stick vs automatic, and the 413 had already beat the stick 409, there was nothing else for this car to do.

So, they set up something for the crowd to oooh and ahhh at.

Keep in mind, it's a 1/8 run vs a 1/4 run. That's a big spresd.

[Chuck]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

Buddy Vetter with his 69 Baldwin Motion Camaro SS - root beer with white stripes, man that thing was fast. I wasn't far behind with my 69 Mach 1, 390, HC pistons, solid lifter cam, 428 heads, dual 1180 double pumpers and of course 4:11s in the rear - wish I had that car now

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

No typo. It was a Corvair.

The objective was to show that a 1/8 mile run by a Corvair vs a 1/4 mile run by a MoPar 413 would be won by the 413.

Since classes back then were split stick vs automatic, and the 413 had already beat the stick 409, there was nothing else for this car to do.

So, they set up something for the crowd to oooh and ahhh at.

Keep in mind, it's a 1/8 run vs a 1/4 run. That's a big spresd.

Might wanna be careful about assuming all Corvairs are push overs though.

Bet it wasn't this Corvair that day............... a big heavy car like that old Plymouth would need plenty of prayer as well as a very STOUT 413 to keep up. Amazing how many of these Corv-8 cars are actually still running around. Crown Manufacturing made everything required.

Among the "fastest" cars I ever knew of back in the day was a Corvair, built by a buddy that was quite similar to this one. Hard top. No-where near as cleanly done as this though. The noise of a Chevy small block screaming through headers in the backseat was a sound I'll never forget. My ears would ring for hours after a ride in that little 2,700pd bomb.

Mid-engined and with independent suspension it turned corners as impressively as it went fast in a straight line too.

[jerrym3]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

This particular Corvair was a stock, plain model. May have been a 4dr.

It looked real close at the end, but the 413 did win.

[Tbyrdy]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

My 1970 Z28. Only mod was headers. We were crazy then and raced on the street. Never beaten in Monterey or Denver in 1972. By anybody in anything. Still remember amazing looks on peoples faces.

Nobody wanted a hole shot at a street light; they always wanted a 30 MPH start. The engine/tranny was at peak at 30 MPH. Bang,bang,bang...120 MPH and all they saw were tailights.

I kept that car; it's in pieces in my Mancave in the middle of being restored. It would be a lot easier if I hadn't abused it, but gosh it was fun!

[PaBlkBrd]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

Buddy Vetter with his 69 Baldwin Motion Camaro SS - root beer with white stripes, man that thing was fast. I wasn't far behind with my 69 Mach 1, 390, HC pistons, solid lifter cam, 428 heads, dual 1180 double pumpers and of course 4:11s in the rear - wish I had that car now

Can you fit 2 trailers in your driveway Chuck>?

[Mark501]

Re: Back then, who had the quickest car in your crowd?

Two of the fastest cars I saw were either 1965 or 1966 Ford Fairlane 390 and the Comet Cyclone of the same year. I saw those cars eat GTO's and 442's. Later on in about 1969-70 the Firebird 400's were really fast cars.