Any ex-street racers?

[HighRoller]

I was just posting some recommended mods to the 500 dollar pimp wagon winnebago and started getting flashbacks to the days when we DID build pieces of crap that ran hard and picked a lot of people's pockets.So I was wondering if there were any former street racers here who could appreciate the specs on our all time money making rig and might share theirs as well.
1972 El Camino,banana yellow with black stripes
fiberglass white camper shell with windows
idaho plates and trailer ball
column shifter and bench seat(original)
cragar spoke wheels
400 inch small block with 2.08 valve heads and huge cam w/rhoads lifters(smooth idle!)
B&M 144 mini blower running smallest pulley available and single hogged out holley DP
250HP NOS plate system
turbo mufflers with packing blown out(removed)
turbo 400 with 4500 stall 9" converter
4:10 gears with mini spool
We'd show up with 7" white walls on the rear and the idle set so low it sounded like crap and would even die if you let it!!!after sucking in some poor sap in a 5.0 stang we'd drive down out of site and grab the street slicks out of the back and set the idle back to normal.or we'd show up with"15.87"written on the windshield in shoe polish and say we just got back from bracket racing and were looking for some action!!We won a lot of dough before the engine and our act both ran out of steam.

[HighRoller]

Not meaning to post ***** but that last story reminded me of the beauty of the fuel injected Quad rotor setup I saw at the boat show in a few boats.My buddy saw me smiling and asked what was up.I said"1000hp under the hatch.That would piss off a lot of people at the river!!"Hmmm,1000hp under the hatch in an open bow jet boat would piss off even more people.Anyone got Gary Teague's number?

[Unchained]

Back in the early and mid 1970s street racing was what I lived for. My first car was a 1965 Mustang but I soon realized that Fords were'nt fast. Then I got a 1968 GTO and had big fun with that car.
Back in that era it seems like most guys didnt have the money to put into a car like now. If you had headers and an aftermarket intake and carb you were doing good.
My final street race car was a 1966 Mustang body that I had put a 427 chevy engine in. I got the engine from a junkyard for $ 350. out of a Corvette. The engine was setback so the front of the engine was about at the centerline of the front wheels. I ran it on the street until late 1975 then someone gave me $ 1,000 for it and I used the money for a house downpayment. Street racing was a lot of fun back then. It seems like guys were doing burnouts at every stop light and drinking while driving was the norm.

[ezstriper]

Ah, street racing ! the good old days, It was big time around va/md in the late 70's, lots of fast
10-11 sec real street cars, I had a 66 falcon
w/ a 289, then a super charged 351, then a 427
stroked to 448, 4sp & 5.43 detoit locker rear.
hell of a street setup, the damm thing went thru more rod bearings than spark plugs, wised up went
full time super gas racing w/BB corvette for 7 years. retired and now am building a hot rod
SS454 71 chevelle to tow my BB/C starbuck jet,
painted to match-must besome kind of mid-life
shit, who knows Rob...

[roostwear]

I think I spent most of my youth on the street and strip rather than in school!I had a built big block in a 54 Ford station wagon and raced the wheels off that thing. Raced at the County Wednesday night and Saturday, and on the street Friday and Saturday nights. Belonged to the "brotherhood" LA StreetRacers, met at Brookhurst and LaPalma and Raced at Nabisco, Holder and Ball (loved the name of that intersection!), Bond, etc.
All this reminds me... I gotta go. I have to go hide the keys to the 68 before the boys find out where they are! Deja Vu all over again.

[Craig]

Late 70's, I was growing up (sort of) in Annapolis, MD. Everyone hung out at the Burger King in Glen Burnie. Some impromtu racing would go on where the beltway (the "loop" out here!)was hardly used. Had my Buick Gran Sport 455 Stage 1. Most people didn't expect a Buick to run. We went 12.18 at Capital Raceway on Sundays :D I couldn't hang with the guys running the nitrous though! Moved to the south Jersey shore in '81. Fun there too. There was a lot of cruising at Seaside Heights, and some racing on the street. Never anything really big though. Most of us would go to Englistown and run 'em on the strip.
http://www.***boat.net/image_center/data/500/140gs.jpg
We'd throw one slick in the back seat and one in the trunk. Take a toolbox and jack, We could beat a lot if cars guys trailered in. Moved out to AZ, not as much in the car scene, But hell, when you had a car with no A/C and a black vinyl interior, summers were trying! Ended up doing most of our time at Firebird or Phoenix Raceway.
http://www.***boat.net/image_center/data/500/140gs3.jpg
Here's the one that got me started. Granted a crappy pic and not that fast of a car, but this was my high school ride. A 14 second Skylark. Anyone else got any good old pic's racing your ride?
http://www.***boat.net/image_center/data/500/140skylark-med.jpg

[Havasu Hangin']

1972 Ford Courier (mini truck) with a warm 327; glass-packs; Turbo 400 trans w 4.11's and McCreary (sp?) cross-grooved slicks (wrinkle walls); and those shiny chrome traction bars. Also had a chrome velocity stack sticking out of the hood, Jordy.
Ran legimimate mid 12's...smokin' the tires in every gear. When it got up to 100MPH in the quarter, you didn't want to be there very long...if you know what I mean- very scary.

[Sandbar Junkies]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think I spent most of my youth on the street and strip rather than in school!I had a built big block in a 54 Ford station wagon and raced the wheels off that thing. Raced at the County Wednesday night and Saturday, and on the street Friday and Saturday nights. Belonged to the "brotherhood" LA StreetRacers, met at Brookhurst and LaPalma and Raced at Nabisco, Holder and Ball (loved the name of that intersection!), Bond, etc.
All this reminds me... I gotta go. I have to go hide the keys to the 68 before the boys find out where they are! Deja Vu all over again.
How about Shoemaker Street made plenty of cash on that street. Sunday nights at the corner of Brookhurst and Orangethorpe looking for races,Fri and Sat on Whittier Blvd try to hustle some cash from other kids driving Daddy new Cameros. Back then it wasn't all that Bad know it's a huge bust. They still do some street racing on Wilmington,just alot faster cars and alot more money.
[ March 02, 2003, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Sandbar Junkies ]

[77charger]

about 10 years ago for me mostly so cal ontario sat nights and midweek forgot which day,harbor/imperial sun nights(familiar with shoemaker street also as well as edwards and a couple of more that i forgot.Also use to go to the terminal island track on the weekend when it was open we had a 72 camaro we bought for 600 bucks bought a bbc 396 for 400 that car went out and ran 12.70s when it ran right.But for the street i had a motorcycle 89 gsxr750 that ran very hard i mostly hung out with the bike guys who always seemed to find a race and hustle some good cash.Now it is just to big a bust to get caught I remember how we could stay on 1 or 2 streets in ontario til 4 am and not one cop then it became a cat and mouse game with the cops just following you everywhere.

[Havasu Hangin']

Sandbar Junkies:
How about Shoemaker Street made plenty of cash on that street. Sunday nights at the corner of Brookhurst and Orangethorpe looking for races,Fri and Sat on Whittier Blvd try to hustle some cash from other kids driving Daddy new Cameros. Back then it wasn't all that Bad know it's a huge bust. They still do some street racing on Wilmington,just alot faster cars and alot more money. Man, we hung out in the same places...80-83 era? I almost got popped on Shoemaker...
How about that big parking lot on La Mirada and Beach on Sunday nights?
Also, I remember some fast bugs...pulling the front wheels up...mufflers throwing sparks...those were the days.
Geez...I'm getting (and sounding) old.

[77charger]

Havasu Hangin':
How about that big parking lot on La Mirada and Beach on Sunday nights?
Also, I remember some fast bugs...pulling the front wheels up...mufflers throwing sparks...those were the days.
Geez...I'm getting (and sounding) old. [/b] to i use to hang there to about 10 years ago was one of those bugs a black clean one with a turbo a stock looking car?If so i use to know that guy back the i think his name was aaron(?)

[MAXIMUS]

Street racin was in the late 80's for me. I had a 71 Mach 1 with a 429 CJ (460 crank) 11.5 comp with major head work, nitrous, 3500 stall, 4:56 31 spline, nodular case, detroit locker, 28 x11.5 Firestone Firehawks with line lock, yada yada yada... Used to haunt ontario around Millakin, Roland Heights off of Nogales, & Pasadena near Hastings Ranch. Also used to run on Rivergrade road near Irwindale Speedway. Had a lot of fun serving up small block chevy's with blowers or tunnel rams etc... Those were real cars... not like the toys the childern are playing with today??? I currently have another 429CJ 71 Mach 1 with another 460 CJ that I use for crusin. You can't believe the looks on the kids faces when you pull along side their stickerd out zip zinger with the formula wing on the back & they hear the cam & see the car shaking... eek! they try not to notice :cool:

[Washed Ashore]

Well,my friend and I just put a sbc that ran 10.90's in a 70 nova in a tube chassis, aluminun body street machine that wieghs 2200 pounds.I drove it today :D :D HOLY $H!*!!Any one have a pair of 10 inch slicks.I know you said ex-street racers,but any one want to race?

[ROZ]

Havasu Hangin'
[QB
Also, I remember some fast bugs...pulling the front wheels up...mufflers throwing sparks...those were the days.
[/QB]Ah, the days...1956 bug...mid 13's.. :cool:
Not super fast, but I caught plenty of peeps off guard at one time or another...Made plenty of beer and movie money :D
As far as the mufflers go...I went through plenty of quietpacks eek!
When I have time, I plan to build another...Shoot for a streetable 11 :cool:

[HighRoller]

My buddy had an awesome bug,a 62 ragtop frame off resto.Every part was either chromed or imron painted,it had an NHRA legal roll cage and power top along with a nasty 2275 roller motor with dual 48 webers and an NOS fogger system.His exhaust was a dual quiet pack system with 2 inch shorty flowmasters instead of regular mufflers.It may have been a bug,but it was one of the nicest cars I've ever seen.Fast too.He fragged a Rhino transmission with the slicks on,that's how much power it had!!

[BIGAMIST]

Gotta love the street races :D :D ,Carson,Compton,Pasadena,Chatsworth,Sylmar,San Fernando,Camarillo,Azusa,La Puente,Dallas TX & so on.Wish I had some pics of my bike that could be posted,but no luck on that one :( :( frown

[Craig]

Oh man, you guys had so many cool old cars out there. No one has any old polaroids you can scan :)
Craig

[h2oski2fast]

1964 Bug. Just your average daily driver, until Friday afternoon when I'd slide in the 2084cc and have a 12.3 second car. Great times! Then sunday slide the 1649cc Berg motor (which spun an astonishing 13,000 rpm, even though it only made power to 10,500) back in for the week. Made both motor look like more show than go.
2084cc
Okrasa crank
Carillo rods
Headflow Elite 600 heads, cleaned up by Clyde Berg
Dual Weber 48ida bored to 52mm
Not exactly sure what was in the trans. I bought it off my buddy cause he needed the cash. It's what made the car quick.

[Freak]

Yeah the 80's was my teenage and street race years. My 1st car was a silver/grabber blue 70 boss 302 stang. It was a nice but I needed some more cubes. So I found a black on black 70 GTO with the motor 400 RA3 in the trunk for $700 bucks in a driveway on a dead end street under a cover. I rebuilt the motor in high school auto shop. Comp Cam complete valve train, pocket port, 3a valve job, 750dp carb, headers, forged pistons, performer intake, ignition. 125 NOS plate system. 3500 stall with reverse man th400 trans. 4:11 posi. The body was straight it needed paint and the interior was history but lookin like that with stock steel wheels - it rumbled but that thing was a sleeper. I used to love to roll along at 5mph flash the stall and squeeze it. When I ran people I used to love to run beside them for a little while and watch their faces when I opened her up and drove away. Then I found a primer 69z28 with a 427 roller motor and drag 4 speed (aint nothing better than banging gears wide open)with 4:56 spool rear. Ever driven a car on the street with a spool? That is dangerous. The camaro was real fast but I the goat was more fun.
[ March 03, 2003, 10:44 AM: Message edited by: Freak ]

[Freak]

I had a friend that was into bugs. He had one that would lift the front wheels off the ground (he could get over a coke can) on the street. That thing was quick! off the start. It would run of of steam right about when my goat was gettin a full head of steam. Aaaahhh good times.

[Ed Arnold]

San Fernando Rd. just past Roxford by the prison. Saturday night was the place back in the late 70's earily 80's. Back then the cops use to watch! I had a '69 Camero, 396/375hp factory, M22 Rock Crusher 4-sp Munice trans, 4:11 posi. I made more gas money there than at work. I worked at Fox's Moble on the cornor of Van Nuys and Nordoff, all my friends would meet there and then we would cruise Van Nuys Blvd looking for girls or a race. Can't do that anymore, I guess that's why we all have boats now?

[Back To Havasu]

The year was 1966. The car was my maroon 66 Ram Air Tri Power 4spd. 4.33 geared GTO. 12.40 at 113.20 seemed very fast then at Lions. Current toy 1967 Nova SS L-79 327 4spd. 3.73 gears. Not fast by today's standards, but a kick to drive. Best of all, I built it with my son. :D

[roostwear]

Maybe the 909'ers remember (is it still going on?) cruisin "E" street uncorked with the slicks, looping around at the courthouse (how appropriate), looking for action. Even ran a sheriff one time.
Try that today and you're going away for awhile!

[boatnam2]

i had a 72 vega with a 355 small block that was jucied and street legal.a 72 nova with a 406 small block jucied that i gave to my little brother he still has it just built a 434 small block for it.and my last car was a 72 chevelle 468 tubbed,front halved,lots of juice 5500 stall and trans brake street legal i loved that car i wish i would of never sold it.the second time i blew the motor up in my american offshore i needed the cash to put it back together.raced it at super chevy a couple of times, won a few lost a few on the street.they still run them next to my work in carson late at night,pull them off the trailers make a pass and gone.

[Havasu Hangin']

Yeah...quite a few fast V8 Vegas and Pintos back in the days. Bugs were all over the place.
I remember a guy I knew that ran his windshield washer hoses in front of his rear tires on his bug. He'd just sit there at a light...pumping bleach in a puddle in front of his rear wheels...
77 Charger- I think it was a K-Mart back in the days...quite a few trailered cars there when I was there...
My little mini truck loved to overheat...nothing like owning a car that hated traffic.

[haulina29]

Obnoxious "Barry" is building a Vega wagon right now with a big inch rat with pro stock heads fabbed manifold with split Dominators all the shit tucked underneath it , should be a rocket !! Last I heard it was for the street .

[77charger]

Havasu Hangin':
Yeah...quite a few fast V8 Vegas and Pintos back in the days. Bugs were all over the place.
I remember a guy I knew that ran his windshield washer hoses in front of his rear tires on his bug. He'd just sit there at a light...pumping bleach in a puddle in front of his rear wheels...
77 Charger- I think it was a K-Mart back in the days...quite a few trailered cars there when I was there...
My little mini truck loved to overheat...nothing like owning a car that hated traffic. Jeff that was la mirada blvd rt?It is now a new shopping center.Anyhow remember seeing a baby blue 68 camaro that came in on a trailer being pulled by a red chevy was a pro street car on a small block(bb cubes though) ran low 8s His name was ed i remember he would run anything heads up.He use to like to race at santa fe and del amo.He ran another bike guy i knew back then ray (guy who never wore a helmet but just a beanie and a little guy too)Car toook out the lowered gsxr 1100

[ROZ]

h2oski2fast:
Not exactly sure what was in the trans. I bought it off my buddy cause he needed the cash. It's what made the car quick. My swing was close ratio(can't remeber gears), welded all the way up, super diff, 4.89's, and HD axles. I had a minor problem with spinning drum spines. I went to a 4.37's after that. Always wanted a berg 5 speed, but that car kept me(thanks mom and dad) broke as it was...lol

[Sandbar Junkies]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The year was 1966. The car was my maroon 66 Ram Air Tri Power 4spd. 4.33 geared GTO. 12.40 at 113.20 seemed very fast then at Lions. Current toy 1967 Nova SS L-79 327 4spd. 3.73 gears. Not fast by today's standards, but a kick to drive. Best of all, I built it with my son. I have a 67 nova post that I completely redid I back halfed the car and built a 406 small block,the motor made 648 on the dyno with a single dominator and 674 with a tunnel ram. The car weighs 3300lbs and ran 10.44 129mph on a street tire. I sold the cylinder heads to upgrade to some new 14degree Pro Action heads but got side tracked and bought a boat. I still have the car, but its more for me not the family and family comes first. I have lots of parts 400 & 406 forged piston some huge roller cams and alot of other cool parts that Im to lazy to try to sell. I will scan some pics of the car and moter and post them.

[Hal]

909 guys late 60s, Did you ever race on Martin Rd.?(Lake Perris is on top of it now) or in Corona on Archibald in dairy land and we even raced on Ontario Sreet when it was all orange groves at that end of town. Hard to believe that almost every thing from Ontario up to the hills used to be orange groves,even the north side of Ontario was groves. Had a 67 camaro with a stock class legal 350 in it. Used to race at Lions,Irwindale,Fontana and wednesday night at Orange county raceway (for tune ups and brackets) Friday nights were for street racing. Had the track record at Lions and Fontana for the class it ran in and set an AHRA world record at the 68 winter nationals at Lions @12.27 / 112.92 W/8" slicks. Ran good for my daily driver that I drove from Corona to Anahiem to work @ autonetics (Rockwell)every day.I think Lions closed down shortly after that because I switched to bracket racing and bought a 427 L88 425 HP crate motor(steel heads) and a M22 muncie in mid 68. (L88 $875.00 / M22 $275.00)I still have the receipts. Used to make money at Orange Co in the brackets on wednesday nights.I think the best I got it to run before I sold it was in the 11.20s/118. After I put the 427 in it I had a hard time getting street races for $$$ and it got boring so I sold it for what I paid for it 2 years earlier, $2800.00. I've been trying to find that car for the last couple of years but no luck so far. Sorry for rambling here but after reading this post for a couple of days it brought back a lot of the good old days memories. I used to get home from work friday, put my 4.56 gears in and switch back to 3.55s sunday night. Now it takes me two weeks of thinking about it just to replace the plugs in my boat :) Damn them were good times and I still love the competion. I hope I never grow up. :D Thanks for the memories..... Hal
[ March 04, 2003, 07:35 AM: Message edited by: Hal ]

[HighRoller]

Damn,you guys are makin me teary eyed with nostalgia!!I'll never forget a drug dealer guy in the valley who had a 67 Camaro with mini tubs and 10 inch rally wheels on the rear.Small block under the hood with a 3 stage NOS system.Of course we didn't know this when he called out a tubbed and caged 64 nova with a scoop and no headlights(i.e.a non street legal drag car)and a big block which was on a trailer.I actually got 20 bucks of side action on the nova because I knew it would be a slaughter and was happy until the guy in the Camaro purged his nitrous system(PSSSTTT PSSSTTT)and did a"dry hop"where he carried the front wheels for about 50 feet!!!I knew I was screwed and it did indeed turn out to be a slaughter.The Camaro carried the fronts for probably 75 feet and and left a big,long sideways pair of rubber marks halfway down the street as he was waxing the nova into oblivion.Turned out to be a 480 inch small block with 125,200 and 300hp of nitrous in three stages.Ran deep in the 9's at the track on street slicks through the mufflers!!!

[BIGAMIST]

HighRoller:
Damn,you guys are makin me teary eyed with nostalgia!!I'll never forget a drug dealer guy in the valley who had a 67 Camaro with mini tubs and 10 inch rally wheels on the rear.Small block under the hood with a 3 stage NOS system.Of course we didn't know this when he called out a tubbed and caged 64 nova with a scoop and no headlights(i.e.a non street legal drag car)and a big block which was on a trailer.I actually got 20 bucks of side action on the nova because I knew it would be a slaughter and was happy until the guy in the Camaro purged his nitrous system(PSSSTTT PSSSTTT)and did a"dry hop"where he carried the front wheels for about 50 feet!!!I knew I was screwed and it did indeed turn out to be a slaughter.The Camaro carried the fronts for probably 75 feet and and left a big,long sideways pair of rubber marks halfway down the street as he was waxing the nova into oblivion.Turned out to be a 480 inch small block with 125,200 and 300hp of nitrous in three stages.Ran deep in the 9's at the track on street slicks through the mufflers!!! Are you talking about the orange & white one or the black one?