crankshaft height
08-23-2007, 11:19 PM
#22
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RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: La.
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I am one who can certianly remember all those days/things. I can remember when Cris the greek ran the first unoffical 200MPH at Oswego drag strip, he was running Hydozine and totally illegal.
i believe the first concrete continenal tire (mounted in the trunk lid)that i ever saw was on Goerge Montgomerys' 34 willy's with a blown cattilac motor and that was in 1958 at US 30 drag strip in Ind. I knew Austin coil when he was running out of Mr Norms dealership Forconis,Memic and Coil, who converted most of the Dodge hemis for Crysler. I built my first blow car in 1964 with the parts purcheased from Kenny Herraita (Lowel Ind.) aka Herraita & Hobbs (spelled wrong i'm sure), I also remember sneaky Pete Robison who would spot the Hemi's a car length and still out run them with a s/blk chevy, But i also remember some bad times, like when my friend Chuck Suba, driving the checkmate dragster hit the barrel covering the finish line lights at Rockford drag strip killing him instantly. Days gone by were great and i'm glad to have been there, but i'm also glad that we now have much better cars and the safty is 1000 times better than those days.
Zip.
i believe the first concrete continenal tire (mounted in the trunk lid)that i ever saw was on Goerge Montgomerys' 34 willy's with a blown cattilac motor and that was in 1958 at US 30 drag strip in Ind. I knew Austin coil when he was running out of Mr Norms dealership Forconis,Memic and Coil, who converted most of the Dodge hemis for Crysler. I built my first blow car in 1964 with the parts purcheased from Kenny Herraita (Lowel Ind.) aka Herraita & Hobbs (spelled wrong i'm sure), I also remember sneaky Pete Robison who would spot the Hemi's a car length and still out run them with a s/blk chevy, But i also remember some bad times, like when my friend Chuck Suba, driving the checkmate dragster hit the barrel covering the finish line lights at Rockford drag strip killing him instantly. Days gone by were great and i'm glad to have been there, but i'm also glad that we now have much better cars and the safty is 1000 times better than those days.
Zip.
08-24-2007, 05:16 AM
#23
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CRAFTSMAN
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Orlando
Posts: 58
I had just started work, in '57, at Chrysler Central Engineering in Highland Park and stopped to get gas a few blocks from work. As the fellow came out to serve me (no self service then), I noticed the owner's name above the doorway of the station. I told the guy that a fellow by that name drove a AA/FD. Turns out that Setto Postoian was the fellow pumping gas into my car.
In the years to come, I noticed the pickup from that gas station inside the gates of Central Engineering more than a few times. At that time, Chrysler sold the engines after dyno testing and I imagine that's how Setto picked up some hemis for his dragster. (GM's policy was to destroy all dyno tested engines.)
In the years to come, I noticed the pickup from that gas station inside the gates of Central Engineering more than a few times. At that time, Chrysler sold the engines after dyno testing and I imagine that's how Setto picked up some hemis for his dragster. (GM's policy was to destroy all dyno tested engines.)
08-24-2007, 03:08 PM
#24
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JUNIOR BUILDER
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 96
I seen that Arnie the Farmer Beswick was racing at Cordova IL.Tomorrow Sat. Wonder if the old guy still backs to the staging light before the smoke clears. Nostalgia funny cars I think. Austin was a lot skinnier them days. lol wheren't we all.
Zippy, did you ever run the Street or Comp eliminator shows at Byron or Cordova IL.?
Zippy, did you ever run the Street or Comp eliminator shows at Byron or Cordova IL.?
08-24-2007, 06:53 PM
#25
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: La.
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Zippy, did you ever run the Street or Comp eliminator shows at Byron or Cordova IL.?[/quote]
Absolutely i did, i ran Rockford lots of times. My car was a 56 t'bird with a blown 365 cu in s/blk chevy called bird of paradise. I ran it from 1965/1968 at Rockford, Union Grove and Oswego it ran A/Modified sports and B/gas. I was friends of Palmer Laserus and his 1941 willys. I used to get my tires from the Gusler Top fuel team after they had put a few passes on them. I remeber most of the old time racers, including beswick when he was running the Pontiac, the 34 ford coupe called little screamer, etc. In those days the top fuel and alterds use to push start down from the top end to the start line. My car wasn't fast by todays standards, but it ran 10.30's at 140mph, which was fast in those days
Zip.
Absolutely i did, i ran Rockford lots of times. My car was a 56 t'bird with a blown 365 cu in s/blk chevy called bird of paradise. I ran it from 1965/1968 at Rockford, Union Grove and Oswego it ran A/Modified sports and B/gas. I was friends of Palmer Laserus and his 1941 willys. I used to get my tires from the Gusler Top fuel team after they had put a few passes on them. I remeber most of the old time racers, including beswick when he was running the Pontiac, the 34 ford coupe called little screamer, etc. In those days the top fuel and alterds use to push start down from the top end to the start line. My car wasn't fast by todays standards, but it ran 10.30's at 140mph, which was fast in those days
Zip.
08-25-2007, 06:17 AM
#26
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CRAFTSMAN
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Orlando
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I remember a couple of things from watching Arnie run at Cordova.
Most of us had yet to learn how to gear a car for the quarter, but we got an idea of what worked as we watched Arnie in his Dodge D-501. He'd be wound out in first almost within spitting distance!
And, in match races there at his home strip (I think he's part owner), he had a distinct advangage as it appeared the flagman raised his flag as Arnie left. Or, maybe he was just good at anticipating.
Also, there was a crippled fella who would bring a very fast Pontiac from the Chicago area. Don't know his name or whatever happened to him. Anybody?
Most of us had yet to learn how to gear a car for the quarter, but we got an idea of what worked as we watched Arnie in his Dodge D-501. He'd be wound out in first almost within spitting distance!
And, in match races there at his home strip (I think he's part owner), he had a distinct advangage as it appeared the flagman raised his flag as Arnie left. Or, maybe he was just good at anticipating.
Also, there was a crippled fella who would bring a very fast Pontiac from the Chicago area. Don't know his name or whatever happened to him. Anybody?
08-25-2007, 10:07 AM
#27
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 96
I always though Bob Bartell owned Cordova. He was a retired Policeman from Moline IL. The drag strip was started with donations to get the kids off the street racing. If you payed attention, the flagman always moved his right foot before he pulled the flag. Shhhhhhhhhhhh, The tree kinda ruined that home field advantage. They say Cordova is the oldest continual running strip in the country, and the World series of Dragracing was one of the big events of the year.
08-25-2007, 07:13 PM
#28
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Thought I might clear up what I meant by a "Dodge D-501" as it's an interesting bit of dragracing trivia. This might have been the first factory car designed strictly for stock class dragracing, as I am pretty sure it wasn't NASCAR legal (though I might be mistaken).
It was a '56 Dodge 2 door business coupe with the Chrysler 354 hemi. (I just did a bit of googling and discovered that a few '57 D-501's were built with the 392 dual quad engine, including a convertible with a heater and automatic for some Chrysler exec. Also, it appears I was probably wrong with regard to my NASCAR comment above.)
It was a '56 Dodge 2 door business coupe with the Chrysler 354 hemi. (I just did a bit of googling and discovered that a few '57 D-501's were built with the 392 dual quad engine, including a convertible with a heater and automatic for some Chrysler exec. Also, it appears I was probably wrong with regard to my NASCAR comment above.)
08-26-2007, 12:48 AM
#29
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RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Hey Billie,
since you were in the Chgo area in the late 50's and 60's do you remember a guy by the name of Al Mc Kenzie, he ran 2 1953 blown Catillac's and trying desperately trying to get into the 11's, he eventaully ran low 11's with one of the cars. I grew up a couple blks from him and worked at a gas station in my teens. He bought his parts from Geo Montgomery. That's really how i got into racing super charged cars. The gas station i worked at was owned by Mit's and Tod Uno, also top fuel racers on the N. side by Lincoln park, they were also cousins the Kenny Herriata.
Long story short, that's when Hydro Bob first came up with the stall converter on the earlier Hydro 4 sp from Olds and that was my first trans in my t'bird, it had about 3,000 stall and probably slipped atleast 20% on top end.
I never ventured down to Cardova/Coal city, but i think Dennis is right it's one of the oldest track in operation.
I think you are right about Chryser giving out engines, and i think the Speed Sport roadster, which was ran out of Speed Sport on the south side was also getting some of those hemi's.
Man i'm glad i only have old times desease and still have my mermories.
I remember the cripple guy in the pontiac but for the life of me i can't remember his name, but he did play hell with the 409 chevies.
Zip.
since you were in the Chgo area in the late 50's and 60's do you remember a guy by the name of Al Mc Kenzie, he ran 2 1953 blown Catillac's and trying desperately trying to get into the 11's, he eventaully ran low 11's with one of the cars. I grew up a couple blks from him and worked at a gas station in my teens. He bought his parts from Geo Montgomery. That's really how i got into racing super charged cars. The gas station i worked at was owned by Mit's and Tod Uno, also top fuel racers on the N. side by Lincoln park, they were also cousins the Kenny Herriata.
Long story short, that's when Hydro Bob first came up with the stall converter on the earlier Hydro 4 sp from Olds and that was my first trans in my t'bird, it had about 3,000 stall and probably slipped atleast 20% on top end.
I never ventured down to Cardova/Coal city, but i think Dennis is right it's one of the oldest track in operation.
I think you are right about Chryser giving out engines, and i think the Speed Sport roadster, which was ran out of Speed Sport on the south side was also getting some of those hemi's.
Man i'm glad i only have old times desease and still have my mermories.
I remember the cripple guy in the pontiac but for the life of me i can't remember his name, but he did play hell with the 409 chevies.
Zip.
08-26-2007, 03:48 AM
#30
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Orlando
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Can't help you with the Chicago memories. Before I moved to the Detroit area, I stayed pretty much west of Cordova.
The first hydros had a fluid coupling, not a converter, but the slip principles remain the same. (In the industry, they lump them together as "hydrodynamic drives.")
Glad you remembered the fellow in the Pontiac. I was just curious.
The first hydros had a fluid coupling, not a converter, but the slip principles remain the same. (In the industry, they lump them together as "hydrodynamic drives.")
Glad you remembered the fellow in the Pontiac. I was just curious.