PAPA Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Tommy You need to sit down some evening with a few cold ones and break out those albums and start scaning. Do you have any pics of the Hamilton Bros? John raced a bad little Pinto and his brother had a RD poered by a wicked little 2300.If it said FORD anywhere on it they could make it go FAST. John Hart was another Ford guy.Those three knew how to make power. I wish they would get on here and tell some stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubber Duck Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 What memories! Been a long time since I've seen some of those names. Thanks to my fellow "old guys" with the great memories and pictures. Now let's see who remembers these: Straight-liners: 1) Who was the D-Gas king in the early '60's out of Austin and what did he run? Hint: His nickname referenced a part of his anatomy. 2) Can you name the big-block muscle cars of 1962? Roundy Rounders: 1) In the 1967 rules at Pan-American (Topperwein) .. and maybe at Austin Speed-O-Rama, I don't remember .. there was a rule about the amount of time a driver could compete in the Hobby class. What was the rule? 2) Who built the first truck arm race car in central Texas? When & what make of car was it? (Neal, I'm pretty sure you know this one .. give the others a chance before you answer...) As soon as I can find my scanner under all the clutter and dig out the scrapbooks, I've got some pictures and clippings to post that might be of interest.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Rubber Duck: 1. August (Hands) Hardtkoff - 56 Chevy 2 dr. coupe (Don Garlits once called him the Master of the small block chevy. His chevy small blocks had a distinctive sound like no other.) August was Butch Lake's half brother. What street in Austin was his shop on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Duck The 62 Impalas and Belairs with the big bad 409's are a couple. And I think the Ford Fairlanes had the 427 under the hood in 62. Get that scanner warmed up and show us what ya got! I cant wait. If you know of anyone elsr who might have some "OLD STUFF" please ask them to share with us. Thanx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Rubber Duck, Papa, In '62, Ford Galaxies had 406's. I think Mopar's were still 383 wedges in '62. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 No fare looking this up now, gotta be from memory: What was the name of the driver, car#, make, motor, and team name that kicked everyone's butt in NASCAR in 1963? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 I just have to look it up!!!!!!but I wont post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Just had to give you this hint! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Duck......... Your other questions: (and I'll have to guess) 1. 3 years 2. Lambert Raatz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 PONTIAC WITH A 421, FORD WITH A 406, CHEVY WITH A 409 AND A 366, CHRYSLER 383 IS A BIG BLOCK I BELIEVE, AND IN NASCAR I THINK THAT WAS EITHER LORENZEN OR NED JARRETT, MAYBE JUNIOR JOHNSON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 I guess its plain from the pic I posted above. When I think about that period, Fred Lorenzen comes to mind for some of his dominating performances in that white #28 Holman-Moody '63 Ford Galaxy 500 with the 427 motor. Visited with Rodlea and his brother at THR last night. They actually HAVE one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodlea Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Budman, you're right - Fred Lorenzen was driving #28 1963-1/2 Ford fastback 427 sponsored by Lafayette Ford, Fayetteville NC. He actually finished 3rd in NASCAR grand national points race in 1963. Joe Weatherly won the championship that year. Did you know it's 1963-1/2 because they came out mid year with the fastback for aerodynamics so they'd be competitive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Yep, Made it better lookin too. The next year .......... 64 1/2 .............. they came out in mid-year with a fancy lookin' Falcon and called it a Mustang. Who'd of thought? Huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted June 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Rodlea, That pic I posted of that Galaxie I took at an auto auction in Austin in about 86 or 87. I think the name of the owner was Waymon Tisdale or Teasdale or something like that. Apparently he collected quite a number of muscle cars. Apparently bought them new and just stored them. Sounds kind of nutty. Anyway, he decided eventually to sell off a bunch of them at auction. You ever heard of this guy, or know anything about him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Waymon tisdale?? Played power forward for the Oklahoma Sooners in the mid to late 80's. Guess that's not him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 My recollection of the Hobby Stock time limit is that it was just two years, but three might be correct. I don't believe there was all that much difference in the cars. Hobbies had a two barrel carb, narrow tires, and possibly stock exhaust manifolds. It's hard to believe now that back then there were only two classes, even the mini's were not on the scene yet. I have seen at least one track run seven classes a night recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubber Duck Posted June 23, 2005 Report Share Posted June 23, 2005 WOW! You guys do know your stuff .. mostly. Straight Liners: 1) Bic Block Muscle Cars of 1962: Chevy Impala 409 pretty much dominated (along with it's small block brother the Chevy Impala 327), but Ford Galaxy 406 and the Pontiac Bonneville 421 were close behind. Chrysler 383 was an also ran. The hemi's were around, but everybody was making dragsters out of them... 2) August Bangtkroft (sp?), aka Hands, was a legend. Watched him maneuver those monstors around his 4BBL's changing jets and couldn't believe it. He used to carry 1 pound bean bags in his tow truck to add weight to his race car after each run to make up for the fuel and rubber he lost. Saw him pick up a pair of 8 inch slicks across the tread, one in each hand like palming basketbals, and lift them out of the tow truck. Amazing man, mild mannered unless he thought he was being cheated... Don't know where his shop was .. only saw him at the drags. Roundy Rounders: 1) I'm pretty sure 3 years was the life of a Hobby Stock driver back then (I'll check an old copy of the rules I have to make sure .. if I can find it) .. afterwards he had to move up to Super Stocks or park it. The idea was to have a beginner's class so they could "grow" racers into the bigger class. Now days, seems there's guys out there making a career out of Hobby Stock. There was also a "window" on the age of the car you could run .. Super Stockers were most affected. 2) Well, nobody came up with the answer I was looking for on the first truck arm car in central Texas, so let me give you a hint: The first truck arm race car in central Texas (that I know of) was built in San Antonio by a local racer during the spring of 1971. He decided to build it after a trip to Daytona Speed Weeks and New Symerna Speedway that February for the upcoming 1971 season at the Austin and San Antonio tracks. And that car was very successful that season. (OK, Neal, you can jump in if you want... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
302cominthru Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 PAPA, I kinda place Stanley in this car about 1972 or so. I think he left this car to drive Howard Reithmeyer's blue # 49. Bradley R. may pop on here and fill in some details about his grandfather's car, or what Stanley is doing now. The picture is Pan American. The car belonged to Frank Ferris of Austin, and I think Bill White of Temple drove it a year or two, then Calvin Gustafson. Ferris had a camaro when Gustafson drove it. Seems like Calvin flagged at Austin Speedorama a couple years in the late 70's or early 80's. Ferris had a frame alignment shop, and the last car I remember him running was the MRE car driven about '83 by Leroy Brooks. Brooks flipped it at Speedorama (Longhorn), and that was his last race. By the way, I think that Bean car you posted the pic of was built and/or crewed by the same Harry Kinsey that is a USRA official today. Tom - Brooks also drove this particular car - only as a necessity. I seem to recall that when Leroy's ride was down, he was allowed to drive the 19 car to keep his points comin' in fro the driver standings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 actually Frank always liked leroy and he drove the car because he wanted to. If my memory is working this morning Leroy drove for Frank several times and the MRE car from more than a season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 Both of them were great guys, and Leroy drove for Frank a few years. I have a vivid recollection of Leroy leading the 1982 Austin Aquafest in Frank's car. This one had the same regal body as the MRE car. He was out there just riding when the Butch Lake engine crapped on itself. Remember me talking about losing a Lake engine in 1982 in Mac's Chevelle with Grant in it? We lost that engine about an hour before Leroy and Frank lost theirs. Grant was way our on everyone else, with 6 laps to go. That engine split open like you dropped a watermelon off a roof. You could see the inside of every cylinder on the left bank of the motor from outside the wheel well. Don't know why we could'nt find Lake after the second engine let go. You may be right, the MRE car may have gone the 83 season and got torn up in 84. I remember it was early in the year, though. I only saw a few races those two years due to work. Do you remember Frank having an automatic transmission in the car in 82? A few guys, Charlie Koen was another, tried them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 I am not sure but I do know that he had a great dislike for automatics to the point that he changed his box van and made it into a standard. I have what was left of his racing transmissions and all are three speed standards. I asked him once if I should keep the powerglide I had and run it in my car, He said only if I wanted to have to catch up to the field because those three speeds would just leave me in the mud just trying to spin the motor up to get going. my grandpa Woodall felt the same way about automatics too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txtom Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 There was a thinking going around about performance of an automatic without a torque converter versus a regular 3/4 speed standard. I don't know the particulars of what they do to the autos; and if I remember correctly, Joe Sturdivant built the auto at his shop in Waco. Worked good, after Leroy got used to using a ball-valve lever as the clutch, but it also cost Frank dearly. Leroy was gonna be late one night in 81 or 82, and Alvin Powell took the car out to hot-lap it. (I think that was his name, worked for Frank, and drove a car himself some.) Alvin spun it into the infield off two, and while it looked harmless, what he did not know is he dislodged the shrapnel blanket. The autos had to have a blanket around them. A metallic part of the blanket got caught up rubbing the driveshaft. It cut deep enough that, off two again, the driveshaft split where the rub was, and the remaining piece in the back of the tranny whipped around hard enough to shatter the tranny housing, and also broke off mounting bosses on the back of the engine block. It also tore up interior sheetmetal in the tunnel. We took everything out at Mac's, and could not put the engine on a stand. Frank took some time off after that one. ($$$$$) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 The imca cars can use a powerglide that is hooked directly to the back of the motor not using a torque converter. They then use a value or clutch pedal to act as the clutch. much like you were talking about. they call them clutchless transmissions. it is all done using a special POWERGLIDE CLUTCHLESS PEDAL VALVE BODY. That story could also explain why Frank said that he really disliked automatic transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
302cominthru Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Nathan - I don't know if you recall this, but there was a time when Leroy Brooks had broken his ankle. Somehow, he fell off of a vehicle that was being towed at a race track (possibly Hwy 16), and the vehicle drove over his ankle breaking it. The neext weekend, he shows up at Hwy 16 (this is when he drove the black and silver Nova with red numbers) with an automatic transmission. I think he finished third in his heat race and 5th in the feature. After the race, my father was inquiring about that night's event and Leroy said if it wern't for the automatic transmission, he would have done better. As a young adult, I can remember him hobbling around on cruches.....he was phenominal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted May 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 This post is to bump this thread back to the top of the section. Please read the "edited in" paragraph at the top of the first post of this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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