CLASS RACER FORUM - Indy 62 Pics

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Re: Indy 62 Pics

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadBanana (Post 280132)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o...2525201963.jpg
Picture of my Z-11 at Niagara Dragway Spring 1963.

The surprising thing to me is the dealership is still in business. Located on Transit Road.

Re: Indy 62 Pics

No, the mystery motor of '63 was the one they ran at the Daytona 500 that year, driven by Junior Johnson, John Rutherford, Rex White and Ned Jarret. GM was about to get out of racing so each of them took a turn at leading the race before sliding back in the field. GM was being hassled, at the time, by anti-trust actions and racing was drawing too much attention to them. It was what they called the "porcupine" head and was the prototype for the 427 Big Block, which later was introduced first as a 396.

The Z-11 motor was a stroked 409 ( stroked to 427"), with new heads, a two piece dual quad manifold, different cam and lots of aluminum body parts - only available in an SS Impala.

and yes Tony, Glen Campbell is alive and well as a thriving Chevrolet dealership on Transit Rd., in Williamsville, NY
. I thought you were a CA boy - how did you know that???

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel (Post 280142)

Wow Dave.....Don't you wish you still had that car! "Mystery Motor" I think they were called.......I was never clear on what one of those had for an engine.....Was it a 396/427 type engine? The 348/409 design was really not very good ....

You're right Rich the 348/409 type was not a great motor - at least for NASCAR. It seemed to be OK for drag racing..
Many years later, when making as much compression ratio as possible became important in modified motors, Ralph was convinced that a 409 type (maybe destroked), might make a terriffic piece because of the flat head design and the combution chamber being in the cylinder. As far as I know it was never tried.

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadBanana (Post 280195)

From 1950 to Aug 1953 I lived in the north part of Niagara Falls New York. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio.I left the greater Cleveland area when i was twenty one.

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Oh OK, Tony - I never realized that. Back then, Glen Campbell's was on Main Street in Williamsville, near where the Thruway now crosses rte. 5 (Main St.). In High School ('59) the back of their lot was our favorite place to pick up our girlfriends, and park. First we would buy a Quart of Miller High Life and some Marlboros (about $.25 then),. Sunoco 260 was about $.26, so $3 worth of gas would take us for a lot of cruising - even with 2 4barrels !!! Dunkirk Airport Dragstrip was the only local race track. I remember when Don Garlits showed up. They had no finish line lights, so there was a guy standing at the finish line on each side of the track and the one that was on the winning side would wave his flag if that side was the winner.

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadBanana (Post 280132)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o...2525201963.jpg

Picture of my Z-11 at Niagara Dragway Spring 1963.

Hey BadBanana, some great stories there...I also see the A/FX class on the side of the window, was the Impala a stick or an automatic car...I guess you don't know what ever happened to your old car do you, is it long gone or did someone save it.

.

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Ex Beswick car. It still exists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose (Post 279896)

Okay then how about this one, anyone here remember this Pontiac Catalina.
http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/39...600x600Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb58.webshots.com/44...600x600Q85.jpg

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadBanana (Post 279588)

At the '62 Nationals the 409s, 413s and 406 (Fords - was it 406s or 390s with 401 hp, at that time?) and Big Pontiacs (389 tri-power???) ran in Super Super /Stock (SS/S). While the 413 (Ramchargers, Golden Commandos, Flying Dutchman, etc. ) might have been faster, the 409s took SS/S and Top Stock Eliminator as well as B/FX (in a '62 BelAir) version of the '63 Z-11) Hayden Proffitt, Dave Strickler, Dyno Don and Butch Leal were the fast 409s. I was also there with mine but was a young kid and way out to lunch at that time. If my memory serves me, I believe Hayden won SS/S with a 12.82; Dave Strickler won Top Stock and Dyno Don won B/FX - but don't hold me to it.
The Super Stockers; Gas Coupe and Sedans; and Top Fuelers were about equal in fan appeal at that time. There were no Funny Cars yet. The normally aspirated Gassers all ran Isky 505 Magnum cams ( I believe that was for .505 valve lift). Then Isky introduced the 555Magnum.
The Top Fuelers were, of course all front engined and the slicks were only about 11" wide and burned (smoked) almost the entire 1/4 mile. At that time, the "Engineers" predicted the Fuelers would never exceed 175 MPH because of the maximum possible tire to ashphalt coefficient of friction - but then " what do engineers know?" Flag starts, of course......... there was a way to trick most flagmen into lifting the flag but not the good ones !!!
The real reason the 409s beat the 413s (even though I am a Chevy man) was because they decided to run SS/S round-robin. Once the Class runoffs started they kept coming back to the line until it was over and noone was allowed to open their hood. The 413s were affected more than the 409s. "And THAT'S the rest of the story" !!!

I'm thinking those "engineers" must've been living in the backwoods far away from civilization, and certainly any race tracks in '62, because the Greek had already posted his controversial 200mph run in'60,, and Kalitta and Garlits also had such runs by then, which they even talked about a couple weeks back during the US Nationals coverage that was on ESPN2. By '62 I believe, 180 was commanplace among the top runners around the country. Good thread by the way, fellas.
Danny Durham

Re: Indy 62 Pics

Im pretty sure the Larry Johnson Super Duty car is restored,and sitting in the Pontiac Oakland Museumn in my home town of Pontiac,il.It is not a altered wheel base car anymore.