[X-TECH MAN]

Chad I will attempt to answer you question in a short story. Maybe some of the older guys could help in case I get some of this wrong. Putting all of the current stockers at that time into S/S also affected my '69 Corvette H/S (todays F/S) stick combo (a real parts breaker with 10 inch tires and OEM rear parts) even thouigh the year was newer than 1960. It started with NHRA coming out with a 15 year (or newer) rule as the replacement parts situation was getting out of hand for the older cars and as you said they wanted newer cars in the eliminator. A year or 2 earlier they took the 4-speeds away from the 57 chevys and before that the old hydros were outlawed for P/Glides.The out cry was heavy and that 15 year rule was dropped. They were also having a hard time finding tech people who knew how to check a cam overlap and duration plus checking the valve springs so all of us were thrown into S/S. WALA.....any cam was allowed and any tire that would fit the STOCK fenderwells that made a car with a weak rear a parts breaker). They also were tired of trimming the slicks down to 7 inches due to tire growth as the 9 inch tire was not allowed back in those days. At the same time they brought out a "PURE" stock catagory that had to run OEM exhaust manifolds OEM cams (not rate of lift or blueprinted) and DOT tires (not the dot slicks of today). These PURE stockers became stock as we have it today. Along came 1985 and the cam and valve spring rule was changed again to what is is today for the stockers.If that 15 year rule had stayed then the oldest car in stock today would be a 1994 version. Im sure I missed a lot of what went on in this response but some other people on here can tell thier stories. By the way....IHRA STILL allows the older cars in stock and pure stock. If its in thier class guide and they have engine specs you can run it.