Coolest or Oddest Combo.....

Kevin Love · 01-29-2009, 12:34 PM

I raced a 60 Chevy in SS/X in 1973 and the key was to take the plug out of the
back of the carb.Wouldn't idle at all but sure picked up the car ! The next year
NHRA came out with clarification that all vacuum lines and plugs must be tight.

I was wondering if Jim Kronenbitter is still around?He was a good guy and used to
live in Zanesville,Ohio. Does anyone know if Pat Kronenbitter of PK Racecars is related?

mtkawboy · 01-29-2009, 02:12 PM

When I raced jr. stock with my 59 Chevy P/S car Bob Dwyer had studs holding the carb down with 1 inch springs and a nut on top of his 54 Studebaker "Crockagator". Told me it kept the fuel from foaming. What it did was bind the linkage and pick up the front of the carb slightly for a huge vacuum leak. Took me a while to figure it out.

danny waters sr · 01-29-2009, 02:24 PM

Sure do wish someone could dig up some pictures of some of these odd-ball combos. A guy back home used to run a opel cadet stick in stock. Thinking it was R or T ,showroom stock. At least that is what i remember it being called . KDS made a showroom stock class so some of the guys could come off the street with their family cars and compete without getting too embarrassed. My dad ran our family 61 olds 88 convertible . I guss that is were i got this bad sickness.lol

bill dedman · 01-29-2009, 02:39 PM

Kevin Love asked, "I was wondering if Jim Kronenbitter is still around?"

Kevin, I don't know about Jim, but I seem to remember that he was a member of a group of Chevy Stock Eliminator racers from Ohio called the "Chevairs." I guess there must have been at least one Corvair in the group, with a name like that... lol!

Those guys (at least, the ones I read about in National Dragster back then... this was in the late 1960s) mostly ran 2bbl 283 4-speed cars, and included (I THINK), Kronenbitter, Jon Callender, Phil Chisolm and Dave Boertman. A formidable crew, to say the least!!! I'm sure there were other succesful racers in that group, but those are the ones whose names I remember reading most often in the Class Winners columns. Their 2bbl cars all ran like 4bbls... LOL!

Maybe some old Ohio racers on here might remember Jim Kronenbitter and know if he's still around.

Bill

John Mason · 01-29-2009, 03:21 PM

In the late 60's I remember running against a T/S Volvo in Jersey. I believe it was called "Tom Thumb". I don't remember the driver/owner or anything else. It seems it wasn't around long.

mtkawboy · 01-29-2009, 04:49 PM

At Miami Dragway in the mid 60s there was a 3 cylinder 2 stroke late 50s or early 60s Saab that they let run jr stock. We finally nailed him running a Gran Prix optional 3 carbs in a class claiming the 1 carb HP. Do not ask how or why they let it run, I have no clue. You guys are going to have to work to top that for oddest combo

Wade_Owens · 01-29-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtkawboy

At Miami Dragway in the mid 60s there was a 3 cylinder 2 stroke late 50s or early 60s Saab that they let run jr stock. We finally nailed him running a Gran Prix optional 3 carbs in a class claiming the 1 carb HP. Do not ask how or why they let it run, I have no clue. You guys are going to have to work to top that for oddest combo

I agree! That will be tough to beat........

Wade O

Bill Rolik · 01-31-2009, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Mason

In the late 60's I remember running against a T/S Volvo in Jersey. I believe it was called "Tom Thumb". I don't remember the driver/owner or anything else. It seems it wasn't around long.

John,

By any chance, is this your H/SA Catalina? I shot this at Island a couple of years before I started racing myself. The name on the quarter panel is "Tomahawk".

Bill Rolik

SS 1514

Angelo DiTocco · 01-31-2009, 09:48 AM

How about Charlie Graf's GT/A Cavalier w/ 350.... one of, if not the 1st front wheel drive conversion cars when rules first allowed it in the late 80's.

In the early 90's (maybe 1991) before I got into SS..... we went to the points meet and Englishtown (it used to be in May) to watch and that was the 1st time I saw a FWD conversion.

I had always been a fan of the big block GT/A cars.... like the Monte Carlos of Frank Brenneiser and Hoffman, and the GT/A Camaro's of Jim Bodreau, Don Ciccarone, & Sherwood Allen, Colbert (and I'm sure others I cant recall everyone right now). And I used to like to watch them go at it,

But that 1st time I saw that car, it was sitting on a trailer and the view was from the rear....... The rear was so narrow, and the tires so big..... I just remember thinking and commenting that it it looked like a "steam-roller".... and it ran really good too!

I have a VHS video from that day, I wish I could post it.... a lot of those guys (named above) are on the tape. If I remember correctly.... the GTA cars were running in the mid 9.70's.

Maybe someone could post of pic of that Cavalier

Bill Rolik · 01-31-2009, 10:06 AM

Angelo,

Yes, Charlie's Cavalier was one of the first GT cars built. Jimmy Morgan of course did most of the driving.

Jimmy has moved to SC. The Cavalier is "out there" somewhere.

Charlie lives very close to me, and since I have a piece of business to visit with him about in the next couple of weeks anyway, I will ask if he has shots of the Cavalier.

Bill Rolik

SS 1514

01-29-2009, 12:34 PM	#1
Kevin Love Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: canada Posts: 113 Likes: 5 Liked 19 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... I raced a 60 Chevy in SS/X in 1973 and the key was to take the plug out of the back of the carb.Wouldn't idle at all but sure picked up the car ! The next year NHRA came out with clarification that all vacuum lines and plugs must be tight. I was wondering if Jim Kronenbitter is still around?He was a good guy and used to live in Zanesville,Ohio. Does anyone know if Pat Kronenbitter of PK Racecars is related? __________________ Kevin Love 5666 STK/SS

01-29-2009, 02:12 PM	#2
mtkawboy Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Billings Mt Posts: 281 Likes: 183 Liked 54 Times in 18 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... When I raced jr. stock with my 59 Chevy P/S car Bob Dwyer had studs holding the carb down with 1 inch springs and a nut on top of his 54 Studebaker "Crockagator". Told me it kept the fuel from foaming. What it did was bind the linkage and pick up the front of the carb slightly for a huge vacuum leak. Took me a while to figure it out.

01-29-2009, 02:24 PM	#3
danny waters sr VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: lagrange,nc Posts: 2,224 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... Sure do wish someone could dig up some pictures of some of these odd-ball combos. A guy back home used to run a opel cadet stick in stock. Thinking it was R or T ,showroom stock. At least that is what i remember it being called . KDS made a showroom stock class so some of the guys could come off the street with their family cars and compete without getting too embarrassed. My dad ran our family 61 olds 88 convertible . I guss that is were i got this bad sickness.lol __________________ Danny Waters, Sr / 73 Duster "340"

01-29-2009, 02:39 PM	#4
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... Kevin Love asked, "I was wondering if Jim Kronenbitter is still around?" Kevin, I don't know about Jim, but I seem to remember that he was a member of a group of Chevy Stock Eliminator racers from Ohio called the "Chevairs." I guess there must have been at least one Corvair in the group, with a name like that... lol! Those guys (at least, the ones I read about in National Dragster back then... this was in the late 1960s) mostly ran 2bbl 283 4-speed cars, and included (I THINK), Kronenbitter, Jon Callender, Phil Chisolm and Dave Boertman. A formidable crew, to say the least!!! I'm sure there were other succesful racers in that group, but those are the ones whose names I remember reading most often in the Class Winners columns. Their 2bbl cars all ran like 4bbls... LOL! Maybe some old Ohio racers on here might remember Jim Kronenbitter and know if he's still around. Bill __________________ Bill Last edited by bill dedman; 01-29-2009 at 02:42 PM.

01-29-2009, 03:21 PM	#5
John Mason Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 147 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... In the late 60's I remember running against a T/S Volvo in Jersey. I believe it was called "Tom Thumb". I don't remember the driver/owner or anything else. It seems it wasn't around long. __________________ John Mason 7743 SS

01-29-2009, 04:49 PM	#6
mtkawboy Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Billings Mt Posts: 281 Likes: 183 Liked 54 Times in 18 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... At Miami Dragway in the mid 60s there was a 3 cylinder 2 stroke late 50s or early 60s Saab that they let run jr stock. We finally nailed him running a Gran Prix optional 3 carbs in a class claiming the 1 carb HP. Do not ask how or why they let it run, I have no clue. You guys are going to have to work to top that for oddest combo

01-31-2009, 09:48 AM	#9
Angelo DiTocco Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: NY, NY Posts: 750 Likes: 175 Liked 189 Times in 48 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... How about Charlie Graf's GT/A Cavalier w/ 350.... one of, if not the 1st front wheel drive conversion cars when rules first allowed it in the late 80's. In the early 90's (maybe 1991) before I got into SS..... we went to the points meet and Englishtown (it used to be in May) to watch and that was the 1st time I saw a FWD conversion. I had always been a fan of the big block GT/A cars.... like the Monte Carlos of Frank Brenneiser and Hoffman, and the GT/A Camaro's of Jim Bodreau, Don Ciccarone, & Sherwood Allen, Colbert (and I'm sure others I cant recall everyone right now). And I used to like to watch them go at it, But that 1st time I saw that car, it was sitting on a trailer and the view was from the rear....... The rear was so narrow, and the tires so big..... I just remember thinking and commenting that it it looked like a "steam-roller".... and it ran really good too! I have a VHS video from that day, I wish I could post it.... a lot of those guys (named above) are on the tape. If I remember correctly.... the GTA cars were running in the mid 9.70's. Maybe someone could post of pic of that Cavalier __________________ Angelo DiTocco '98 Firebird SS/HA '98 Firebird B/SA

01-31-2009, 10:06 AM	#10
Bill Rolik Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Hasbrouck Heights, NJ Posts: 122 Likes: 1 Liked 47 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Coolest or Oddest Combo..... Angelo, Yes, Charlie's Cavalier was one of the first GT cars built. Jimmy Morgan of course did most of the driving. Jimmy has moved to SC. The Cavalier is "out there" somewhere. Charlie lives very close to me, and since I have a piece of business to visit with him about in the next couple of weeks anyway, I will ask if he has shots of the Cavalier. Bill Rolik SS 1514 Last edited by Bill Rolik; 01-31-2009 at 10:19 AM.

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