Why did you build your "slow" stock eliminator car?

[RonTheAnnouncer]

Again, I want to say I'm not trying to be negative here. I was wondering what makes someone build a 273/2bbl Belvedere wagon when most go the 350/4bbl Camaro route. As far as 12.89 being fast, it would be for me. I've taken over 50 different vehicles down the track in 28 years of racing, none "faster" than 14.63.

[joe huestis]

Tried running SS in the early 70's. Blew an engine and discovered I could not afford it. Sold the SS less motor and trans purchased my 69 Camaro which after driving it on the road for 6 months turned it into a stocker in '74. My high school sweetheart and I married in '77 and began our family in '78. Have raced a slow stocker ever since and now with all 5 of my children grown and with college degrees have " moved up" to K and L stock. Ran brackets and T through V stock while raising my family due to affordability from '82 to '07.
Could not break this addiction all those years and never felt I was driving a slow stocker. Still enjoyed the ride !

[Mark Yacavone]

Enough said...

[Marty Knox]

I built my first slow stocker in 1972 because I liked Chevy 230's. I got a kick out of beating $10,000 Chevelles with my $650 Bel-Air. Now I'm building my El Camino to see how much faster I can get a 230 to go now than I could in 1972. And I'm building a 67 l Camino because that's the car I've always wanted. I'm going to build it the way I want, NHRA Stock legal, race it for a couple of years, then put it on the street. And yes, I hope to beat $100,000 Camaros with my $10,000 Chevelle/El Camino.
Oh, and it will run V/Stock - or V/SA if Billy convinces me to run a Powerglide!

[Mike Carr]

For most of the same reasons many others have stated. I raced from 2000 to 2006. Drove ten cars (five were Stockers). Quickest car was my daily-driver at the time, a '95 LT-1 automatic t-top Camaro. 13.881 @ 99.81; 1.98 in 60'. My first street car, also the first car I raced, 1979 Olds Cutlass. 260 cid V8 2 bbl. Almost 3,600 pounds with me in it, all the weight, tool box, spare tire, jack, etc out of it. Best run 18.59; won a lot of rounds and races in that (only the Camaro won more, of the cars I raced), even against a lot of 13-15 second newer cars. Good practice for my future (didn't know it at the time) career driving for Billy Nees in FWD Stockers. They *are* dificult to drive, as far as dialing, but can be do-able, as Michael has pointed out. I could have bought a FWD Stocker for $3,500 in the late 90's, but let other racers talk me out of it. "You can;t drive them, can;t cut a light, can't drive the big end, yadda yadda yadda...". I won a lot of rounds in Billy's cars; finished Eighth in IHRA DIvision 1 Stock points in 2003 and 2004 (was actually fourth going into the last race of the year in '04) in a 17 secnd HF/SA. For people just starting out in Stock, on a budget, a FWD or P/SA and lower Stocker is the way to go (there are a few in the Classified section on here). My main reason was Billy basically GAVE me the car, to keep here at our house and race as we please (and I am forever grateful to him). In four years, I replaced two starters, an alternator, the slicks, and the front (back?) runners, and a set of spark plugs. Doesn't get much more affordable than that.

[Dan Fahey]

SLOW is relative !!

Built my 95 Impala SS but was not cheap to prepare.
For some reason into Plus Sized cars.

The 95 SS was not cheap to build modifying it over the years bit by bit.
Figure more than double the price I paid for it new.

It makes up over the cost to build with low maintenace and legacy costs.
The only one I know driven to the IHRA Points meets.

Wish NHRA would consider Pure Stockers.
Mine would fall in Q, R or T/SA if the PS engine was refactored to fit in those classes.

Be a nice mix adding competition to those classes.

D

[GTX JOHN]

Some folks just like to do things a little differently
than everyone else does ( IE: Dodge 318 wagons, Pickup
Trucks, 73 Satellites).

Some people just like to experiment with engine combinations
that no one else has fooled around with very much.

[Geerhead55]

Originally Posted by Marty Knox

I built my first slow stocker in 1972 because I liked Chevy 230's. I got a kick out of beating $10,000 Chevelles with my $650 Bel-Air. Now I'm building my El Camino to see how much faster I can get a 230 to go now than I could in 1972. And I'm building a 67 l Camino because that's the car I've always wanted. I'm going to build it the way I want, NHRA Stock legal, race it for a couple of years, then put it on the street. And yes, I hope to beat $100,000 Camaros with my $10,000 Chevelle/El Camino.
Oh, and it will run V/Stock - or V/SA if Billy convinces me to run a Powerglide!

Marty,, I'm wondering if you can build a 250 in a '67 El Camino. The reason I ask is I bought a '67 Malibu hardtop back in '71 and it had a 250 ci 6 cylinder and a 3 speed in it.They didn't last long as I put a 327/4 speed combo in it a year later,, a fun car for a kid just out of highschool. I thought the 230 was discontinued by '67,, could be wrong.
Danny Durham

[Marty Knox]

Originally Posted by Geerhead55

Marty,, I'm wondering if you can build a 250 in a '67 El Camino. The reason I ask is I bought a '67 Malibu hardtop back in '71 and it had a 250 ci 6 cylinder and a 3 speed in it.They didn't last long as I put a 327/4 speed combo in it a year later,, a fun car for a kid just out of highschool. I thought the 230 was discontinued by '67,, could be wrong.
Danny Durham

I could build a 250, but I like the 230s. 230s were available through 1970. 250s are rated at 155 hp, the 230 is at 140. I don't think the extra 20 cubes are worth 15 hp, especially with the longer stroke.

[Bob Don]

To prove that six-in-a-row can go! ('71 Nova 250" rated 145 with PG running U/SA and V/SA back in the day)