Where are the lower class cars?

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Dennis P Chapman

Very well said Billy still looking for the T/A.

Aww come on Dennis,I told you to stay out of those tittie bars in south jersey.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

he asks me how inexpensively I could build a lower classed Stocker for him because he's "afraid of breaking his E/F/G Stocker because it's too expensive to fix". I told him 5 grand if he could find a body, he's thinking about it but he'd like to sell his $$$ Stocker first.

Hey, the Turismo's for sale. (just not ON sale) "Proven R/U!" (err, proven winner...) There's probably half a second in the thing if somebody bothered to work on it and spend a couple of bucks. I just choose to run it in bracket mode for the most part. Only reason it's for sale in the first place is that I can't afford a bigger truck & trailer combination to field two cars. (although I'll be doing the 'make two trips' stunt a couple more times this year to get both cars to the track, at closer venues) Throw a 19.5" tire on the front for gear ratio (or if you could make a 4.30 gearset), have Jim Bailey at Finished REM & Cryo all the transmission internals, and a couple other little tricks, and it would *fly*. I just have my hands full with the big car, that's all.

Tid bit of trivia: Didn't put gas in the Turismo all weekend. Think I used a jug and a half in the Volare. You can AFFORD to race the Turismo! You get great mileage towing such a light car, too. ...just sayin'!

Worst bulb of the weekend in the little car was an .042, and I knew I blew that one. The other .040 was from getting on the converter late - my bad.. Three 'teens, an .02x and an .03x. I'd say it's drivable!

While there are some challenges to slow cars, you can also turn your "disadvantage" into an advantage. I'll leave it at that for now....

Oh, Dennis or Artie, I've still got one 20x8-14 M/T slick with not too awful many runs on it.

[Billy Nees]

And so much for the commercial break, back to our regular programing!

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Only reason it's for sale in the first place is that I can't afford a bigger truck & trailer combination to field two cars.

Michael, last weekend at Bowling Green, they had a really nice two car all aluminum open trailer, that just had Michael Beard written all over, it on display.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Hey, the Turismo's for sale. (just not ON sale) "Proven R/U!" (err, proven winner...) There's probably half a second in the thing if somebody bothered to work on it and spend a couple of bucks. I just choose to run it in bracket mode for the most part. Only reason it's for sale in the first place is that I can't afford a bigger truck & trailer combination to field two cars. (although I'll be doing the 'make two trips' stunt a couple more times this year to get both cars to the track, at closer venues) Throw a 19.5" tire on the front for gear ratio (or if you could make a 4.30 gearset), have Jim Bailey at Finished REM & Cryo all the transmission internals, and a couple other little tricks, and it would *fly*. I just have my hands full with the big car, that's all.

Tid bit of trivia: Didn't put gas in the Turismo all weekend. Think I used a jug and a half in the Volare. You can AFFORD to race the Turismo! You get great mileage towing such a light car, too. ...just sayin'!

Worst bulb of the weekend in the little car was an .042, and I knew I blew that one. The other .040 was from getting on the converter late - my bad.. Three 'teens, an .02x and an .03x. I'd say it's drivable!

While there are some challenges to slow cars, you can also turn your "disadvantage" into an advantage. I'll leave it at that for now....

Oh, Dennis or Artie, I've still got one 20x8-14 M/T slick with not too awful many runs on it.

One more of those slicks, and I'd be interested in talking to you and anyone else who has them Michael...well said on the other parts!!!

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Dwight, I've been in a couple of interesting discussions recently with old friends who happen to have "expensive" Stockers which could be pointing at a trend. Over breakfast with friend #1, he asks me how inexpensively I could build a lower classed Stocker for him because he's "afraid of breaking his E/F/G Stocker because it's too expensive to fix". I told him 5 grand if he could find a body, he's thinking about it but he'd like to sell his $$$ Stocker first. Friend #2 wants to know if he can borrow one of my cars so that he can race more often because his D/E/F Stocker requires lots of maintainance and he's afraid of taking an AHFS hit.
It seems to me ( in my own little world), I'm sorry to say, that the majority of people that are interested in lower classed Stockers are no longer looking for a competitive advantage or even a place to hide. They want something for nothing that they don't have to work on, spend money on or maintain but they can race the wheels off of.
I've always said that "I'll help anybody that will help themselves" and I'm proud to be able to say that I've helped a couple of young men get a start and do things in this sport that I'll never be able to do but they had the "drive and work ethic" to advance themselves beyond what I could teach them. I run into people all of the time who tell me how "great" they are and if only I could "give them a car" they could be killers.
Oh well, I guess to end I should just say Stockers can still be built for a minimum investment but a lot of work and if anyone would like my help,"I'll help anybody that will help themselves". BTW if you're a dreamer or a slacker, don't waste my time.
(Friends #1 and #2 let me know what you want to do, you're friends)

Billy, your thread above adlibs the reason I quickly regained my senses from the less than 24hr period that I actually thought about selling my nearly '06 Mile High Nat's winning Cavalier! I can afford to race it, I don't have to constantly work on it, the fun factor is way up there, and the chance to do what only Mark Y., and (I think) Billy Drevo were able to do is still a challenge I embrace...Michael Beard nearly pulled off the feat last weekend, so I know it can be done, and it's just a matter of time......

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by goinbroke2

I think, in a nut shell that the upper classes are filled with people who can afford it. The middle by people who are doing what they can to be as fast as they can. The lower classes by low buck or entry level people. I realise this is a generalisation, but in most cases it fits.
That being said, I really enjoy slower/oddball/different combo's, moreso than the A-E/S.
I enjoy watching the big wheelstands from the older ponycars/musclecars, but other than that my heart is with the R or T and down Stockers.

So why is there less slower cars? Sure they might be less competetive or less likely to win, but that has always been the case. Less performance parts? Sure but again that's not new. So what is it? I would say the upper classes can still afford it, period. The middle classes are running less but can still scrape by with less update/upgrades. The lower classes, who could only scrape together the bucks to run when they can with what they can, just can't afford it in these times.
Any "enhancement" that cost $$$ can be absorbed by the big bucks guys (who coincidentily are running upper classes) but ask a lower class guy? Then it's "man I have to find another $1000 somewhere so I'll be legal again".

Maybe I'm just cheap, but I love the underdogs/lower classes.
(Was digging around in some old boxes of mags recently and found the Stock/Superstock mag with Steve Polhills interview with the Escort, excellent!)

(Oh and for the record, yes I'm tired of seeing 69 camaro's.) LOL

AMEN BROTHER, to borrow from HULK HOGAN....