1st source
Smokey Yunick once went to Daytona with a Chevelle, with the fenders covering the rear wheels. It gave him quite an aerodynamic advantage, but was going to make tire changing during the race a real problem.
Other owners complained, but Smokey pointed out that the rulebook said he could cut out the fenders if he wanted to, and he said that he didn't want to.
He ran with it, and the car qualified very high. As soon as the car qualified, he rolled it into the paddock, and started cutting metal from around the wheels.
Other owners complained.
Smokey pointed out that the rule books said he could cut them out, but didn't say when he had to.......
from http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-18185.html
2nd source
I belive it was the 67 or 68 Daytona 500 when Smokey Yunick entered a perfect 7/8ths scale Chevelle.
The car was lowered to the point that the tires were tucked up inside the wheel wells almost rubbing the sheet metal. The other teams ran with large cut-outs to clear the tires.
The teams all protested and NASCAR said there was nothing in the rule books saying the tires couldn't be tucked inside the fenders.
Smokeys car went out and easily won poll position. No other team could beat it during qualifying.
Prior to start of the race Smokey took a sawzall and cut the wheel openings to clear all the tires.
Again the other teams protested.
NASCAR said there's nothing in the rules that say he can't do that.
It was because of Smokeys 7/8ths Chevelle that NASCAR now uses templates to check body size and shape and wheel openings.
from http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-58834.html
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
A new Smokey story
Smokey's Chevelle
The quintessential Yunick story has been retold so many times, and exaggerated so much in the telling, that today it’s almost unbelievable. The facts, if they can still be determined, are that Yunick showed up with a Chevelle at Daytona in 1967 for Curtis Turner to drive.
Turner won the pole, and the big manufacturers blew a gasket–a lone privateer wasn’t supposed to show up the factory teams like that.
The car blew up on the second lap of the race, avoiding further controversy, but when Yunick brought the car to the summer Daytona race, NASCAR inspectors, determined not to let their primary manufacturers be embarrassed again, gave Yunick a list of eleven mechanical items that had to be fixed before qualifying–which started in ninety minutes.
(Item #1, reportedly, was “Replace homemade frame with stock frame.”)
They removed the gas tank from the car, claiming that its non-exploding design was non-conforming. Yunick in exasperation told them, “Make that twelve items,” hopped into his tankless Chevy, and drove it back to its garage stall as the red-faced inspectors gaped.
The rulebook didn’t specify what kind of fuel lines the car could run, so Yunick had threaded eleven feet of 2" tubing through the frame, allowing it to hold almost a gallon of additional gas.
Within a week, the rulebook had been changed to allow only 5/8" tubing of a short length.
From http://www.gordonline.com/commish/020105.html and probably a dozen other sources.
From http://www.smokeyyunick.com/PressReleases/Reviews.pdf is a bit Smokey said after Earnhardt's death:
Yunick writes: “Moveable walls, concrete tracks, fueling by computer, air jacks ’stead of the 30 pound flying sledge hammers they use, mandatory retirement age, etc. When the hell they gonna get to doing something? Maybe after next ace gets killed? When they gonna get rid of the [deleted] restrictor plates and go to smaller engines? Don’t give me the [deleted] answer you can get killed in bathtub. It’s this simple: whoever’s running NASCAR has got his head up his [deleted].”
http://grantwcooper.com/smokey.html has a terrific tribute website, and so is http://www.legendsofnascar.com/smokey.htm
For more about Smokey: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/11/great-racing-photos-and-warbirds-and.html
Smokey Yunick's Boss 302
Some of the fine artwork that Smokey performed on this 180 mph beast...
He took the starter, reversed the direction it pointed, reversed it's spinning direction, and mounted it next to the oil pan.... just to make room for the exhaust 4 into 2 into 1 hand welded collectors.
He took a wrong side / passenger side Australian steering box, and installed it in order to make room for exhaust on the opposite side from the starter mod I just mentioned.
For a better description of the tricks I just mentioned
http://www.trans-amseries.com/Drivers/RossMyers69Mustang.htm
http://www.ponysite.de/smokey.htm for more pictures
Now the conflicting info about this car is that one website says Vic Edelbrock owns and races it. Pictured here: http://www.trans-amseries.com/Drivers/VicEdelbrockMustang.htm is the formerly Follmer Boss 302. So, what's that about?
This website http://www.gordonline.com/commish/020105.html says Edelbrock owns the Smokey 302.... wonder why?
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
The 69 vette I restored the spring of 06.
http://www.corvettemikemidwest.com/showroom/?cf=170
The engine had never been apart, and the last owner couldn't figure why is ran like a turd, or was so noisy. The passenger side exhaust manifold broke in two. Sweet car.
Remember the 55 Chev in "American Graffitti"?
It isn't around anymore, unlike Milner's 32 duece, that resides here in San Diego. It went on to star in "Two Lane Blacktop", was modified, and destroyed during filming... http://blog.cardomain.com/blog/2008/04/55-chevy-from-t.html#more has a full write up
Giugiaro Mustang concept. Better quality photos than the other post I did
Click to enlarge any picture
Holman Moody on a Shelby 427
Picture taken at San Diego Balboa park annual Auto Museum car show, Mike took this one, only time we've seen this engine... nice. Damn nice. 
Thursday, December 14, 2006
GT 350 H advert
http://de.geocities.com/us_musclecars/cars/mustang/65_mustang_ads_us.html for all the original 60's Shelby mustang ads that guy could find,.... go way in the beginning of this blog for the ones he didn't.
the Shelby GT 350H
Via: http://svammelsurium.blogg.se/
http://dbusso.typepad.com/vintagemotors/vintage_cars/ french old car site, not bad, just need a translator to read.... did I fool 'ya? Hell, I don't read, I just look at these for the pictures!
The Hertz Shelby GT350H was specially prepared for Hertz Rent-A-Car as a publicity move for the benefit of Hertz, Shelby American, and Ford.
Peyton Cramer, a brilliant marketing man, was Shelby's General Manager at this time. He was told to try to get some fleet sales. He called upon Hertz and came back with an order for 936 cars.
The catch was that they had to be painted Hertz colors, black with gold, a paint scheme used on cars made by Hertz in the 1920's, when Hertz was an automaker.
Thus was born the GT-350H.
http://www.heritagegtcc.co.uk/index.php?menu_id=26
Now what this writer didn't say, or didn't know, is that in the very last months a GT 350H could also be ordered in other colors, but the stripe remained gold. Red, blue are the rare colors, black the remembered one. If you only wanted to know what every one knows.... you wouldn't be looking or reading my blog, we're here for the cool stuff, the one step further and better stuff... that's what makes a car guy different from a car driver.
http://www.vantagesportscars.com/gallery/gallery.cgi?func=show&file=200466&Category=100012&Page=1 for a good picture of the blue,
http://www.qv500.com/shelbygt350p2.php gives the following more accurate info
"All were supplied with Gold sill stripes that read GT350H, many also being kitted out with matching Le Mans centre stripes.
Around 80% were painted Raven Black, the remaining 20% being split primarily between Wimbledon White and Candyapple Red."
What does the FE stand for, referring to the Ford engine series?
390 cubic inch FE (for Ford/Edsel)
Thanks to http://www.35pickup.com/Mustang.html
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Recreating a grandfathers car (1938 Zagato Aprilia Sport) from nothing but just 2 pictures
http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/top-1938-Lancia-Aprilia-Sport-Reconstructed-Zagato.htm
Andrea Zagato decided to create a Lancia Aprilia Sport identical to the car built by his grandfather Ugo in 1938, from two faded monochrome photographs – the only remaining source of accurate information.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Von Dutch, great artist
Conceptually genius. "The Square Rainbow"
Notice the round object suggests Von Dutch's signature eyeball, the dollar sign - his disgust of money.
Sold at a price of $34,500 at Auction May 2006 by RM Auctions, as part of the Brucker collection.
24 x 30"
From the plaid emerges a ghosted image of an eyeball along with a small conical shape, which occupies the lower left hand corner of the painting. Painted in the left side of the eye is an unmistakable dollar sign, the presence of which is by all accounts best described by Dutch himself in a conversation with Temma Kramer, the painting meant, “Money is a square person’s idea of what is at the end of the rainbow.”
It is widely thought that Von Dutch placed a piece of cardboard or wood on the wall and whenever he was using the last of the paint in his spray gun he would “tape off” parts of the painting and spray the piece with another color.
http://www.rmauctions.com/AuctionResults.cfm?SaleCode=BC06&SortBy=LN&View=Normal&Category=Memorabilia#
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/9500/page3 will show you a lot of other things he made, and other paintings he did. Others followed, but he broke trail and wrote the book.
Von Dutch, expert mechanic
These first 5 images are from http://www.arielmotorcycles.com/vond.htm
above and below from http://showandgo.blogspot.com/2009/10/von-dutch-engine-designs.html
the next three I've had since before I kept track of the sources of images
Monday, December 11, 2006
The meanest Cobra ever made. EVER. Carroll's personal 800HP AC Competition Cobra
Carroll had an AC Cobra upgraded just the way he wanted it, for his own pleasure. Twin supercharged, dual quad, 427 side oiler. 800 HP.
It's going to auctioned. Some fortunate filthy rich guy is going to plop his butt into the car Carroll told his mechanics to assemble, FOR THE BOSS. I think that merits bold typeface. I think that deserves some thought.
The crew knew when they put it together that it wasn't just for a customer, it was for the racing legend, the car building icon, the man who made saved a car (the AC) and put racing into the blood of Ford. I don't mean left hand turns, I mean RACING THE EFFIN BEST ON THE PLANET!
IN THEIR ARENA!
HE WON LEMANS! The only American car to ever win the FIA World Manufacturers Championship for GT cars was the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?DocID=1014&cat=Shelby&ExhibitID=264&index=4
http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars-f.htm
BEARDED THE FERRARI'S!
I think this deserves a hell of a lot of respect, he may be the greatest.
Andretti is a great driver, never built a car company.
Richard Petty won lots of races as a driver, never designed a damn car.
John Force and Bob Glidden set lots of drag race records. Nothing in the common car model names.
The Sunoco Camaro is synonymous with Roger Penske.
But Shelby developed the GT 40 from a previous similar design and beat the snot out of Ferrari.
Some great circuit racers like Sterling Moss are known in more countries than than Micheal Jordan or Tiger Woods, and doesn't have his name on a single production car anywhere.
Cale Yarborough has his name on a Talledega, and Mark Donahue has his name across the Javelin, now let's be sure to remember those, and not let them be forgotten. That means something, drivers so good their name sold cars because it was written on them.
Even Dale Earndhart had an Impala SS with his name. I'm sure I don't know of some that also were honored on new Impala SS's, or Monte Carlo SS's. I don't follow new NASCAR, my interest ends in the very early 70's when it comes to NASCAR. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Most either are new, or old NASCAR fans, but not both. Thats an entry for another time... this one is for CARROLL"S PERSONAL FREAKING EPITOMIUS COBRA! Never was another made better, equal, but never better.
Now here are the links for more, http://www.wurthitdesigns.com/cobrastory.htm is the 1981 restoration story photographed by the mechanic who brought it back from some body damage and it was missing all the original cool parts that bolted on, the Shelby dual quad intake, Paxton superchargers, etc.
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=1301 is the Auction site's authenticator's breakdown of how we can be sure this is the real Super Snake Cobra of Carroll's. One of only 23 427 Cobra Competition Roadsters built, different from the AC Cobras sold to the public, later in 67 it was transformed into the Super Snake and reclassified as 427 Cobra Semi-Competition.
I find the description a bit confusing, and doesn't make it clear if this guy denies the legitimacy of the 68 Road and Track article, or just specifies why that car pictured is the real deal. I think he should have had someone read over his notes to check it's clarity. Hell, this car is worth around 15 million, a little extra effort isn't amiss.
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2006/11/carroll-shelby-once-had-special-ac.html#links for the Road and Track article I blogged earlier here on this website.
Saturday, December 9, 2006
The KITT car still hangs around in Florida
Someone still is enthralled by the Knight Rider tv show car, KITT. Hard to fathom liking that car so much you'd buy the car... but this one has Florida plates - and we know how stupid they proved themselves in Florida, all the smart ones left after thier 1st hurricane, the dumb ones stayed and bought the KITT car.
http://fishki.net/comment.php?id=15708
Hurst SC/Rambler, the only production car with glasspacks from the factory
Doug Thorley headers followed by Thrush straight through glasspacks. That's sweet, from the factory. 3.54 gears, and a Hurst 4 speed. Nice.A special Rogue called the Hurst SC/Rambler (Stock Car (SC) or original factory) model was built in 1969, featuring flamboyant red, white and blue graphics, a bizarre hood scoop, the 390 V-8, and a stiffer frame (needed to withstand the engine's massive torque). A dead-stock SC/Rambler could do the quarter mile in the low 14s. To keep weight down AMC offered no options on the SC/Rambler except an AM radio -- no air conditioning, no power steering, no bucket seats, no console. 1,512 were made at a dirt-cheap price of $2998; an example in top condition is worth over $10,000 today (if you can find one).
Needing an entry in the growing compact performance segment, AMC took the lowly Rambler Rouge compact and decided to make a muscle car out of it.
AMC turned to Hurst Performance Research Inc., and created the SC/Rambler (often nicknamed "Scrambler"), which debuted in the middle of the 1969 model year. All SC/Ramblers began life as appliance white Rambler hardtops with two-tone mags, racing mirrors, blackout grille and tail panel, Hurst badging, and a functional ram-air hood scoop with an upthrust snout.
Under the hood, AMC fited its largest V8, the 315 bhp, 390 cid V8.
A Borg-Warner four speed with Hurst shifter and a 3.54:1 limited-slip differential completed the powertrain. The suspension was toughened up with heavy-duty shocks, anti-sway bar, and anti-hop rear links. E70x14 Red Stripped Goodyear Polyglas tires and the AMX's optional heavy duty brakes with Bendix front discs were included. The interior was standard gray vinyl Rouge interior with the addition of reclining bucket seats (with red, white, and blue headrests), full carpeting, and a Sun 8000 rpm tach strapped to the steering column. A $61 AM radio was the only option available.
The exterior was treated to one of the wildest factory paint jobs on any muscle car. Two exterior options were available. The first 500 cars built featured the "A" trim with red center body side panels, and thick blue horizontal racing stripes on the hood, roof, and deck. A blue arrow pointed towards the scoop, which had large letters spelling the words "390 CU.IN" and the word "AIR" appeared on both sides of the air scoop. When these quickly sold, a second batch of were made with the new "B" type trim. These had a mostly white exterior with narrow red and blue stripes. Then a third batch was made, reverting to the "A" style trim, but lacking some of the elements. About 1,200 of the 1,512 made had the "A" treatment.
It may have been a supercar caricature, but it was quite a performer. With 315 bhp and a curb weight of just 3,000 lbs., the hot compact had a power-to-weight ratio of just 10.03 lbs/bhp. This enabled the SC/Rambler to pull off quarter miles in the low 14 seconds at 99 mph. Not bad for a little compact from AMC, even if it lasted only one year.
Production: 1,512
Engines: 390 V8 315 bhp @ 4600 rpm, 425 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm.
Performance: 390/315: 0-60 in 6.3 seconds, 1/4 mile in 14.3 seconds @ 99 mph
Great production info and a factory lists of parts that made this special, like the glasspacks and "headers by Doug" Thorley, a reputed step above Hookers and Hedmans.
Bras can't coexist with cars.... don't argue, just hit the link
Vince has found that bras and cars seem unable to exist in close proximity... much respect Vince... love your old stuff!
http://thehollywoodextra.blogspot.com/2004/12/bras-and-cars.html
On the first day I bought my LAST musclecar, I was introduced to the coolest Burbank drive in
Pic from http://thehollywoodextra.blogspot.com/ cool website. Vince, if you read this, check through this blog for the AMX 2, and AMX 3 pics... Re: a comment you made about how it's a shame they weren't produced. Come to San Diego, in the Balboa Park Auto Museum, Dick Teague's wife donotated one, it's on permanent display.
