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Street Race Stories

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by BottleBob, Jan 10, 2009.

  1. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    Henry. known him for years but never asked his last name. Haven't seen him in 2 years though. Gotta be like 68 now.
     
  2. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    Ha, you came over the house and let my father ride that thing. He got going too fast and crashed, but he loved it. He would always ask how you were doing.
     
  3. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Rick:

    Yeah, that pocket bike was a very skittish thing. I was having Jim G time me in a car just to see how fast that thing was (It was slow I know, but I was curious anyway). So we're doing this out in front of House of Corvettes on Sepulveda Blvd., I'm screaming at max RPM (somewhere around 15-20 MPH), I turn my head to look at Jim to signal him to check his speedometer, then turn back to look forward and realize I'M NO LONGER ON THE BIKE. The bike is stuffed under the rear wheel of a parked car and I'm in the the initial stages of coming in for a three point landing (forehead, arm, leg) on the asphalt. MAJOR road rash on my forehead and nose for a 15 mph landing. The bike's not hurt at all. That little thing could really take a beating and keep on ticking. Can't say the same for ME - it took three weeks for me to heal!

    Sorry, for the thread drift.
     
  4. Paul Y
    Joined: Dec 29, 2006
    Posts: 633

    Paul Y
    Member

    This has to be one of my favorite threads in a long time.

    Thanks for telling the storys guys. Dont stop, keep it coming!!!

    P.
     
  5. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Paul:

    Well let's hear some stories from more than the same 5 people. I think everyone's got a few good stories in them. And don't worry, if *I* haven't been banned yet, any long time regular isn't likely to be either.

    Ok, here's another one concerning the Larson's. So the oldest brother (and most obnoxious) has this full sized Mopar with a 440, 426, Hemi. or whatever, I don't remember which, but it's not really a street car - stripped, slicks, uncorked, and it's on a trailer. Nothing else looks promising in the lot, so I wander over and see how many cars I can get from this beast (the car not the guy - but come to think of it, the guy too). :)

    I've got the brown Vette out, and I ask for 20 and the go, or something like that and am deluged with laughter and derision. No biggie, if you haven't got a Turtle Wax Hard Shell Finish, street racing's probably not your gig. Anyway they didn't tell me to go away so there may be SOME kind of action here, we go back and forth with the negotiations and it's finally decided that I'll get 10 cars with a starter. I tell them I've got to take my sidepipes off or I won't even be able to hear my own car to shift, they don't like that so much but what's fair is fair and they finally agree. We decide to do it at San Fernando Rd. and Roxford as there are no houses around and no-one to call the cops due to all the noise we'll be making with both of us being uncorked.

    So we're at the race spot and we mark off the ten cars back with someone's car, then I undo the hood pins that hold my side pipes on and pull them off while they're unloading their car off the trailer. They air down the tires and go through the whole burnout ritual. I watch the car leave a few time and it's a HARD LEAVING car. I'm thinking I shouldn't have let them talk me down below 15 cars. Oh well, the damage is done.

    I do a couple of street tire cleaning leaves and line up at the start. The Larson's are still back there playing around. Ok, they're lining up at their mark. The starter points to me, points to them, starts to raise his hands up - and already I hear Larson's engine rev. The starter is supposed to watch for any jump starts but in the heat of the moment he just brings his hands down quick. So what this comes out to, is I'm getting ten cars but I'm giving Larson the go. Not the best of situations for me. But it is what it is - so what the hell.

    I leave, shift to second and that damn Mopar has caught up and and gone by me by a couple of cars at probably 20 mph faster than I'm going. Larson then gets out of it - I don't know it's for sandbagging purposes or he's just had a pang of guilt for jumping the start (Naaww THAT doesn't compute - not with those guys). Just as he had gotten out of it I'm hooked up in second and hit the juice and start to pull hard. I catch Larson and go by, since he's essentially coasting. He then gets back in it but has lost the momentum and I'm now the one controlling the race. I go through the nest couple of gears and pass the finish line, he never was able to make up the distance. I turn around first and start to go back and here comes Larson banzaing and thrashing his car. I can just IMAGINE how pissed he is. He had the race WON and he let it slip through his fingers. And I'm LOVING every minute of it. LOL

    We get back to the start and I put on my sidepipes. There is nothing he can really say since the whole group saw him jump the start - and virtually everyone felt he got what he deserved (everyone but his brothers I guess) He of course wants to do the race again double or nothing. I think I said something to the effect that I have to adjust one of my valves since I hear it ticking. He's pissed, at himself for getting out of it, at me for winning, at the world in genearal, etc. God I loved those kinds of races.
     
  6. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    One night, I get a race with a '70 Road Runner. He wants 3 car so we go to the VA Hospital. Only problem was, I didn't advertise my races. Usually somone who knows me will follow. Guess no one saw me, so it's just me, the owner of the Road Runner and his passenger. We end up flagging down some car and ask if the would drive a 1/4 mile down, park on the other side of the street with their parking lights on.

    Me in my '65 Chevelle with a 396 and 4 speed and the Road Runner with a 440 and auto line em up. I'm on slicks so when the hands drop, I go by him in 1st gear. I get him by 3 cars, collect my money and head back to the B of A. I get a few blocks away and the motor starts knocking. Well, I guess the night is over for me. I head for home. :eek:

    My buddy is the head mechanic at the House of Corvettes so I have the car towed to the shop. They pull the motor and drop the crank. My buddy never believed it was a lo-po 396 because I beat his 435 hp Vette, but there it is. Cast crank with cast flat top pistons. They find a steel crank and button up the motor. What a "dog" it becomes......:mad:

    With the freshened motor, I get a race with a '67 Camaro, same VA Hospital. We take off and we're neck and neck. But a friend who was marking the finish "claims" it was too close to call. He pulls me aside and saids, "Quite screwing around". I tell him I'm not screwing around, somethings wrong and I think the motors going to go. Well, we race again and the Camaro wins. I lose and spun a bearing............:eek:

    Next up for the Chevelle is a LS6 454 that my neighbor had. It has 125K miles on it, but it runs strong. I run my buddy with his Vette (cars were about the same as the old motor). We are neck and neck through 1st and 2nd but I walk away in 3rd and 4th.

    Go back out to the street races and run into the kid with the Camaro. He sets me up with a buddy of his who has a big block '67 Chevelle on slicks. Word is, it's an "Ed Pinks" motor. We head out to Clybourne by Burbank Airport. Both cars on slicks doing burnouts with VHT. When the hands drop, the '67 pulls me by a car. Hit 2nd gear and we're neck and neck. 3rd gear, I just walk away from him and short shift to 4th gear. :D

    Boy, were those guys pissed. They swore I was on the bottle and hit it in 3rd gear. They don't wanna pay, but after much cursing and posturing, they pay. They want a rematch in a couple of weeks. I tell them sure, but no hoods are opening and an independent party will hold the money.

    I'm sure they thought the car was slow when I had a bad motor. A friend of mine is at Service Center and runs into those guys. They ask him if he knows a '65 Chevelle and what's in it. He tells them it's a big block without a bottle. They are pissed. They were supposily swapping to 12 1/2 to 1 pistons for the re-match. Didn't matter, I was installing a bottle...............;)

    There never was a re-match........
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2009
  7. MUNCIE
    Joined: Jan 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,347

    MUNCIE
    Member
    from Houston

    Cool stories keep em coming
     
  8. mochevy69
    Joined: Aug 17, 2008
    Posts: 21

    mochevy69
    Member
    from sc usa

    Hey! Love the stories. Keep'um coming. QUESTION: What does BTW refer to??? THANKS
     
  9. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    burn tires well, beautiful tires/wheels, but timed well, big titted woman, back to work, bet to win, by the way, big time wacing (lisp)

    sorry, had to. KEEP THE STORIES COMING!

    I was a wee lad in far northern WI, on a good night I could pick up WLS 890 on the AM dial, Wolfman Jack, on my little AM radio. They would advertise for Great Lakes Dragaway at Union Grove. BEEEE Therrrrrrre.

    I used to go out with the big 68 Catalina and try and try to win a race or try and try to hit 90 mph in the quarter.

    WLS and GLD gave me the fever. Today, I live in SC WI and race at GLD a couple times a month with the Midwest Gasser Assoc. It is a terminal disease.
     
  10. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Mochevy69:

    BTW means By the way. Like in an addendum, or afterthought.

    Ok, here a short one.

    There nothing reasonable at the lot to race and it's getting late, so when this turbo Kawasaki asks me to race I actually start considering it. I want to say it's Rick Ball, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I HATE racing bikes but beggars can't be choosers. The slowest bikes beat the fastest cars - generally speaking. Plus this is a KNOWN fast bike. Cripes, what I wouldn't do early in the morning just to get a race.

    Anyway, a street tire'd car has absolutely no business racing a bike from a dead stop, let alone a TURBO bike. But I allow myself to get talked into a heads up race from a roll my GO.

    We go to Burbank and Balboa, it's to be like a 30 mph roll and there is to be someone standing on the center divider - not to start the race but to mark the start POSITION. I mention that we'll start at the guy + or - 50 feet. So we go way down before the start and I get up to speed so I'm in second gear - that way I can hit the juice without sliding all over and end up bending a rim on a curb or something equally as dumb & embarrassing.

    The bike it right beside me and we're coming up on the guy standing on the center divider, I'm not planning to really cheat because I DID say + or - 50 feet but as soon as I get to that estimated 50 feet before the start position is reached - I'm hitting it. And here it comes, just a little more BAM, I punch it and hit the juice simultaneously and surprisingly pull away from the bike pretty good. What had happened is he was in the wrong gear and when he shifted he didn't have any boost, so I'm putting cars on him like crazy. third gear - he's WAAAY back there, shift to fourth gear he's coming but still way back, halfway through fourth he's really coming now - I don't know if I have enough time to hold him off. Top of fourth I'm almost at the finishline car but the bike's headlight is growing larger by the microsecond. I'm pulling even with the finishline car - YEOW I've won! And not 10 feet beyond the finish the bike goes by me like I'm in reverse. I mean really, he's got to have been going 30-40 miles an hour faster than me. Man, am I lucky sometimes, eh?
     
  11. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    I know what you mean but before turbos came out, you could at least take a bike from a roll.

    Right after I got your old vette running, my first race was on Old San Fernando Rd against a Kawasaki 900 from a roll (bikes were notoriously quick from a dead stop). The race goes as planned, each gear I put another car length on him and win. Get off the throttle and hit the brakes, the car swerves to the left and right, WTF :eek: Get off the brake, then hit it again. The vette is swerving left and right using 3 lanes. I get off the brake and let engine compression slow me down, hoping I got enough room before the street turns.

    That week, I rebuilt the entire front end. Take it out for a test run and the same thing happens. Now what? I'm looking at the tires and think, jeez, they sure do look old and as hard as nails. I buy new tires and the vette handles great. :p Oh well, it needed the front end rebuilt anyway. :rolleyes:
     
  12. TexasT
    Joined: Dec 25, 2007
    Posts: 54

    TexasT
    Member
    from Texas

    Great Stuff!!! I too have a cdl so street racing now is out of the question. But 'back in the day' I did my share. These stories took place in the late eighties/early nineties. I have a Turbo Regal and used to roll with a few friends with them as well. Also in our group was a bottle fed 88' Mustang with the 'rare felpro head gasket option, and a mid sixties 440 Dart. These were all street cars and at the time our daily drivers.

    The most memorable story involved a Gold '71-71 Chevelle with a nitrous fed small block supposedly built by Reher-Morrison. This guy was a piece of work. Rich kid I guess. We would go out there and I guess 'cheat' by running against each other to 'sucker' others in. This particular night we were up in FarmersBranch in the industrial district. Great concrete, flat straight streets that were ment to be raced on(at least we were convinced of that).

    We ran each other a couple of times and the Chevelle guy and his guys come over to check out the Regal. I tell him I wasn't up for any more tonight but my buddy is. He is running his '87 TR. This was a low 12 car on good tires, so they negotiate him on slicks and the Chevelle on some smaller stickies. We bolt on a set of M/T 28X9 slicks and get the money into the hand of the holder.

    We get the cars lned up and the burn outs under way. I went down to the finish line with one of the guys from the other group. We get the starter ready to go and he drops his arms. The Chevelle launches decent but hte Buick out out and pullin hard by a length or so. The Chevelle gets into the Nitrous too soon and spins the tires. He lets off and gets it hooked back up but the Buick is out by five or so. They're both pulling hard and the Chevelle is makin up ground but running out of distance. They fly across the finish line but the Buick still has him by a length or so.

    These guys are not happy but are aware they lost so the money is collected.

    I saw this particular Buick loose only one street race. The story goes like this.

    We had gotten together for a road trip to Waco. They have a pretty big shows there on Labor day and Memorial day. I don't remember which end of summer we went but it was a wild evening. Waco is about 90 miles south of where we were so we just drove the cars down. We ended up out on a pretty deserted section of road and man was it dark out there in the country. These locals came prepared with some pretty big flash lights. This was the first time I witnessed a street car on the street that could 'hang the hoops'. It was a sbc powered MGB with a five speed of some sort. It moved and no one wanted any part of it. We came upon a Buick Regal very similar to the one in our group. This particular one was a Limited(one of 1035) but I didn't know the significance at the time. Pillow bench seat, column shift, it looked slow but we knew what was under the hood. The guys says it's his wife's daily as if that makes it slower.

    We get the particulars ironed out and the race gets on. They get off the line together but the competitors Buick had just a little more and we lost by a length or so. Turns out this was one of the 200 4r gurus and owns a pretty prominent trans shop in Texas but he might not want to be identified. I even saw the car there last time I was there.

    We raced at the track on Wed and Fri and got it on on the street on Sat. That said I would never recommend racing on the street, take it to the track.

    Who's Next?
     
  13. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    A guy I knew (but it was so long ago, I forget his name) has a '70 Mustang FB with a 351 Cleveland. He's was always out at the street races, but I had never seen him race. He was a locksmith by trade and would sometimes, open parked cars and move them so we could race. Very handy guy to have around. One night, he asks if I could find him a race. Another guy I know called GTO Rick has a pretty quick '68 GTO. I set the two up and they discuss (lie) their cars.

    The race is set but the Mustang wants me to help him change plugs. We run by his house and let me tell you, it's no fun changing plugs in a Mustang with a Cleveland. It takes an hour. Always hated Fords after that.......

    We head out to Van Ness behind the Burbank Airport for the race. It's heads up and I go mark the finish. I see both headslights raise and hear the tires squealing. They both look neck and neck but the GTO crosses the finish line first.

    Never saw the Mustang race again and the GTO threw a rod a week later.

    GTO Rick hung around a guy called AMX Joe, or something like that. He had a gold AMX that was pretty quick. One day he comes to the house to show off his new motor. I'm looking and say, "Wow, so TRACO built your motor?" (Big race engine shop in those days) He said, no, what are you talking about. I point to TRACO spelled out on his heads. He said, "Oh! I'll have to paint over that".

    Now if Bob is reading, he can related the story of the AMX on Raymer...........:rolleyes:
     
  14. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Rick:

    Joe had a Traco engine, eh? That dog, and he was a "friend" too. :)

    The Raymer race? I wasn't going to tell that one, since it ended badly. But now that you've opened Pandoras box... I didn't know you were there, only a handful of people saw the race.

    Background, Raymer is a very small street kinda' off of Van Nuys Blvd. I don't think it connects to Van Nuys since it turns at the end. Ed Pink's shop was on Raymer. I've also seen Bob Brandt working on Prudhommes' stuff out back.

    So it's Joe in his AMX and me in the brown Vette to race heads up MOTOR ONLY for $20. Which puts me at a distinct disadvantage since my timings retarded, cold plugs, carb jetting - rich, exhaust valve lash adjusted loose, and other things are geared for using juice, and I'm not about to change everything just for one small race, and besides Joe's a friend - and what are friends for if not to make sacrifices for.

    So there is this Semi-truck parked on the side of the road that we agree will be the finish. And we go down to the start. Lightweight burnouts done we line up. We leave together, I shift to second and Joe puts a car on me, I rev higher than normal at the top of second and third to try to make up the distance, but that's not working since he's now like two to three cars on me. I'm 2/3 of the way through 4th gear which should equate to a quarter mile (on juice I'm usually at the top of 4th at the end). Anyway I can't see the finish-line Semi (Unknown to both of us the owner of the Semi had gotten in his truck and driven away while we were driving to the start), now how likely is THAT at 9:00 or 10:00 at night?

    I'm still looking for Semi when all of a sudden the whole street fills up with smoke - I mean I can't see ANYTHING, not Joe's car, not the parked cars, the curb, not a single THING. I instantly hit the brakes and hold my steering wheel straight hoping my car is slowing down straight. What caused the smoke was Joe locking up his brakes because he was coming up on the end of road where it turned. I then hear this God awful crashing and grunching noise and the smoke clears enough for me to see the road curving up ahead, I try to drift the car sideways around the corner and am luckily successful, after a fashion. I'm parallel to the curb after it turned the corner and a couple of feet away. Yikes! that was CLOSE.

    I jump out of the car and run to Joe's car, which as can be seen from the tire marks, has gone straight OVER the curb and beyond. I believe it's a small golf driving range. I run up to his car and Joe's in the back seat and moving around. How he ended up in the back seat is beyond me. And it's not really a back SEAT just an open area. He climbs out and outside of some aches and bruises he's OK. His car's not in as good a shape, flat tires - broken rims and other misc. damage. Other people come up by now and are all Oooing and Ahhing.

    I hand him $20, he's still a little dazed and asks what's that?. I said: "It's your race winnings, you won." I was just trying to lighten the mood a little, since this whole situation was quite depressing, for all concerned, not just Joe. He gets a ride with a buddy and I suppose they pick up his car the next day. I don't think it was TOO badly hurt since I believe he brings it out a few weeks later.

    Moral to this story (I know, I know - don't street race), but the moral I was thinking of, is don't mark your quarters with movable objects. Eh?
     
  15. Man, Got'cha sure turned into a HUGE FLAKE! Where're the stories dude? You're embarassing yourself with all the promises of stories so far
     
  16. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Groucho:

    Have a little heart, you'd probably have a hard time typing if YOUR igloo was below freezing, and your fingers stuck to the keyboard like putting your tongue on an ice cube tray, eh. :)
     
  17. He's had no trouble sending countless, useless Emails to me:confused:. Come on Goms, shake a leg. He keeps saying, wait til I tell the story about him & Wild Man, or Screwy Louie & the GTO......BUT NO STORY!!!!!!!!
    GIT ER DONE!
     


  18. i don't care who you are, that's funny right there!
     
  19. enzo
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    enzo
    Member
    from CA

    That made freakin' laugh. I was an early 90's Kevin's Burgers devotee. I had a similar one happen to me where I gave a guy 2 cars and the move. We lined up - I flashed my lights to indicate my readiness, all of a sudden the other guy opens his door and waves his buddy over. I was thinking there was something wrong, next thing I know he launches the car witht he door open (on slicks mind you) and slams it closed just before grabbing 2nd. I didn't even have time to react. A hero move like that... I paid up with no remorse.
     
  20. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    One bright and sunny afternoon, I drive my '65 Chevelle down to Compton looking for a race. I pull into this park where all the street racers meet. The only one that wants to race is a primered '57 Chevy. It's gutted with a fiberglass front end, small block, 4 speed on 11" slicks. I'm running a 396, nitrous, 4 speed, 4:88's on 10" slicks. We all go look at my car, but the '57 wants the nitrous out. I remove the bottle and hand it to a friend that puts it in his trunk. We all go look at the '57 and I'm thinking, it's got to be fast. Meanwhile, I catch a glimpes of my friend who is hooking the bottle back up.

    We cruise on up to the race spot and I do a burnout and a couple of dry hops, to see how the street will hook up (first time there). The street isn't too bad, so I park in a closed gas station to wait for the '57. The '57 comes around the corner, stops in front of the gas station and does a burnout. Just then, a black and white comes around the corner and lights up the '57. Oops, looks like a good time to bail. Me and my friends leave the '65 and jump over some fences and hoof it back to the park. We give it an hour or so and walk back to the '65.

    Lo and behold, the '65 was still there. I figured it would be towed or stolen. We swap out the slicks for street tires and head back to the valley.
     
  21. enzo
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    enzo
    Member
    from CA

    Now that I had some time to review the thread - I will post with more accuracy.

    My friends and I all turned 16 around 1989 - a little late - I know but bare with me. We had a love for cars and discovered "the Valley" around that time. My uncle was an OG (like the Godfather) at Kevin's. He was running a 68 Charger with a 440 and a 4 speed - low 10's on th estreet all day. It was big bad and red. My group was a funny group, we were like a bunch of groms but with a nack for building fast cars. We also liked nitrous - especially the type you can't see. Anyway, my uncle was a die hard Mopar guy and since we were the street race groms (who ran Chevys), he would constantly make fun of our "learning curve" and our inability to go fast. Well one of my buddies finally got the sack to hit Carlos up for a race. We were about 19 at the time. My buddy was running a 72 Nova - full on road race look along with some ugly flares, a small block, and a 4 speed. Anyway, he hit Carlos up for a heads up run - Carlos immediately started laughing at us and told us it would cost $300 to get his car off the trailer. So being the resourceful youths that we were, we pooled our dough and bought us a race. Well we head out to Canoga and Lassen and get the hoods popped. My buddy is running a 350 with some really special "hi-po" camelback heads. Carlos is running a 440 with compression a tunnel ram and a serious cam. They look over the car and decide to set us out after a long negotiation (which I handled, since I was family and all). We got 2 and the move and lane choice. My buddy was on BFG's and Carlos was rocking some M&H's so we had a bit of a disadvantage. Well during his ego gloating, what Carlos had missed was a completely hidden system plumbed through a hollow brake booster (solenoids mounted inside) and the lines running inside a dummy vaccum line spraying direcly into the ports about 300hp's worth of good 'ol Nitrous. Well as you may guess - Carlos gets destroyed by about 5 cars - no sandbagging here, we were proving a point. He comes back and I thought he was going to kill me - he told me he would call my parents - that I had messed with the family - totally out of the movies type lines that would make any 19 year crap a brick. So what does he do? he wants a rematch - but first he wants to look at the car again. So he and his buddies literally are on their hands and knees looking for the system for 20 minutes - and guess what? they don't find it. So we roll it out again and in another glorious display of a David and Goliath style race - Carlos gets kicked to the curb - this time by more cars! Long story short (too late now) - we got it all on tape, and every once in a while I pull it out at family functions to remind my uncle of the night he got hustled by a bunch of acne ridden teenagers from the other side of the hill.
     
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  22. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    great story, enzo
     
  23. I remember the guy/car. Lived on Victory in N. Hlywood? Seems a bit odd a 10 second car got beat by 5 cars with just giving 2 and the scoot to a car with BFG's on it. My bet would be, by the time you could hit 300HP worth of nitrous with those tires, Carlos would be at the finish line waiting for you to pay him:D. It's just my opinion
     
  24. enzo
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    enzo
    Member
    from CA

    Well... Maybe it was a detuned version of the red one (in fact I know it was) - I just used the red one to reference him and - while my fish got bigger, I didn't know you were standing on the dock with a tape measure.
     
  25. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Enzo:

    Neat handle, you wouldn't have a Ferrari would you?

    I got to the part where he said he'd "call your parents" and I couldn't stop laughing. You should put that video on youtube and let the whole world see it.

    Here's another short one.

    So I'm living in Vegas at this time and have set up a $400 race with a '65 Big Block Vette on slicks against my '67 Camaro small block on slicks (Groucho car). So I get to the race spot (which I've never raced at before), it's WAAAY out in the boonies half-way to Henderson. Two lane blacktop with about a car's width of dirt on either side of the road. The guy starts his Vette and it's uncorked - WHOA - FULL STOP - CEASE AND DESIST. That wasn't part of the agreement. So after some negotiations, it seems he can't run corked up (damn race cars), so I'll have to uncork - which as everyone knows is a pain - no lights or houses for a half mile - no moon - no jack - crawling on the ground like a lizard watching out for those deadly jackalopes.

    OK, I'm ready. We give the money to a guy named Tim (the only guy that I know where he lives) cool guy, makes a killer living selling fireworks - I mean wholesale. I love fireworks, most street racers do. Mega Power in ANY form. Jeeze I get sidetracked so easy, back to the race.

    We're doing our burnouts, and the Vette looks like a hard leaving car. We finally line up. It's to be a point-point-up-down with a 1 to 5 second pause before the hands come down - at the starter's discretion. I usually tried to have my starts like that, most people didn't care - and the ones that didn't want to do it that way immediately set a red flag in my head to watch their every move since chances were they were going to try to jump start.

    Point-point-up-pause-down, and we're off. A picture perfect start. But the Vette is just flat out hooking me and at the top of first gear is about a car and half on me. I know I've got to make up my cars in the mid range or it's likely the big block will eat me at the big end. Second gear, juice on, I start "inching" on him, top of second I've made up about a car but he's still a half a car on me. I'm thinking things aren't looking good for Bob, adios $400. Shift to third, squeezing for all it's worth, and I'm up to his door handle, but I'm moving like 2 mph relatively faster than he is. Halfway through third (auto here), and I'm "slightly" ahead, but I'm waiting for his big end charge. I see the finish line car's parking lights just a few hundred feet ahead and I just hope and pray I can hold him off.

    I'm now EVEN with the finishline car and the Vette's back about 3/4 to 1 car. I've WON! Jeeze that never gets old! Although losing gets old REAL fast.

    We turn around and go back to the start, there are no complaints - fair start, fair run. So Tim gives me the money. Just then someone that had a scanner says the cops are coming. Cripes the scanner guy was a little slow on the uptake we can see cop cars with their lights flashing coming from both ends of the road to trap everyone. I'm thinking Jeeze what are cops doing way out here in Bum Frack Egypt (are we allowed to cuss in here?), anyway, I hop in the car and take off in the direction I was heading when I stopped. So I'm up to about 50 mph and this cop is coming straight at me. THEN he slows down and pulls sideways across both lanes. Man, I bet he was reevaluating THAT maneuver when he saw me bearing down on his drivers door. I let off, and coast around him in the dirt behind his car, covering his car with dirt, mine too. Then jump on it hard when I'm back on the pavement.

    First thing I have to do is stop driving as soon as possible since I'm uncorked and a rolling advertising sign saying handcuff me and impound my car. I'm hoping the cop that tried to block my path was the only one close, since it will take him some time to turn around and come after me. I'm already at the next cross street and see no lights behind me, I creep around the corner. There's no four wheel drifting around turns when you've only got 9 pounds of air pressure in your slicks. I accelerate up the road until I get to a housing tract, turn in make a couple of turns, then shut the engine off and coast for about half a block, so I don't wake up the citizens, pull up to the curb get out run up about 5 houses worth and find a good vantage point to watch the road and my car.

    I wait about 4 hours, and nothing happens, no cop cars, no helicopters, nothing. So I creep back to the car and cork up the driver's side pipe. I'm against the curb so I hand push the car back where I'm blocking someone's driveway so I can crawl under enough to cork the other side up. I start the car and nervous as all get out drive home uneventfully.

    The moral of THIS story, is that sometimes it's a lot cooler READING about these escapades than it is EXPERIENCING them.

    Nawww, that can't be right. :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2009
    70sixpackBee likes this.
  26. enzo
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    enzo
    Member
    from CA

    I have another quickie - this time in my car.

    You have to keep in mind that at the time I was 19 and the car was purposely registered in my Dad's name as I always found it useful to use the excuse "please officer, my Dad is going to kill me if he finds out I took his car - please don't ticket me..." - Anyway, so it's Friday night and we are at Kevin's with our usual crew, I was running a 69 Camaro with a 427 and some nitrous - unlike you Bob, I was not much on being stealth as I had a real cheezy mr Gasket bug catcher scoop poking through the hood and my license plates read "Ded Stok". Anyway, I have trouble finding a race until this dude hits me up - he is in a primer Vega with a healthy small block and old Mickey T's wide enough to compress asphalt. We set up a motor race, heads up, but he tells me he can't wait around for the traffic to die down at the usual spots as he has to be somewhere. I agree to go to Winnetka and Prairie by the old drive in and run up there. I had never run there, nor was I familiar with this street but I figured ehh what the hell. So we pull up, my buddy steps out of the car and locks the door behind him. I strap myself in tight and we each commence our burnouts. I was known for these ridiculously smokey burnouts, so I proceeded to put on a show. All of a sudden right as I am pulling up to the start, the Vega launches and is gone. Now, I have heard of some cheating starts, but this was beyond the norm. Then my buddy runs over to the passenger side and tries to get back in the car. The surrounding smoke only adds to the confusion and as I struggle to undo my harness and reach for the door, all of a sudden he does a 180 and starts running away. What the hell is going on? I sit up, look in my rearview, and there like he had been there all along is a member of the LAPD, gun drawn with his cruiser parked right behind my car with the full light show. Basically what happened is, while I was performing my glorious burnout - the cops pulled up and I didn't even see them because of the smoke.

    Needless to say, I began to beg for the cop's mercy. I explained that I was driving my dad's car without permission and that he was going to kill me if it got impounded. I explained that this was my first time in the Valley and that I had succumbed to the peer pressure brought on by my friends. I think I may have even tried to well up a fake teer or two. The cop chasticed me for about 10 minutes about the dangers of illegal street racing, he then proceeded to write me the dreaded excessive exhaust noise ticket. It ended costing me $2.99 for the steel wool to stuff in the tailpipes and $15 for the ticket. I miss being an outlaw!
     
  27. THAT'S a great response.:D I was just making an observation. But, now, with your XLNT comeback, I'm glad I did;)
     
  28. BottleBob
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 157

    BottleBob
    Member

    Enzo:

    Heh, in later years when my BottleBob handle was as firmly attached to me as if it were tattooed on my forehead, my wife bought me a personalized license plate that said: BOTL BOB Ironically, it was for the ONE car I had that DIDN'T have nitrous - the Black '82 Camaro with the Gail Banks twin turbo setup that I've mentioned before. I just couldn't leave that turbo boost control dial on the dash alone. A head gasket spitting nightmare - well not a nightmare for me at the time - poor Groucho though. :)

    Winnetka and Prairie, eh? I used to work right there on Prairie at a Tool & Die shop, I'd often bring my brown Vette in on the weekends to do some esoteric machining experiments - and do test runs at Winnetka. At that time it deadended at the tracks, now it goes through - over or under the tracks.

    Beg for cops mercy? Awww you lucky dog. I think I only talked my way out of a ticket like ONCE in my life. I was the kind of person the cops just LOVED to write tickets for. Hippy looking with a long ponytail. They'd often write so much stuff they'd fill up the margin around the edge of the ticket.
    I got 64+ tickets in the day, I had 4 licenses, I'd rotate three of them when they'd get loaded up and were about to be revoked, I kept one clean for insurance purposes. This was before thumbprints were mandatory. Occupational hazard. Gee, I hope the statute of limitations has run out on all that. LOL
     
  29. enzo
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    enzo
    Member
    from CA

    Dude, you are a mad man! that is awesome. It goes over the tracks and we were racing just North of them. The drive in is a big multi plex type theater now. But my buddy (Nova guy) is building engines right there on Oso and Prairie. Check out his link. He too gave up the bottle and is making turbo's work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad8g9IfWxKI
     
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2009
  30. enzo
    Joined: Dec 15, 2008
    Posts: 15

    enzo
    Member
    from CA

    So here is one about mistaken identity. I grew in Agoura - small town right outside the vally. We within our crew there were four different characters that had black Iroc's. All of them were heavily modified but retained their stock appearance for obvious reasons. Well out of the four, one guy had thing for outrunning the cops in our town. We had found through a friend that the La Sheriffs adopted a policy in Agoura that if a chased sustained for more than 30 seconds on residential streets, the cops were to back off and let the "perp" go - as it was becoming increasingly dangerous for the small community we lived in. So one day Nova Tom and I are hanging in front of his house while he worked on his IROC at the time (pre-nova days) - the trans was out or something - Tom sure could blow his shit up a lot. Anyway, it's the middle of a Saturday afternoon and out of nowhere a cop car comes flying up to us - stops, and the deputy jumps out of the cruiser touches the engine block of the IROC and without a word jumps back in his car and takes off again. We were like WTF was that?

    Well about an hour passed and our other buddy pulls up and he looks a little stressed. We asked what was the matter and he exclaimed that he had outrun a cop after he tried pulling him over for speeding. The deputy apparantly had visited all four of the guys' houses, looking for the one who actually outran him. I think my buddy went into hiding for about a week - but he was never caught.
     

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