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Brooklyn, NY Infamous Street Racers Back in the Day

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by NITROFC, Jul 19, 2008.

  1. Magnus
    Joined: Apr 30, 2006
    Posts: 904

    Magnus
    Member
    from Sweden

    THat's my alltime favorite race car, right there. S&M sold it to whiskey billionarie son Bell in London who later sold it to Sweden. I loved sitting on the grandstand and see Brooklyn Heavy kicking the shit out of any opponents. Undergoing restoration now but the owner can't afford the original 16 plug hemi yet. Oh. I crewed on the car when it was owned by two guys in Malmo/Sweden. A dream came through for me.
     
  2. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

  3. zodiac matt
    Joined: Jun 29, 2008
    Posts: 149

    zodiac matt
    Member

    thats some cool stuff
     
  4. I ran a few times on the BQE with my 65 GTO ... got beat up bad to some guy with a small block Vega lost my money and my buddies money, Cross Bronx .. Westside Highway NYC..,
    Ran Avenue P Newark NJ often, Till Johnny Law would come and open all the fire hydrants and flood the streets.....
    RT 21 Rutts Hutt, Rt 21 Rain-e-Day Drags at the "Dream Boat Lounge" Newark NJ, Westside Ave North Bergen NJ , and of course RT 19 and 20 Paterson NJ,.....

    Then I saw the light!
     
  5. Del Clark
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 631

    Del Clark
    Member
    from DeLand,FL

    Those damn 426 Hemis were bad hombres! I've had several...but very tempermental!
     
  6. beefeater
    Joined: Sep 25, 2006
    Posts: 21

    beefeater
    Member

    So I came to find out some Brooklyn racing history by chance when I blew up my bike upon arrival to Williamsburg. I was, how do you say...fucked, 3 hours from home and in need. I happened to find some old cat "NY Slick," Dude is an old school bike mechanic with more race and hop-up stories then your peg-legged great uncle. After a few hours shootin the breeze I came to learn that Slick had been doing it to bikes and cars since the time (I'm guessing) when these photos were shot, if not earlier. Long story short, if you're in the Williamsburg area with with a ride thats roached, or not, try to find Slick, he's got a little shop with about 20 bikes in disrepair out front, all old, most japanese and sit down for a while, you might just learn something...
     
  7. gotwood
    Joined: Apr 6, 2007
    Posts: 264

    gotwood
    Member
    from NYC

    CONNECTING HWY was in Queens in Astoria. Astoria Park in later 70's and 80's was car heaven before the races.

    Laurlel Hill was an outright racetrack some nights.

    In Brooklyn what was the street name??? Near Pennsylvania Ave?

    Willets Point near Shea Stadium had some crazy what we called "Roach Races" that were Spanish guys going at it with Imports way before Imports were popular. Some crazy races there!! Saw a guy roll a Datsun wagon with his family in there. The crowd rolled it on it's wheels and they drove off.

    Doms??? where was that shop?
     
  8. NYfatboy
    Joined: Oct 5, 2005
    Posts: 247

    NYfatboy
    Member

    Brooklyn was Fountain avenue
     
  9. Toymaker
    Joined: Mar 26, 2006
    Posts: 3,924

    Toymaker
    Member
    from Fresno,CA

    Thanks for link Troublemaker', Cool site. Sure brings back the memories of getting the latest issue of SS&DI back when I was a kid to see what was new with Pro Stock. Damn them HEMI Colts had to be an 'E' ticket ride:D
     
  10. storm king
    Joined: Oct 16, 2007
    Posts: 1,989

    storm king
    Member

    I think Ronnie Lyles is dead, I think Broklyn Heavy went to prison years ago, could be out now. Anybody know the outcome of any of these guys besides my two recollections?
     
  11. Last time I saw Brooklyn Heavy was At a cruise nite on Hyland Bvd. Staten Island,quite a few years back
     
  12. maniac
    Joined: Jul 11, 2005
    Posts: 539

    maniac
    Member

    Brooklyn was also 1st ave (Marginal street) by the docks, and 3rd ave under the Gowanus expy.

    Then there was Mitchells drive-in on 86th street and 7th ave.

    Cops used to open the fire hydrants to keep us from racing, got a few "defective muffler" tickets for open headers back then...........29 cents a gallon gas:eek:
     
  13. monsterflake
    Joined: May 13, 2003
    Posts: 3,763

    monsterflake
    Member

  14. Newark NJ PD used to do the same on Avenue P,Here is the Connecting Highway Kill Stickers as mentioned earlier hopefully it loads ok
     

    Attached Files:

  15. hechto
    Joined: Oct 24, 2007
    Posts: 5

    hechto
    Member

    Ronnie Lyles has passed away. Heavy is a free man again. He has paid some heavy dues.
     
  16. NITROFC
    Joined: Apr 17, 2001
    Posts: 6,175

    NITROFC
    BANNED

    Heavy spent some long times behind bars ..I remember when the Feds busted him for $$$
    Laundering and a few other things and his P/S went out on the auction block... I think Carman Rotunda purchased the Car,Olynick Box truck and a few Motors then might have gone to Charlie Castaldo


    [​IMG]


    Hey Norman .... drop me a line on day
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2008
  17. NITROFC
    Joined: Apr 17, 2001
    Posts: 6,175

    NITROFC
    BANNED

    Here are a few early shots of BROOKLYN HEAVY ..AKA : Rufus Boyd
     

    Attached Files:

    Deuces likes this.
  18. KeithDyer
    Joined: Mar 26, 2007
    Posts: 193

    KeithDyer
    Member

    NITROFC and all the rest, thanks, great posts.

    Here in podunk, we used to hear about all this going on.

    Y'all brought if back to life.

    Thanks, K
     
  19. Misaeus
    Joined: Jul 18, 2008
    Posts: 17

    Misaeus
    Member

  20. Motion bird
    Joined: Jul 29, 2008
    Posts: 50

    Motion bird
    Member

    Heavy also bought Grumpy Jenkin's 68 Camaro which is the car that won the first ever Prostock race at the 70 winternationals.There have ben all sorts of explanations as to what happened to it.People who saw the feds removing cars from Heavy's shop say the car wasnt there.Somebody said that Heavy told them that the car was at his"down south" house and the cops got it there.Some say it was the car that Carime Rotunda later raced,and others say it was sold to a guy named Roger Sylvestry and later wrecked in a trailering accident.Since any mortal remains of this car could be used as a foundation to restore a potentially multi million dollar car,I have made it my business to try and find it.

    I have been street racing in the NYC area for almost 20 years,and there are a lot of big time players out there that keep things just as exciting or even moreso then they were back in the day.
     
  21. MOPARJANNE
    Joined: Aug 14, 2008
    Posts: 1

    MOPARJANNE
    Member
    from Sweden

    Hello. I have the Brooklyn Heavy Duster since 10 years back. It is in very fine condition and will be restored to originally paint as good as I can. There are many strange photos around. Is it one car or two? Extended rear wheel openings one year and not next year? Acid dipped? Not my Duster. Filled with foam? Not my Duster. My Duster is the one that Mullen raced in UK 1974 and he claims the engine was a stroker, 440+. I have a US magazine from -72 with "This is Heavy" where the Duster is built up by S & M. Many items are missing, Titanium K-member and pedals etc. Perhaps S & M took out some parts before the car was sold to UK. I know the "original" Hemi is in Stockholm but how much is "original"? Where is the stroker crank? Replaced/rebuilt heads? Oil system is in one place, Scintilla magnet an other place, I have the cromeed headers etc. My plan is to run it with a 572 wedge, motor from my Charger-69. It cranks about 1050 hp, enough for a scaring ride I think. / Jan T.
     
  22. benjy58
    Joined: Dec 18, 2008
    Posts: 3

    benjy58
    Member

    I remember all this. Does anyone have any New York National Speedway pictures or anything from Westhampton and Islip 1/8th mile track. I used to go with my brother on Sundays (we were supposed to be in church). We would see the Brute or Coney Island Ralph. Also the Mopar "Alcoa Presents" and all sorts of stockers from super stock to N stock.
     
  23. Rossodino34
    Joined: Dec 21, 2006
    Posts: 80

    Rossodino34
    Member

    In Newark NJ in the late 60's it was Levi in his 55 Chevy on Rt 20. Now if you get on the I-78 frontage road coming out of Newark Airport, in front of the prison (nice part of town) look for the tell tale strips, the street is still alive and well.
     
  24. plym49
    Joined: Aug 9, 2008
    Posts: 2,802

    plym49
    Member
    from Earth

    There were a couple of other places to race. In Brooklyn, Cross Bay Boulevard. I lucked out there one night with my 50 Plymouth sleeper. But we were not in the heavy leagues like these guys; not even close.

    Another place in Queens was the Clearview Expressway. To this day the cops are notorious there and will ticket you for 52 in a 50.

    Also the section of the BQE that feeds the Verrazano. Back in the day this road was empty.

    Afterwards, time for a Wetson's or an ice cream sundae at Hinsch's, or Jack's bar at 3rd and 75th.
     
  25. long island vic
    Joined: Feb 26, 2002
    Posts: 2,193

    long island vic
    Member

    wasnt grumpys 68 the one that they reskined to make it a 69 in a hotrod article
     
  26. I don't think so. I think the 68 (Grumpy's Toy IV)was raced up to and including 1970, when it was altered to compete in the new Pro Stock category. As it was more competitive than his 69 and 70 Camaros. That's what I came up with when I built a tribute to his 68 about 13 years ago. I even, nervously talked to Jenkins a few times on the phone about it
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2008
  27. streetfreakmustang
    Joined: Nov 30, 2006
    Posts: 307

    streetfreakmustang
    BANNED
    from Ohio

    No, that was the Wally Booth Rat pack car.
     
  28. They used the BQE, in the 60's.
     
  29. They used Hwy22 in the late 50s,by the Caddilac car hop (near the Flagship). I remember it made headlines when traffic was stopped to race and the police were caught in the traffic jamb. I would go and watch, had a stock 55 Ford convert.
     

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