Like a lot of you I too waited each month for the latest magazine that had an article, picture or some such thing about Mikey Thompson. To me that long blue machine was the ultimate, and I guess at the time it was. Somewhere, and I couldn't find it using a search, on the H.A.M.B. is a picture of the Challenger being towed on an open trailer by a '59 Pontiac (what else?) station wagon. I thought that was a cool picture.
Strange about this thread, just last this week I spent an evening researching MT's life, and death. He was the ultimate hot rodder, did it all in his garage w/out prints, plans, etc. One of the articles I found was by a guy who said he was at the 2 or 3 mile marker when MT shifted those 4 Pontiac's-like 4 shifts! Said it was totally incredible to hear. BTW, MT and his wife were both executed in their driveway by 2 dudes they never caught. A really sad story. cooger
Supposedly the two main suspects of the actual shooting were mysteriously found dead of gunshot wounds... Three can keep a secret if two are dead.
A navy buddy was Mickey's neighbor before he was famous, we went over for a tune up and I got some bad feelings about his "better than you attitude" I carried those feelings for years. I now realize how focused he was and probably better than most of us. Wish I had a chance to go back to being 20 and know what I know now. I was in the middle of many of histories Hot Rod Super Stars of the 30's thru 70's. unfortunatly for me, they were just regular people back then.
so have it done now... i'd be willing to bet you could get sponsorship from someone to fund the transfer to digital
This is true, Sad,but true ! Cook's Machine Work's-Cyclone Racing Equipment did that powertrain-coupling set up and all of the driveline work. Cook, Fritz Voight and Mickey drew that cars layout on the floor of the shop and Cook explained just all of this would work using La Salle side shift transmissions, I believe 2 of them. (3 of those trans are still at the shop, I have em slated for a future project,you can see one in the background in the movie DOS). When Mickey publicly stated that he had driveline failure, it made Cook look bad,when in actuality it was one of the Ponchos,sucking a valve or some other valve train failure. When Jim Travis restored the Challenger the drive was the thing that didn't warrant restoration, It was deemed in great shape. When you're being sponsored by a GM Division, you don't want to rock the boat, especially when they are paying the whole tab. So Cook's lost out on that deal most of the way around, as all Cook ended up with for all of that work and 4 quickies (2 driven in reverse), was a used air compressor that some other sponsor gave Mickey - All is not lost here though as if Mickey was the Fastest Piston Driven Man on Earth, Then we have and MFG the Fastest Driven Quickchanges on Earth-. Who else can make that claim.
Great story Kevin. I had not realized that Cook did the drive train on the Challenger. Thanks for posting the info.
The Jalopy Journal
