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History Anyone from NJ remember a car named "Running Scared"?

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by 56shoebox, Oct 28, 2015.

  1. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    In the late 60s, early 70s there was a white, five window coupe running around central New Jersey. It had "Running Scared" emblazoned on the doors. I believe it was a 32 Dodge. I think the owner lived in Avenel. Does anyone know anything about this car? To this day it still comes up in conversation at local car shows. Many ran against it, but no one could beat it.
     
  2. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    I guess there aren't any 60 something guys on here from Central NJ.
     
  3. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,442

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    No, thats not the case most likely..I remember cars that no one else does in my click..Seems I just happened to be around the times that they appeared..Some one will reply..
     
  4. You might consider rewriting your title to attract the right crowd.

    Charlie Stephens
     

  5. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Anyone? It also cruised Staten Island.
     
  6. Jimbo17
    Joined: Aug 19, 2008
    Posts: 3,959

    Jimbo17
    Member

    Contact Ray Soff better known as the "East Coast Rod and Custom Historian" at 201-796-8948 and leave your message on his recorder and he will get back to you.

    Ray is a New Jersey guy and I have never meet anyone who knows as much about cars from the late 50's up to the current time then Ray.

    I had a guy contact me from Arizona a few years ago asking me about the history of a 55 Chevy that they thought came from the east coast and I told him to call Ray.

    He called me back a few hours later and said after talking to Ray he found out about the cars complete history including names of all the people who have owned the car along with all the different colors the car had been painted over the years.

    The guy is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to car history.

    Jimbo
     
  7. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    Ray wouldn't know anything, it was a hotrod around in the early 70's. Built/owned by Jeff Waters. First car I saw that had aluminum heads on a big block Chevy. Yes, 32 Dodge or Plymouth. I worked with Jeff at Exxon Research and Engineering in the 80's-90's. After he sold it, he didn't build or own any more hot rods, though I bought a 66 Grand Prix off of him. He may have hung out with the Garden State Street Rods of the era, Too Tall John was a member, and used to post here a long time ago.
     
    lothiandon1940 and falcongeorge like this.
  8. mcsfabrication
    Joined: Nov 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,057

    mcsfabrication
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yes, it was Jeff Waters. Favorite memory of that car was we used to do a breakfast run (Garden State street rods) to Shartlotsville, Pa. He ran 5.13's in it, and couldn't keep up with the pack. I'm thinking he turned around and went home before we hit the Pa. line. It really was a nice car though.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  9. cheviac
    Joined: Apr 23, 2008
    Posts: 28

    cheviac
    Member
    from new jersey

    It was a Plymouth if I remember right. White with blue writing. It was a badass ride and I remember seeing it all over Middlesex county. There were some mentions and pictures of it on you tube and a site of Iselin. Yeah, I guess at 66 Im an old bastard, but definitely remember the car. Steve
     
  10. Pete L.
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 226

    Pete L.
    Member
    from New Jersey

    I remember the car very well, it was sort of off white no hood and chopped I believe. I recall the car being around it the early 1970's, McDonald's and Burger King saw their share of really slick street cars...there was also a black '65 GTO with that had a blown Chevy motor in it, no hood on the GTO either.

    Pete L.
     
  11. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Steve, Thanks for posting. I seem to remember the car was maybe a pearl white? I was about 13 years old when I used to see it around Woodbridge and Avenel. I remember eating at Varga's Drive-In (Rahway Ave, Woodbridge) after finishing my paper route one day and the car came into the parking lot. It was loud and bad ass. Varga's had the world's best root beer and chili dogs. LOL!!

    Mark, Thanks for identifying the mystery man who owned, what I think was, the baddest car in Middlesex County in the early 70's. Did Jeff paint the car yellow or did the guy he sold it to? I remember seeing a yellow coupe in 1976 in Woodbridge. Since I had never seen any other coupes like that in town I assume it was the same car.

    I've been told that a guy who owns a body shop on rte 130 in Yardville now owns the car and it is green.
     
    Bob Lowry and lothiandon1940 like this.
  12. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Steve,

    I'm going to see if I can find anything on Youtube, as you mentioned.
     
  13. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    The guy that owned the GTO lived down a side street (Van Buren Street) next to Stewart's Root Beer on St. George Ave. His name was Warren. I used to cruise the BK - MD circuit myself in 74-76. I had an off topic 68 Buick Gran Sport then.

    In the late 70's my friend bought a 67 Firebird from Rahway Pontiac that the dealership ran at the track under the name of "The Mystery Machine". It was a burnt orange.
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2016
  14. Pete L.
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 226

    Pete L.
    Member
    from New Jersey

    I went to school with Warren. There were also a pair of '68 or '69 Chevelles that were in the area at the same time ('72-'73) both jacked way up. One was red the other was blue, both with black vinyl roofs and Cragar wheels. I seem to remember that a husband and wife drove the cars.
     
  15. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Do you guys remember an early 60s, green Vette Gasser running around Woodbridge in the early 70s?
     
  16. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    You guys are just a few years older than me, I got my license in 74, and had a bunch of 55-7 Chevies, including a pretty badass 57 ragtop. Of course my, and my other buddies (the BelAirs) with Chevies, had cars that were "too new" to hang with the Garden State Street Rods. But I'd park on the street, by the Stewarts, and drool over their cars! Did most of my cruising between on Wood Ave, in Linden, but drove a circuit though Rahway, Clark, etc.
    The Wood Ave cruisers were Bob Maxim, 46 Ford, tunnel rammed, Bob Benko, 32-4 Plymouth couple, and the usual hot rod Nova's, Chevelles, and a 64 Camino "Bad Company". Once in a while saw Felix Pasquale's outrageously cany painted Camaro on St. Georges Ave.
    My 57: ( only tore up the streets for a year or so with it, it was stolen out of Raceway Park, June '79) mark_557_5 001.jpg
     
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  17. Pete L.
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 226

    Pete L.
    Member
    from New Jersey

    Green '62 I believe, with dk green coves ? Richie Szordos (spl) owned one that sometimes was jacked way up in the front and sometimes he'd change the set-up and drop it way down in the front end.
    I seem to recall slotted mags all around with very deep ones at the rear.
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2016
  18. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Pete, Was it blown? I only saw the car once and I seem to recall it bring blown. I was riding my 10 speed bike up Freeman Street when I heard it coming. That unmistakable whine. I stopped, turned my head and was like "holy shit look at that." LOL!!!

    Mark, I bet the neighbors just loved you doing burn outs on "their" street in your 57, which, btw, is very cool looking.
     
  19. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Pete, being a Woodbridge guy, do you remember when Greg "Hark" Gyenes rolled his Challenger and broke his neck drag racing on Blaires Road?
     
  20. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Do you guys remember the kid from Mauro Motors having that early Dodge P/U? It was all hot rodded up, painted yellow. It looked like it had a lot of money in it. He went to Colonia High, graduated around 74.
     
  21. Pete L.
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 226

    Pete L.
    Member
    from New Jersey

    Shoebox,
    Richie's car wasn't blown, it might have had steep gearing though !

    Pete L.
     
  22. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Pete,

    Yes!!! That's right. That is the car.
     
  23. Pete L.
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 226

    Pete L.
    Member
    from New Jersey

    Shoe,

    I was on a Little League team with "Hark" and went to High School with him as well.

    Pete L.
    Shoe,

    At the risk of hogging up the thread. I recall a chopped pale yellow coupe that had rear fenders that ran into fading toward the front running boards, and had a slant six motor. It was around in the early 1970's as well. I don't know who owned it though.

    Pete L.
     
  24. mcsfabrication
    Joined: Nov 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,057

    mcsfabrication
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yellow coupe was Dave Bellek, from Rahway. '32 5 window, turned into a 3 window. Couldn't sell it like that so put a Chevy in it, and painted it red. Sold.
     
    Pete L. likes this.
  25. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    Last night I drove an hour north to attend a downtown cruise in Woodbridge. It used to be a good cruise, well that's another discussion. Anyway, a guy in his late fifties is looking at my ModelA and I noticed he had on an old t-shirt with a photo of "Running Scared" on it. That started a whole conversation about the car, the legend. LOL!!!!!! He couldn't believe that someone else, after all these years, remembers the car. He commented on how he is probably the only person with the shirt, and it wasn't even his car. I agreed and we both laughed. Oh well, I guess it was one of those you had to be there moments.
     
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  26. JimmyD3234
    Joined: Dec 3, 2015
    Posts: 616

    JimmyD3234
    Member
    from PA

    AND YES IT WAS A 32PLY. 3w/d with a BB/CHEVY with T/RAM with 2x4 the car was sold back in the day my bother know him they met on the streets of woodbrige my bother had a ORANGE 1940 ford pickup THE GOOD DAYS COOL TIMES WE HAD IT ALL AND NOW JUST B/S WITH LOL :cool::cool::cool:
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  27. Pete L.
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 226

    Pete L.
    Member
    from New Jersey

    Jimmy,
    Did you race the Orange 1940 Ford Pick-up at the Old Bridge Speedway drags ?
     
  28. 56shoebox
    Joined: Sep 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,106

    56shoebox

    I stumbled upon an article about The Iselin Fair. The author is unknown. In the article he reminisces about his encounter with Running Scared. Here is an excerpt from the article.

    "While sitting in my cage at the top of the Bullet while it stopped to load the bottom car, I was facing Flips and desperately trying to regain my composure. Above the din of the fair, I heard a loud rumbling. It sounded like thousands of metal garbage cans falling from the sky and bouncing off the ground. Holding on as tight as I could, I leaned forward and scanned the area trying to find the source of this intense sound. There it was directly in front of me, a gleaming white old hot rod stuck in traffic between me and Flips. I was frozen like a deer in headlights. The words "Running Scared" were boldly written in very large letters across the side of the car. A rainbow of lights from the fair rides reflected off it’s shiny paint and it’s angry-sounding engine that looked much too large for the car. Beneath it’s chopped top, I could not see the people inside, which only added to it’s mystique. This was no showroom-bought, cookie-cutter, racing striped hot rod that I saw on T.V. commercials. This was the real deal. I had always thought cars like this were only in magazines or some mythical town in California. My heart started racing; a feeling you only have a few times in your life. It was surreal. After wanting so badly to be on the bullet, at that moment I wished I was on the
    ground so I could run over and get a closer look."
     
    alanp561, Pete L. and lothiandon1940 like this.
  29. JimmyD3234
    Joined: Dec 3, 2015
    Posts: 616

    JimmyD3234
    Member
    from PA

    the 40 pickup was my brother truck at one time it had sbf that came out and a 65 GTO motor with 3x2 4speed 9in then it was sold he move to calf. don't know anything about the truck he would like to have back as I just pick up a 40 pickup oooo that 65 GTO GOT a BIG/B IN IT and he still has it today he move to NY and open up a shop I just got some pics of the 40 pick the little orange crate that was my brother truck LOL
     
  30. blacknova
    Joined: Jan 20, 2017
    Posts: 2

    blacknova





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