Features Corvette hot rods - picture thread

Jason, when those pictures came up they really made my day. A bunch of great pics for one but the Midwest B/A Vette really made my day. I remember that car in a like a tool shed at a cemetery off of Woodward in 68, I believe. Made my day seeing this great shot. Gianino and Go-Rilla (Boschma) were cars that I loved to watch every time they lined up, so any pictures of them are appreciated.

It appears to be Bill Coon in the far lane with Gianino in front of the tower. In 67 when these pictures were taken Coon was running his 427 Ford Thunderbird in B/MSP so maybe it was an eliminator run. Coon was running strong at the time and had won the Winternationals that year in B/MSP.

 

I didn't know that Ed Laramie drove a Midwest Corvette. I remember him having a 56? Pontiac M/P car and a great looking daughter. Looks like the Vette has the front axle pushed forward. Was that the car with the 25% setback? @jimdillon ?

I'd like to see a picture of Janet Laramie, since I lost my H.S. yearbook in a flood.

 

Bruce, I do not remember too much about him. I remember the name but that is about it. You may be correct on the mid 50s Pontiac. I seem to remember Maskin driving one so maybe they were the same car.

Sadly I do not remember seeing the car run although I wish I had. I remember the car because one sunny Saturday in 68 I went with the guys I hung with (who also ran a 57 Vette in B/G) and we kind of went on a tour of some of the Woodward garages and saw several old Vettes and other race cars. There was a red 57 Midwest Vette that I thought had a big block and I believe this was the car. It was in a tool shed (or maintenance garage) at a Woodward cemetery. For years I thought I dreamt it and guys said it must have been Gianino but I knew Gianino's car pretty well and knew it wasn't and I really liked big blocks at the time.

The blue 62 had the 25% setback and I do not believe this car has any setback. I believe the thing that dumped it into altered is the hairpins on the front. My chopped top car has the same setup and I believe it ran altered early on but later ran gas when the NHRA relaxed the rules. In 67 when this car ran, the rules required a full production type suspension system commonly used by auto manufacturers. Altered only required a full automotive type suspension. I have dealt with this thought before when trying to figure out the chopped top car.

It also appears to have the front axle moved forward which also may have been the kiss of death as to running in modified sports (and it had zero chance of running in modified production with that front suspension).

Somewhere I have a note on the guys that worked at the cemetery and the car apparently morphed into the Littleton red 57 that had a flip front clip.

Super cool car. It was simply amazing the cool cars that ran out of Midwest and the immediate Woodward area (which includes Teddy Boschma).

 

Rich Maskin had a 56 'Canadian' Pontiac. There was some speculation as to weather it was a Pontiac body on a Chevy frame, or a Chevy engine in a Pontiac. I can tell you for certain that the engine was definitely a SBC, as I bought the headers (Mr. J's fenderwell) and ran them on my 55 Chevy. I think the Laramie Pontiac used a Pontiac engine. They would have been running at the same time (1964-65) so I believe they were two different cars.
I don't know what combination of parts real Canadian Pontiacs used.
For those who don't know, Rich Maskin was founder or co-founder of Dart heads.

 

Bruce you are probably correct as I did not follow the Pontiacs as much as you may have. I do remember a black 57 Pontiac that ran Woodward without the front bumpers that was really a great looking and running car. I liked it so much I considered buying one.

As you know the other Midwest 57 originally had both 389 and 421 Pontiacs before they switched to the BBC. Pontiacs were the hot ticket for awhile and Ron Reader cared more for how quick and fast the car ran moreso than whether it was a Chevy or Pontiac.

 

Wasn't too shabby with those little cars from Kenosha too!

 

Denny I was just going to say that but I was gonna say Rambler! I sold my Willys sedan to a guy in Kenosha.

Pat

 

1953 Chevrolet Corvette WOOD

 

The buck/plug for the molds for the original Corvette

Roo

 

My mind is officially boggled. I wonder if that still exists or some G.M. exec took it home to burn in his fireplace?

 

If it exist I would love for it to show up at the Corvette Museum.


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I would love to know why those wheel wells where cut out like that and never really finished imo
on such an otherwise beautiful car. Jim did you notice the black 62 behind Big Johns? It also seems to be running BM/SP and seems to have something shiny sticking through the hood.

Pat

 

^^^ can't you get this thing running? - I have a hair appointment to get to!

 

Jim, these are from the same source.

 

Pat I have thought about that black 62 for ages. Mazmanian had #36 for the 62 Winternationals and the big winner of the meet as far as Corvettes went was Mike Lenke's fuel injected black 62. I have tried to make out what it says on the window but it appears to have SP below the line. Whatever it says above the line is still a mystery to me. If I could make out the number on the glass then it may help me identify the car. Of course if it was Lenke's car then he would not be allowed anything sticking through the hood. If that is Lenke's car then it may be that is something on the car in front of it?? Anyone have a good guess as to the car number?

Just to appreciate what Lenke did, he won class with a stock Corvette (A/SP) and then went on to defeat all of the modified cars (gas, modified sports, modified street roadsters) he raced to take the street eliminator title. It was a first and only for a stock Corvette to achieve such a feat. Earl Wade drove the car and he ran mid 12s at 112mph which is impressive IMO.

 

My guess as to why the Mazmanian wheel openings were cut like that was so that the pieces could be easily reinstalled at a later date.
Like I said, just a guess.

 

I imagine the car required less maintenance by comparison.


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