Folks Of Interest REED Cams Decatur Avondale Georgia

While working there I built a 427 Chev for a 67 Camaro that I drove every day. It was built from left over junk that was not good enough for the race motors but it was low buck and made a very fast street motor. While working there I was able to work on a few really special engines like SOHC 427 Ford and a couple 426 Hemi s
One thing I remember that I thought was funny is the dirt track boys would have us over bore one side of the engine and not the other. They knew if they won and got checked that they would remove only one head and it was their way to cheat a little. Funny thing was they all did it but none wanted the other to know.

 

I sold the dragster to the guy when they were on New St.I ran the Reed big block cam with a .702 lift flat tappet cam.Like I say I'm now running a reground flathead cam that they di a couple years ago.

 

we used a 425 lift reed cam in our enduro car. we ran at seven flags speedway in douglasville ga.the 425 lift was what the rules said we had to use.i still have a new cam int he box.we were told to run 1.6 rockers.i neaver had much money and always ran every bodys junk parts.finally got the new reed cam and the first nite out i went from running in the back to finishing second that nite.i will neaver forget the green flag was waveing and i smashed the gas pedal and started passing cars.the engine pinned me back in the seat like neaver before.i think it was 1989. you could buy a 60 over 4 bolt main sun engine short block for 290$ those were the fun days of racing for me.open rules forces alot of us to watch from the fence.

 

This company claims to still be producing Reed camshafts in-house:

http://www.southeastrt.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=9822

 

I have ran Reed cams in the past and they were a great product. They were also some of the nicest people you will ever do business with. The "Dennis" that has been mentioned in this thread is Dennis Doeschle. I used to deal with Dennis exclusively, great guy.

When they closed their doors, all of the employees went their seperate ways, and I lost track of them. Dennis was doing work at another shop building engines, but that's the last I heard. Thanks for posting the link, bajones238. I think that's where Dennis and a few of the other guys wound up. I'll give 'em a ring and find out.

A lot of the big race teams used to use Reed as their "secret" cam grind shop. Reed Cams was a small family business, but they had some really sharp guys who knew cam theory and how to make horsepower. The current theme of today's cam companies is to grind cams strictly for the sound, but Reed didn't care how it sounded, they cared about how it worked, and their reputation in racing proved it.

Thanks for posting this thread. It's good to know that there are other folks out there who remember Reed the way I do.

 

Back in the late 70s early 80s I worked for Zima, and Allis Machine. The engine builder back then was Jerry Kulwicki. The shop (located in Milwaukee Area) did alot of USAC, dirt late model and asphalt short track stuff.. B.B. And S.B.C., Hemi and small block chrysler, Ford F.E. Stuff. I learned a lot from those gentleman. Oh did I mention the only cam on the shelf was Reed!....

 

Dynaflash or others, Was John Reed ever located in North Carolina in the 60s?

 

I am led to believe that this fellow may have worked for Reed Cams.
http://demoscams.com/

 

Yep, Steve Demos was another one of the sharp guys working for Reed for many years. I'm glad to see that he is still grinding cams.

 

...and, he's practically in our back yard. Thanks for the info guys.

 

Interesting thread.

 

Tony, please call me. I can't get you on your phone!

 

Not that I know of but there is plenty of REED history that I am unaware of.


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When I first went to work there the machine shop was run by Tommy Porter. He had a 55 chev with a 6-71 blower under the hood. A Pontiac rear axle and 4 speed. I believe it was a big block but not sure. It ran skinny tires with small hub caps and was generally a beater but man was it fast. There was another guy that worked there that drive a green 69 road runner with a factory 426 hemi. We had no idea of the value of that car. His name was Mark Ruprecht and I found out he passed away a couple years ago at the young age of 55


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It is unbleavible how many southern circle track racers are on the HAMB. It guess it that old saying "" birds of the feather flock together" As per the post of bore one side of the engine over bore I had one that was 4 plus 60 on all but no 2 and it was sleaved down to 3 and 7/8 it would P&G less than 307. Got by with it 3 times before getting busted. I still have a old Reed cam decal on my oldest roll around tool box.

 

there's a hamb'er on here that has reed sticker repo's i got some from him cause im runnin a reed cam.....

 

There are some on EBay also. May be the same guy? But they are a different design form what REED had 35 years ago


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There are some on EBay also. May be the same guy? But they are a different design form what REED had 35 years ago


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I just picked up a 60 belair, used to race down Dekalb back in the day.

Here is a link to the car, some of you may remember it from back in the day

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785104

Got this with it, apparently it is still in there :

 

I found this thread on a Google search and joined the forum. It was good to read all the nice comments about John Reed and Reed Cams. I worked at Reed Cams for over 30 years. I would be glad to share any additional information of interest with the members.

 

Ingram,did you know Jimmy Wilson?
He died a few years ago,a great guy and a friend of mine.
He worked for Reed,and everywhere else!

 

I did know Jimmy. I forget the exact time he worked there, but he had a Corvette at the time (thinking it was white). He came to Georgia from South Carolina (Columbia, I think). Sad to hear that he died.

 

I also have a friend that worked there, john lee, not to mention , a friend and I built a dirt track car in the 80's and john cut us a special cam for the car 350 sbc iron double hump heads, we ran this car three years at Athens speedway, afew years ago I bought a 31 ford to build a drag/ hotrod. called my friend who races a 49 hudson currently. and told him about it and he said he still had our old circle track motor sitting in the back of an old truck under his shed did I want it, long story short, that old motor, last weekend at Reynolds ga. drags runwhatyoubrung ran a12.13 at 104 mph on its first ever pass since it was retired from that dirt car 25 years ago and it still has the REED cam in it..the driver made a couple mistakes so im expecting a 11.50 car in the future at Atlanta $10,000 drags..........thanks bobby turner

 

I also lost my cam card and have no clue what grind I have and would love to know if you have any idea.... thanks

 

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<HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->http://youtu.be/1KVtB1QX0Dk my run with the REED cammed motor dirt track motor
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Very cool thread. I had heard of them but never looked them up. Certainly didn't know they were here in GA . . . I'll have to see what steve demos is up to, I practically drive by his house everyday going to/from work.

 

Steve is grinding camshafts (http://demoscams.com/). He can grind many of the Reed profiles and also give you the data on Reed camshafts with no timing card.

 

What's the grind number? If I can't help you, Steve Demos probably can.

 

yep,that was Jimmy.
He had a heart attack and fell over dead.
He worked as a consultant to lots of nascar teams just a few years ago,suspension stuff mostly.
He worked for all 3 Earnharts too.
65yo.

 

Hey DYNAFLASH here. I started this post and glad to see it still alive. I left REED in about 1975 so I do not know many of the employees past then. Great to hear from you guys
Thanks for posting


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