Event Coverage Remember the Gatlinburg, Tennessee Rod run

I went to this event quite a few times and the last couple years 80-81 were plagued with trouble. People throwing lawn chairs off motel balconies on police cars. Crowds moving into the streets leaving only one lane and surrounding cars in that lane pouring beer under the rear wheels demanding burnouts. I got a free shower compliments of the fire dept. and I really don't know what prompted them turning the hose on the crowd.

 

lewis youngs 29,i was at hie son hank young shop today

 

Remembering Gatlinburg again. I was looking at the 1973 video and at 3:50 there is a T-Bucket dragster which I believe was built and driven there by Chuck Mack of Charlotte, a very talented artist and car builder. What made it look so odd was the lack of a radiator while cruising around in it. It had people scratching their heads.

 

Our first trip there in 1970 also reminds me of how lucky I was. I had just purchased a complete supercharged 368 cubic inch small block Chevy engine out of a BB/GS '41 Willys and installed it in my '33 Essex Terraplane convertible (my avatar) and other than switching the Enderle Bug Catcher fuel injection for 2 four-barrel carbs left it alone, roller cam included, and drove it 250 miles each way but needed to stop and gas up every 75 miles. I had literally just finished the engine change and test drove it a couple times before loading up for the trip. I just didn't worry about having any problems due to youth and inexperience. I also drove it back there in '71 and '72. Everyone DROVE their cars to Gatlinburg back then. Just a few trailered. I had NO problems with that engine the 3 years it was in the Essex. Had to adjust the valves and change plugs quite often though.
You can see it in the 1973 video at 4:48 after I had replaced the small block with a supercharged 427 Chevy I built for the street. I installed a Sig Erson hydraulic cam which took away the need for frequent valve adjustments. I ran that engine for 5 years before replacing it with a stock 454, which was in it in the avatar.

 

Here's a short article and a few pictures (pgs. 17 - 19) on how it started and ended if anybody's interested?

https://issuu.com/gearheadgazzette/docs/vol_14_-_issue_2_-_gearhead_gazzett/16

Hard to believe 40+ years have passed.