So this afternoon after leaving work I was on a Craigslist hunt for a fully machined 400 sbc block with fitted forged pistons...It took me to a part of town that is not on the San Diego Tourist brochures I pulled to the side of the road at the prescribed address , there wasn't any side walks so I parked in the dirt in a cloud of dust. By the way I was driving my daily driver 56 chevy pick up . I sat there with the engine Idling and pulled my cell phone out to text the seller I was at the address ...Do you ever have the feeling someone is staring at you? I look to my right , and there's this kid 7 or 8 years old sitting on the wall next to my truck looking right in my passenger side window ,smiling from ear to ear giving me the spin your tires signal! You know the same one they give you in the burn out box I just started laughing and shook my head no..Honestly there was too many other kids walking home from school or I might have obliged him So I backed my truck into the sellers driveway and theres the little guy again giving me the signal again. THAT LITTLE DUDE MADE MY DAY!! maybe there's hope for the future?
My dads best friend, I affectionately call Uncle Tony made picket signs for his two sons to hold up at cruise nights reading Burn-em if you got-em! With a picture of a funny car doing a smokey burnout. The two of them would wave them at cars leaving the Mickey's (local burger joint) and I would say they got a lot of guys to light the tires.
I got the "Signal" one time from a group of cub scouts that damn neer got me in a alot of trouble...a bunch of years back there was a Jerry Lewis telethon being held at the local Chevrolet dealership in town and there was a group of cub scouts doing a car wash thing and some of us guys from our car club had our cars on display and we helped with the car wash also...the evening past by and most all the guys from our group had gone home around three in the morning not much going on and starting to get a bit cold I fired up my roadster ,27 T with a Ford 427 and dual fours, let it warm up a little , I had been taking some of the scouts for rides through out the evening so they were kind of gathered around the car when I pulled out into the street so I blurped the throttle a little and headed for home in doing so that put me sitting on the main hwy through town at a stop light that was just a cross from the Chevrolet lot I look over and all them scouts where given me the "Signal" so I take a look around its past 3AM no cars any direction so I step on the brake a bit harder bring the rpm's up just enough to get the tires broke lose and spinning ....the light turns green ...smash the go pedal and went a little distance then had to get on the brakes ,my turn of was just a short few blocks down the hwy, and as I was turning right off the hwy I caught a reflection of red and blue's in a store window I look over my shoulder as I'm making the turn and all I could see was a cop car blasting through the wall of tire smoke... I pulled over..shut the car down and step out the cops walking up to me with kind of a smirk on his face and slowly shaking his head side to side stops stands there not saying anything then starts by telling me that it was a good thing we did , me and the other guys from the club, helping out with the telethon and then told me that I originally got his attention when I pulled out and blurped it ,but he let that one go ,but then he goes on to say that when I was observed sitting at the stop light and all the scouts where given me the you know....he said to his partner you think he is going to do it ... partner says no he's got to see us here and that he should of took him up on it because then you went and did it....then asked did you even see me .. I asked where he says right behind the gas pumps at the 76 station on the corner... I was basically about 20 feet from him...then he says I wasn't even going to do anything if you just would have taken off without continuing to spin your tires but then you go and launch the thing ,but you did keep between the lines,and after that I had to stop you and ask what the hell you were thinking.... I couldn't think of anything good in return ...we talked about the car a little then he asked if I was done for the night then he informed me that I was done for the night/morning and to get me and the car home safely or the next telethon will be to raise money for my bail.... I thanked him got in my car and slowly continued home....what a night....sorry to ramble but it was a night to remember.... Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I was riding with a friend in his flatty T Bucket one day when a couple young dudes gave us the signal and one yelled 'Mat the gas, bro!'. That was epic.
In my day in our neck of the woods it was just about any stop sign. There it was in big block letters STOP. To us that meant Spin Tires On Pavement. Ralphie
I can not take the coupe anywhere without young and old giving me the signal. No wonder I always need new tires.
In my small town there is a religious group that used to stand on the sidewalk in front of a bank building every Friday evening and preach about how everyone else is headed for hell. (Only the men were allowed to preach, the younger guys and boys watched and learnt) (No women allowed). It the younger boys would often give the signal and enjoy the hellbound people that would indulge. The kids of that group still give me the signal, but I just tell them "it can't....not enough power!"
We had a neighbor who lived on the other end of our street, who had a brand new first-year Road Runner. Every time he drove past there was a loud chorus of "Peel!" from all of us kids, and he would leave a foot long strip of rubber on the pavement, all summer long in 1968
In my small town growing up, the cops would only allow us to do burnouts at stop signs with a white banding around them. If you went to another town you best behave no matter who told you to light em up. Denny
My driveway and the road in front of my house looks a little like the starting line of a drag strip. I give the signal to everyone who visits me. Also if I'm in the driveway or garage, people will slow down to see what I'm working on. So I give them the signal too. Alot of the time they will stop and peel out. Even a kid in a mini van, smiled and burned out. I think most people know the peel out signal. I get it all the time, and if it's safe, I can't resist barking the tires, and I have the paper work to prove it! lol
Ed Hale built one of the small blocks for a late model I was crewing with about 20 years ago... I miss his goofey suit he wore when he raced his Pinto! Cool dude, I miss him. Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I oblige the signal most anytime I get it, doesn't take much twisting of my arm to set the tires on fire..lol Once while picking up the son from school in the Henry J I was making a right on the fly onto a 6 lane divided by a Jersey barrier. As I'm scanning the upcoming turn I catch a guy waiting to turn left on the other side of the Jersey barrier giving me the signal. I immediately slam the J down into first at the same time I'm opening up those dual quads sitting on the tunnel ram, 4.56 gears with a spool and a big converter ignites the tires. I was aiming for the middle lane of that 3 lane before I seen the guy, now my ass end is sliding out towards the barrier, the front is on the inside of that middle lane and I'm fighting the wheel. As I'm getting it straightened out I look over the barrier at the guy for a split second and all I remember is his ear to ear smile and thumbs up, then the voice of my elementary school son saying "what's that for" ...ha ha ha
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