I’m looking for any information and especially photographs of the B/FX 1964 Impala that was run out of Loehman Chevrolet in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Waterbury</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Connecticut</st1:State></st1lace> in ’64 & ’65. It was yellow with a black stripe down the mid section of the sides of the car. It was originally a 409/425 but had an optional camshaft that came in a burlap bag in the trunk. I was 17 at the time and drove the tow truck for the dealership. I’ll never forget it. Al Oakes was the driver. His brother Dudley worked at the same dealership and he and Al hated each other and never spoke to one another. Dudley drove an <st1lace w:st="on">Anglia</st1lace> gasser with a 301 small block. The big Impala (non SS) ran low 12’s and just over 120 mph. It had virtually no modifications other than Stahl headers and ten inch slicks. It was ordered with no radio and heater delete. After it was retired Loehman put it on display on the showroom floor for a while then sent it to the body shop to be repainted and it was subsequently sold as a used car. I’ve been searching for years for a photograph of this car that I remember so well but there has been nothing so far. Al Oakes has to be quite old now if he’s still around at all. He knew Bill Jenkins who was known as “Jiggs” at the time. I ran my ’63 Impala SS 327/300 in D/S at Connecticut Dragway and Dover Drag Strip and won a lot of class wins. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> If anyone has any information on this car or especially pictures, please post them. They will be much appreciated.
I've got at least one color shot of it I took at Dove back I the day. We talked to Al Oakes a few times back then, he seemed a pretty good sort. Don't know if he's still kicking, but I heard Al, (no way I'll attempt to spell his three foot long Greek last name!) the old starter from Dover was.
My buddy had a Yenko Deuce that was sold from there... they were a Yenko network dealer, and sold many high performance cars. I'll ask my buddy if he has any info on the car you're referencing, or if he knows anyone who might.
One of the old timers I work with used to work in the body shop there I'll see if he knows anything about it.
Thank's so much! I'd love to just see it again. Old Al was a real trip. It was quite a sight seeing a 3800 pound car that was nearly stone stock turning those times back then. A group of us at Loehman once had to do an engine change because the block froze and cracked and we removed the old one in ten minutes. Eight guys. We timed it. Hope to see a picture. Thanks again.
The "Big Growler", as it was called, did run pretty good. But if you think it just had a set of headers on it to make it run in the low tweleves, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you. We ran at Dove just about every weekend from late '63 to early '65 with an occasional trip to lebanon Valley, Did mostly Dover again from '67, Connecticutt almost exclusively in '68, all over NED1 after that. Pro Stock from '70 until the Chrysler boycott.
I totally forgot about the name "Big Growler"! We never saw anything but stock Chevy parts go into it. It had 4:88's, 10 inch slicks and Stahl headers. As far as I know that was it. I could be wrong......totally forgot the name. Hope I can get to see some pictures of it. Thanks everyone.
Given the size and weight of a '63 SS, I'd say that's pretty impressive for a "baby" small block with the little 300hp cam. What mods did the car have?
When that car ran, if it had 10 inch tires on it it was running modified production or gas. 7 inch wide was as big a tire you could run on any stock or super stock car. If your tire was 7.25 inches, you were out of stock. The only stock cars that could run a 10 inch tire were sports cars, which coincidently classified as "modified sports" regardless whether they were stone stock or modified. I think it was felt they were so light they needed the extra grip. It's why the Cobras ( I intentionally left out Corvettes) were so hard to beat.
Novadude: The best I ran with the D/S was a 13.97 at 103. It was truly stone stock. I had 4:11's and adjusted the lifters at .003 to get a solid lifter effect and I drove it well. I just had actual sewer pipe welded on to the exhaust as cutouts (no headers). Al Oakes did that for me as well as adding an extra torque control bar to the top left of the rear end housing. It had 7 inch Atlas Bucrons and slicks when I could get away with it. The very first outing at Dover I won class. I was shocked!
Thanks very much! Do you by chance have this, or other shots of this car, in higher resolution? Thanks so much for this....It's been a long time. Paul
Plenty on this car at www.doverdragstrip.com use the search feature...Lots of forum guys from that area with more info than you could believe! register and ask , and Look out ! Can send you shots too !