What was your first speed equipment part?

Bought pipe and flanges to put 3x1 on a 170 CID Mercury Comet, three glass bowls.
Welded in metal shop, turned out great. (had an extra head)

 

my first speed equip related part was a 'glass tilt front end to fit a 68-9 GTO on my 15th birthday. I didn't even have a car yet but, I wanted that thing. Within 6 months, I had saved up enough to buy a running '69 GTO. I sold the metal/rubber front end and had the 'glass tilt on the GTO before my 16th birthday. That was 1975-6. I still have the car and the tilt.
Here is a picture waiting to get into Beeline Dragway around 1977, my junior year. By now, was pulling it with my 72 GTO 455HO

 

A set of Ansen Sprint wheels in real nice condition, four wheels for $60.00.

 

A Crane Blazer camshaft that went into the 283 in my '50 Chevy (fall of 1980). I also commandeered the quadrajet and cast iron 4-barrel manifold from my brother's '74 chevy pickup. How much of a mismatch was that for the stock (1.75/1.50 no camel humps here) heads?

Even so, it was a huge improvement over the bone stock, asthmatic 216 that, most days, couldn't pull the hat off of a sick cat...

 

An Engle cam and McGurk rocker arms for an Olds v8. Bought it at FG Ferre and Sons in Salt Lake City Ut.

 

Wait--- It might have been Gotha rocker arms , but it was still at F G Ferre. I saw a while back that the old man Ferre died not too many years ago. He did a lot of drag racing and Bonneville running too in his day.

 

Sun Tach, Gil Younger shift kit!

 

my neighbor gave me a harmon collins 59ab magneto when i was 14 still have it two years later lol

 

The new sneakers my parents bought me when I was 3.

 

Mom bought me Black track shoes with white stripes in 1970.....then on my second car I bought.....Headers,650 carb,cam,and intake.......

 

A used Edmund's two two manifold for my '39 standard coupe.

 

I don't guess "flipper" hupcaps count as speed equipment, Huh??

My inital goal was to look good ... rather than go fast.

 

Mine was hand-me-down 5 spoke Cragars from my older brother. Man, they were cool in high school! Those and a footprint gas pedal, which I still have hanging on the wall in the garage.

 

Fuel pressure gauge from Ace Speed Shop in Gastonia NC. Around 1979 or so.

 

tri-power for sbc...........

 

Hurst shifter---mail order from Gratoit auto supply

 

An Offenhauser three carb intake bolted to a '53-'54 Corvette dual exhaust manifold for $20.00 in 1976.

 

a set of headman headers and thrush mufflers from eastex speed shop by homestead road and hwy 59 houston texas.

 

Jahns 11-1 pistons for a v8 studebaker. Dusty

 

Duntov 30-30 camshaft for a SBC. I thought I had hit the motherlode. Bought it at the local Chevy dealership in 65-66.

 

Set of "BlackJack" headers for my 64 Chevelle purchased at Chief Auto Parts!

 

homemade shackles

 

Hurst "T" handle for the 4-speed in my 68 Sport Satellite.

 

Chrome MOROSO valve covers from Super Shops for my 70 MACH 1, Man I thought I was bad a$$.

 

home made duels exhaust, fell off on first RR tracks,

 

650 Holley 4 barrel for my 55 Nomad.

 

A Fenton floor shifter for my '57 Chev 2dr hardtop three speed. I cut a hole in the trans tunnel the size of a garbage can lid trying to get that thing put in. But damn! It was cool! This was before Camaros and Chevelles and there weren't many floor shifts around, especially 4 speeds. None of us had any money, but we heard about the kids with money that had a "Corvette engine" and four speed transmission in their car. And mag wheels??? Who in the hell could afford those. Hell, a new set of Keystone Classics or Cragar SS was around $500!!

 

Fenton split exhausts for a 235 chevy

 

Tri-power for SBC in my '56 Chevy sometime in the early '60's from a speed shop in Wichita, KS.

 

My first set up was a set of Evans heads bought from Gene Scott at Ford Obsolete in Rosemead, Ca. Put em' on a stock motor, and blew the seal off the rings, had to re ring the motor, told Gene, he laughed his ass off, after that, I didn't show my face in there for a few weeks... Dumb Kid. Oh by the way, I was 15 and it was 1961.