History What was your best experience with a famous vehicle?

I got to sit in and have a photo taken in the white T-bird from American Graffiti. Was back at Hot August Nights, 2008 in Reno, NV.

Also got Candy Clarke's autograph!

 

I stopped to help Steve McQueen pull his dirt bike out of the mud one year while I rode the Elsinore Grand Prix. That moment made my life complete. He was my hero growing up.

 

Here's photos of my humble car next to the Aztec, at Chopold's shop. He helped transport the car back to Barry Mazza's home.

Forget for a moment the work done by Barris, what a tremendous style change in a 15-year period for Chevrolet.

 

Sat in Maxwell Smart's Sunbeam Alpine back in '68 or '69. On display at the local Sunbeam dealer.
Back in '93 or '94 when I lived in SoCal, I worked on Ed McCulloch's street car and I had several conversations with him.
2 or 3 years ago we had one of the Squad 51 trucks from the show "Emergency" in our shop for some upgrades.
Then there was the time back in '74 when I got busted smoking a J while watching Big Daddy fire up his rail on the rollers at Beeline Dragway...

 

In the 50's I worked for Toddy Motion Picture Co. in Atlanta Ga they had the 1934 Ford Bonnie and Clyde car with all the bullet holes in it we would haul it to a theater on a flat bed and display the car while they were showing a documentary of them and the car. We had to put on black and white striped convicts outfits and pass out flyers about the show I don't know for sure if it was the real car or not, it sure looked like it, the glass display cases that we put up were filled with fake machine guns and pistols and black and white photos of them alive and dead after having the crap shot out of them.....

 

Your just to good

 

That can't be the same wienermobile that I walked thru in 1954 at age 12. I was taller than Oscar Meyer.

 

1959 I was at a light next a Turbine Car on my new Triumph Bonneville (1st year for dual carbs on Triumphs) the Chicken Shit wouldn't race me lol.
actually he was a doctor from South Pasadena that was selected by Chrysler to test the car for a year. he did pull over and showed me many of the features of the car. it was Space age stuff in 59

 

My youngest son and I helped Don Garlits load the Mooneyes dragster back in the trailer once at Super Chevy one year.

Riding around in my big brothers 31 A pickup that I helped him build was another......I know him and the truck ain't famous but they are to me....

 

Rode in the American Graffiti Merc when Terry Coates owned it...

Restored cars in for a private collector that owned one of Dick Landys 65 Coronets.
glass: frt end, doors, trunk, bumpers, Hemi, silver with a black top, but it wasn't one of the altered wheel base cars, Made a couple of passes in Palmdale with it in the 90's

 

Wife and I borrowed same delivery for 3 days to go to Burlington N.S.R.A. last year,she actually enjoyed it! Have a hand in just about every build from their shop. Cars that are driven hard, no posers! I think my nomad was famous back in the day if you followed drag racing. Got to sit in the S.W.C. willys one year at York musclecar madness. Changed a lot of gears & tires at our local dirt tracks for one of the winningest drivers of all time. That just about tells my life in a nutshell.

 

15 or more years ago I took a group of about ten teenage boys to the Peterson museum. While we were in the elevator the the elevator got stuck and we were trapped for about an hour.

Once we got out, the guy in charge of the place at the time (went by the name of "Captain" or "Colonel" or something like it) probably figured he needed to to some PR work and so he took us all to the basement where the undisplayed cars are stored. For the next hour we got to look at, sit in, climb in and over cars driven/owned by Elvis, the Beach Boys, and who knows who else and all kinds of unrestored and restored classics. My favorites were the Bugatti type 35B and Type 57. Both were much smaller than I ever imagined. The 35B was unrestored and it was cool to see the paint worn away from where drivers over the years had shifted gears and hung on for dear life.

 

Some of the coolest stories ever.

 

I got to sit in the winning car from the 1949 Indy 500 last year. Man, it felt good!

 

Getting to wander around in Dean Jeffries shop a few times while he worked on his Ford GT roadster - the Mantaray and the Landmaster are just awesome.



The Aztec and the Jeffries Carrera together again after 49 years:

 

I was luckly enough to sit in the Eddy Miller Lakester, have the canopy closed and dream of the great white expance.
Then two years ago when the Mormon Metor rolled out of the trailer at Wendover,,, I still can't express what it was to see and touch land speed history.
Luckly I have photos of both events.

 

Was at a Christmas party in Minneapolis/St Paul when Mark Moriarity shows up with a covered trailer....starts pushing Ed Roth's old Outlaw {I think] out and asked for a hand pushing it into the building.
Was cruising the '92 Americruise in Springfield Missouri in my primered 49 ford coupe when I come across Pete Eastwood and Thom Taylor cruising the R&C black primer 36 ford sedan delivery around the grounds...P-wood hollers out 'Hey! When I grow up I wanna primer gray 49 ford coupe with polished Americans on it just like that!" Then he and Taylor crack up and it's apparent both of 'em have had a bit to drink..
Every time we come across each other cruising the grounds, it's the same thing.
I thought it was funny as hell.

 

Got smoked OFF by an honest-to-God Vector W8 on Highway 1 outside Carmel. I was there for the 91 Pebble Beach concours and a buddy and I were cruising in the boss' old Caddy when we came up beside the Vector at a light.

He rolls off at the green and I'm floored just trying to keep up. Guess the driver got tired of the 472 buzzing in his ear... I saw a puff of smoke, said "That's a gear!", and watched the mysterious beast literally disappear up the road.

 

Got to spend half the summer of 1967 as Tom McCurry's crew guy. He let me sit in the four engineed Rivera Wagonmaster and was pushed started and warm the motors before he made a run. That to me was pretty kool. rj

 

This is probably the most famous car I've worked on. It's the 55 Chevy from TwoLane BlackTop and American Grafitti. Did some steering work,motor mounts, fuel pump, and a couple other things. Checked the engine numbers.....it was a real L-88 427. A fellow here in Maryland has it and is an aquaintance of mine. It was pretty cool to have it in my garage for about 3 months! That's me workin' on the engine.

 

I don't know if this qualifys as famous or not. last year i bought the 71 blue ford 4 door from the movie super troupers. could almost smell the pot in it lol bill

 

I restored 3 Barris built cars.

 

Eight years ago, my brother and I made plans to attend the CHHR, I called Greg Sharp at the NHRA Museum and told him we would be bringing a 60 Impala with a push board. Greg said "come on down and we will find you a car to push". To my delight, the car turned out to be the "Albertson Olds". It was a fun time working with John Peters (Freight Train) who was in charge of the car and "Goob" Tuller who was the driver.

 

I put my daughters cars on display at a car show and thought it was pretty cool to be next to the actual Monkee Mobile

 

Haven't had a lot of in-person experience with famous cars. But a few years ago, I had the pleasure of seeing both the Hiroshima Merc and the Chrisman Bros Bonneville coupe at the Autorama here in Detroit. It was kind of late on Sunday, and I was the only person looking at the Chrisman coupe...nobody else nearby except the young lady keeping watch. She offered that I could go inside the ropes for a closer look. Oh...thank you kind lady! Nice feeling being in the presence of greatness. Truly enjoyed finally seeing the Hiroshima Merc in person...beautiful beautiful car. Being so close to the Chrisman Bros coupe however, was surreal. I could almost taste the salt.

 

Steve McQueens son rode my 46 Harley in a movie. Two months ago I was going down a country road in Oklahoma and saw a Batmobile (the 1966 version) coming down the road toward me.

 

I was baby sitting the ZZtop 34 in the summer of '89. I could drive if I wanted to, so I drove it a bit. I put maybe 100 miles or so ,before I find the gas gauge doesn't work!

 

Hi all,

Currently, I'm advertising Rod Saboury's 1963 Corvette. This car is very well known as the Worlds Fastest "Street Legal" Corvette. Take a look.

Chevrolet : Corvette World's Fastest Street Legal Corvette in Chevrolet | eBay Motors

Its listed on 7 sites so far....ebay has the most extensive description with links, videos etc.

Any takers? trades welcome.

Murph

 

Got to help crew on a nostalgia 1970 charger nitro funny car at union grove dragway back in the late 80s during a special nostalgia event. The guy was from new mexico and two of his crew members missed their flight into milwaukee.....so,me and a buddy helped tow the car and fuel it,ect,ect and i was in heaven!!! The funny thing is years later i would go to work for Don Schumacher racing!

 

I got a bill golden story too 1989 great lakes dragaway union grove wisconsin,,, he blew up his trans and was pulling it alone and fixing it in the pits i asked if i could help and he cheerfully let me put it back in with him,, class act for sure went racing alone alot i guess