DON'T SCARE ME JUST DARE ME.

[Cranky]

Late 70's-early 80's, northern Virginia somewhere....my late teens/early 20's.
There was a full-blown Friday night racing schedule, organized and the whole thing, set up in
a prominent industrial park after dark - and yes, very much illegal.

For a few years, it was strictly street machines and such, but towards the end of things, cars
started showing up on trailers and were full-blown race cars.
It went from merely street guys driving their daily hotrods to damn near a professional series!
We had lookouts posted at either end of the park (only ways in/out of the place) with CB's and
police scanners and that worked great - up until time that things got so out of hand that the
cops actually put together a large team to stop us....

One Friday night, I'm leaning up against the hood of my (*cough*) '68 Chevelle, chatting away
with a security guard from one of the warehouses who came out to watch, having a blast watching
all the festivities - when all hell broke loose.
Here came the cops, not just from one end but from BOTH ends, tons of them - and everyone acted
like rats, fleeing the scene in one direction, only to be turned around by even more cops!

I always made a point to hang out right by the dead end of things, next to a vacant dirt lot that exited
out to a back road (and our favorite 7-11 within walking distance, hence becoming our unofficial
concession stand).
I see all the commotion and proceed to treat my car like a 4x4, bouncing and hauling *** across that
dirt field - but rather than directly jumping on that back road over there, I ditched behind the 7-11,
knowing there was just enough room on the far side of it to squeeze a car in unseen...
I hung out in there, chowing down on nasty chili dogs, as I watched car after car get impounded and
dude after dude get free rides in paddy wagons.
I didn't get home until 3am that night, but I did so reallllll quietly, backroads all the way....
and that was the end of the "Newington Dragway".
True story - and my training ground for what little racing I've ever done in my life.

Talk about stuff that can't happen today - well, there ya go.

Around here there's all these guys that like to do donuts in the middle of an intersection and even in the middle of the freeway. Been a long time since I've been in a wrecking yard but I'm betting there's plenty of Challengers and Chargers not to mention Mustangs too. Just like in the 70's lol Got my 727 and headers off of a totaled 69 Bee in 71 for my engine and trans transplant in my 66 Belvedere I had back then.

 

[Hey-O]

You’re lucky you got to enjoy it, 20 years before my time. My people don’t want to do that stuff anymore. A time machine would be awesome

Everyone one of us has a story. I came home with a 55 Nomad roller. Body was perfect and ready for paint, dash and a front seat, no engine or trans, $50.00 bucks. Mom had a fit, no place to put it, sold it for 75.

 

[Hey-O]

Around here there's all these guys that like to do donuts in the middle of an intersection and even in the middle of the freeway. Been a long time since I've been in a wrecking yard but I'm betting there's plenty of Challengers and Chargers not to mention Mustangs too. Just like in the 70's lol Got my 727 and headers off of a totaled 69 Bee in 71 for my engine and trans transplant in my 66 Belvedere I had back then.

I haven't been to a car cemetery in years. The one I went to all the time had rows of Mopar's. Bought a fender for my 67 Dart GT for 20 bucks. Center section for my 8 3/4 rear end, 75 bucks. 340 engine, 200 bucks with a core. 200 bucks to have my 727 rebuilt. Great days!!!

 

[Cranky]

Everyone one of us has a story. I came home with a 55 Nomad roller. Body was perfect and ready for paint, dash and a front seat, no engine or trans, $50.00 bucks. Mom had a fit, no place to put it, sold it for 75.

Found a 52 Ford 2dr sedan.....liked 2dr sedans lol....it had a flathead V8 and was running but smoked for 50 bucks. Think I was 14. It was solid and no rust and straight but the paint was very dull and the interior sucked. Dad said "ain't having no Ford sitting out on front of my house" lol and that was it.

 

[Runcharger]

It was great. I got lots of races with this car because it was so easy to goad someone into racing a pink car. The only bad thing about the old days is that you can't relive them sitting in a parking lot at a car show these days, it just isn't half the fun.

 

[bearman]

Friday and Saturday night back in the day. Cruised central ave from sun down till sun up. Had my 64 dodge always picking on those bow ties and ovals. Go out to beeline dragway until it shutdown. Those were the days i feel for you younger guys that never got to do what us old farts did.

Red x really please explain.

 

[moparedtn]

Red x really please explain.!

@PeteyDaMan

 

[dual fours]

In today's world with all the people with cell phones and cameras on poles tied into traffic control, if we did tonight what we did in those hot summer nights, we all would be in jail by 2 am. When I crawl in my '70 Charger these days and start her up and close my eyes, I hear and feel the rumble and think I can smell those hot summer nights. Why there is even a necklace still laying on the rear carpet that was left there 45 years ago. My what a thin neck she had.

 

[WileERobby]

I lived the east coast version of American Graffiti... every weekend. I could write a book. The only thing that stopped us was the cops opening up the fire hydrants.

 

[PeteyDaMan]

Red x really please explain.

That was an oops. Must have fat fingered it on my stupid phone. Was supposed to be an agree. I've changed it

 

[blue69runner]

So now we have relived the past. Enjoyed all the stories. Those where the day's for sure. Now at my age driving down the highway all these cars try to challenge me or run up my rear. So, hammer the four barrels in and leave them in the dust. Not to say the new gen cars are not fast but I can give them a run for their money. Yes, going to the back roads and running our cars where the day's. That is till the PO PO. found out that is where we were hanging out. We liked to find new road's that were freshly paved got more traction on them. You could see all the tire marks left from the night before. Cruising the bugger joint and local filling station where we hung out and fishing for a run. Kid's now days just don't know what fun is. I take my friends for a ride in my old Plymouth, and they get a big smile on their face and say now this is a car. So Fast cars and Faster women are things to remember. So, live on and show off your cars every chance you get. Keep the past alive for the future. Show the young gun's our stuff.