inspector
Active Member
I was born in 1951,and grew up in Drews Creek hollow,of the Big Coal River in the coal mining days.We knew most everyone for about 20 miles up and down the river.I'm not sure what exactly sparked my interest in fast cars,but it prolably was my uncle Clinton which had in a series,57 Farlane,62 Galaxy,63 Galaxy Convertable,65 Mustang,66 Mustang Fastback 4-speed,67 GT Farlane,69 Torino 428,.He got more speeding tickets than you could count,before there was a points system, but I never knew of him taking part in a Drag Race.At age 15( 1966) I got to go to the Drag Strip for the fist time,and there were 3 good ol boys from the River with thier fast cars. Charlie Bill's 66 Hemi Satilite,Brooks 61 Chevy bubble top 409 with a newer 425 horse engine, and Podgy's 66 Chevy II 327-350hp.I don't remember how they finished,but just being there,watching them run, and talking to them was something to talk about when I got back to school.I would sit in class and watch and listen as they would drive by.That summer I talked Dad in to buying a new 66 Buick GS, even though I was a year to young to drive it, I sure was proud.I got my licence the next year,but I didn't get to take the GS out much because my older brother,Ronnie,used it on weekends,so Clinton would let me take his cars,66 Mustang and then 67 GT Farlane, down to the local Drive In (Big Jims) ,to impress the girls.Thats where all the fast cars owners would gather to show off and talk up a race.By the summer or 68,I totaled the GS,and lost my licence.Dad then bought a 68 GS,but I couldn't drive it of course.Also that year Podgy traded the Chevy II for a family size Impala, Brooks had put a 283 in the bubble top,and Charlie Bill had totaled the Hemi,but I did get to ride in it once before it was wrecked,he then bought a 68 396-375 Camero. The engine didn't last long in the Camero,so he put in a L88 and raced it at the strip as a 396.As expected,He did very well at the strip and at the local straight stretch.I skipped class at school once and talked him into taking me for a ride in it. That thing was scary fast, he totaled that one too. Also my older friend Jerry bought a new 68 Cornet RT.He would bring it to school at lunch time,to see his girl friend before he went to work on the evening shift. We would wait for him to leave as almost every time he would point the car straight across the road then open it up,and it would change directions 3 or 4 times before he got it straightened out. I've never seen anyone that could handle a car like that while changing gears.
In early 69,another friend Calis bought a new 428 CJ Mach 1 Mustang,and even though I still didn't have my licence,He would let me drive it. We took it to the Strip with a set of recapped slicks,not wrincle walls. We couldn't get traction,so we let a lot of air out of the slicks. I was making the first pass after letting the air out,when I hit 3rd gear,the slick broke loose from the rim and I took out the lights at the finish line and went for a wild ride throught an empty pasture field.
I graduated in 69 and got my drivers licence back.I couldn't wait to get a job in the coal mines so I could get a fast car and a fast woman,both of which were very expensive. The first car I bought was a 65 2+2 Cantalina.Even though it was heavy,I still won the only race I had with it,which was against a 66 SS Chevelle. I traded it for a 69 GTX, Thats the car I wish I would have kept,The most notable race for the GTX was a street race against a 69 427-425 COPO Camaro.I beat him easily mostly because I knew how to get off the line,keep my RPM's up,and not smoke the tires. The GTX devoloped a cracked head so I traded it for a 69 SS Nova 396-375.
The first thing that I did was put a set of Hooker Headers on it,and change the gears to 4:56. I ran it at the strip and won a good share of the races. I was never beaten on the sreet with this car, and I raced anyone that would race. Someone brought a Yenko Nova in from another state,but I beat him with no trouble,again probably because I could come off the line strong without smoking the tires.The 396 finally went south,and it was time to settle down,so I bought a 72 Monte Carlo.
I wrecked the Monte Carlo,and the next car I bought was a 68, 442 Olds. It wasn't a race car, as it was an automatic with air,PW, etc., but I really liked that car. My wife wrecked that one.
There were a lot of Muscle Cars around here for such a small community. There were 2-66 Hemi Satilites,2 COPO 427 Camero's, a 427 Chevelle(the engne came out of a 66 Caprice), a 61 and a 62 409 Chevys, a factory 68 Hemi Dart drag car. The L-88 Camero, a L-88 Nova, and several other SS Chevelles,Cameros,Road Runners,RT's,Mustangs,Swingers,etc,duringa span of about 7 years. Everyone around here at that time wanted a Muscle Car. Then we all grew up and racing wasn't as important as raising a familey.
Times change,but for my part,Those were the good ol' days.
In early 69,another friend Calis bought a new 428 CJ Mach 1 Mustang,and even though I still didn't have my licence,He would let me drive it. We took it to the Strip with a set of recapped slicks,not wrincle walls. We couldn't get traction,so we let a lot of air out of the slicks. I was making the first pass after letting the air out,when I hit 3rd gear,the slick broke loose from the rim and I took out the lights at the finish line and went for a wild ride throught an empty pasture field.
I graduated in 69 and got my drivers licence back.I couldn't wait to get a job in the coal mines so I could get a fast car and a fast woman,both of which were very expensive. The first car I bought was a 65 2+2 Cantalina.Even though it was heavy,I still won the only race I had with it,which was against a 66 SS Chevelle. I traded it for a 69 GTX, Thats the car I wish I would have kept,The most notable race for the GTX was a street race against a 69 427-425 COPO Camaro.I beat him easily mostly because I knew how to get off the line,keep my RPM's up,and not smoke the tires. The GTX devoloped a cracked head so I traded it for a 69 SS Nova 396-375.
The first thing that I did was put a set of Hooker Headers on it,and change the gears to 4:56. I ran it at the strip and won a good share of the races. I was never beaten on the sreet with this car, and I raced anyone that would race. Someone brought a Yenko Nova in from another state,but I beat him with no trouble,again probably because I could come off the line strong without smoking the tires.The 396 finally went south,and it was time to settle down,so I bought a 72 Monte Carlo.
I wrecked the Monte Carlo,and the next car I bought was a 68, 442 Olds. It wasn't a race car, as it was an automatic with air,PW, etc., but I really liked that car. My wife wrecked that one.
There were a lot of Muscle Cars around here for such a small community. There were 2-66 Hemi Satilites,2 COPO 427 Camero's, a 427 Chevelle(the engne came out of a 66 Caprice), a 61 and a 62 409 Chevys, a factory 68 Hemi Dart drag car. The L-88 Camero, a L-88 Nova, and several other SS Chevelles,Cameros,Road Runners,RT's,Mustangs,Swingers,etc,duringa span of about 7 years. Everyone around here at that time wanted a Muscle Car. Then we all grew up and racing wasn't as important as raising a familey.
Times change,but for my part,Those were the good ol' days.
