This one's for Grumpy, our own Bill G!

[boss hoss bill]

Spotted at  Supercar Week wrap up in W. Palm Beach today.
I remember Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins from my "ute" hanging around US 30 dragstrip in Indiana, just outside of Chicago.

[RDAbull]

Along with the Chi-Town Hustler, Hemi Under Glass,  Stone Woods & Cook, bobby Gilmore's Orange Crate, and many others I can see but not remember the names.  30 was a great place to hang out in the late 60s.
Thanks again.

[boss hoss bill]

RDAbull

We must have hung out during the same years. The early to mid 60's.
I had a tri power Pontiac 389 I used to run there, loved the smell of that Nitro methane when the rails ran there in their dragsters.

Thanks for reminding me of those classics, along with Mr Norms Grand Spalding Dodge, and Nicky Chevrolets dealer built super cars.

[RDAbull]

Started going there in about 63. Ran with my 64 Impala SS,  327 pulling about 375 in 66.
Traded up to a 66 Chevelle SS 396 in 68.
Oh, to be young again.

[Grumpy]

Brings back memories. In those days I was running a 57 ford sedan, 460 ci, hillborn direct port injection running straight alki. BM hydra matic, had all the goodies back then strange axle retainers and gear spools. very fast car.  Used to run mid America drag way out side of Wentzville Mo, it is closed and gone now. Also Alton drag way in Ill. Had a lot of fun, and spent a lot of $ in the early 60's. Marriage put a halt to that. Could not afford that and a wife, so one had to go. Back in those days folks ran some strange stuff, I remember the freight train dragster, two blown hemis in a rail, tommy Ivo had a 4 engine dragster, 4 wheel drive. Little red wagon was a regular, Garlits in the early days, A lot of big names used the track back then.

[R J]

I spent a lot of my time in a 57 Chev 210 Hardtop at Lions in California.

Took home several trophies in that time span.

Also a few klinkies in the late 60's when $$$$ used to flow freely at the strips.

Then I run out of $$$ to play with.

Yes sir, them was the good old days,

[John Schmidt]

Wow, those names sure bring back some memories. Most of mine are the late 50's and early 60's. When I was stationed at Pease AFB in Portsmouth, NH, we used to go to the strip in Sanford, ME.  Had a little Hawaiian guy(called him Pineapple) in our squadron running a small Chevy V-8 in a '49 Chevy fastback, got beat in a street race by a local. Pineapple's car promptly disappeared when the snow started flying. He reappeared at the first run in the Spring at Sanford, running a brand new 455CI V-8, don't recall if it was a Buick engine or what. He ordered it from the factory, put it on a stand and reworked it in his own little garage. Pineapple was so short he sat on a pad to see out. During an inspection they told him he couldn't run in the class he signed up for because his car wasn't sprung right....told him it must have shock absorbers. He made them crawl under it where he showed them he had shocks.....off an airplane. Took something like a 2k jolt to compress them 1".....it was street legal but rode like sitting on a haywagon. Pineapple took a bunch of trophies back to Hawaii that year. I had a '53 Olds, with a tri-power engine in it and a beefed up Hydramatic. Got a few myself but couldn't spend a lot of time or money on it.....married with kids. So, went back to bikes. Cheaper to play with. 

[_Sheffjs_]

And I was playing with Snake and Mongoose hot wheels cars in a sand box outside Chicago, But I did live 3 blocks from a grand spaulding dodge dealership.  Bill I remember a snippet about if no pics..........in a recent post. So where is these pics of this 57 Ford?  It sounds fascinating.

[Grumpy]

I have some in an album, have to dig some out.

[RDAbull]

I spent all of my money on cars not cameras.
Boy do I wish I had some pictures of all of those rides today.

[Bronxboy]

This was my last ride. Sold it about 7 yrs ago and I still miss it.

[RDAbull]

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OK, I do have pictures of one.  66 Impala SS 396 with 44,000 on the clock.
Sold her last summer.  Took too much time to keep clean, cut into my riding time.

[_Sheffjs_]

4 years and way too much money in my second 1974 GTO.

[Bronxboy]

We seem to all have a common thread 

[John Schmidt]

My most recent and last fast car was a '69 Doge Charger R/T, 440 with the straight H Hurst shifter. It origianally came with a single 4-barrel, however a friend of a friend of a friend knew of a dual 4 intake available. He needed the money so got it for and even $100, including the carbs. Haven't ever had a deal like that. Left if on the Charger for a couple years, reinstalled the OEM setup and sold the twin 4 setup for just shy of $500. My wife at the time and oldest daughter used to love driving it, both had lead feet and went through rear tires like crazy. Finally told them they can drive the more docile car we had, I couldn't afford them in the Dodge. My daughter used to love idling through the local hamburger drive-in with the rumble of the pipes thumping off the pavement....lake pipes turned down at the end. I got the car for less than $100, my wife worked for a finance company and they repo'd it for a sister company in Reading, PA. They couldn't get any bids on it so I offered $95, only had 40k on it at the time. They finally took my offer and sent the title, I sold it a few years later for substantially more than I paid for it. Was out of work due to an injury otherwise I'd probably still have it, loved that thing. Only thing it couldn't pass was a gas station so recent gas prices would most likely have made it sit for extended periods.

[lifguardct]

Spotted at  Supercar Week wrap up in W. Palm Beach today.
I remember Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins from my "ute" hanging around US 30 dragstrip in Indiana, just outside of Chicago.

And Oswego and Great Lakes...

[specialdose]

                   Lest we forget " Dyno Don" and " The Farmer " Arnie Beswick.

[Scoop171]

Man are you guys bringing back some great memories! I lived outside of Chicago near the Ill and Wisconsin state line. Use to go to Union Grove Wisc and watch the Snake, Mongoose, Cha Cha  Muldowney. Back then I had a 68 Chevelle with a 283 crane cam, solid lifters, headers had a nice sound and was pretty quick.

[_Sheffjs_]

Man are you guys bringing back some great memories! I lived outside of Chicago near the Ill and Wisconsin state line. Use to go to Union Grove Wisc and watch the Snake, Mongoose, Cha Cha  Muldowney. Back then I had a 68 Chevelle with a 283 crane cam, solid lifters, headers had a nice sound and was pretty quick.

Raced my first GTO at union grove as well!!!!

[lifguardct]

US 30 dragstrip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb8FtRGKlQA