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 Post subject: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:27 pm 
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Location: Columbus, Ohio
Given it is down right FREEZING out there, it reminded me of the days squinting through a tiny hole that my defroster attempted to make back in the day when my road runner was daily transportation (Winters too!). Thought it might be interesting to share some memories of what it was like to drive these bad boys in mother natures messes.

To start... Back in high school (graduated in '80) I had my '69 road runner as year round vehicle. Was set up like most of the day, Alluminum slotted mags with L-60's in the rear, back end up a bit and traction bars as well as cherry bomb mufflers. Stock 383, 4 speed and 3:55 Suregrip.

I recall how I had to remember to shut the Air Grabber hood via the underdash cable to help it warm up as I drove to school in the frigid months in PA. After it warmed up, I always opened it back up. Always waited until "first snow" before finally putting the black rimmed snow tires on. Once, I got caught in an 6" dump of snow while I was in school (we were even let out early). I could not get the road runner out of the level parking lot w/ the L-60's on. Ended up changing ONE tire (I used a snow tire as my spare) so yanked it from the trunk, changed it in the parking lot and got home...then changed the other in my Dad's garage. Overall, w/ snow tires on and posi it did pretty well in the white stuff...though stopping was another matter...

What's your story?

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1969 Charger R/T SE 440 Six Pack, Auto
1969 road runner, 426 Hemi, 4speed
1968 GTX, 440 Six Pack, 4 speed
1968 Olds 4-4-2, 455, 4 speed
1973 Dodge Challenger, 340, 4 speed
1968 Dart, 383, Auto, 3:91s


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:49 am 
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Great story Car Guy. I could visualize you out there jacking up the RR with a bumper jack in the snow. Those of us old enough can remember when tire chains did it all and cars slid around all over the place in the snow. I got lots of snow stories and here is one.

Back in about 1972 in the middle of winter, I drove my 69 SS427 Impala stick with 4:56 gears to work on a Friday. The car had been sitting for a month or so and I just wanted to drive it on this clear and dry winter day. I worked 60 plus miles from home at a defense plant in Montville CT. At that time I lived in New Haven. That day we had some sort of problem and I stayed late to solve it because I didn't want to come back in on Saturday. The plant which was incidently at the site of the present Mohegan Sun casino had no windows. When the second shift workers came back from lunch at 8:30 pm i found out that it was snowing like crazy and there was already a few inches on the ground.

I got out at about 9pm and managed the get the car out of the lot and up a steep hill with the car going just about sideways all the way up it. The car had bia ply G70-15 highway tires on it which didn't get traction even in dry weather. I stopped at a gas station and filled her up but that didn't seem to help much. Then I got what seemed like a brillant idea. I had been talking to a coworker about picking up a load of firewood at his house that was nearby. I hadn't done it because we didn't own any thing to carry the wood in. ( My other car was a 72 Nova SS with a stick which was the worst snow car I ever drove). So I dropped by this guys house and we filled up the entire trunk with firewood (How many guys would do this with their classic muscle car today?)

If you ever looked in the trunk of a 69 Chevy you can almost put another car in there. i must of had 1000 lbs of wood in the trunk. The body was sitting on the pinion snubber. So off I went with my headlights pointing at the sky. I finally got home after midnight and it snowed all the way. I bet that today stuck in some crevice in the corner of the trunk is some pieces of tree bark left from that adventure.


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:14 pm 
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Location: Bristol CT
My Story happened just last winter in February at the end of the Frank Marrata Auto Show (that will be going on in a few weeks). That Sunday morning they were calling for Snow Squalls for late afternoon into the evening. The show was letting out and the sky in Hartford was clear. So off came the trim rings on the recall wheels, up went the top and off I went on my way home :nuts . I left Sharleen who was driving her Jeep some were in Hartford as I was blowing all the lights. I got onto the Highway and after only a mile the snow was coming down crazy :rock . The closer I got home the more the snow came down. Off in the ditch were many cars. I made it home without an issue and a BIG grin on my face.

About a half hour later Bruce who had his car in our Display had also decided to drive his perfectly clean and never seen a drop of weather Mustang home. After he had pulled in, he tells me that all of the guys Darrell with his R/T and Bruce with his GTS Dart also hit the road. After a couple of phone calls I found out they all made it home :winner.

One thing I would never do is take my car out into a snow storm. I always wonder what it would be like? Now I know and have crossed that of my list :nuts

Remember This Darrell, Bruce :nuts

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:59 pm 
As the 49th Frank Maratta's Auto show came to an end last year, Heavy snow squalls were forecast for about the same time as the ending of the show.
As we came out of the trophy portion of the show, of which many of us were rewarded for our efforts that weekend, I called back down toward Bristol to check on the weather. My wife assured me it had begun to snow and blow around and kinda not stick too much as of yet. Little did we know these squalls were coming directly west to east and about to clobber our area.
We heard that Ralph had pulled out and headed toward home, and figuring that his convertible top was most likely down, we opted to leave the confines of the warm dry trailers that were there and waiting and chase the drop top back to town.
Being that we were 20 to 25 minutes behind Ralph's departure, this snow squall came thru our area dumping 3 to 4 inches of snow and 50 mph winds that lasted about 1 hour.
I got the car home, with windshield wipers that were original to the car, for sure, and defroster, no such luck, who knew, never in the weather.....The R/T became a survivor for a reason.
Every time I stepped on the throttle at all, the car squirmed sideways and mortified me that I was about
to become a ditch statistic.........Made it home, whiped it down and went back (with trailer) for the DeSoto.

I, like some that are posting, drove a hot rod in school, my first being a 1969 Pontiac GTO with a 421 mill out of my grandfather's Grand Prix (broken frame) back and forth to school, (1980 as well), and had very little traction. We believed in the N-50's and tires blowing out of the wheel wells a good 4 inches, so I understand no matter what you did, you could not move until you put the studded snows on.
And just like today........the more times I can stage the car, the better. At lights, the drive thru, parade, track.....everyplace. :gears :gears
As a challenge, My friend and I pulled up to the big front doors of the school, with school in session, (we were off to work after our last class), and proceeded to melt the snow tires off the cars, and completely
mark up the front concrete entrance of the school with gorgeous Armstrong belted studded snow tires.....
not only rubber, but the deep etching of the studs, that we never thought twice about......including two
studs that came out and pierced the glass front doors of Southington High School.....That was a week off and a big bill, as well as the car being taken away, I think like for a month or so. There was also a mention of restarting the Ridelin for the rest of the school year.......it went by without incident..... :2c :2c

This is a very good topic............lets here the stories!! :pop :pop :pop :pop :pop

D


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:27 pm 
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I too left the Marrotta show with my car on an open trailer creeping down I-91 to I-95 usually a 40 minute drive now took over 2 hours driving at 35 mph. Once in New Haven on I-95 the sun came out and the roads were dry. My car was covered with salt spray. Another pleasant driving experience. :bang Hopefully this will not happen either going to or leaving the show this year!!!

Another Winter Experience: Shovelling snow up against the lower portions of my 69 Cutlass S up on Jack Stands high enough to remove the Blown Turbo-350 Trans to transplant a Turbo 400. I was doing this with the wind blowing and snowing ATF dripping on the wet card board sheet that I laying on my back with the trans on my stomach. Time of removal and installation 1 3/4 hours running in 2 hrs. Amazing how quickly you work when it is cold smell like Tranny fluid and need to get to work!!!

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[b]12.62 1.80 60' 107.9 mph


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:59 pm 
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Location: Arizona
Now we’re talkin’! Daily driver stories from 20 years ago! Those are my favorite. And I’m sure our relative ages will become apparent with these stories. For me, I must admit, perhaps I’ve aged, but I never really did grow up and therefore still drive my “old” cars as everyday transportation.

Well, I’ll follow CARGUY in Columbus with a fellow Buckeye story -I graduated High School in 1981 and at this point in my automotive legacy, my every day beater was a Superbird. No, not a pretty one like you see today, back then it was a beat up, worn out P-O-S. Airshocks, glass-packs and yes- the mandatory L-60’s. I was young and dumb, but it was still my pride and joy. I remember one winter break from College I decided to fly home to Virginia for Christmas. I cannot remember now why I flew since I usually drove, but I left the ’bird in the long term parking lot of the Dayton, Ohio Airport for 3 or 4 days. My flight back to Dayton was late in the evening. I remember stepping outside the Terminal and immediately thinking “Oh crap- this is gonna suck” It was REALLY, REALLY cold!! … and dark. Those of you that were young and dumb like me remember those days I’m sure. Yeah- the cheap old battery which was on it’s last legs, the non-functioning choke on the center carb, the Valvoline 20W-50 in the crankcase and 1 very slim chance to get that damn thing to fire! Fortunately the oil-pump was well worn and the clearances were huge on that tired old 440, so with my window of opportunity being no oil pressure for the first 10 seconds, I still had a chance to get it to light and run. I did have my usual back-up plan, the same old plan I had used many times before. My sleeping bag was in the trunk and I would’ve spent the night in the car, hoping to get a jump-start the next morning. I had no money, and this was long before cell phones but with no local family or friends, who was I gonna call anyhow? So that is what you did.

I find the car and it’s totally covered with ice. Terrific. Naturally the key wouldn’t turn the door lock. Gulp. I tried the other side and eventually worked it free. I’m really f-ing cold at this point. I get behind the wheel and pull that big shifter back into neutral. Even that was a challenge as the old grease was thick as molasses. I say a quick prayer.. although I’m not very religious, but hey- at this point I’m pulling out all stops. So I pump about 10 times on the accelerator, click the key to “run”, hold my breath …and slowly twist it the rest of the way to “start”. A very weak: rrrrr…rrrrr… rrrr.. Yeah, like you I’m waiting for the rrrr to turn to click…click.. click.. -but no, she fires! WAAAAHOOOO!! Sure it’s tappin’ to beat the band, but I don’t care. I run it up to 2500-3000 and keep it there. Whew! A few minutes later I let it come down to 1500 or so and pull the Mechanical Drafting and Design textbook out from under the seat. I keep it there ‘cause it has enough mass to hold the gas pedal where I need it until it warms up and will idle on it’s own. That’s right, Einstein(me) paid $35 for a used textbook but can’t pay $4 for a choke cable? Ahhh, but I needed the textbook for an Engineering class so I was spreading my economic abilities to the fullest. Time to go back out in the wind and cold and start scraping. The roads were dry, so I made it home to my dingy and cold apartment and the rest is just more boring history. Oh- I did get that Engineering Degree and then promply moved to Arizona.

Fast forward 25 years. I’m still stupid, and still drive those old cars, and enjoy every minute of both. “Old Fart Racing” asked who today would use their classic to haul wood? Since I don’t have a shiney new pick-up, like the rest of the planet seems to have, I use my old cars for the weekend HomeDepot runs. A few months back I was building a concrete block planter for the back porch. My lower back is pretty much shot, and I don’t like to move heavy items too far off the ground. I got to thinking, my 1966 Coronet sedan has an enormous trunk floor which is level with the rear bumper, so I would not have to lean over center to put the 12 cinderblocks and 2 bags of mortar in the trunk during loading and unloading! So that is what I used. The big ‘ol leaf springs barely noticed and it worked perfectly. I was even able to back the car through the yard and unload right at the job I was doing.

Anyhow- that’s just me, who else has a Story? This is great stuff, thanks for sharing Guys!


AZ Jeff

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:45 pm 
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Location: Ansonia, CT
Well,

Since even the newest model cars allowed in this series are still older than me, I don't really have a real "back in the day" story. My back in the day is Tuesday. :lol: Not quite but the best fit for this discussion was my '89 Mustang LX. It was a white 5.0L LX hatch back that my wife drove for a while until I got ahold of it, rebuilt the 302 and installed a tremec. It was good clean fun. A real basic car with no ABS, no airbags but I guess still miles ahead of the 70's stuff.

That car was driven year round, when the snow fell, the 15" wheels and Dunlop Graspic snow tires went on (think Blizzaks) and it became a pseudo rally car. With the 5.0, stick shift, limited slip and those tires providing a suprising amount of grip it was a hoot in the snow. I used to play with Jeep cherokees and this thing had it all over my Jeeps in the white stuff. You still had to pay attention when driving but it was fun.

As far a hauling stuff, we took the same car to Home Depot to look at kitchen tile. I was going to tackle the project myself and it was more of a reconnisance trip. Sure enough we found a pallet of nice tile on clearance. The employee (this was back when you could find one in the store) told me if I wait it was gone. So we loaded 240 sq feet of tile in the back, put the suspension on the jounce bumpers and drove home nose high.

I miss that car.


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:10 pm 
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I was one of the last cars to leave the 2008 Frank Maratta Auto Show and we all heard that the weather forecast was for light snow squalls. A few of us decided to drive our cars home and try to beat the snow. I was not sure if Ralph or Darrell had already started home, but I decided to start the home journey. I called my wife and she said that the roads at home were clear, so I thought I would be good to go.
I got into Farmington, Ct, and the snow started to fly and the wind was wild and then I was in a white out. I tried to call Ralph and Sharleen to warn them of the road conditions and snow, but I was not able to get in contact with either Ralph or Sharleen (they were already on the road and had their own problems).
I was in the left travel lane and I was going relatively slow, and as I tried to give the engine a little more gas, all of a sudden I was facing the bridge guard rails and said “O-Shit”. I was able to straighten out the rear end of the Mustang, but not my pants. As I was traveling further down the road, I noticed Darrell’s car and I blew my horn, but the only thing Darrell could do was look over quickly at me and smile. I could see that his knuckles were white, as he held tight onto the steering wheel.
I luckily made it home and as I was parking the car in the garage I saw Ralph outside his garage with a BIG grin on his face and yelling, that was fun!
This photo is the proof in the pudding.
This year I will need to make other arrangements for getting the Viper to and from the auto show.

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 10:50 am 
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Reading John Seuss's story reminded me of the time I put a clutch on my '70 Super Bee. Shortly after graduation from High School in 1977, I bought my first real musclecar a '70 Super Bee. It had been fooled around with a bit and a 440 was put in place of the 383. The four speed was also swapped with an 18 spline hemi version. Anyway the engine cam out of a police car (with an automatic) and was thus not machined to accomodate the required pilot bushing for the four speed. Although the car was an animal, it had a horrible vibration. Being young and dumb (and poor) I continued to drive it not caring about the vibration, hell it was loud and fast and since it was my first real hot rod, I suppose I thought it was normal....Well it wasn't long before the input shaft bearing let go and left me stuck in the cold. I guess it was Januaryish in northern VA. I towed the car home and got to work. I remember my dad telling me to go rent a trans jack, but I was young broke and stubborn and decided to lay on my back and go for it. It actually was not that bad, it was just colder than a well diggers backside. I remember not being able to feel the smashed fingers too bad untill I got warmed up...Ouch...I was able to get a local machine shop to make me a pilot bushing and Ifinally got the car back together. What a difference! Man I wish I still had it...

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Last edited by HPAxle on Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:02 am 
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Boy, some great replies here, keep them coming!

Oldfart & WR70 really cracked me up. Can't imagine navigating a 427 Impala w/ 4:56 gear and a "load of wood"...can't make this stuff up. And can you imagine leaving a Superbird at the Dayton airport for 3 or 4 days??? Just shows the commonality we all have with these machines.

I found this shot from 1981 of my RR sporting it's snow tires. Check these out, white lettered Firestone Wide Ovals snow tires!! What happened was a mechanic at the tire place I went to buy snow tires said, "I've got a better set in the back". He pulls out these which were "recaps" (remember those) and he obviously stashed them unitl a suitable ride showed up...apparently my RR passed. Anyone else ever see a set like these??

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1969 Charger R/T SE 440 Six Pack, Auto
1969 road runner, 426 Hemi, 4speed
1968 GTX, 440 Six Pack, 4 speed
1968 Olds 4-4-2, 455, 4 speed
1973 Dodge Challenger, 340, 4 speed
1968 Dart, 383, Auto, 3:91s


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:49 pm 
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Here's another one. This story is legendary at Oaks family gatherings. Back in 1967 I owned two cars a nice 63 Impala SS with a 327 powerglide and a 64 two door Belair post sedan that I had built for street racing. The Belair had a 365 hp 327 with solid lifters lots of compression and lots of cam. I had it jacked up all around gasser style which was common back then. The latter car and me caused my dad lots of agita. My dad ran a body shop and I was always bothering him about some thing like signing off for the faultly equipment warnings I constantely got for the plate light being out (like the cops didn't know my car) running slicks on the street, glass packs etc.

I had lost my job at Pratt&Whitney for making history having the most days missed from work. I was also a full time college student and needed money for tuition. I had to sell one of my cars naturally the SS was easy to sell leaving me with the Belair as my daily driver. I rented a garage from the neighbor across the street and used to park the Belair there. But the neighbor had gone to Florida for the winter. One day we had a big snow storm and I had not shoveled over there so I could get the car in and out. I came home on a Sunday night and parked the car in our driveway blocking in my dads beater go to work car (which was a 61 Belair hardtop bubble top. How cool is that?) It was cold as anything and I just wanted to go inside and sleep.

In the morning my Dad couldn't get around my car because off the snow piles and tried to move it. I should at this point mention that I had a dual quad set-up on the car that I bought from Don Gallant. The set-up had two Daytona AFB's without chokes and the linkage opened all eight barrels at once. I planned on putting the single Four barrel back on it for the winter but had not done it. This car gave you one shot to get it started without flooding it and my Dad had no idea how to do it.

So Dad came in kicked my bed and told me to get the hell outside and move my car. I went out in my jammies and cranked her but I knew it was too late the beast was flooded and wasn't going to start. Then my dad got a bright idea. He popped the hood, took off the air cleaners and told me the crank it with the throttles wide open while he held his hands over the carbs.

Doing this created a gigantic backfire. I saw two big flames shoot up. I jumped out of the car and my dad was beating the fire out with his gloves. He looked really angry. Then I noticed the the backfire had burned his eyebrows and the hair over his forehead. His hair was all crinkly and burnt. At that point he slammed my hood down jumped in his car and pushed me into the street. My front bumper was up so high that he broke all his taillights pushing me and off he went. There I was in the middle of the street in my jammies freezing. I pushed the car to the side by myself. I got some clothes on pulled some plugs and put dry ones in and eventually got her started.

When I got home that night my mom was combing and cutting my dads burnt hair and eyebrows. Dad didn't talk to me for a long time.


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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:23 am 
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hal wins hands down.

that was hilarious.

i could picture this in my mind very clearly as i have aggrivated my father many times also!

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:42 pm 
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Back in 1981 I made it from County street in NewHaven (near Winchester Plant) to Valencia liquors in Amity shopping center , in a foot of fresh snow in my 70 Camaro in about 10 mins.
It was a last minute decision to get a keg and the packies closed at 8 back then..... just made it too .
Threw the keg in the trunk and headed back. :cheers

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:31 pm 
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You guys are great! I am laughing so hard the tears are flowing... Hal that is to much, Bees, Trannies, Beer Runs & Birds in the Dayton Airport... :bow


Jeff tell them the story about the guy wanting to buy your bird, When you acted like a West VA Hick :pop !

BTW Jeff's Home Depot Coronet Sedan is an all original 1966 Coronet Hemi 4 Spd.. You have all seen it, if you ever looked in any of them BIG MuscleCar Books at Bordersm it's the poster child for that model. VERY NICE Car! He had to hide it opne year at Carlsile the Securty Patrol was looking for it. :drinking That's another good story :pop

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 Post subject: Re: Winter Musclecar stories from the day...
PostPosted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:49 pm 
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Acted like a West Virginia hick? waitaminute- I AM a West Virginia hick! Although the politically correct term is: Appalachian American. But I’ll have to accept that I’m only an expatriate now. The Sonoran Desert is pretty far from those big dark valley’s that I miss so much come October. Besides, only a dumb hick would use a rare hemicar to move cinderblocks, eh?

Oh man these stories are GREAT!! Yeah- OldFart wins the SuperCar Pulitzer with that one! Lucky your Mom was there or you might not have made it to become “Old Fart”. It’s hard to grasp in today’s world, but back then a set of poorly tuned, leaky, dual quads on an 18-23 year old kid’s daily driver wasn’t that unheard of. Probably no thermostat in the housing either. Seat belts wadded up in the crevasses of the seat. 400 horsepower and bald bias ply tires. Rolling papers in the ashtrays and kegs of beer in the trunk. Sheesh… how did we survive those years anyhow? But the hard knocks sure made us tough by current standards, a sidebar I’m sure we’re all quite proud of, even if we did make plenty of well intentioned blunders along the way.

Cool picture of the 69 Road Runner -the slapper bars, the bowed leaf springs, shackles and Firestone Wide Oval snow tires. That picture says it all. While I’ve certainly never seen the Firestone snows, I do remember a guy who had small white letter Goodyear Polyglas GT snow tires on his 1968 Charger R/T. Matter of fact, they are STILL on his Charger after all these years.

Hmmm… HP axle reminds me also of a clutch change in Northern Virginia, laying on my back in the cold. It was over the Thanksgiving holiday in maybe ‘83 or ‘84? I was going to school in Ohio but decided to drive to my folks in Virginia for Turkeyday and then planned to leave that Sunday afternoon to drive back to Northwestern Ohio for work on Monday. Now lemme tell ya there are nothing but long, steep grades between Southern Ohio and Virginia and the clutch was already slipping when I left school Tuesday after finals. And I actually made it to less than a mile from the folks’ driveway, but the car just would not go up that final hill. My folks were not the slightest bit mechanical so a buddy had to come over and we towed (yanked, pushed and pleaded) the car up the last hill using a multiple looped, 100 foot, heavy duty, electrical extension cord- it was all we had. (Come on now… you’ve all done it too…) I spent the next day looking for a clutch and pulling the trans. And it was that gawd-awful heavy18 spline thing that came in the ‘bird too. HP Axle: was it Speed Unlimited the name of those shops back then? The “In-house Speed and Van shop”? I can’t remember exactly, but they had a number of shops in Virginia and I think they were painted purple or orange or something. Anyhow I can remember my Brother leaning under the car on Thanksgiving day and saying “Mom says it’s time to come in and eat”. An hour of warmth and a full belly and I was back under that stupid car. At least I had a carport and wasn’t in the mud. Somehow, once again I cheated the odds and made it back to Ohio on Monday in time for work.

Well Ralph, I better not share all my stories. I’m already pretty adept at alienating people without even trying. No sense in me opening the dungeon and offending et. al with this nice Forum you’ve got going. I hope to meet many of these entertaining folk from time to time and sheesh- if they knew all my dirty secrets they would probably never talk to me!

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