Back in the day

**cuervo25_1** · 06-07-2009, 12:08 PM

Back when I first dropped the built 400 in the monte my best friend and I would "cruise" the Ave for girls,and whatever floated our boat at the time. sometimes we would take my monte,sometimes his 70 chevelle ss and rarely both (when one of us would work late) .This is one of thaose times when we had both.

We met up at Nautalus and did our workout then we decided to grab something to eat. we got up to a stop light (he was in front of me) and a mustang 2 pulled up next to him. Them immediatly started reving.My friend looks in the rearview with the "has he lost his mind" look I just gave him the signal to race him. the light hit green than that was it my friend shot off after laying some nice rubber ,that poor stang didn't even stand a chance. we later found out it (the mustang) had a built 302,but none the less was no match for the 383 in the chevelle.

We then went ahead and ate and was heading the backway home with me leading.when yet another mustang a cobra pulled up and started reving.I just shook my head and rolled my eyes and was going to let it go.what overtook me I have no clue but once the light changed I dropped the car in first and stomped it.to this day my friend swears my front came off the ground. I let the car hit 5k and shifted each time.(built 700r4) I slaughtered the Cobra with extreme prejudice.I could have sworn looking in my rearview at the kid that his jaw was resting on his lap. My friend ,which was right on my ass was about ready to piss himself with laughter.

2 mustang kills by 2 GM's in one night, just dont get any better.

**BLKCLOUD** · 06-08-2009, 05:31 AM

What would "back in the day" be?

**9T8W66** · 06-08-2009, 06:52 AM

Back in the Day I remember seeing 2 `89 Turbo T/A pace cars tearing up 5.0's at one of the local Deroit Sreet Race spots.

**allbaugh_04** · 06-08-2009, 06:54 AM

When was this?

**cuervo25_1** · 06-08-2009, 01:46 PM

late 90's ,back before I started calming down lol

**BLKCLOUD** · 06-08-2009, 04:05 PM

Late 90's? LOL.

Guess we all have our own ideas of "back in the day". For me, it was when a car that could run 14's in street trim on street tires was FAST.

**Firebirdjones** · 06-08-2009, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by BLKCLOUD

Late 90's? LOL.

Guess we all have our own ideas of "back in the day". For me, it was when a car that could run 14's in street trim on street tires was FAST.

Yep, and if you had a street car that ran 13's or even dipped into the 12's, in the late 70's through the mid to late 80's, you were king. I never ran so many fox body mustangs in my life when Ford started pumping those things out in the mid 80's.

This could be a cool "back in the day" thread.

I'll start with mid 80's. I was driving my 56 nomad everyday to and from work at the time. A little 327/4speed with 4.56 gears. Best the car ever went was somewhere in the mid 13's, but I'd have to dig up a timeslip. It ran decent for what most considered a station wagon

I came accross a buddy of mine that had a little 79 mustang II Cobra. He dropped a built 351 windsor in it. I figured a lighter car with more motor,,,,I would definately have my hands full. I had run plenty of 5.0 fox bodies when they were coming out and never had a problem with those. But this had me thinking.
Turned out to be a slaughter for me. He had trouble hooking that thing up on the first run. So we went from a slow roll the second time. He stayed with me at first. But that little 327 found it's stride (lots of rpm) and I pulled out a good 3-4 cars before it was over. He always wanted revenge after some more work on that car, but it never came to be. The nomad was parked a few years later for something faster, and that began it's 20 year hibernation.

**BLKCLOUD** · 06-08-2009, 04:58 PM

I cut my "racing teeth" on Rankin Road in Houston, for anybody that is familiar with it. 1982/83 for me. Had a 73 Monte Carlo, 350 with a 4 bbl, exhaust, small cam, and a few other minor things. Fastest thing around...just ask me! LOL. Was friends with a guy that had a really quick (for its day) 81 Z28. He'd get my by 5-6 lengths. Another friend my age had a 76 T/A with big Cragars and exhaust, but otherwise stock. Ran terrible....I'd whoop him every time.

There were some really slick street racers that came to Rankin Friday & Saturday nites. And on Sunday afternoons, the "trailer cars" would come out and play. Most of these were 11 and 12 second rides on slicks. And that was quite fast back then. Certainly there was faster....but not real often.

For street cars, when the 82 GT came out, it was what most everybody used as a yardstick to measure against. For its day, those 157 horses made for one of the quickest stock cars around. No kidding.

Ah the memories...

**Firebirdjones** · 06-08-2009, 05:09 PM

Ya the GT's were quick for that time period, and by the mid to late 80's they had already started hopping those things up too. Some of them got to be pretty darn quick.
Just before I parked the nomad I got into Nova's for a short time. I figured I'd start with something lighter. The second one I did a tunnel ram 355/4speed combo with 4.56 gears. Got that car to dip into the 12's. Always ran around on the weekends with slicks looking for trouble. Cars were getting increasingly faster. I cleaned house with this car nearly all summer until a certain big block 427 camaro cleaned my clock one night. Thats when I started thinking about BBC's myself and shortly after I bought my SS 454 chevelle. And the modding began,,,,,it's a never ending cycle.

**BLKCLOUD** · 06-08-2009, 05:32 PM

I was into the 5.0 scene for many years, though not much of a street racer after I was in my early 20s...figured out it was a good way to get in lots of trouble really fast!

Bought an 86 LX 5.0 hatch, then traded that on a 88 Coupe that ordered just like I wanted it. Had that car for over 15 years. Went 12.5's with bolt-ons and slicks, 11.9s with ported stock heads and a good cam, and finally high 10's with in Incon TT kit.

My favorite mod level was the heads/cam setup. It was a neat ride at that point - drove it everywhere...including the track, where I typically pulled a trailer WITH the Mustang! That was fun....stupid....but fun!

**Firebirdjones** · 06-08-2009, 06:15 PM

Ya I slowly tinkered with the chevelle over the years. 4 different engine combos until finally a few years ago I thought I was happy with 11.40's at 118 mph on motor only, at 4,108 lbs. race weight no less. Driving to and from and cold A/C too. Now I'm tinkering with it again, looking for high 10's.
It's just never enough.

After all those years of street racing, never got in trouble. That is until I had a pretty good scare,,,,,

I hadn't been out to the street racing scene for many years but still hung with buddies that were there when I was hot and heavy into it. That was 20 years ago. Got married, had a son,,,yada yada.

Then about 2 years ago we all got a wild hair and decided to check it out again. At the time my daily driver was a 79 Monza with a stout 406/4speed combo. I always ran that car on stock rubber, and the best it went was 13.0's at 113 mph. This was not a hookin' car by any means. It was a riot on the street, capable of low 12's easily though it was just a driver for me mainly. I drove that out to the hot spot and really didn't plan on racing until this guy started shooting off. He drove in a late 80's 5.0 stang and said he had the usual gears, cam etc....and wanted a piece of this ratty looking Monza. Man it's been years for me, but I thought okay, let's do this quick. We lined up, and I literally killed the tires, smoke everywhere. He jumped out several car lengths, but by the time I hit 3rd gear I could see I was realing him in,,,in 4th I was catching him FAST,,,then his brake lights came on and I panicked and hit my brakes, thinking he had seen something I didn't. It was dark outside...
Anyway we went back and parked with the others. He was happy and I had fun. That is until a cop rolled in right after. He put everyone in a group and then walked around the cars with his flashlight. Saw all the smoke coming out of the rusty quarter panels on my Monza,,,it was still floating around inside the car. It just reeked of rubber smell

He turned to the group and said,,,,,"Who's car is this" with a real sarcastic voice. My heart completely sunk. I piped up and said it was mine. He didn't say a word.
Turns out he was out of jurisdiction and had to call the State Boys. Luck was on our side when State Troopers were too busy to respond and he had to let us all go. That was a close one and the last time I did any organized street racing. I'm just too old for that crap anymore,,and my wife would have had a fit

Thank god I was driving my beater, because the classic cars are just too pricey now to risk having them impounded.

**cuervo25_1** · 06-08-2009, 06:24 PM

Gee what do you want I am only 34 lol.Back in the late 70's i was still sitting on dads lap steering the 70 super bee he still has. Use to make mom mad when I seen a ice patch in an empty parking lot. I would tell dad to stomp it and shift .then hit the patch and jerk the steering wheel to do donuts. That stopped when One of dads uncles caught me doing that(he was a state trooper) He gave me and dad a lecture.

By the time I got my license to many cops knew who I was.Dad paved the way in his Rogue driving.I can't begin to tell you how many time I was asked are you --------- son?

I also remember the side pipes on it as well.Dad had many many chryslers in those days that are now worth a fortune.

One of my first cars ,which I actually got from a friend for 200 bucks was a 72 roadrunner.It had no engine or trans,but that was fixed soon enough. Dad has a friend that came across a 440 police interceptor he built a little more for me. Dad ended up taking it away when I started running from the cops in it. The problem with where I came from In va everyone had a scanner because that was great fun to listen to. Well I was racing and a county deputy started chase on me.I hit curvy back roads and soon lost him .I went to my uncles(moms brother) and he had the garage door open and was standing there motioning to park in the garage. A couple minutes later(while i was still getting chewed out) my aunt walks out and says dad wanted to talk to me. he started reaming me. I spent the night at my uncles and took the car home the next morning,that is when dad took the keys from me.He still wont let me have it back lol.

**9T8W66** · 06-10-2009, 11:03 AM

My Back in the Day story is from circa 1992, French Rd. Detroit Mi.

French Rd. is a 3/4 mile long service street that is 5 lanes wide with houses on one side and it runs along one of the runways of Detroit City Airport.
This was and still is a ritual street racing spot where runs are done for cash.
Like I said earlier in this post we were down there hanging out watching all the races. This place is like the melting pot of America whites, blacks, arabs, italians you name it and we have it. But we all had one thing in common the love of fast cars.
There were a couple dozen 5.0 mustangs a few late secod gen F-bodies (including my own) and alot of old Muscle scattered along the strip.
The 5.0.s had their hands full of the 2 Turbo Trans Am's but the T/A's both got smacked by Frankenstien. Frankenstien is a Green `78 Caprice Coupe with a Bad Azz 406 and a little go go juice for an equalizer. Very impressive car considering it's weight.
The 2 heavy hitter that night were B. Cobbs `78 Gold Edition Trans Am with a built 455 Pontiac, and Mopar Paul's 71 Roadrunner with a well worked 440.
Bothcars run huge shots and are equipped with Slicks and skinnies.
Never got to see them run that night cause the cops came in the broke everthing up after 2am.

**preston1980** · 06-19-2009, 11:37 PM

A yes, back in the day. I believe it was a wednesday.

Yes everybody has a differant memory of "back in the day".

Mine is much like Blkcloud's, only the year was 1992ish to 1998ish.

I too remember when a 14 sec car was fast. it was pre LS1. A full bolt on 5.0 Stang was a show stopper. 16 inch wheels were pretty big (even if they had 4 lugs). And a 300 horsepower engine was very few and far between. People would tell you that there GT would go 135 mph. oooooooooooo, that was really fast. So fast in fact that the wipers would start shaking all over the place. But there engine could take it because it was not a regular 302. It was a 5.0 High output. WOW. We were all impressed by that. This is the age that I would always hear people say "It has a racing chip in it" and i was impressed. It was all about the flowmasters back then, if you didnt have them, you wanted them.

Back in the day. It was fun. Now a N.A. v6 car has 300 plus horsepower.
Man I sound like My father.