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TOPIC: It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER.
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 month ago #134109
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Boating on the upper Niagara River today and when we stopped for lunch at the GNBC (Greater Niagara Boat Club) this cruised into the spot beside us. I just about plotzed. It's a numbers matching factory 4-speed split bench Polara but here's the rub, I told him I would bow before the Mopar altar if it was a Hemi. He laughed and said "nope, it's got the BETTER motor". I thought Max Wedge maybe and was close, it's a 426 Max Wedge ! They couldn't put these in street cars because the cam profile was so radical they wouldn't idle but they did anyway. Somewhere around 79 or 80 were built and less than 20 survive. It's got tin fenders and the original factory ladder brackets on the leaf spring. Just to make it even more rare it came with the staggered front wheels. There's a one inch offset to play with timing lights. Never saw one before except for magazines. Hope I see this one again. Too sweet.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134402
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Oh my gosh, that is beautiful!!!
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134403
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I know eh ? It's not perfect because it never was but it's only rough were it is supposed to be. They even got the overspray in the right places. Too bad it's upwards of 200 grand to play that game. I think at auction it'd go for more but that's what it's appraised for. Lucky buggers got a Judge convertible too. Sigh.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134405
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My grandparents had the same model car, less the Hemi of course. I have my Pawpaw's 1968 Dodge D100 truck that he purchased brand new. The truck is completely original with 63,000 original miles. It's on the Sewptline.org forum, Docstruck is my name on there. I think there are a couple of pics of the truck on this forum also. Anyway, talking about overspray, I was taking pictures of the underside of the dash panel once and saw all kinds of overspray and paint runs from the factory. That car is awesome, I love the torque thrust wheels, they looks so right on cars from the 50's through the 70's.
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134407
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It's something a lot of people overlook if they restore a car these days. Nothing was perfect from the factory but we sure love some of the flaws. That D100 sounds pretty sweet. And they are only original once. Cragar 5 spokes look good on most cars even today. I'd put a set on my Wife's Solara convertible if I could find them. Japan's version is shall we say, lacking. Have a good one. Mark.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134418
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That's only the second Max Wedge I've ever seen.
A girlfriend's neighbor had an original white Polara with the same motor. They also had a motor with the wild cross manifold with a carburetor outboard of the valve covers, I think it was out of a Chrysler 300. Cubic cash in that garage. |
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BillR
FG member/advertiser since 1998 www.bearcat55.com www.homelite55.com www.robertsmaritimesystems.com |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134419
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There's no substitute for cubic cash
 . I'd only seen cross ram intakes in magazines and I'm 53. There are way too few of these old beasts left. A new Demon or Hellcat ? I'll pass. I'd rather put the money into building something like this and bringing it back from the dead. But that's what we live for right ? Have a great day. |
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134423
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Those cross ram intakes with each carb hanging way out there looks way cool. Was the theory to try and get cooler air into the motor? I have seen a few at car shows. I also remember seeing an article back in the day that referred to the Chrysler 300âs with these big blocks as âThe Bankerâs Hot Rodâ because they were pricy big comfy cars that could also peel the poly glass tires all day. I swear I would need a pick up truck bed to haul all of the chrome they put on those. At 19, my older co-worker was selling his 64 Chrysler 300K for $4,500 and wanted me to by it. Think it may have had a max wedge. Wish I had a crystal ball back then. No replacement for displacement as they say. My hot rod ended up being a 440 in a town and counry wagon 9 passenger. All I cared about was pulling boats and hauling gear... good thing gas was cheaper then.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134427
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Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser 9 seater with the rear double gate with electric window and backwards facing seats.giggle. But it had a 455 and could pull a house off the foundation. And oh yeah thank the Lord gas was cheaper then. I saw the Polara at the boat club again today but couldn't stop to drool. It was a gorgeous day on the Upper Niagara River today until around 4:30 then a squall line went through. Not much rain but the sun was sure nice up to that point. October 10th. Whoda thunk it ?
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134434
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Those Old's Vista Cruisers were way cool with that window in the roof!!!
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134436
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My Uncle Doug had one of them. I learned most of my swear words the day he put the end of his canoe through one of those lexan ports on the roof !! I can't remember the exact cost to repair it but it was more than the canoe was worth. LOL.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134437
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If I remember the theory correctly, the idea of the cross ram intake was to really swirl up the fuel charge to give you better overall combustion. Did it work ? Look at the HP ratings. They understated them for insurance but they'll give you an idea. Mopars guys always know that stuff.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134439
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Heck - if they made a modern wagon that looked like some from the past...put in that modern h.p. motors that also get over 20mpg...give me a bit more ground clearance and 4 wheel drive, that could do many tasks... like hauling 4x8 sheets inside one trip, and next trip take ALL the grandkids and boat to the lake and ice cream on the way home. Saw a red with white racing striped late 60âs Chevy wagon awhile back with SS Craiger 5 spokes and it grabbed my attention over the 100 other look alike cars in the lot. My first thought was ... I would love to have that to pull my 60âs boat! Heck - a 455 vista cruiser could pull a pretty large tandem axle rig up a ramp... and if traction was a question... just pile in those 9 passengers lol.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 4 weeks ago #134442
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I can't remember the name of the Buick version for the life of me but I knew a guy out west who built it into a mid-engine dragster by taking out the whole interior and tubbing the rear. He had a Chevy LS-6 with a blower on it and it was kinda like that "Farmtruck" on Street Outlaws. Beat to heck on the outside but no expense spared underneath the rust. I had a couple wagons you could put a 4X8 sheet in. Sigh, those were the days. The Wife and I were feeling frisky yesterday but after looking at the layout of the Solara convertible we decided that it wasn't worth the days of pain. Damn we're getting old. Reminiscing about wagons, actually thinking about whether or not to make love to our others. Wow.
 Thank God I've got a boat. |
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 week ago #134585
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Here's my 1968 Dodge D100 Custom. Pawpaw bought her brand spanking new and she's been in the family ever since. I recently put a vintage 1968 tag on her.
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 week ago #134591
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Very nice. Indeed a family treasure with likely lots of family memories. ... and a vehicle that is likely pretty easy to work on for maintenance. Love it! Might it have the 318? Not sure when that came out, but sure seem to still see a ton of 318âs still running.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 week ago #134594
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They are a great block to start with and most mopar big blocks have a lot of interchangeable parts. Being a baby big block has it's advantages. Tough as nails and easy to soup up.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 week ago #134595
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Yes it has a 318 and an automatic transmission with sure grip rear end!!!
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 week ago #134603
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She's a stump puller ! Nice.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 8 years 1 week ago #134608
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I have a sniffed up 318 and ordered the sure grip. The moment you smack the throttle, both tires spin right away...with highway gears, my 81 needs wet pavement or gravel to spin the bigger tires. You likely have more HP, better gears for pulling and light back end on that truck...it would likely be able to light up those tires if you wanted.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135244
The idea was to use longer runners to gain top end, like a tunnel ram, but keep it under the hood. Sneaky guys!!! Yes, they idled like crap and fouled plugs in traffic, but getting to open roads and "cleaning the plugs" was lots of fun! |
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135262
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I see. Thanks. I do remember Dad taking Grandmaâs big block Mopar to the highway every so often in the late 60âs early 70âs to burn out the carbon. Coming up that long straight ramp with his foot to the floor. The exhaust was so thick just before hitting second gear that you couldnât have seen a car behind you... then a bit more at the top or second gear... we always thought that was cool, but grandma really did only drive it to church or the 3 blocks of town for 19 years, so dad knew it was loaded up. Still love to see those sneaky cross ram intakes.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135269
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I'd take ANY of those old tricks today. I'm no fan of technology, it just makes stuff harder to work on !
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135273
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I just swapped out an older simple motor and agree. I couldnât do a modern motor unless I went to new car repair school the rest of my life... and even then doubt I am smart enough.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135277
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I knew I was finished playing with "modern" stuff when I needed 2 knuckles and 2 extensions to change the number 6 plug in the Wife's transverse mounted 3.8L in her fracking grand pain. I'm not a huge man by any means but when my hands can't fit under a manifold or a carb something's wrong. LOL. Besides, if you're a pessimist, the old stuff will still work if someone lights off the big one. Suddenly, our old cars, and boats, and bikes that have carbs and magneto's aren't going to seem so silly. Happy New Year Everyone !!
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135306
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Here is the 318 that is in my truck. Simple stuff, easy to work on, no computers, factory ignition, and a 2bbl carburetor!!!
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135311
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Nice! I have an 81 318 that is simple, but much less hp. Still starts and runs every time. ... sadly I passed on buying a stick shift 440 Daytona 69 in 1979 because it had bald tires and 87,000 miles and I was 19 and lived in a high insurance area and was already paying $1,200 a year for high risk insurance for just liability on a 7 year old wagon...likely I couldnât get insurance since they already said no to camaroes and mustangs. Sad because it was only $500... all white and not wrecked. Always wanted a wing car and didnât even know they only made about 500! ... my bad!
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135313
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Oh my gosh!!! That's one that you'd like to get back I'm sure. No one wanted the winged cars, dealers had a hard time getting rid of them and now look at what they are worth. Unreal.
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135325
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My first car was a 63 Plymouth Savoy MaxWedge ..one of a handfull of 4speed cars
Purpose built factory drag car... came off the assembly line with 9" slicks on the back and a tag in the glovebox stating "not for street use. for timed speed trials only" had 11,000 miles in 1980 ...1/4 mile at a time |
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135328
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We don't get to lament those decisions or we'd cry forever ! I've owned at least one of every car that is going for 100 grand plus today and drove most of them into the Niagara River for fun. I was a little nuts back then
The one that oddly hurt the most was when I saw a 1963 XKE that I built with my father sell for $125,000.00 on Barrett Jackson. He gave me two of them when I was 12 (1976), a blue convertible V-12 and a red hard top with the V-12. The electrical systems were nightmares so we converted them to 12 volt but as there was never a time when both ran at the same time I eventually gave up and bought a 1971 427 Nova (yeah, one of them). The last thing we did on the Jags was build the cats eye inserts for the headlamps on the coupe. That's how I recognized it. I sold the PAIR for $25,000.00 when I was 16 and thought I was a genius. SIGH. Don't get me started on the 67 Vette. I can't stand the memories. LOL. It may be a tall tale but I hear tell there are still wing cars sitting in abandoned dealerships down south. You could stand on the real wings. Those were the days my friend. LOL. |
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135329
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I bet you just giggle when you go past a broke down Viper
That's the kind of beast that serves generations of a family. Nice job keeping it real ! |
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135330
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Do you know that sound Homer Simpson makes when he sees a donut ?? I'm making it now.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135332
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Sounds like some nice cars for sure. What are cats eye inserts? I've never heard of those.
Here's a question for ya: What did the "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" drive? |
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135333
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A brand new shiny red Super Stock Dodge I believe.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135334
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Ding, ding, ding, you are correct Sir!!!
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135343
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Dr.Go didn't have to google the answer either
Cats eye lens, some call em "snake eyes" are a cover with a slit "pupil" like a cats eyeball. Some of the Jags had headlights that sat in a bezel and it sort of messed with the fender lines so people started making plastic covers to smooth the look. I just thought mine looked evil. The front end looked liked it was hungry. lol. If only they had been a bit more reliable. My five foot nothing Mother used to love drag racing the Chevy's and Ford's when the Jag's were running well and she rarely lost. That pissed off a lot of guys. |
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135350
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My girls used to sing that song with me at bedtime and they would laugh so hard at the part where it said go granny, go granny, go granny, Go... because they were picturing their grandma getting wild and peeling rubber. Sounds like the cat eyed evil machine could back up the look! Girls know how to race and gearhead too. My own grandma had a 68 Chrysler wagon with the âlittle â 383. I think it was a 390hp motor and she was always squealing this tire pulling out of the store parking lot to grab an open spot on the main drag. She was never one to wait... she just got on that throttle! Our wagon had the 440...torque to pass on a 2 lane pulling a boat! Miss that torque... also miss 24 cents a gallon gas lol.
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Dr.Go!
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135356
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Haha, I remember riding back to town from checking on things at the cabin with my sister in her car and my Granny was in our truck. We were going up the river hill which is a really long hill at the Tallapoosa river part of Lake Martin. My Granny passed us in the truck, going up the hill!!! She must've been doing 70 to 75mph at the time. I looked at my sister and was like, okay well I guess she's blowing out the cobwebs!!!! It was funny.
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Marty
Keeper of Pawpaws Boat 1962 Span America |
It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135357
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I don't know if the car was that quick, the carbs were a nightmare, but Mom could barely see over the dash and they usually were too busy laughing to realize that she was already gone !! That was her last sporty car but I'll tell ya, her Olds Custom Cruiser Wagon had a stump pulling 455 and she left some twin trails on the road after a bad night at bingo. LOL. 24 cent gas just makes me want to weep. It's a buck forty a liter for premium right now. A LITER !!
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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It's got a Hemi ? Nope, BETTER. 7 years 10 months ago #135358
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We are the last keepers of that saying Marty. Blowing out the cobwebs. Nobody under 50 has even heard it. Is that too long for a transom ? LOL.
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Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead !
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