DO YOU RUN IT?.......

[Jason Edge]

I posted this on my Facebook Page but thought I would share here since it is car related:

DO YOU RUN IT? That was the question, I asked a person with a very nice looking 69 Camaro at the recent CCAF car show at Dorton Arena. I asked because they had obviously spent a ton of money on high performance equipment under the hood. I had just explained I had a low 12 second qtr mile 68 Camaro back in the day. The response was "YEAH, I SOMETIMES PUT IT ON THE ROAD AND DRIVE IT". They went on to explain that was a problem as they would have to get under the car and wipe the dirt off the bottom of the car. With that I knew there was no need to go any further. I just grinned and said pretty car. But, I have to say I couldn't fathom having all that potential power under the hood and not knowing the thrill of pulling up to the dragstrip line, doing the fish tail burnout and experiencing the adrenaline rush of racing down the strip against another power beast! Hell, right after I installed the optional posi-traction / controlled differential rear end in my 5000 lb1964 Coupe de Ville was to take it to a nearby empty parking lot, lock the brakes and do a fish tail burnout! With that, I'll just be nice and say there sure are some "purty" muscle cars out there! Ha Ha.

Below is a picture of my 68 Camaro that was driven everywhere, raced on strip and on the road, and enjoyed every minute I owned it.

[Chris Codd]

It's kind of sad to see high performance built cars that are only for show. Might as well have saved some money and built a #'s matching car to factory spec if it's not getting driven. It would probably be more valuable anyways, but to each his/her own. That was one cool looking Camaro you had there, Jason.

[3n49omug8n28i]

Jason do you think you would still have the same back tires on it today? LOL how time and tastes have changed. That is a nice looking car though.
I've had people ask why I drive my car so much, saying I'm putting miles on it and most people keep them in the garage undriven. Not ME I drive it. This car is well kept and in better shape then when I got it and it was stored then. I've put around 5000 miles on it this summer and abou 7000 in total since last year. I love this car and use it. I plan on putting another 100,000 before I'm done with it.

[Jason Edge]

Well there are Show Tires and There are Go Tires. I had Go Tires! The best looking car I saw at the CCAF was a 69 Camaro with balanced tires that were not razor thin, but still had the taller rims. I could definitely see myself in something like this!  The goal at the 1/4 or 1/8 mile track is to get to end the fastest, which means you want you meats grabbing the asphalt. One of the funniest street drag races I had was one that look like a scene from the old James Dean movie. A guy challenged me from another rural county and we showed up in the middle of nowhere on a paved street in the middle of farmland.  There were dozens of kids that showed up from the local high school and again looked like a scene from those old rock N roll racing moving! They had the road marked off 1/4 mile and new the deal. That was the cool part. The funny part is that while I ran a moderate 3.93 posi gear, this guy shows up with his "rich kid car on a rich kid trailer".  (yeah, even had trailer queens back then!).   He unloaded and talked to him and while I was a poor kid paying my way through NC State working at Sears, this guys dad had spent tons on his sons car.   One of the main reasons it was on the trailer was also because he was running a 5.11 gear which is extremely impractical for regular road use. The 3.93 would mean I was pulling some moderate rpms on the highway, but a 5.11 gear would be revving like crazy. OK... so back to tires. This guy pulls off the trailer, doesn't have a clue about air pressure or heating up the tires, and just blocks his car at the line. I of course drop my pressure to about 12 psi, and start heating up the tires. I've also got a healthy stall converter that lets much punch the RPM way up before blasting off. The guy standing in them middle of the road 1/4 mile drops his arms and I leave the other guy sitting there with his full air pressure, 5.11 gear and crazy powerful car just fish tailing. I had a 35 lb front end and it invariably pulled off the ground about a foot and I was gone!  I had jumped him so hard off the line I had him 2/3's down the track but he was gaining with all that power. I think I would have beat him... in fact I know I would have, but as we were nearing the finish line water and steam suddenly started pouring out under my cowl hood.  Be fore I knew it the engine had overheated and later found out I cracked the both heads. I couldn't let up even with the steam coming out of the hood. He took me by maybe a car length, but enjoyed every minute of it, especially knowing I left someone with a much lower gear and exponentially more money in the car, sitting at the line.  So there are show tires and there are Go Tires. I had GO Tires!

[Jason Edge]

Here is the Camaro I saw a the CCAF that I could see myself in today with the moderate tires and rims.

[3n49omug8n28i]

I had several go cars in the eighties. One was a 68 nova and it was the first engine I ever built. I put a vega four speed in it and could break the tires loose any gear or speed. The low first gear of the vega transmission made up for the tall gear in the rear end.
I was cruising downtown Windsor as a youth looking for trouble and an American guy in a black new firebird pulled up next to me at a light and yells he wants to race there for $50. I laughed and said I didn't want to take his money but would go out to the county and see how he could do. He wanted to go right downtown so we let her rip. I was gone and a couple car lengths ahead of him and still pulling as I blew through the next YELLOW light! Guess who's sitting there? A cop and he lights them up and pulls into the intersection and almost gets creamed by the guy in the brand new firebird LOL. The cop had a new target and that guy took off with the chase on. I'm going in and out of back streets trying to get out of the downtown area and a couple miles away who do I run into, four cop cars have this guy surrounded and on the ground. I had no where to go but past them and as I go by I yell out the window hey wana race? Fifty dollars!!! And took off again. My buddy still talks about that and says I'm nuts.
I finally blew that vega trans when I put it behind a 454 in a 74 camaro. Sticky tires did it in.

[Jason Edge]

I went thru 3 Turbo 350's before upgrading to a built Turbo 400 out of A 1970 vette. I had the B&M Quicksilver shifter that was great for racing as you just slammed it forward and would ratchet back. Of course fish tailing in all gears was standard.

[3n49omug8n28i]

When I took out the four speed I put that same shifter on top a a turbo 400. Also put a 4.11 gear and it was a dog after that. No top end as I built the engine as a low rpm torque stop light racer. Should have left it alone, live and learn I guess LOL.

[Jason Edge]

Mine and Cheryl's first date was at the drag strip. Beat a 69 Camaro pretty handily, won the trophy got the girl! LOL Still have that trophy from that night.... and the girl too!

[Jason Edge]

Here's a few more shots of my 68 Camaro: