Racing

This is where it began. My love for motorsports. Racing Motocross as a youngster. Thats my father, who still has the racing blood, too.

I raced for five years around the midwest. I rode a Yamaha yz80 to start with, then bought a new Kawasaki KX80. We had it modified by TUF Racing in Illinois (don't know if they are still around). That was one tough little bike!! I eventually ended up on a KX125 before I met who would become my wife and gave it up.

This is where the car craze began. My 1977 Camaro which I drove in high school. The car began, as pictured here, as a stocker: 305 v8, th350, open 2.73 gears.

After high school, the car received a 400 small block. Then I joined the service. The car sat for some time until I shipped it out to Colorado. There it received a set of headers and a holley carb. The car was driven from Colorado Springs to

Pueblo Motorsports Park where I ran the 1/4 mile for the first time. Timeslips were terribly slow. The car seemed much quicker as a kid. Obviously, the car needed more power. The small block came out and in went the first small block. A .030 over 396.

Here it is installed with the front clip removed. Stock intake, mild hyd. cam, Edelbrock carb, rebuilt HEI with aftermarket coil, used headers.

You cant see it, but I also installed a TH400 Tranny with B&M shift kit and a 2800 rpm stall. The engine received a new set of rings and main/rod bearings befor this. After firing it up I had NO oil pressure. Tried new oil pump, and everything with no luck. Car never was run in this configuration.

I decided a full rebuild was in store. After tearing down the motor and having the block cleaned, I found a crack in the casting where the oil journal leaves the oil pump boss. The oil pump was simply pumping from the pan and back into the pan. The guy who sold me the motor never mentioned this. Imagine that. I had a local welding shop repair the block. Engine received a Edel. Performer RPM intake, basic valve job. Went back to a TH350 trans. Ran mid 15's first time at

the track. Spent the season tweaking the chassis. Never turned a bolt on the motor. Ended with a final ET of 13.01. So close to the 12's. Improvements included a posi unit, 4.11 gears, drag shocks all around, traction bars, a ratchet shifter, and stripping the car of all unnecessary weight.

For the next season, I had the heads redone. Ported and polished, SS valves, gasket matched to a hogged out Strip Dominator intake, .600 lift solid cam, 4500 rpm stall. Car pulled hard on the street. First day at the track, car launched like a rocket. Mid pass it emitted a god awful noise. Found the limit of the 30 year old cast pistons. Dome came off, rod broke, went through the block, cracked the crank. Grrr.

This is the car right before I sold it. I parted out all of my BBC parts, and sold the car sans motor and tranny.
The years did its work. The floor boards were gone, the 1/4s full of bondo. Time to move on.