Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

Thought you might be interested in this link.
Bob Rice
http://dragnut.smugmug.com/gallery/4..._uYAWo#P-11-12

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

thanks alot, except for the hood and the name on the door, the car looks exaclty like that now.




Stephen Johnson #2162
Horace Johnson #2167
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

Stephen, I talked with Jim Paquet today at the PRI show in Orlando. We talked about your car. I didn't realize it was VanCleve's car. Jim

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

Not that it matters, but the photo of your car was taken at woodburn dragstrip.

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

yes it is ;)


Stephen Johnson #2162
Horace Johnson #2167
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

I had watched Jim drive that car in Super Stock at a lot of West Coast drag races without really knowing where it was from. I had seen his name in Dragster on the records page, which lists home towns for record holders, but I had never been to Washington, so it didn't mean anything to me.

My wife and I were on vacation in 1991, and driving around the base of Mount Shasta and I came to a stop at a stop sign, looked to my right and saw "Van Cleve Motors," on the building on the corner.... and then it hit me... "Morton, Washington!!!"

I had wondered why that name sounded familiar to me as I had just driven past the identifying sign on the outskirts of town.

There was a lot adjacent to the dealership, so I pulled over and just sat there for a few minutes, and my wife said, "What are you DOING?"

I said, "Just paying a little homage to a friend I've never met... the guy who's name is on that dealership."

After a while, I took off, but I'm not sure she ever understood...

It's very gratifying that that car ended up in the hands of some guys who respect it and are doing right by it!

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

thank you, thats a test to my ole man!!! Very Hard Worker!!!


Stephen Johnson #2162
Horace Johnson #2162
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

Bill,,,You've got great eyesight if you saw Van Cleve Motors in Morton, Washington from the base of Mt. Shasta,,which is in California!!!! Perhaps you meant Mt. Rainier, which is a few miles up the road from beautiful downtown Morton. Sorry,,,I had to do it.
Danny Durham,,,,,,,, Washington resident for only 55 years and counting.

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

Hey, Danny... you're RIGHT!! It WAS Mt. Rainier!

Wait 'til you're 70... LOL!

Somedays, I can't remember which shoe goes on which foot... BUT, I easily remember that a '57 Chevy 220hp 283 Power Pack motor had 300 ft. pounds of torque (according to the factory), and that the 283 hp fuel injected motor had pop-up pistons and swirl-polished valves...

What's WRONG with me??? I'm not even a Chevy guy....

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

THAT'S what is wrong with ya! :)

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

Good one, Michael... science fiction, but funny!!! :)

The Van Cleve Fairlane is living on, apparently, through the efforts of a father who really cares about performance, and his son's love for racing. That's so cool!

My Dad want to the drags just once. My partners and I had a 345cid Olds-powered B/Gas Coupe back then (1962) and were middle-of-the-pack racers as far as performance went. We ran as fast as we could afford, which meant a milled, cast iron (3 two-barrel) J-2 Olds manifold on some '55 heads we'd put '56 exhaust valves in (bigger) and flat-top pistons, with some flex-pipe headers... (no kidding.)

My Dad showed up at one race (never to return), but I had no idea he'd gone there. When I got home, his one comments was, "GOT BEAT, DIDN'T YA..."

I just walked out of the room.

I think anyone whose Dad works on the race car is a lucky so-and-so...

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

I saw that car alot when i was a kid growing up in the northwest, I have also seen some photo's of Van cleves new fairlane that was under construction at Brad hadmans shop. Don't no what it will be used for but i can say this it is beautiful.

Re: Attn: Stephen Johnson
 

WE were told it was goin to run N/SS


Stephen Johnson #2162
Horace Johnson #2167
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA