Oddball Muscle Cars

[Neil Smedley]

There was a 1970 Fury 1 that used to make an appearance every once in awhile at Lancaster dragway just outside of Buffalo, NY in the late 70`s. It had a 440-6 pack with the shaker hood. This was an eveyday driver and was entered in street et........I was assured by the owner that it was factory original complete with the vanishing strobe decals down both sides

[Jerry Hatch]

Originally Posted by Neil Smedley

There was a 1970 Fury 1 that used to make an appearance every once in awhile at Lancaster dragway just outside of Buffalo, NY in the late 70`s. It had a 440-6 pack with the shaker hood. This was an eveyday driver and was entered in street et........I was assured by the owner that it was factory original complete with the vanishing strobe decals down both sides

There were a limited number of these Fury's built, they were part of the "Rapid Transit" campaign.

Jumping to the present day I may have one ... at least I think so. 1995 Impala SS. A lot of my friends say "but it has 4 doors and leather interior". Mine is a heads/cam car with nitrous (still has 74,000 original miles) and runs high 10s with low 1.5x 60' times on DOT tires, through the mufflers, and at 4,100+ lbs. race weight. I know it is supposed to be a "family sedan" but I personally think they make great looking muscle/race cars.

[Curt Rees]

I presently own a '96 Caprice LT 1 that has 64,000 original miles. The car is not a C9 and was bought new here in Pierre, SD. I am the 3rd owner. It will run 15:50's in the 1/4 bone stock.

I bought a 70' 454 390 horse 2 door Impala coupe in 1975. The car had a Turbo 400 and a 3:36 open rear end. I raced it once at TV in Marion, SD and won the Street Bracket trophy. I think the car went 15:38, never shifting to drive. I wrecked the car, but still own it. Sold the motor and trans, dumb!

#5457

Curt Rees

[k.pascoe]

Originally Posted by Bret Kepner

Some of the Furys were good; others were substantially less than that.

I've raced plenty of oddball stockers in my life but one of the worst was a refrigerator-white 383 2bbl 727 '70 Fury I in (AHRA) O/SA.

I was thrilled to get the left front wheel an inch off the ground on the launch but, even on a soft record, the car couldn't get out of its own way.

My god Bret, how long ago was that?.....Gateway's AHRA days?

[Tom Goldman]

My Uncles' K/S '58 Chevy 4 dr Station Wagon with a 348 Tri Power engine and a stick trans ! .......I don't remember if it was a 3 or 4 speed anymore,it was at least 45 years ago, but I do remember going with him to Alex Jarrels to pick up transmissions. ..... Tom

[Barnstorm]

1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser wagon with the 3x2bbl 430-400hp motor. Absolute pig but pretty impressive back in the day. My 91 Syclone is the best street racer I've owned. Traction.

[Mark Yacavone]

This one doesn't hardly qualify as an intermediate body style either, but it's a good story.

In 1978, I was asking around, just looking for a beater to drive in the upcoming winter months. A friend of mine who hung around at a Mobil station, called me up and said he found an old Pontiac for $325 and would I be interested. He said he drove it around the block and it pulled pretty good, but he didn't know much more about it.

Come to find out , a Connecticut State Trooper ordered the car new. At that time , he was driving a 428 Ford Police Interceptor for a patrol car. He wanted something with similar power for his personal use.
This what he came up with:

1968 Ventura (which is ,in reality, a Catalina with a vinyl interior)
400 ci, 340 hp with a 4 bbl and dual exhaust
3.08 Positraction rear end (most of those cars were 2.56 open drive)
4 piston (Corvette leaker style) power disc brake with 15" wheels and full hubcaps
(only about 2% of Pontiacs had this option in 1968)
Factory AM/FM stereo radio

The car had a little over 100K on it ,and the paint was faded but it had been Ziebart rust proofed when new ,so it held up pretty well after 10 years in the Northeast.

As soon as I found the posi rear ,I knew I had myself a new Street Bracket car
. I tuned it up, adjusted the Qjet, and stuck some old 7" Firestone slicks on it, and headed for Connecticut Dragway that first weekend.
The old car ran low 15's and I ended up winning $200 ,first time out .
A couple weeks later , I took it up to Epping for a money meet and runnered up our very own Mr Bob Don.

Later that month ,I put a timing chain in it and drove it down to Englishtown, where again ,I finished in the money, running 14.80's at 91 mph.
I had paid for the car in it's first three outings.

In 1980 , I put a .060 over GTO 400 in it and ran some 13.70's,still with the 3.08's in it.
I ran the Street points that year, and managed to win the track championship with Ol' Blue, as it had become known.

After various engine transplants and street driving duty, I decided to hop it up for the 13.00 and slower no-box bracket at Atlanta Dragway.
A healthy 455 and 4.10's put it in the 12.80 range. My ex won the Sportsman track championship with it in1992, 12 years after the first one.

Eventually ,after having the car in Florida and Ohio ,Mother nature got the best of it , so I sold it as a roller before I moved out here, 21 years after shopping for that winter beater.

I still have that 455 though. it's going in my 62 Tempest soon. It knows the way to the finish line / win light.

[W J]

Sounds like you sure had some fun w/that car, Mark....my only question, why the Bonneville salt flats hubcaps?? Best wishes. WJ

[treessavoy]

I believe there was an AMC dealer in AZ (Randall I think) that built a number of 401 powered Grimlins in the early '70's, headers, traction bars etc.

Short wheelbase and tons of torque.

JimR