Station Wagons - Page 22

vistacruiser67 · 11-21-2012, 12:49 PM

Hey, When did you get this Vista? Was it a race car before you had it? If so who ran it? Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmdavison

I Ran this Olds Vista Cruiser for a number of years in Stock and SS in Div6. It was a fun car.

jmdavison · 11-21-2012, 01:17 PM

I bought it from a school teacher in Portland in 1988, made a race car out of it. It went to Div3 in 02-03....Ask Alf Wiebe about it. We had a hell of a time getting the rear suspension figured out when I went to SS...

Ray Menard · 11-21-2012, 03:01 PM

Does anyone have pictures of Kirk McCowan's 59 Chevy O/S-R/S Wagon called the "Leaping Lion"? It ran out of Plymouth, Michigan in the mid to late 60's. It was a home built multiple record holder that Kirk flat towed to Dallas, Texas in 1968 for the Spring Nationals (NHRA) with his 56 Chevy pickup with a 396 under the hood and me, a pimply faced rookie, riding shotgun. Ironically, he worked at a Ford plant in the area. He also had a sticker on the rear window that read..."This is Ford Country".

I recall he had one of the early (Line-Lok) devices which consisted of a big ole steel rod, pivoting from the dash and applying the brake in the water box and at the line. Wow...that was a long time ago!

The speed secret he shared with me was..."launch at float & go through the lights at float. That's how to make a small motor/big car to work". I never forgot it.

Thanks,

vistacruiser67 · 11-21-2012, 03:07 PM

Dick Griffin, John Troxell and finally Paul Mayo race one similar for years. I got a picture of it racing as late as 85. It started out white like yours, had Lubik Olds on it for a while and then Chesrown Olds with a rainbow fish scale paint on it all the while keeping the woodgrain in tact. Thanks for posting your Vista.

All photos above is of the same car .

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmdavison

I bought it from a school teacher in Portland in 1988, made a race car out of it. It went to Div3 in 02-03....Ask Alf Wiebe about it. We had a hell of a time getting the rear suspension figured out when I went to SS...

Hemi Moose · 11-21-2012, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Menard

Does anyone have pictures of Kirk McCowan's 59 Chevy O/S-R/S Wagon called the "Leaping Lion"? It ran out of Plymouth, Michigan in the mid to late 60's. It was a home built multiple record holder that Kirk flat towed to Dallas, Texas in 1968 for the Spring Nationals (NHRA) with his 56 Chevy pickup with a 396 under the hood and me, a pimply faced rookie, riding shotgun. Ironically, he worked at a Ford plant in the area. He also had a sticker on the rear window that read..."This is Ford Country".

I recall he had one of the early (Line-Lok) devices which consisted of a big ole steel rod, pivoting from the dash and applying the brake in the water box and at the line. Wow...that was a long time ago!

The speed secret he shared with me was..."launch at float & go through the lights at float. That's how to make a small motor/big car to work". I never forgot it.

Thanks,

Here's one of Kirk McCowan's 59 Chevy wagon called 'Leaping Lion'

Ray Menard · 11-22-2012, 04:19 PM

Wow! Great photo Hemi!

Thanks so much.

Regards,

vistacruiser67 · 11-23-2012, 01:12 PM

The parked cars are as fascinating as the subject of the photo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

Here's one of Kirk McCowan's 59 Chevy wagon called 'Leaping Lion'

lvd2340 · 11-25-2012, 08:54 PM

My father's favorite from back in the day was Joe Kenny's "Trick Tank". If he could find a 62 Wagon who would probably recreate it. Another favorite of his was the "Tons of Fun" Pontiac wagon discussed earlier, the torque that car had leaving the line for it's time was amazing.

Lew Silverman · 11-25-2012, 09:00 PM

Here's a shot of my Belair at the Lee Sherman Memorial S-S/S Combo at Mason-Dixon Dragway earlier this month - first run off the trailer and it was cccooolllddd!!

Lew

BRUCE COMPTON · 12-20-2012, 04:02 PM

Here is a photo of our Malibu wagon in about 2004 at the Seattle national event. Later that year the car was sold to Harry Frank in Florida and that is where the car is today. Harry hasn`t run the car much for awhile but hopes to this next year. A friend of Harry`s; Dan Dobson has bracket raced the car some with good success. I didn`t win the race in the photo but it was a thrill for me to race Dan Fletcher.

11-21-2012, 01:17 PM	#212
jmdavison Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Idaho Posts: 88 Likes: 3 Liked 16 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Station Wagons I bought it from a school teacher in Portland in 1988, made a race car out of it. It went to Div3 in 02-03....Ask Alf Wiebe about it. We had a hell of a time getting the rear suspension figured out when I went to SS... __________________ Jeff Davison 6047 Stk/SS

11-21-2012, 03:01 PM	#213
Ray Menard Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 49 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Station Wagons Does anyone have pictures of Kirk McCowan's 59 Chevy O/S-R/S Wagon called the "Leaping Lion"? It ran out of Plymouth, Michigan in the mid to late 60's. It was a home built multiple record holder that Kirk flat towed to Dallas, Texas in 1968 for the Spring Nationals (NHRA) with his 56 Chevy pickup with a 396 under the hood and me, a pimply faced rookie, riding shotgun. Ironically, he worked at a Ford plant in the area. He also had a sticker on the rear window that read..."This is Ford Country". I recall he had one of the early (Line-Lok) devices which consisted of a big ole steel rod, pivoting from the dash and applying the brake in the water box and at the line. Wow...that was a long time ago! The speed secret he shared with me was..."launch at float & go through the lights at float. That's how to make a small motor/big car to work". I never forgot it. Thanks, __________________ Ray Menard SS/CS (SS/DM & SS/EM) #7386

11-22-2012, 04:19 PM	#216
Ray Menard Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 49 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Station Wagons Wow! Great photo Hemi! Thanks so much. Regards, __________________ Ray Menard SS/CS (SS/DM & SS/EM) #7386

11-25-2012, 08:54 PM	#218
lvd2340 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Western Mass Posts: 60 Likes: 16 Liked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Station Wagons My father's favorite from back in the day was Joe Kenny's "Trick Tank". If he could find a 62 Wagon who would probably recreate it. Another favorite of his was the "Tons of Fun" Pontiac wagon discussed earlier, the torque that car had leaving the line for it's time was amazing. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Billy Kirpens Jr / Pro ET / Street ET 123J @ Lebanon Valley Dragway Stock/Super Stock 123A

11-25-2012, 09:00 PM	#219
Lew Silverman VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 1,435 Likes: 371 Liked 129 Times in 59 Posts	Re: Station Wagons Here's a shot of my Belair at the Lee Sherman Memorial S-S/S Combo at Mason-Dixon Dragway earlier this month - first run off the trailer and it was cccooolllddd!! Lew Attached Thumbnails __________________ Lew Silverman #2070 "The Wagon Master" N/SA

12-20-2012, 04:02 PM	#220
BRUCE COMPTON Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: BOISE,ID Posts: 42 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Station Wagons Here is a photo of our Malibu wagon in about 2004 at the Seattle national event. Later that year the car was sold to Harry Frank in Florida and that is where the car is today. Harry hasn`t run the car much for awhile but hopes to this next year. A friend of Harry`s; Dan Dobson has bracket raced the car some with good success. I didn`t win the race in the photo but it was a thrill for me to race Dan Fletcher. Attached Thumbnails