[bill dedman]

Danny and Jason,

Thanks for the kind words. I am not qualified to give lessons in anything, but it is fun to talk about how things used to be, and how they've changed.

The main two things that have changed since I started going the drags in 1955 are how fast the average car is, now, and how much "speed" costs.

For example, the average new car in 1955 had the capability of running the standing-start quarter-mile in about 19 seconds at perhaps 72 mph. There were faster cars, such as the "power pack" versions that had a 4bbl-carb and dual exhausts (most of them could manage mid-to high 17-second times in showroom trim), but the great majority had small V8s, single exhausts and a small, two-barrel carb.

The horsepower race had already taken off, however, and this 1955 average climbed astronomically the next few years, and by 1965, the average car's performance had jumped to a quarter-mile average of probably mid-16's.

Of course, the birth of the musclecar era in 1964, with the advent of the GTO, and all its competitors, had changed the perception of what constituted a "fast car", forever.

The run-of-the-mill '64 GTO's I watched at the strip, with showroom trim and street tires, would usually run high 14's through the mufflers, at about 98-99 mph.

Lots of their competitors were no faster, with the slowest of the bunch that I RECALL, being the 390 Ford GTA Mustangs and Fairlanes, clocking in at 15.30s... Boy, howdy; has THAT changed!!!

But, that was enough to bring the average car into the 15-second range. Engines had grown by leaps and bounds, with big block everything appearing in family sedans, which usually made the grocery-getter a lot nore fun to drive.

We all know what happened in the '70s, with lowered compression for unleaded gas, and the gas crunch making performance a naughty word in Detroit, so the march toward fast cars was put on hold during that sad period.

The '80s weren't much better, but did give us a V8 Mustang with potential, and some worthwile fuel injected motors from Chevy.

By the late '80s, things were starting to look up again, and by the time the nineties got rolling, the Viper and LT-1 motors heralded the dawning of a new performance era that is going great guns, today, with supercharged Cadilacs, and 600 HP American sports cars on the horizon.

One interesting phenomenon I have noticed is the creeping up of what is considered the "norm" in the overall performance of "average cars."

A case in point would be the 2007 Toyota Camry, a front-wheel-drive, soccer-mom sedan with NO sporting pretentions.

I don't have any hard data on that particular car, but Car and Driver road tested its big brother, the 2007 Avalon about a year ago, and it ran the quarter in something like 14.6 at 99 mph.

The Camry V6 gets the same engine (no changes) in a lighter car, so there's no way it''s going to run less than 100 mph in the quarter.

This 3.5-liter, automatic, soccer-mom car, with NO sporting aspirations, is going to tour the quarter-mile quicker than a bone-stock '64 GTO "MUSCLECAR" did.!

and, that is the NORM, today!!!

Back around 1960, I had a (partnership) race car (B/Gasser) that ran competitively with several others in my class, and it NEVER ran 100mph on its best day!!! ('35 Pontiac coupe/'55 Olds/Hydro/Engle cam/3 2bbls/milled heads/4.27:1 rear gears/BRUCE slicks) Wooopeee ding dong!

See my point?

The perception of what constitutes "fast" has changed dramatically, since I became involved in drag racing.

When I graduated from high school in 1956, any street car that could run in the 15s was "God-awful FAST!"

Now, a 15-second car on the street is just a normal grocery-getter and no great shakes.

The downside of all this is the cost of quick acceleration.

I don't have to tell any of you how much the cost of racing has escalated in recent years, but the extent to which just building a reasonably-quick street car has climbed can be astonishing when you consider what was possible in, say, 1972.

I had a'64 Valiant I had paid $750.00 for the previous year, and it had a 273 V8, but was somewhat anemic, by my standards. I located a low-mileage '71 340 in a junkyard, and bought it (complete), along with its bell-housing, clutch, 4-speed, driveshaft, and 8.75" Sure-Grip rear end, for $500.00. It had 13,000 miles on it.

It bolted into the Valiant with only one hitch; the exhaust manifolds wouldn't fit, so I put a set of $35.00 (no kidding!) fenderwelll headers on it.

Some $8.00 slapper-bars, blocked heat risers, and a pair of M & H slicks borrowed from my ex-partner, Harry Sparks, and I had myself a low 13-second street car. The Demon I pulled it out of had a 3.91:1 gear, so I was okay, there.

Total cost was just under $1,500.00 1972 dollars, including the cost of the car! That would be $7285.00 today... according to this online cost-of-living calculator.


Was it a good deal? It made me smile...

At any rate, hot rodding continues to be one of the best and most educational ways to spend your time and money, I think.

I am just amazed at how fast some of you guys can make a legal Stocker go...

Thanks for the excitement and education you have provided for me over the years! You guys are the best....





Bill