Best 4-Speed SS Of All Time?

[Jared Jordan]

I'm not as old as most of you guys, so I'm going to go with the two 4-speeds I remember best growing up at the track:

1. John Calvert - '68 'Stang

2. Allyn Lee - '68 Cuda SS/A

I still believe that Allyn would have been first in the 8's if he'd been able to travel more.

[Mike Bassin]

Ronnie Sox and very close second, Dave Strickler. A local Marylander that drove all kinds of cars til a stroke slowed him down is Tommy Howes. I got to send all these guys down the old 75-80 Dragway in the early / mid sixties and all three were terrific. Tommy Howes could also, build, tune and maintain and drive everything he ever raced. Of course all others mentioned are exceptional. These are the ones I got to see regularly.

Mike Bassin

[Mike Taylor 3601]

Never got to see Ronnie Sox drive I think Mike Boyles would have to be high on the list as
one of the best 8 IHRA s/s championships and I think 3 classic gear jammers are hard to argue with his IHRA championships came when they earned by traveling and doing good all year long,he's still stick as far as I know.
Mike Taylor3601

[283nova]

sox, strickler, vanke, jenkins, mcandless, dyno don,

[283nova]

had to post some of this great footage,

landy footage at ontario 71' supernat's

part 1

part 2

york US30 some dave strickler action,

[Casey Miles]

Allen Peters, 4 speed without a jerico and World Champ.

Casey Miles
248H Stock?

[KingReptile]

Originally Posted by Casey Miles

Allen Peters, 4 speed without a jerico and World Champ.

Casey Miles
248H Stock?

He is good even after his nights of partying I miss that man.He will tell you Kevin Helms is the best..

[Bench Racer]

Originally Posted by Mike Taylor 3601

Never got to see Ronnie Sox drive I think Mike Boyles would have to be high on the list as
one of the best 8 IHRA s/s championships and I think 3 classic gear jammers are hard to argue with his IHRA championships came when they earned by traveling and doing good all year long,he's still stick as far as I know.
Mike Taylor3601

Gotta agree with Mr. Taylor, I never got the chance to see many of the guys mentioned but "The Good Ol Charlie Brown" wagon was an eye catcher and not who you wanted to see in the other lane! Due to the high RPM and exact same routine every pass I always could tell when Mike was cleaning the tires and staging without ever seeing the car. The 3600lb.wagon would have been the best advertisment for driveline parts money could buy lol! I started going to the IHRA races in 1981 and Mike had been running the car long before then and still does now. Mike is a great guy and his acomplishments tell the story. Don Jackson

[Dinsdale]

Originally Posted by Jared Jordan

I'm not as old as most of you guys, so I'm going to go with the two 4-speeds I remember best growing up at the track:

1. John Calvert - '68 'Stang

2. Allyn Lee - '68 Cuda SS/A

I still believe that Allyn would have been first in the 8's if he'd been able to travel more.

Good call there Jared. Al's car was fast and he could drive. Any idea what the status of him and his car is now? Calvert is a given. I do find it odd that my name hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet.. LOL! I always could shift but almost anyone can look good with a Jerico or G-Force. I believe the original question was intended to be for pre aftermarket transmissions. Most of the top names of that era have been mentioned.

[James L Miller]

I think the original question was what was the best 4-speed CAR, so I'll say one of the 1968 SS/B Sox & Martin Barracudas (I understand there were a couple of them, so hard to pick THE ONE). I saw Jack Mullin's Poncho wagon at a Division 2 race in Bradenton circa 1975. That was a fun car to watch. It broke the driveline in the final that night. I agree that the winner should be one with the OEM transmissions and not the newer design transmissions. I understand McCandless and Carlton were very good "rowers" as well. Many of the early PS cars should be included at the top of the list. $.02.