When was the "Golden Age" of Stock Eliminator

[bill dedman]

Bobby,
Thanks for the kind words!

There were some fast cars built in '69, '70 and '71, like the 455 SD Pontiacs and the LS-6 Chevy 454's, for sure. The Mopars were pretty much done except for the street cars like the Hemi Road Runners in '69 and the 440 6-pack E-Body cars; don't remember much really fast from Ford from that period of time but Glidden sure tore 'em up with the 429 "Shotgun/Blue Crescent!!!" I think he could have won Pro Stock with a John Deere if he'd wanted to....

[Casey Miles]

Stock was best when it was changed in and about 1974, when Jr. stock turned to super stock. You had to have street tires and an exhaust system still on the car. Cheater cams were allowed but no valve spring pressure increases. If your car didn't have all the nuts and bolts it was supposed to have and the correct markings, you had to get them before they would pass you in preregistration. Ran off National Records that weren't so far out of reach for anyone to perform to.
Casey Miles
248H E/S ("F" the 4 HP)

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Bob Don

Some of you old guys may remember things like buying several heads at the junkyard and flowing them all to see which may have had the best casting (acid porting? Unheard of). Testing a big box full of STOCK valve springs to find some that came in the top of the pressure spec. I would like to think that the golden years were when I was running in the late 70's and early 80's. When I was torn down on a protest, Ken Barrett said he was actually surprised at how legal my car was! These were the years that stock pretty much meant stock - and it was fun!

And checking a box of rockers for most lift, the list goes on and on. The Chevy dealer we bought from used to let my wife come pick up every casting they had on hand of the casting number we needed, I flowed them all and returned the ones I didn't want. Same with rockers. TRW springs lasted better than the GM springs. Checked the same new, just lasted longer. That was when the GM dealers actually kept head castings on the shelf. You have to order anything like that now, at least from the dealers here. They have plenty of cup holders, floor mats and calenders.

[Frito]

Originally Posted by art leong

I tried that and was fairly sucessful at it from 96 to 02. I generally drove the car to the track. Spent next to nothing on the car.
Got thrown out for having to little compression. And for the most part I wasn't really appreciated. LOL
I could have spent some money and really gone fast. And passed tech. But I chose not to.
I think most stockers like to spend money,

In 1970 I won class ( G stock, I think) at the local strip(Riverside) with a 383 roadrunner. Drove to the track, installed slicks (bought used), opened headers and ran. These were the only changes to the car as it came from the showroom. TWENTY ONE cars in class. Just a normal Saturday night!!!!!!!!!!

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Frito

In 1970 I won class ( G stock, I think) at the local strip(Riverside) with a 383 roadrunner. Drove to the track, installed slicks (bought used), opened headers and ran. These were the only changes to the car as it came from the showroom. TWENTY ONE cars in class. Just a normal Saturday night!!!!!!!!!!

That was BBR (before bracket racing)

[art leong]

In the 70's Englishtown used to have 2 seperate eliminators one for trophies one for cash. You had to win class to run the elinimator. There was only class racing no brackets.
National record holders were allowed in the track for free.

[Troy Henderson]

Originally Posted by hadtobethere

bring back the flag man..no tree, no reaction times, time slip gives you 1/4 mile & speed.......and you run off of records......giddy up !!!

This sounds fun. Being a young guy doing anything with these cars that doesn't require dialing in sounds fun though.

With all the knowlegable guys in Stock/SS someone needs to do a new book on the class with stories, car history, innovation, etc. up to the present. I'd be first in line to buy a copy. Write it like Smokey Yunick's books and fill it with great photography.

[GUMP]

I would have to say that right now is not a bad time to be class racing. We have Top Stock, Jr Stock, and now new factory involvement. What about all of the associations popping up all over the Country? Add Drag Race Central and forums like this one into the equation. I'm having fun!

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by GUMP

I would have to say that right now is not a bad time to be class racing. We have Top Stock, Jr Stock, and now new factory involvement. What about all of the associations popping up all over the Country? Add Drag Race Central and forums like this one into the equation. I'm having fun!

We had fun back in the 60's also. We ran stock at all of the local tracks (5 in less than 1 hour or so drive) for about $125 to $150 to win (60's money). 2 seperate eliminators. The higher classes in one and the lower classes in another. We could race Wed. night, Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday. Brackets didnt exist back then and we ran off of records. Of course we had a lot of cars with "funny" sounding cams. I could tell lots of stories about one 57 chebbie that was supposed to be a 283/270 HP car. It had a 327/365 HP engine in it with a 270 HP intake and carbs.....LOL. I remember George Cureiton (spl?) complaining about a 59 black Byscayne that was suppose to be a 348/320 HP but was a 409/380 HP with the 320 carb and intake. It was just part of the game and lots of fun.

[Frito]

Originally Posted by Frito

In 1970 I won class ( G stock, I think) at the local strip(Riverside) with a 383 roadrunner. Drove to the track, installed slicks (bought used), opened headers and ran. These were the only changes to the car as it came from the showroom. TWENTY ONE cars in class. Just a normal Saturday night!!!!!!!!!!

Still have that trophy as it was the first!! Trophy, no cash but I was happy. Drove around town the next day with the shoe polish still on the windows.