Most Under-Performing Musclecar Ever Produced?

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Bub Whitaker

1970 Rule book, Modified Elimator, Modified Production, reserved for American built cars with American production engines, incorporating a wheelbase of 90 inches or more. No year limit, has a little blurb about pre-1960 unblown 4-cylinder can compete in flathead classes. This was designated Modified Production, I ran C/MP with a 327. What I think you are referring to is a Superstock class? that came after they canned Modified...
And yes, I am familar with the narrower dash and the colapsable steering column differences on the 66/67 Chevy II

Bub, the rule book I saw later showed 1967 and later cars, it was probably around 1979. I'm not sure about the 1970 rulebook, I don't have a copy, I was about 7 at the time. In the late seventies and up until Modified was killed off, I remember the rule as being 67 and later, I'm not sure why they did that. Like I said, it was a joke among the Modified racers, the Chevy II guys in particular, near the end of the class, they knew 66's were masquerading as 67's.

The guys I worked with bailed on Modified when it was merged into Super Stock, so that's not the era I was talking about. Again, they raced a 67 Camaro as a 68 (changed the doors, tail lights, and back up lights), so the rule was no real concern to us. I just remember guys who did race the Chevy II's joking among themselves about "cheating", and I remember a couple of cars being tossed as 66's.

That rule probably was not in effect when you ran your Chevy II, or I may remember it wrong. Maybe Travis, Dave, or Terry will correct me.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Bub, the rule book I saw later showed 1967 and later cars, it was probably around 1979. I'm not sure about the 1970 rulebook, I don't have a copy, I was about 7 at the time. In the late seventies and up until Modified was killed off, I remember the rule as being 67 and later, I'm not sure why they did that. Like I said, it was a joke among the Modified racers, the Chevy II guys in particular, near the end of the class, they knew 66's were masquerading as 67's.

The guys I worked with bailed on Modified when it was merged into Super Stock, so that's not the era I was talking about. Again, they raced a 67 Camaro as a 68 (changed the doors, tail lights, and back up lights), so the rule was no real concern to us. I just remember guys who did race the Chevy II's joking among themselves about "cheating", and I remember a couple of cars being tossed as 66's.

That rule probably was not in effect when you ran your Chevy II, or I may remember it wrong. Maybe Travis, Dave, or Terry will correct me.

I believe the 67 or newer rule was for Super Modified when Car Craft got NHRA to develope the class. When Modified Production first became a class back in the stone age any year was allowed and in the beginning they had to run on 7 inch tires.

[Don Whitmore]

Any of the mid/late eighties Camaros/Monte Carlos w/ the 305ci were dogs in street trim. They were marketed as 'fast', had the price tag to match, but not the performance.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

I believe the 67 or newer rule was for Super Modified when Car Craft got NHRA to develop the class. When Modified Production first became a class back in the stone age any year was allowed and in the beginning they had to run on 7 inch tires.

Thanks Terry, I stand corrected. We ran both, Super Modified, and Modified Production. We ran C in both classes, so I guess I got the rules confused.

[Paul Ceasrine]

I think Modified Production became an NHRA class in 1964.
Hot Rod Magazine (April 1964) gives out the specs.
X-Techman,,,,Yes, back in the 'Stone Age'
When Eric Clapton was in "The Yardbirds'
Paul

[X-TECH MAN]

Paul is correct on the year M/P began. All of the limited production FX cars from 1963 that had alum. front ends were put into Modified production in 1964 and had to run 7 inch cheater slicks. I remember Malcom Durhams 63 Z-11 Impala setting the A/MP record at some point. The 63 421 SD Tempests (coupes and wagons) ran A/MP also.

[Travis Miller]

I have to agree about the '69 Boss 429 Mustang being a dog on the street. A brand new one in full street trim with zero modifications showed up at the track the first year I was a techman. The driver was so disappointed after his second run he drove it out the front gate never to return.

When it came to street racing (yes I did a lot of it before becoming a techman) the baddest of the musclecars was the 66 Chevy II with a 327/350. The car magazines never showed good times out of them but many a street racer found out what the backend of a Chevy II pulling away looked like. Light weight body, a 4-speed and a stout factory small block made them almost unbeatable on the street. Did I happen to mention light weight?

Modified Production classes did not have a year limit. The 1967 year limit was for the Super Modified classes. Besides the front end on a 66 Chevy II having to be changed, other items not mentioned here were single to dual brake master cylinder, door locking mechanism (in 66 you pushed the interior handle down while 67 had a seperate knob that twisted), and most of the exterior trim.

The 60's musclecar era was a great time to be had by all who lived through it. Today some of the younger "experts" who write about those days can only go by articles that the car magazines published. Drag tests back then are now being questioned today as it comes out that some GTO's were powered by 421's, a few 396 Chevelles had 427's slipped into them, and some new 390 Mustangs were powered by 428's for the press to wring out. Wrong as it may have been back then, the real drag tests of those early musclecars were on the street from stoplight to stoplight.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions. This thread also brings back memories of a few guys I knew who did not survive their street racing days. Rest in peace fellows.)

[hemidup]

Being a Mopar fan, I've owned some dogs. 65 Plymouth Satelite 383, 69 Plymouth 440 GTX. Switched over to A body 340 Darts and the wow factor was back. My 69 327 Camaro was also a dog as well as my 76 455 Trans Am.

[Geerhead55]

I can remember back in the day, I never saw a slow 340 car. The first car I ever rode in that made me wake up and take notice was a 64' 289/ 4spd Fairlane. I was in 8th grade in the middle 60s and watching the driver grab a gear blew me away.
As far as the 66-67 Chevy IIs go, there were 6 of us that had them in the early 70s, with 2 of them real L-79 350 hp 327 cars. They had those mono leafs that shook your teeth out every time you grabbed a gear, until you went out and bought some traction bars. Then you could grab second gear and the keys would pop out of the ignition!
Mine was a 275 hp/ Glide SS car that I eventually swapped to a Super T-10 with 4:88s and a real healthy 331 and it wasn't even fair how it mopped up on the street. Getting in the 12s was no problem and it ran 11s with a little work and some 9inch M&Hs.
Jim Parsons and Terry Harmon had their SS/O 66 Chevy II in the NW at that time and I idolized that car and tried to pattern my car after them. I think Jim still has his car to this day,,I wish I still had mine. My 2 cents,,,Danny Durham