Ss/x

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by ss wannabee

Not entirely correct, Mark. Even though the lower SS classes didn't have an "A" on
them...NHRA grouped the autos and sticks together...in the same class for awhile.
SS/X had BOTH autos and stick cars together...proof is right here on this thread....
It appears that the '57's..the '60's like "Bits-n-Pieces"...the "Copper-
Stopper"...(note logo on rf fender in photo.."3-spd trans by")..and Frank Jordan's car
(note Hays decal) were 3-speed sticks...Mr Hofer here chose to build his "61 as a
pg car...(and weren't the Olds' hydramatics?)

So BOTH sticks and autos TOGETHER in SS/X class...for awhile...and this was true
also in SS/R...SS/T...SS/U...SS/V...and SS/W...you could build a car as auto or stick
and it would have that designation...but this only happened for 2 or 3 years...Maybe
"Q" as well?
Another example was that photo I posted a while back..the SS/V '72 Nats trophy
Hedworth vs Vaubel...you ever see Val try to "row" a stick? Both pg cars despite
no "A" in the designation....

The confusing part is a couple of years later...NHRA "split" the lower SS classes
into separate "stick" and "auto." Remember...SS/QA...SS/RA...SS/TA...ss/UA?

Need to clarify then.
We were originally talking about the 57 2 dr wagon, and whether or not it could be a 283 in SS/X, even with the extra weight of the cast iron PG. I was pointing out that no, it wouldn't make the class.I believe that is correct.

What I meant is there was no separate automatic classes below I think , 18lbs.
There were plenty of automatic cars running in the stick shift classes back in the day.
Hudsons, Oldsmobiles etc. ; sometimes using the additional weight of the PG or Hydramatic to get down to the next lower class.

Paul Dilcher was a winner back then with a 55 2 dr.HT with a Powerglide, in SS/U.

[ss wannabee]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Need to clarify then.
We were originally talking about the 57 2 dr wagon, and whether or not it could be a 283 in SS/X, even with the extra weight of the cast iron PG. I was pointing out that no, it wouldn't make the class.I believe that is correct.

What I meant is there was no separate automatic classes below I think , 18lbs.
There were plenty of automatic cars running in the stick shift classes back in the day.
Hudsons, Oldsmobiles etc. ; sometimes using the additional weight of the PG or Hydramatic to get down to the next lower class.

Paul Dilcher was a winner back then with a 55 2 dr.HT with a Powerglide, in SS/U.

Mark, I got it now...I'd be real interested in finding out how many of those 5 entries
at Indy were '57 cars vs '60 cars but if too much trouble...we can stop right here....

[dhofer]

Originally Posted by ss wannabee

Mark, I got it now...I'd be real interested in finding out how many of those 5 entries
at Indy were '57 cars vs '60 cars but if too much trouble...we can stop right here....

I found some old pictures your 1972. The brown two door wagon I was talking about looks like a 1956( so probably a 265 CI) but I can't tell for sure since I only have a small portion of the car in the picture. The name on the side is " Slater & Packered" I think and it has " Points Champion" Toronto International Raceway on the side. I can't scan the photo but I hope this helps
Dave

[qwiked]

The best combination for SS/X had to be Yakima, Washington's Pruitt-Reid-Heinson 1963 Ford Custom 300 2 door Sedan..260 2v, 162 HP, T 10 4spd, 6:50 9" ....many times #1 qualifier and many times protested..those were the days..talk about dime rocket she was a nickel rocket..

[Bob Park]

Originally Posted by dhofer

I found some old pictures your 1972. The brown two door wagon I was talking about looks like a 1956( so probably a 265 CI) but I can't tell for sure since I only have a small portion of the car in the picture. The name on the side is " Slater & Packered" I think and it has " Points Champion" Toronto International Raceway on the side. I can't scan the photo but I hope this helps
Dave

I built that 57 wagon in 1967 and sold it to Bob Slater after I got married in 69'. It was a 265 cu in with a 3 spd stick. I still have all my paper work from back them somewhere. In 72' he broke his leg in a car accident and called me to drive it. We won 19 out of 26 eliminators that year. It would run a .10th under anywhere and the only guy to beat me if it didn't break a trans or clutch was the late Joe Kenney at a now long gone track called Golden Horeshoe Dragway outside Toronto Ontario.. The guys who raced then still call me the cheater or the leaker for using a removable plug from the rear of the carb in 2nd gear. NHRA outlawed the vacuum leak in Aug of 72'. I gave the car and the money it won back to Slater that fall and never saw or heard about it again..

[dhofer]

Originally Posted by Bob Park

I built that 57 wagon in 1967 and sold it to Bob Slater after I got married in 69'. It was a 265 cu in with a 3 spd stick. I still have all my paper work from back them somewhere. In 72' he broke his leg in a car accident and called me to drive it. We won 19 out of 26 eliminators that year. It would run a .10th under anywhere and the only guy to beat me if it didn't break a trans or clutch was the late Joe Kenney at a now long gone track called Golden Horeshoe Dragway outside Toronto Ontario.. The guys who raced then still call me the cheater or the leaker for using a removable plug from the rear of the carb in 2nd gear. NHRA outlawed the vacuum leak in Aug of 72'. I gave the car and the money it won back to Slater that fall and never saw or heard about it again..

Thanks for sharing the story of the 57 wagon. it brings back a ton of good memories of racing back then. They never had a problem with car counts then. The pits were always full.
Dave

[1720]

“As far as who the "hitters" were in SS/X...Kronenbitter would be top spot with the "Bits-n-Pieces car.”

“Vacuum leaks were hard to stop back in those days on those Rochester 2 barrels”

These thread comments have brought back many memories. My brother and I ran SS/X in a '60 Chevy, 283/3 speed stick in the '72 season, attending the 72 Indy Nationals only to get "caught up" in vacuum leak deal. The Bits-N-Pieces car was pitted near us and offered a couple shifter side plate linkages after breaking. http://talbotracingteam.wink.ws/indy%20letter.htm

We never did qualify, but it was an experience that turned us to Brackets the next season!
Ralph T.

[dhofer]

Originally Posted by 1720

“As far as who the "hitters" were in SS/X...Kronenbitter would be top spot with the "Bits-n-Pieces car.”

“Vacuum leaks were hard to stop back in those days on those Rochester 2 barrels”

These thread comments have brought back many memories. My brother and I ran SS/X in a '60 Chevy, 283/3 speed stick in the '72 season, attending the 72 Indy Nationals only to get "caught up" in vacuum leak deal. The Bits-N-Pieces car was pitted near us and offered a couple shifter side plate linkages after breaking. http://talbotracingteam.wink.ws/indy%20letter.htm

We never did qualify, but it was an experience that turned us to Brackets the next season!
Ralph T.

Ralph
We also attended Indy 72. Our SS/W car was also "caught up" in the "carb leaking" mess and we also didn't qualify. We did have the fastest "W" car there but got beat on a hole shot. Given a heads up on the rule change I know we could have gotten to the record with a cam and gear change. I remember your letter to the editor well since all the cars had to run on the records and they were all set the same way. You did a great job of expressing the frustration of all the "X & W" competitors that made the trip to Indy and were blindsided by the rule change. In "W" we weren't in as bad of shape since the min. was never broken but still a hard number to hit.
Originally we just didn't tighten the carb down tight and that worked pretty well. Later we tried different things. The car ran best when we drilled and tapped the underside of each intake runner in the intake manifold and installed a carb. jet I can't remember what size but the air came from the breather tube at the back on the motor, the carb jetting was adjusted accordingly to match the increased air flow. In any case the motor really responded to this and the car flew.
Dave