When was the "Golden Age" of Stock Eliminator

[S.E. Buchanan]

I agree with X-TECHMAN in his first reply. I think the best years were when stock was really stock.

You use to have to run original type valves,cam specs, pistons,etc. After cam rules were changed
cheating really took off because of what he said. Also, by then alot of the original techmen had
retired and the new ones did not have the knowledge to check cars.

When money became the predominate interest of Glendora in the late 80's they started letting
too many changes take the stock out of stock because it took money to train and keep
people who could check engines,etc. properly.

That's my 2 cents worth and I'm sticking to it. lol

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Frito

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.

Yep....I did the same thing....I have most of the tropies that I won but they are showing thier age...Like me. I even have a couple from Ohio Valley when I was station at Ft. Knox, Kentucky while racing my 66 vette.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by SEBuchanan

I agree with X-TECHMAN in his first reply. I think the best years were when stock was really stock.

You use to have to run original type valves,cam specs, pistons,etc. After cam rules were changed
cheating really took off because of what he said. Also, by then alot of the original techmen had
retired and the new ones did not have the knowledge to check cars.

When money became the predominate interest of Glendora in the late 80's they started letting
too many changes take the stock out of stock because it took money to train and keep
people who could check engines,etc. properly.

That's my 2 cents worth and I'm sticking to it. lol

I will "drink" to those statements. Most on here wont ever know what its like to be DQ'ed for 2 lbs to much valve spring pressure or 2 more degrees of duration or overlap...lol. IHRA still has those rules (pure stock) but not enough good tech guys who have the knowledge to check the cars from top to bottom.

[Dick Butler]

Got My 56 panel of John Dianna in 69 converted to a 56 wagon with the rules in 71. Ran Tri State in Ohio and Muncie. Ran off records set on the coast but luckily we all did. They Had Top Stk of upper classes and Jr Stk . Winner got 100$ if I remember and you could sell trophy back for 15$ more. It paid for a Steak on the way home. We won a few and had fun starting to learn how to work on a Stocker and the repairs and car knowledge.

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

I will "drink" to those statements. Most on here wont ever know what its like to be DQ'ed for 2 lbs to much valve spring pressure or 2 more degrees of duration or overlap...lol. IHRA still has those rules (pure stock) but not enough good tech guys who have the knowledge to check the cars from top to bottom.

Yep, guys I ran with lost the class trophy at, I believe, the 76 US Nationals. Too much duration on the cam. Shoot, I remember when we used to have to argue over interior trim and radio knobs for chrissake! Whomever made the comment about stockers today being the equivilent of 70's Super Stockers, is dead on! Add a roller cam and an intake, we'd be there.

Robert Swartz

[Rich Biebel]

The first WCS race we attended with out freshly built '57 sedan delivery was at E-Town in 1966? We were rejected for....to much opening around the fenderwell Stahl headers, a few missing pieces of chrome trim and our car had small windows installed in the side panels and they were grudginly accepted when we told them why they were there......It had been a service truck for NJ Bell and the windows allowed it to be driven on the NJ Parkway....We were DQ'ed along with the class winner at Indy for camshafts...both of us had the same issue. A totally stock cam from a Chevy dealer was rejected because it was a replacement and not the original 283/220.....Chevy superceded it, NHRA had not accepted it yet......a few weeks later they did......Golden Age? Yea right! Watching people argue about little details and trying to do a cam check........now that was rediculous! Valve Springs!!!! Come on! Dampers were not counted by some and counted by others....Carburetors? You can't have the wrong number......but how about one with NO numbers......ok.....We got one and it was passed all the way to the top......and was on the car when we set a record.......I saw so many stupid rules interpetation infractions and lets be real honest here.....Who you knew and who you were associated with had an enormous amount to do with your being deemd legal or not. Maybe not everywhere but it definately happened that way and you never knew what you were in for at some tracks.......I have heard many tales form others from those old days.....same stuff.

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

I will "drink" to those statements. Most on here wont ever know what its like to be DQ'ed for 2 lbs to much valve spring pressure or 2 more degrees of duration or overlap...lol. IHRA still has those rules (pure stock) but not enough good tech guys who have the knowledge to check the cars from top to bottom.

In the '60's I remember reading about a guy who won his class at a national event that got disqualified because he had the wrong muffler on his Studebaker stocker....muffler!

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

In the '60's I remember reading about a guy who won his class at a national event that got disqualified because he had the wrong muffler on his Studebaker stocker....muffler!

In 1963 Don Gay was DQ'ed in A/S for having 2 mufflers 1/2 inch to short in length on the M/T 62 421 SD Pontiac Cat. that used to be Hayden Proffits S/S before his 409 days. The "NORTH WIND" 409 Belair run by Joe Tryson (Grumpy's main shop guy) was runner up but was DQ'ed for having a couple of bumper brackets missing where they were replaced by the towing tabs.

[Rich Biebel]

Exhaust systems were required on Stockers.....so everyone just hung some straight pipes and some small mufflers and they had to at least reach the rearend housing. They hung down pretty low on a lot of cars. Ours were connected to the headers but there was no hole there. A stupid NHRA rule.....parts came off regularly. The biggest stupid NHRA rule was 7" slicks....120mph capable cars riding on these tires with narrow rims and very low air preasure. Cars flipped in the lights fairly often mostly from trying to gain traction with low air, narrow rims and skinny tires........at speed you might be feeling a bit sideways......add in some balljoint spacers and whooppee what a ride!!!!

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

In 1963 Don Gay was DQ'ed in A/S for having 2 mufflers 1/2 inch to short in length on the M/T 62 421 SD Pontiac Cat. that used to be Hayden Proffits S/S before his 409 days. The "NORTH WIND" 409 Belair run by Joe Tryson (Grumpy's main shop guy) was runner up but was DQ'ed for having a couple of bumper brackets missing where they were replaced by the towing tabs.

Ah, the "Good Old Days"! !

Honestly, I think that tech on a National level back then must have been really tough, but on a local level it must have been pretty lax. When I picked up my Formula in 1995 the owner told me about the new Firebird Stocker that he had in 1968 and all the tropies he had won with it on a local level. He also told me about the 428 short block that it had in it!