Pontiacs

[oldskool]

There was no shortage of '62's. They ran lots of different classes.

One of my favorites is the A/S 421SD car that Don Gay drove.

But there were lots of '62 record holders & class winners.

You'll notice that some of these pics are of Grand Prix models. The '62 GP nose/grill gives it a different look than the other '62 Big Pontiacs.

[oldskool]

Also plenty of '63's on the track, back in the '60's. Most ran one of the S/S or FX classes. But I did find a pic of an E/SA car. I assume it was 389 powered. But I think a non-SD 421 was also available.

I even found a couple of pics of '64 models. A 421 was still available. It just wasn't a 421SD.

[oldskool]

I've already mentioned that after the GTO's came out, there were very few big Pontiacs used for class racing.

I posted pics of several late '60's big cars. I forgot to post one that was raced by Jack Matyas. I think it was a '65 model. It ran G/SA. So, as heavy as it was, I'm assuming it had the Tri-Power 421 engine.

Next, I'll take a closer look at the big 4-door Pontiac, known as the "Tijuana Taxi". The best ID I can come up with for it is a '73 Catalina 4-door Sedan. In one pic it was running V/SA. From the Class Racer Info site, it appears as tho it would have had to be running a 2-barrel engine, probably a 350. Not sure of that, at all. Ratings change. So, it may have been a 400 cube Pontiac engine, with a 2-barrel carb.

In another pic, it was running T/SA. So, I assume that either it was running a different engine combo, OR, NHRA gave the engine it was running a big hp hit, after it set a new nat record. Can't say for sure what engine it was running, for either class. Anybody know ?

Pretty sure it was a record holder. Haven't located any exact record numbers. If anybody has 'em, please post.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by oldskool

There was no shortage of '62's. They ran lots of different classes.

One of my favorites is the A/S 421SD car that Don Gay drove.

But there were lots of '62 record holders & class winners.

You'll notice that some of these pics are of Grand Prix models. The '62 GP nose/grill gives it a different look than the other '62 Big Pontiacs.

The 62's ,with all that good Pontiac torque, were players when new..Not so today. The heads won't flow enough air ,by today's standards...Not a player anymore, even after defactoring.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by oldskool

I've already mentioned that after the GTO's came out, there were very few big Pontiacs used for class racing.

I posted pics of several late '60's big cars. I forgot to post one that was raced by Jack Matyas. I think it was a '65 model. It ran G/SA. So, as heavy as it was, I'm assuming it had the Tri-Power 421 engine.

Next, I'll take a closer look at the big 4-door Pontiac, known as the "Tijuana Taxi". The best ID I can come up with for it is a '73 Catalina 4-door Sedan. In one pic it was running V/SA. From the Class Racer Info site, it appears as tho it would have had to be running a 2-barrel engine, probably a 350. Not sure of that, at all. Ratings change. So, it may have been a 400 cube Pontiac engine, with a 2-barrel carb.

In another pic, it was running T/SA. So, I assume that either it was running a different engine combo, OR, NHRA gave the engine it was running a big hp hit, after it set a new nat record. Can't say for sure what engine it was running, for either class. Anybody know ?

Pretty sure it was a record holder. Haven't located any exact record numbers. If anybody has 'em, please post.

Jack's 'vert was a 389 /338, I believe.

After a certain period in the 70's ,NHRA took the V8's out of V, W...Notice the For Sale sign ,when running T...Again, the Pontiac torque worked well in the "pure stock" Stock early 70's... Carb's too small on the 350s to be a player, with all the phony crap allowed today.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Also plenty of '63's on the track, back in the '60's. Most ran one of the S/S or FX classes. But I did find a pic of an E/SA car. I assume it was 389 powered. But I think a non-SD 421 was also available.

I even found a couple of pics of '64 models. A 421 was still available. It just wasn't a 421SD.

The Alaskan is a 389 tri-power...not a 421.in J/Stock ..More web dis-info.

[oldskool]

Another Pontiac body style that hasn't been used much for class racing is the '69-'77 Grand Prix.

I've only run across a pic of one '69 GP. It's not good enuff quality to post.

Although most say the SD455 engine was not available in anything but Firebirds, NHRA allows the '73 SD455 to be run in some '73 Lemans, GTO, Grand Am, & Grand Prix models. Pic #4 below shows the mag cover back when the '73 SD455 GTO was named "Car of the Year". But, they jumped the gun(tripped the red light). Pontiac decided to NOT offer the SD455 in the GTO. Therefore, that mag cover is famous, especially in Pontiac circles.

http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2080

I'll post a pic of a GP that was featured in the H-O Racing Specialties monthly publication "The High Output". It belonged to long time Pontiac racer John Clegg. They ran it with the SD455, at least one race.

There have been some '77 GP's raced. One that has been racing for a long time is still being raced in div 1, by Lauren Kanuik. It still runs safely under it's index. IIRC, it's the same car that was raced by Lindy Lindholm & Don Himes.

The '73-'77 A-bodies are also models that have not been raced a whole lot. But, several of these have done really well. Don Elgin is still racing his, out in the Northwest. Don Turk sold his a couple of years back. But it's still active & the new owner has won races with it. Tommy Brown still races a '74 Lemans out in div 7. Dave Ribeiro has the '77 that Bob Michael built.

And speakin of rare Stockers, how about Bob Michael's '77 Catalina ?

Carroll Warling still races his '74 Lemans, Super Stocker. He held the nat record with it for a while. I think that was in SS/MA, IIRC. He has run it with a Lemans nose & a Grand Am nose. He ran a 400, back then. He's now running in GT, with an iron head 428. Sat he ran a .930 under, 10.94, which was good enuff for the #2 qualifying position. DRC listed his Lemans as a '68. But Norman said that was wrong. It was his '74.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2021#indextop

Many of ya'll will recognize some of the names associated with these cars I'm gonna post pics of.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

The 62's ,with all that good Pontiac torque, were players when new..Not so today. The heads won't flow enough air ,by today's standards...Not a player anymore, even after defactoring.

Yeah, that's true for the SD engines. But, Norman Warling is doin good with his Tri-Power 389 '62 Cat. This past weekend, he qualified #1 for the 1st race & #2 for the 2nd race, at more than a sec under.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2021#indextop

I think he said Bob Michael is running the same engine in his '62 GP.

[oldskool]

Pontiac guys & dealers began racing the GTO back when they 1st came out. So, there were lots of GTO's that won races & set nat records.

But, towards the end of the 20th century, there were not a lot of GTO Stock/SS cars still racing. So, for this post, I decided to mention some of the A-body GTO Stock/SS cars that have raced in the last 20 years or so. Some still race occasionally. Some don't.

I can think of a couple of '68's. One was an F/S car, belonging to Adam Strang.

One belonged to Tim Gillespie.

The only '69 I can think of, that has been active in recent years, belongs to Art Peterson, in CA.

Todd Kuhn has been driving a '70 model Stocker now for a few years. It has the 1st year 455 engine.

Bill Eadelis has a '70 SS car.

For '71, the closest thing to a GTO I can think of is a 455HO powered T-37. Don Turk now has the Rock Running "Super Sleeper T-37. Scott Underhill held the E/SA nat record a few years back, with his.

Todd Hoven ran a '72 & won a nat event with it, back in '08, IIRC. Also got the G/SA class win at Indy that year.

https://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCS...r2008#indextop

The Axemaker & Reuland families ran a '72 GTO for years. IIRC, Sam Reuland posted on this site that there are plans to possibly put it back on the track, for limited duty.

Larry Maxwell ran a '72 455HO powered Lemans for years. I think a lady from Canada, named Stephanie Pike, drives it now.

[oldskool]

Hey, if any of ya'll have any info & pics of competitive Pontiac V8 powered Stock/SS cars that have been missed, in all these Pontiac threads, by all means please post your info & pics.

If you have the names but no pics, post the names. Maybe there will be somebody here who has more info & pics about the car/cars.

For example: I know of a guy who raced back in the '70's & early '80's for sure. He was Stock RU at an IHRA points race, which was held at I-20 Dragway, in Tyler TX, in 1978.

His name is Billy Joe Moravits. He drove an early '70's T/A in '78. Have learned that he later raced a 3rd gen GT car. I know he ran it at the Hallsville TX track. He was/is from San Antonio TX.

Learned that his kin(uncle I think), Barney Moravits had a machine shop & built the Pontiac engines for Billy Joe.

I think I've asked here before. But I'll do it again, now. Does anybody reading this know either of these Moravits guys, anything about their cars/racing operation ?

Does anybody here have contact info for either of them ? I Googled & found that Barney's T & P Machine is closed. But you can click on the site & see the pics.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1...oiowCnoECEIQAw

Online info shows phone number for both guys. Neither number produced any results.