My 1:1 Race Car History...

[Spooker]

First pic is me at 18 with my 1st car, '66 Chevelle body on '57 frame rails.  Built by me during senior year lunch hours and finished over the summer after graduation.  A tank, great first car, couldn't hurt it!  Handled like a tank, too!

Next 2 pics are the next chassis with two different bodies over 4-1/2 years.  The car had some serious offset, tube chassis from bellhousing back (per the rules), and kept getting lighter.  The white Camaro body had front aluminum front fenders, trunk lid and doors fabbed by me, with only hand tools.

Long pause due to marriage, kids, jobs, life in general (32 years, to be exact).  Then in 2012 I met a guy I knew, retired hobby shop owner, who had a vintage modified, was unhappy with his driver, so we struck a deal.  I would maintain the car in exchange for the drive, he would pay the bills.  Sweet deal, right?  First race with him, we missed warm-ups (32 years since racing, remember?), I went out cold in the heat, did OK, then about 6 or 7 laps into the feature, the motor went BANG going into turn one.  So, I had to rebuild a motor.  Went on to win a few races for him, all the while working on my own vintage car.  Here is my first vintage ride:

Now here is a pic of the REAL car I replicated for my vintage modified (again, with only hand tools, an old Monkey Ward AC welder and oxy-acetylene torch - I am nothing if not old school).  A car I saw at the first racetrack I attended, maybe 11 or 12 years old.  Car really stood out in a field of home built coupes and sedans:

 

Finally, my ride since 2018.  Won its first race and last race (so far) and a fair number in between.  1969 IH Scout frame, first generation Gremlin body, 355 SBC, Holley 2bbl, 1959 Ford pickup front axle, Chevy short 3 speed and 1970's Frankland quick change.

Had a couple of surgeries over the last two years that  have prevented me from doing any racing.  Hope to get back at it this coming summer.  

 

 

Edited January 31 by Spooker

[Ace-Garageguy]

Good stuff. Hope you're back behind the wheel soon.   

[bobss396]

That looks like a lot of fun. I'd like to get into a geezer class, none are local. I can pick up old Troyer Pinto modifieds for decent prices.

[James2]

Nice

[Bainford]

Super cool! Love some good short track racing.