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[bigjake]

We were in Washington, Il. yesterday, and our son Dave asked me to take a ride in his '68 Camaro. I haven't ridden in it since 1990. It has a VERY STRONG 406 small black in it, with a Turbo 350, highly modified auto trans with Kevlar bands and a 3200 stall convertor. It also has a 4:10 12 bolt rear end. The suspension is set up for drag racing. (Drag shocks in the rear, 80/20 shocks in the front with the sway bar unattached.) Morosso front drag springs, traction bars on 7 leaf springs. The frame has been tied, too. He starts the damn thing up, and it explodes to life. I don't think more than 2 teeth had engaged the fly wheel. 10.5 compression, and a new Holley annular discharge carb. ($789.00!!) We left his house and traveled about 2 miles at a slow pace to warm up the engine. All this time, my teeth were rattling in my head and my vision is blurred! When we got to Rt. 24 he makes the turn onto eastbound 24 and nails it in 2nd gear. He has the very sticky M&H drag slicks on it, the front end wants to come up off the road, and the tires are trying desperately to get a hold of the pavement and it spun for about 10 ft., and hooked like it was on a geared track!! I could not hear or see because the car exploded into this ear shattering roar (3" exhaust all the way back from 1-7/8" long tube headers.) I about shit my pants! I could not see, my eyes were shaking in their sockets and my head was so far back I was looking at the head liner! It wound up instantly and he shifted into 3rd...the same thing....ear splitting roar, 10' of rubber, wound up instantly and I shit my pants again! By this time we are well over 120 mph, I really don't know how far over 120 because the speedometer only goes to 120!! My guess was 130-140. So then he turns around at Cummings Rd. and starts the same thing, only this time it's in first gear. It was such a violent launch, the car shook for about 10' because now the slicks are hot and the traction was superb, instantly up to 6500 RPM, and I mean INSTANTLY!! 2nd gear, the same thing, INSTANTLY up to 6500 RPM, then finally in 3rd gear, the front end settles down and it's really pulling now, way over 130-140. I'm guessing 10 seconds in the quarter mile. I will never forget that ride, I've been in some really fast rides, but NEVER have I witnessed the shear, brute force of this Camaro. The only word to describe that car is VIOLENT! When it's all over and the car is in the garage, I'm finding it hard to walk, to see and hear, then he tells me he did NOT hit the nitrous button (150 shot)!