Growing up in Chicago in the 60's

[kwhizz]

Interesting thing happened last year......After getting involved on Facebook, I got a message asking if I was the Ken Tibor that lived in Chicago in a certain neighborhood......I recognized the name and ended up getting into a conversation with a friend from the 65-68 street/Drag Racing era in Chicago......Wow.....I hadn't seen or talked to Eddie since probably 1968.....we ended up meeting at the Grove for a Chicago Wise Guy's meet and I also ended up meeting up with Mario Manzella (we ran my 66 L-79 Nova together back in 67) at the same meet..........Wow!!......Talk about reliving the past!
So....we went our seperate ways for the winter and we decided to go out to dinner together last week......Me, Paulette, Eddie and his wife Maureen and Mario....
Now, I got out of Drag Racing back in 68 and started to learn a trade and raise a family....Eddie moved to California for a period and Mario stayed involved in the Chicago Drag Racing scene....he ended up driving the Shake Rattle and Run 57 Chev for many years (he was inducted into the Drag Racing Hall of Fame at the Grove last year....
So...we end up meet for dinner and Mario shows up with Pic's of the cars that we raced back in the day......Wow!!....Pictures I didn't know existed.....So....I'm gonna "Bore" anyone that has any interest in "OLD" car pic's...

Here's a pic of Mario with his Pontiac from probably 64..

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0005.jpg

Also a picture of Mario's Mom's 66 SS396 Chevelle Marina Blue Convert....LOL....This is why I ended up with a duplicate....all time favorite

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0004.jpg

Mario and Joe Catalano with his Mr. Norm Street Ram

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0008.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0007.jpg

Eddie had a 66 Chevelle L-78 car that ran in the low 12's with just a cam change.....Great Times for the day

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0006.jpg

And Mario also had some pic's of my Nova .....the Nova ran a best of 11.73 back in 67....we used to race at U.S. 30 on Wednesday Nights and the grove on the Weekend...here are the pic's he had...

Towing to the track with Mario's Cadilac....we were "Styl'in" before styling was a word...LOL

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0003.jpg

At the track

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0002.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0001.jpg

And a recent picture of Shake Rattle and Run

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0009.jpg

We signed a Menu together from the dinner for "History"...LOL

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/DSC01340.jpg





Ken

[kwhizz]

After all those years we hit it off and picked up right where we left off 35 years ago......Great people....Eddie and Maureen

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/DSC01342.jpg

Ken

[sYc]

Very cool... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[CC Rider]

Thanks for &quot;bore&quot;ing me today! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif

[mockingbird812]

Excellent stuff Ken. Your Nova looked tuff. Great ETs. Love the &quot;old&quot; pix!! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[Verne_Frantz]

Great stories and pics Ken. That's the stuff that keeps us young!! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[m22mike]

You old Geezer you...<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif...that was really cool, thanks for boring us.

Mike <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[al8apex]

Very kool ...

[SS427]

Nothing beats stories like these. I very much miss my old drag racing days and would love nothing more than to get together with the old gang and reminisce. Thanks for sharing.

[VintageMusclecar]

Feel free to &quot;bore us&quot; with stuff like this any time! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[Stefano]

Too bad you had to get into the witness protection program so early into your drag racing career.

[RPOLS3]

Love it! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[Mr70]

Veeeeeeeeeery Nice. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/burnout.gif

[Shevelle]

Boring? Are you kidding? That was great! Congrats on meeting up with your long lost buddies again after so many years. Loved the photos...even got to see a very cool 66!! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif

[Xplantdad]

Ken...I knew that you were going to post this stuff...just not when!

You know how I feel about you sharing your stories from days gone by... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif

[Don_Lightfoot]

We've never met Ken, nor do I recall us ever communicating in the past. However, stuff like this makes others get to know you a little better. I can just imagine the grin on your face when you saw those pictures. Life doesn't get much better than experiencing moments such as these. Thanks for sharing.

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Stefano</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Too bad you had to get into the witness protection program so early into your drag racing career. </div></div>


That's another Story for another day......LOL........

[Dog427435]

Great stuff!!!! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[Postsedan]

Great stuff Ken.

Dan

[Bill Pritchard]

Excellent, Ken, thanks for posting! And congrats on meeting up with your long lost friends.

Gotta love that picture of the 'battleship' Caddy pulling the trailer and Nova down the road <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[L-79 Nova]

Great story Ken, thanks for posting. Did he give you the old pictures of your L-79? Ron.....

[ed mac 70 ss]

Thanks Ken
It was my pleasure to reunite with you and paulett after all these years. It's sites like these that keep it worth while
ED

[CC Rider]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ed mac 70 ss</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks Ken
It was my pleasure to reunite with you and paulett after all these years. It's sites like these that keep it worth while
ED </div></div>

Very true Ed! Ken is one of the good guys, even though he's a spoiled brat. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif

And welcome to Yenko.net! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[kwhizz]

People that live in glass house's...............LOL

[kwhizz]

Eddie.........Pass along your story with Mighty High.......

[bashton]

Awesoem...just awesome!

I would like to extend an invite to the whole gang to join us for MCACN, as I am sure we would all love to hear some more stories!

Bashton
MCACN Managing Member

[JRSully]

What a a bunch of derelicts.! How cool is it that your Mom has a 396 Chevelle.? Great pics, post'em if you got'em

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bashton</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Awesoem...just awesome!

I would like to extend an invite to the whole gang to join us for MCACN, as I am sure we would all love to hear some more stories!

Bashton
MCACN Managing Member </div></div>


Bob........I'm sure once Eddie gets to MCACN, he will be in Musclecar &quot;Shock&quot; for a couple of days......But, He will fit in &quot;Perfectly&quot; with everyone there........LOL......Can you say &quot;Overload&quot;...............

[Tenney]

Too cool! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[Xplantdad]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bashton</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Awesoem...just awesome!

I would like to extend an invite to the whole gang to join us for MCACN, as I am sure we would all love to hear some more stories!

Bashton
MCACN Managing Member </div></div>


Bob........I'm sure once Eddie gets to MCACN, he will be in Musclecar &quot;Shock&quot; for a couple of days......But, He will fit in &quot;Perfectly&quot; with everyone there........LOL......Can you say &quot;Overload&quot;............... </div></div>


Ain't that the truth!

[Salvatore]

good deal Ken. Those are great pictures and they were the days. I would love to own your L79 car. What a set-up you guys had. Truly real car people you guys. So at one point in your life you were almost Italian. Boy you almost hit it big. YEAA! Thanks for sharing.

[old5.0]

Great thread. Stories like this are why I love this site.

[kwhizz]

When I get some time later today, I will tell the rest of the story about what eventually happened to the L-79....

[Salvatore]

that car reminds me of seeing Grumps L79 car back in the day. Take the hub caps off, open the headers, mount the slicks and run. YEAAAA!

[Kim_Howie]

Great story !!! That's one thing that NOBODY can take away from us. THE STORIES!!!!!!

[MrsBillyBobcat]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kim_Howie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Great story !!! That's one thing that NOBODY can take away from us. THE STORIES!!!!!! </div></div>

So true! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif ...and they are PRICELESS!!! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif

GREAT story and pics! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif

[Rixls6]

Love it! Almost feel like I stepped back in time briefly.
Keep the boreing coming.

[Postsedan]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> When I get some time later today, I will tell the rest of the story about what eventually happened to the L-79.... </div></div>

OK, it`s Sunday, it`s raining and it`s later......tell us the rest of the story <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif

Dan

[Salvatore]

YEAAA!

[kwhizz]

O.K...............I ordered the car in late March of 66 from Hoskins Chevrolet, they were about a mile or so away from Nickey on Irving Park (Irving and Damen)...I traded my 65 Impala (327 250hp/Powerglide w/32,000 miles)....the car arrived the 3rd week of April on a warm sunny spring day........I bought it from Hoskins because they were $50 cheaper than Nickey....... It was a Marina Blue SS w/ Bright Blue Interior, L-79, 4 speed,3.73 posi and metalic brakes, am Radio, white walls and full disc caps............I remember the day very well when I got the call that my car was in.....I was only 19 at the time so I had to get my dad to meet me there so he could co-sign all the papers.......While I was waiting for my dad to get there I was all over the car......

Now.....Just Imagine being 19.....living in the epi-center of the Muscle Car Universe.....with the ultimate (in my mind) musle car waiting for the key to be slipped into the Ignition for the first time, and having to wait for your Dad to get there and sign.......LOL.....I can still hear that engine Idleing for the first time with that &quot;Rumpity&quot; idle.........Driving home and going thru the gears........Kinda hard to top that feeling........I got rid of my Grandpa car and have now arrived to where I could be one of the neighborhood &quot;Fast Car guy's&quot;...........................

Now....At the time, I had just gotten Married, worked as an Apprentice Tool &amp; Die maker at Chicago Coin Machine (we made Pin Ball machines etc), I was making $1.95 an hour, had to pay the rent, buy food and have money to play cars.........which was more Important???......LOL.......The Princess had her hands full in those early years.....

Anyhow.......I was in heaven.......I had so much I wanted to do and couldn't because of the lack of $$$.........but....just having the car was enough (for a while).......after getting more involved in the neighborhood street racing scene the little Nova was making it's mark......It's about this time I got hooked up with Eddie Mac and Mario, Eddie had a 66 Chevelle L-78 car that he put a Crane cam in......now...up until that time, our cars were dead even in street dragging......neither car could pull away from the other.......But with the camshaft change it was no competition......I remember they changed the camshaft in the street in front of Eddies house and they had to cut out a section of the grill to get the cam out......LOL....The good old day's......

So, the next winter (while Paulette was pregnant) I pulled the engine out and took it to E&amp;R on Belmont and Racine and they went thru the engine, bored .030, forged pistons, Sig Erson camshaft, Edelbrock Cross ram....( I think I sold the stock Carb and Manifold for $15.....LOL).......Now, at this stage of my life I had absolutely &quot;NO&quot; common sense as I just wanted to go Drag Racing.......and me and Mario spent the summer Drag Racing all around the Chicago area...........Wednesday Nights at U.S. 30 and the weekends at the Grove........I couldn't afford to pay the Rent or buy food, but I was always at the track Racing.......as Fall came the &quot;Princess&quot; finally said enough is enough.......I sold the engine for $300 and bought a 63 Chevrolet that had a nasty sounding small block in it for $300....pulled the engine out and sold the body for $100...........Now, I was able to drive the car as a normal??? car again.........(If I was smart I would have just changed the Cam.......) ...But, at the time it seemed like a good idea....

So, I get the Nova on the street again, but the engine I now had in the Nova was a real &quot;Stone&quot;....sounded good but it couldn't get out of it's own way........But....there was a guy in the neighborhood that had just bought a new chevelle 396-360hp/Turbo 400 and he just loved the way the Nova sounded....he made me an offer that seemed to be too good to be true at the time.....he wanted to trade engines and trans........No Problem....

Over the winter I cut out the spring towers and fit the Engine/Trans into the Nova.......I ended up making my own headers and completed the install the following spring.......Now....I think I probably had the only big block 66 Nova in the area........It was cool looking, chirped the tires with the Turbo 400 at gear changes, but again, relative to what it was, it was a &quot;Pooch&quot;........Up until the time the car spent every night in the garage.....we went out one night and I was too lazy to put it in the garage as there was a parking place right in front of the house we lived in........the next morning I got up to move the car and at some time during the night someone side swiped the car..........I got it fixed but it was never the same again......I sold it to a guy on the south side and never saw tha car again........The bottom line is.....I basically &quot;Trashed&quot; a L-79 Nova..........(Tear in my Eye)



Ken

[bashton]

What a great story...felt like I was right there with ya!

Bashton
MCACN Managing Member

[mrtimstik]

Cool story Ken. It's fun meeting up with friends from the past no matter how you get back in touch.

[Mr70]

That story is so reminiscent of why we are all hear on this site today.<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/burnout.gif
Bitter/sweet tear in my eye too..

[Dicky]

Ken, I was sitting there with you when you drove home from the dealership (I'm sure it was the long way home) you put goose bumps on me with your writing ability. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/worship.gif THANKS


Dicky <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

[Postsedan]

The Best Story since since... &quot;Gone with the Wind&quot;

Well Done!

Dan

[Xplantdad]

It's always good to hear a Kwhizz story from back in the day... <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif

[WILMASBOYL78]

&quot;&quot;&quot;So, the next winter (while Paulette was pregnant)&quot;&quot;&quot;
How did you have time for that if you were always working on the car..??

wilma <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif

[Smokey]

Tom- Thats pretty easy to understand. He had to plug in at night to keep warm during those cold Chicago nights.

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WILMASBOYL78</div><div class="ubbcode-body">&quot;&quot;&quot;So, the next winter (while Paulette was pregnant)&quot;&quot;&quot;
How did you have time for that if you were always working on the car..??

wilma <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif </div></div>



<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[Xplantdad]

Are we going to be sticking to Hot Rod stories...or &quot;hot rod&quot; stories? <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif

[kwhizz]

AAHHHHH!!!........Yeah!!..........I think I remember those days............I Think!!......

[ed mac 70 ss]

It's all true. The last time I saw Ken he was making that great engine change.to the big block. What was he thinking. I think that even I thought it was a great idea, after all if it did'nt work out we could just trade it and get another car. I started with a couple of Mr Norm's street rams ..A 64 and then the next year a 65. Fast but of course not fast enough. One of our friends had just bought a 66 Chevelle 396 - 375 hp. Within a couple of months he had racked up a slew of tickets. His father said get rid of it. A good friend of mine said lets take over the payments and race the car. So we raided our piggy banks and became street racers. When the summer was over we pulled the engine and delivered it to E &amp; R and had as much engine work done as we could afford. Mario and I put the motor together in my dining room..In the following summer we raced wherever and whatever. Low 12,s not bad for a newbee. Then we sold the Chevelle to a guy named al frieman ,payments of course which lasted a few months then the car was stolen so hence no more payments. So ended my racing career. Moved to southern california for about 10 years Brouht back a 73 novaSS 350 turbo which I got new. Drove around a few years then parked it for several years.Chevrolet came out with all the nice crate motors so I spent the whole winter rehabbing the car. Turned out real nice except people would follow me around to see where I Parked the car.Sold it for a lot of money in about 99. In about 2002 I found the world of restored classics, 72 chevelle matching 350 4-speed for a few years now a pretty nice 70 ls6 clone . Not perfect but what I can afford in retirement. Car shows well and I,ve met bunches of nice guya at the shows . Can't wait for warmer weather to &quot;get her out&quot; Well thats my story and I'm sticking to see yall at the show in Nov
ed

[kwhizz]

In the Drag Racing part of the cars history....when the Nova was first put together for racing....I had a Edelbrock Crossram on the car .......we had some issues with the car when we first started running it......It seemed as if i couldn't shift the car at RPM........we always thought it was the trans.....so....we had a local guy in the neighborhood by the name of Howie......you would place a order on Thursday and Friday you would have a trans sitting outside the garage door.....Humm!!....I wonder if he worked at a trans shop...LOL....anyhow he charged $100 for a trans, and I sold the one from the week before for the same amount....so , we just swapped out transmissions thinking that was the problem......No Luck.....When I got the Engine assy back from E&amp;R I also bought one of their inhouse specialties called a &quot;Rubber Drive&quot; clutch assy.......basically what they did was to remove the springs from the Clutch &quot;Disc&quot; and replace them with blocks of rubber....after chasing the shifting issues for a couple of weeks ( and transmissions)....I pulled the Rubber drive out and put a regular disc in and all the shifting issues went away.....Imagine That!!
But......what I then did was to learn how to dis-assemble the trans and groundevery other syncro tooth off and I started running the car with a &quot;Crash&quot; Box in it......Now shifting was a non issue.....we got the car in this configuration to run a best of 11.73........But.......The next &quot;Big&quot; problem was that we had to run against Tony Christian ......The Nova would run 11.80's all day long.....but Tony (who was running his 57) was running 11.50's..........So.........We ended up taking the crossram off and we put a single Holley 3 Barrel and a Z-28 high rise.....with that set-up the car ran 12.10-12.15 all day long.......but....once you go fast(for the time), it wasn't much fun running slower.....but we ran a class called Top Stock and we won frequently.........But....Making $2.00 an hour and trying to race just quite didn't go together........But....It was fun for a year.........But....Like Eddie said.....Good Times.....

Ken

[kwhizz]

Tony's first 57.........

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Drag%20Cars/TonyC.jpg

[Tenney]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Tony's first 57.........

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Drag%20Cars/TonyC.jpg </div></div>

Cool pic (and stories!). Used to score parts from Tony at Grand.

[kwhizz]

Tony's other 57........Still my favorite Drag Car of all time...(next to &quot;No Big Thing&quot;)..

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Drag%20Cars/hrdp_0702_11_zthe_icons1957_chevy_bel_air.jpg

[kwhizz]

And Of course......Da Shake

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Shake/DSC07451.jpg

[MrsBillyBobcat]

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/headbang.gif

[Xplantdad]

So cool....

Thanks Ken!!

[Verne_Frantz]

Yep, Thanks Ken <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif We old guys who have been into cool cars since the beginning hold memories better than the cars themselves. Your stories remind me of the antics I got into with my '62. Memories I'll never forget, just like yours.
Verne <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[ORIGLS6]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Don_Lightfoot</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We've never met Ken, nor do I recall us ever communicating in the past. However, stuff like this makes others get to know you a little better. I can just imagine the grin on your face when you saw those pictures. Life doesn't get much better than experiencing moments such as these. Thanks for sharing. </div></div>

Don, if you EVER have the opportunity to meet Ken, be sure to make it happen. Great stories; ... full of Life (and other stuff!), ...... and he TRULY <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Gets It!</span></span></span></span>

Thanks for sharing your life-stories Ken. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

[66 L78 ragtop]

The &quot;Mighty High&quot; 66 L78 looks very similar to my friend's father's 66 L78. The car was raced at the US 30 Drag strip in Gary, Indiana. It was also raced at Oswego. Based on the trophies, it looks to have won its share of races. The car was bought new in Chicago near Hinsdale, IL. It was traded for a 440 Dart in 1969 per my friend John. Hopefully John will chime in. It would be very cool if its the same car
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/66L78ChevelleracingatUS30Dragstrp.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/Artesial66L782.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/Artesian66L78.jpg

[John Tyson]

Thanks for pointing me this thread Orlando!

The pictures posted directly above are of My Fathers 66 L78, who ordered the car new in the spring of 66. I'd be very interested to find out when Eddie purchased his L78, since as stated above, my Dad traded the chevelle in for a new 69 440 Dart. How many identical artesian turquoise L78 Chevelles could there have been in Chicago back then.

The car was pretty much stock when my Dad had it, with the exception of headers, an electronic ignition and maybe gears and a shifter. The best he ever ran with it was very high twelves. It was his daily driver. It was an original bench seat car and would have been missing the horn button when he got rid of it. (I've got it on my 66 Chevelle now) This would be amazing if it was the same car. I can't wait to show my Dad this picture.

Thanks for posting them Eddie.
John.

[WILMASBOYL78]

Tibor for Presdident in 2012...!!!

A chicken in every pot...and an L-89 in every garage <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif

wilma <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif

[kwhizz]

John.................Duplicate Cars, but not the same......the Mighty High Chevelle was purchased new by Joe Lazaro who lived on the &quot;Nort&quot; side of Chicago......Joe bought the car and kept it for a short time......he then sold it to Eddie MacNeil........Eddie had the car for about a year then sold it to Al Freeman........And was supposedly &quot;stolen&quot; while Al owned it........But, in my opinion.....Al probably either squirreled the car away or stripped it so he wouldn't have to finish paying Eddie for it..........(No Insurance) and Eddie Mac ended up paying for it.........Yep!!....We were quite the group back then.......

[ed mac 70 ss]

Kenny .what a memory..I don't think you have forgotten anything you ever saw or read...........and yes i'm still paying for that car lol
I love this site
ed

[WILMASBOYL78]

Ya...what a memory <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif

The only thing he can't remember is his golf scores <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/burnout.gif

[kwhizz]

&quot;NU YAWK&quot; <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[kwhizz]

And John.......Eddies car was a Bench seat SS car also...

[66 L78 ragtop]

The similarities are almost beyond belief. Identical cars from Chicagoland and raced at the same track (US 30 Dragstrip)

What are the odds?

What was that Chevelle's VIN?

KWhizz, do you remember a Marina Blue 66 L78 Chevelle convertible in the chicagoland area? Also raced at Oswego. White convertible top, black interior?

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 66 L78 ragtop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The similarities are almost beyond belief. Identical cars from Chicagoland and raced at the same track (US 30 Dragstrip)

What are the odds?

What was that Chevelle's VIN?

KWhizz, do you remember a Marina Blue 66 L78 Chevelle convertible in the chicagoland area? Also raced at Oswego. White convertible top, black interior? </div></div>


Yep!! When those Pic's of the Chevelle were first posted a while back....I had to do a double take and thought is was an early pic of Mighty High....

Vin #.....LOL......The day after I got my L-79 all the paper work was in the garbage....nobody was concerned or cared about that stuff back then......I'm sure Eddie wouldn't know either

Don't remember the convert....As I remember I was only at Oswego once....

[66 L78 ragtop]

Here is the 66 L78 Convertible. It was a barn find originally from Chicago. Last registered in 1977.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/my66L78Chevelleragtopand68orangekrate044.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/my66L78Chevelleragtopand68orangekrate059.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/my66L78Chevelleragtopand68orangekrate065.jpg

[kwhizz]

I grew up around Clybourn and Fullerton, &quot;And&quot;back then you had the &quot;SUNDAY&quot; radio ads about US 30 Dragstrip....LOL......that was cool...But.....some of the finest Drag Racing on Friday nights was right at the intersection of Racine and Clybourn......Man.....the racing would take place on Clybourn going north to the train tracks....at the time it was an Industrial area and was pretty much empty at night....but, Friday nights the crowds would show up and line the street....the crazy part was that this was just North from the Cabrini-Green housing projects.....now....lets be kind and say that you really didn't want to be in that area......(if you know what I mean)......But...On Friday &amp; Saturday nights it didn't matter, we were all there to watch, or Race and there was never a problem.........I remember one of the Black guy's that was unbeatable down there....his name was &quot;Big Ernie&quot; and he had a dark blue 55 Chevy with a 327-375 hp fuel injected Corvette engine..(probably a store bought crate engine......Right!!)
This was in 66 and Ernie had no fear of any car or anyone....I remember that car when it was running had that Hissing sound...crazy,but I can still hear that thing....he never opened the hood so I assumed the air cleaner set-up was not on it....he later sold the car to the son of the guy I worked for at night at a gas station....he had the car one day and wrapped it around a telephone pole.....(Never got to see the engine)........Everything was &quot;Crazy&quot; down there.....cars would just line up and go with all the money stuff figured out ahead of time......
It seemed the Police would leave us alone till the crowds really started spilling into the street and then they would come and open up the Fire Hydrants to flood and wet the street down...
In all that &quot;Stupidity&quot;...I don't have any recollection of any major accidents of people getting hurt......
To drive down in that area now, it has been &quot;Condoized&quot; and nobody that lives there now would ever Imagine the Mayhem that took place there........Good Times and we were Lucky to make it thru them........

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 66 L78 ragtop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here is the 66 L78 Convertible. It was a barn find originally from Chicago. Last registered in 1977.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/my66L78Chevelleragtopand68orangekrate044.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/my66L78Chevelleragtopand68orangekrate059.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/my66L78Chevelleragtopand68orangekrate065.jpg
</div></div>

Do you have that car???Whats the story behind it.....How did you find it??

Here's my Convert I just sold last year....Always loved those cars

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/66%20Chevelle%20Convert/DSC00063-1.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/66%20Chevelle%20Convert/DSC00062-1.jpg

Ken

[John Tyson]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 66 L78 ragtop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The similarities are almost beyond belief. Identical cars from Chicagoland and raced at the same track (US 30 Dragstrip)

What are the odds?</div></div>

I was sure it was the same car. Pretty unbelievable there were two of them, both in the same area. Still makes for a cool story.

John.

[markjohnson]

Wow, that '66 L-78 Convertible is a really rare car! Anyway, Ken . . . . . . thanks for taking the time to type out the history of your '66 L-79 &quot;Shivvy 2&quot;! That was a great read! Anyway, those were neat cars that were a big deal when they came out and I actually know of several fellows here in STL that bought them brand new and those cars didn't survive either past 4 or 5 years. They were referred to as the &quot;350-horse Shivvy 2&quot; or &quot;the little Nova with the Corvette engine&quot; in it. They were built with a purpose that they fulfilled in spades and created their own legend. It's the cars and owners (like you) that made those L-79's legendary! Keep those stories comin'!

[66 L78 ragtop]

Long story short, I found the car in Arizona. It had IL plates from 1977. The owner was originally from Chicago and found the car in a Chicago newspaper in 1968. I went to the Herald Washington Library in downtown Chicago and searched all the newspapers and found the advertisement. See below. I did a reverse directory search on the listed phone number and found the second owners, the family that listed the car in the Chicago Tribune. The original owner was drafted after the car was purchased and unfortunately died. The second owner, Arnie Borreson was also drafted. His father Edger Borreson listed the car in the tribune per Arnie's request. They lived in Lincoln Wood, just 10 miles from my house. Arnie is still alive and well. He is a pilot based in Idaho. He was best friends with the original owner and knows the cars history since day 1
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/blueL78vertadvertisement.jpg

[ed mac 70 ss]

Ken
I'm sure you remember this...... how about south on Clybourn at Diversey. Joe Catalano's street ram Coronet with Mario driving.His car is shown in the original link (black) mine was a light green matching Coronet.....Southbound on Clybourn using both lanes.Mario in the wrong lane and me in the(correct) lane. Fourth gear and a cop decides to pull out and block us from getting by. Mario see's a t-bone comming and swings left to graze a parked car to help slow down and avoid the head on. He held on to the wheel and opened the door as the car spun around. He wound up hitting the cop car mostly with the rear of Joes car. I squeezed by with two wheels on the curb. As I passed by all I saw was smoke and dust in the rear view mirror. My garage was only 2 blocks away. I put the car away and ran back to see if Mario was all right. Much to my surprise Mario was nowhere to be found. As soon as the car stopped moving he jumpped out and ran over the rairoad tracks.Upon impact Joe called the police and reported the car stolen.Later we cruised the hood only to find Mario limping around with a bruised leg.I think we were very lucky no one was realy hurt
ed

[ed mac 70 ss]

how about those prices!!!
ed

[kwhizz]

Orlando.....What's the status on the convert today?? Cool story......Did anyone notice the 60 Vette in the ad with the Hemi engine?? and the Hemi Coronet.......And.....LOL

Eddie, I forgot all about that incident....Yep!!....That could have been a bad one.......

Ken

[66 L78 ragtop]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Orlando.....What's the status on the convert today?? Cool story......Did anyone notice the 60 Vette in the ad with the Hemi engine?? and the Hemi Coronet.......And.....LOL

Eddie, I forgot all about that incident....Yep!!....That could have been a bad one.......

Ken </div></div>

I haven't done anything with it yet. Its in storage. Rick Nelson is doing a car for me now, and the convertible will be next.

The 60 vette with a HEMI caught my eye! Very Cool

[tabooo]

Hey Ken,
Thanks for the great stories that i remember like it was last weekend,spent many weekends it that area with my black 1969 C.O.P.O. and my good friend Mike McNamara with his 440 dart we won a few and lost a few.It was a great time for all,I was eighteen a few dollars in my pocket,a car car that was a great contender and guess what happen,Yep Uncle Sam called Gone June 7,1970 off to Ft. Brag N.C.

[John Tyson]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 66 L78 ragtop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The similarities are almost beyond belief. Identical cars from Chicagoland and raced at the same track (US 30 Dragstrip)

What are the odds?

What was that Chevelle's VIN?

KWhizz, do you remember a Marina Blue 66 L78 Chevelle convertible in the chicagoland area? Also raced at Oswego. White convertible top, black interior? </div></div>


Yep!! When those Pic's of the Chevelle were first posted a while back....I had to do a double take and thought is was an early pic of Mighty High....
</div></div>

I got a chance to talk to my Dad today. He distinctly remembers an exact twin of his L78 Chevelle. He said they were at Pop's Drive In together once. It was not a drag car at the time, but he said the car had white steel wheels and black wall tires on it. Could this be Mighty High before it was turned into a drag car?

John

[ed mac 70 ss]

John
I dont recall white rims.It had chrome slotted wheels on the car before it was painted Mighty High
ed

[66 L78 ragtop]

What happened to Joe L, the original owner of Mighty High?

[hvychev]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 66 L78 ragtop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Long story short, I found the car in Arizona. It had IL plates from 1977. The owner was originally from Chicago and found the car in a Chicago newspaper in 1968. I went to the Herald Washington Library in downtown Chicago and searched all the newspapers and found the advertisement. See below. I did a reverse directory search on the listed phone number and found the second owners, the family that listed the car in the Chicago Tribune. The original owner was drafted after the car was purchased and unfortunately died. The second owner, Arnie Borreson was also drafted. His father Edger Borreson listed the car in the tribune per Arnie's request. They lived in Lincoln Wood, just 10 miles from my house. Arnie is still alive and well. He is a pilot based in Idaho. He was best friends with the original owner and knows the cars history since day 1
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/blueL78vertadvertisement.jpg </div></div>

66L78, do you know what dealership this car was originally sold at? I see in the paper that the Chicago telephone prefix is RO which was Rockwell and was in the Little Village neighborhood where my father grew up. What streets did the first and second owner live on?

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 66 L78 ragtop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What happened to Joe L, the original owner of Mighty High? </div></div>

Joe is still around and lives in the western suburbs.....

Ken

[66 L78 ragtop]

Frank, the address was 6133 N. Newbrg. Look at the photo, rt. hand column, towards the bottom, near the small star

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n210/66Chevelle1/Borresonsaddress001.jpg

[kwhizz]

I was digging around in some old picture albums and I found a picture of the 66 L-79 car when it new........We were living in Chicago (obviously) at the time and the picture was taken at Paulettes Grandparents house in Wisconsin......the odd thing is, is that we ended up 6 years later buying a new house that was built on the lot next to her grandparents house......Here's a picture of the Nova in the driveway..........

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0008-1.jpg


Then......I came across this poor quality picture of Joe Szabo's Psycho Gasser.....As I remember thia picture was taken on a weekend trip to Minnesota for a UDRA meet........The car was trailered and was towed by Szabo's Ford station wagon...The car never got off the trailer that weekend as it rained the entire weekend.......

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0009-1.jpg

Also.......my arm is getting twisted to tell the &quot;Other&quot; story.....(Stefano??).....but....maybe some things are best left unsaid.......LOL

Ken

[SS427]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Also.......my arm is getting twisted to tell the &quot;Other&quot; story.....(Stefano??).....but....maybe some things are best left unsaid.......LOL

Ken

</div></div>

Little late now! Tell it!


Can you give me some approximate dates that you guys raced in Minnesota and at what tracks? I have several hundred photos of MN drag strips and will look through them so see if either car is on them.

[Xplantdad]

YEAH...TELL THE STORY!

[kwhizz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SS427</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Also.......my arm is getting twisted to tell the &quot;Other&quot; story.....(Stefano??).....but....maybe some things are best left unsaid.......LOL

Ken

</div></div>

Little late now! Tell it!


Can you give me some approximate dates that you guys raced in Minnesota and at what tracks? I have several hundred photos of MN drag strips and will look through them so see if either car is on them.
</div></div>

That picture of Psycho was taken in 66......About a month or so later is when we were at Edgewater Raceway outside Cincinnati for another UDRA meet and that is when a broken valve took the engine out.....and that was the last time the car was out for a while.........

[Salvatore]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kwhizz</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I was digging around in some old picture albums and I found a picture of the 66 L-79 car when it new........We were living in Chicago (obviously) at the time and the picture was taken at Paulettes Grandparents house in Wisconsin......the odd thing is, is that we ended up 6 years later buying a new house that was built on the lot next to her grandparents house......Here's a picture of the Nova in the driveway..........

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0008-1.jpg


Then......I came across this poor quality picture of Joe Szabo's Psycho Gasser.....As I remember thia picture was taken on a weekend trip to Minnesota for a UDRA meet........The car was trailered and was towed by Szabo's Ford station wagon...The car never got off the trailer that weekend as it rained the entire weekend.......

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/scan0009-1.jpg

Also.......my arm is getting twisted to tell the &quot;Other&quot; story.....(Stefano??).....but....maybe some things are best left unsaid.......LOL

Ken

</div></div>Ken, A GREAT picture of your nova!!

[kwhizz]

Sammy........It was my all time favorite car......I wish I was smart enough to have just kept it the way it was......

[Xplantdad]

Great stuff Ken! Thanks for sharing...now, how about the rest of the story?

[kwhizz]

Another picture from the Grove from last year........

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/DSC02873.jpg

[kwhizz]

A Link to the rebuild of &quot;Shake&quot; Mario drove for years

http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/garage/0657chev/

[kwhizz]

Shake vs Beswick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtnoHlelg6U&amp;feature=related

[kwhizz]

A pic of Mario driving Shake many years ago............

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/kwhizz/Mario%20grove/Mario%20Ed%20and%20Maureen/blood_20shot_201_1_.jpg

[Xplantdad]

KILLER stuff Ken! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/youguysrock.gif

[ed mac 70 ss]

ken
you hav'nt aged a bit
ed

[black69]

ran across this picture the other day..
thought of this thread...

http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo29/xxxblack69/57.jpg

[mockingbird812]

That is a cool set-up. Love the scoop, wheels, and the red tinting! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/cool.gif

[damen dan]

Just a note on Big Ernie. He was the only black guy I ever saw at Skips. His Marina Blue 55 had a one piece front end on it, the last time I saw him race on Elston. Never got a close look at the motor, I was always at the back of the line.

[kwhizz]

Dan.......I went to High School with a guy named Al that lived in Bucktown........he had a yellow 64 Impala Convert 327 300hp/ 4 speed.....the car was stolen and recovered with some parts missing......( as I remember it was missing the Engine and trans)......anyhow, I somehow got involved in getting the parts and putting it back together for him......we bought a 327-365 hp engine assy from Nickey and he wanted to take the car after completion and go to the Grove and win some Trophies......Hey!! We were still in High School and Trophies were a big thing....LOL
Anyhow ....Al wasn't a mechanical guy so he basically dropped his car off and bought a lot of parts......He bought an Isky 505 cam and I put it in while doing the swap......Got the car together and the car sounded crazy with the cam.....Now that I think about it,....It was a pile of mismatched parts (3:36 gear) but it sure sounded good.........Anyhow, after getting it back together (After a couple of weeks......Al stayed away and I didn't see him during this time) I had a problem with the shifter in the car.....Not a Hurst ( Cal 500???) and after a test ride I decided to jack the car up in front of my house (Addison &amp; Southport) and adjust the linkage.......so....I'm under the car and I see a car pull up in the street and stop....but....I'm under the car and couldn't see who it was....after a couple of minutes I hear the car door shut and I see shiney shoes coming towards me.........Humm.....Ends up the Police saw the car jacked up and me underneath trying to fix the shifter......he did a liscense plate check and the car was still on the Hot Sheet.......It's funny now but I ended up going to jail in handcuffs with my Mom looking out the window.....Took a couple of hours to get a hold of Al so his parents could get everything straightened out........
Had a lot of fun and learned a lot with Al's car......Till his Grandpa figured out that Al was stealing all the car money from his Stash in the basement........LOL....His parents sold the car and gave Grandpa his money back and Al became a Bus Guy..............Crazy Times.........

[mockingbird812]

That is a hoot Ken! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif

[Xplantdad]

Ken...your stories are just too damn cool....

[ORIGLS6]

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif I can't help but think that's the origin of an old phrase; &quot;No good deed goes unpunished!&quot;

Cool story. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif

[Bill Pritchard]

Priceless stuff, Ken!!!

[SuperNovaSS]

That's a great story. &quot;Honest Officer, I'm fixing the car for a friend.&quot;


Jason

[MrsBillyBobcat]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ORIGLS6</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif I can't help but think that's the origin of an old phrase; &quot;No good deed goes unpunished!&quot;

</div></div>

LOL! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif

Great story Ken! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif Thanks for sharing it! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/worship.gif

[damen dan]

I had purchased a new 63' Inpala SS in 63. Got my first real job at Illinois Tool works off Fullerton and Pulaski. Used to park the car on the street when working. After only four weeks, some dirt bag, AWOL fron the Army stoled my car. Found the body shell on the southside. The insurance conpany totaled the car. I went out and bought a new 64' but my dad said no more SS's for me. Had to wait 4 to 6 weeks back then for a factory ordered car.

Both cars were 327/300 4 speed cars maroon with black interior. Went with mods on the 64. Isky solids and kit, Hurst, curved distribitor, jetted Holey, and stock Posi rear. Of cours I did glass packs and side pipes(lakes plugs at the time). It made a nice street racer.

Have a few good stories about this car. I'll share some later. By the way, this is the car that my girl and I ran through the Elston police blockade one late Saturday night.

[novadude]

A lot of guys would look at a large car like a '62-64 Impala and think that a small block would be a slug, especially since 409s get all the glory.

I have ridden in a few 300hp 327 4-speed 62-64 full size cars. Give them a good tune and some gear, and they will run a lot harder than you'd expect! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/cool.gif

[damen dan]

KWIZZ, I have a 64 Impala convert story for you.....

After driving the 64 Impala for a few months, I missed the black vinyl interior that I had in my 63 SS. So I decided to contact my local midnight auto supply guys. I told them what I wanted. They said no problem, we'll call you in a few days.

Sure 'nuff, I get a call two days later. We got your goods. Come to the garage and bring your tools.

I'm there. They open the garage and behold, a 64 Impala convert with a black vinyl interior. They tell me that I'll need to do the transfer 'cause they got another job.

I'm in their 6 car garage removing both interiors when I decide to take a brewski break compliments of midnight auto. At this point, I'm under age and can't buy booze. The side door swings open and one of the midnight auto guys tells me to be very quiet, the police are outside checking some things.

I finished the brew, browned my shorts, and smoked a half pack of Camels. About 15 minutes later, the boys give me the all clear. The cops just left not bothering to check the inside of the garage.

When I realized that the sedan and hardtop rear seat was wider than the rear convert seat, I was not happy. Restored the interiors and left the garage. Told the guys not to bother with another interior. Somewhere in the brews, smokes, and soiled underwear, I lost interest in vinyl.

I don't remember the color of the donor Impala. I hope it wasn't your freind Al's ride.

Did some stupid stuff when I was a kid. This is just one example.
I have a few others that I'll share.

[kwhizz]

Midnight Auto Supply.........LOL.......I knew some of those guy's that worked in the Parking Garage in McCormick Place at the Lakefront.........They used to take orders for cars.....when somebody pulled into the parking garage with the &quot;Correct&quot; car.....well........you can figure out the rest of the story.....LOL....
Life in the &quot;Big&quot; city...............

[damen dan]

I remember the first time I used midnight auto supply. I was at Skips, parked, enjoying a Boston coffee. This female was driving, with her boyfriend shotgun. She backs out and nicks my driver's side headlight bezel with the rear fin of her 57 Chev.

We both get out to check the damage, at Skip's! Well long story short, her car, nothing, my 59 Impala has a dent in the bezel. The boyfriend steps up and says he'll cover the cost. Well, I say, that bezel is expensive, at least $40.00. He gives me two twentys, and we're both happy.

The next day my midnight guys say $5.00 for a replacement. I a happy camper. We agree to call when the part becomes available.

Three day later, I get my bezel. Take the old dented part off, put the replacement on. I'm once again I'm happy that my beautiful black with red interior 59 looks like new.

A few days later, I notice that my neighbors 59 four door Chev is missing a headlight bezel.

Contacted my midnight boys and told them to farm their parts a little further from home. Message received, cool out, they said.

I bought the 59 from a friend who joined the Marines. He wanted to keep the car, but his dad said to sell it. It was like new when I got it in 61, plastic seat covers and all. I borrowed $1500.00 from my dad, promising him I'd work for him without wages 'till the 59 was paid off. Great guy that my dad was, we did the deal and I kept my end of the bargain. He deeply regretted the loan after I started stacking up speeding tickets. When I had to go into the 'insurace risk pool', he said buddy you're on you own, you need to get a better paying job.

When I California raked it and installed scavenger pipes, it looked like it was right out of Hot Rod Magazine.

This was my first practice car. The car you learn everything about go-fast with, including power shifting. Corvette cam form Nickey, three duces, Hurst shifter, baby moons, Mallory dual point distributor and huge coil and Sun tach. The 283 held up well 'till i traded it for a 63 SS. I did blow the three speed once, but rebuilt it myself for pennys.

[kwhizz]

We used to get a lot of 'New&quot; parts from the parts guy at Hoskins Chevrolet.....his name was Art Tart.......Cam and Solid lifters out the back door.......$30.........LOL....At Nickey, we had to pay list.....(till Nickey Mike started in parts).....LOL

[Verne_Frantz]

The above are all good reasons why I'd like to stay out of Chicago. Tough town.
Verne

[damen dan]

At Nickey all you needed was a tax number for the parts guy and you got the big discount. I just made up a number and a shop name.

Man I can't believe how cheap real Chevy parts used to be. When I started buying Isky stuff, I had to work some o.t. for the extra bucks. Good thing my company offered all the o.t. I could use. I remember a lot of 80 hour weeks in them days.

Hey Verne, it's who you know in Chicago that made a neighborhood safe or not. If you were 'in' with the right guys, no worrys. When I had my 63 SS stolen, I was out of my safety zone, but then again, I should've used the company parking lot like everybody else.

Strange how all my old friends turned 'straight arrow' in the 70's after getting married and having a few kids. I guess we all grew up.

[kwhizz]

Been some years since the last post.....As I was reading thru the thread again.....There are a couple of Nickey stories........Here's one of them.....We used to go to Nickey every weekend to see what was going on in the back room with engine swaps......There's another earlier story, but this one was from the Spring of 68........I became friends with one of the Parts counter guys named Mike and his Boss Mr. Cusser.......He was a Hippie at the time.....But very knowledgeable in parts......He would always answer the phone "Nickey Mike"......So everyone knew him as Nickey Mike.......
So.......one Saturday in the spring of 68, I was sitting at the parts counter talking to Mike.......This young guy walks in and asks Mike if they had any L-88 engines in stock.....Mike said yes and he indicated he wanted to buy one and have the service department swap it into his 68 Vette with just a few hundred miles on it........It was a 427 - 400 engine.......Hydraulic cam with 3 deuces, Turbo 400.......And he wasn't happy with the performance.....He was a college student with deep pockets.....He wanted the swap done right away........Mike checked with the Service Department and they were booked for weeks.....The guy was disappointed......Mike asked if I would do the swap for the guy in my dad's garage........the guy asked how much to swap out the engines.........I told him I would do it if he gave me the old engine......said sure and wrote a check for the engine and Mike had it delivered to the garage.......the guy dropped the Vette off the following day...So....I swap everything out and I have this basically brand new 427 engine sitting in my Dad's garage.....So......A week later I go over to Dad's place and notice the engine and engine stand were gone.......Hummm!!!.....I find my Dad and ask him what happened to the engine.......He tells me that the Guy from Nickey told him they needed it back at Nickey........So....I drive over to Nickey and go into the parts department looking for Mike.......I couldn't find him so I asked his Boss Mr. Cusser where Mike was.........He told me that Mike quit and moved to California..........Never saw Mike or the Engine again..........The Education continues........


Ken

[Postsedan]

Got to Love them Hippie`s :)

Great Story :)

Dan

[Bill Pritchard]

Wow, with 'friends' like that, you don't need enemies!

[Xplantdad]

That was a cool story Ken! Save travels home!:biggthumpup:

[KM265S]

Great story ken.