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Ray’s interest in drag racing started in the early 70s (the 1970s in
case you were wondering!!)
After going to watch a meeting at the Pod with brother Rob whose friend was racing a bike, I got hooked and managed to talk a couple of friends, Glen Searl and Pete Lane into going to the next meeting.
Almost immediately we decided that we needed to build a Car that we could all race, and as Altereds were very much in vogue this was the route we went.
We bought a rolling chassis complete with a Topolino Body and a Jag back Axle which was always breaking half shafts.
We bought an old Rocket 88 with a small block engine which we removed and mounted in the Chassis.
This we promptley destroyed at the first meeting. After starting the Engine and blipping the throttle the Flywheel shattered and destroyed various parts of the Engine,
Soon after this we sourced a small block Chevy engine, which took an enormous amount of abuse, including feeding it with methanol at one stage.
The name of the beast came from some of the music of that time. I think it
was Steppenwolf who came up with it as the title for one of his
songs….it suited his music to a “T”. But it also suited the Topolino, "Earsplitenloudenboomer"
As usual, brother Rob brought up the rear, using his Cresta to push
start the Fiat.
The name lives on with Pete Lane, who managed to continue running
various drag cars (lucky devil) while the rest of us took on mortgages, and
families which kept us away from our favourite motor sport.
Until December 2001……
When I bought a 1968 Big Block Convertable Vette. This had previousley been raced by John Claydon under the name of Mr Muscle. I had great fun with this car for a few years and ran it at North Weald in Essex a couple of times, best time 13.1 at 102mph even with the rock hard back tires.
"This is now for sale and if you are intrested you can contact me at oldvettsracing@aol.com"
30 years later the need for speed was back.
I decided I wanted to get into some form of Heads Up racing and Street Eliminator did fit the bill. I did consider using the 68 and extensively modifiing it, however whilst trawling the web I saw a rolling 10.5 outlaw Vette for sale.
December 2004
I dragged Pete to North Carolina and met up with Sam Price and his family, who could not have been more helpfull.
The deal was done, and Sam took me down to see his Engine man, Scott Guggins at Performance Automotive Racing.
I explained to Sam and Scott that I would like to run Eights and that this had to be done with pump gas and street tires.
Scott rang me in the evening and discussed the Engine options.
Scott offered a big nitrous engine (Rob and I have no nitrous experience)
or a big blown carburettor motor…..that’s more like it…..old technology
we can understand.
So the motor was ordered, a 598cuin Dart tall deck big block, Big Duke heads with Titanium Valves Isky springs, Indy manifold and Littlefield 1470 blower, and twin 1150 Holleys. Lunati crank, 6.7 Eagle rods JE custom Pistons, Custom roller Cam etc etc.
I flew out again to see the Engine dynoed, over 1300hp and 1000ftlb torque from 3000 revs.
Once the engine dyno results were known the gearbox and torque converter could be spec’d and built.
Then back to Teddy Hauser’s chassis shop "Houser Race Cars" to put the engine and box in and for him to fit the larger fuel cell mount the biggest radiator that would fit and construct the headers and Exhaust.
Once again back to North Carolina so that I could get the Car loaded into the Trailer and for Sam to tow the rig down to Charleston for shipping to the UK.
Where I could collect it from Southhampton.
Nothing so simple!!
I chased the shippers for 5 days after it should have arrived, being
put off with many excuses.
Eventually they admitted they had LOST THE TRAILER!!
My world had collapsed. After more than 8 months of searching, and
finding and building the car, it was gone.
Good news the next day the shippers rang to say
they had found it. I said I would collect it straight away, but…..
Nothing so simple!!!
It wasn’t in Southampton, it was in Gothenburg!!!
To add insult to injury, Customs and Excise had processed all the
paperwork, and demanded payment of the import duty and VAT. I explained that the
car hadn’t even been delivered, but they still insisted on being paid.
Eventually it arrived, and I collected it with Pete at Southampton.
We did have a few nasty surprises on the way home…..the electric module to make the trailer brakes work hadn’t been fitted in the Dodge Ram, so stopping was a real
challenge!
Over the winter of 2005, the car was fitted with everything it needed
to run in the Street Eliminator class….lights, horn, wipers, washers, number
plates
and eventually she passed an MOT test.
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