[bygddy]

Originally Posted by 632Mantis

I must take a step back and admit something:

My head is usually in the "race" world. In the "street" world, pretty much anything goes.
People can do whatever they want to with a "street rod".

I really shouldn't give race advice to street people.
You do what you want, and be happy.
Like you said, it doesn't matter what I think. And you are right.

Having said that, if you decide to race it.... and you get whipped all the time... then come see me.
I might have some advice for ya.
( And so would 100 other people who hang out on this forum. )

Funny story that happened today:
This guy who works at one of our local machine shops calls me on the phone today. He is looking for some tires. A year ago, he was working on a project mid-80's tubbed Camaro. He finally got it running. I didn't have any tires for him, but I did have a set of rear-end gears. So he comes over in the Camaro project car to pick up the gear set. And guess what.
Yup... he was running a tunnel ram.
Talk about a crazy combination: 468 bbc, hydraulic cam, factory oval-port heads, 9:1 compression, tunnel ram with a pair of Edelbrock 600cfm carbs, headers, TH350 tranny with a 5,000 stall converter, 9" rear with ladders - 2.90:1 highway gears - and a pair of giant sprint car Hoosiers on some old-school Centerline solids.
I asked him, "you got a tranny temp gauge on this thing?"
He said no, but he had a big tranny cooler up front. ( good thing! )
So he takes me for a ride.
Funny thing is, he is getting away with this for a couple of reasons:
1. The car is fairly light.
2. That 5k stall converter allows the engine to rev up high enough to get that highway-geared rear-end rolling, and that tunnel-ram breathing.
3. The BBC makes enough torque to pull those gears.

I didn't say anything, but I was thinking about all kinds of advice for this guy.
He was in a hurry so I didn't get a picture of it, but next time I will.
I'll post a pic or two.

Lol.....OK, some of my junk gets missmatched, and due to budget or asthetics its always a compromise....oh lord pls dont call it a "street rod" lol....I make fun of my dad and uncle for being lawn chair riding street rod guys....but your right, its not a race car by any stretch of the imagination, it may see the track 4 or 5 times a year. Its really an 80's cheeseball pro street build, that was complete with teal paint and pink stripes....its going to be a beater hotrod for me that is about as brutal as I can afford. I had said elswhere, if i can get this big pig into a mid, or god help me low 12, i would be exstatic. And if I could run a BBC with an 871 I would, believe me....but I do have a thing for tunnel rams and with no hood I'm absolutely stoked about this build....so yes....I may have been a tad defensive lol....for that I apologize.

[vinniekq2]

bygddy,you have to track down paintedjesters tunnel ram street car,it will make you smile.he has a couple tunnelram engines,one for his wife

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by bygddy

hang around a few years and get back to me with something intelligent or constructive and then we can have a real debate.

Funny.

I've been drag racing since the 80's.
If someone tells you something you don't want to hear, it's easy to just marginalize and dismiss them.

Like I said, if you want to run that tunnel ram because you like the way they look, then fine. I have nothing to say about that.
Lots of people like the way they "look".
Last car show I went to... they were everywhere.

[bygddy]

Originally Posted by vinniekq2

bygddy,you have to track down paintedjesters tunnel ram street car,it will make you smile.he has a couple tunnelram engines,one for his wife

Hmmm, checked his profile but can't find anything on his toys....maybe he will chime in....would love to see some more tunnel ram stuff....I'm wearing Google out searching lol....

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by vinniekq2

some people think that pick ups are street cars? aero dynamics of a house,,,to each their own true.
I choose a small block single 4 bbl to beat up big blocks/blower cars/tunnel ram cars and my car can turn corners without rolling the tires off the rims,,,
to each their own

So your street/strip car moonlights as a NASCAR on the weekends?
Who cares if it can TURN!

Years ago, I was looking for a decent deal on a rolling chassis.
I planned to do a small-block VEGA or something like that.
I couldn't find anything close enough to me for a decent price.
So I decided to go a different route.
I had the old stepside truck for 20 years. I had no plans to ever sell it, so I decided I would build it instead of trying to find someone elses project.
( The truck has sentimental value. )
Trucks are not aerodynamic. It takes more effort to make them go!
I could have made a 9-second small block Vega easy.
You see lots of Chevy S10 trucks at the track, but not as many full-size pickups.
I'm not the quickest, but i'm still having fun with the old girl.
That's what is more important to me.

[bygddy]

Originally Posted by 632Mantis

Funny.

I've been drag racing since the 80's.
If someone tells you something you don't want to hear, it's easy to just marginalize and dismiss them.

Like I said, if you want to run that tunnel ram because you like the way they look, then fine. I have nothing to say about that.
Lots of people like the way they "look".
Last car show I went to... they were everywhere.

Aw man.....I tried to make nice ...I don't do car shows often, stuff parked is dull....Fri nights we go screw around at a Tim hortons where everyone converges, sometimes up to a couple hundred cars. But its an in, then out cruising, then back for coffee and stories...I drive my junk.....
And I hear stuff I don't want to everyday....been married 17 years

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by bygddy

Lol.....OK, some of my junk gets missmatched, and due to budget or asthetics its always a compromise....oh lord pls dont call it a "street rod" lol....I make fun of my dad and uncle for being lawn chair riding street rod guys....but your right, its not a race car by any stretch of the imagination, it may see the track 4 or 5 times a year. Its really an 80's cheeseball pro street build, that was complete with teal paint and pink stripes....its going to be a beater hotrod for me that is about as brutal as I can afford. I had said elswhere, if i can get this big pig into a mid, or god help me low 12, i would be exstatic. And if I could run a BBC with an 871 I would, believe me....but I do have a thing for tunnel rams and with no hood I'm absolutely stoked about this build....so yes....I may have been a tad defensive lol....for that I apologize.

It's okay.
I was pretty blunt about my opinion, so I see why you were defensive about it.
Your setup will look pretty cool in that chassis. I'm not knocking ya.

It's just that from a "performance standpoint", I never did like tunnel rams on street engines.

Don't let anyone stop you from building your dream.

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by bygddy

Aw man.....I tried to make nice ...I don't do car shows often, stuff parked is dull....Fri nights we go screw around at a Tim hortons where everyone converges, sometimes up to a couple hundred cars. But its an in, then out cruising, then back for coffee and stories...I drive my junk.....
And I hear stuff I don't want to everyday....been married 17 years

Nah, we made up. It's all good!


If I was in your area, I would join you on them friday nights.
I don't have anything like that in my town.
Hardly anyone does street/strip cars here.

A few old guys have rolling paint and chrome, and some kids do the rice-burner thing, but nobody does the old-school V8's anymore.

Closest 1/4 mile track is 3 hours away.

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by bygddy

And I hear stuff I don't want to everyday....been married 17 years

Oh Lord.

I got tired of dealing with women, so I am retired from that now.
More time and money for the hobbies!
I can't STAND some crazy b---h trying to boss me around. I don't put up with that.

And from my short time on this earth, I have learned... ALL women are crazy.
It's just a matter of "HOW crazy". Some are less crazy than others, but they are all insane.
The older they get, the worse they get.

[vinniekq2]

So your street/strip car moonlights as a NASCAR on the weekends?

rofl . Ive owned 3 BB pick ups,all 454s.road racing is exactly the same as nascar,lol...
the most fun with a car like mine is knocking over pylons in gymkahana parking lot races. They do frown on the straight away burn outs,but crowds like it.

[bygddy]

Originally Posted by vinniekq2

So your street/strip car moonlights as a NASCAR on the weekends?

rofl . Ive owned 3 BB pick ups,all 454s.road racing is exactly the same as nascar,lol...
the most fun with a car like mine is knocking over pylons in gymkahana parking lot races. They do frown on the straight away burn outs,but crowds like it.

Dammit, I kinda want my C3 back now.....I blame you

[bygddy]

Originally Posted by 632Mantis

Oh Lord.

I got tired of dealing with women, so I am retired from that now.
More time and money for the hobbies!
I can't STAND some crazy b---h trying to boss me around. I don't put up with that.

And from my short time on this earth, I have learned... ALL women are crazy.
It's just a matter of "HOW crazy". Some are less crazy than others, but they are all insane.
The older they get, the worse they get.

Lol....tell us how you really feel....someone took you to the cleaners it sounds like....
Meh, she puts up with my sht, makes me laugh everyday, is still lots of fun to look at so I have no complaints ......and she makes twice the dollars I do lol....you think I'm cheap now, without her I'm driving a clapped out citation or something....

[vinniekq2]

Bygddy,from May long week end until sept Long weekend every Thursday we have a cruise in from 6 ish to 8:30 ish at the A&W at 228th and lougheed hiway. The cars then migrate to Timmys about 4 miles to the west.
The september weekend last year we probably had 1,000 cars.The cops shut down 4 square blocks for us,cars parked all over the street/live band etc.
race cars/old cars/bike/trucks/old 5 tonne flat decks/imports/super cars,all are welcome.
couple oddities for example,lotus elan with a V-6,,,914 with a V-8,mazda 1200 coupe v-8

[bygddy]

Originally Posted by 632Mantis

Nah, we made up. It's all good!


If I was in your area, I would join you on them friday nights.
I don't have anything like that in my town.
Hardly anyone does street/strip cars here.

A few old guys have rolling paint and chrome, and some kids do the rice-burner thing, but nobody does the old-school V8's anymore.

Closest 1/4 mile track is 3 hours away.

So, its a mall parking lot, with a Tim hortons there, and on every Fri night, everyone ends up there, and their are 2 sides to the parking lot, import stuff ends up on one side, bikes and hotrods on the other, there's always tunes, and ********* with train horns, and guys bouncing their junk of their rev limiters, some burnouts, and some general sillyness, people leave together, and may see some street stuff, then back to discuss, and we do get some neat junk, from 8 sec race cars that drive in, to 800hp dyno queen skylines, to rat rods and stretched choppers, lifted trucks and lowriders, we see it all....we had an integra with a heavilh boosted b18 sitting in the back seat, rwd, running mid 11's with zero chassis set up and all home built by a 22yr old kid in his parents garage....or a 67 camaro with a shafiroff 582 and elec cutouts that makes your heart pound.....and all of it gets driven, and abused, and shown off.....the nastier it is, the more entertaining.....some of it sounds kinda fast and furious cheesy, but I gotta be honest....its pretty amazing some nights seeing it all come together I one place....sigh.....I miss summer.

[bygddy]

Originally Posted by vinniekq2

Bygddy,from May long week end until sept Long weekend every Thursday we have a cruise in from 6 ish to 8:30 ish at the A&W at 228th and lougheed hiway. The cars then migrate to Timmys about 4 miles to the west.
The september weekend last year we probably had 1,000 cars.The cops shut down 4 square blocks for us,cars parked all over the street/live band etc.
race cars/old cars/bike/trucks/old 5 tonne flat decks/imports/super cars,all are welcome.
couple oddities for example,lotus elan with a V-6,,,914 with a V-8,mazda 1200 coupe v-8

See, that's cool.....very cool....its too bad your so far away, our best Fridays are head to luskville dragway for open cruise night, sign your waiver, pay 20$ and run anything, as many times as you want, no tech, no grief, run your buddies all night, that ends around 1030, then its head to timmies and drink your coffee and talk about what was or wasn't fast ...this usually goes on till about 1am....then we head home, trying to avoid the emmisions cops....and avoid getting caught playing light to light hero with your buddies....then home and car gets tucked in safe and sound....wow....I really miss summer lol.
And did you say a 914 with an 8? Must Google...never seen that before!