Racing against a buick

[Heartbeast]

I had heard of some new racing going on here in town and decided to run over and check it out. I took a buddy of mine with me and we took my street/strip '67 firebird.
We arrived at the meeting place and after about an hour of chatting with some of the guys, the familiar whisper started to make its way through the crowd "We heading out to the racing road".
The "race road" was actually a pretty good set-up. (I guess as good as illegal racing can be). A good 1/2 mile straight stretch with no side roads and a concrete bridge close to the beginning.
The cars consisted of mostly ricers, but there were a couple of older muscle, including mine, a couple of newer vettes, ta's and camaros a GN and one plain looking white T-type(I LOVE sleepers!)
First couple of racers were ricers. Not too bad. Second race was a older chevelle(think a 66) and a newer vette. Vette won. I raced next against a newer TA. Won pretty easy(my bird has run 12.10 slicks,closed exhaust without the nitrous-11.30 with the bottle). The GN guy was mostly there just to watch and said his car was stock but the Ttype guy asked me if I wanted to run. We did and he was quick! He beat me but about two cars. We talked afterwards and I asked him if he would run me with my nitrous turned on to see how it did. Second time I beat him. We talked some more and he told me some things about his motor but everything he told me sounded foreign to the old poncho guy. I do remember him saying he has run 11.80's at gainesville 1/4 mile track though. Very nice car and a great guy.
Even though I enjoy my ponchos, I think a buick might be my future.

 

[denn454]

glad to see your intrested in getting one, and thanks for not being the usual poor sport about looking to a grandma car! you have no idea how many people are ready to beat the crap out of you after you walk all over them with a "big ol buick". sounds like a good race, and like your ta must run pretty good.

 

[Pronto]

Funny how sooner or later the turbo bug bites you

 

[Captain Mark]

Get a Turbo Trans Am, you'll feel less guilty!

 

[Screamin6]

A nice test road in Gainesville? Ooooo please tell me where and when.

 

[GNracer2000]

Yes tell us where this was at if you remember. I need to check it out when I get my GN back from the shop and go up there to visit my Ocala Crew.

 

[Heartbeast]

Race road

I actually live in Jacksonville and we met those guys at the Kmart parking lot in Orange Park. I don't remember where exactly the road is because we were following them and I am not very familiar with that area. I do know that we drove about for about 20-30 minutes. I know that when we were done racing the guys gave me directions to get back to I-10. I believe the road we used to get to I-10 was called Chaffee road. I will try to find out more infomation next time I go over there and let you know.

 

[2QUIK6]

Originally posted by Heartbeast
Even though I enjoy my ponchos, I think a buick might be my future.

hmmm, I need a 1st gen Firebird to complete my collection of TA's, its the only gen I'm missing. Although I need another one like a hole in the head...sounds like a nice ride, if you decide to sell it, let me know and pass me some info. Don't get any ideas, I could never part with my GN though

 

[Heartbeast]

Firebird

Now, who says I have to get rid of the bird to get a buick? I have had the car for about 10 years and my daughter would be very unhappy if I got rid of it. She thinks it is going to be her "driving to school car" when she starts H/S in a couple of years. She has helped me enough in the past working on it to get it a few days at least. I am looking forwards to getting to some of these buick shows, learning more about them, then making a purchase. Then, look out for the guy approaching middle-age driving the "grandma car", right denn454?

 

[2QUIK6]

Darn, oh well, just in case, 1st gens are getting very hard to find in good shape. You've came to the right place to learn about Buicks, and try www.gnttype.org

 

[Tom Tom Turbo]

2QUIK6-----my unlce may be getting ready to sell his 69 350 Firebird conv. I don't know much about it since I haven't seen it in 3 years, but he's been slowly restoring it. He works in development at Delphi so he's got the hook up on GM stuff. I can let you know if he puts it on the market.

 

[Heartbeast]

Two items. First, I did some work on the bird a couple of weeks ago. New aluminum heads and a cam change. Raced my buick buddy last week and I beat him without the gas this time. He vowed REVENGE!! He has some things in mind that he said should put him in the low 11's soon. I have learned a lot about buicks after getting to know him. I think my plan will be to help him with his car then talk him into selling it to me! Second, we took his car out last night and we met up with a couple of other cars. One was a mid-90's stang that the guy said ran 10.70's at Gainesville last year. Joe ran him and beat him out of the hole BAD. Mustang was spinning but when it finally hooked it ran well. Mustang was closing but Joe took him by about two lengths. What do they say- "if you are spinning, you aren't winning". Don't know what the stang guy was running, he didn't open the hood and didn't want to answer any questions after the race. Thats a surprise!!

 

[Vendor Defendor]

becareful about letting your daughter drive that firebird to highschool when the time comes. i drove my 84 el camino that would probably been in the deep 12's if not 11's with traction, and i drove that sucker all the time and whoops, came out to the parking lot on the last day of my junior year to an empty parking spot. i wouldnt let her drive the car not because of her, but because of all the other scum bags in the world that want everything the cheap easy and fast way. i hate them, i would beat them with the buttstock of my M1

 

[RATROASTER]

Originally posted by Pronto
Funny how sooner or later the turbo bug bites you

It even got me....................it just hit me last year at the track at Keystone on a hot day. I was in my 455 Skylark with the sun beating on me, and the heat from my 455 was creaping through the firewall. I swear I could have burned my right foot on the gas pedal. In the next pair set to race, behind me, was an 87 T-type. The driver was in pure comfort with the windows up and the AC on.

What sealed my fate was at Bowling Green. Fighting in vendor's row over a set of $400 fenders from Arizona. GS parts are too hard to come by.

6 months later the Skylark is gone and a nice clean T-type limited from California is arrived!!