[Wichita-SCCA] Phrog sponsorship!
James Harrison
jimh_mic at msn.com
Sat Oct 14 16:03:44 EDT 2006
In the sixties, High School, I worked at a Vickers Gas Station at the corner
of Edgemore and Harry. At that time there was a gas station on every corner
of the intersection. That was the days when we ran out checked the oil,
tires, washed the windows etc. Lots of interesting things happened those two
years. That is where I learned to work on cars and clean up oil spills :>).
The story that stands out today is about a guy named Hank Greenleaf, (I
think that is correct). One day in 67 he showed up in a brand new 67 Chevy
2. The one with the 327/375 hp engine, the car the term Factory Hot Rod came
from. About a month latter he shows up in a new 67 427/435 hp Vette. Very
cool. It isn't much longer, he pulls in in the Chevy 2 and asks us to check
the oil. He has swapped engines, the Chevy 2 is now a big block car. He drag
raced that car for a lot of years with the 4 speed. If you showed up at the
Barrett-Jackson auction with those two cars you could retire.
>From: "Lonnie Heston" <lhheston at gmail.com>
>Reply-To: "Wichita Region SCCA." <wichita-scca at wichitascca.org>
>To: "Wichita Region SCCA." <wichita-scca at wichitascca.org>
>Subject: Re: [Wichita-SCCA] Phrog sponsorship!
>Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 23:00:39 -0500
>
>Larry, Yeah, the wail editor is welcome to cut-n-paste, I didn't include
>any
>last names... He can start an old-folks column...
>
>Greg, we had a '52 chevy my Dad bought new, and a '53 wagon he bought used
>in the early '60s. Both were straight six, 3-on-the-tree. In the late
>'60s
>Dad bought a '63 olds 394 4bbl 3-speed auto wagon (Now that I think about
>it, probably the same engine Uncle Gordon had) - first air conditioned car
>in our family . The previous owner claimed he was being passed over for
>raises at Chrysler Aerospace (We lived in Rocket City - Huntsville, Al)
>because he owned the Olds. The Olds was the first car I ever drag raced
>(naughty me) and, one rainy Sunday, it became the first car I ever spun
>out. Everything I did to correct the spin was too late - and that was a
>loooong wheel base too!
>
>Dad taught me how to do a lot of the work on cars, but he didn't hot rod
>any, he was so conservative that when he replaced his '52's clutch, the
>guys
>at the parts place refused to believe he had 77k miles on it, no one ever
>got more than 40k out of a chevy clutch. Ever. I was only 8 or so but I
>still remember them looking it over and one guy said something about the
>metal not even being blue a little bit. Dad said something like, "you
>don't
>have to believe me, I know, and it just depends on how you drive it"
>
>About the wildest thing Dad ever told me about was when he owned an Indian
>motorcycle for a few days. The farm had a 1/4 mile gravel driveway. He
>made it to the end of the driveway when the thing totally surprised him and
>went out from under him. He got rid of it quick.
>
>Well, enough reminiscing, time to get some stuff done. Hope to see you
>soon!
>
>Lonnie
>
>
>On 10/13/06, lduty at cox.net <lduty at cox.net> wrote:
>>
>>The kind that should be in the Wail!
>>
>>LD
>>
>>---- James Harrison <jimh_mic at msn.com> wrote:
>> > Great stories..both of you!
>> >
>> >
>> > >From: "Greg Laws" <GLaws at cox.net>
>> > >Reply-To: "Wichita Region SCCA." <wichita-scca at wichitascca.org>
>> > >To: "Wichita Region SCCA." <Wichita-SCCA at wichitascca.org>
>> > >Subject: Re: [Wichita-SCCA] Phrog sponsorship!
>> > >Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 06:19:56 -0500
>> > >
>> > >Hi Lonnie,
>> > >
>> > >What wonderful stories and memories! Your Uncle Gordon sounds like
>>just
>> > >the sort of Uncle that I should have had but didn't. Instead my
>>immediate
>> > >family was of the conservative, pillar-of-the-community type and the
>> > >extended families on both sides lived far away in either
>>Minnesota/Michigan
>> > >or Oregon. The closest that I came to being related to anyone
>>interesting
>> > >was my cousin Terry Pease in Minnesota. He was (and is) a year older
>>than
>> > >I. In his mid-teen years he built a chopped & channeled early Ford
>>with a
>> > >flat head mill. He actually took me (the geeky, immature younger
>>cousin
>> > >from far away) for a ride in it once. I remember sitting flat on a
>>bare
>> > >plywood floor with no head room, no seats or seat belts, and a very
>>stiff
>> > >ride as the rear suspension consisted of a single coil spring cut in
>>half
>> > >with each half welded onto either end of the Chevy rear axle
>>housing. No
>> > >shock absorbers as I remember, but total suspension travel was only
>>about
>> > >1/4" anyway so it didn't matter. The flathead V8 had a sound very
>> > >different than anything that I had ever heard before and it pulled
>>HARD
>>in
>> > >this crackerbox car that couldn't have weighed more than 1400 lbs. I
>>was
>> > >awed! Terry had left the useless 3-speed column shifter lever on the
>> > >steering column while he actually shifted the 4-speed transmission
>>with
>>a
>> > >floor shifter. The reason was that he had fun passing people at high
>> > >speeds or engaging in top-end street races with the "shift lever" on
>>the
>> > >column pulled up into the 2nd gear position where his victim could
>>easily
>> > >see it. This gave the impression that he was still in 2nd and hadn't
>> > >shifted to 3rd yet! Later on I heard that he wrecked the car while
>>turning
>> > >at an ordinary street corner when a single small bolt that apparently
>>was
>> > >securing the entire front split-wishbone suspension snapped off. His
>>dad,
>> > >a mechanical engineer and father of nine kids, just shrugged and said
>>that
>> > >it was a good learning experience for the boy. In spite of it all
>>Terry
>> > >went on to be a union pipe fitter and with an income considerably
>>higher
>> > >than I ever achieved he continued to pursue his love of drag racing
>>with a
>> > >beautiful 1953 Thames Panel Truck with blown Chrysler hemi, possibly
>>on
>> > >nitro. It runs in the low 7s I believe. I heard that he retired
>>recently
>> > >but still drag races. Haven't seen him in decades.
>> > >
>> > >The other end of the spectrum was my dad, a college teacher and pillar
>>of
>> > >the community. He remains a warm, creative, interesting and
>>supportive
>> > >sort of fellow even at the age of 88 but he was never a car guy. His
>>only
>> > >new car was a sandy-tan 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne station wagon (a full
>>sized
>> > >car) with 283 2-bbl, PowerGlide and only minimum options. The
>>highlight
>> > >was air conditioning, considered to be a pricey option not purchased
>>by
>> > >most folks then. I learned to drive with this car. Later on it had
>> > >several adventures in my hands that I have yet to tell my folks about,
>>but
>> > >I digress. In early 1964 when I was a high school junior he took me
>>out on
>> > >the highway to practice passing other cars. When I finally got enough
>> > >nerve, and three miles clearance, to pass a lumbering truck I punched
>>the
>> > >throttle to the floor and it bogged its way out onto the highway in
>>high
>> > >gear (of two, low & high, in a PowerGlide). I wasn't the a storehouse
>>of
>> > >automotive knowledge that I am now but even then I knew that it was
>> > >supposed to kick down into passing gear. I lifted and then kicked it
>> > >again. The transmission dropped to low and the engine screamed as it
>> > >quickly pulled to 70 mph. My dad freaked out! His foot slammed to
>>the
>> > >passenger floor searching for that imaginary brake pedal and he
>>clamped
>>one
>> > >hand to the dash with the other to the door's arm rest. His body was
>>stiff
>> > >and braced. We safely got around the truck and he slowly recovered
>>himself
>> > >while I quickly and with some alarm explained to him about the
>>presence
>>of
>> > >passing gear in a PowerGlide. He had owned the car for four years and
>>had
>> > >never known that it would do that!
>> > >
>> > >Enjoy,
>> > >Greg
>> > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > From: Lonnie Heston
>> > > To: Wichita Region SCCA.
>> > > Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 10:33 PM
>> > > Subject: Re: [Wichita-SCCA] Phrog sponsorship!
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Yeah, Greg, I remember you mentioned the Nashville event. Pretty
>>cool.
>> > >I'm glad the Phrog is getting some help.
>> > >
>> > > I was born in Memphis, and have (or had) a lot of relatives in the
>> > >Nashville area.
>> > >
>> > > My grandma made bathtub beer during prohibition, and still made
>>some
>>to
>> > >sell afterward. The town my mom was born in is under one of the TVA
>>lakes.
>> > > They moved closer to Nashville about the time I was born, and when
>>my
>> > >uncles got back from serving in Korea, they got into various car
>>business -
>> > >junkyard and mechanic work - except one who became an FDA egg grader.
>> > >Mostly they collected '50s Caddys. (The big Caddy got some kind of
>>Safest
>> > >Car of the Year award). I remember when my Uncle Jimmy got one in
>>pretty
>> > >good condition and asked me to find the gas filler. I couldn't, but
>>now I
>> > >know it's behind a hinged taillight. I also remember one that
>>arrived
>>at
>> > >his salvage yard, no questions asked, no papers, '36 Cadillac V8 with
>>large
>> > >bullet holes. My uncle called it Capone, but wouldn't tell us any
>>more.
>> > >Last time I was there, it was still in his basement.
>> > >
>> > > My Uncle Gordon once took me for a ride in his '60 Olds 88. It had
>>a
>> > >390-something, and if you know what the Tennessee back hills country
>>roads
>> > >were like in the '60s - no shoulder, no side lines, and burma-shave
>>signs
>> > >for corner markers - an 80mph ride for several miles is quite a
>>treat. My
>> > >mom didn't like the way I was smiling when we got back and figured out
>> > >something was up, so I didn't get to ride with him much. The ride did
>>show
>> > >me what big iron can do on a road course - for someone who grew up in
>>'52
>> > >Chevys with a conservative dad driving - the g-forces were a huge
>>thrill.
>> > >A few months later Uncle Gordon had a six-pack before breakfast and
>> > >wrapped the Olds around a tree. He wasn't hurt, and didn't care much
>> > >because he won it playing cards. He eventually died of liver
>>sclerosis.
>> > >
>> > > Those were the days...
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Lonnie
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On 10/10/06, Greg Laws < GLaws at cox.net> wrote:
>> > > I am pleased to announce that the Phrog has a sponsor. "Sam the
>> > >Mechanic" is Sam Stuckey from Halls Crossroads, TN. He is a sweet
>>little
>> > >guy who runs a small salvage yard / repair shop that specializes in
>>Renault
>> > >R9 and R11 spare parts plus GTA, Medallion, etc. I met him when my
>> > >son-in-law and I made that wild trip to Nashville, TN in September,
>>2004.
>> > >We met up with the Renault Owner's club and went to the Lane Motor
>>Museum
>> > >where we saw Sam Posey and the Caldwell D7 Can-Am car. Actually sat
>>in
>>it
>> > >as a matter of fact. The same weekend we also ran the Phrog in a
>>local
>> > >solo event at the Nashville speedway.
>> > >
>> > > Anyway, I gave Sam a ride in the Phrog at the local solo event
>>and
>> > >also gave him a collector's item of a wooden-rim race car steering
>>wheel
>> > >with a Renault center emblem. Ever since then Sam has been the
>>Phrog's
>> > >number one fan. Tonight I called him to send me a GTA transaxle to
>>replace
>> > >the one that I blew up at Strother Field. Sam offered to donate the
>> > >transaxle free if I would pay the freight and put his name on the car
>>as
>> > >sponsor. Wow.
>> > >
>> > > Look for a large yellow decal somewhere on the car proudly
>>displaying
>> > >the fact that "Sam the Mechanic" is a sponsor of the Phrog.
>> > >
>> > > I've had help from Jim Caywood (owner of the now-defunct Autobody
>> > >Specialists body shop), Auto Techs Frame & Body, and now from Sam
>>Stuckey
>> > >in Tennessee. Life is good when you own a Renault!
>> > >
>> > > Enjoy,
>> > > Greg Laws
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > Wichita-SCCA mailing list
>> > > Wichita-SCCA at wichitascca.org
>> > >
>>http://wichitascca.org/mailman/listinfo/wichita-scca_wichitascca.org
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> >------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > Wichita-SCCA mailing list
>> > > Wichita-SCCA at wichitascca.org
>> > >
>>http://wichitascca.org/mailman/listinfo/wichita-scca_wichitascca.org
>> >
>> >
>> > >_______________________________________________
>> > >Wichita-SCCA mailing list
>> > >Wichita-SCCA at wichitascca.org
>> > >http://wichitascca.org/mailman/listinfo/wichita-scca_wichitascca.org
>> >
>> > _________________________________________________________________
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>> >
>>
>>
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>
>
>
>--
>Wichita Region SCCA
>wichitascca.org
>There is nothing wrong with old age if your
>family still lets you play with your toys.
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>Wichita-SCCA at wichitascca.org
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