A lot of these focus on Malcolm Durham's Z-11. The pic with the white Z 11 sitting in the left lane with dirt separating the right lane we think was Piedmont Drag Strip which was one of the local hangouts. It gives you a feel for how close we stood relative to the track and the cars back then. Notice the 63 black Plymouth wedge has on the door "Fords the Breakfast of Champions" http://www.angelfire.com/ia/chevysupersport/Z11.html
Guy We think the Piedmont Picture was when they had a benefit race for a driver( Lee M.) who rolled a former Platt Thunderbolt at the top end during a match race and broke his neck. I believe it may havce been one pf Platt's cars but he was not the driver.
Pretty sure that Alan Green car is still around and restored, too. I saw it at a Super Chevy Show some years back.
There was a Chevy drag car of that vintage at a dealership in Dubuque, IA about 7 years ago. Big price tag. Car was roped off, I guess if you touch the aluminum fenders they will dent very easy.
Only open the 63 Z-11 link if you have about two hours to spare. I did, and it was well worth the time. :TU:
Coupla years back I ran the Nostalgia Nats at Beaver Falls (?) in Pennsylvania..it was the race associated with the York Reunion, and they had set up a FAST class. Lots of old famous race cars running, but I do recall two 63 Chev's that ran against each other. The announcer said they were the winner and runner up at the Nationals at Indy in their Class (A Stock?) Not sure if it was 1962 or 1963... One was red, other was white. Pretty sure they had aluminum front ends and for all I know were Z11's. Thomas Payne was there with one of his 64 SS cars, maybe he knows about them...Tom and I were having a real ball at the starting line with our 4 speed, drum brake cars rolling backwards out of the lights. In one of the qualifying attempts, I decided to just let it keep rolling backwards to see how far it would go. I finally stopped it a full length back from the line. Nice...There were huge craters at the line, so without a line lock (or JJ's cowboy boots), it was a joke. I had 9 straight unsuccessful attempts at that and was ready to give up and load up the car when Murdoch finally saved me by holding my car in place at the rear bumper so I could get a launch. Wish he'd have given me just a little more nudge as I only lost that final run by .02 to a car that qualified a whole lot faster.... closest race I've had in over 50 years of racing. I was ahead most of the way, but cubes and hp came through for Todd. View My Video
Dave if you look at one on those pics near the bottom you will see Ronnie Sox and Jake King with their backs to you. They had one of those Chevies they had "Modified". In truth it was strokeed to 500 Plus cid. They always ran it just fast enought win. Once they had a match race (with a T Bolt) at Piedmont which was crude and by today 's standards short. They knew to beat this car they had to turn it loose while not knowing for sure what was going to happpen. They ran in 130s on the top end and won but with drum brakes could not get it stopped before it went off the end into the weeds.
:laugh: :laugh: Where did you get that idea? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: It was only painted all over the car. Wonder if that car and the red one with Nelson Chevrolet on it were the two at Beaver? Dave Strickler and Bill Jenkins Ammon R Smith Chevrolet(York, Pa, if I remember right) Old Reliable cars had S/S on the 62 bubble top Bel Air and A/MP on the 63 Impala. When we saw them at Vineland NJ, they were still dialing in the A/MP car so ran the match race against the Ramchargers in the 62. Strickler annihilated the trans, but still was enough to beat the Ramchargers surrogate car...that was a brand new car driven there by some local guy (white plain Jane car). They had something fatal happen to their own car so they approached that guy to "borrow" his car for the night for the match race against the Old Reliable...they put in their gear and tires as well as their induction system and let him keep that after the race...guy was in a daze.... It was interesting and almost comical to watch Strickler and Jenkins. Jenkins couldn't wait for the car to get back to the pits to start thrashing to get a little more. He rode up to the starting line sitting on the fender with the hood open putting carburetors back together as they hand pushed it up to the line. He'd finish just as they got up there, closed the hood, and Strickler would click off another low 11 pass. Strickler, meanwhile, would sit in the back seat of one of their chaser cars and eat hamburgers...... When they ran against Hayden Profitt at Atco (same summer) , same scenario for Strickler and Jenkins, Profitt wouldn't even open the hood of his car, and sat up there on the hood chewing on a big cigar," b.s.ing with us and signing autographs. When he saw them almost up to the line, he slid down and said :"Excuse me, I have to go to work". He cranked it, went up to the line and blew the Chevy away. When he got back, right back on the hood and said "That was fun". Never touched the car under the hood. It was a big Mopar, 63, I think...
Here is a couple pictures of 2 Z11's a friend of mine was restoring about a year ago. Awesome cars and I was told that these two finished 1-2 at the 63 Winternationals.
Now that is some fine work on those restos. Dave --I will bring up another name from that time who was then based up your way-- "Akron" Arlen Vanke. I saw one of his MOPARs for sale on ebay the other day looking 7 figures. He use to race Sox and Dyno Don down here. He drove Plymouths also like Hayden Profit. He was tough to beat. He started with 413/426 wedge cars.
I'd like to know more about this car - please! If you have ANY info on it. I've been researching these cars for the past 8-9 years. Jim, The photos at the bottom of the link are of the "Good 'Ol Mr. Wilson" car. The man in the 427 shirt with his back turned is Larry Wilson. You are right about the car though... it was a big stroker used mainly for match racing. This is a different car than the S&M car. GSX-PKV, if you see him soon, say hi to Rich for me! Mark
Looks like Sox standing to the left of the guy with 427 on the back of his shirt? Maybe not. FYI-- I saw a Z 11 car for sale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway show a couple of years ago. It was backed up to the outer wall on the main stretch headed into turn #1. I have a friend that has some 8mm film from some Z11 cars racing in the 60s.
Hi Jim, Not him, although it does look like him. S&M were not at Pocono that day. That was a match race vs the Jake King T-bolt. King was not part of S&M at that time, but would be soon after. Mark
I think Sox and Martin built the stroker in that Wilson car. How many Z-11s still exist? Fifty some built?
Dave H-- Here is the Vanke car for sale. I would be beholding to you if you would purchase it for this old southern boy. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Plym...ewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item53debee166
Jim, I'm not sure who built the engine, or engines, for Larry Wilson without looking at my notes. Correct, 50 cars were built - not 57 or 59 or what other numbers pop up out there. I have no idea how many exist today. From the info I've gathered, I'd guess at around 20 or so. Mark
