I doesn't get any better than this.......... no need to highjack here. That seemed to take a little more than 10 seconds, and he seemed to be short shifting it.........That car would run around 12.0, but not with someone else on board with a camera..cameras were huge back then.That video run was more like 14.0, and was put together from numerous runs. Unless there were a coupla more camera men on board. :laugh: Seemed like he launched it at a little lower RPM and had a bad 60 footer. Also short shifted it, that sounded like maybe high 5000's RPM rather than the high 6000's. Wonder if that was filmed in the W30 car? Sounded more like it. Ramrods scream when you wind them up high. Yeah, yeah.......... I remember that car having seen it numerous times in the Engineering garage. It was one of the real Smothers brothers cars built and prepped by Hurst and the Olds Engineering garage. It was upgraded to 69 trim (front end, taillights, bumpers), I thought for the 1968 Indy Nationals. (1968 Springnationals?) This pic was obviously taken somewhere else. It's in one of the Dick Smothers/Linda Vaughn pictures from her book. It's the one where he's kneeling down, and has another real Smothers Brothers car behind him, think it's a 69 442 W30. Can't find that one in my files, will save it for a future highjack. You can tell this is the same car in that pic as it's the only 69 Cutlass W31 hardtop with vent windows. Only the "post" cars had vent windows after 1968.
I'm not certain, but it sounds to me like they are screaming, "I wish I were a big block!!" :laugh: You might be right that the filmed car is running a big block. Weren't the Smothers Brothers busted and disqualified at one race for trying to pass off a big block as a Ram Rod?
Don't think that was Dick Smothers Brothers, but one of the many ones all over the country that were part of the promo. Lots of dealer sponsored cars said Smothes Brothers Racing Team on it. Not sure exactly what that conveyed, but my guess was it had something to do with the back door at Lansing. Also not sure exactly which one it was, but Vance Brady was one of the IHRA tech guys there and noticed it immediately and threw them out. Real Smothers brothers/Hurst team wouldn't try that with him, they knew him too well....He told them they didn't need to cheat, just listen. The Super Stock and Stock Eliminator W31's were running almost as well and sometimes better than the big blocks. His own cars held the National records for many years.
Added several more road test videos over the last few days. 1969 Avanti II - supercharged 327 Chevy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPRYRTNWN9w 1974 Olds Omega 350-4bbl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8t9jlpq-TM 1969 Dodge Dart Swingers (auto & 4-speed) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSPmGDaRaJU 1969 Mustang Mach 1 428CJ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pnDnPSNAZo 1969 Ford Torino Cobra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEANOFBsC9U Those Darts are cool looking, and very fast, but they don't appear to go around corners too well. :shock: Mike
