Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Bonneville General Chat => Topic started by: Stan Back on March 12, 2024, 03:26:54 PM
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Phil Stevenson built this Wagon for speed! His wife had rolled the speedometer into the 6-digit numbers so he decided to go racing with it. In went a 390" Cadillac with automatic trans. and out to El Mirage went the wagon from Rialto, California -- he drove it out. If I remember correctly, he dropped off the mufflers and ran in the 120s.
Then he decided to give Bonneville a try. He was at a swap meet and eye-balled just what he wanted -- a 6-pot Cadillac manifold. The guy thought it was for a Chrysler and wanted $60 for it, but Phil convinced him that he was the only one in California that might want it, so he finally gave him $25 for it.
I threw in four 97s and a few months later we headed for Bonneville -- Phil driving the wagon. He'd found a pair of 18-inch Halibrands and each had a tire, too! One was an old Indy tire and the other was a Bonneville tire -- each with cords showing thru but stamped good for "175 MPH". (Those days were hard to find 18s.)
If I remember right (?!), he ran in B/Gas Coupe (including Sedans and Wagons) and he knew he wanted the experience. Well, he mounted the tires on the wagon and it did run in the 140s. He earned the annual trophy for fastest car driven there. (In the following years, some competitors drove in -- you know -- from Wendover or Bend in the Road and I guess that yearly trophy just went away.)
Years later I ended up with the Halibrands and put them on my 28 Mercury Torpedo Salon -- but that's another story.
(Now if Stainless will post a picture for me, you guys can take a look.)
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Are you smoking that Cal. loco weed? 2072?
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I knew it was something with a '72 in it . . .
I shudda remembered better. I hadda take the Greyhound outta the Stateline to SLC to San Bernardino early as I was informed that my son John was on his way to be born. He showed up 10 weeks later.
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Stan you MUST have figured the pic thing out... Sorry I'm in AU and was away from the computer. The one you sent me fit
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I remember that car. At the time I was still awed by the entrants. We hung with the low budget guys, too humble to approach the fast ones.