ClassicCar

I had a friend named Phil in high school that cut up a 48 Ford, shortened the frame and fabricated a second transmission behind the original trans. Ended up with a frame, suspension, seat, steering wheel and firewall to make a dune buggy. In both 1st gears it could almost climb a tree.



He could make anything go fast. He built a 52 or 53 Mercury with a S.C.O.T.T. blown flathead engine.



On one of our trips to Zuma Breach, he decided traffic was too slow on the Ventura Freeway. Back then the Ventura Freeway had a chain link fense dividing the East and West lanes with a strip of asphalt between the fense and the fast lane just wide enough for emergency parking. Phil pulled onto that narrow strip of asphalt and proceeded to pass every car at 120 mph +. I was in the back seat by the left window inches away from the chain link fense. Needless to say I closed my eyes. That was scarry. Fortunately we arrived unharmed.



On another occation Phil and I had a drag race. I don't recall how the challenge was made but it was to be 2 blocks long, aboiut 600 feet. I had an original 1935 Chevy coupe 6 cylinder at the time. Phil had to start and stay in 3rd gear all the time with that blown mercury, and we both start from a dead stop. I had the advantage from a stop. I could use all gears and would have won. In my rear view mirror I could see the head lights on his car change height as he dropped the trans into a lower gear. He flew by me like I was standing still.



Those were some fun and scarry times in our carefree and sometimes reckless young lives.



Just some rememberances. Lee