Dyno Don's bubble top chevys with 409's
- Thread starter merc50
- Start date
You know I rode in that car at the Winter Nationals Of 62 and I believe the interior was a light blue. I can't be sure though, I suffer from sometimers, sometimes I forget. I know it was a white car and since I had known him for a couple of years we were talking and he said get in and take it up to the staging lanes. Of couse I never got it out of 2nd gear but we talked about the new 409 engine. If I had known he was going to become so famous I would have taken some pictures.
Roy
Roy
Wild Bill Burge
Member
Dyno's 1961 409 Chevy
I have a 8x10 colored picture of Don's 1961 white/red interior bubble top Impala on the return road at, I think, Indy's US Nationals. Has a hood scoop, yellow licence plate # VRA 109, OS/S 826 on passenger window along with Don's name and Vogue tires and Jardine headers. Car has white wall tires and crome reverse wheels. I bought the picture years ago from Gold Dust Classics, Ashland, Va. but doubt ole Skip Norman is still in business. Sorry, I don't know how to post pictures.
Wild Bill Burge
X-"The Living Legend" Z-11 owner
I have a 8x10 colored picture of Don's 1961 white/red interior bubble top Impala on the return road at, I think, Indy's US Nationals. Has a hood scoop, yellow licence plate # VRA 109, OS/S 826 on passenger window along with Don's name and Vogue tires and Jardine headers. Car has white wall tires and crome reverse wheels. I bought the picture years ago from Gold Dust Classics, Ashland, Va. but doubt ole Skip Norman is still in business. Sorry, I don't know how to post pictures.
Wild Bill Burge
X-"The Living Legend" Z-11 owner
Dyno Don
I remember seeing Dyno Don about 12 years ago.It was at a Mich Dragstrip and it was a match race between Dyno and Arnie (The Farmer) Beswick.Dyno had a 62 Chevy with a 409 with Alum Heads and Tunnel Ram ( Lamar Walden??) he beat the farmer 2 out of 3 races,I think they were running 8 sec in the 1/4 mile
I remember seeing Dyno Don about 12 years ago.It was at a Mich Dragstrip and it was a match race between Dyno and Arnie (The Farmer) Beswick.Dyno had a 62 Chevy with a 409 with Alum Heads and Tunnel Ram ( Lamar Walden??) he beat the farmer 2 out of 3 races,I think they were running 8 sec in the 1/4 mile
Wild Bill Burge
Member
Hell yes!
I wrote you on your site but Hell, yes it's my old Z-11. Probably taken at Quaker City Dragway in 1988. Were you there the weekend? Beat a '64 hemi as I remember and hauled the car from Columbus on an old ramp truck, just like back in the day! At the drivers meeting after the first day a guy with a 427 COPO Camaro stood up in front of 200 guys and complained about me leaving the starting line to soon???? Isn't that the deal?
I wrote a book about growing up in the 50's and 60's and in one chapter talked about drag racing a 1963 425 hp Impala at the tender age of 19! More freckin parts damage that parents could stand...not to mention the chicks that loved that kind of action. Send me your mailing address for a free copy of "Nutbusters and Beauty Queens" I knew you'd like the title.
The Living Legend
Wild Bill Burge
wrench said:
I wrote you on your site but Hell, yes it's my old Z-11. Probably taken at Quaker City Dragway in 1988. Were you there the weekend? Beat a '64 hemi as I remember and hauled the car from Columbus on an old ramp truck, just like back in the day! At the drivers meeting after the first day a guy with a 427 COPO Camaro stood up in front of 200 guys and complained about me leaving the starting line to soon???? Isn't that the deal?
I wrote a book about growing up in the 50's and 60's and in one chapter talked about drag racing a 1963 425 hp Impala at the tender age of 19! More freckin parts damage that parents could stand...not to mention the chicks that loved that kind of action. Send me your mailing address for a free copy of "Nutbusters and Beauty Queens" I knew you'd like the title.
The Living Legend
Wild Bill Burge
You know we love to talk about the old Racers but I wonder if any one would be as dedicated as them. They ate and slept cars 24 hours a day. I will tell you of my relationship with Don Nicholson and I don't think I could live the life. I first met him when I went to San Gaberial drag strip and he was tuning Jerry Jardines 58 315hp Impala. It was going 14:10's at 100mph. That was about 3 mph faster than the 57 270's and Paxton blown Fords. I asked Jerry what engine it was because I had seen a lot of 280hp 58's and they were slugs. He told me it was a new 315 hp. So I odered one in a Biscayne. When I got it I put some cutouts on it and took it to the drags. It went 94mph 14:80's. I went to several dyno places hoping to go faster got to 96 and 14.60. I then asked Don Nicholson what I had to do he said take the engine apart and bring him the heads and rotating assembly. He had a dyno shop at Service Chevrolet and a 3 car shop at his house, Eal Wade worked with him. I got to his house after work with the parts and he and Earl were working on heads and engines, his wife called him in to eat and they went in the house. Meanwhile people are driving up dropping off parts and wanting to pickup parts and this went on until 12 midnight. After I got the engine together I went to his house to let him see it and make an appointment to get it on the dyno. He said come to Service at 7:00 am. So you see not much sleep or family. My car put out 220hp to the rear wheels before and 255 after. I had Hedman headers on the car. My times went to 14:00 flat and 101mph and it did get in the 13's and a best of 102 at Pomona. Don got a divorce but remarried his wife and he traveled 11 months a year with the 409 cars. 
Roy
Roy