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Re: flatheads & GMC's

To: "Finishline Coatings" <lona@finishlinecoatings.com>, <ARDENDOUG@aol.com>
Subject: Re: flatheads & GMC's
From: "David Haller" <dhaller@techline.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 20:11:18 -0700
Well said Russ,
Dave Haller #93
----- Original Message -----
From: "Finishline Coatings" <lona@finishlinecoatings.com>
To: <ARDENDOUG@aol.com>
Cc: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2000 1:06 PM
Subject: flatheads & GMC's


> Well Doug, I went back over my e-mail several times to see what I had
> said that warranted the put-down from you.  I expected to get the kind
> of answers that I did from Mike in LA and Dick J., but not a put-down.
> Sorry if I offended you, I won't let it happen again as I learned a long
> time ago that if I'm going to be offensive to someone and be frustrated
> in the process, that it's best that I don't become involved with
> them...so I'll be gone.
> But let me share with you a couple of things before I go.
> Fifty years ago when I got my first car in 1951, it was a 48 chev, 6
> cyl.  I have had a love affair with sixes ever since.  I lived in a town
> that had 10 flat motor powered hot rods for every six cyl. Even the
> local
> car club was dominated by flat head powered cars.  The name of the club
> was the "Head Hunters"! The club plaque was in the shape of a finned
> Ford flathead.  Needless to say, I took a lot of ribbing being the only
> 6 cyl. guy in town, far from the fastest but definitely the loudest!
> (With split manifold and straight pipes) Well, to this day that good
> natured rivalry still exists. The guys I run with still tease me about
> having only 3/4 of a v-8 and I tease them right back about it taking
> them 8 pistons to do the job of 6 and all the other clichés that go
> along with racing.  Since 1964, I've followed the flat motors and sixes
> at B-ville. Having friends that were running on the salt since sixty, I
> finally started building my car in 1967.  It's been a long journey,
> every single piece of this car I built with my own two hands-except for
> the front wheels,tires, engine block & head and 3rd member and some
> other parts-like the fire bottles, etc.  This doesn't make the car any
> better than yours, or anyone else's. It's what I chose to do.  I even
> ran it on the drag strip for several years before getting it done enough
> to run on the salt.  Finally made it to B-ville in 9/98.  First pass at
> 116 mph. Four passes later, we managed to go 125. I was in heaven!! The
> times didn't really matter.  After 32 years of working on the car, I
> finally got there.  That same year, I got to go to El Mirage in
> November.  Three runs later, we got it up to 138 mph. Finally felt like
> I was learning how to make the injection work.  Got to go to Muroc last
> year and got it to 150 for 4 passes.  Went to B-ville last year and the
> best was 138.  Then I managed to make it run slower every pass!!..that's
> life. But if you re-read my e-mail, you will find that this is what I
> said... "It does not matter how fast I go, it's about having fun with
> people that enjoy the same thing that I enjoy."
> Last year, my son, Cedric, drove the car and this year my daughter wants
> to drive and try to get Ced's record.  The neat thing to me is that my
> kids are getting to enjoy this too.
> Maybe you just didn't understand what I was saying. I don't know..but it
> won't happen again cause I'm gone.
> I wish you the best of luck in your racing, Doug, and to all those going
> to Muroc - drive safely but have fun and go fast.
> RM
>


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