Motosport heroes/gearheads
- Thread starter Augiedoggie
- Start date
I once heard a legend/rumor that before Shelby allowed Chrysler to put hin name on the turbo Daytona and Charger, that they had to let bim also build a grocery getter hatchback sleeper, so he built a bunch of Omni GLH econoboxes. They didn't have flashy stripes or fake air scoops, only a little GLH on the rocker panel. They had the same drivetrain as the flashy ones, and performance was really close.
Shelby chuckled and said GLH means "Goes like Hell".
Shelby chuckled and said GLH means "Goes like Hell".
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Maybe not strictly a gearhead, but this guy was in the planning room when a lot of decisions were made. For those who are not familiar with his history of achievements and changes to the automotive world, may I present, Lee Iacocca?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Iacocca
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Iacocca
Here's one for you non Chevy fans. This guy was there in the beginning of small block Chevy performance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zora_Arkus-Duntov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zora_Arkus-Duntov
Keith Black, The man for Nitro Hemi blocks;
https://fuelcurve.com/black-magic-keith-black/
Ed Pink has to be mentioned as well.
Here is a cool article about him later in life;
https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-t...ock-inside-the-last-ed-pink-engine-ever-made/
https://fuelcurve.com/black-magic-keith-black/
Ed Pink has to be mentioned as well.
Here is a cool article about him later in life;
https://www.enginelabs.com/engine-t...ock-inside-the-last-ed-pink-engine-ever-made/
Funny you mention those little 4 cylinder cars. Some of us old school gearheads hate the little fart bomb cars with big turbos and such. I tuned and worked on many performance street cars and race cars over many many years of wrenching. I had use of my granddaughters Audi A3 turbo for a short time while my truck was in body shop. Little 4 cylinder turbo car was plenty spunky. I don't drive anything too hard anymore, but the little stock Audi was fairly quick. I can see why modern drivers would enjoy them. Little Audi was probably 200 or so horsepower I reckon, but it had some giddyup to it and was fairly economical to drive. Can't say that about our old carbureted big block cars.
I knew a guy in the late nineties who drove a tractor trailer for Jack Roush, hauling a Mark Martin car.
Jack Roush is certainly worthy to be in this topic.
In the back of the truck, there was an unused short track engine from the prior season that for some reason could not be used this season, so we put it in my friend's Mustang GT with the side exit, short track NASCAR exhaust and all. He drove it on the street until he got so many tickets for the loud exhaust that he just drag raced it. I rode in it one time after we got it going. Scared the devil out of me.
Jack Roush is certainly worthy to be in this topic.
In the back of the truck, there was an unused short track engine from the prior season that for some reason could not be used this season, so we put it in my friend's Mustang GT with the side exit, short track NASCAR exhaust and all. He drove it on the street until he got so many tickets for the loud exhaust that he just drag raced it. I rode in it one time after we got it going. Scared the devil out of me.
I was hoping no one would mention him. Did a study on him in a college class about ethics. Turns out when Ford built the fire bomb on wheels Pinto, they recognized the problem they had with the gas tanks rupturing is a rear-ender. Iacoca was with Ford at the time and was instrumental in keeping the car as is. His logic was that it would be cheaper to just payout settlements to burn victums than to retool to correct the problem. I was afan of his until I found this out. Corporate greed versus Human life is where he was coming from. Actually the early Mustangs had the same problem. The top of the gas tank was also the bottom of the trunk.
I was standing by the fence screaming there and several other times when RC ate James Stewart's lunch. I liked Stewart's raw talent but loved Carmichael's grit and bravery. Carmichael rightly deserves the moniker G.O.A.T. the guy is an animal. Met him and Tim Ferry way back when they were riding 80s. Both riders were blazing fast. Also found both Carmichael and Ferry were fine young gentleman as boys. Both a credit to their parents.