When you were in high school what was the fastest car in the parking lot?

[Lebowski]

I was in the class of '70 and a classmate had a '69 Camaro with a 3/4 race cam, headers, and a few other things. He wasn't afraid to do a few burnouts in the parking lot on a regular basis either which was cool. What was unusual was that I attended an all boys Catholic high school (Carmel HS in Mundelein, IL) so there were no auto shop classes, no welding classes, etc. so he did all the work on it himself at home....

[Matt Harwood]

My mom's 1987 Mustang GT convertible. First one in the area, and I felt like a god when I was lucky enough to get to drive it to school. Completely invincible on the street at the time--nothing else could touch it, not even my buddy's 1970 Pontiac LeMans convertible with a built small block under the hood.

Of course, I don't dare tell her what a stupid, foolish, ill-adivsed, crazy idea it was for her to hand the keys to that particular car to a goofy 17-year-old kid who believed he was being responsible by only going 100 MPH once a day! I shudder to think how stupid I was and what could have gone wrong so many times. Heck, I can recall getting all four wheels off the ground going over a rise in a favorite road at ludicrous speed.

But yeah, that car was a party.

On a related note, my father went to high school with Roger Penske. He said there was never any doubt who had the baddest, fastest, nastiest car around...

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Two cars come to mind. Unfortunately neither was mine. One was a '32 Ford five window coupe with a much modified Olds 371 sporting an offy log manifold setup with six Stromberg 97 carbs running through a LaSalle Transmission. I don't think anyone ever knew how fast that car would go. You just knew it was pointless to take it on in a drag. Then there was my friend whose parents were Ford Dealers that showed up in May of 1959 with a brand new '60 model Starliner 2dr hardtop with with a drive train built by stock car racer Bill Strope. Lincoln 430 engine with dual quad Holley's running through a 4 speed tranny and a Hurst Quick Change rear end. Was a passenger in that one once when it hit 165 mph (the speedometer was calibrated to 200 mph).

[R W Burgess]

1964, young fellow's family bought him a '64 Impala, 300hp 327 with a 4-speed. He raced and beat pretty much everything around our backwoods town. Of course the family found out and immediately traded that burgandy '64 for a dark blue '64 Impala. Engine? Oh! It was a 250hp small block with a powerglide.:eek:

Wayne

[keiser31]

In 1969 there were two brothers in our high school in Royal Oak, Michigan that each had a 1964 GTO hardtop (or coupe). One was gold. The other was red. They were the ones to beat. There was another guy who had a 1964 Sport Fury with a max-wedge 426. He may have beaten the two GTOs. I was driving my 1931 Dodge and it could not outrun anything.

Edited November 20, 2011 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Jack Kromwhitters '55 Chevy, or Jack Nalley's '32 3Window Ford, that was in 1968.

[Guest ken bogren]

Wait a minute here....

ALL you people went to high school?

(I guess I shudda payed attention in pre-school!)

[TexRiv_63]

I graduated high school in 1966. I occasionally drove my mom's 55 Ford 272 Automatic so most everything I saw was much faster. I mostly remember the newer full size cars - a 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix, a 65 Plymouth Sport Fury, a 63 Chevy Impala SS convertible. I really got into cars that last year but did not start working on them until after graduation - still haven't stopped.

[The Old Guy]

I graduated in 1951 and of the cars owned by the students ,my 37 Buick century was if not the fastes, the closest thing . I had 1941 dual carbs and duel exhaust on it ,and used to frustrate the Ford guys.

We usually did not race 1/4 mile. My Dad ran a gas station on the outskirts of town, and we would race from the first street out of town to the Juvenile home which was about 3/4 mile .

I admit that in the 1/4 I might have been beaten, but the Buick was tough to catch from 80 up

[dbirchmire]

I was in the class of " 72 " and my 1965 Mustang six banger fastback was no match for Edgar Davis 1970 Chevelle L78 4-speed hotrod. Fastest car in Pennsville NJ at the time. Great times to remember !!!

[Dave@Moon]

1976: Mike (I don't recall his last name, there were almost 2500 kids at my high school) had a 427 in a rough '68 Camaro that would lunch anybody, until it lunched it's own rear end gear.

[Guest Skyking]

I graduated in '65 but always remember Billy Williams' 1964 GTO with tri-power he bought new. This guy was the craziest one in high school. He literately went through the two rear tires in less than one week. All you saw out the window of school was blueish white smoke and then Billy............

No match for my '64 Chevelle.

[John_Maine]

High school was a long time ago - about the only one I remember was a friend of mine who's parents gave him their '64 Galaxie 500 XL, 390, 4 speed when they bought a new '68 XL fastback, also a 390, 4 speed. Most of the kids I knew had rather mundance vehicles like a '64 Malibu wagon, '65 Galaxie hardtop with a 240 I-6 and a '62 Bel Air wagon, 6 cyl, powerglide. I didn't have a car until I got to college but I did occasionally get to take my parents '66 Impala sport sedan to school.

[MCHinson]

This is cheating a little bit. I did not drive this car to school, but I did drive it occasionally.

On the day in 1975 that I was scheduled to go to the Driver's License Office to get my learner's permit, my mother's car would not start. My brother was the family mechanic. Instead of fixing my mother's station wagon that day, he just told my mother to "Take my car. I'll fix your car after a while."

At the time, my brother was driving a 1967 Chevelle Super Sport 396. It was not exactly stock. It had a nice rumble whenever you started it up. The main thing that I remember about the car was that if you put it in drive, you did not need to put your foot on the accelerator if you were in town. At idle, the car drove down the street at 35 mph. If you wanted to go any slower than 35, you had to put your foot on the brake.

I always smile when I think about the poor license examiner hearing me start that beast up in the parking lot after he gave me a learner's permit allowing me on the road.

If I had driven that car to school, I don't think anything else would have been anywhere near as fast as it was.

[real61ss]

It was 1962 and the baddest car in the county was a black '61 Ford Starliner, 390/375 hipo/3 speed o/d. It's the reason I own the one I have today.

[Guest steve283]

3 cars were faster then my 1966GTO,a 71 roadrunner,a 72 RT,and a torino cobra jet.cobra jet was the only stock one that beat me.

[Guest dokks6t9]

My buddy's 1968 427 corvette, tri-power, 4-speed. Brans new car, yellow, white convertible top, chrome side pipes. Also the fastest car I've ever been in.... He still has it!

[auburnseeker]

Well my graduating class only had 6 kids. 2 girls that didn't drive. 1 boy that didn't drive and the other 3 boys including myslef. One had a 1970's pinto, the other a 1980's Honda Civic? The really small hatchback job and I either drove my 56 olds hardtop or on occassion my dad's 1979 305 camaro when he needed my truck. Hard to say who's car was the fastest. I don't think any Juniors had cars. It wasn't a big town for cruising and I was the only real gearhead into cars.

[Guest Dick Whittington]

My '58 Plymouth with the built 350" Fury engine until I got my '61 Corvette. Barely, before the GTO's came out. Been outta school 47 years now

[Guest Bob Call]

I graduated high school in 1959 and we lived in a blue collar neighborhood and most of the guys and gals that had cars didn't have fast late models. Most had 30's and 40's Fords and Chevys, a Model T touring, a couple of Model A's, several Mustang and Cushman Eagle motor scooters, a few Triumphs and BSA's. But there were a handfull of students from the more affluent section of town that had late models. One friend had a 55 Chevy BelAir convertible with the "power pack" engine. When the 57 models came out he traded it in on a new 57 Olds Super 88 Holiday Coupe with the J2 engine. Fastest car in the lot until Darrell moved in from Salt Lake City with his lowered Hawaiian Bronze 56 BelAir 4 door sport sedan (hardtop) with a 57 283 engine bored to 302, Isky cam kit, dual 4 barrels, Hedman headers, and everything else that was hot in 1957. This car ruled the streets and local drag strip until 1959 when the local Chrysler dealer put a 58 Chrysler 392 into a 56 Thunderbird. The hotest girl with the coolest car at school drove a 57 Thunderbird. Her father owned a used car lot so she always had a cool car.

Edited November 21, 2011 by Bob Call (see edit history)

[caddyshack]

We had around 650 kids in my '64 class, and if 10% of them had cars, they were the lucky ones. I belonged in the other 90%, so everything was faster than what I had. A red 63 SW Stingray sticks out in my mind as being not only the fastest, but the best looking. There was also a stock '57 fuel injected 283 that was pretty quick. Thanks for creating some long lost memories.

[Paul Dobbin]

Freshman year (1959) at Princeton (NJ) High School the coolest and rumored fastest was a 32 Ford Pickup, full bodied channeled, with a big V8. They said it was fastest until two kids father bought them a 60 Bonneville Conv, with Tri-Power and standard shift. I would love either one today.

[Guest]

This sounds like a trick question. Let me explain. I got my first ticket street racing a friends 1966 Dodge charger 426" Hemi 4speed in 1967. I beat this car by 2 1/2 car lengths with my 1959 Pontiac Catalina 389" 4 speed hydramatic that ran consistent 13.91 @ 101-102 mph in F stock automatic. If the Hemi could have got traction, was tuned properly, was driven properly the story would have been much different. So the fastest car in the parking isn't necessarily the fastest car.

Peoples cars I remember from H.S. besides the two above-just guys in my H.S.. 1967 GTO, 1964 max Wedge 426 Plymouth, 1964 426 Dodge Polara. 1966 Ford Cobra Mustang, 1968 Ford Cobra 500 Mustang, 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie 427 2X4 tunnel port 4sp. 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 289" Paxton Supercharged ( I almost lost that race ), Early production ( 1968 ) 1969 Z28, 1966 427 Chevy Biscayne, 1953 Studebaker commander Starliner/ with a 347" 1957 Pontiac tri-power, 1959 Impala 348 tri-power-same guy 1955 Chevy 302, 1940 Ford deluxe/ with a 400" Pontiac & T-400, 1962 Jaguar XKE / with a 4.2 & 3 SU's, 1962 421" Pontiac Grand Prix 4speed, 1940 Willys / with a 394" Olds B&M Hydro 4sp.

And my other car that I bought new in Dec 1968,a 1969 Pontiac LeMans 355" 330hp T-400 that I still have today

http://www.pismoderelicts.com/photogallery/new%20format%20937/images/p1020752.jpg

http://www.pismoderelicts.com/photogallery/new%20format%20937/images/p1020753.jpg

Those are the cars I remember from H.S.-I'm sure I've missed a few and I could name twice as many from guys from other H.S.'s that I knew and not to mention all the guys 15-20 years older and beyond that we all saw on Friday-Saturday nights or at the drag strip.

Back then Los Angeles County was alive and smoking!

Don

Edited November 21, 2011 by helfen (see edit history)

[Neil G]

Nobody beat my 55 Chev, 427 rat, m-22, 4:11, dad made me sell it after the 5th ticket

[Restorer32]

Well, I can guarantee you that the fastest car in our school WAS NOT my 1960 Corvair 4 door automatic with the faded blue paint and the PepBoys seat covers.

[Guest dokks6t9]

Well, I can guarantee you that the fastest car in our school WAS NOT my 1960 Corvair 4 door automatic with the faded blue paint and the PepBoys seat covers.

Ha!! Both my sister and myself learned to drive and took our drivers test in a 1964 British racing green 4-door corvair, auto, tan interior. Nice little car.

[mastertech]

there where two when i was in school my 65 mustang 289 hi performance and a buddy of mine 1965 mustang 289 hi performance fastback. Both where the same both winter blue with white interior his was the fastback and mine was the cp.

[DAVE A]

Early high school it was Bob Witmer's Shelby GT 500. His brother Bill and I played baseball on the same team and we were late for a game one day and he took us there. We were over 125 mph and the trip several times.

Later in senior high it was likely Dennis Shirk's 67 Camaro 427 with race cam setup. A real fast but very light car.

College was Tony, (CRS...can't remember his last name) with his Plum Crazy Dodge Challenger. It was a hemi car that he could punch at 80 MPH and it will still snap you back in the seat!!!

And as was said earlier.....it was NOT my 65 Corvair Monza although I did get a ticket in it on I 176 for 90 in a 65. Was racing a Datsun 240 Z and winning....he didn't get pulled over. Probably pulled me because I was "unsafe at any speed".

Edited November 21, 2011 by DAVE A (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

It's tough getting a date when you drive a 1960 Corvair 4 door automatic with faded blue paint and torn PepBoys seat covers let me tell you. Not exactly a chick magnet. I envied the guys with the '56 Chevies.

[R W Burgess]

................................ Probably pulled me because I was "unsafe at any speed".[/QUOTE]

Hey Dave, you and Restorer are brave men to even admit that!!!

[R W Burgess]

................................ Probably pulled me because I was "unsafe at any speed".[/QUOTE]

Hey Dave, you and Restorer are brave men to even admit that!!!

Hey, You should admit too that those Corvairs could be unsafe late at night parked.....well, you get the drift.

[Uncle_Buck]

If I had payed as much attention to my school work as I did to the cars in the parking lot .....

Anyway, as I sat on the seat of My Honda Super 90 in the schools motorcycle parking area adjacent to the student car parking lot in the spring of my senior year, 1967, I could see, hear and smell these most memorable cars of my youth:

• A 1962 Dodge Dart with a 413 cross-ram backed up by a 4 spd. in arrest me red. This car with its solid lifters and headers sounded oh-so good...
  
• A 1966 Chevelle SS-396 4spd. in that bronze/orange finish with matching interior bought new by a junior who paid for it working at a grocery store. One of my all-time favorites.
  
• A 1966 Ford 7-Litre convertible - bought and paid for by mommy...
  
• A 1966 Dodge Charger with a hemi - 4spd. Driven by the son of a NASCAR program linch-pin.
  
• a 1960 plain-jane Falcon in primer with a 289 HIPO 4 spd. that began life as at 271HP in place of the original 6 banger. Fast.
  
• A 1955 Chevy 2 door sedan, heavily modified to go 1/4 mile at a time. It had a roll bar, cheater slicks, traction bars, powered by a 327, solid-lifter well beefed up beast of an engine that would rattle the windows that faced the parking lot. It would pick up the front wheels no sweat. If I remember right, 2 driveshafts were broken when after the 3PM bell the Chevy did burnouts just off school property.
  

It would have been a great 'field trip' to take all of the cars and run them off to determine the new 'class president'....

[West Peterson]

In 1969 there were two brothers in our high school in Royal Oak, Michigan that each had a 1964 GTO hardtop (or coupe). One was gold. The other was red. They were the ones to beat. There was another guy who had a 1964 Sport Fury with a max-wedge 426. He may have beaten the two GTOs. I was driving my 1931 Dodge and it could not outrun anything.

My brother-in-law, who lived one block off Woodward & Thirteen during the 1960s early '70s while in high school, said that the fastest car that he was aware of was a Dodge Dart ('68-69??) with the 340 Six Pack.

[jeff]

My H.S. experience dates from the late 70's. I recall a few Novas, Camaros, Mustangs - they would all rev at the speed bumps, then dump the clutch (or release the brakes on the automatics) and burn rubber.

The sweetest car by far (rare, even at that time & in beautiful condition) was a mid-sixties Mopar. It was a GTS (if memory serves me) - the one with the really slim C-pillar. (maybe GTX??)

The point is, this guy never participated in the burn outs - he and his dad had done the paint and mechanical work themselves. The car wasn't just handed to him, unlike so many others in that town.

Jeff

[DAVE A]

Wayne;

I am not sure I understand what you are saying, but a freind of mine who had a similar Corvair was out parking with his girl one night and things got rather heated. They were in the back seat and somewhat engaged when a police officer came up shined a flashlight in the window and said "hey buddy .....I'm next". My freind turned to the side and said "OK but I never XXXXXX a cop before"!!! Needless to say he was hauled into the local police station and his parents called. (as were hers) I still see his father from time to time and the first thing he says is "OK but I never......." By the way...he married that girl!!!

[Guest willeys41]

My brother drove a 67 Dodge Cornet R/T w/a 426 Hemi 4speed,Was the fastest in town.That was in 1966.Wish he keep that car.Blew it up 3 time racing.He missed a shift one time and the rod came up threw the valve cover.Dodge Put a new engine in twice and mage him fix it the 3 th time

[skyler]

i had a 1950 dodge. no fast car there. we did have a 64 gto , a 55 nomad, and a few 57 chevies. the gto was fastest. there was a 66 roadrunner, but he would not race it, only could afford to buy it new that year. my dodge was a hand me down and all i could afford, but i was happy to have a car. skyler

[keiser31]

i had a 1950 dodge. no fast car there. we did have a 64 gto , a 55 nomad, and a few 57 chevies. the gto was fastest. there was a 66 roadrunner, but he would not race it, only could afford to buy it new that year. my dodge was a hand me down and all i could afford, but i was happy to have a car. skyler

No such thing as a '66 Roadrunner. They came out in 1967 as 1968 models.

[rocketraider]

My 66 442 was quick, but it didn't have anything for Tony Thomas' 68 Torino SCJ. The Torino and my buddy Tommy's 71 GS Stage I were probably the overall hottest cars in the high school parking lot. Tony drag raced his a lot and knew how to drive, plus he was a decent guy.

Boy named Charles Green had a sleeper 60 Ford 2-door sedan that could fool people too. 390/4-speed with pretty deep rear gears.

The nemesis of Halifax County High School was a big red-haired girl whose brother had built her a stout 73 Nova. Big Red liked to race but she couldn't stand to lose. If you beat her, she'd hunt you down for a rematch till she won. All of us used to hate to see that blue Nova coming up in our mirrors.

[keiser31]

Rocketraider reminded me of another car in my high school. It was a 1969 Nova with a 396 that would lay smoke down for a half block. That was one fast little car.