1969 …

There's a year or years in some one's life that is special or extra ordinary- the year you get married, the year your children are born, your first love, your first car. Other than the year I married and the birth years of my children.

1969 was the year for me - it was unbelievable!

I was 24 years old; my performance shop was building race cars. I built several national record holders; was involved with an Exhibition wheel stander – The Super Hemi Bug, funny cars (Tasca Ford, King and Marshall, Frank Federici).

I was campaigning a sports car in Region I and had two drag cars running the drag circuit on the east coast: a 1968 Mustang B stock & a 1969 Pontiac Firebird B stock automatic.

It was a fun year! A great year! The Apollo 11 astronauts — Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., take first walk on the Moon, Woodstock (two days in the mud), Indy 500 on the backup team for Mario Andretti, street racing during the week, track racing on the weekends!

The muscle car industry was at its peak: 427 in Mustangs, Hemis in Cudas, 454 in Corvettes. After 1969, the car industry took a downward slant with bigger bodies, smaller horsepower motors, and a lot of the emission junk!

All in all, 1969 was a great year for me! I hope everyone can look back and say they had a special year too!

Keep them Rolling! 
Bill Abatecola

Old Iron Videos - 1996 Chevrolet Corvette

Race cars, Movie Stars and Legends…

I consider myself lucky growing up in the great car era of the 50’s-60’s-70’s. I worked on some amazing cars in that era. Drag cars, sports cars, Indy cars and met some interesting people. Even some movie stars: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and a few others. Recently met movie star and producer, Patrick Curtis, a great guy.

I have competited with and met with some great racing legends, such as: Don Garlits, Tony Ivo, Shirley “ChaCha” Muldowney, Jim Liberman, Ronny Sox and Martin, Tasca Ford, Frank Federici, Jim King, Mario Andretti, Sir Jacky Stewart and countless others. Back in the ‘60’s’ we never took anything serious except for race day.

Every so often someone from way back then will call or send me an email we’ll talk or correspond and share stories about the “Good Ole Days.” We reminisce about the fun we had back then building and racing cars. 

Mr. Chevrolet contestants, left to right, standing: 

Dick Harrell, Kelly Chadwich, Bobby Wood, Bruce Larson, & Malcolm Durham.

Kneeling: 

Jim Maybeck, Frank Federici, Mike Burkhart, & Jim Liberman. 

Not pictured is Mel Perry, driver of Norwood Chevy.

A great friend recently sent me a photo of some racing legends we knew back then. Great guys!

Keep them Rolling!

Bill