1932 Ford 5 Window Coupe

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

WHEN RACING WAS FUN...

In 1961, I raced my first car, a 1949 Ford Coupe V 8 flathead.  I welded dumps on the exhaust pipes, an overflow cam, and a drive shaft strap. I drove it to the drag strip in Connecticut from East Providence, Rhode Island with a couple of my friends and referred to them as my "pit crew".

The ride to the race track was always an adventure. We would stop for breakfast at some little out of the way diner; flirt with the waitress, whose name was always "Flo". Brag how great we were as a driver or as a mechanic and how we were going to beat the competition that day; and, win a trophy!

When we got to the track everyone had a job to do. Put on the slicks, change the plugs, check tire pressure, check the water but there never seemed enough time to get them done, but they did.

We would hang out and check out the dragsters and gassers and hope someday we'd own and race one.

I always was competitive in my class. I would win or come in second. After the race, I would get my trophy, change the tires, close the dumps and start for home. The drive was always fun. We talked about the events of the day and whether it was good or bad. We'd stop at a restaurant, have a meal, flirt with the waitress "Flo", then head home.

It was a great time to race and have fun. Those times are long gone. Now it's all money, sponsors, big rigs, and corporations.

But...once in awhile I see some one at the local track with a low budget operation, with his wife and kids running around full of laughter and smiles. He is having a ball racing his car with his family and having the best time of his life!

Racing is still fun!
Keep them Rolling!
Bill

TO AUCTION OR NOT TO AUCTION!

       Last January, we went to Russo & Steel, Barrett-Jackson and a couple of other venues for their auctions. As we sat there and watched, I was amazed at the number of cars and quality of some of the vehicles that were being auctioned.

        After awhile, I realized that most of the bidders were looking for a GOOD deal.

        I brought my buyers guide price book and compared prices and noticed that 80% of the auctioned prices were under priced, 10% were spot on and 10% were off the chart. It only takes two buyers that want the same car to run the price out of sight. We noticed this several times at different venues.

        I’ve come to the realization that a vehicle is worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

        If you have a vehicle and you bring it to auction with no reserve be prepared to lose money. But if you have a reserve, it might not sell and you still have the vehicle. And you paid all the fees and other costs to try to sell it at auction.

        I would first try to sell a vehicle on my own or list it online and hope for the best.

Keep Them Rolling!

Bill

MUSCLE CARS!

When did the muscle car era start? Well some say 1964. I say it started in 1957. That is when cars were equipped with BIG engines, fuel injection, multi carburetors and superchargers.

        Examples like:

1957 Corvette 283 FI

1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk with supercharger

1957 Chrysler Hemi with dual carbs

1957 Oldsmobile J2

1957 Ford Thunderbird with supercharger

And the list goes on…

        In the mid 1960’s is when they put BIG 380 plus cubic inch motors into intermediate bodies, could be called the second generation of muscle cars with the 442, GTO, Road Runner, Charger, Chevelle.

        Later they started to put even BIGGER engines into smaller bodies like the Mustang, Camero and Cudas.

        They were stuffing 427-455-426 Hemi's into light weight cars.

This was the height of the Muscle Car Era 1967-1972.

        In the mid 1970’s it call came to an end with restrictions that were put in place by emissions standards and government regulations.

        So ended a great or in my opnion the greatest time in automotive history.

        Now almost 50 years later these cars are revered and sought after by car buffs all over the world. Some of the cars that were built in 1957 have reached that lofty status – “a true MUSCLE CAR”!

Keep Them Rolling!

Bill