At the risk of being shunned... - Page 2

Unmrkd · #11 10-01-2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImEvil1

So, if someone here wants to take a chance on the track with their SSP, to each their own. Gregg H. did that once and I'm sure still regrets what happened to his FHP car.
:

I highly recommend NOT swapping directions and backing into the opposite lane's concrete wall at 80 MPH +!!! My right shoulder reminds me every day.

Andy · #12 10-01-2009, 11:00 PM

Listen Mister
I've seen your kind around here before
Wheelie Hoppers
Tire Spinners
ET Cutters
Tire Smoker Wheel Hoppers
Gear Slapping Hop-up ers
You Name it and i've seen it All
your times are good but your
never satisfied just one more second
off your ET and you will Quit.
But you never will
it's always next time ...Just one more
until one day you wake up in Delaware and
oh wait......you live in Delaware
Never mind.

Texaspony87 · #13 10-02-2009, 12:05 AM

I need an aspirin and some nitro........ Jiiiiiiiim!

SparkSVT · #14 10-02-2009, 08:44 AM

Mike I never heard about Greg H's mishap. What happened and did the car survive?

MOstang · #15 10-02-2009, 09:47 AM

Although I used to own FHP 1164 with its 347 Stoker I'm personally not into the quarter mile racing thing, but I have been known to enjoy watching the Pass Time show on the SPEED channel from time to time. Equally I'm not into the shunning sort of thing with people either.

For me preservation is the key driver with my SSP's just as Mike mentioned above. Doing anything to risk that is just too great a risk and something I'm not willing to do. I didn't know about Gregg's mishap so that only reinforces why for me that's not the way to go.

NoDrama43 · #16 10-02-2009, 10:53 AM

DISCLAIMER.......Being the type of person that speaks his mind I gave this thread the 24 hour rule (x3). I see some very positive in this thread and also some negative.

First off I believe that spending time with our kids is THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY WE AS PARENTS CAN DO !!!! So I think it is great that the boys were included at the track. I am sure it was a perfect time and probably one the boys will remember. I would also be willing to bet that when the boys get older they will want their own mustang to drive. IMO this type of activity sure the hell beats sitting on the couch playing dungeons and dragons etc. Hats off to Bill for including them !!

I also understand that not everybody has trailer queens that they baby and keep covered as some of our members drive them and enjoy them which is great. In a perfect world all us would have a big garage, with "extra" mustangs to exercise at the track, but that just isn't the case. In the big picture your car is yours to do what you want. While everyone recognises this, I believe the majority here would rather our members give these old cars a quality "after duty" life and not work them to hard. I am not saying they shouldn't be driven agressively from time to time, but I disagree with someone that mods and thrashes an SSP. I don't believe that is what was done here though. In reading the original post though it sounds as if the car was NOT thrashed off the line and NOT redlined / speed shifted.

I know I would hate to blow up an original drivetrain car or total one like Gregg did. I have some of the parts off that car and have had several conversations with Gregg about the incident, plus seen all the pictures. The car was destroyed and the last time I saw the car it was sitting in the weeds in a junkyard in central Georgia. A sad ending for a great old car. I am also pretty sure that Gregg will NEVER take his Missouri, or South Carolina cars to the drag strip. It was a just one pass, just to see what she would run like, and it happened. Thankfully Gregg survived it.

All this said I would add that my focus on these cars is saving them and restoring them. For me personaly I would rather read about the guy that found one being raced, bought it and took off all the mods and put the car back orginal.

As for "shunning" members I believe that it is ok to disagree from time to time. If it becomes obvious that someone is trying to stir discontent, or purposely engaging in some sort of negative rhetoric to inflame and incite members here, then the mods step in and do what needs to be done. Here recently things have been fairly quiet. I think that is a testament to the changes made over the past 6 months.

Lastly I will say that I hope these types of threads are kept to a minimum based on the purpose and focus of this website in it's entirety. My blood pressure gets elevated when I log on and read about drag racing ssp cars. It reminds me of other web sites where they openly post about "beating on" the cars, and members are allowed to post up videos of SSP cars doing donuts on public streets (with e-lights flashing), or engaging in fake pursuits in parking lots etc.

as always I want to thank everyone for their positive contributions here. I hope I havn't offended anyone with my post.

Long Live the UASSP.

E435300_SMPV · #17 10-02-2009, 12:33 PM

I don't think this is a negative thread by no means. Sharing some great times with your car is good memories. A once and a while time at the track is by no means beating or thrashing a car. Now, sideshows, donuts, rubber coating the fender wells, lack of maintenance or just not respecting the car was a SSP is more of something to shun. Bottom line everyone needs to respect the other persons level of restoration and preservation of these SSP cars. For the ones who have completely restored there car and just keep it as a trophy, i give kudos to you. I have been there and know how much time, money and work it is to do such a project. But taking the car to another level and bench testing it takes that pride of owning the car to another level.

28HopUp · #18 10-02-2009, 02:15 PM

Mike & Jim,

I think you both know me well enough to understand that I wasn't trying to stir the pot or looking to cause discontent among the membership. The story of my trip to the track does touch on the family aspect of taking my SSP out and enjoying it together, and that is an important aspect of the story that I wanted to get across.

I am saddened to hear about the demise of Greg's FHP. Crashes are scary, and I'm glad to hear that he didn't suffer any serious injuries from the incident.

My story can also be viewed as a survivor story, as it relates to my SSP. I bought it from a gentleman who didn't care who he sold it to - he just wanted the car gone so he could use the funds to pay for the new interior of his 56 Chevy. Had he sold it to the guy before me, this car would have permanently disappeared from the landscape within 1 year I'm sure.

Even though my intention was to build a weekend racer outa it, YOU GUYS changed my thoughts about the car. Rather than spend my time and money on speed parts, I decided that the car was worth returning to a version of its former glory while in-service. It now is an extra daily driver with authentic CHP parts (unmarked) that maintains the SSP aesthetic and honors its history as such - it's a rolling tribute to all police officers in general, and CHP officers in particular.

But my CHP Mustang has not been brought back to life to be a trailer queen. I had a show car once and never fully enjoyed the car in its restored form because of fear that it would be scratched/damaged. What a shame to restore a factory 390/4spd '67 Mustang convertible that you're arfaid to drive.

So here I am amoung a group of SSP enthusiasts whom I respect, as I too want to preserve my car while enjoying it on the road. Frankly, I am more scared to drive the car around on the streets than I am about putting it into a wall at the track. Have you seen how people drive??? Two weeks ago I nearly broadsided a sedan that turned in front of me and stopped as I entered the intersection at about 45mph. No airbags and no ABS in my 85 either. Somehow God helped me steer around the car (BTW, the other driver didn't stop after I pulled to the shoulder). Even yesterday, I had 3 drivers dart in front of me during the course of an hour. Is my car invisible? I know SSP's are small, but hello! - I'm driving an old cop car.

So the question comes - Can you preserve an SSP and still drive it? I like to think I can. Perhaps I'd feel differently if my SSP was from an agency with only a handful of cars ever in existance. If I had one of the 10 Delaware State Police SSP's, I don't think that I'd go the same route as I have with my 85 CHP (1 of 155, with a good handful of known, restored 85's floating around).

Sorry to be long winded. But I love this car. Its ownership/restoration has taken on a scope I never considered, and that's because I've learned to appreciate the car as most of you do yours. But I'm putting it out on the road so the general masses can view and appreciate it. Perhaps others will see it and decide that they want to restore or own an SSP themselves, thus benefiting the hobby further. I'd like to think so.

Cheers!

Bill

28HopUp · #19 10-02-2009, 02:23 PM

...and thanks for the laugh Andy!

stadair · #20 10-02-2009, 02:44 PM

At least he took it to the track instead of public roads (street racing).