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Topic starter
21/09/2024 10:02 am
In the very early '60's, I began to read about the use of up-lock and down locks in magazines that assumed I understood their use and function already. Drag cars then were raising the front and lowering the rear suspension which seemed reasonable for shifting weight distribution to the rear. All I gathered is they locked the suspension during launch. Using that logic, were the up-locks used on the front and the down-locks on the rear? This 1961 Pontiac Catalina with the 421SD V8 seems to have just that set up.
I don't know much about that beyond seeing the flagged 421 badges on the fenders. I only knew two people that had them. The butcher in the store I worked at has a beautiful Grand Prix and all he said was that the piston ring gaps were so large that he was constantly adding oil due to the blow by. It could have been a poor job by the factory or something inherent in the design. Back in those days of questionable QC, serious guys would have their engines 'blue printed' to get the performance it was supposed to have. The other was this goofy kid whose parents bought him a 421 Catalina. He had had the car for 6 months and when I asked him about oil consumption said "I never check the oil". I never saw the kid again so I don't know if he became the owner of a seized 421SD. Anyway, I love the 'old school' look of the Arnie Bezwick's "Mr B's Passionate Poncho ll".
Christopher Moroni and Marty Johnson reacted
21/09/2024 12:07 pm
Consider this my attempt to answer your question regarding how the drag racers achieved the nose-up attitude to aid the weight transfer of the cars. To my knowledge (I was only 11 years old in '62), I don't know for sure, but I don't think they lowered the rear end of cars that ran in the stock and super stock classes. However, to aid traction, it was common to raise the front end using 90/10 shocks.
I do recall being enthralled with the vertical headlights of the '62 Pontiacs. Another design feature I found interesting was the incorporation of creases in the two-door hardtops. I thought the faux convertible top look duplicating where the convertible top frames would be placed was cool!
Rich Sufficool and Christopher Moroni reacted
21/09/2024 12:57 pm
Consider this my attempt to answer your question regarding how the drag racers achieved the nose-up attitude to aid the weight transfer of the cars. To my knowledge (I was only 11 years old in '62), I don't know for sure, but I don't think they lowered the rear end of cars that ran in the stock and super stock classes. However, to aid traction, it was common to raise the front end using 90/10 shocks.
I do recall being enthralled with the vertical headlights of the '62 Pontiacs. Another design feature I found interesting was the incorporation of creases in the two-door hardtops. I thought the faux convertible top look duplicating where the convertible top frames would be placed was cool!
That's exactly right Marty. For better weight transfer the front end was raised with those shocks and/or coil springs spreaders. Like blocks 'twisted' into the spaces between the springs. I raised the front of my 64 Pontiac that way. I was 17 then and life was fun! 
Rich Sufficool and Christopher Moroni reacted