Author Topic: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles  (Read 89444 times)

Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #90 on: July 28, 2013, 05:21:01 AM »
National Speed Sport News article on the new AMC Javelin team entering the Trans-Am series. (Jon Mello Collection)

The article text says the Javelin engines were being built by "Taco" in California, instead of Traco.  :D







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Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #91 on: July 30, 2013, 05:05:55 AM »
CARS magazine article on the Z-28. (Jon Mello Collection)











Note: That is Chevrolet engineer Bill Howell in the coat and tie holding the cross ram lid amongst the pile of engine parts.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2016, 08:40:14 PM by Jon Mello »
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Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #92 on: October 29, 2013, 01:37:01 PM »
Motor Trend named the Mercury Cougar its "Car of the Year" in 1967 and provided the info below in its February '67 issue.





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cook_dw

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #93 on: October 29, 2013, 03:47:32 PM »
Jon,
I just wanted to say thanks for posting all these amazing magazine articles for everyone to read..  Great history and knowledge in those pages..

Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #94 on: October 29, 2013, 07:21:59 PM »
You're welcome, Darrell.  I'm glad you and others are enjoying this stuff.
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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #95 on: November 24, 2013, 02:19:29 AM »
On page 2 the article: ' American Motors' Trans-Am Racing Effort ' contins the following two quoted statements:

“The Javelins were fastest at Michigan International Speedway n the first race of the year, but SCCA banned the engine because AM couldn’t produce enough of them to meet the regulations…

After the last race, Kaplan had his crew pack up what remained of the two Javelins and dropped them off at the local American Motors zone office. He called Detroit, told them where he left them and where to stuff them. Exit Ronnie Kaplan.”


They are almost the complete opposite of other stories I've read where in the first instance AMC failed to produce the proper homologation papers in time to allow the low deck block, 4-bolt main, special port head combination engine to run after Michigan, and in the second, Bob McNealy summoned Kaplan and fired him.

 So which is true other stories outside the ones quoted in the article or the -facts- above?

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Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #96 on: November 24, 2013, 05:57:50 AM »
I'll leave official word to some of the AMC experts. I'm certainly not one of them. From what I have read, I believe the second scenario you listed is more accurate.
They didn't get the good engine stuff homolgated due to a new guy coming in an dropping the ball on filing the proper paperwork with SCCA. This was no fault
of Kaplan's. He was busy getting new cars ready to race. I think AMC would have made enough of those engines if that is what they had to do to be legal and the
engine was potent enough to be a winner, which I think it had the potential to be. If Kaplan got more money to operate with and the good engine pieces, they
would have made some noise in '69.
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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #97 on: November 25, 2013, 02:12:13 AM »
I'm fervently hoping that someone that has talked to Kaplan ( hint: Javelin GT ) can set the firing vs. take-this-job-and-shove-it seesaw straight and level.
 I entirely agree that the responsibility for either a) producing enough blocks and/or b) getting the specifications approved by the SCCA's  standard rests entirely on AMC. From what I understand not only did Kaplan have his hands full with getting cars prepared and with the racing enterprise itself, but, he had, at his own expense and initiative, had gotten the blocks that showed up at Michigan cast by a foundry ( one G.M. might have used? )for use in the '69 season.
  

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mike343sharpstick

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #98 on: November 25, 2013, 02:33:56 AM »
Yes, someone did and published it in a book. Ronnie Kaplan has written it out pretty clearly in the new book "The Cars of Trans-Am Racing" on page 105 ;)
The book is very good, I think anyone marginally interested in this part of the CRG site should just buy this book as a basic text book we can all refer to from time to time:)

SMKZ28

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #99 on: November 26, 2013, 12:30:12 AM »
Yes, someone did and published it in a book. Ronnie Kaplan has written it out pretty clearly in the new book "The Cars of Trans-Am Racing" on page 105 ;)
The book is very good, I think anyone marginally interested in this part of the CRG site should just buy this book as a basic text book we can all refer to from time to time:)

It would make a nice Christmas gift for all of us who are interested in this sort of thing!  Tell your family members.
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #100 on: November 26, 2013, 03:44:00 AM »
I believe my copy is arriving through Mrs. Claus via Amazon for Christmas… :-X

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Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #101 on: January 16, 2014, 05:04:17 AM »
Interesting little article about Swede Savage getting his start in the auto racing business by working for Holman-Moody as a 21 year old.


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Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #102 on: January 19, 2014, 05:12:24 AM »
Interesting article by race driver Peter Gregg on race preparation and strategy for running endurance races
such as those at Sebring and Daytona, as found in the December '71 issue of SCCA's Sports Car magazine.




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Jon Mello

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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #103 on: February 13, 2015, 05:09:13 AM »
A short write-up on the University of Pittsburgh Trans-Am team and their '69 Camaro, as found in the 1971 Road America Trans-Am program.




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Re: "Inside the Cars of the Trans-Am" and other articles
« Reply #104 on: February 13, 2015, 05:41:24 AM »
Nice story, Jon!    Here is a racing photo of the Univ of Pittsburgh TA Camaro...
in 2008, Legendary Motorcars had the car for sale (restored) and was beautiful and expensive... :)
I'm fairly certain they sold it, but unsure to whom or where it is now?
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

 

anything