64Fury vs SS 454 Chevy pickup

[mark c.]

A few years ago I was returning from Sears Point raceway near Sonoma Ca. (now known as Infineon raceway). They used to have drag races on Thursday nights. I was driving a 64 Plymouth Fury (mild 440, 4 spd. 3.54 rear) flat towing my 63 Fury (crossram 426). I lost in the first round (red light) so I was not in the best of moods. I was in the slow lane headed home. I had just passed a highway patrol truck inspection station when a black Chevy pickup passed me on the left. The truck slowed down and I came up beside it. The guy driving the truck revved it up and took off. I watched him pull away, he slowed down and as I drove next to him he revved it again and took off. That was enough! I flashed my hi beams and waved my arm outside. The truck slowed down and I pulled alongside. A young guy and his girlfriend was inside. He rolled down his window and I told him my Plymouth could probably outrun his truck while towing my other car but I did not like to tow very fast. I said if he would like to follow me I would soon be home and could disconnect my other car. The fellow did follow me home (what was I thinking?) and I unhooked the 63. He seemed like a decent young man. He said he had just bought the 454SS truck and liked the way it ran. To shorten the story we did have an " illegal contest" and the driver of this truck was disappointed. By second gear my Fury was about two car links ahead and it only got worse for the truck. Maybe not the fairest race but I didnt initiate it. One of the dumbest things I have done but I felt better! Sometimes we have to defend the honor of our machines. Hope you enjoyed the story. I still have both cars. The 63 runs low 11s the 64 has run a best of 13.8. For the record I do not condone or want to encourage anyone to street race. I was very foolish and now I only race at the track and encourage other enthusiasts to do the same.

[64dartwagon]

Many things start around the Cordelia Truck Scales. I used to live in Vallejo and drive a Tow Truck thru there all the time. After talking with a CHP friend he told me that they would bait people with dial-ins or stickers on their car. They would use seized vehicles. Of course this would be disputed by them but O well. This was part of their street racing crack down. O and by the way welcome to the site.

[Dennis Jokela]

This isn't a street race story. I used to bracket race my 92 Dakota with a 318 in it. Everytime I had to race a SS454 Chevy truck, I had to give it a head start of at least .30 or more. Mostly they are pigs.

Dennis Jokela

[RAM1500]

The SS454's are slugs alright. Somebody around home here use to have one and it wouldnt hardly pull out of its own tracks. LOL

[midmomopar]

They had a decent torque rating, but only 230-250hp. I think a lot of buyers now are pretty dissapointed with their performance. Of course just coming out of the 80's 230hp seemed pretty stout at the time.