In The Beginning

[EZ Nova]

Originally Posted by CamaroNOS

I also ran the streets in Brantford (my home town) from 78 - 85. We had a bucket of fun messing around on King George St, Brant Ave, Hardy Rd, the 403, etc.

I saw the Arrow out many times but never heard who he ran (maybe Proctor's Vette/Radawicki's Duster/or????). What times was he running?

Ziggy with the Vega, I need more of the Toronto race action. Did you ever hear of Jim Shimizu who ran a 69 Hugger Orange/Orange Houndstooth R/S Z/28 down at Cayuga from 1970 to approx. 1977?

Well since I'm STILL in Brantford, I know those guys you named. It was Al Proctor's Vette we took to Weston & Finch. That was also THE ONLY CAR to beat my car that ran those streets, BLACK GTX ragtop. Al now plays with motor cycles and a Late model COPO Camaro he races. Mark Radawicki got out of the scene pretty much after the Duster. Ya he had the '79 Blue Z28, but it wasn't a fast car. I bought the shell from marks Duster and parted out the body parts around '87.

Ziggy with the Arrow was Rodger Zigmond. Nice guy and still around. He was a good painter and painted Eddy Stern's Candy Blue '68 427 Firebird. Roger is out of cars now. I worked with him back in 2004 and still see him from time to time before covid. Eddy still has the Candy blue firebird, but now blown and street tubbed.

If you were around you should remember Greg Teasdale. He is getting back into it as he has a few car one being a LS6 70 Chevelle. But also bought a fats '68 (??) Camaro.

So back then I had the BLACK GTX rag, 440 4sp Dana. Fast car back then and I was only 16. Only had it 4 yrs but found it last yr out on east coast in the USA. Spoke to the owner and going to try to buy it in about a yr depending on life.

I DO still own Gord Sipost's old Red '69 Nova SS. That was a stupid fast back then. I seen it beat Al's Vette AND Ziggy's nitrous Arrow out on Oak Park rd. AND he mis-shifted 4 times against the Arrow, he missed 3rd TWICE that run, and still put a car on the 11.70 Arrow.

Doug from here (427 Strato) is also from Brantford.

Man those were fun days.............

John

[CamaroNOS]

Originally Posted by EZ Nova

Well since I'm STILL in Brantford, I know those guys you named. It was Al Proctor's Vette we took to Weston & Finch. That was also THE ONLY CAR to beat my car that ran those streets, BLACK GTX ragtop. Al now plays with motor cycles and a Late model COPO Camaro he races. Mark Radawicki got out of the scene pretty much after the Duster. Ya he had the '79 Blue Z28, but it wasn't a fast car. I bought the shell from marks Duster and parted out the body parts around '87.

Ziggy with the Arrow was Rodger Zigmond. Nice guy and still around. He was a good painter and painted Eddy Stern's Candy Blue '68 427 Firebird. Roger is out of cars now. I worked with him back in 2004 and still see him from time to time before covid. Eddy still has the Candy blue firebird, but now blown and street tubbed.

If you were around you should remember Greg Teasdale. He is getting back into it as he has a few car one being a LS6 70 Chevelle. But also bought a fats '68 (??) Camaro.

So back then I had the BLACK GTX rag, 440 4sp Dana. Fast car back then and I was only 16. Only had it 4 yrs but found it last yr out on east coast in the USA. Spoke to the owner and going to try to buy it in about a yr depending on life.

I DO still own Gord Sipost's old Red '69 Nova SS. That was a stupid fast back then. I seen it beat Al's Vette AND Ziggy's nitrous Arrow out on Oak Park rd. AND he mis-shifted 4 times against the Arrow, he missed 3rd TWICE that run, and still put a car on the 11.70 Arrow.

Doug from here (427 Strato) is also from Brantford.

Man those were fun days.............

John

It’s a small world John.....I took the liberty and reached out to a few friends of mine Al, Greg and Tim regarding your version of “the facts” and here is what I learned.

Its funny that you referenced Tims GTX rag top as Tim and I went to school together back in the day. I remember spending time in that car as we would head out to Hardy Rd and Tim would gladly show you how fast that car was as he ran the car through the gears and down the marked out quarter mile. I distinctly remembering the car running through the end of the quarter at 100 mph, time after time, like clock work. Based on those numbers, that pegs the GTX about a 13:30 car which we all thought was crazy fast, back in the day. So here is my delima, how were you able to take on Al Proctor’s Corvette which ran a 11.60 with a 13.30 car and have that to be the only car that ever beat you. If I understand the facts correctly then, that would have meant that you only raced your GTX against Al’s Corvette because there were a ton of faster cars running the streets in Brantford with much better times than your 13:30.

And to add some more mystery to your story, Al confirmed that he never ran your GTX. If you really do know Al well, you know that he is wicked sharp and smart as fox.There is nothing that man forgets……nothing.

Yes, Gordies Nova was quick with a 427/4 gear/4:88’s but once again, Al Proctor never ran Gordie……ever and Al also confirmed this as well. Not on Oak Park Road as you mentioned, not on any road. Nobody ever knew how fast the Nova was, even Gordie didn’t know because he never raced it. And you know why……

Regarding the Nova running Ziggy’s Arrow, it must have quite a night for you to remember because nobody else remembers it. If the Nova took the Arrow by car length after missing all of those countless shifts, that news would have spread like wildfire through Brantford. Funny how that story was also kept quiet.

So, at the end of the day, I am perplexed after reaching out to all of my friends, the guys who actually ran the streets of Brantford only to find out all of your discrepancies. If there is anything you would like to verify with my facts, please feel free to call Al, Greg or Tim and you can quiz them.

Paul

[EZ Nova]

Originally Posted by CamaroNOS

It’s a small world John.....I took the liberty and reached out to a few friends of mine Al, Greg and Tim regarding your version of “the facts” and here is what I learned.

Its funny that you referenced Tims GTX rag top as Tim and I went to school together back in the day. I remember spending time in that car as we would head out to Hardy Rd and Tim would gladly show you how fast that car was as he ran the car through the gears and down the marked out quarter mile. I distinctly remembering the car running through the end of the quarter at 100 mph, time after time, like clock work. Based on those numbers, that pegs the GTX about a 13:30 car which we all thought was crazy fast, back in the day. So here is my delima, how were you able to take on Al Proctor’s Corvette which ran a 11.60 with a 13.30 car and have that to be the only car that ever beat you. If I understand the facts correctly then, that would have meant that you only raced your GTX against Al’s Corvette because there were a ton of faster cars running the streets in Brantford with much better times than your 13:30.

And to add some more mystery to your story, Al confirmed that he never ran your GTX. If you really do know Al well, you know that he is wicked sharp and smart as fox.There is nothing that man forgets……nothing.

Yes, Gordies Nova was quick with a 427/4 gear/4:88’s but once again, Al Proctor never ran Gordie……ever and Al also confirmed this as well. Not on Oak Park Road as you mentioned, not on any road. Nobody ever knew how fast the Nova was, even Gordie didn’t know because he never raced it. And you know why……

Regarding the Nova running Ziggy’s Arrow, it must have quite a night for you to remember because nobody else remembers it. If the Nova took the Arrow by car length after missing all of those countless shifts, that news would have spread like wildfire through Brantford. Funny how that story was also kept quiet.

So, at the end of the day, I am perplexed after reaching out to all of my friends, the guys who actually ran the streets of Brantford only to find out all of your discrepancies. If there is anything you would like to verify with my facts, please feel free to call Al, Greg or Tim and you can quiz them.

Paul

Paul,

He is some more info you can ask your friends. Al I haven't seen or talk to in 6 or 7 yrs and your right, Gord didn't race Als Vette, it was another guy from Simcoe or Delhi that came in with Ian and the 67 390 fastback mustang. It was an out of town car. I tired to run Ian a few time, just never happened. That's why I can't say if I was faster or not. I tried to race Ron Bennett's 71 T37 with the 455 HO. He wouldn't race.

As for me running Al? Yes I did at Oak Park. Al was right lane and I was left. I even went over more to the left so I wouldn't slid into his car. Al asked to me to run as a tune up test because the next day, we went to Sparta and Al won the Covette meet. I had no business being beside that car but there was no one out that night as fast as me, so Al asked me just for the hell of it. In fact, the next day after Al won at Sparta, the 10 of us went to Fluffys Pizza in London.

No as far as Gordies Nova. It was actually a standard bore 402/4sp w 4.88s. I still have that engine sitting after Jeff Chatterson rebuilt it. Yes the only time I ever seen that car run, he raced that one night. I was at the finish line with Todd Stebbe. And Gord beat Roger. After the race, we were at the line and Bob Sinden asked Gord about a scattershield? Gord said he didn't have one! Bob said YOUR FEET ARE FUCKED UP ALREADY ANYWAY!!! Gord even said he missed 3rd twice. That car then went to Dan Bellhouse who's wife took a hammer to the quarter panels and trunk. Dan sold it banged up to Russ Savage, who inter sold it to me after he crashed his motorcycle. Bellhouse to the 4.88s out and had 3.55s. Russ to out the 3.55s and put in 4.56s. Car now has a 785Hp pump gas 69 052 blocked ZL1 with a T400 and 66 Nova 12 bolt with 4.10s.

I only lost to Al. Never got to race Ed in the firebird and I think Ziggy was done by then. Only Al Ed and Bob were the top guys then. I was going to race Bob but cops showed as we were at the line. Bill Ambeau had bought Ziggys Arrow and purchsed the 302 out of the 69 Camaro from Competition auto. And Rod Daviault has Don Douglas do the bb Mopar stroker for a Monza?? That one fuzzy because I always thought Bill and Rod should have swapped stuff as the engine bodys were the way they were.

I haven't talked to Tim since I bought the car. I don't think he was ever out running the streets after he sold me the car as he didn't have another street car.Greg I spoke to last yr but nothing about cars it was boats. And YES I was a test pass for Al the night before we won the Sarta Corvette meet.

I do not have Als number, but if you PM it to me, I will call him. Or can pm you my number to give to Al. Also, my car was a CLONED GTX built by the guy from Simcoe who now lives out by Burford. I never powershifted that car with the little supershifter under the dash. It did run 13.60 at 108 FIRST 2 times down the TMP 1/4 mile. Then went through a wheel bearing in the Dana. Car was set up by Ed Van Der Tuin.

John

[EZ Nova]

Paul, do you know Danny Bratinna? He had the stock 69 Nova SS 396/375Hp stars n strips. He told me that car 11.70 STOCK but open heads, recurved distributor and slicks. Carb was probably jetted too, but that I don't recall 100%.