The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/The-Defant-Ones-Part-3-The-Gray-Ghost.html

[Shawn Anderson]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

I love this kinda stuff!

[Mr4Speed]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

An awesome story that every gearhead should know. Think how different the results could have been if they had built a Chevelle with the proven 302.

Herb Adams also ran the 24 hour Daytona race in a 2nd gen T/A street car with an automatic.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

This is by far my favorite kind of racing story.

[msc66]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

What motor were the Pontiac teams running in their Trans Ams? They held together didn't they?

[ls7gto]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

I have the grey ghost as my screen saver.
On a side note, David, even without all the techno glam of the old site , the blogs just kick ass.

[Mr4Speed]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

What motor were the Pontiac teams running in their Trans Ams? They held together didn't they?

303" de-stroked 400's, some with tunnel port heads. Didn't do too well.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

It never ceases to amaze me how often the adage about no substitute for cubic inches has astrisks next to it.

[milner351]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

Way too cool - I wish this sort of thing was possible today - and I suppose it is, but in limited classes where "cubic dollars" don't necessarily rule the day.

[Loren]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

I'm a little confused about the remark in the story regarding getting a little positive camber into the rear...figuring that the previous-year Tempest had the swing-axle IRS but not the '64...Is it possible they used the older rear? :o Those things had a horrible high roll center but Adams was known for humongous sway bars, go big enough and roll center becomes a moot point. There would-have had to have been something special about using the Pontiac that gave them an edge.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

Tullius himself was the one who made the remark about the camber in the rear. I've not been able to verify what rear end they were using in the car and frankly, the comments still has me curious as well.

Brian

[Freiburger]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

They "bend" a straight-axle housing little. The axleshafts live with it because they are replaced often.

[DanStokes]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

Where's the car now? I hope it lives and - maybe - goes around a track from time to time.

Dan

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

The best answer I could get (and it seemed to speculatory to run) was that the car is in the hands of a collector in Washington State.

I don't think it hits the track much as there are virtually no photos of the thing on the web.

I found a whole bunch in the Hot Rod Mag photo archive from the Lime Rock race where the car's legend was born. Tons of awesome unpublished stuff in the folder.

Brian

[JRoberts]

Re: The Defiant Ones, Part 3: The Gray Ghost

Brian this is another great piece. Thanks.
This Tempest reminds me of a story I heard about a guy who wanted to race his 2 door post Falcon -- '65 or so-- in Trans-Am. He asked Ford for some factory help and was rejected because the Mustang was their vision of what a Trans-Am racer should be. He, as many have been known to do, rented a Hertz Shelby Mustang, pulled the engine and put it in the Falcon for a weekend. Raced it and did reasonably well. Of course I am not sure he is yet able to rent a car from Hertz again ;D.