Pontiac May be Gone but the Fans Carry On

[hyperv6]

I attended today the largest Pontiac Meet of the year the Pontiac Tri Power Nationals at Summit Raceway Park in Norwalk Ohio.

This is usually the best attended and run event for Pontiac yearly. They had over 500 Pontiac powered Race Cars and almost 500 Pontiac Show cars.

The thing to note there was not one word of the loss of Pontiac and things carried on as normal. People there really were into the cars on hand. There were some real special cars there and some of the nicest Pontiacs you will ever see not only on the show field but also going down the track.

Many of the original Knafel Pontiac Tin Indian drag cars were there with Akron Arlen Vanke Doc Dixon and Norm Tanner on hand driving them. Jim Wangers was there with his GeeTo Tiger. Also Arnie The Farmer Bestwick was there with several of his original and new Tigers.

Note I saw more Pontiac vendors and repo parts than ever and the swap meet area was also the largest ever. I even found a head and valve cover for a 16 valve Iron Duke Super Duty that Pontiac made in 1986. It was new and unused.

This was a very good year and the there really was no sorrow to be seen. I think the die hard Pontiac fans will keep the memory alive for years to come.

I entered my 1985 Fiero 2M6 SE that I bought 25 years ago yesterday 8-07-85. I came home with a Ames Performance Top 5 best of show awards. I was shocke to have pulled this one down in the field of cars I was up against. Also one of the Pontiac Magazines took interst in my car, Prototype parts and The Pontiac Fiero Fitted Luggage I had on hand. Not sure if this will make print so we will have to see.

Either way I was happy to see that things in the area of Pontiac enthisiast remains strong and should remain this way for years to come.

[daves87rs]

Very cool! Any pics?

[hyperv6]

Very cool! Any pics?

I will post later as I have yet to unload the car and camera.

[hyperv6]

Here was a stop on the way home. Two guys just pulled out 2 Navy Cougar fighters out the Ohio woods. Made a nice picture with my car.

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Check out the web site in a few days and they will have the pictures from this year posted.

http://www.pontiacnationals.com/showclasses.html

Here are last years race pictures.

http://www.pontiacnationals.com/2009event.html

Edited August 9, 2010 by hyperv6

[balthazar]

Boy- knafel's GTO must have a figurative 100K miles on since it's resto- that baby gets around.

Super sano T/A- are those reverse-sunk hood scoops? Would've liked to see the split rear spoiler out back.

Gorgeous shark.

[hyperv6]

They had the 69 GP roy Tyner ran in NASCAR there fully restored.

There were real Super Duty Cats on hand some even ran the strip. There was just about something for everyone from Oakland to Solstice and G8's

My buddy drove his numbers matching 64 Tri Powered GTO up following me.

There was stock to mod to Reto to repo. You name it. Got to watch a lot of old timers I knew get back with the old Kanfel drivers they used to work with.

One of my Friends drove up Saturday with is 1960 Cat 4 speed coupe. It is the blue Pete Seton car seen behind the 1960 Cat at the US Nationals in 1960. It was the runner up in Super Stock to the Royal Pntiac of Wangers. It is a street car now. You can still see the class numbers in the blue tint in the windows from the 60's.

This event is more fun than any of the POCI meets since it is not only a show but also a working Pontiac only race for three days.

[ocnblu]

Nice pics, hyper. Got any more?

[hyperv6]

Here are some more. I did not take a lot this year. I did not get any race pictures. None of my friends raced this years so I did not spend much time on the pit side.

I did find a 16 valve Super Duty head new in the swap meet. These were rare even back in the 80's.

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I found this one on the non judged parking.

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Here is a car I grew up with. My buddy has had this numbers matching 64 GTO since 1981. Every High School kid should own one. He followed me to the show. His Dad worked at Knadfel Pontiac back in the day and still has many cool Pontiacs. He still has his 63 GP and a 76 Jag sedan with a 428. I have tried to get him to bring the Jag to the show.

Here is a real 421 SD Cat that was raced by Arlen Vanke in the 60's.

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[hyperv6]

Here is a real one of none. This was a wagon converted with a Elcamino top.

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The more things change

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The more thing stay the same. Red and Black looks good in a Old Cat or new Solstice.

Here is my buddy Dave's work in progress. He has built it for the street with a LT1. The tube frame on his is amazing to look at.

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Here is a veiw form the air and gives an idea how big this event really is.

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[hyperv6]

Pontiacs stripes new and old I had never seen these G8 Stripes before and they looked good on red.

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This was not the Camp Grounds. GMC is included and this guy was there 8 AM buffing his wheels on this Palm Beach. There was even a COE Semi GMC from the late 40 here.

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Packed up and ready to go. I had to put my trophy in the back seat of the 64 Goat. It would not fit in my car with the roof in. They asked me how I was going to get it home when they gave it to me. Note the 64 GTO in the background in the first picture here is a original owner 64 GTO with the origina Ram Air V crated engine the owner installed in 1971. Take about right choices to make in a life time.

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Here is the rear veiw of the El Poncho that I could not edit in.

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Edited August 9, 2010 by hyperv6

[balthazar]

That '62 black & red interior is not original, but it looks fantastic.

The '60 El I saw in MD at the only POCI event I managed to get to time-wise. That car has also been around for a few decades- but is a real sweetie.

I picked up a correct '64 Tri-P set "off a GTO" years back for $275, for my GP.

[hyperv6]

That '62 black & red interior is not original, but it looks fantastic.

The '60 El I saw in MD at the only POCI event I managed to get to time-wise. That car has also been around for a few decades- but is a real sweetie.

I picked up a correct '64 Tri-P set "off a GTO" years back for $275, for my GP.

The Solstice is not original either. Just pointing out similar themes.

The 60 Has been around buy is still in good shape.

Got you beat on the 64 Tri Power. I bought one in the 80's complete manifold, Carbs, Air Cleaners and linkage all in perfect working order for $95. I also had someone give me a set of complete Air Cleaners for free. I wish that would happen again to me today. I was just in the right place at the right time on may Pontiac parts.

We have been shopping for a 421 of late for the 64 GTO. My buddy wants to put the numbers matching engine on the stand and get a 421 to run and race. We have a line on a couple but may just go with a 428 in the end. We though about making it a Bobcat Clone since we could change it back to stock real easy. This is only one of the many GTO's he has owned over the years but it the one he always will keep. HE also had a 455 SD TA a while ago. Made some good money on it but the prices went even higher.

His 64 is a clean car from SC and only has 60,000 miles. We are going to go all through it as it got scraped up a little from his kids in the home garage. We now have it in his hanger with his plane. We want to get it to show then he wants to race it. He is only the 3rd owner and even has the protecto plate. The body is straight and clean.