1955 Chevy “Shadow” Drag Races During Musculus Car Era (Vintage Pics)
It was the wreck that didn’t occur that scares 1 veteran drag racer. Raymond Coulombe dug out former photos of the 1955 Chevy that he raced at drag strips across Alabama from 1969 through 1971. The ’55 was fast in addition to known every bit the ‘Shadow’ past times the aureate leafage lettering, outlined inward dark paint, on each door. Many competitors feared the “Shadow” in addition to its quick 10.6 second, 1/4-mile elapsed times. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 combination of potent equipment, decision in addition to science made winning await tardily inward the “Shadow.” But, Coulombe also had a flake of luck on his side, when he avoided disaster in addition to a flipping, crashing, Hemi-powered 1968 Dodge Dart, during a check race. These photos are proof that this L88, large block ’55 Chevy was virile mortal monarch of the mount during the glory days of the musculus machine era.
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| Slicks in addition to cutting fender wells were mutual on 1955 Chevys at the drag strip. The "Shadow" ran the 1/4-mile at 130 mph on the large halt of the 1,320. |
Let’s become racing
Jimmy Lemon was a teenager, fresh out of high schoolhouse inward 1969, when he met Raymond Coulombe (known every bit "Columbia" to many) piece hanging out at the local drag strip. Coulombe, in addition to then 26, was known for buying junkers in addition to edifice them into drag cars. After racing them a few times he could sell the drag machine for a profit, which paid for to a greater extent than racing.
Lemon was lucky plenty to purchase 1 of Coulombe's cars earlier he started edifice it into a drag car. Lemon paid Coulombe $150 for a primered, 2-door post 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air in 1969.
Coulombe provided his expertise inward turning the stock ’55 Chevy into a B Modified drag car. Lemon paid for the parts in addition to learned how to become fast. Coulombe set-up the suspension for drag racing in addition to built the close-ratio, Muncie 4-speed transmission. He also sprayed the dark-green pigment in addition to added a curlicue bar to the ’55.
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| Lassiter Mountain Dragway, where the ’55 Chevy oft raced, was a quarter-mile rails inward the early on 1970s. The "Shadow" is racing a 1940 Willys at Lassiter Mountain inward the go past times photo. |
Close telephone telephone amongst Hemi Dart, disaster
Drag racing past times nature is non the safest sport. In the early on ‘70s, disaster almost struck the “Shadow” during a check race amongst Tommy Payne’s 1968 Dodge Dart Hemi Super Stock at the Winston County Drag Strip inward Lynn, Alabama.
"Payne got a goodness saltation on me because he knew the lights improve at that track," said Coulombe. The Hemi Dart had the Pb on the “Shadow” but the ’55 was closing fast every bit they neared the complete line.
The Hemi Dart, racing inward the correct lane, got into problem when its right, bring upwardly slick veered off the track. The Dart took a difficult left, inward front end of the "Shadow," flipping into the air. Coulombe muscled the steering bicycle to avoid hitting Payne's tumbling Dart head-on. The Dart’s bring upwardly bumper creased the go past times of the "Shadow’s" left fender every bit Coulombe swerved nether the flight Dodge. Coulombe’s maneuver sent the “Shadow” spinning wildly downwards the rails at 100 mph.
The one-of-72, mill built, Super Stock Hemi Dart was totaled inward the crash. More importantly, Payne suffered alone pocket-sized injuries. "He got a approximately cuts, bruises in addition to drinking glass inward his eyes from the windshield," recalls Coulombe. "I believe they saved the Hemi running gear in addition to scrapped the balance of the Hemi Dart."
A bent fender on the "Shadow" in addition to a really closed telephone telephone meant it was simply approximately other exciting nighttime at the races.
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| A 1969 El Camino was the tow vehicle for the "Shadow" 1955 Chevy inward 1971. |
Last run on Two Lane Blacktop
After the ’55 Chevy won it’s in conclusion race inward Montgomery inward 1971, Lemon took it for a final, rubber-burning blast. The “Shadow,” hauled on a trailer behind Lemon’s 1969 Chevy El Camino, was unloaded on a stretch of wide-open, surface roads close the Birmingham, Alabama airport. The guys performed smokey burnouts (known every bit hooning past times kids nowadays) in addition to full general recklessness on the opened upwardly route inward the loud, hot rod ’55 Chevy, 1 in conclusion time.
Soon after, Lemon removed the engine in addition to sold the balance of the 1955 Chevy inward hopes of finding additional speed inward a to a greater extent than aerodynamic car. Lemon bought approximately other machine from Coulombe – a 1969 AMX Javelin.
"I hauled the AMX out of a junkyard inward Bessemer, Alabama,” Coulombe said. "It had a existent brusque wheelbase, I could accomplish out the window in addition to touching on the dorsum tire.”
Lemon’s novel drag machine never matched the functioning of the Shadow, despite using the “Shadow’s” engine in addition to transmission.
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| The "Shadow's" in conclusion run earlier it was dismantled in addition to sold. |
Fast in addition to easy
The ‘55 Chevy was a high RPM, high compression hot rod. In 1969, functioning was tardily to uncovering at your local dealership’s parts counter. The “Shadow” used an L88 engine amongst the mill brusque block. Coulombe hammered out 8,000 RPM runs on a mill crankshaft, rods in addition to pistons. That’s brute forcefulness without a power-adder similar nitrous. Drag racers were edifice their ain beasts for the local strips during the peak of the musculus machine era.
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| The 1955 Chevy's hot rod L88 engine. 427 cubic-inches, tunnel ram in addition to 2 Holley 650 cfm carbs amongst manual secondaries. |
1955 Chevrolet "Shadow" Specs
- Engine - L88, 427-cubic-inch, large block Chevy engine
- L88 block assembly purchased at GM parts counter for $400 inward 1969
- Estimated 564 HP based on ET/MPH & weight
- Heads - Cast iron, open-chambered 12:1 compression
- Transmission - Muncie closed ratio 4-speed
- Rear halt - 12 bolt Chevrolet posi traction, 5.13 gear
- Best 1/4 mile ET - 10.6 @ 127 MPH
Second fourth dimension around
The "Shadow" returned to Coulombe v years later Lemon sold it. "I bought it in addition to it was simply a shell," said Coulombe.
The ’55 had been raced a few to a greater extent than years in addition to the mention had been painted over on the doors. Coulombe didn’t buy the farm on it long. He sold it in addition to made a few bucks.
"All the goodness parts were gone. I didn’t fifty-fifty desire it," Coulombe recalls. "But I certain want I had it now."
Did you lot run into the Shadow?
Does anyone accept photos of The Shadow inward action? Do you lot cry back seeing it, or other memorable drag cars perform inward their prime? Dig out those vintage drag race photos in addition to percentage your stories amongst junkyardlife.
– Jody Potter, junkyardlife.com
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| The "Shadow" utilized a 5.13 gear inward the bring upwardly halt in addition to injure the 427-ci, L88 engine to 8,000 rpm. Not bad for an former 1955 Chevy bought during the musculus machine era for $150. |
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