Howie 886 #1 Posted July 29, 2019 I am going to the Pontiac Tri-Power Nationals this week. It is car show, swap meet, all Pontiac drag racing at one venue. Maybe 350 Pontiac race cars, and a swap meet if one needs to find parts. So I will get my Pontiac fix for a while! To me it is something a Pontiac person should experience at least once in their lifetime. 2 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,684 #2 Posted July 29, 2019 Take us along 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,274 #3 Posted July 29, 2019 6 hours ago, Howie said: Pontiac race cars My challenge for you is to find a "Swiss cheese Catalina" We'd love to see lots of pictures! Have a great time!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rjg854 11,350 #4 Posted July 29, 2019 6 hours ago, oliver2-44 said: Take us along Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,127 #5 Posted July 29, 2019 Just like you were there. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tri+power+nationals Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #6 Posted July 29, 2019 My brother was a service writer for a pontiac dealer for over 30 years . I saw all the cool cars come In and go out.l would hang out there after school and ended up washing cars. Great memories ! It's a shame about the Pontiac demise. Enjoy the show ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #7 Posted July 29, 2019 Not sure there will be a "Swiss cheese" car there, although I believe I have seen a Super Duty or two there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,023 #8 Posted July 30, 2019 On 7/29/2019 at 4:30 AM, ebinmaine said: My challenge for you is to find a "Swiss cheese Catalina" We'd love to see lots of pictures! Have a great time!!! Funny you should mention Catalina. I drive by a 73 ish at a dealer quite often. About 30 yrs. ago, one of the guys in the shop had a 73 Cat. The high beam indicator was the “ Indian Head”. He nicknamed the car “The Chief “ He donated the car to the shop and we used it to push cars into the shop. It finally ended its life in a demo derby. I also know where there is a 73 Lemans buried on a farm. It had over 250,000 on it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #9 Posted August 4, 2019 On 7/29/2019 at 4:30 AM, ebinmaine said: My challenge for you is to find a "Swiss cheese Catalina" We'd love to see lots of pictures! Have a great time!!! Here you go! 3 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #10 Posted August 4, 2019 A few more pictures. 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,165 #11 Posted August 4, 2019 I always liked those firebird/trans ams in white with the blue stripes, I built the same one in that picture when I was kid with the 1/24 amt kit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darb1964 1,042 #12 Posted August 4, 2019 Love the Pontiac brand,I had a 67 GTO. Sold it, still hate myself for being that stupid. 400, 400 turbo transmission 4barrel card. Almost killed myself a few times. Fastest car I have driven. Rare one also bench seat automatic transmission on the column. Very stock but very fast. Numbers matched, twenty thousand miles on it when I sold it in 1996. I owned it nine years. Just thinking about it make me sad.I will not disclose what I sold it for,that makes me very 😢 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,023 #13 Posted August 4, 2019 Here's a pic of the Big Cat for sale. I managed to sneak the pic before they came out screaming at me and trying to pull me out of the work van! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,791 #14 Posted August 5, 2019 13 hours ago, squonk said: Here's a pic of the Big Cat for sale. I managed to sneak the pic before they came out screaming at me and trying to pull me out of the work van! Poor tactics of a salesman... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,791 #15 Posted August 5, 2019 15 hours ago, jabelman said: I always liked those firebird/trans ams in white with the blue stripes, I built the same one in that picture when I was kid with the 1/24 amt kit Notice the license plate? I form .060? Body man or sheet metal shop? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #16 Posted August 5, 2019 13 minutes ago, pullstart said: Poor tactics of a salesman... Maybe it was stolen!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #17 Posted August 5, 2019 (edited) 23 minutes ago, pullstart said: Poor tactics of a salesman... Maybe it was stolen!! oopps! Edited August 5, 2019 by The Tool Crib Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,023 #18 Posted August 5, 2019 When I worked at Napa we had rusty delivery trucks. A HUUUGE!!! dealer opened up down the street and I used to love delivering parts there. I would pull in and the salespeople all came running out thinking I was a buyer. Took them a few weeks before they learned. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,274 #19 Posted August 8, 2019 @Howie You did it!!!! Thanks!! Super rare. Glad you got to see one.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #20 Posted August 8, 2019 It has been sad that they put 2x4's in frame to keep it from twisting as it went down the line before body went on. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,274 #21 Posted August 8, 2019 No kidding... Definitely an interesting car!!! I had the pleasure of seeing one a couple decades ago at what used to be the yankee candle car museum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,791 #22 Posted August 9, 2019 I just looked the Swiss Cheese Catalina up, I didn’t realize the frame was murdered before assembly! Wow, that’s got to be so twisty, I’d believe they had wooden braces in the chassis before marrying the body to it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #23 Posted August 10, 2019 Frame was pretty flimsy by itself. They were trying to take weight out of the car because the Plymouth- Dodge uni-body cars were lighter. Already had aluminum front parts and bumpers. They had some aluminum frames made up but not sure if they ever went under the car. Saw one a few years ago and I think he wanted $10,000 for it.. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,165 #24 Posted August 10, 2019 a good read, I remember going to Englishtown nj and seeing him run. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hotrod.com/articles/arnie-beswick-drag-racings-consummate-underdog/amp/ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howie 886 #25 Posted August 10, 2019 Arnie was at Norwalk this year and has been for a number of years. I think he has always ran on a shoestring budget. But usually ran well for what he had. Was badly burnt in a nitrous fire several years ago. Had some volunteer help who forgot to tighten one of the lines I believe. He had a fire on his farm where a lot of the race cars were housed in 71-72 time frame that destroyed a lot of what he had. While he was there this year got word that another barn or building was on fire. Seems to not be able to get away from this sort of thing. Not sure what all cars were in there but several were burnt. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
