Hi-Lake

[Z28SSMAN]

When I first moved to Minn all I heard about was Lake Street and Hi-Lake.

I brought my Chevelle to the scene in '74. I spent many Summer days and evenings cruising from one end of Lake St to the other looking for an opportunity to do some quick accelleration from a roll (yeah we didn't call it frum-roll back then). There wasn't much of anything better in life than pulling my SS-454 back into low and clicking it into second against another musclecar all while trying to keep my car in its lane.

Cars were packed in the Hi-Lake lot. I used to pull in by Clark's Submarine and check out the Muscle Cars and Street Rods. If you stood close by the door, the raw onion smell would almost put tears in your eyes.

This guy with a GTO used to follow me around and I got tired of beating him. A couple years later, his car would be the one to beat. I thought he was nuts because he smirked as he opened his glovebox and tickets would roll out like a mailbag full of undelivered mail.

Years later, I met a girl and asked her if she wanted to go with me to Hi-Lake. She said sure and I thought man this is one cool girl! When I pulled into the lot with all the cars and just sat, she said "I thought we were going to a Lake to park!" She's now been my wife for 27 years. lol

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Cool story bro! Well if you hung out at clarks did you ever make it up to the sun drive in on central? Used to hang out there with buddies before we could even drive. Then about the time we got our first cars(70 chevelle SS 396)it turned into Licardi's. Man that place was fun, there was nothing better than cruising central on friday and saturday nights!

[Z28SSMAN]

Yeah, I went to the Sun, but I was a South Mpls guy and the guys from N.E. kinda made a point of protecting their turf.

I remember pulling in there (you always turned your headlites off) and guys used to walk up to my car, stick their head and tell me who I should race. This one guy wouldn't leave me alone. I asked him what HE had to race and he said his car wasn't there. I told him if he didn't have a car, then why was he talking to me? lol

Later, he walked up to me at Northstar Dragstrip and asked if I remembered him. I said no. He reminded me about my Sun Drive-In comment and said he had his car there. I looked at it and it was a Black Nova Drag car with a Gold stripe running from the B pillar down to the rocker.

Anyway, I told him my car was a street car and if he wanted to race, he could race my brother's drag car which was there. My brother's car was a Black '67 Camaro called SHOWDOWN. We had just built it and were working the bugs out of it and it was running 11.80's. Keep in mind that this was 1975...and 11 sec cars were scarce.

He looked a little stunned and said sure. So they lined 'em up and the N.E. BOYS were placing bets against the So Mpls guys who were with us. They left the line (both SBC 4-Speed Cars) and the Nova won...11.7's to my bro's 11.8's. We quietly walked away and said we'd be back. We kept tuning the Camaro and got it down to 11.58 @ 119, but "goldstripe" as we called him never came around.

One Sunday at Northstar we saw him pull in. We walked over and asked him for a rematch. They lined em up and it was quite a show. They were burning out across the starting line a few times. My bro would rev it to 6k and dump the clutch and while the tires were spinning, lock up the brakes and slide and repeat.

When the tree came down, the Nova got a little better launch, but each time the Camaro hit a gear, the car would plant the rears. When I saw the Camaro hit 4th, I turned around and said "it's over". My bro beat the Nova 11.66 to 11.75. The So Mpls guys won back some of the $$ they'd lost earlier to the NE guys.

Actually, my Bro and "Goldstripe" became pretty good friends and the respect was there.

[old vette dog]

Cool stories guys,

Any body remember a 69 396 camaro w 5.38 gears? From what I hear it was the car to beat in the day, Mark you want to add to the story?

[Z28SSMAN]

I don't remember one in particular.

There were a couple 10 sec '68 and '69 Camaros around '75-'76. One was a Green '69 that had Brian Spencer on the side in very large letters. He ran 10.60's. It was a BBC with automatic. The other was Dean Rabin a Black '68 or '69 also ran 10's. There also was a Blue '67? Impossible Dream stick shift car I think he was prolly the quickest out there.

My bro's had 5.38's. It was a 355 SBC single 780 cfm. No fiberglas & full interior. He left the line at 6k and shifted at 7k. He ran 6.14's when he raced it at 1/8 mi tracks down south.

[MR.hp]

Your bothers car was no slouch and there were some killer cars there back in their day.
The first time I saw the impossable dream camaro I was hooked all I ever wanted to do was go drag racing. I saw that car with a differant driveline in the late 80's at grove creek asked if he wanted to sell it he said "NO WAY".

[MR.hp]

Cool story bro! Well if you hung out at clarks did you ever make it up to the sun drive in on central? Used to hang out there with buddies before we could even drive. Then about the time we got our first cars(70 chevelle SS 396)it turned into Licardi's. Man that place was fun, there was nothing better than cruising central on friday and saturday nights!

Those were the days gas was cheap compaired to now and so were cars
central ave. was a blast. When I went down there one night with my old 68 camaro one guy said that car doesn't even look like it could do a burnout.
I went out on central in front of the sun dropped the hammer at 6K ran through the gears did a huge burnout came back and I told the guy "good enough" he shook his head and walked away.

[Z28SSMAN]

Yeah...I've heard about your kind. The kind of guy who'll leave black marks all over the road. Shame on you. lol

[old vette dog]

I don't remember one in particular.

There were a couple 10 sec '68 and '69 Camaros around '75-'76. One was a Green '69 that had Brian Spencer on the side in very large letters. He ran 10.60's. It was a BBC with automatic. The other was Dean Rabin a Black '68 or '69 also ran 10's. There also was a Blue '67? Impossible Dream stick shift car I think he was prolly the quickest out there.

My bro's had 5.38's. It was a 355 SBC single 780 cfm. No fiberglas & full interior. He left the line at 6k and shifted at 7k. He ran 6.14's when he raced it at 1/8 mi tracks down south.

the owner's name was Tim Wiswell

[Z28SSMAN]

Nope can't recall that name. More than likely seen the car though

[MR.hp]

Yeah...I've heard about your kind. The kind of guy who'll leave black marks all over the road. Shame on you. lol

The black started to fade on central I thought I would just spruce it up

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Ya there were alot of cool cars back in the day.
1967 Dodge coranet = alien7
1947 dodge panel wagon = push button bill
1968 nova w/ black stripes= Todd Larson (Also had a Don Ness built 67 vette)
1969 camaro light green= car crazy

and so on.....

[Z28SSMAN]

I knew Todd Larson. Used to go by his place.

He sold a Silver L-88 Nova to a guy I knew.

I thought he sold the Vette to a Mpls Fireman who I tangled with

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Todd was awesome, I miss him alot! He had some of the baddest cars around.
Ya I know he sold the nova to a guy who owns a body shop, dont know if he still has it. Been waiting to see it on Barrette jackson. That car was one of the coolest novas I've ever seen,bench seat and all!
I ende up buying Todd's 61 vette from him back in the 90's. Unfortunately I wasnt able to hold onto the car. The car may be gone but I still remember the times with it and Todd. God bless him!

[Z28SSMAN]

Yeah, Todd was a good guy. I only talked to him a half dozen times or so, but he always treated me well.

Lots of years have past, but he obviously hasn't been forgotten.