Blown 68 el camino8/8/2023 “I ended up selling the big-block I had built for the car and all the components that bolted onto it,” Chris says. While that meant having to go a different direction with the performance parts lineup, he was able to recognize that he could still make things interesting. Although the days of racing the car are most likely behind him, he did have a plan to get back in the driver seat, while hoping to share his passion with his son. It wasn’t until we had our first child and finished the remodel that I could start having fun with the Elky again.” Chris’ car changed right along with him as life took its natural twists and turns. “I got married, bought a house, and then began remodeling the entire house. “As my life began to change, my car took a back seat in my life for a while,” Chris admits. While none of that is nearly as exciting as speeding down the track all day, we all have to chill out and take care of business before going out to play again. When Chris wants to go fast, there’s just no stopping him-well, with the exception of the same stuff that tends to slow us all down, like growing up and facing real life responsibilities. At this point, he only drove it to local car shows or to the dragstrip to race. To get there, he had Steve Schmidt Racing of Indianapolis build a 523 big-block race engine that made 900 hp, and was able to safely handle a 300 shot of nitrous. This held Chris over for a few more years until 2007 when he decided he needed even more power underhood. Next came a 427ci big-block that made 427 hp, and a Chris Alston’s Chassisworks ’cage kit to beef up the chassis. Not sure what Chris was making in allowance at whatever after-school job he was able to land, but he was serious about always taking his precious Elky to the next level. A new cam, intake, headers, and even a full-on nitrous system found their way into the mix. Needless to say, Chris was still a teenager and was always interested in blowing the doors off of his friends’ cars, so he started making some upgrades to the engine. It had a mild small-block, an automatic transmission, and posi rearend-nothing crazy but perfect for a new driver. I generally like having something that doesn’t blend in with the masses, so this car was perfect for me.”īack then, Chris’ El Camino was a solid car. A family friend had a 1960 Elco, and I absolutely fell in love with it when I was a kid, so when I had the chance to buy one, I didn’t hesitate. “My friends all had older muscle cars back in high school, but nobody had an El Camino. “I first bought the car in March of 1998- a couple months after turning 16,” Chris says. He actually took good care of his and has gone on to do some pretty cool things with it over the years. He didn’t crash or blow his car up like the rest of us probably ended up doing with ours. Chris Decker, of San Mateo, California, is among the lucky ones who held onto their very first vehicle. Still, you can easily take a look at any of them, as the channel has the traditional video index in place.Īnyway, the prized cookie in the 1/8-mile jar for the night was a 540ci-swapped Big-Block V8 Chevy El Camino called ‘3rd Degree Burn.’ Just in case you are curious about its story, the Tesla owner was considerate enough to have a chat with John, the passionate El Camino owner, and that excerpt occupies a sizable chunk of the video’s final minutes.Īs for the race itself, this was one of the ages, for assorted reasons.While most car fiends can only dream about making progress to their first ride, there are a few who are experiencing the rare treat of still being able to wrench on them to this day. Alas, although all of them answered the racing call against the Tesla Model S Plaid, none was the main event. His weekly rundown of the 1/8-mile shenanigans comes right after hurricane Ian has passed but, luckily for him and his fellow dragstrip enthusiasts, the Showtime Dragstrip in Pinellas Park, Florida, has been spared the nasty consequences – and even has a freshly laid-out burnout stage area! Well, it is going to fully need it, considering the racers that gathered there that day.Īmong them, there was a blown 1968 Chevy Camaro on Hoosiers and nitro, a 1967 Pontiac Firebird, a quirky modified SUV, as well as a nasty Fox Body Ford Mustang. And so far, he has lived up to the promise. So, here is the owner of the Tesla Plaid Channel, who promises new Model S Plaid races every week. But let us give you a positive example simply because, you know, the world is already way too cramped for additional bad stories. There have been many stories about how stubborn Tesla owners can be – both for the right and wrong reasons.
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