That's mine too! Will have one before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
That's the plan. Going to pass down some fossil-fuel burning fun!
U.M.
The "Black Ghost" scam
- Thread starter Corbic
- Start date
U.M.
Detroit was a hotbed of street racing with a lot of incredibly fast cars roaming around. Here’s an article from 1976 showing some of the heavy hitters. Most of these money racers were running 10s or better.
The Heirs of Woodward Avenue: Brock Yates on Detroit's 1970s Street-Racing Culture
Only serious street racers need apply.
That’s right. The black ghost seems to be nothing but a crazy embellishment. There’s no way a stock hemi challenger loaded up with options “dominated Detroit street racing” as this hagerty article claims, that’s just a joke.
Black Ghost: The mysterious 1970 Challenger that dominated Detroit street racing - Hagerty Media
The Historic Vehicle Association tells the incredible story of the rare muscle car that dominated Detroit street racing in the early ’70s ... and vanished.
www.hagerty.com
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If they survive...
I’m from SE Michigan, born and raised as well. The story is not new. Its decades old and generally speaking, if you spent anytime on Woodward or Telegraph you probably heard about it so to speak. Even 30-40 years later. Usually bits a pieces. My uncles and dad participated in those areas during the early to mid 70’s and knew about it.
From my understanding and what i heard over the years, it was a stop light car. He wasn’t setting up races. It was at random. Stop light to stop light. Yes there were some truly fast cars in Detroit during that time but the majority of the cars on the street doing random stop light to stop light races were not all 10 second cars. What made the car famous to my knowledge is the fact it was a black hemi car, it was supposedly drove by a cop and it beat 1-2 cars that up until that point were known to be pretty quick. I have no idea what they were. Then of course it would only pop up once in awhile. Point is, i think its been blown out of proportion to a degree. As in not completely fake, but not 100% accurate either. The car was also rumored to not be stock during that time period but returned to stock years later.
I think some are wayyyyyyyy over thinking this and really interpreting as if it was the fastest car in Detroit. I get as of late the story is being broadcasted everywhere in the collector car scene and may be embellished to a degree but the story has been around for decades prior to any of this. Its kinda crazy to me this story even got as big as it did.
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From my understanding and what i heard over the years, it was a stop light car. He wasn’t setting up races. It was at random. Stop light to stop light. Yes there were some truly fast cars in Detroit during that time but the majority of the cars on the street doing random stop light to stop light races were not all 10 second cars. What made the car famous to my knowledge is the fact it was a black hemi car, it was supposedly drove by a cop and it beat 1-2 cars that up until that point were known to be pretty quick. I have no idea what they were. Then of course it would only pop up once in awhile. Point is, i think its been blown out of proportion to a degree. As in not completely fake, but not 100% accurate either. The car was also rumored to not be stock during that time period but returned to stock years later.
I think some are wayyyyyyyy over thinking this and really interpreting as if it was the fastest car in Detroit. I get as of late the story is being broadcasted everywhere in the collector car scene and may be embellished to a degree but the story has been around for decades prior to any of this. Its kinda crazy to me this story even got as big as it did.
Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com
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In 1976 the NHRA Pro-Stock boys were just breaking into the high 8's with most cars averaging a tick over 9 seconds in the quarter mile. Anyone having a 10-second street car in '76 would be more than impressive.Detroit was a hotbed of street racing with a lot of incredibly fast cars roaming around. Here’s an article from 1976 showing some of the heavy hitters. Most of these money racers were running 10s or better.
The Heirs of Woodward Avenue: Brock Yates on Detroit's 1970s Street-Racing Culture
Only serious street racers need apply.www.caranddriver.com
That’s right. The black ghost seems to be nothing but a crazy embellishment. There’s no way a stock hemi challenger loaded up with options “dominated Detroit street racing” as this hagerty article claims, that’s just a joke.
Black Ghost: The mysterious 1970 Challenger that dominated Detroit street racing - Hagerty Media
The Historic Vehicle Association tells the incredible story of the rare muscle car that dominated Detroit street racing in the early ’70s ... and vanished.
As I stated earlier in this thread, the Challenger recently auctioned as the Black Ghost is probably not the car that was famous on Woodward back in the day.
U.M.
Stock muscle cars were running low 14s to mid- high- 13s.
U.M.: Ask your brother if he knew Steve Lisk (had a 1970 Hemi Challenger, IIRC, that went 9.7x through the mufflers w.o. the juice). Or if he ever went in George DeLoren’s race engine shop.
Yeah, Dirks9901’s post above pretty much nails it. I think the rags and auctioneers are the ones over embellishing the story, not the owner (Qualls’ son).
The lock on the fender is pretty roach.
FWIW, my college roommate grew up on Woodward (and Telegraph, and I-96) in the early- to mid-70s. (His father was a Ford exec.) He does not remember this car or this story. And while he's sure the Qualls aren't making it up - the car, the light-to-light victories - it just wasn't as big of a boulder in that street racing scene as the auctioneers are making it out to be now.
I like the fact that:
1) Veteran that had a dream when he got out of the war
2) Purchased a very cool car and lived that dream
3) Still wanted to enjoy it but be responsible and not put his family at risk by losing his job. Didn’t sit around and smack talk.
4) Quietly raised a family and was a LEO.
5)Stored the car to someday give it away to his son.
6) Didn’t jabber all over facebook about it.
7) I also like the fact that his son could take pride in it and the connection to his father.
I didn’t like:
1) The fact the son sold the car for money. It comes up short of a “Field of Dreams” moment due to the son cashing out.
1) Veteran that had a dream when he got out of the war
2) Purchased a very cool car and lived that dream
3) Still wanted to enjoy it but be responsible and not put his family at risk by losing his job. Didn’t sit around and smack talk.
4) Quietly raised a family and was a LEO.
5)Stored the car to someday give it away to his son.
6) Didn’t jabber all over facebook about it.
7) I also like the fact that his son could take pride in it and the connection to his father.
I didn’t like:
1) The fact the son sold the car for money. It comes up short of a “Field of Dreams” moment due to the son cashing out.
In the 80s we where still buying old muscle cars. A stripped challenger with a professionally built 440 .590 lift solid flat tappet tunnel ram (remember those) torque converter and I thing 3.91 gears was a low 12 car on street tires 11s on slicks. And cracked the professionally built 727 when it pulled the wheels and came down hard. My budget GTO was a high 13 second car at just over 105mph. Car was full weight with fiberglass hood G60 bias ply tires. Car ran 14.2 when I holed the No1 piston. Octane was an issue.
Let’s see some pics! Love Chevelles. Crazy what these old cars are bringing now days.
EXCELLENT post!! I know little about the Black Ghost outside of what I've read here and there. But your comments balance the truth, the hype, and the exaggerations. Like a ghost, it appeared....and then disappeared, sometimes for long periods of time....routinely.
For sure! As it sits right now it's in the garage covered with dust. I just got a shed and I'm in the process of clearing out the garage so that I can work on it easily. I've gotten the boxes off of it The drivetrain is complete, the interior needs done, the body is straight except a couple door ding size spots and the paint is okay for now.
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Nice 72, sure does look familiar
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That’s what I’ve read too. Not the fastest car around it was just mysterious.
It's the literal equivalent as if someone 30 years from now claims a stock, heavily optioned '12 GT500 dominated the TX2K street race scene....
Hmmm, not really. Maybe just delete the 'TX2K' and leave it "the TX street race scene". The TX2K is a unique and special race venue that attracts racers from all over versus it being regular local street racing.
Like a ghost it doesn’t exist.
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