Author Topic: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car  (Read 6957 times)

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Qikbbstang

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Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« on: November 27, 2012, 02:24:32 PM »

Just watched the show on-line and things did not seem right. The 56 Chevy was just completed/never been on a race track.  The owner stated a NHRA Inspector had come to his home and certified it to run 8.50....
      When they showed the cars rear-underside I thought I saw 12" spacer blocks between the leaf springs and axle housing, closer looks showed "Air Shocks" and lack of any kind of bars (CalTracs etc) to plant the rear-end housing. To me to many things did not add up - I recall hearing years ago AirShocks were only good for raising a rear-end not for planting it even on a street car. The quoted "Offshore Racing" engine "If it's good enough for Offshore Racing it's good enough for the street"  They have not used fuelie stacks on Odffshore Boat Engines in three decades. Just hard to believe anyone would buy a race car that's never been even been run down the track.  The Pawn Stars guy saying "Really" was interesting as the owner boasted about the only need a flame suit and parachute. Danny "The Count" Koker (resident car pro) sure seemed to buy in on it. 
        So I'm wondering did these guys get snowed? 

The "dealing" starts @ 10.00 minutes in

http://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars/videos/pawn-stars-the-offer#pawn-stars-the-offer
« Last Edit: November 27, 2012, 07:56:44 PM by Qikbbstang »

Rory428

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Re: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2012, 03:10:15 PM »
Gotta agree, that rearend setup looks very hokey. Although the NHRA/SFI sticker may have showed the roll cage to be up to snuff, I can`t imagine anybody that planned to race that car anywhere an 8 second ET would use that setup for rear suspension. Between the mickey mouse suspension, earlyOlds rearend (limited parts available), the flat black bumper and headlight covers , it looks like a cheap skate build. Throw in the fact that it has never been to the track, and is therfore totally unproven, I can`t believe that anybody would have paid $37,000 for that car.
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bartlett

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Re: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2012, 07:37:22 AM »
Wow I saw that show a couple of days ago and thought the same thing ! I thought the rear end looked cheesed together. I thought you could not use any type of lifter blocks. They look like the hp would s the springs on the first run. Im guessing they will just flip it quick to some other sucker.  :o

Heo

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Re: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2012, 12:14:51 PM »
Stock 56 chevy springs thats at best marginal with
the stock engine plus the added leverage  with
the lowering blocks.I think with traction you
are able to pull the yoke from the trans.
I have seen that happen
And why put the springs under the frame
I have done a few 3 five chevys (yes the
hand are still red and icthy :))you just
swap side on the spring hangers and put
the springs inside the frame
8.50 and neading a parachute ....yeahh right
parkinglot cruiser



The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it

drdano

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Re: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2012, 02:20:19 PM »
The quoted "Offshore Racing" engine "If it's good enough for Offshore Racing it's good enough for the street"  They have not used fuelie stacks on Odffshore Boat Engines in three decades.

I can't view the vid, the website isn't showing it.  But, assuming this actually is an engine from an offshore raceboat, wouldn't that be trouble if it wasn't a closed-cooling motor?  Don't they typically set up the piston bore clearances on boat motors that use open water cooling tighter than a closed system?  i.e., you put that close bore motor now in a car that has 185+ degree water running through it and now you're scuffing pistons due to the block and everything expanding like it wasn't built for...  Sounds like a short lived motor potentially.

jayb

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Re: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2012, 12:46:30 AM »
Finally got a chance to watch this.  If that car would even make it into the 10s I'd be surprised.  The Kount think's there's $40K in an injected small block Chevy?  Not quite.  And his claim that the NHRA inspection means that the car itself is good is totally bogus; all they inspected was the cage, not the suspension.  Nobody runs air shocks on a serious drag car.

I don't know what a 56 Chevrolet goes for at auction, but it seems to me that the Pawn starts got screwed on that one...
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

AlanCasida

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Re: Pawn Stars buys a Race Car
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2012, 10:52:10 AM »
I saw some of it and it looked to me the cage was made of "muffler moly". I thought I could see the crease an exhaust tubing bender makes on the upper curve of the hoop. I did a little search and a guy on "yellow bullet" saw the same thing. Makes me wonder who's car they peeled the certification sticker off of!  ;)
  Just another idiot show. I long for the "old days" when the History Channel showed documentaries and the like. Instead they have opted for the low road and quick profits.