Harry turns 82 in January; Gant tends to a herd of 100 Black Angus cattle on his 300-acre ranch in Taylorsville, North Carolina, rides his motorcycle around the country and is enjoying the good life.
Yes. It's definitely authentic. Even the Monogram 1/24 scale model kits include it just like that. A clear vinyl hose let the driver drink to keep hydrated while driving. With the exhaust and engine heat, combined with no insulation, the cockpit would get to over 130 degrees during a race. Later, NASCAR drivers would take an idea from desert offroad racers and use a "Parker Pumper"... another squirrel cage fan with an air filter on the intake, that would blow through a vacuum cleaner flex hose through an ice chest to the driver's closed face helmet to provide clean, cool air. Cool suits were also used where the driver wore an undershirt with small flexible hose that snaked around the driver's body. The hose connected to a small electric pump that pushed water through an ice chest to cool the driver.
Man that is a really nice car. I missed most of the 88 season. I went to Basic Training for the Army on Feb 22nd of 88. My dad would send me VHS tapes of the big races sometimes and I would drive people bananas when i was in Europe because I would watch the same race over and over. I don't think I sen the Daytona race until September lol. Man I would love to have that car. I was a Dale Senior fan and always will be, but I liked Harry. I love that you do these videos on old NASCAR vehicles' So much History.
Those guys were either real men of yore, or just crazy, to get into that thing and slap the face of death itself, over and over, for hundreds of laps. Just incredible. It's a real privilege to get a chance to get a nice close look at the inner details of this thing. This is what I've always wanted to see.
@@danmclennan7930 Interesting how drivers were adapting to minor issues. Back in the day the little things Crew Chiefs were solving with a little ingenuity. What a time to Enjoy the Sport of NASCAR
Although I’ve been an Earnhardt 3 fan since 1987, I always liked Handsome Harry Gant. He was a true gentleman, a great spokesman for the sport and always had a smile when meeting fans or the media. Thank you for sharing the video post and best of 🍀luck to you and your family ❤️👍🏼
Clearly a short track car. Lots of cues. #1 - Wheel opening gaps are huge.... Super Speedway bodies were very tight to the tire for aero reasons. #2 - Oil tank in the front left against the firewall..... thats to get more left side % so it'll turn at slower speeds.. #3 - Rear steer Banjo Matthews chassis which were very good for short tracks on the old bias tires. Dead give away that it's a Banjo chassis rather than Hutcherson-Pagan or Laughlin is the way the bar is routed over the trans tunnel under the dash. Anyway by 88 many teams were starting to run the front steer chassis on Super Speedway because it allowed the engine to be lower, running a bigger oil pan which helped clean up air under the car and free'd up power on plate engines. Nicely preserved and restored where needed car from a great era in NASCAR.
I used to love the sound of 43 of these busting off on pit road at Charlotte and the smell of rich racing fuel exhaust fumes floating through the air. So many memories.
I was at Charlotte in that era. In fact I can remember seeing those Aerocoupes lined up on pit road as a teenager and falling in love with those Montes. That back window screamed "built for racing". Love these cars!
Love the original state of this car! Kyle Petty did a "Coffee with Kyle" segment with Harry a few years ago. Harry still looks incredible, like he could still run the high line in a cup car!
I talked to Will Cronkrite who built plenty of these cars in the 70s and 80s about the subject of how much the bodies of these cars were stock. In his words all the sheet metal body parts started off as factory parts on these cars that got cut, stretched, massaged etc. So for the bodies at least, these beasts started their life as factory panels.
Awesome car from the real NASCAR Era. Harry Gant was a great addition to the late 80s-90s drivers. 4 in a row what a feat in 91. NASCAR was more exciting then. Thanks for the video. Merry Christmas!
A lady I work with is a big NASCAR fan and I have told her about your video's and channel, last week she came up to me and said is that guy you told me about Stapleton42. I said yes that's him, she said her husband found your channel and they've been watching your video's!
So glad to see you guys out and about checking out great NASCAR history such as this stock car driven by Harry Gant! Man, I'm f'n' there, this was way back when, when stock cars were exactly that and not some homologated cookie cutter car that they use now. Harry Gant is still around, he is now 81 years old and hope he is doing well. Thank you & the lovely Logan for this wonderful video on this cool ride! Keep up the good work, love it! :)
That car brings back a lot of memories. In '88 Harry Gant was one of the many victims for the tire war, breaking his leg in the World 600 and missing (if I remember right) five races. Morgan Shepherd (who drove for about six different teams that year) subbed for Harry, before subbing for Neil Bonnett and Buddy Baker later on. At the end of the year, Burt and Hal sold the team to Leo Jackson, and they switched to Oldsmobile, basically making Harry (in the 33 car) and Phil Parsons (in the 55 car, owned by Leo's brother Richard Jackson) unofficial teammates.
In January 1991 I went to Daytona. They were having Pontiac testing day for the 500. I went to the track and at Turn 4, I climb the dirt Hill and was literally laying on the fence of turn four. Harry Gant was testing the Skoal Bandit and every time he came out of Turn 4 he was up against the wall. Talk about feeling the car! That was the most awesome thing I ever experienced
Man that brings back memories of me being about 8 years old playing with a plastic 33 Skoal Bandit car. My Dad loves watching Harry Gant riding up around the wall. The couldn't get any higher in the track. That Car is legendary.
"Gant gained a lot of nicknames throughout his racing career. He was known as "Handsome Harry Gant" due to his Hollywood-style good looks, the "Bandit" after his longtime sponsor Skoal Bandit, "Mr. September"after winning four consecutive Winston Cup races and two Busch Series races in September 1991, "High Groove Harry" after the high line he often took through the corner, and "Hard Luck Harry" for numerous second place finishes in the beginning of his career and later numerous mechanical failures and crashes not of his own doing while leading or running well with Mach I racing."
That is the best looking race car that ever was. Harry Gant was my original favorite when I started regularly watching NASCAR. I watched NASCAR going back to the 70's when it would turn up on Wide World of Sports, but didn't get to see the races regularly until the 80's, and Harry was the man!
I work over at Rhine Built/Rhine Enterprise next to The Garage Shop and saw y'all in there the other day. I was working on the IROC car while Billy was giving you a tour. Funny story, I remember seeing the Darrell Waltrip hauler video way before I started there and recognized it across the street on my first day haha. Its neat getting to be around the cars and the history especially when I get to learn and be a part of bringing them back to life, but what's even more interesting is hanging out with these guys and hearing all the cool stories they have from back in the day. Also, if you haven't had a chance to see Billy's collection at the farm in person you should ask him about it next time you're in the area.
Ole Mr. September. Won 4 races in a row. Harry Gant was a badass. He would put roofs on houses during the week and then sit in a hotass race car on the weekends
Harry Gant was a very good man. I couldn't root for him because I am a Ford Man.. I also liked it when he ran Oldsmobile. That is where he won most of his races. Thank You for a great video.
File this under “What is Harry Gant doing now” which is what he was doing during his racing days and that’s building houses all over North Carolina……He is in his early to mid 80s and he is still tough as nails and looks just like he did back then
Not sure if relevant, but had a 300acre ranch with 100 head of Black Angus in NC back in 2017. Keen motorcyclist too. Pic somewhere out there with him and his wife on the Kyle Petty ride. Great video and awesome racecar.
Wow, what a time capsule! I can remember being a teen and watching Harry Gant pilot this monster around Daytona and Talladega on TV. I wonder if that cord under the sump tank could be for a pre-start oil priming pump?
Fantastique! Harry (and to some degree BP) was my favorite driver. I still watch today and like some drivers better than others, but he was for many years ;my driver' and I pulled for him in every race he entered. it's not the same if you don't have your driver, but still enjoyable. Few folks remember it was Harry that won the Busch race at Bristol when Mark Martin pulled into victory lane on the white flag lap. So glad you got that car out of mothballs, Congratz!
Sterling Martin was the first to use the 18 degree heads. I remember Derek Punch talking smack about Sterling's car having a piece of film stuck in the exhaust. You just earned a new subscriber from this video! God I love the 80's NASCAR's! back when they were going 220mph.
The cars then definitely had a more factory vibe to them over today's car. Such a neat piece to see. Love going back and looking at racing history like this. These were the cars and drivers I watched as a teenager.
Damn it this channel keeps bringing back into the 80s and 90s, tearing up and everything...and I effing love you for it. Thank you so much for doing what you all do. I love it.
I crewed on Harrys Ausie team here in Australia when he run here, said this car was only a third place car and thats were he finshed the race, in 3rd place. He was real good on there gear, drove it to the edge but did not break it. Great man.
Met Harry at Lee Usa Speedway. Compleat gentleman. They were signing autographs. Track promoter wanted them to go & do interviews. right away. Harry said when I sign the last persons autograph. I will, but these people stood in line in the sun for one & I am staying to finish. Another great was Richard Petty a lady wanted to take his picture but was holding a baby. So, Petty took & held the baby for her to take the picture. Class act back then.
Man the bandit was always my favorite paint scheme awesome restoration and another great video and find for you guys.Y’all always deliver the vintage roots of nascar
This is really wild to see! I don't care if you even like or know anything about Nascar, everyone knows this Skoal Harry Gant ride! It really was an 80s-mid 90s icon and has been everywhere including movies and all! Being a Days of Thunder superfan since it was what I grew up around the clip of Rowdy Burns and Cole going 3 wide and Gant and Rowdy eventually spinning to the bottom of the track "Rowdy knocked me into Gant, Gant spun out" this car will always be an icon I would like to see more of this style cars from this era of Nascar!!!! Good content bro, that move to Carolina has been a good choice for what you like to cover for content and making these connections with all these people that have theses pieces of history are really good people to know in the industry and can easily become even more beneficial in the future but time will definitely tell!💪
Funny, I was thinking of that exact same line... "Rowdy knocked not Gant... Gant spun out"... Epic movie... Now here's a little something most people DON'T know... The race scenes n that movie were actual real life racing... The race director said they could film on the track as long as they can run at competitive race speeds and stay out of the way of the other drivers... So yeah, the race footage at Daytona in "Days of Thunder" was the real deal... I seen a behind the scenes of the movie, that's how I learned that...
@@brettbaratheon9776 it may have been Russ... now you mention it... God a little Mandela effect going here... I thought it Rowdy, but it might have been Russ...
I loved watching Harry Gant and this 33 car . It was often joked that Harry never won a race that he wasn't fussing about the carburetor and how it needed to be adjusted correctly.
So bad ass! I always thought the these 80s monte carlos were so cool! Since I grew up as a kid I always wanted a '87 monte non aero coupe with ttops. Black with the red stripe. Got a diecast of one now. 1st car I owned was a '78 monte. In the mid 2000s I helped a bud who raced in super stocks at a local race track. We skinned a '84 monte and riveted it to another chassis. I was kinda heartbroken doing it because the car looked in pretty good condition with minimum rust. As we tore it apart I found tucked away in the coils of the back seat the factory build sheet! Racing was certainly cool then and very relatable to street machines back then
Btw: you mentioned about the hood. From what I recall when we skinned the monte we did for the super stock car we were building, after you remove the underlay (2nd skin) of the hood its just a think sheet metal piece with no support bracing. I need to check some of my old photos to see if I took any pictures of the hood to verify this. Thank you so much for taking the time and posting racing history. It's really appreciated. Keep up the great work and lookong for award to your next videos.
I’ve got a non aero coupe 86 ss ttop car that I really need to get around to finishing redoing. love that car it belonged to my great grandparents and will never leave
Buddy chopped up a all original 1 of less that 50 Oldsmobile 1980 w30 442 quite a few years ago and built a dirt car out of it he still gets dirty looks from people for that one but hey when you flip your other car and that was only car you could get your hands on in time you do what you have to do
Those are what race cars really were back in the day before custom tube chassis and body "skins", a real "stock" car. Bodied as it was built and caged for use. THOSE were great cars. Awesome find you guys👍👍👍
Ron Hornaday seems like a really cool guy. He was my favorite Truck series driver ever. Everytime I walk in my local Napa I always take time to stare at the die cast of Hornaday trucks on thier wall. It reminds me of my childhood in the late 90s. Yes I just watched your Hornaday video. Love Harry too and loved the video you did with him . Just a genuine man. I still have some skol bandit stickers somewhere. My grandfather chewed skol like it was bubble gum
Man I LOVE the simplicity of these old machines! I was a little kid back then and while I'm not a current NASCAR fan I have a soft spot for the old Winston Cup series and these old cars. They make me very nostalgic. What an amazing survivor!!
Loved this video & checking out all of the stock components that actually went into NASCAR's back in the day. Well done Mitch & Logan, looking forward to more and more NASCAR history videos 😁
That’s awesome! That’s a Banjo Mathews chassis. I was a huge Harry Gant fan at that point and my friend worked for him. I went to work for him when Leo Jackson bought the team and worked there till Harry retired. Cool stuff great vid!
There were only a handful of chassis builders even back when this car was raced. Where the cars really differed was who hung the body on the chassis and built the interiors. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail varied greatly. In my experience the cars Morgan- McClure ran were top notch.
That is 80s thermos. Still have one on shelf. Loved the video that car and Dales Wrangler cars were unforgettable and fun to watch back then.those SS Monte Carlos non aero coupe are still great looking.
I remember this car as a child and it was always in my top 3 behind Dale and Mark Martin! Always wondered what happened to it and am glad its being properly cared for. Now ya need an interview with Mr. Gant, who will be 82 next month. Loved it buddy! Keep it coming and Merry Christmas
I had an 87. Love the style of stock car back in the day. Thanks for the preview. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you both. 🙏💸
I had an 87 Aerocoupe as well. Fantastic car, drover her for 285k miles until I sold it for the 72 Monte that I still own. Also have an all original 85 SS with 52k miles. Love the Montes!
One of the prettier cars back then. Harry was a helluva driver too. CBS had an in car camera and he had like a digital speedometer mounted on the steering column at the 87 Winston 500 at Talladega and it showed 217 going down the back stretch. That's the year Bill Elliott sat on the pole with a record lap of 212.809. Harry being the cool customer he was looked like he was enjoying his sunday afternoon drive. Smooth as silk. Keep up the great work!
It’s so cool how they sound I loved going to the track as a kid and driving later on..miss it but it’s werid how even a 800hp LS doesn’t sound that good..but then those notes are from a tiny engine big cam huge over lap able to turn 9K rpm ..compared to say a 416 or a .427 only turning 6600 maybe 7500 rpm ..plus the exhaust with its flat bottom gives it the coolest sound compared to a round tube..
I’ve also seen it before where they took a normal Monte Carlo and cut the truck down for the Aerocoupe rear “glass.” Very cool, just how much is actually “stock” body.
That shortened decklid to fit the aero coupe rear window was pretty normal in Nascar, Dodge even did that same thing on the 69 (I think, might be off a year?) street Charger 500 homologation specials which had a similar rear window setup to reduce drag and improve downforce. Saw that recently on a episode of Nicks Garage (in Canada) who is restoring one of those.
with Logan's dry humor, dry demeanor in general, I was thinking she was just acting interested to support you but I realize now she really is interested in the history and engineering of these old cars. Women with that type of demeanor are hard to read but that is cool that she really is interested in this stuff. So cool you two are coming all of this and Interviewing a lot of these old guys while they are still here because when they are gone there will be a lot of NASCAR history that goes with them, history that needs to be preserved and remembered because nascar today is nothing like NASCAR of old
The degrees of the engine they talk about is the head face angle too the block the block angle stays the same you machine the head face on a angle to make the intake valves more square to the piston and bore intake manifold angles are machined to suit as well When they had the throttle restriction the plate on intake they filled in the gaps on a single plane manifold that would normally be big open chamber it’s filled to reduce the in unnecessary air volume on intake so you have 2 cylinders drawing off 1 barrel of the 4 barrel carb to keep the air speed up it’s pretty cool the technology that went into them
![เป็นไปได้ไหม - WanMai [Performance Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Eh5hItD4Mr0/mqdefault.jpg)
Was this car more or less “factory” than you expected it to be?
stapletonautoworks.com
Harry turns 82 in January; Gant tends to a herd of 100 Black Angus cattle on his 300-acre ranch in Taylorsville, North Carolina, rides his motorcycle around the country and is enjoying the good life.
I thought he was still building houses
Always my favorite racer. Harry was a bad man and still is. He had a great smile and super friendly until that window net went up.
Does he still have the steak house in Taylorsville?
@@jag3rb0mb Harry sold that a long time ago; it still operated as a restaurant Blondeez until that closed in 2018.
@@jag3rb0mb No. The Steakhouse was sold around 20 years ago.
Dude....that cooler inside the car is as 80's as you can possibly get.
It is I had one.
Yes. It's definitely authentic. Even the Monogram 1/24 scale model kits include it just like that. A clear vinyl hose let the driver drink to keep hydrated while driving. With the exhaust and engine heat, combined with no insulation, the cockpit would get to over 130 degrees during a race. Later, NASCAR drivers would take an idea from desert offroad racers and use a "Parker Pumper"... another squirrel cage fan with an air filter on the intake, that would blow through a vacuum cleaner flex hose through an ice chest to the driver's closed face helmet to provide clean, cool air. Cool suits were also used where the driver wore an undershirt with small flexible hose that snaked around the driver's body. The hose connected to a small electric pump that pushed water through an ice chest to cool the driver.
What a sweet piece of history. One of the most iconic paint schemes ever.
Totally!
Man that is a really nice car. I missed most of the 88 season. I went to Basic Training for the Army on Feb 22nd of 88. My dad would send me VHS tapes of the big races sometimes and I would drive people bananas when i was in Europe because I would watch the same race over and over. I don't think I sen the Daytona race until September lol. Man I would love to have that car. I was a Dale Senior fan and always will be, but I liked Harry. I love that you do these videos on old NASCAR vehicles' So much History.
thanks man thats awesome. wish I could have seen a field of these cars run at Daytona in person
Thank you for your service!
Thanks for your service John. GOD BLESS
Did basic in 89 and RIP in 90 missed a ton of races as well do remember those cars and the production cars with the same rear glass.
I love your videos.
Those guys were either real men of yore, or just crazy, to get into that thing and slap the face of death itself, over and over, for hundreds of laps. Just incredible. It's a real privilege to get a chance to get a nice close look at the inner details of this thing. This is what I've always wanted to see.
The Wood was attached to the gas pedal because it didn't get Hot, that was an issue back in the day. Great video
True, some drivers took Styrofoam coffee cups and cut them so they would fit on the right heel to insulate some because the floor got hot also.
@@danmclennan7930 Interesting how drivers were adapting to minor issues. Back in the day the little things Crew Chiefs were solving with a little ingenuity. What a time to Enjoy the Sport of NASCAR
Why Marcis wore his leather sole wingtip shoes.They were real men among men back then
Although I’ve been an Earnhardt 3 fan since 1987, I always liked Handsome Harry Gant. He was a true gentleman, a great spokesman for the sport and always had a smile when meeting fans or the media. Thank you for sharing the video post and best of 🍀luck to you and your family ❤️👍🏼
Thanks man we are glad you’re here and hope you’re subscribed for more like this!
Clearly a short track car. Lots of cues. #1 - Wheel opening gaps are huge.... Super Speedway bodies were very tight to the tire for aero reasons. #2 - Oil tank in the front left against the firewall..... thats to get more left side % so it'll turn at slower speeds.. #3 - Rear steer Banjo Matthews chassis which were very good for short tracks on the old bias tires. Dead give away that it's a Banjo chassis rather than Hutcherson-Pagan or Laughlin is the way the bar is routed over the trans tunnel under the dash. Anyway by 88 many teams were starting to run the front steer chassis on Super Speedway because it allowed the engine to be lower, running a bigger oil pan which helped clean up air under the car and free'd up power on plate engines. Nicely preserved and restored where needed car from a great era in NASCAR.
I loved the bandit. Harry Gant was a great driver.
Welcome to the channel membership Jeff!!
I used to love the sound of 43 of these busting off on pit road at Charlotte and the smell of rich racing fuel exhaust fumes floating through the air.
So many memories.
Then you would have gone nuts over the sound of the big blocks in the big cars in the '60s and'70s. They literally made the ground shake. Carry on.
I was at Charlotte in that era. In fact I can remember seeing those Aerocoupes lined up on pit road as a teenager and falling in love with those Montes. That back window screamed "built for racing". Love these cars!
Love the original state of this car! Kyle Petty did a "Coffee with Kyle" segment with Harry a few years ago. Harry still looks incredible, like he could still run the high line in a cup car!
Handsome Harry was fast and the cars looked so much better back then.
@@TomSmith-io9uk I LIKE
today 's cars .
Happy that Harry is still "Handsome " . Memphis Dan LeLoLai
R.I.P. BURT REYNOLDS
One of my favorite actors growing up.
Thanks!
How cool is that! I don't live to far from Handsome Harry. He's still working his farm. One badass man!!
I talked to Will Cronkrite who built plenty of these cars in the 70s and 80s about the subject of how much the bodies of these cars were stock. In his words all the sheet metal body parts started off as factory parts on these cars that got cut, stretched, massaged etc. So for the bodies at least, these beasts started their life as factory panels.
Awesome car from the real NASCAR Era. Harry Gant was a great addition to the late 80s-90s drivers. 4 in a row what a feat in 91. NASCAR was more exciting then. Thanks for the video. Merry Christmas!
4 in a row cheating lol
I think you're right, I think that's actually an 85 chassis. I was a huge Monte Carlo fan as a kid, I loved these cars. Gant's was one of my faves.
A lady I work with is a big NASCAR fan and I have told her about your video's and channel, last week she came up to me and said is that guy you told me about Stapleton42. I said yes that's him, she said her husband found your channel and they've been watching your video's!
That’s awesome lol
So glad to see you guys out and about checking out great NASCAR history such as this stock car driven by Harry Gant! Man, I'm f'n' there, this was way back when, when stock cars were exactly that and not some homologated cookie cutter car that they use now. Harry Gant is still around, he is now 81 years old and hope he is doing well.
Thank you & the lovely Logan for this wonderful video on this cool ride! Keep up the good work, love it! :)
Harry is still hanging "drywall" !
Young girl “I don’t know who Harry Gant is” that made me laugh.
To quote the great Harry Hogge “there’s nothing stock about a stock car”
That was my favorite paint scheme back then. I can still remember that car on tv watching with my grandpa. I was 13 in 88 good times
That car brings back a lot of memories.
In '88 Harry Gant was one of the many victims for the tire war, breaking his leg in the World 600 and missing (if I remember right) five races. Morgan Shepherd (who drove for about six different teams that year) subbed for Harry, before subbing for Neil Bonnett and Buddy Baker later on. At the end of the year, Burt and Hal sold the team to Leo Jackson, and they switched to Oldsmobile, basically making Harry (in the 33 car) and Phil Parsons (in the 55 car, owned by Leo's brother Richard Jackson) unofficial teammates.
In January 1991 I went to Daytona. They were having Pontiac testing day for the 500. I went to the track and at Turn 4, I climb the dirt Hill and was literally laying on the fence of turn four. Harry Gant was testing the Skoal Bandit and every time he came out of Turn 4 he was up against the wall. Talk about feeling the car! That was the most awesome thing I ever experienced
That’s epic
Man that brings back memories of me being about 8 years old playing with a plastic 33 Skoal Bandit car. My Dad loves watching Harry Gant riding up around the wall. The couldn't get any higher in the track. That Car is legendary.
"Gant gained a lot of nicknames throughout his racing career. He was known as "Handsome Harry Gant" due to his Hollywood-style good looks, the "Bandit" after his longtime sponsor Skoal Bandit, "Mr. September"after winning four consecutive Winston Cup races and two Busch Series races in September 1991, "High Groove Harry" after the high line he often took through the corner, and "Hard Luck Harry" for numerous second place finishes in the beginning of his career and later numerous mechanical failures and crashes not of his own doing while leading or running well with Mach I racing."
Great comment only name I could not remember was Hard Luck Harry. Have a High Groove Day.
Handsome Harry. What an absolute badass
As the old Harry said, “there is nothing stock about a stock car”
The sheet metal (massaged by an English wheel) front and rear bumpers, windshield and floor pan are factory for sure. Very cool era in NASCAR.
The Squirrel Cage in the back of the car was used to keep the rear differential cool.
Hope that helps you out a little bit.
You are right a short track or road course. You can tell by the way the front steering components are behind the spindles.
That is the best looking race car that ever was. Harry Gant was my original favorite when I started regularly watching NASCAR. I watched NASCAR going back to the 70's when it would turn up on Wide World of Sports, but didn't get to see the races regularly until the 80's, and Harry was the man!
Great video, Handsome Harry Grant, seen an update on him about 6 months ago, still doing some carpentry work and messing around his property.
This is the car that made me love NASCAR.
I work over at Rhine Built/Rhine Enterprise next to The Garage Shop and saw y'all in there the other day. I was working on the IROC car while Billy was giving you a tour. Funny story, I remember seeing the Darrell Waltrip hauler video way before I started there and recognized it across the street on my first day haha. Its neat getting to be around the cars and the history especially when I get to learn and be a part of bringing them back to life, but what's even more interesting is hanging out with these guys and hearing all the cool stories they have from back in the day. Also, if you haven't had a chance to see Billy's collection at the farm in person you should ask him about it next time you're in the area.
The best sounding NASCAR... Ever. Those days are gone. So sad..
Imagine doing 200 MPH in that thing! Scary AF!
Was it Elliot who hit over 212 that year or maybe the year before?
@@realMaverickBuckley Bill set a qualifying record that stands today when he put up a 212.809 mph lap at Talladega in '87. Carry on.
The men that piloted these beasts were legends with balls of steel.
Seeing the Harry Gant car brings back great childhood memories of watching him in motion back in the day. Thanks Stapleton.
Your so rite brad Harry Gant is a epic legendary driver one of my favorites with Ricky Rudd
Ole Mr. September. Won 4 races in a row. Harry Gant was a badass. He would put roofs on houses during the week and then sit in a hotass race car on the weekends
Harry Gant was a very good man. I couldn't root for him because I am a Ford Man.. I also liked it when he ran Oldsmobile. That is where he won most of his races. Thank You for a great video.
Thanks man
I’m a Ford man but I can appreciate this video. I remember this car actually racing!
File this under “What is Harry Gant doing now” which is what he was doing during his racing days and that’s building houses all over North Carolina……He is in his early to mid 80s and he is still tough as nails and looks just like he did back then
Not sure if relevant, but had a 300acre ranch with 100 head of Black Angus in NC back in 2017. Keen motorcyclist too. Pic somewhere out there with him and his wife on the Kyle
Petty ride.
Great video and awesome racecar.
Harry needs votes for the next Hall of Fame winners. Please stay aware and when it's time. Vote and vote often. He has long deserved this award
Wow, what a time capsule! I can remember being a teen and watching Harry Gant pilot this monster around Daytona and Talladega on TV. I wonder if that cord under the sump tank could be for a pre-start oil priming pump?
It's an oil heater
OMG this car was my everything when i was a kid ! like i dreamed about this thing . WOW thank you for going in depth .
"Wheeler knocked me into Gant, Gant spun out!" ~ Cole Trickle
I don’t know, but anything Harry Gant drive is cool as hell! I still have an autographed Skoal Bandit hat!
My favorite livery, Burt & Hals Skoal Bandit
Fantastique! Harry (and to some degree BP) was my favorite driver. I still watch today and like some drivers better than others, but he was for many years ;my driver' and I pulled for him in every race he entered. it's not the same if you don't have your driver, but still enjoyable.
Few folks remember it was Harry that won the Busch race at Bristol when Mark Martin pulled into victory lane on the white flag lap. So glad you got that car out of mothballs, Congratz!
Sterling Martin was the first to use the 18 degree heads. I remember Derek Punch talking smack about Sterling's car having a piece of film stuck in the exhaust.
You just earned a new subscriber from this video! God I love the 80's NASCAR's! back when they were going 220mph.
Love racing archeology!! Great video 🤘 The 80s aero wars were awesome!
As my dad would say..."When stock car racing was actually stock. Race on Sunday, sell on Monday.".
Dang, a vintage 1980s racer still in its original condition and still runs! Insane!
Been restored...
The cars then definitely had a more factory vibe to them over today's car. Such a neat piece to see. Love going back and looking at racing history like this. These were the cars and drivers I watched as a teenager.
Damn it this channel keeps bringing back into the 80s and 90s, tearing up and everything...and I effing love you for it. Thank you so much for doing what you all do. I love it.
thanks man!!
That thing is mint. Thanks for more historical content!
That's freaking awesome that's one of the best looking classic race cars
I crewed on Harrys Ausie team here in Australia when he run here, said this car was only a third place car and thats were he finshed the race, in 3rd place. He was real good on there gear, drove it to the edge but did not break it. Great man.
Thanks man!
Met Harry at Lee Usa Speedway. Compleat gentleman. They were signing autographs. Track promoter wanted them to go & do interviews. right away. Harry said when I sign the last persons autograph. I will, but these people stood in line in the sun for one & I am staying to finish. Another great was Richard Petty a lady wanted to take his picture but was holding a baby. So, Petty took & held the baby for her to take the picture. Class act back then.
👍🏻😎I went and seen one of his cars back in 1986 at the local Chevy dealership in town. First NASCAR I ever seen in person.
Crazy i was born in 90 and I remember all these old cars and couldn't tell you what one looks like today
This is so fucking awesome I can't believe the condition it's still in its soo dam clean wow I'd love to have this
Man the bandit was always my favorite paint scheme awesome restoration and another great video and find for you guys.Y’all always deliver the vintage roots of nascar
One of the best all time paint schemes!
Agreed!
This is really wild to see! I don't care if you even like or know anything about Nascar, everyone knows this Skoal Harry Gant ride! It really was an 80s-mid 90s icon and has been everywhere including movies and all! Being a Days of Thunder superfan since it was what I grew up around the clip of Rowdy Burns and Cole going 3 wide and Gant and Rowdy eventually spinning to the bottom of the track "Rowdy knocked me into Gant, Gant spun out" this car will always be an icon I would like to see more of this style cars from this era of Nascar!!!! Good content bro, that move to Carolina has been a good choice for what you like to cover for content and making these connections with all these people that have theses pieces of history are really good people to know in the industry and can easily become even more beneficial in the future but time will definitely tell!💪
thanks man we love it here
Funny, I was thinking of that exact same line... "Rowdy knocked not Gant... Gant spun out"... Epic movie...
Now here's a little something most people DON'T know... The race scenes n that movie were actual real life racing... The race director said they could film on the track as long as they can run at competitive race speeds and stay out of the way of the other drivers... So yeah, the race footage at Daytona in "Days of Thunder" was the real deal... I seen a behind the scenes of the movie, that's how I learned that...
So yeah, when Gant spun out in that scene, it was a real wreck...
@@therayven3147 wasn’t it Russ Wheeler that bumped Cole into Gant? Wheeler knocked me into Gant, Gant spun out.
@@brettbaratheon9776 it may have been Russ... now you mention it... God a little Mandela effect going here... I thought it Rowdy, but it might have been Russ...
Thats when nascar was really a car....such a great time for nascar...them days are gone
I loved watching Harry Gant and this 33 car . It was often joked that Harry never won a race that he wasn't fussing about the carburetor and how it needed to be adjusted correctly.
So bad ass! I always thought the these 80s monte carlos were so cool!
Since I grew up as a kid I always wanted a '87 monte non aero coupe with ttops. Black with the red stripe. Got a diecast of one now. 1st car I owned was a '78 monte.
In the mid 2000s I helped a bud who raced in super stocks at a local race track. We skinned a '84 monte and riveted it to another chassis. I was kinda heartbroken doing it because the car looked in pretty good condition with minimum rust. As we tore it apart I found tucked away in the coils of the back seat the factory build sheet! Racing was certainly cool then and very relatable to street machines back then
Btw: you mentioned about the hood. From what I recall when we skinned the monte we did for the super stock car we were building, after you remove the underlay (2nd skin) of the hood its just a think sheet metal piece with no support bracing. I need to check some of my old photos to see if I took any pictures of the hood to verify this.
Thank you so much for taking the time and posting racing history. It's really appreciated. Keep up the great work and lookong for award to your next videos.
I’ve got a non aero coupe 86 ss ttop car that I really need to get around to finishing redoing. love that car it belonged to my great grandparents and will never leave
Buddy chopped up a all original 1 of less that 50 Oldsmobile 1980 w30 442 quite a few years ago and built a dirt car out of it he still gets dirty looks from people for that one but hey when you flip your other car and that was only car you could get your hands on in time you do what you have to do
Man these videos are fricking awesome... wish NASCAR was like it was back than.
Those are what race cars really were back in the day before custom tube chassis and body "skins", a real "stock" car. Bodied as it was built and caged for use. THOSE were great cars. Awesome find you guys👍👍👍
This is a tube chassis car with a mostly factory body skin stuck on it
Yeah, i know, but there was WAY more stock to that car than the completely fabricated cars after that era and of today. Thats what i was meaning.
I bought a brand new monte aerocoupe in 1987 and I still miss that car today! Love your videos, great work.
Thanks man!
Ron Hornaday seems like a really cool guy. He was my favorite Truck series driver ever. Everytime I walk in my local Napa I always take time to stare at the die cast of Hornaday trucks on thier wall. It reminds me of my childhood in the late 90s. Yes I just watched your Hornaday video. Love Harry too and loved the video you did with him . Just a genuine man. I still have some skol bandit stickers somewhere. My grandfather chewed skol like it was bubble gum
Thanks man!!
Stoked for more old school nascar content. I love the variety on this channel! Still hope you guys get some rc rc cars!
Us too! thanks man
Rc Cars!!! now there is something i can afford lolll
Man I LOVE the simplicity of these old machines! I was a little kid back then and while I'm not a current NASCAR fan I have a soft spot for the old Winston Cup series and these old cars. They make me very nostalgic. What an amazing survivor!!
Thanks for making me feel older than I want. Those were the best of times😢
Loved this video & checking out all of the stock components that actually went into NASCAR's back in the day. Well done Mitch & Logan, looking forward to more and more NASCAR history videos 😁
What amazing pieces of history you get to put your hands on! Thank you for sharing these time capsules with us
Glad you enjoyed it!
I smashed the like button quicker than a lemonade in the summer at Daytona! Love the 33 car!
What a beautiful machine. I wish I could own one
One of my all time favorite cars
Always liked the "Skoal Bandit." Thanks for the video.
The 33 of Mr. September. I love seeing these old gen 3 and 4 cars coming back to life.
That’s awesome! That’s a Banjo Mathews chassis. I was a huge Harry Gant fan at that point and my friend worked for him. I went to work for him when Leo Jackson bought the team and worked there till Harry retired. Cool stuff great vid!
There were only a handful of chassis builders even back when this car was raced. Where the cars really differed was who hung the body on the chassis and built the interiors. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail varied greatly. In my experience the cars Morgan- McClure ran were top notch.
Wow…Lucky You….I would love to see Harry drive that car if just to go around a track a few times….
Me too man
That is 80s thermos. Still have one on shelf. Loved the video that car and Dales Wrangler cars were unforgettable and fun to watch back then.those SS Monte Carlos non aero coupe are still great looking.
Yep non aero coupes are 10x better looking
I remember this car as a child and it was always in my top 3 behind Dale and Mark Martin! Always wondered what happened to it and am glad its being properly cared for. Now ya need an interview with Mr. Gant, who will be 82 next month. Loved it buddy! Keep it coming and Merry Christmas
We would love to meet up with Harry
I had an 87. Love the style of stock car back in the day. Thanks for the preview. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you both. 🙏💸
Thanks, you too!
I had an 87 Aerocoupe as well. Fantastic car, drover her for 285k miles until I sold it for the 72 Monte that I still own. Also have an all original 85 SS with 52k miles. Love the Montes!
The Monte Carlo Aerocoupe is hands down my favorite race car of all time. They just looked completely badass. Fantastic race cars as well.
This is the coolest thing I've watched today! Thank You!
Anytime man!
harry is on a roofing job doing pullups on his break to cool off from the heat. that car sounds great. thanks for the show. merry christmas
I have always been a huge Harry Gant fan. This is awesome to see one of his original cars.
One of the prettier cars back then. Harry was a helluva driver too. CBS had an in car camera and he had like a digital speedometer mounted on the steering column at the 87 Winston 500 at Talladega and it showed 217 going down the back stretch. That's the year Bill Elliott sat on the pole with a record lap of 212.809. Harry being the cool customer he was looked like he was enjoying his sunday afternoon drive. Smooth as silk. Keep up the great work!
Thats epic. I will have to look that up
One of the most under rated of the sport..thanks for showing us such great history
It’s so cool how they sound I loved going to the track as a kid and driving later on..miss it but it’s werid how even a 800hp LS doesn’t sound that good..but then those notes are from a tiny engine big cam huge over lap able to turn 9K rpm ..compared to say a 416 or a .427 only turning 6600 maybe 7500 rpm ..plus the exhaust with its flat bottom gives it the coolest sound compared to a round tube..
One of my all time favorite NASCAR cars. Harry was a cool driver too.
Yes he was. We have a video with him showing his car collection too!
Wow this thing looks awesome back when a stock car was a real race car !!! I’d love to come down and see this car in person !!
Awesome story. Omg that car sounds good. Merry Christmas too you and Logan.
Thanks! You too!
I’ve also seen it before where they took a normal Monte Carlo and cut the truck down for the Aerocoupe rear “glass.” Very cool, just how much is actually “stock” body.
That shortened decklid to fit the aero coupe rear window was pretty normal in Nascar, Dodge even did that same thing on the 69 (I think, might be off a year?) street Charger 500 homologation specials which had a similar rear window setup to reduce drag and improve downforce. Saw that recently on a episode of Nicks Garage (in Canada) who is restoring one of those.
I always look forward to any and all video's you both put out PLEASE keep up the awesome work!!
Man I love those Monte Carlos! Thanks for posting. Your channel is my new shit lol
with Logan's dry humor, dry demeanor in general, I was thinking she was just acting interested to support you but I realize now she really is interested in the history and engineering of these old cars. Women with that type of demeanor are hard to read but that is cool that she really is interested in this stuff. So cool you two are coming all of this and Interviewing a lot of these old guys while they are still here because when they are gone there will be a lot of NASCAR history that goes with them, history that needs to be preserved and remembered because nascar today is nothing like NASCAR of old
The degrees of the engine they talk about is the head face angle too the block the block angle stays the same you machine the head face on a angle to make the intake valves more square to the piston and bore intake manifold angles are machined to suit as well
When they had the throttle restriction the plate on intake they filled in the gaps on a single plane manifold that would normally be big open chamber it’s filled to reduce the in unnecessary air volume on intake so you have 2 cylinders drawing off 1 barrel of the 4 barrel carb to keep the air speed up it’s pretty cool the technology that went into them