JeffIsHereToo Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Check out: http://www.volocars.com/mr-norm-show.htm Be funny to have more Shelby's than MOPARs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clark17357 Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Who is Mr. Norm? I ask that question seriously. I have never heard that name before. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShowCar Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Back in the 60's Mr.Norm ran Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago and built some hot Mopars to race. If the stories are true you could buy a Dodge and put a cam, gear, and so on and run 11.80's on Bias Ply tires. Im to young to prove this but my older clients swear by this story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhugger Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 This is the same day as " A day in the park" at Bourbonnais. Where are we going? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffIsHereToo Posted June 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 This is the same day as " A day in the park" at Bourbonnais. Where are we going? Steve Yeah...that's what I told Volo! Hence our "Shelby" day on the 24th but I guess they decided to keep the Shelby stuff on the 3rd too. Unless there is some unforeseen issue that prevents me I am going to Bourbonnais. I love the place but I can only take so much Volo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrhugger Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Jeff Agree with you. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuLu Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 Back in the 60's Mr.Norm ran Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago and built some hot Mopars to race. If the stories are true you could buy a Dodge and put a cam, gear, and so on and run 11.80's on Bias Ply tires. Im to young to prove this but my older clients swear by this story. I know a little more about Mr. Norm because I worked for Norm Kraus and his brother Lenny. Actually, you could buy anything you wanted. Norm was the "front guy", he has the style and personna for the "live" action. Lenny ran the back room, daily operations. Cars in, cars out, you know the scheme. The correct name is "Mr. Norm's Grand-Spaulding Dodge", google it? A small (sq. ft-wise) dealership on the north east corner of Grand Avenue (main street) and Spaulding Avenue (side street). Norm was (umm...is, he's not dead yet that I know of) a King in the Chicago street racing kingdom and local race track events back then. US. 30, Oswego, Lake Geneva, and Great Lakes/Union Grove (GLD). Only GLD is left today. Read more here? http://www.mrnorms.com/info/bio.html I met Norm on the street trying to make my 1965 Dodge Coronet 500/426 Wedge win at local street events. I was slow (due to vehicle weight and torsion bar front suspension) and Norm was also well known as a street race gambler who came out in the dark of night and stayed until sunrise, often buying breakfast when he made big money on the street races. Gambler? His "money was green" we used to say, and he would come by me and ask "what do you need, kid?" He bought me some M&H slicks, and a custom exhaust system from Ced's (also on Grand Ave). "Headers" were not popular back then, and honestly, the 426 Wedge was very unforgiving in the Coronet frame. But, he got me into the low 12's after he "donated" dual Carter AFBs, manifold, and his dyno tuning. Yeah, I got "compped" and low 12s doesn't sound like much today. But, for a 4200 pound car, it was something to see back then. Once I started winning with such a heavy car, Norm offered me a job at his dealership and I went to work on the very first dealership owned dyno I ever saw. There may have been others, but I had not seen them yet. I was young. Young...And enamored by the fact that I could tune an engine that thinks it's moving a car at over 100 MPH while I bend over the fender and adjust the carbs/timing while standing still. Awesome. As "sport cars" (what we called them back then) came across Norm's dyno, they got a special sticker added to the rear 1/4 glass that bragged of this custom tuning. If you saw this sticker, be wary. This car is not your daddy's Dodge. My relationship with Norm and Lenny ended when an engine blew on the dyno. "Gotta let ya go, kid" (which is what Norm always called me)". "Customer says you f**ked up". To this day, I do not agree, it was a garage built home-brewed short block that was out of whack. However, I drove over to my new job at Nickey Chevrolet in my new Dart GSS, so, Norm took care of me afterall. I still miss my '65 Coronet 500. There are a lot of late 60s street racing-dealer/factory support stories out here, it was a historic time in automotive history. Norm, Nickey, Baldwin, Yenko...The first "muscle car" period? Maybe, I can't say. I am now involved in INEX/Legends racing, which pays homage to the original crew, southern stated bootleggers driving back roads away from "revenooers" and this race circuit is very challenging. IMHO, ever since someone decided the wheel was to be round, it's been a race. Race on, gents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffIsHereToo Posted July 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Wow...great story! Will you be going out to see him then or coming to the other show? We'll understand if you're going to see Mr. Norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuLu Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Wow...great story! Will you be going out to see him then or coming to the other show? We'll understand if you're going to see Mr. Norm. I don't think I'll be in Volo, remember that Norm fired me? Besides, that was 40+ years ago, and today, I'd rather go somewhere new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08sgt1042 Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 LuLU thanks for the story, it is shear pleasure to read some great memories from the days of yore...I was a little kid whishing I could drive one of those beasty Yenko cameros that my brother in law had or the 69 corvette that my friends brother owned...so 10 years later I got my first 66 coupe and the ride began, thanks for the memories!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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