Anyone attend the 1983 Car Craft Street Machine Nationals?

[Sixpack70]

I was digging through a box organizing some of the small parts in my basement when I came across this plaque that was attached to my 70 Charger R/T when I bought it. Now I know just because this plaque was in the car doesn't mean it was there, but the glue looked really old and I was the first person to tear my car apart.

Did anyone attend the Street Machine Nationals and if so do you have pictures of Mopars at the event? I would love to find some original history, information or pictures of my car. Here is a picture of the plaque that was glued to the dash.

And here is my car. I don't have any reason to believe this was not its original color at the time. It's still green everywhere and the door jambs and trunk interior are original paint. The car is a sixpack four speed car without the SE package. Thanks for any potential help!

 

[Budnicks]

Which Car Craft Nationals ??... I'm sure I attended the Car Craft Nationals in Sacramento California @ Cal Expo Fair Grounds & the Drag Races especially afterwards, I wasn't in the show portion usually just racing & spectating at the car show... I went for a few years in a row... no photos thou I'm just recently been doing any photograhy & not very well I may add...

 

[64BEL]

I went to the Chevy....err Car Craft Nationals in '82 in Springfield, Illinois. I drove my '70 GTX there, but not as a show car. I don't think I have any pics, though.

 

[Sixpack70]

It would most likely have been Illinois as my car came out of that region. I've found a lot more pictures of the event online, but only one 70 charger. It was a black R/T with red scoops and stripe. Most of the other pictures are Mustangs, Camaros and E-bodies. With privacy laws it's made it very difficult to get a past history on my car. I've been working at it for almost 10 years!

 

[sublimegtx]

Real nice lookin R/T there neighbor :headbang:

 

[Sixpack70]

It's actually really trashed but my crappy 3.3mp camera makes it look somewhat ok! lol It's sitting in El Paso at a friends house until I move back down south next year. Those pictures were taken back in 2004. I want to get some new updated pics with a nicer camera. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the car as I was pulling it apart.

 

[Meep-Meep]

I have attended many Street Machine Nationals events at Cal Expo (just like Budnicks). I remember seeing the red 68 Dart convertible with a transplanted hemi. At the time it was owned by Roland Merman - or I should say I saw him behind the wheel at the event. I believe this car was credited as being the first pro street car. I know Roland didn't build it, and there is actually some info about it along with pictures and my comments on FABO under the "show us your convertible Darts" section. Good memories!

 

[69ChargerR/TSE]

I was there in 1982 or 83. I won the Drag Race

 

[patrick66]

I did the 1982 Sacramento event and the 1985 DuQuion, IL event. Both in the '66 Coronet. In fact, my Coronet is the rearmost of the four cover cars on the October 1985 Car Craft from the DuQuoin event! You can see me, the hood, roof, windshield and grille.

 

[tmaleck]

I was at the first 5 Nationals. Took my 66 and 68 Chargers. First time I saw T-Bird rear turn signal sequencers modded onto the Charger.

 

[guy gadbois]

I did the 1982 Sacramento event and the 1985 DuQuion, IL event. Both in the '66 Coronet. In fact, my Coronet is the rearmost of the four cover cars on the October 1985 Car Craft from the DuQuoin event! You can see me, the hood, roof, windshield and grille.

Just went and pulled my copy... I see you!

 

[guy gadbois]

I was digging through a box organizing some of the small parts in my basement when I came across this plaque that was attached to my 70 Charger R/T when I bought it. Now I know just because this plaque was in the car doesn't mean it was there, but the glue looked really old and I was the first person to tear my car apart.

Did anyone attend the Street Machine Nationals and if so do you have pictures of Mopars at the event? I would love to find some original history, information or pictures of my car. Here is a picture of the plaque that was glued to the dash.
View attachment 472454

And here is my car. I don't have any reason to believe this was not its original color at the time. It's still green everywhere and the door jambs and trunk interior are original paint. The car is a sixpack four speed car without the SE package. Thanks for any potential help!
View attachment 472455

I LOVE the old Street Machine Nationals! Went to the NSRA's shortlived version in 76 and 78, and DuQuoin 86 thru 92. Caught a couple of the 'fall nats' in 88 and 9 as i remember, ond one West Coast version in the 80s also. 83 I believe to be precise. DuQuoin ruled tho.
Sorry, I wasn't in Springfield in 83, so I can't be any of help personally. However... apparently theres a guy on fakebook that has a page of photos of only Mopars from Street Machine Nationals bitd. I dont know if he has any from 83 because I do NOT fakebook, but if you do, you might check.
There was a thread on Yellow Bullet about the Street machine Nats, but most of the photos are of the ProStreet cars. Don't necessarily recommend yellow bullet either, but its worth looking thru the pix.
Memory says there are a couple of videos on utube from Springfield - might see your car in one of them.
Be sure and try some alternative search engines whilst searching for event photos. of course, you should never use g***le anyway...but try SwissCows and the duck - sometimes they come up with stuff no one else does.
Good luck!

 

[Jeff Peterson]

I was there with my ‘69 runner, I believe the big winner that year was a blown and turbocharged pro street blue Chevy II with radiators in the wheel wells.
It was friggin’ CRAZY!
I think the next year was the last due to all the “hi jinx”!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

In 81 the West Coast Car Craft Street Nationals was held at the Pomona Fairgrounds...

The event held at Cal Expo was the Car Craft Street Machine Expo... I attended that every year from 82-97 got sun burned, drunk, thrown out of a few bars & hotels, did lots of stupid **** & generally had a great time...

 

[WS23U1]

I was there. I got the ticket on my there to prove it.

 

[guy gadbois]

I was there with my ‘69 runner, I believe the big winner that year was a blown and turbocharged pro street blue Chevy II with radiators in the wheel wells.
It was friggin’ CRAZY!
I think the next year was the last due to all the “hi jinx”!

I imagine that Nova is Rick Dobbertin's that you speak of; it really set the bar for years.
79 in Indy was probably the worst year for 'craziness' , but 85 in east St Louis - whoever decided on that location obviously knew nothing about that part of the country- was pretty bad too. 79 was just car guys gettin silly and a gross overreaction by the local PD, 85 was mainly 'the locals' causing trouble and car guys got the blame officially. I wasnt at 85, but know several who were, and the 'official story' is not accurate. Imagine that...

 

[gtx6970]

I was at one in Indianaoplis. But dont remember the year. Took my black 1970 Roadrunner 440 six barrel car.

 

[65wgn440]

I was there, but unless your car was parked behind a young lady who was lifting up her shirt, then I wouldn't have a picture of it. The last year in Springfield was crazy. Cops shut down our main drag, made everybody pack up and get out of town. We had police helicopters hovering over our campground. They blocked all roads and funneled everyone onto the highways and said "Don't come back". Next year was in East St, Louis, then DuQuoine.